Highest-rated cheap eats in Erie by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Erie area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

You may also like: Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Erie by diners

Cornerstone Bar & Grill

1 / 27

#27. Cornerstone Bar & Grill

- Rating: 3.4/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 809 East 38th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

Golden Wok

2 / 27

#26. Golden Wok

- Rating: 3.4/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3202 Pittsburgh Ave. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Chinese, Asian Fusion, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

Zodiac Dinor

3 / 27

#25. Zodiac Dinor

- Rating: 3.4/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2516 State St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Diners, American
- Read more on Yelp

Ugly Tuna Tavern

4 / 27

#24. Ugly Tuna Tavern

- Rating: 3.4/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1010 Peninsula Drive Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Seafood, Bars, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant

5 / 27

#23. Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant

- Rating: 3.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2887 West 26th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-paying science jobs for people in Erie

Steel City Sandwich Company

6 / 27

#22. Steel City Sandwich Company

- Rating: 3.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4801 Peach St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

Stevo's Pizza

7 / 27

#21. Stevo's Pizza

- Rating: 3.5/5 (66 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1019 State St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Plymouth Tavern

8 / 27

#20. Plymouth Tavern

- Rating: 3.5/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1109 State St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: New American, Pubs
- Read more on Yelp

Pizza Pete's Pizzeria

9 / 27

#19. Pizza Pete's Pizzeria

- Rating: 3.6/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2823 West 26th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

John's Wildwood Pizzeria

10 / 27

#18. John's Wildwood Pizzeria

- Rating: 3.6/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6008 Knowledge Pkwy Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Dominick's Diner-Eatery

11 / 27

#17. Dominick's Diner-Eatery

- Rating: 3.6/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 123 East 12th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: American, Italian, Diners
- Read more on Yelp

Maria's Pizza

12 / 27

#16. Maria's Pizza

- Rating: 3.7/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2340 West Grandview Blvd. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

One Way Inn

13 / 27

#15. One Way Inn

- Rating: 3.7/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4344 Peach St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

Butch's Place

14 / 27

#14. Butch's Place

- Rating: 3.8/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3330 West 26th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Panos Restaurant

15 / 27

#13. Panos Restaurant

- Rating: 3.8/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1504 West 38th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Erie

Sara's

16 / 27

#12. Sara's

- Rating: 3.9/5 (314 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 25 Peninsula Drive Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

Ling Ling

17 / 27

#11. Ling Ling

- Rating: 4.1/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1526B West 26th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

New York Lunch-East Avenue

18 / 27

#10. New York Lunch-East Avenue

- Rating: 4.1/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 922 East Ave. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Blaze Pizza

19 / 27

#9. Blaze Pizza

- Rating: 4.2/5 (93 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1930 Douglas Pkwy Ste 400 Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Salad, fast food, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Avanti's

20 / 27

#8. Avanti's

- Rating: 4.2/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1662 West 8th St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: The 30 most popular homes for sale in Erie

Shirley's

21 / 27

#7. Shirley's

- Rating: 4.2/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5924 Old French Road Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Diners
- Read more on Yelp

Lorie's Wildridge Restaurant

22 / 27

#6. Lorie's Wildridge Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5455 West Ridge Road Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

New York Lunch

23 / 27

#5. New York Lunch

- Rating: 4.5/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1525 Peninsula Drive Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Dee's Delicatessen

24 / 27

#4. Dee's Delicatessen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3049 Glenwood Park Ave. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Hooks Catfish Kitchen

25 / 27

#3. Hooks Catfish Kitchen

- Rating: 4.7/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 38 North Park Row Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Lawrence Park Dinor

26 / 27

#2. Lawrence Park Dinor

- Rating: 4.7/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4019 Main St. Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: New American, Diners
- Read more on Yelp

Lucky Louie's Beer & Wieners

27 / 27

#1. Lucky Louie's Beer & Wieners

- Rating: 4.8/5 (335 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8238 Perry Hwy Erie, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.