Tall Ships Erie 2022 visitors have a boatload of new and improved restaurant choices

Jennie Geisler, Erie Times-News
·2 min read

In 2019, the last year the Tall Ships visited Erie, the bayfront had four restaurants, not counting the snack shop at the Bicentennial Tower: Smuggler's Wharf, Rum Runners, Shoreline Bar & Grille (part of Courtyard by Marriott Erie Bayfront) and the Sloppy Duck.

Visitors to the 2022 Tall Ships festival will find much more on the menu, with the addition of four new restaurants overlooking the water. Meanwhile, existing restaurateurs have spruced up and added more outdoor seating in response to the demands of the COVID pandemic.

Dine al fresco: From rooftop to pondside to wrap-around porches, your guide to outdoor dining options around Erie

Whether you want a fine dining experience, such as at Oliver's Rooftop in the Hampton Inn & Suites, a casual night of beer drinking and bar food at Rum Runners or anything in between, you're covered. One thing is for certain: Make reservations now, because there will be crowds of folks hoping to get a glimpse of the ships over their meals during the festival, Aug. 25-28.

Here's your Tall Ships Festival 2022 dining guide:

Oliver's Beer Garden

Oliver’s Beer Garden, a newly opened $1 million development between the Erie Maritime Museum and the Hampton Inn & Suites on the east side of the bayfront is getting an upgrade with a $200,000 low-interest publicly funded loan.
Oliver’s Beer Garden, a newly opened $1 million development between the Erie Maritime Museum and the Hampton Inn & Suites on the east side of the bayfront is getting an upgrade with a $200,000 low-interest publicly funded loan.

Opened: July 2021

Contact: oliversrooftop.com/beer-garden, facebook.com/oliverseriepa, 130 E. Front St., 814-920-9666

Price: Entrees, $15-$20

July 2021:Oliver's Beer Garden coming soon to Erie's bayfront, bringing beer, food, stage, more

Oliver's Rooftop

Oliver's Rooftop opened on top of the Hampton Inn & Suites on the bayfront in December 2020.
Oliver's Rooftop opened on top of the Hampton Inn & Suites on the bayfront in December 2020.

Opened: Dec. 1, 2020

Contact: On the eighth floor of the Hampton Inn & Suites, 130 E. Front St., OliversRooftop.com, 814-920-9666.

Price: Entrees, $28 to $58

Pier 6 Rooftop Bar & Restaurant

The Pier 6 Rooftop Bar & Restaurant offers diners a view of Presque Isle Bay.
The Pier 6 Rooftop Bar & Restaurant offers diners a view of Presque Isle Bay.

Opened: June 29, 2021

Contact: bayhousepier6.com, 814-413-7437

Price: Sandwiches and burgers $12-$20

Bay House Oyster Bar & Restaurant

Shown from the balcony is the bar area of the Bay House Oyster Bar & Restaurant, 6 Sassafras Pier on Erie's bayfront, on Dec. 10, 2021, which was the opening night for the restaurant.
Shown from the balcony is the bar area of the Bay House Oyster Bar & Restaurant, 6 Sassafras Pier on Erie's bayfront, on Dec. 10, 2021, which was the opening night for the restaurant.

Opened: Dec. 10, 2021

Contact: upick6.com/bay-house, 814-413-7440

Price: Entrees, $21 to $52

Smugglers Wharf

Contact: facebook.com/smugglerswharf, 814-459-4273

Price: Entrees $17-$20

Rum Runners Bar and Grill

Contact: 133 E. Dobbins Landing, 814-455-4292, rumrunnerserie.com

Price: Sandwiches, entrees and burgers $10 to $16

Sloppy Duck Saloon

Contact: sloppyducksaloon.com, 814-452-6699

Price: Entrees $18-$25

Shoreline Bar & Grille

Contact: Courtyard by Marriott Erie Bayfront, 2 Sassafras Pier. bit.ly/3S46ZaB, 814-636-1005

Price: Sandwiches $12 to $15; Entrees, $19 to $32

Contact Jennie Geisler at jgeisler@timesnews.com or on Twitter at @ETNGeisler.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Tall Ships 2022 Erie visitors have a new, improved restaurants