Dominick’s is conveniently located within a walking distance from Cellblock and is open 24 hours a day

Quality: 2.5 out of 5

Price: Varies

Many Mercyhurst College students may be familiar with the State and 12th Street area but few are aware of Dominick’s, a 24-hour eatery located at 123 E. 12th Street within walking distance of Cellblock.com dance club.

Women’s field hockey coach Stacey Gaudette recommended Dominick’s pancakes and bacon.

“It is a really cute, old-fashioned diner,” Gaudette said. After walking into Dominick’s, my roommate and I agreed.

Dominick’s is a diner sticking to its roots. With its original tables, booths and bar stools, Dominick’s gives customers a walk down memory lane to the early ’80s era.

My roommate and I sat ourselves to a clean booth and observed our surroundings for a moment.

An ATM and Pennsylvania lottery machine were two items that immediately caught our attention. The ATM was conveniently placed within the diner because Dominick’s only accepts cash. I initially panicked because I only brought my debit card; however, my roommate saved the day with some spare cash.

Also randomly placed was an Erie frog statue denoting Dominick’s as an Erie landmark.

Because of its size and table setting, this Erie landmark could host a number of customers. However, on a Sunday morning, only about 20 customers were brunching.

Since Dominick’s is open 24 hours a day, I was surprised to have been so happily greeted by our server. She warmly welcomed us with a menu and table settings.

We began our meal with much needed coffee and water.

Dominick’s offers a variety of options for each meal of the day. They are especially famous for their meatball omelet which is comprised of homemade Italian meatballs, tomato sauce, provolone cheese and Italian toast.

For about $6.95, my roommate decided she wanted to test out this famous dish. I, however, stuck to my favorite breakfast dish, pancakes.

While we waited, we agreed we would compare Dominick’s to The Breakfast Place since they have striking similarities between their breakfast options and hours of operation.

Our meals quickly arrived, giving us only enough time to sip our coffee.

Spanning across the entire plate, my roommate’s meatball omelet looked like a giant, saucy, egg roll with medium-sized meatballs peeking out the ends. Hiding beneath the sauce was melted provolone cheese.

After taking her initial bite, my roommate said she could barely taste the eggs because the sauce was so prevalent. I tried a bite of the omelet and agreed. The meatballs were delicious but the entire mixture of eggs, tomato sauce, provolone cheese and meatballs was slightly overwhelming. If the provolone cheese was inside the omelet and less sauce had been applied, this dish would have been much more appetizing.

In comparing my hot cakes from The Breakfast Place and my hot cakes from Dominick’s, I have to say I enjoyed The Breakfast Place’s recipe more.

Golden brown with crispy ends, my pancakes from Dominick’s diner tasted as if they were fried. I personally prefer my pancakes fluffy like those made at The Breakfast Place because they tasted as if my Mom made them from our own kitchen stove.

My three pancakes were priced at only $3.50, so I cannot say I was too disappointed with my overall experience.

Though I was unimpressed with Dominick’s food, I did enjoy the atmosphere, friendly service and convenient hours.

Dominick’s offers three hot pancakes for only $3.50Dominick’s famous breakfast dish is their homemade meatball omelet