La Bella Restaurant
802 W 18th St, Erie, PA, 16502
La Bella Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Erie for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Erie for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Erie for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
802 W 18th St
Erie, PA, 16502 - Phone (814) 456-2244
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Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Sarah B.
Went here with my family for a fathers day dinner. Not being from Erie, we really were relying on the Yelp reviews to help us out. The staff and chef are amazing. They really went above and beyond to make us comfortable and I don't know about you, but I am a huge fan of BYOB wine. Win. The food on the other hand really didn't impress me. We had the mussels and they were ho-hum. I really could have used a big boost of flavors. The bread and dipping oil was great and what a unique experience they give letting you try all of their different salad dressings. If i could make a suggestion, it would be to bottle those and sell them! Each one was flavorful and fun. My dinner was the cioppino that I was really excited to add on fresh pasta to. Its quite unlike me to finish a meal and this one I just couldn't do. I don't know that i have ever had a meal so bland before and I am not sure that the fish was fresh-i decided it might be in my best interest not to eat it. I was so disappointed. The fresh pasta was dense and heavy too. What a shame. I tasted the steak from our group and that was fantastic. The risotto could have been creamier though, it was more like just rice. The goat cheese pasta was excellent too. Again, great staff. I cant stress that enough. Needs a little refinement on some of the dishes.
(2)Sean F.
I wish there were 6 stars available. This place was the best dining experience in Erie I've had. Visited here twice before with a total of 10 highly rated restaurants around town. This by far was the best. Wish I would have stopped here before Firebird. BYOB and plan 2 hrs for dinner. It's so relaxing and comfortable. Great staff, great food, will be back here every time I am in Erie.
(5)Leah M.
I found La Bella on yelp last minute, and I'm so glad we did. I've lived here for two years, and this is the first place that I feel truly comfortable about eating GF (gluten free). Not only do they have an entire GF menu, they can probably modify anything else to make it GF. This is because they actually have a chef, and he makes everything himself right there. Chef comes out and chats with people. We were there on a slow night so we had very personable service. Chef came out and talked about what I could and couldn't eat, made suggestions about entrees for my husband, easy talker. Very friendly. And was passionate about food... Offered to make me a dish that wasn't even on that menu because he had some special herb butter he was excited about and wanted to use it. It was like going to a chefs own house. Loved it. And both our meals were awesome.
(5)Shawna F.
The Thia beef skewers, caramelized figs and sausage, plus a salad with concord grape vinaigrette. My husband had a cup of butternut squash soup with roasted pepper. We are now waiting for our entree and so far it's delicious. It's all made fresh so it's not fast food but it's worth the wait! Oh and you can bring your own drinks for a 1.00 uncorking fee.
(5)Ron J.
Way good food and a very cool vibe. The menu was definitely eclectic and the food was awesome. Did not expect this in Erie (no offense Erie-ites). The price was a bit higher than I thought it would be for Erie but you get what you pay for I guess regardless of local.
(5)Jim R.
One word: YUM!!!!!!! We are from out of town and chose this restaurant because of the gluten free options and were not disappointed! Friendly service, food was great and the oil for dipping the bread was to die for!!
(5)Catherine P.
TL;DR - back of the house was good, front of the house was in absolute shambles. I really, really want to give this place more stars. The food was good, some of it was better than good. We came in with a fairly large party (8), but there were other parties as big or bigger than ours, due to the event in town this weekend. We sat down, taking note of the less than clean furniture, and had a hostess open one of our two bottles of wine (BYOB). After sitting down, we decided we wanted the second bottle opened. Too bad we waited, and waited, and waited for our waitress to come. 15 minutes later, we flagged down another waitress who opened the bottle and told us about the menu. It was probably another 10 minutes before our actual waitress showed up to take orders. We ordered, and then waited some more. We had a gluten-free person in our party, and the waitress graciously brought out "gluten free" bread. He thankfully asked to see the ingredients list before eating, because the bread she actually brought was vegan, and the first ingredient was wheat. Wheat. Don't tout yourself as a gluten-free friendly restaurant if your wait staff doesn't know the difference between vegan and gluten-free. The rest of the food came out, and it was good. Of the dishes I tried, the lasagna was wonderful and the scallops were good (though the crab cake served with them was uninspired and more filling than crab). The cioppino was good, and the salmon was fine, if not a bit overdone. All in all, the food passed. 3.5-4 stars depending on the dish. Several of us ordered dessert (although we had to ask for it, it wasn't offered after the plates were cleared), which again, took a while. The waitress got the dessert order wrong, and took exceedingly long to bring out the correct third dessert, while the others ate. Coffee was never offered. And then, the icing on the cake. At this point, we've been there for over two hours, and patience was long gone. The dessert dishes were cleared, and it took a while for us to get the checks. They were brought, cards quickly put out, and then again, the waiting game for us to get the cards run. When they were run, two of the four checks were wrong. The biggest error? Running a $117 check for $11. Not wanting to short the restaurant over $100, we asked for our waitress, who was nowhere to be found. The waitress we did flag down eventually came back and said she actually couldn't find our waitress and would help us. When we explained the two errors (the other was only off by $4), she reran the cards, and brought ours back at $111 - still wrong. We signed it and left. Honestly, at that point, if you can't figure out how to run your register, your customers can't help you.
(2)Oren C.
The first time I went here it was with my whole family. It was nice and quiet and, really, it was amazing. The food was superb! I had the Fisherman's stew. I'm telling you it was a spectacular dish. That time it was a 5 star place. The next time I came with my girlfriend. There was a totally different vibe. Our meal was loud, the waitress was drinking with another table, things just didn't go smoothly. That being said the whole meal was still pretty good. We got the Pomegranate Chicken. Not great. 3 stars.
(4)John B.
Quirky little bistro/restaurant/catering hall in the Little Italy/Industrial end of Erie. Great friendly staff. Food was prepared correctly -- pasta al dente and sauces subtle but delicious. The Italian sausage was excellent, I wish there was a spicy variant too. The only problem was the pasta. It was delicious in the places where it was properly separated into strands but it is locally made and somehow it is not arrving at the restaurant having been properly partially dried (pasta fresca) or properly packaged after drying or it is being thrown in the boiling water and not stirred quickly enough to assure that the strands are cooking on their own -- alas whatever the issue, there were many clumped pasta knots ... While they were perfectly edible and mostly fine "on the inside" the didn't have sauce inside the knot and they were awkward to consume politely :) I will certainly go back again and see if things are different with a more attuned pasta chef.
(4)Eddie P.
Fantastic place! Full of character and the food is just awesome! Very friendly local owners. They seem to know food and have figured out real needs of their clients. I would 110% recommend this place over a chain store to anyone in or traveling through Erie, PA
(5)Purva P.
This is a cute, homely, family owned restaurant. Their food is delicious. The spinach and artichoke dip is one of the best I have ever tasted. We had the salmon and eggplant entree. Both were outstanding. Desserts looked yum! The staff is very warm and service was good. I would definitely visit again.
(4)Lynn M.
I know that I'm going against the trend here, but let's be honest.... I'm being generous with 3 stars. I've been here 3 times and have ordered some form of noodle dish each time. You know when you boil noodles but you don't stir them and they all clump together? That's how the noodles have been literally EVERY time I have eaten here. This place isn't exactly cheap either. The service is good and the restaurant is very nicely decorated, but you lose major points from me when you can't cook something as simple as noodles.
(3)Rebecca M.
Food absolutely could not have been improved upon! The chicken caprese was a huge portion and delicious, and the salmon was very tasty. Also the bread and dipping sauce was good if not a little on the salty side. Food is a little pricey given the ambiance really wasn't there; the music wasn't fitting for the establishment and it wasn't super-clean. Wait staff were super nice!
(4)Mark F.
We were visiting Erie and looking for interesting restaurants. The reviews and menu grabbed us so we went. A really enjoyable, interesting meal. We had lobster and shrimp mac and cheese (not macaroni and not cheddar cheese, but a nicer pasta and mascarpone). Very good. Excellent lentil soup and excellent salads. The fried spinach was fun; very good. We had assorted appetizers, all of which were excellent. It is BYOB, so plan ahead. Very personable, friendly staff. The menu is very interesting, with many interesting treatments.
(4)Jeffrey K.
We had never before been to Erie and didn't know where to eat. 7 p.m. on Labor Day weekend Friday. La Bella gets accolades on Yelp and so off we went. First, I had the presence of mind to find it. The neighborhood is grungy. Then, as we pulled up--- nice-looking corner bar place in an ocean of deteriorated old working-class houses (no longer Little Italy, despite the banners) and abandoned businesses-- I had the presence of mind to ponder if this might be a BYOB. It is, and so I went to a nearby Pa. state store that I had just seen. Shall I say, it was the state liquor board's Skid Row collection, with characters to match. Grabbed a $10 pinot noir and returned. Entered and when asked for a reservation said no, we've been in Erie for 20 minutes and you get great reviews. They thought and said, OK, wait and we'll set up an extra table. They did. And then served terrific pasta, great salads, and our server was terrific and told us where to go the next couple of times. I gave her a $22 tip on a $41 check because BYOB servers get shorted, I am sure. Totally five-star experience. We'll just find a better state store the next time we are exploring new parts of Pennsylvania.
(5)Maria T.
Our first time at La Bella and...Oh yeah! This is the place!! Harry, the owner is so nice and super talented! Great service! The best artichoke dip we've ever had! Black Angus ribeye is perfection! Any salad dressing is a good choice, or just the herbed dipping sauce instead! The pomegranate Brie chicken was absolutely delicious!!BYOB! My hubby shared his beer with the gentleman's on the next table who didn't know they could bring their own! And yes many gluten free Options! What a nice surprise this place was!
(5)Sandy L.
Yelp scores again! Stopped overnight in Erie on our way to Cooperstown and couldn't resist trying La Bella, which we found on Yelp. Great food, fantastic service, friendly vibe, BYOB and great owner! Had the fried spinach (delicious), cioppino to share as an appetizer (kindly split 4 ways by kitchen), lobster mac n cheese (to die for), pasta Bolognese, eggplant, and a couple of crazy good desserts. All absolutely delicious! Owner couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. Told him we were from Chicago on our way to Cooperstown, and he sent out these two desserts. Great night, great restaurant! Wish I lived in Erie so could dine there again!
(5)EG K.
We went there because it had great reviews, but the place was disgusting. It was very dirty: the bathrooms were gross (some didn't even lock); the carpets were dirty; there was a fly in the salt shaker; and the staff wore clothes which hadn't been washed in weeks. The food was very bland, greasy, and overpriced. Oh, and on top of that the floor was so uneven that the chairs were shaking and the bacon fat based salad dressing ran to one side of the plates.
(1)Danielle L.
La Bella is delicioso!! From the moment we walked in we were given a personal touch and a wonderful experience. I told the owner I have Celiac Disease and am, therefore, gluten free and he was extremely attentive to my dietary needs. In fact, I have never experienced such attention to detail to make sure I was well taken care of. I was offered many different options and every dish except for one was available in a gluten free option! They even offered me several types and brands of gluten free pasta for me to choose!! Wow!! The meal was fantastic. The encore was the gluten free chocolate cake that was amazing. Everything about La Bella was a hit! We will definitely be back to enjoy another meal with terrific service and fabulous food. Thanks to our sever Jill for being so knowledgeable and attentive. So happy to have found this little gem! Mangia!!
(5)Nicole P.
Best Italian food I've had in a long time. Everything is made fresh and with care. Owner was super friendly and helpfully. It's great to visit restaurants of this caliber in the Erie area.
(5)Dion S.
Awesome vibe with great people. Food is excellent and we'll priced for what you get. Will definitely come back if we are in Erie again.
(5)Ray S.
Excellent food. Dressings and desserts made in house. Special requests happily honored. Service could not have been better!
(5)Robin F.
The food was wonderful. I had the salmon in a basil cream sauce that was fantastic. The pastas that everyone else were very tasty. My son had the lobster mac n cheese it wasti die for. So sad that we are heading back to California and wont be able to go again.
(5)John D.
Stayed in Erie overnight on way to Cooperstown from Chicago for baseball tournament. Another couple found this place through yelp. A great experience, very good food, atmosphere and decor eclectic, owner was a blast, if you happen through for some reason go here and enjoy (BYO)!
(4)Megan F.
Food was excellent, portions are large! Very friendly staff. The artichoke dip was amazing! Many gluten free options...and its BYOB!! We had a great dinner and it's nice that reservations are accepted!
(4)Bart H.
We arrived late so we had the full attention of both the wait staff, chef, and later, owner. First, you can BYOB. Second, everything from the dipping oil, salad dressings, risotto and steak were excellent and perfectly prepared. For those who avoid restaurant chains and appreciate well prepared food this was a nugget otherwise hidden in Erie. I saw Yelp had it ranked as #1 in Erie and decided to trust. Also very interesting arty decor and marvelous tile floor.
(5)Morgan E.
This is a wonderful place. Extensive gluten free menu!! Fresh, flavorful, well crafted, house-made everything, plenty of vegetarian options. However I'm eating the seafood Cioppino and I couldn't be happier. Everyone on staff is clearly invested in making this an excellent restaurant. Funky, artistic decor. Community atmosphere. The people next to me are regulars and offered me a glass of their wine. The service is friendly and attentive and the food came out at a comfortable pace for a relaxing dinner. From the street you might not expect such a gem to be inside, but it truly is. I have to imagine this is one of the best restaurants in town. Call for reservations!!
(5)Robert B.
Fantastic food. Great attentive service. You can tell that the staff give great attention to customer service. My girlfriend and I had the Pomegranate Brie Chicken and the Parmesan Artichoke chicken and were very impressed. Highly recommend!
(5)Kristin R.
Delicious! Went there for New Year's Eve dinner and they had a special menu for the evening. I got the lobster macaroni and cheese and my boyfriend got a seafood stew and linguini dish. Everything was superb! Loved the bread and dipping oil too! Best I've ever had! 1/28/15 Over a year later from my last La Bella's review, and I am obsessed with this place! It has become the go to restaurant for my boyfriend and I. The service can be slow, but trust me the food is worth it. The staff is great, and the owner seems to be there every time we are. Talk about dedication. We were recently there to celebrate my boyfriends birthday, and they were so accommodating. They literally brought out everything and the kitchen sink to help us celebrate! But seriously... they wheeled out this kitchen sink that was full of ice cream and cake for our entire (13 person) party, and it was on the house. I was so impressed and grateful. I tell everyone I meet about this place.... definitely give it a try. Don't forget your own bottle, as it's BYOB!
(5)Jess M.
Visited this local restaurant while I was visiting family. They have been here multiple times and have said nothing but positive things. We had a party of 9 so I called to see if they could accommodate us right away. Mike is who I spoke with, he had to check but we were good to go within a half an hour of myself calling. There is a side parking lot but it does not seem that big. I do wish someone would have shoveled and salted the areas getting to the entrance due to the amounts of snow we got. Inside the restaurant was nicely decorated, very quaint. This place is a BYOB but they do supply water, tea and pop. Service was very nice and accommodating. Our waitress had no problems making substitutions for items. She poured all the wine and beer we brought and topped our glasses off if it was needed. The food was delicious. We ordered the deep fried spinach appetizer, a must try for sure. It was a bit too salty on the top though. You do get Italian bread and oil/herbs for dipping. Ask for more, it's addicting! For our dinners, we ordered the Pasta Bolognese, Pomegranate Brie Chicken, and the Ribeye (forgot the exact name of the dish), they were are cooked great. All our dinners came with a big side salad with homemade house dressings to choice from. I ordered the Ribeye medium and it came out perfectly cooked topped with an herb butter. I substituted mashed potatoes for their side dish but I was disappointed that the mashed potatoes portion was very small. The ribeye was 10 ounces so that was very filling! I know all the other dishes were very filling and good but I didn't try any of them so I can't describe them. Overall, great local family restaurant with friendly service. Atmosphere was good and the food delicious!
(5)