Shirley was fantastic! You could tell she was busy but she consistently checked in and helped us out when my husband did not like his plate (the French dip) The Shellfish Carbonara was outstanding!!!! We are on a trip from California to New Hampshire and stopped in town to see the lake. We wanted some seafood so we came here because we walked by and the atmosphere was great. Highly highly recommend! read more

The servers were nice and attentive, the restaurant itself is definitely due for renovations and a deep cleaning and dusting. It's old and run down and needs upgrades especially in the bathroom. The door in the restroom couldn't even close and it blocked the sink. I had to stand on the side of the sink to wash my hands. Then the blower to dry my hands was very weak ( they need a new one) and there were no paper towels available to dry my hands, so I had to allow them to air dry until I got to the table and used napkins. This place is like a catch of the day, sea to take kind of place. Which I would expect being located on the bay. But the seafood was flavorless. The table had fried calamari, and although it wasn't chewy, it wasn't seasoned with anything so it was like cheating crispy air. The other food was pretty flavorless as well, which seems to be a trend in Erie, PA. I had a burger, the burger wasn't anything to be desired. Definitely lacked flavor and seasoning. The fries were good fried pretty good but had no salt. The veggies on my burger however were fresh and had a good crunch. The fish was a bit under fried for my liking, I sent back and they fried another piece without a problem, but it still could have been fried longer. The chocolate cake was ok not too sweet however, it was a bit dense. I probably wouldn't come back here. read more

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Smugglers' Wharf GOOD: Food quality, service and atmosphere BAD: Price heavy on sides and starters I loved my experience at Smuggler's Wharf. The food was delicious, the service fast and friendly and the location is pristine. The bay views make the already cozy interior even better. It loses a star because they really put the squeeze on when it comes to simple things like french fries. Fries are cheap to make and a customer favorite. Your options are 9.00 starter or additional 5.00 when you pay for a sandwich - hard pass. It worked out because the potato salad they offer free is bonkers good. The other thing I didn't like is they charge 9 for a cup (ouch) then 10 for a bowl of soup. I ordered the bowl - very tiny little thing. My two cents, get a nice glass of wine (if that's your jam) and a quality entree. Iam going back for the carbonara very soon. read more

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After walking past this restaurant for over 10 years, some friends we were entertaining in Erie suggested we stop- so we did and it was a wonderful experience. The ambience is second to none. The grape vines provide a nice break from the sun, but you're still afforded views of the bay and tower. Service was polite and professional, but also very personable. Drinks were tasty, but didn't seem very strong. Food was served without delay and as ordered. I have only had lobster rolls in ocean towns and this one stood it's own against those. A little over seasoned for my taste and I could've done without the celery. Very chicken salad feel. But the lobster was tasty and the roll was great. read more

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Pleasant little stop before touring the Bicentennial Tower - great seafood selection here. Got the blackened snapper (I believe that was a daily special) which was seasoned just right and had a nice crispy outer texture (yet was flaky and not dry) . The Portobello mushrooms had wonderful flavor too. The garlic mashed potatoes were ok. Woman serving us was very nice; service was tad slow but looked like she was the only one serving before we got in. Great view and location too. I'd eat here again. read more

Smuggler's Wharf - Portobello mushrooms, garlicky potatoes and blackened snapper - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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This is a great location that sadly needs a better menu and better recipes or cooks. We got 3 appetizers and a salad. 1 app, the coconut shrimp, was good. The calamari was overcooked, the mussels were floating in a bath of grease. The salad was just bad. For $15 that's unacceptable. Iceberg lettuce in big chunks, canned pineapple, no protein (thats extra). The dressing was supposed to be a ginger dressing. It had a slight taste of ginger and was milky. $75 for those 4 items and 1 bottle of beer. At that location they should be packed, but we were 1 of 2 couples there at 7:30 on a Wed night. Truly wish they would make big changes there! read more

We sat at the bar and were greeted by a nice bartender. Service was excellent! The menu was much more expensive than anticipated but luckily we weren't very hungry. I ordered the perch sandwich ($20) which came with a side of potato salad and a pickle spear. My wife ordered a cup of she crab soup. While waiting, we got a chance to take in the atmosphere. It was very run down and dirty. The ceiling was loaded with debris you wouldn't want if it fell in your meal! The view was nice and the new canopy, once completed, will be much nicer than the old rundown one that preceded it. The soup was good, although very rich. The perch sandwich underwhelmed. The bottom bun was soggy from the pickle. I found it flavorless and bland. Even after I removed the bun, same effect. We won't be back. read more

Shirley is always attentive, helpful, & friendly. Smuggler's participates in the Erie Fine Dining Group. The proprietor doesn't "punch your dining card" in gratitude for patronage between Sept and March- a win-win for patrons and the business. Best perch dinner in the area, in our opinions. read more

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Amazing food!! We tried the Lobster roll, Artic Char (fresh catch), and She Crab soup! Everything was absolutely delicious and our waitress, "Emily" gets a 10/10 for service, friendliness and tourist tips. We dug into our food so fast that I forgot to snap pictures. This place is fantastic!! read more

We were visiting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and took a day trip to Erie. After swimming for a couple of hours we decided to look for a place to have lunch. We stumbled upon Smugglers Wharf, it is right on the water and had a beautiful view. Of course, one of my twins wanted to sit inside and the other outside. A quick mention of a fish tank inside made Both twins want to sit inside. They have multiple fish tanks that definitely entertained my boys. We arrived after the lunch rush so most people were leaving. The boys ordered grilled cheese and my husband ordered muscles ( HUGE PORTION) , scallops and clam chowder everything was delicious! I had the lobster roll which was divine! The cocktails were fantastic! The service was fabulous and so personal. The waitress took time to chat with us about the twins and lake Erie in general. If you are in Erie I highly recommend checking with place out! Bonus my 4 yeat old twins tried the muscles and LOVED THEM. read more

The steak was dry but moist. Really had no flavor. The tomato basil rice was crunchy. The mash potatoes didn't care for. Service was good read more

Smuggler's Wharf - Filet rice, mash potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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We had a delicious dinner here last night. I enjoyed the perch dinner and my husband had a chicken sandwich. Key lime pie finished a perfect meal. Our server was friendly and attentive. Even though the place was busy, our food came out quickly. It is in an excellent location, across from the water. read more

Smuggler's Wharf - Fried Great Lakes Yellow Perch - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

In my opinion, a staple Erie spot! Their charming nautical themed location on the water has beautiful outdoor seating and is a great place to sit on an Erie summer evening. We started with the mussels, which were tasty! The white wine sauce came mostly on the side for dipping, which was new to me, but still good flavor. I also had the Caribbean breeze salad with chicken, and it was a great summer dish! The chicken was a generous portion and the fruit in the salad was great - it came with a ginger dressing that tied all the flavors together well. For dessert, I ended up splitting a raspberry chocolate cheesecake and a chocolate chocolate cake - both might have been the stars of the meal! The chocolate cake was rich with layers of chocolate, and the cheesecake was light with great raspberry flavor. Loved them both! Service was friendly if a little rushed at times - but we were a big group. read more

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Get the she-crab soup! Then, for a little treat, get the calamari and pair it with the sauce and she-crab soup! This place has the outdoor ambience for a perfect waterside lunch - the seating area is covered with vines and foliage to block out the sun and let in the breeze. Service was lovely and timely. I've been there several times and forgot to review. It's a go-to. read more

Great atmosphere, beautiful scenery on the water, but awful food and warm white wine served in a plastic cup. #overrated

Fun little place with a beach/island feel. Lobster roll a little pricey at $25 but good. My wife had the burger and it was good not great. Will come back when visiting for the ambience read more

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You'll be fine, so long as they like you. Waited at a table over 20 min with NO attention. No drinks, no nothing. Then verbally assaulted by mng when inquired. "When we are this busy I don't care." and... "I noticed you when you walked in, and we don't like your type." was the response I received. read more

Prices were ridiculous. Had to send back a chicken sandwich that tasted weird. Never refilled our drinks. Ran out of hamburgers. Had to reorder something else. The shrimp wasn't very hot. Wasn't a good dining experience for us. read more

Great food--everyone enjoyed their meals. The server was friendly and helpful, though a little stretched thin so a little slower than we would have liked. Sitting under the greenery near the water was lovely--my daughter is still talking about how pretty it was. Would definitely return. read more

Smuggler's Wharf - View from my outside seat - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Horrible food with subpar service. Extremely overpriced for food that's worse than McDonalds and I don't even eat fast food. Sandwiches come with near raw buns not toasted just thrown together like a cafeteria. Fish is not great quality either. read more

The outside ambiance appeared to be a vibe. There was a wait and my party was very hungry so we opted to eat at the bar. The service was horrible. The waitress visibly did not want to wait on my party. She also did not check on us at all after collecting our orders and bringing our food. The food was bland and left much to be desired. Limited seafood options. The catch of the day has the option to be cooked blackened, grilled, or fried, but the other fish options do not offer this substitute. read more

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Everything was great- service, food and atmosphere! We will be back the next time we are in town. read more

7/30/22 I chose this place for lunch over the others because being on a diet, they had more food options that I could eat (instead of rum runners) and pricing wasn't too much either (like Oliver's). Atmosphere: Cute outdoor seating area with the vines. Pretty busy, but we were seated right away for a Saturday lunch. Staff was nice, our server was mostly attentive... took a while for her to come back after asking for something. I'm assuming she was just busy. Mains: Filet mignon 5/10. My favorite cut of meat usually. Sadly, USDA choice kinda sucks. Not as tender as a more expensive brand, obviously. Ordered medium rare. It came rarer than rare (blue). I sent it back, as I should have... when it came back a second time, it was medium rare. Before/After photos have been added to my review. Once I was finally able to eat it, the meat had absolutely no flavor at all, I added salt (I never add salt to my food after it's done cooking, I usually only cook with salt to enhance flavors). Lobster Roll 8/10. Kyles rating (I also tried a small bite and I did not like it). He says it was good, little sweet, but the lobster was slightly over cooked. Sides: There's only 3 options, for those who are on low carb/no carb/low sugar diets: coleslaw, portabellas, or veggie of the day (unless it's carrots).. they were out of the portabellas, which I really wanted. Or a side salad but sadly, if you wanted to sub one of the sides for a salad, you're not able to. You have to choose your two sides and then pay an extra 5.95 for the side salad. House salad 8/10. How do you mess up a salad you ask? No cheese. And I had to cut the head of lettuce up myself. It came as literally a 1/4 head of iceberg. See the photo. I chose the smugglers oregano as my dressing, hoping it would be like a Greek dressing. It was very similar. It was a sweeter vinegar base with oregano and possibly other seasonings too. The dressing was phenomenal. I think the salad was my favorite part of my entire meal. Coleslaw 7/10. Not bad, but not a fan by itself. This would probably be amazing on a pulled pork sandwich. Vegetable of the day: broccoli 8/10. Cooked perfectly, soft. Needed a little bit more butter and I added salt as well. Potato salad 7/10. Not bad. There's some flavor in there that's slightly strange. Like maybe it's the brand or type of mustard, or the amount. I'm not sure. I only tried a bite since I'm on the keto diet, but I would eat more if I could. It was just mediocre food. I personally would not care to eat here a second time. read more

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Large menu from seafood to burgers. Service was amazing. On the water with great outdoor seating. Classic place with a sailing vibe.

If I could rate at zero stars I would. A total rip off joint. $7 for a cheap starter salad with unappetizing, peroxide flavored unripe tomatoes. Ugh! How can a restaurant not get fresh tasting tomatoes this time of the year? Our miserable crotchety waitress offered nothing more than the worst of the worst ever customer service; she was totally inattentive, and beyond rude. She displayed an equally reprehensible attitude when she brought our main course to the table; it wasn't even what I ordered! I ordered halibut and she brought tuna. She then proceeded to argue with me about it. I was so fed up I just wanted to leave. I ended up paying $21 for two sodas and two subpar salads. The nice finishing touch is when I asked for a pen to sign my slip and our waitress slammed a pen down on the counter. The miserable battle-ax should be fired. Avoid this overpriced smelly poophole establishment at all costs, it's nothing more than a tourist trap restaurant. read more

Food: decent food, followed other reviewers advice and stayed with basics. Had a burger which was very good as was the accompanying potato salad. Cheesecake also very good. Service: Excellent, prompt, friendly, attentive Ambiance: Sat outside, overlooking the bay and Bicentennial Tower. Very relaxing read more

Smuggler's Wharf - Outdoor patio setting. - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

The food was fantastic. Calamari and Sea Scallops were just wonderful. The service was very friendly and the atmosphere is great! Casual dining with really good food. Beautiful views. I really enjoyed this place! read more

Really good local place for seafood and drinks. The clam strips were good as was the blackened swordfish. We ate at the bar and the service was great. You should go there. read more

Clean space good food fast service time. great servers outdoor and indoor seating. Right by the water

The restaurant is absolutely beautiful! However, the pricing is not what is advertised online. When we came, we noticed the price difference and decided to stay because of the environment and was hopeful for great food. When we got our salads, they were the size of a typical 'side salad' with tiny portions of chicken. Overall, the pricing and portions are extremely misleading. read more

Went to dinner with friends while at the convention center. When you walk inside, you could be on the shore of Lake Erie or some little coastal mom and pop place! I got the fried perch and chips which was amazing. The fish was so light and flakey with a crispy beer battered coating. My colleague got the blackened walleye with mashed potatoes all was cooked perfectly! The young lady waiting on us gave us great advice when choosing our dishes. Our glasses never sat empty. read more

We stumbled upon this Erie-ly iconic restaurant we were highly impressed with the langostini cakes, the blackened catch of the day, and the seafood carbonara. A special surprise was the manager's home made key lime pie. All was top rate and memorable! read more

Amazing food and service! Our waitress was super friendly and very on top of everything. The food was amazing and came out exactly how we wanted it. 10/10 recommend! read more

Smuggler's Wharf has been on my "try" list for some time. I typically use the Erie Fine Dining Card, which can't be used from May-September here. We finally had a chance to go at the beginning of October. I ordered the shellfish carbonara and my partner ordered the perch dinner with fries and mushrooms for his sides. His personal preference is less breading on the fish, but I thought it was quite good. The mushrooms were good as well. The pasta was so-so. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. The chunks of lobster were quite small and there wasn't many scallops. If I go back I'll probably try something different. The salad, roll, and fries all seemed extremely generic - like something you'd get at a hospital. Overall, I think the decor and the menu could use a bit of a facelift. I imagine I'll return, but only with the Fine Dining Card (buy one entree, get one free). read more

Smuggler's Wharf - Fried Great Lakes Yellow Perch - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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The food was atrocious. We took out of town family and no one liked it. It was embarrassing. I did enjoy the the she crab soup. It's a beautiful setting too. read more

I was in there with my family around 1pm today. I got the cajun chicken and had them substitute the garlic mashed potatoes for the side it came with. I LOVE mashed potatoes. And garlic mashed potatoes? Sign me up. These were dry and pasty and frankly, inedible. The sandwich itself wasn't much better. It wasn't put together well and the onions were bigger than the chicken. This looks like a place that, at one time, was "the" restaurant to go to in the area. I have never had me or my family leave a restaurant with about 60% of our meals still in tact. We made a bad choice today that we won't be doing again. read more

The worse food !! Had a 'reunion' with 6 friends. Every plate was terrible --I had the grilled fish which was over cooked (this dry--extremely!) cold French fries and mediocre Cole slaw. Two friends had salads one with blue cheese dressing (extra $) which was simply UNEATABLE. The lettuce was old iceberg with a little grated carrots and some cherry tomatoes The fried fish as greasy and tasteless read more

The outside seating is gorgeous - truly an oasis on the lake. The menu has a lot of variety from seafood to sandwiches. Special offerings include she crab soup and the catch of the day blackened, baked or grilled. This would be 5 stars except for a few exceptions: 1) extremely slow service which included us flagging down wait staff multiple times 2) walleye was full of bones 3) one group at our table got overcharged. read more

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My girlfriends and I are taking a long weekend trip to Erie and this was the first stop. The outside patio area is so beautiful with vines covering everything and you get to sit right by the water. My mom had been here before and raved about the potato salad so I had to try it. I got the fried yellow perch sandwich with a side of potato salad. The food was probably 2.5/5. I had a few bites of potato salad and most of the fish sandwich. The breading was a little too thick for me and almost had a separation between the fish and the breading. The food was also out in 5 minutes or less so that makes me question the freshness of it. The potato salad was just ok. My friend got the shaved prime rib dip and she said she really liked it. I also got a rum runner and it was not strong. Our server was nice but he seemed to rush us very much. We had just gotten to Erie (literally came off the highway and came straight here) so we wanted to relax and enjoy the scenery for a bit. I think it may have been the end of his shift as it was nearing 4:00 and it seemed like he was just trying to get us out of there. All in all, I would go for maybe a snack and a drink to enjoy the scenery but that's about it. read more

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First, it was 84 degrees with a more than gentle breeze. I tend to be "let's eat indoors in the AC". Chose to eat under the canopy of grape vines. Beautiful, shady, and no bugs ... WIN. Ordered an ice tea ... first time I was served a paper straw. I selected a few items from the menu then asked my waitress for her advice. She said her favorite was the lobster roll but the best seller was the fried perch sandwich. I said surprise me. The bowl of she crab soup was flavorful and chunky with crab. Fresh ground pepper/old bay would have elevated it. The lobster roll wasn't served on a roll. It was a thick slice of bread buttered, grilled, and folded in half. I was expecting a larger lobster serving. In ~3 bites, it was gone. The fries were fresh and nicely prepared ... with a side of Heinz ketchup. It was convenient to my hotel ... quick friendly service with ample parking. read more

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