Nice outdoor atmosphere on the water with really good food! Priced reasonably! Lots of choices on menu from seafood, burgers and sandwiches. read more

Rum Runners - Bars Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

If I could give zero stars I would. Waitresses are extremely rude. Would never go back. We felt like a bother to them.

We used to visit Rum Runners every summer during our annual trip to Erie. The food was always mediocre, but the restaurant was right on the lake, so that made up for the poor service and dingy restaurant. We returned to Rum Runners last week and it looks more run down than ever. It took 20 minutes for a waitress to acknowledge us. The food was horrible, and the bathroom were completely disgusting. We waited a really long time for our food. I don't mind divey. I don't mind places with character. This is just gross, gross, gross. I don't plan on ever returning. read more

Waitress was amazing she was really quick and efficient and was attending to about 17 tables at the same time. They are short staffed, but her pleasant attitude and our experience because of her made up for that. I wish I knew her name because she deserves a shout out. Whomever the women on 4/27 was YOU ARE GREAT! Thank you read more

My family and I stayed in Erie for a few nights and wanted to eat at a place on the water. This is a great casual option and met all of our expectations. The food was good, my wife and I each got a fried seafood basket with clam strips, perch and coconut shrimp. Good portion and hits the spot if you're looking for classic bar food. They didn't have a kids menu but the waitress kindly offered to make a half order of chicken fingers and fries, and only charged half price as well, which was very nice. You can't beat the atmosphere, right on the water watching all the boats drive by. They don't take reservations which we didn't know, we arrived around 5pm on a Friday and waited about 20 minutes for someone to finish their meal so we could sit. Would definitely come back here on our next trip to Erie. read more

Great portobello sandwich and slaw. Burger and coconut shrimp was good. Beautiful outdoor water view from patio and cute little pirate skit for kids. read more

I rarely review a place when I've only had drinks, but I just wanted to warn others. I love a good rum runner and, even though we were stuffed from lunch, I couldn't resist trying one from a place named for the drink. As soon as we walked up, the server said "I'm the only one here!" in a frazzled tone (there were only two tables of four total between the inside and outside). We told her we just wanted a drink and she had us come inside to get them. I had the rum runner while my boyfriend had a beer. The server was nice enough to put a napkin over the drink to avoid the bees, but that didn't save the drink. It just tasted like a mix - that weird fake taste. While the atmosphere outside was great, I couldn't make myself finish the drink, so we cleared our own table and left. read more

Seems like a nice place with a wife or gf but don't take a couple kids (17 & 13) when they're hungry & thirsty. Took 20 minutes for a water and 2 sodas and 10 mins after that she still wasn't there to take out order. I hope the $2 I left covered our sodas... read more

Worst service I've had anywhere. So bad that this is my first review of any place cause I'm not the type to do this kind of thing. Wanted to sit outside but there was nowhere to sit so we asked the waitress if we just sit ourselves inside and she said that we could. We sat there for 15 minutes and had waitresses walk right past us with not even any eye contact, not even by the waitress that we asked if it was alright to sit ourselves inside. Waitresses were just standing at the bar and there were only 2 out of maybe 12 tables that had customers including us. We ended up going to Longhorn which was very good. Will never go to place EVER again. Totally ridiculous especially seeing that we drove from out of town. SMH Shame on this place. DO NOT GO THERE!!! read more

I'm telling you we have been coming to rum runners for years and they never seem to disappoint us. We are a large group of golfers from Kansas City who can be very hard to handle at times. From the manager to the bartenders and waitresses They are always cordial and cover all our needs. Their waitress Alexa is perhaps one Of the best waitresses we have ever encountered. We tilt our hats to rim runners and their staff. read more

I want to say a huge thank you so much to the male bartender who was talking shit on us. We ordered food and they asked who and he goes "for the two fat girls" -- I don't know if I should be upset, shocked, pissed or hurt. We did call him out at the end of the night. I heard you say "oh shit" and look away from us. Thank you so much very much. I've never been so disappointed in my life with a bar until now. Not only that but the whole time we were eating we could clearly hear you guys talking shit on all of your earlier customers. WAY TO GO! Stay classy. read more

Absolutely the worst service i have ever experienced anywhere. Besides the bartender the other 3 employees didn't seem to care that we were there. read more

Food is mediocre. Service is terrible. Try sloppy duck instead of this place. Have tried rum runners several times with this same result.

They couldn't even make a Bloody Mary because they didn't have any Bloody Mary mix, which basically means they probably buy it in jugs pre-made instead of making it there. After seeing all the bad reviews & the dirtiness of the floors & bathroom in this place I convinced my buddy to leave & we headed over to Cloud 9 because I actually wanted to get something to eat. I wouldn't trust the food here unless it was fried but I really didn't want to eat unhealthy fried food. I suspect the only reason to come here is if you have a boat & want to dock it there & drink but probably not eat anything. I was surprised I will didn't see any roaches during the whole 15-30 minutes that we actually spent there before leaving. read more

1 star is overrating this establishment. If you are in the mood for bad service, disgusting drinks, rude servers and crappy food this is the place to go. Would never recommend anyone to go there read more

This place needs to re-evaluate itself. There is so much potential here. It's tiny inside but who wants to be inside?? The the patio is nice but the old plastic chairs are old and worn and uncomfortable. Here's the worst part - the service ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. I like the idea of sitting there to enjoy a beautiful Erie sunset but with no more than 25 people on the patio, it CONSISTENTLY takes well over 7 minutes to get a beer. The place is FILTHY inside. THE bathrooms are tiny and filthy. It is so sad to see a place with so much potential just suck this bad. read more

If I could give it less than one star I would. The location on the wharf is all it has going for it. Everyone working there was rude and acted like we were doing them a favor by being there. Will not be back. Smugglers wharf....better food and service! read more

Pros: - Great location - Overlooking the waters - Boats can pull up Cons: - Bad service - Felt dirty walking in there - Drinks were not great - Beer on tap was about room temperature - Horrible food Needs a lot of improvement on the food and drinks. I wouldn't recommend going there. read more

This place rocks. You don't go here because it's a fancy bar - it's a shack with a concrete slab outside. You don't go here to eat (although some do). You go here because you want to drink beer or rum runners on the bay. It's gorgeous and the best place to drink in Erie on a hot summer day or if you want to watch a beautiful sunset and see the Victorian Princess or other boats come by. If you have a boat, you can pull it right up to the dock - and on weekends, if you do this, you don't have to pay the usual $3 cover after 8-9ish. This is a great little place and way cooler than Rum Runners: The Cove that is connected to the Sheraton. read more

After moving to Erie recently we decided to try Rum Runners after seeing some nice pictures online. We were extremely disappointed. Service was so terrible and the security personnel was so rude that we left before we even got our drinks. Would not recommend this place until service is much improved. read more

This place doesn't even deserve one star. The location is all it has going for it. The service is bad, the waitress was rude, the place is dirty and the food is awful. I sent my fish sandwich back because it was totally saturated in grease as were the fresh cut fries. The waitress response was you did order fried fish...no kidding honey but I did not expect it to be soggy and mushy from the grease. She then took forever to get us the bill and guess what...we were charged for a meal I didn't even touch and sent back. We had a manager come to the table asking what the problem was and his response was if you order fried food you do know its cooked in grease...no kidding moron. I would never recommend this place. read more

Is there a way to give a 0? 2nd time one specific server has been rude about us ordering a drink at the bar then sitting at a table. i'd order a drink from the server but then i'd have to wait 20 minutes for a drink because the service is absolutely horrendous. we get told if we have a tab at the bar we have to order our food at the bar.. so we go & sit by the bar & ask the bartender what's in the chicken salad- with the rudest attitude she gives a rude look says "I don't know and walks away" & acts like it's an inconvenience to go see what's all put in it. a little advice: maybe know your menu or don't be so rude when your customers ask you a simple question. so over this shitty establishment. read more

Great atmosphere on the water, I was there for dinner and drinks with a group of 15 people that were continuously coming and going, changing seats and we were all ordering at different time - service was impeccable - when we asked for separate checks at the end she had no trouble separating - very impressed! Beer prices we're good - I had the coconut shrimp which was also good but not great, still totally acceptable food along with spectacular service and views. read more

Drinks on the patio right on the lake.. perfect! Ive only been here 2 times and both times it was for that very reason. Drinks one Lake Erie! We ordered the classic rum runner tropical frozen drink and these can be very dangerous.. very sweet and very easy to drink down and forget how many you've had. The people there are always so nice and the casual vibe encourages people at other tables to start up conversations with you. Its a great way to meet the locals. Boats can pull right on the patio and you can sit and watch the Pirate Ship cruise by on a regular basis. My mom said one time while she was there the Brig Niagara went right by and it was quite the experience I hear! The bar inside is definitely a little dive-y but honestly you dont go here for the inside. Grab a table under a thatched umbrella outside, order a tropical drink and chill out watching the boats go by. Its a perfect way to spend an afternoon on the Lake! read more

Rum Runners - The famous rum runner... Be careful, drinking them fast causes extreme intoxication - Bars Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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Poor service. Didn't even see any staff for five minutes. Waited five more at the outdoor bar and left. Terribly managed. Too bad - it's a great location. read more

Worse experience ever! They turned off the lights and started cleaning 2 hours before closing time! It's not a good experience hearing sounds of chairs arranged and the splashing sound of cleaning with water while trying to enjoy a weekend drink. read more

Rude bartenders and employees, marginal bar food and expensive terrible drinks. Nothing more to say.

Everything that hit the table had ants and flys in it and the burger was raw. the tea taste legit like grape medicine, served in baby plastic cups like i'm in kindergarten. the smell of dead fish and 50,000 cigarettes 10 feet within i was eating. read more

This is one of those places that makes you long for spring/summer even more than normal when you get thinking about it, during the dreary winter months. All things are relative. You go realizing you will get pub grub and drinks. You remain realistic. What you get is surprisingly good grub. The atmosphere on the deck along the water a stone's throw from the heart of the Erie waterfront near the observation tower is worth going even if the food was mediocre or a fast drink. But I assure you it is not. I discovered this jewel last summer and went again right up until the last week it was open, obviously a seasonal place and here it is only two weeks past Valentine's Day and I am counting the days until this special place opens for the season. Good grub, great atmosphere, the total fun package. And reasonable seals the deal. read more

I went to Rum Runners on Saturday, July 29th at approximately 3:30 pm. My friend and I politely asked the bartender (shorter woman with glasses) for rum runners and waters. She asked for our I.D.s, which we happily gave her. I am 28 years old and have a valid Pennsylvania drivers license. The bartender took my ID, held it up to check to holograph, and then put in on the back bar with her back to me, and started copying information from my drivers license without asking for my permission. She also never asked me for a second form of ID (which I had on me and easily could have provided) and never asked me for any further information. After several minutes, she rudely gave me back my card with a proof of age form and told me that she needed me to fill it out because my ID looked "funky" with no other information as to why. She then turned to another customer, and with attitude said "I guess it's gunna be one of those days." After discussing with my friend, I took the form and left because I did not want my personal info sitting on a card in a bar, the bartender was extremely rude, and I was embarrassed after having been treated like a criminal even though I am well above the legal drinking age and provide valid proof. This is ridiculous. Your bartenders should know what a license in their own state looks like. They should also know how to properly conduct themselves. She never asked for another form of ID, never asked me any questions to verify my age, and did not ask me to fill out the Declaration of Age form before recording my personal information while blocking my view of what she was recording where. I have never received such rude treatment at a bar in my life. I should also add that I tried to call the bar to complain, but no one answered their phone. Since the bartender took my license out of my sight and recorded personal information from it, I WILL BE MONITORING MY CREDIT AND WILL REPORT THIS INCIDENT INVOLVING YOUR STAFF TO THE POLICE SHOULD ANYTHING FISHY (I.E. IDENTITY THEFT) ATTEMPTS OCCUR! I also posted this information on their Facebook page and rather than apologizing, they argued with me. read more

Place closes at 2 am . The turned off the lights at 11:30 and were almost kicking people out on a friday night !!

i want to like it here so much. the atmosphere is cool - total erie lakefront spot. but it's dirty and the food is never that good. the drinks are insanely strong, which, if that's what you're in for - enjoy. it just doesn't hold up beyond that, which is super disappointing for such a prime spot on the bay. read more

I am not impressed with this place. I came with a group of people to send off a friend that ia leaving the area. So i came a bit late and the server came through and asked what I wanted. I asked for potato skins and a rum runner. So we began to socialize and I asked the rest of my friends when they ordered and they said about 20 mins ago. They have yet gotten their drinks, etc. So a half hour went by and still no drinks or water. Another person from our party had to go get a pitcher of water for our table which she shouldnt have to do. So i am getting irritated and went to the bar and asked for my drink, the server thanked me for getting my own drink? I was confused why he thank me. So our food and stuff was bringing brought out and my potato skins came out half burnt and missing sour cream. So i went up to him and said, this is missing sour cream. He said, no its not. I said yes it is. Grab a menu. He said, i been working here for a year! I know what goes on it. I said, i been reading for 27 years and it clearly states sour cream. He said it comes on the side. I said clearly u forgot it. He said youre being rude man. I said,no i am not. Im simply stating facts. Worst service ever. read more

Some of my family had lunch there recently-location is great- food not so much. Server was pleasant, but overworked and tried not to show it. Shrimp basket was under cooked and tasteless- barely warm, nachos were AWFUL and fries were also barely warm. Also pretty pricey in my opinion. read more

Went with some friends never eat there it dosent even deserve one star. Rude employees it was like we didnt exist there! We left and went to smugglers ward where we actually had good and polite service. Rum runners had 6 employees working for lunch and they couldn't even acknowledge we were there! Never go! read more

Poor service, Jordan our server was not personable, never checked on us, it took 45 mins for our food. Other tables that came after us were served their food before us. The acoustic guitar entertainment was annoying. We were never asked if we wanted refills on our drinks until we were leaving. read more

We were served quickly and with courtesy. Just enjoyed drinks at the bar but may return some day as our experience was just fine.

I shouldn't even give this bar one star. After how rude the bar tender was to my whole group Friday night I will never go there again. He told us what we could get when we made plans for a big group to come in and then when we got there he completely changed what we could get and treated us like crap and like we were idiots when we tried to to what we were told we could have. He was horrible and I know everyone in my group will never go there again. read more

What a terrible experience we had! The woman's restroom was closed and they expected the women to go into the back parking lot - very dark - no lights - and no where to wash your hands. The "security" little man would not let us wash our hands or use the men's restroom. So they expect you to eat your food without washing your hands!! Also the excuse I was given as to why I couldn't use the men's room was they had to keep it open and handicapped accessible for a man in a wheelchair. I asked him if a woman in a wheelchair would then have to go out back to the outhouse and he got very indignant with me. They were very rude and used profanity with us. Basically, the management doesn't care about the customers - so we will not be back. It is well worth the hour wait to go to Sloppy Ducks - the view is the same and you will be treated with respect. read more