Was slightly nervous to try this given the slew of negative reviews, but i honestly thought it was pretty decent. I got the Cuban sandwich. It was packed full with tender pulled pork and ham. Pickle slaw was a nice touch. Bread was toasted and warm. The side of fries were good and well seasoned. Also got a pina colada. Not the best, fairly average, but was still tasty. Tried a bite of the brisket sandwich was good as well. Overall, pretty chill place. Food is decent, drinks were fine. Service was good. read more

The Cove - Cuban Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Best part was our server, Kai. Fried fish was literally "bendy." It reminded me of microwaved food. How does fried fish "bendy" and is "rollable" like a soft taco?? No whipped cream for fancy "beach" style drinks. Pricey for subpar experience. read more

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Meh. Just meh. The outside patio is nice right by the water, so I'm sure drinks here are nice especially mid day. Service was fine. Started with the big pretzel for $20 which is indeed huge af. Kind of uncomfortable to look at huge. But tasty. They don't skip on sauces for it so that's nice. However any other side of ranch is $100 for a small ramekin so maybe BYOR. (Hehe) Had the outlaw burger and it was fine. Quite dry honestly. Fries were crispy and tasty. Back to the ambiance.. the big black iron fence desperately needs clean. I mean the surplus of cobwebs might be the vibe in October but not July. read more

Horrid experience, would never recommend this establishment to my worst enemy.... Ever , 100.00 for horrible service, and cold food ....... Armature management... 0/10 read more

The Cove is a restaurant and bar that is located on the bay. (Do not confuse this business with Rum Runners restaurant and bar, which is located a short walk away.) Please see my attached photos for the current menu and prices. I rate the service as 5 stars and the food as 3 stars, so my average overall rating is 4 stars. My husband and I ate lunch here on a Saturday. An employee immediately greeted us and seated us at a table that had a view of the bay. The waitress had a very friendly personality, and she was very timely and accurate with taking our order, bringing out our beverages and foods, and taking our payment. Here are my reviews for our foods: Asiago crab dip - 3 stars - This crab dip contained crab meat and was served with tortillas. The dip and tortillas tasted OK, but they were not as fresh as I had expected. Steakhouse burger - 3 stars - This burger had a beef patty and was topped with Swiss cheese, mushrooms, bacon, steak sauce, and a deep-fried pickle. Side garden salad - 3 stars - This side salad contained lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and a choice of dressing. Chicken sandwich - 3 stars - I did not type the exact name of this sandwich, because what we received does not exactly match a menu item. This sandwich consisted of individual chicken tenders rather than a chicken patty, and they were topped with honey mustard sauce and lettuce. read more

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Waited about an hour for our food to come. I was trying to be understanding as they seemed short staffed, but at some point, I had to say something. (we had four kids with us) We just couldn't wait any longer. Finally, the manager came over and rushed our food out to us. When I had initially asked about our food being so late, there was a young man working there that gave me a smart response saying "can't you see we are running around here!? ". That really set me off because I was being as nice as I could be in asking. Food finally came and was mediocre at best. Wish I would've seen the reviews before heading over there. I personally would stay away!! read more

Great location but our server was stretched thin. The burnt ends were flavorful but my walleye sandwich was a big miss. Bun was soggy and the bacon was not completely cooked. There was no flavor on the fish at all, and it was extremely fishy tasting and smelling. It did not taste fresh. My daughter had a lobster roll and said it was delicious. read more

Delicious beautiful bar on the bay front. Nice views excellent food. Our waiter Collin did a great job. They have a great meal of lobster Mac and cheese, however be prepared to eat with pre packaged plastic cutlery. This was a disappointment. A really nice place like this should offer better silverware. read more

My dear friend from HS and I dined today for lunch. The Cove has THE BEST huge crab cakes-3 on a tray for each of us and we shared an order of fries. The crab cakes are filled w crab, not fillers and served w a nice sauce. We were talking and catching up so much neither of us thought to take pics! The new soft green paint on the walls and reorganized dining area as well as new menus made for a surely pleasant and delish lunch. We love sitting outdoors on the tiki patio during warm summer months! read more

First of the server Chris, was incredibly rude, not only to us but to surrounding tables as well. He said there are other places to go...well believe me Chris we will never be back. He raved about all his good reviews after trying to grab food back from two older woman as they were eating. Just blown away at your disrespect. Don't waste your money or time coming here. read more

Stood in line for five minutes. Patiently waited to be seated. Got a seat then sat 15 minutes and no one came to get our order. Was excited to try the food but the service is garbage. read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS DUMP!!!! Went there on a Wednesday evening not busy at all. The appetizers were decent. Waited over an hour for a table of 5 with a child to get easy main courses of burgers, salad, kids kraft mac n cheese. Comes out cold that is unacceptable for any patron. Asked to speak with Manager. No Manager but the bartender is the acting manager. absolutely nothing done. the bill was over 200 bucks and wasn't worth a penny to be totally honest. My daughter ordered a mixed drink that took over 20 minutes to bring with not a person at the bar and there was only one other table with customers inside. Do not waste your time or money there. This place should be shut down!!!!! read more

Our food were served longer than the wait time but I am not sure if that's only for this season. We were there like at 2:00pm. The view was nice since in the corner and near the water. My food was ok although not great and the group I was with thought the meat in their sandwich tasted like they're frozen foods. Our server wore mask, she was ok, I thought she moves slow or maybe she was just tired. Free parking on site. read more

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Paper plates and plastic silverware don't make for a nice evening by the lake. Food was fine

This is a really cool place with a tiki vibe and indoor and outdoor seating. If they had some reggae music playing, it would've been perfect. The rum runners (frozen drink) are great. However, I'm struggling with what rating to actually give this place. We visited numerous times during our 4 day stay (conference at the very nearby Sheraton), mostly for drinks but we did order apps. Some other conference attending friends ate here Saturday night and said the food was crappy. So we didn't want to take our chances. Plus they are in the process of changing their menu so they were out of a lot of things. Our experiences were different each time we visited. First, they have hired and are training a bunch of new waitresses--assuming to get ready for summer. I'm curious to see which ones will last, as one in particular was a hot mess. She didn't know how to handle a large table (8 of us) and would only come back and take one request at a time, unless you yelled out to her. It took forever to get anything. Food: Over the course of our stay and multiple visits we ordered the giant pretzel (best app on the menu--soft, warm and comes with three dipping choices, all delicious), buffalo fingers (not bad), nachos (came with a shit ton of lettuce on the bottom...to make it look like there were more nachos than there actually were? They were pretty decent, regardless), mozzarella "moons" which were fried too long so there was hardly any cheese left in them, and spinach dip (very good with the pita bread that they ran out of, but they come with nacho chips as well). Service the entire time was just ok. The visually frustrated "veteran" bartender was annoyed with having three newbies to train at the same time and it did appear to be a bit of a cluster f**k. He was very nice to us and joked--he has a good personality and we enjoyed talking with him. I actually really like the vibe of this bar and I really hope they get their shit together. IMO It could potentially be a 5 star place. Great view, great drinks, great specials, decent veteran bartenders, great atmosphere. Now get the food quality up and your people well trained and you'll be good!! read more

The Cove - Chocolate covered strawberry banana daquiri - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Stopping for a drink after work with co-workers. I ordered a Southern Comfort on the rocks easy on the rocks. No twist of lemon/lime/cherry just whiskey & ice. The bill: Southern Comfort $3.50 On the rocks $2.00 Are you kidding me? $6 for whiskey I would have been okay with ... the specific line item for ice irksome. read more

The Cove - $2.00 for ice - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Very pleasant on the water. The fried perch was excellent without the bread- skip the bread. Interesting pickle slaw. Good coleslaw. The Long Island ice tea was too sweet. Nice selection of beers. Pleasant place. read more

The Cove - Fried perch. - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Food was great!! The crab cakes were what I was wanting!!! I am not a big veggie person in my food and the crab cakes don't have that but tons of flavor. The coconut shrimp was absolutely fantastic and just the right amount. The sweet potato fried where terrific, anyone who eat them knows they have to be a little more on the done side and they where perfect. The service was great but they weren't to terribly busy that may have helped. Being able to look out at the water is so peaceful and really brings it all together. Absolutely fantastic place, it's a little smaller but wonderful food. read more

The Cove - Coconut Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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What a terrible restaurant. We were passing through to Presque Isle so stopped here for lunch. We will never make that mistake again. My wife had terrible fish and chips, supposedly cod but tasted like something artificial. Inedible fries. Since they like to use cutesy sea phrases, let me say that my buffalo chicken salad was a ship wreck. Terrible dressing and chicken. Beer served in a small thin plastic cup-awful. Add to that, they play the radio for music. We ate outdoors. Who wants to listen to a radio? Tacky décor. read more

Not worth the money. We picked this place mainly for its location assuming the food would be decent. The service was terribly slow. There seem to be plenty of waitstaff but the kitchen needs help. We waited over 45 minutes for our lunch - a buffalo salad and a fried perch sandwich. The food was pretty pathetic. The fish sandwich was mostly breading and the filet itself was small and had some bones left in it. The sandwich comes with lettuce and tomato. No sauce of any kind. So the sandwich is salty but dry. The sweet potato fries were ok and the cinnamon marshmallow sauce that comes with them was ok. The waitstaff clearly now the kitchen is overly slow because they avoid coming to check on guests. read more

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Came here for the loaded Nachos. The menu changed and they no longer have them. We had the chicken finger and fry basket. The strawberry daiquiri had no strawberry flavor. The server was great. If you need a quick snack it is ok, if you have time go somewhere else. read more

I lived in Erie a large part of my life but never ate here, only drank after a wedding before...however it did NOT disappoint. They have rum runners first of all which is a signature to Erie and taste amazing especially if you like fruity summer drinks. A friend at our table got the lobster nachos which I will definitely order the next time I go because they were amazing and my brother ordered a pretzel the size of a large pizza which is deep fried. I got the grilled cheese . This was probably one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had in my life, the bread was even Parmesan encrusted. I feel like they should get better reviews and every one else just hasn't gotten out much or something. Also right on the water so has a casual or romantic ambience. read more

The Cove - Rum runner and Grilled cheese sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

I wanted to cross off a Rummer Runner off my list of things I needed to try here. Found a place called The Cove that overlooks the water and ordered a Rummer Runner. Not a fan. Its a bunch of different rums, brandy and fruit juices that are blended. It's too sweet. I asked the wonderful bartender if she had anything local and she pulled out a bottle of Erie Distillery Apple Pie. Now this stuff was fantastic and dangerous (I had two and thank god I took an Uber). She served it chilled and it's definitely a sipper, no burn at all just a nice apple cinnamon flavor. She then recommended I try the Lobster Bisque and I'm glad I did. It was by far the nicest Lobster Bisque I've had in a long time. Nicely flavored with small chunks of lobster meat but what made this amazing was all the bits of lobster fat in it. Every spoonful was just bits of lobster and lobster fat. For $5.99 it was a great deal for sure, I wanted to order a second bowl. Definitely something to try again. read more

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A few days ago my friend and I stopped for lunch. The place is cute with nice views of the water, but that was the only good part of our lunch. We were greeted by the bartender, who was also our server, and he was very friendly. He explained what was not available on the menu. We ordered the crab cakes and they were terrible - obviously frozen from some supplier. They looked like mushroom caps and were greasy. The filling was mostly breading or something, but the crab meat was missing. We would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

I was in town recently on business and I decided to come down to the harbor to check out some local food. After taking a bunch of photos on the pier, i walked over to the Cove for a late dinner. Unfortunately, the kitchen was only serving appetizers at this point; nonetheless, I wanted to try this place out. Situated in the heart of the touristy part of town, they seem to definitely cater toward a tourist crowd as their menu prices are a little high. Service was very friendly as I pulled up to the bar to catch a little preseason NFL action on the LCD TV. I ordered the conch fritters, the crab cakes, and a key lime pie. The conch fritters were good, if not a little on the spongy side... the crab cakes were tasty and full of crab meat... unfortunately there were only two and they were a little on the small side. Lastly, I had the key lime pie - a solid tasty pie slice but also a little on the small side. Maybe I'm a little spoiled being from Texas (where every portion on your platter is indeed bigger), but I felt that I didn't really get my money's worth. It was definitely an okay rating for me. Check out my photos! read more

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Walked in to sit at the bar. Waited 10 minutes until a bartender showed up. He checked my ID and then tried to tell me it was fake. I'm 27 years old. After finally understanding that it was real he forgot my drink order completely. He then immediately told me that they are closing soon. (They didn't close for 1.5 hrs) Shame since the location is so nice. read more

Lauren is a ROCKSTAR bartender! They didn't have the drink my friend was looking for so she invented one for her and was so friendly and accommodating to our group. Great experience read more

The location of this place is great on Erie's Bayfront. We were looking for a place to sit outside and be close to the water, this place checks off both of those boxes. The staff seemed friendly but the service wasn't very good. The drinks were cheap which was nice though the beers were quite small and apparently the bloody marys were weak. "Blah" is the most appropriate word I'd use to describe the food. My burger was fine but nothing more than your average fast food burger. Prices actually weren't too bad. Had I seen all the bad reviews on here for this place, I probably wouldn't have gone here but I suppose it served it's purpose for us today (cheap drinks while being outside). That being said, I likely would not come back here. There's such potential, it really just needs an overhaul. read more

The Cove - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

So if you are looking for a great dining experience, look back at the name of the restaurant. But if you want good food, great drinks and a wonderful atmosphere this is the place to come and experience. This place has options to eat outside or inside and even on the inside you still have a great view of the waterfront. The food options are different but everything we ordered was very good. We started with drinks which they have a lot to choose from, so we ordered the rum runner. My husband didn't like the frozen drink so he would choose something else. I thought it was good, but I like frozen drinks. This is a bar and drinks are the bomb at this place. My hubby order the sweet and salty hot dog. It had sweet potatoes fries on top with a topping of cinnamon fluff. It also had some bacon. It was delicious and it was gone really fast. I ordered the filet mignon sandwich and the joy began. It was cooked perfectly. The location is right near a few boat excursions and the tower. So have some fun during the day and stop by for drinks and food. All employees we encountered were great and very helpful and answered our questions. We will be back, it was a great place! read more

Great prices. The food is awesome. Friendly waiters.. Can't wait til they can open up bigger ...outdoor sitting... read more

Went in Friday night for dinner and had an absolute horrible experience. Crab dip came out ice cold, and we were told they can't scoop it when it's hot. They honey mustard chicken sandwich came out with a cold, hard pretzel bun, and cheese that was nearly frozen. The Cove Cristo had lukewarm bread and ice cold meat and cheese. Our server was unattentive and would rather sit at the bar with her coworkers. Kitchen staff standing behind the bar smoking vapes. If I could give it zero stars, I would. read more

I was there for 1 minute and was rudely rushed away because we didn't have masks on.. We came in from out of town and it could have been handled differently. We come up to erie often.. and my money won't spend there again. read more

As I happened upon the Rum Runner's Cove for some fine fish n' chips, my pirate's patch went askew when no one greeted me with an "ahoy matey." When asked to where I would care to rest my weary, wood leg, I said, "by ye water, you sea witch." I was led to a table with a fine pelican and netting to catch a tasty bite. As I ordered me lobster nachos, I could imagine my gullet being filled with tasty morsels of lobster carcus saturated in cheese sauce. Shiver me timbers! When it came, the cheese was unmelted and cold as the gallows. The chips were scavenged from below the decks and gangplates in ramshackled mess. Ye lobster meat was scant and burden me chompers with dreadful distress that only bore the likening of Poseidon. I scavenged thar menu with me good eye for fish n' chips. Plunder! These bilge rats couldn't patchwork a simple dish for ye brethren of the sea. Ye ordered me a walleye sandwich lacking the bun and waffle fries on the side as a worthy companion. I tarried gayfully in dire anticipation for ye main course. When me walleye came, her skin was not removed during the guttin' process. I couldn't believe me eye, a walleye that was bread with it's skin affixed? I hadn't heard of such a thing. A knave with any experience should've know better. Land lubbers and rapscallions, all of them.... In end, me stomach got her fill. The one shiny gem in the booty of coal was the sweet potatoes fries with cinnamon flavored marshmallow fluff. If it weren't for that, I'd been better over dining on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald in Davey Jone's Locker. I say ye be wary of the Rum Runner's Cove. Arrrrgh!! read more

We had lunch there today after a pirate boat tour and it was a great experience! I had the crab cake wrap and the sweet potato fries. The crab cake wrap was amazing and there was plenty of crab inside. The sweet potato fries were not only cooked perfectly but came with cinnamon marshmallow fluff to dip them in, which was to die for!!! I can't believe I've never thought of that before. My husband got a burger, which he enjoyed. The kids got the Mac and cheese and the chicken tenders. Both were good portions and they finished the meals, so must have been good! Our server was fantastic and very attentive. I highly recommend this place!! read more

The bartender Allie is absolutely wonderful. She was off the clock hanging out, the bar got busy so she hopped back to help out for hours. She was absolutely amazing and I hope management and everyone else values her!!! THANK YOU ALLIE!! read more

You can walk here from the Marriott almost entirely in doors which is what made us choose this location. Awesome location right on the water. Half off apps late on weekdays. Tried the spinach and artichoke dip it was very okay, wouldn't order again. Rest of the food was good, service good, and waffle fries were my favorite! read more

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My husband and I stopped here yesterday afternoon for appetizers and a drink. The young man behind the bar seemed very stressed and impatient. We decided to order appetizers. I was immediately and abruptly told that it would be at least 45 minutes. After an hour without our appetizers, we decided to pay and leave. Earlier, when I went to the restroom, other women were complaining about the service and attitudes of the staff. It was steady in the place, but there is a right way to handle the pressure. Being nice and apologetic for delays is highly recommended. read more

Why do the restaurants with the best locations/views have mediocre food? My ahi tuna salad was just okay. The ahi was actually really good piece of tuna, just had no seasoning. It was a smaller salad too. The iceberg lettuce didn't do much for me. I did like the balsamic dressing, but that was the to mask the bland salad. They had a live guitar player/singer who was okay, but pretty loud for an afternoon session. I did enjoy my red, white and blue pina colada though! That gives it an extra star in itself. Not gonna lie, I'd come back just for the location and drinks, but the food you can take it or leave it. read more

I am from Erie and I usually do not hit up Rum Runners. After my visit on Monday I really question this choice! We got there around 1 or so and were promptly seated outside overlooking the bay. The view was beautiful. I loved being to sit outside and to have the breeze from the bay cool our party off. It was just the best weather. Because we were facing the bay we also got to watch the Scallywag (the pirate ship) put on a little show with another pirate trying to board the vessel. It was really interesting and cute. A great conversation starter and a great way to get business for the pirate ship. We sat outside and ordered appetizers and lunch. And I ordered a mixed drink. Appetizers: Mozzarella Sticks: These were really good. The breading was nice and crisp AND it was still filled with gooey cheese! I hate it when mozz sticks are just empty air when you get them with the littlest bit of cheese left in them. Not these! They were filled with cheese and so crispy! They tasted great with the marinara sauce or with the ranch dressing. Basket of Pretzels: These were pretzel logs and boy were they great. They are deep-fried, which isn't my go to, but they were still tasty. I enjoyed the cheese sauce but it was a little canned for my taste. I would have preferred a nice honey mustard or a nacho cheese, but the rest of my party seemed to like them just fine. Lunch: Dock Deli: A cold sandwich on French bread, stacked with salami, turkey, ham, Swiss, lettuce and tomato: OK we kept it pretty simple and easy with this one. A nice simple sandwich for a nice simple day. It was great. The bread was nice and fresh and so were the veggies. I hate it when you get some limp lettuce or a sad looking tomato. These veggies had pep in their step and the sandwich tasted great because of it. I added mayo and the Italian dressing and thought it was delish! Cocktail: The RUM RUNNER SIGNATURE DRINK: I say that in caps because when they say limit 3, it is really a good limit. It was super fun for a nice warm day. It was an icee with a ton of booze in it. Anything that is topped with 151 will make me smile. I do not think that I would get this drink all the time, but for Monday, it worked out. I, because I am not a drinker, went home and took a nice nap after one of them. I say this place is great for a nice lunch or dinner. It is the perfect location and with great atmosphere. The service was fast and friendly. I say, go here, you won't be disappointed. read more

With no options around us, this was the closest eatery near our hotel. We came here on a Saturday night trying to find something quick to eat while sipping on some drinks. They had a special for a mix drink which was super cheap $3 (if I remember correctly). We also ordered nachos which was decent as we got a ton of chips but not enough toppings for it. On the bright side, the staff was friendly. read more

The Cove - Nachos - Seafood Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania