Go for the nice beer selection at fair prices! The food is fine and the service is hit or miss. Overall, it's a nice place to catch a game and grab a brew.
(3)
Bob S.
Great atmosphere, good beer selection, our waitress was great, and the menu had some good options. I went with the garlic Rosemary pork chop. The potatoes were fantastic, but the pork chop was damn near raw. And my beer was like $8
(3)
Aaron K.
I came in for an early lunch on Saturday, they open at 11am... unless they don't want to let you in. The doors were still locked at 11:50am, we knocked on both doors and the people inside stared at me and two ladies who wanted lunch too until the old ladies flipped out to open the door. Don't mess with an old lady lunch date. I've been here before when I was in town and the chili was great. They got rid of it so... I got the vegetable soup, was decent. I got the cole slaw, that's real cut cabbage and sandwich style (sugar/vinegar), decent. Then my Reuben came. Very quickly. And they also don't have Russian/1000 island dressing they have what they call their "blarney" dressing which is, no joke, mayo with a slash of ketchup. Nast. My Reuben came out quickly because they toasted the bread and MICROWAVED THE SAUERKRAUT AND CORN BEEF WITH A SLICE OF MOZZARELLA ON TOP. Server asked, told her, she said 'No, they grill it' NOPE. They don't. I know the difference. Then, this made me laugh: the "manager" asked 'how was everything?' I said 'eh it was alright' she said 'GREAT. GLAD YOU LIKED IT!' I said, 'You heard me say it was just alright right?' She gave me a dirty look and walked away then went and pointed at me and talked shit with the bartender. Haha. The server was so sweet though. And I tipped her good. Wasn't her fault the management and cooks don't care about this place. Would be one star but they serve Pittsburgh style cole slaw.
(2)
Tim M.
Great beer selection and happy hour specials that include a wide selection of beers. Service was average(not anything special, just as you would expect in Erie) and the food was delicious. I had a burger and a party member said the Cesar wrap was delicious. Also, the patio is a great place to sit during the summer.
(5)
Anil D.
First off this place needs more seafood like more than two items on the Menu !!!! I yelped 'seafood place nearby with a full bar with good ratings' and this place popped up . Whoa , with a name like 'Calamari's' i was convinced ! It definitely was nearby, had a full bar and worthy of good ratings because of good service and food but definitely wouldn't it call a seafood place . Anyways , moving on the service was great , I was looking for some sort of pasta and they only had them for dinner . The waitress offered to check with the kitchen if they could offer it and they obliged . It tasted great , the portions were good and came with a good size side salad. They had Yuenglings for 2 dollars all day Friday and Saturday , awesomeness ! All in all , as a bar it offers good food at pretty reasonable prices .
(4)
Trevor G.
Standard bar food-- nothing special! They do have a few local beer selections, including Lavery Brewing Company selections. Lavery Imperial Red Ale was $10 for a 22 ounce bottle (though, apparently Lavery only does small batches). Do they not do tap beers? Either way, worth the $10. I think this was lost on most of the patrons, who seem to be Smirnoff Ice sort of drinking folks. If returning, I would skip eating here, and just have the Lavery beer. I am more than a bit amused that a place called Calamari's serves nearly no seafood. Pretty much the extent of their seafood selection was the tuna melt.
(2)
Mandee N.
3.5 for service 4 for food I was in town for work, and was looking for a late-night eat. Calamari's Squid Row was just down the street from my hotel and had decent reviews, so why not? I picked a spot at the bar top. Table for 1, please. The bartender took a few minutes to notice me, but that was probably because he was tending to the other bar patrons. Not a big deal. It wasn't packed, maybe 10 people in the entire bar area. He gave me the menu, and took a few more mins to take my order. He did, however, make my alcoholic beverage right there. I ordered a bowl of the Chicken Tortilla Soup, and the Oriental Boom Boom Shrimp Salad. Both items came out fairly quickly. Chicken Tortilla Soup was a little thicker, like a chowder-consistency than I had imagined (more brothy). The tortilla chips that garnished on top was, surprisingly, fresh and not stale at all. I don't know if it was because it was towards the end of the night, and soups tend to be more salty and condensed, but it tasted like eating queso cheese dip. Although, nicely flavored, yes. And with real chunks of chicken! The Oriental Boom Boom Shrimp Salad (how stereotypical Asian of me) was huge. It came out overflowing with tons of the BB Shrimp and an abundance of fried wonton strips. The wonton strips were very crispy and, again, not stale! The shrimps were quite savory and super saucy. My server bartender forgot to bring the salad dressing, but because the salad was bursting with flavor from the BB Shrimp, mandarin oranges and roasted red peppers, it actually wasn't too necessary to put additional sauce on it. I got the teriyaki dressing anyway -- just to see if it would make a difference in taste or not. It didn't. While eating, the bartender did not once checked up on me to see how the food was or if I needed anything. He wasn't rude and was actually pretty polite, maybe just forgetful or "busy". I waved him down for the missing salad dressing, another time for to-go containers, and once more because he forgot to give me a takeaway bag even though I asked originally asked for to-go utensils. I still didn't get the utensils. All in all, above average for bar food and half decent service. I'd come back to try other items on their large menu -- perhaps the Seared Scallops entree.
(4)
Dan Z.
The Good: The beer selection is awesome; really. They had every type of Southern Tier beer there is! The Gemini is very hoppy and outstanding. The Seafood Gumbo was exceptional. It had substantial seafood in a brown spicy broth. Service from Valery was great; she was knowledgable about a variety of craft beer and the various menu items. The Bad: notta The Rest: For main course, I had the Mahi Mahi special. It took a bit longer than antisipated to arrive, which pleased me as it meant they were taking the nessasary time to make it right! I wasn't disappointed as it was flaky, fresh, and very flavorsnle. I had the spinich and snap peas on the side. A great dinner!
(5)
Chuck P.
We recently held a rehearsal dinner, for our sons wedding. The were awesome from booking to finish. We went with the buffet style, for 30 people. It was difficult choosing the food with so many great choices. Our choices were perfect. We had plenty of food, actually got to take home what was left. Great Atmosphere. Service was exceptional, I believe our waiters name was Ryan. He was very attentive, friendly and helpful. Everyone we dealt with were awesome. Highly recommended.
(5)
Bryan M.
Love coming back to Erie for cheap booze and awesome pub food! Calamari's is a place I always have to visit when I'm back in town. The calamari is yummy as always (meat rings and tentacles) and I also ordered a flatbread veggie pizza.
(5)
Helen C.
Negative star if that exists. My friend and I tried to eat here the other day after work. It was pretty busy so we stood by the doorway and waited to be seated. A family of 5 lines up behind us, followed by a couple behind them. The greeter walked up to us (we're both small Asian females), looked at us, then turned her attention to the Caucasian family behind us and had them seated. She comes back, looks at us again, and proceeds to seat the couple that was behind the family. Needless to say, they will not have our business ever again, nor anyone who cares about racism.
(1)
Jameson J.
As noted by another, I always found it strange that the place is called Calamari's and there is so little seafood on the menu... but hey, other than that little quirk, it's a great little bar. They usually have good beers on tap and always a local one in the rotation. I've had a few parties there and reserved the area in the back and they've always provided great service and good food. I've been there dozens of times over the years and never had bad service. The food won't knock your socks off, but it's some of the better bar food in Erie and the menu is large, meaning that if you go with a group, everybody should be able to find something they like. They make mock Primanti Bros. sandwiches called "Strip District Sandwiches" that are solid. Last time I ordered my burger there, they actually made it medium rare as requested (most restaurants seem to ignore this when I request it). Their wings are decent, although a little overpriced at 10 for $8. If you need some solid greasy bar food to help with the buzz, there is plenty on the appetizer menu to help you out. Overall, it's a good bar with good people and well worth the trip.
(4)
Katie C.
AWESOME. Always consistent, great staff, good, and happy atmosphere. Always a go-to when in doubt.
(5)
Christina R.
Had drinks and no food the first time here and it would have received 5 stars for atmosphere and drink specials, but the 2nd time here the calamari was expensive and not so good. It deserves a 3 1/2
(4)
Brooklyn B.
GREAT food and service. I ordered the calamari (a must) and one of the appetizers and it was so much food! Highly recommend it, can't remember the name but it had an assortment of onions rings, mozz sticks, etc. Well priced and our server made sure we were content AND remembered which sauce I ordered.
(5)
Angela S.
A group of friends and I decided to come here on a Thursday evening for dinner. We didn't make a reservation, and it was relatively busy, but we were able to be seated right away. The bottled beer list was pretty impressive. There were about 50+ options to choose from. I chose a troegs sunshine ale, which was a great choice on a hot summer night. The menu had good variety in itself, but there was also a nightly specials menu you that had a variety of apps, seafood, and pasta specials for the evening. We chose an appetizer of the nightly special menu, the boom boom shrimp. This is one of the best shrimp dishes I have ever had. Perfectly sweet and spicy. The regular menu has several sandwiches, wraps, and etc. to choose from, all of which come with a choice of fries, tator tots, or onions rings as a side. I chose to keep it simple with a Cobb salad. The salad was very filling and the portion provided was huge. Calamaris is a very welcoming bar/restaurant in downtown erie with very good service. I would definitely recommend it and I'm sure I will be back!
(4)
Jim C.
Looks like a bar, but the food is so much better than bar food. Awesome service.
(5)
Allicia T.
This place was nice. The patio was very cool to sit and relax with a bottle of beer. Beer was cheap too. I was impressed with freshness of calamari we ordered there. They smelled like sea food and were done properly. I liked the fries too. The only thing I did not like was that the waitress kept coming back to ask how we liked our food and I would have really preferred some privacy. It is common in US though, they don't let you eat your food and are very quick to take your plate away. However the food was good, the view was cool and i really liked the patio.
(4)
Andrea L.
After driving around Erie for what seemed like forever and finding a dearth of restaurants, we were finally directed to this bar by the owner of another restaurant. The other restaurant seemed open and good, but apparently having all the doors unlocked, the lights on and people in the restaurant = not open. Alas, he told us to go to Calamari's. Honestly, I wish he hadn't. It seems like a pretty cool place to hang out. A nice long patio, cheap beers and attentive wait staff. However, we wanted food. We ordered food, and unfortunately what we got was flavourless, oversalted and generally not good. I know, it's a bar, but the menu is extensive and we were told it was good. Oh well.
(2)
marissa S.
Calimari's is a really great place. Nice atmosphere. It would be a lot of fun to go with a group. Great staff, very friendly.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Victor M.
Go for the nice beer selection at fair prices! The food is fine and the service is hit or miss. Overall, it's a nice place to catch a game and grab a brew.
(3)Bob S.
Great atmosphere, good beer selection, our waitress was great, and the menu had some good options. I went with the garlic Rosemary pork chop. The potatoes were fantastic, but the pork chop was damn near raw. And my beer was like $8
(3)Aaron K.
I came in for an early lunch on Saturday, they open at 11am... unless they don't want to let you in. The doors were still locked at 11:50am, we knocked on both doors and the people inside stared at me and two ladies who wanted lunch too until the old ladies flipped out to open the door. Don't mess with an old lady lunch date. I've been here before when I was in town and the chili was great. They got rid of it so... I got the vegetable soup, was decent. I got the cole slaw, that's real cut cabbage and sandwich style (sugar/vinegar), decent. Then my Reuben came. Very quickly. And they also don't have Russian/1000 island dressing they have what they call their "blarney" dressing which is, no joke, mayo with a slash of ketchup. Nast. My Reuben came out quickly because they toasted the bread and MICROWAVED THE SAUERKRAUT AND CORN BEEF WITH A SLICE OF MOZZARELLA ON TOP. Server asked, told her, she said 'No, they grill it' NOPE. They don't. I know the difference. Then, this made me laugh: the "manager" asked 'how was everything?' I said 'eh it was alright' she said 'GREAT. GLAD YOU LIKED IT!' I said, 'You heard me say it was just alright right?' She gave me a dirty look and walked away then went and pointed at me and talked shit with the bartender. Haha. The server was so sweet though. And I tipped her good. Wasn't her fault the management and cooks don't care about this place. Would be one star but they serve Pittsburgh style cole slaw.
(2)Tim M.
Great beer selection and happy hour specials that include a wide selection of beers. Service was average(not anything special, just as you would expect in Erie) and the food was delicious. I had a burger and a party member said the Cesar wrap was delicious. Also, the patio is a great place to sit during the summer.
(5)Anil D.
First off this place needs more seafood like more than two items on the Menu !!!! I yelped 'seafood place nearby with a full bar with good ratings' and this place popped up . Whoa , with a name like 'Calamari's' i was convinced ! It definitely was nearby, had a full bar and worthy of good ratings because of good service and food but definitely wouldn't it call a seafood place . Anyways , moving on the service was great , I was looking for some sort of pasta and they only had them for dinner . The waitress offered to check with the kitchen if they could offer it and they obliged . It tasted great , the portions were good and came with a good size side salad. They had Yuenglings for 2 dollars all day Friday and Saturday , awesomeness ! All in all , as a bar it offers good food at pretty reasonable prices .
(4)Trevor G.
Standard bar food-- nothing special! They do have a few local beer selections, including Lavery Brewing Company selections. Lavery Imperial Red Ale was $10 for a 22 ounce bottle (though, apparently Lavery only does small batches). Do they not do tap beers? Either way, worth the $10. I think this was lost on most of the patrons, who seem to be Smirnoff Ice sort of drinking folks. If returning, I would skip eating here, and just have the Lavery beer. I am more than a bit amused that a place called Calamari's serves nearly no seafood. Pretty much the extent of their seafood selection was the tuna melt.
(2)Mandee N.
3.5 for service 4 for food I was in town for work, and was looking for a late-night eat. Calamari's Squid Row was just down the street from my hotel and had decent reviews, so why not? I picked a spot at the bar top. Table for 1, please. The bartender took a few minutes to notice me, but that was probably because he was tending to the other bar patrons. Not a big deal. It wasn't packed, maybe 10 people in the entire bar area. He gave me the menu, and took a few more mins to take my order. He did, however, make my alcoholic beverage right there. I ordered a bowl of the Chicken Tortilla Soup, and the Oriental Boom Boom Shrimp Salad. Both items came out fairly quickly. Chicken Tortilla Soup was a little thicker, like a chowder-consistency than I had imagined (more brothy). The tortilla chips that garnished on top was, surprisingly, fresh and not stale at all. I don't know if it was because it was towards the end of the night, and soups tend to be more salty and condensed, but it tasted like eating queso cheese dip. Although, nicely flavored, yes. And with real chunks of chicken! The Oriental Boom Boom Shrimp Salad (how stereotypical Asian of me) was huge. It came out overflowing with tons of the BB Shrimp and an abundance of fried wonton strips. The wonton strips were very crispy and, again, not stale! The shrimps were quite savory and super saucy. My server bartender forgot to bring the salad dressing, but because the salad was bursting with flavor from the BB Shrimp, mandarin oranges and roasted red peppers, it actually wasn't too necessary to put additional sauce on it. I got the teriyaki dressing anyway -- just to see if it would make a difference in taste or not. It didn't. While eating, the bartender did not once checked up on me to see how the food was or if I needed anything. He wasn't rude and was actually pretty polite, maybe just forgetful or "busy". I waved him down for the missing salad dressing, another time for to-go containers, and once more because he forgot to give me a takeaway bag even though I asked originally asked for to-go utensils. I still didn't get the utensils. All in all, above average for bar food and half decent service. I'd come back to try other items on their large menu -- perhaps the Seared Scallops entree.
(4)Dan Z.
The Good: The beer selection is awesome; really. They had every type of Southern Tier beer there is! The Gemini is very hoppy and outstanding. The Seafood Gumbo was exceptional. It had substantial seafood in a brown spicy broth. Service from Valery was great; she was knowledgable about a variety of craft beer and the various menu items. The Bad: notta The Rest: For main course, I had the Mahi Mahi special. It took a bit longer than antisipated to arrive, which pleased me as it meant they were taking the nessasary time to make it right! I wasn't disappointed as it was flaky, fresh, and very flavorsnle. I had the spinich and snap peas on the side. A great dinner!
(5)Chuck P.
We recently held a rehearsal dinner, for our sons wedding. The were awesome from booking to finish. We went with the buffet style, for 30 people. It was difficult choosing the food with so many great choices. Our choices were perfect. We had plenty of food, actually got to take home what was left. Great Atmosphere. Service was exceptional, I believe our waiters name was Ryan. He was very attentive, friendly and helpful. Everyone we dealt with were awesome. Highly recommended.
(5)Bryan M.
Love coming back to Erie for cheap booze and awesome pub food! Calamari's is a place I always have to visit when I'm back in town. The calamari is yummy as always (meat rings and tentacles) and I also ordered a flatbread veggie pizza.
(5)Helen C.
Negative star if that exists. My friend and I tried to eat here the other day after work. It was pretty busy so we stood by the doorway and waited to be seated. A family of 5 lines up behind us, followed by a couple behind them. The greeter walked up to us (we're both small Asian females), looked at us, then turned her attention to the Caucasian family behind us and had them seated. She comes back, looks at us again, and proceeds to seat the couple that was behind the family. Needless to say, they will not have our business ever again, nor anyone who cares about racism.
(1)Jameson J.
As noted by another, I always found it strange that the place is called Calamari's and there is so little seafood on the menu... but hey, other than that little quirk, it's a great little bar. They usually have good beers on tap and always a local one in the rotation. I've had a few parties there and reserved the area in the back and they've always provided great service and good food. I've been there dozens of times over the years and never had bad service. The food won't knock your socks off, but it's some of the better bar food in Erie and the menu is large, meaning that if you go with a group, everybody should be able to find something they like. They make mock Primanti Bros. sandwiches called "Strip District Sandwiches" that are solid. Last time I ordered my burger there, they actually made it medium rare as requested (most restaurants seem to ignore this when I request it). Their wings are decent, although a little overpriced at 10 for $8. If you need some solid greasy bar food to help with the buzz, there is plenty on the appetizer menu to help you out. Overall, it's a good bar with good people and well worth the trip.
(4)Katie C.
AWESOME. Always consistent, great staff, good, and happy atmosphere. Always a go-to when in doubt.
(5)Christina R.
Had drinks and no food the first time here and it would have received 5 stars for atmosphere and drink specials, but the 2nd time here the calamari was expensive and not so good. It deserves a 3 1/2
(4)Brooklyn B.
GREAT food and service. I ordered the calamari (a must) and one of the appetizers and it was so much food! Highly recommend it, can't remember the name but it had an assortment of onions rings, mozz sticks, etc. Well priced and our server made sure we were content AND remembered which sauce I ordered.
(5)Angela S.
A group of friends and I decided to come here on a Thursday evening for dinner. We didn't make a reservation, and it was relatively busy, but we were able to be seated right away. The bottled beer list was pretty impressive. There were about 50+ options to choose from. I chose a troegs sunshine ale, which was a great choice on a hot summer night. The menu had good variety in itself, but there was also a nightly specials menu you that had a variety of apps, seafood, and pasta specials for the evening. We chose an appetizer of the nightly special menu, the boom boom shrimp. This is one of the best shrimp dishes I have ever had. Perfectly sweet and spicy. The regular menu has several sandwiches, wraps, and etc. to choose from, all of which come with a choice of fries, tator tots, or onions rings as a side. I chose to keep it simple with a Cobb salad. The salad was very filling and the portion provided was huge. Calamaris is a very welcoming bar/restaurant in downtown erie with very good service. I would definitely recommend it and I'm sure I will be back!
(4)Jim C.
Looks like a bar, but the food is so much better than bar food. Awesome service.
(5)Allicia T.
This place was nice. The patio was very cool to sit and relax with a bottle of beer. Beer was cheap too. I was impressed with freshness of calamari we ordered there. They smelled like sea food and were done properly. I liked the fries too. The only thing I did not like was that the waitress kept coming back to ask how we liked our food and I would have really preferred some privacy. It is common in US though, they don't let you eat your food and are very quick to take your plate away. However the food was good, the view was cool and i really liked the patio.
(4)Andrea L.
After driving around Erie for what seemed like forever and finding a dearth of restaurants, we were finally directed to this bar by the owner of another restaurant. The other restaurant seemed open and good, but apparently having all the doors unlocked, the lights on and people in the restaurant = not open. Alas, he told us to go to Calamari's. Honestly, I wish he hadn't. It seems like a pretty cool place to hang out. A nice long patio, cheap beers and attentive wait staff. However, we wanted food. We ordered food, and unfortunately what we got was flavourless, oversalted and generally not good. I know, it's a bar, but the menu is extensive and we were told it was good. Oh well.
(2)marissa S.
Calimari's is a really great place. Nice atmosphere. It would be a lot of fun to go with a group. Great staff, very friendly.
(4)