Pie In the Sky Cafe

Just had a fantastic dinner at Casablanca! We shared the stuffed artichokes and a layered grilled eggplant dish suggested by the friendly server. Dinner came with the house salad, mild yet complex combination of herbs and toasted seeds. A very light olive oil dressing was a perfect complement. MUST try the fresh mint and lemon tea. Served like a slush, it was wonderfully refreshing, I would visit Erie again to enjoy this great place again.
Ctw

Really nice food and great waitstaff! We got a booth with just enough privacy to make us feel like we had the whole place to ourselves. I had the crab cakes which we heavy on the crab! Not a lot of filler – very delicious. I got some steamed zukes with them. My dining companion had mushrooms in Marsala and cream sauce with panko crust – heaven! Neither of us are having dessert these days and that is what this place is known for! Never fear though – you can eat out without dessert! This is a «bring your own bottle» restaurant which always insures you get exactly what you want. Very nice atmosphere, great food.

This is a little update from my most recent visit. I didn’t try something new since the lamb shank is one of the better meals in town. It was cooked beautifully and was HUGE. There was a side of red cabbage complimented it well and mashed potatoes. They mashed potatoes were just plainly prepared. I did try out the mushroom appetizer, which was a great way to start the meal. I’m not sure if I mentioned this but it’s byob. Wine glasses are on the place setting. Also, compliments to Todd the waiter! He is a very cool cat, knows the meals inside n out, and attentive yet not overbearing.

In a perfect world, and we all know it’s not, a cute, somewhat buried-​in-​the-​grit-​of-​a-​beyond-​its-​prime city restaurant would offer all that is promised by word of mouth. It didn’t. Here is why.
I journeyed to Pie in the Sky with my fiancé after a film and was immediately alarmed, if not charmed by its outward appearance. Blacked-​out, garbage-​bagged facades on the wrong side of 12^th street can be their own kind of pedestrian-​cute, but this one projected a sort of «come-​in-​me» vibe that internet porn stars promise offline in premium-​priced chatrooms. Inside, the place was all it was promised to be… dimly-​lit, guitar-​laced, privately-​boothed grandeur. One Star there.
We waited quite a while for service, longer for store-​bought, over-​heated bread and were eventually told that the reason everything was taking so long is that it was local. I really hate to quote my grandmother, but where were they getting the milk for the cheese on our deep-​dish pizza-​like Bruschetta? From cows out back? Or further in the annals of the Keystone State’s backyard? Ultimately, who cares? About ¾ of the way through the wait for that, we were informed that the other app we ordered wasn’t available for similar reasons. Color me unimpressed, Replacements.
Altogether, we waited about 1 hour and 35 minutes for one app and an entrée that I had to have boxed to go before I turned into a fucking pumpkin. Bravo on the waiter, however, for running me down in the parking lot with the box I neglected to pick up. That, in the comfort of home, unlike the Pie in the Sky, was worth another Star.

Sometimes the food is excellent; sometimes it’s so-​so. (At those prices, it should be excellent every time.) Some servers are friendly; some are stuck-​up. It’s in a sketchy neighborhood, but there’s a lighted parking lot across the street. The overall vibe is snooty.

What a great place!!! If I lived in Erie, this would certainly be a place I would frequent! Atmosphere is lovely. I feel like I’m back in San Francisco or Austin… even though I’m in Erie, Pa. Very few coffee shops that that I’ve been to, in PA, get it. This place gets «it». Not that this is a coffee shop… it just has that type of relaxing vibe. Relaxing music is playing in the background, as I am nestled in my own private booth-​room. I had the soup of the day… pumpkin tomatoes bisque. It was perfect. My quiche and salad was equally delicious.

Three of us came for lunch. The interior décor was lovely and the service warm and welcoming. The menu offered a nice range of selections. My portobello sandwich with spinach pesto was delicious and my companions enjoyed the quiche and a turkey pita sandwich. We managed to save room for dessert and tried the raspberry pie and maple walnut pie; both were yummy. We were glad that previous positive reviews led us to discover this gem.

Been around a while for a reason.

Excellent food and even better staff… well worth a visit. Don’t let the unassuming appearance scare you off. They also had live music when we went, was nice ambiance.

Had a great experience at an adorable restaurant in the Erie area while I was in town for a wedding.
It’s a little off the beaten path but well worth going! They have a primarily vegetarian menu but enough items for meat lovers. Their focus is sandwiches, soups, and of course, pie.
Our group all got sandwiches and they were so great! I had the portabello panini which I would strongly recommend. The staff was nice and it was a nice atmosphere. It even seemed like they had nights where musicians came in to play.
As an after meal treat, we got the rhubarb pie which was perfectly tart and sweet and the crust was great. We all greatly enjoyed our meal here.

What a treat. Honestly Does not look like much from the outside. But oh boy does it grow exponentially on the inside. Warm, cozy, artsy atmosphere sets the mood for a great evening. Menus are hands written, which I love. Just makes the experience more intimate. We got the sherry mushrooms to start, and to admit, they didn’t last more than 23 seconds (yes we timed). Followed the amazing appetizer with a mushroom stuffed trout. Which, once again I forced myself to make the dish last 24 seconds. Because I have great self control.
Pie in the sky is a hidden gem of Erie. Even off the main stretch they found a way to tickle my fancy. Needless to say I can’t wait go back for more. Keep up the work Pie, I look forward to your ever changing menu.
Peace and love.

3.5 stars. I ordered the trout and perhaps had lofty expectations for this dish as they mentioned it was one of their most popular dishes. I was underwhelmed by the flavor. The fish was very fresh but the mushrooms and sauce were resigned to a small area in the middle of the fish which left the ends and frankly most of the fish fairly bland. The entrée came with some potatoes and if I remember correctly they were well seasoned with rosemary and salt.
Our group decided to order dessert since we skipped the apps but personally this was a mistake. I ordered the crème brûlée which can be amazing if it’s done right and not so great if it’s done wrong — the dish at Pie was the latter. The top had been burnt but it wasn’t crispy but chewy so the whole top came smashing down on the custard portion which was half warm and half cold. I need it one way or another — cold custard or warm custard but the mixing of the two temperatures didn’t do much to make this dessert palatable. I left most of it behind. I did get a taste of the pecan pie that my friend ordered and can attest that this was delish!
It is byob and they don’t have a corkage fee which was a pleasant surprise. Maybe I hit this place on an off night, but I was generally disappointed with the meal.

Five star food in Erie?! This is SO VERY exciting!!!
It’s SUCH an adorable place! The atmosphere is on point. It’s quaint, with booths that have walls and a little garden feel. You can tuck away and have a romantical date or close convo with friends… or your mom in my case:)
We started with a mushroom app in heavy cream. Oh dear lord. Heavy cream is so bad for you, but soooo good going down! It was amazing with an herb crust to top off the dish. We dug in and even dipped the complimentary homemade rolls in the cream. Decadent and evil, I know, but so good!
We split two items because everything looked good on that handwritten menu. The Crab Cakes with roasted red pepper sauce accompanied with broccoli and red potatoes and the Rainbow Trout with mushrooms and crispy onions with the same sides. I must say, I really like Sloppy Ducks Crab Cakes (worst name ever, right?!). So I did compare them to theirs and they did stand up, I will say. I enjoyed the red pepper dipping sauce a lot because this girl loves her sauces!
BUT, the Rainbow Trout was incredible! Seriously, if you think about how you want fish to taste and how you want it to be cooked, this would be it! It had a crispy skin and was bursting with flavor. I’ve never had fish where they slice it down the center and the goodies (mushrooms and onions) were placed in the center. It was really excellent and I will be dreaming of it for days, maybe months! Prices are definitely up there for Erie with around $ 20-​$ 30 for entrees. I’d be used to these in Pittsburgh, but not in Erie. BUT again, it was awesome so I happily paid. Well worth it in my opinion!
I also thought it was adorable that they were so proud of their «people love us on Unilocal» sticker. A biz has to earn that through great reviews and they proudly had their sticker up and their letter displayed. Adorbs!
The owners were super friendly and have been in biz for over 23 years… still nice after all these years, you gotta be doing something right! I can’t wait to come back here and show off a stellar Erie restaurant!

A very cute place. I’ve only ever been there for lunch. The place is bright and has lots of greenery. They have great specials: unique soups /​quiches are featured quite often (for lunch, anyways). Their regular menu is kind of small, but it hits all of the basics for cheese smothered, open faced sandwiches: Turkey; turkey bacon; eggplant; California (tomato & avocado); portobello… I’ve had them all and they all feature some very flavorful spreads and fresh or sauteed veggies.
This is a great desert spot too. They always have fresh pies. Not standard pies either, all have a trendy flavor twist.
Great staff! We love Todd :)
I’d recommend it for lunch date, lunch with friends.

This is one of my very favorite places to go especially for date nights. One of my favorite dishes is the lamb shank (make sure to reserve it ahead of time, they tend to run out). This is a quaint little place where you come to enjoy the company you are with. As mentioned in another posting the service will not have your food out to you immediately. This is because there is one chef and you are meant to enjoy your time there. Every other Saturday night they bring in a guitar player and it makes the evening even more relaxed. The wait staff really cares about if you don’t absolutely love something that is served. I love going here because it reminds that restaurants still exist that really care that you are dinning with them.

This place was the first byo restaurant I was ever in eight years ago. I loved it then and I love it now. The menu doesn’t change much but that’s not a bad thing. Haven’t ever been disappointed in the quality of the food. They have especially good fish. The atmosphere is one of the best in erie to me. Such a great place to go for a relaxing dinner or date and not feel rushed. This is how dining out is supposed to be! Plus on Saturday nights there’s a great guitar player up front who adds even more to the ambiance! I highly recommend pie in the sky.

Great New Years Eve dinner out: great friends, great staff and great food with a true bistro atmosphere and charm.
Proof again that fresh ingredients and low key but involved management works wonders.

Pie in The Sky is a wonderful little place to meet a friend to have salads, soup and sandwiches! I highly recommend this to out of towners who are looking for a quality brunch or lunch experience. It is a little off the beaten path so it is easily missed. Staff is friendly and you can feel the love in the food.

From the outside there are no flashy signs or special «here we are» but when you walk inside it’s like going through a portal. I drove passed this place without noticing even though it’s on a corner so definitely keep an eye out for it.
The restaurant opens up into a very urban and romantically alluring atmosphere. It’s all candle lit and the service is very pleasant. You get to decide your party-​type when you come here: there are a few booths, tables for 2, 4, and small groups. I went on a date Saturday night here and they had live music, which was a nice surprise. The crowd was mostly mature couples or groups keeping things calm and relatively ambient. Bring a bottle of wine; we didn’t and I think just about every other table had one.
I highly recommend the bruschetta to start. It was a different twist from your everyday Their bruschetta appetizer was toasted bread topped with artichoke hearts, olive oil, and cheese.
We ordered the chef special pasta and lamb shank dinners. I am usually a skeptic about pastas because they usually lack a flavor of ingenuity. However, the chef special was made just right leaving you wanting more but feeling like you had just enough. The lamb was definitely fall off the bone, soft, tender, and juicy. The onions were caramelized which added enough sweetness, but everything that went with the lamb was also sweetened which unfortunately took away from the other herbs and flavors. Overall though, both were very good.
If you’re looking for a higher end place in Erie for a date or small group check out this place. You won’t regret it. I was told to try to crème brûlée, so perhaps I’ll try it on round 2.

I love Pie In the Sky. It really is the best place to get a meal in Erie or to meet someone for a mid-​day coffee or brunch. Sure, they NEVER change their menu, but so long as you don’t visit here too excessively or repeatedly order the same thing, it’s usually never a problem. I always enjoy their combination of yummy pies and sandwiches, salads, quiche and beverages.
It’s the only café I know of in the whole county serving simple dishes made with good products. Their breakfast is great and so is lunch. Their menu has something for everyone. A great visit for travelers passing through town who don’t want to eat fast food and suffer diarrhea later that day. Charming atmosphere and very friendly staff.
The only other downside is their wonky hours. But I’d never give Pie In the Sky anything short of five stars.