Also eager to explore new tastes of Erie, my father suggested Joe Root’s Grill at 35 Peninsula Drive.

An early inhabitant of Presque Isle, Joe Root was an actual Erieite born in 1860. Joe lived off the fresh fish from Lake Erie and built shelters out of driftwood. According to the Joe Root’s Grill Web site, the sand of Lake Erie replenishes each year because “Presque Isle loved Joe Root as much as he loved her.”

Since Joe Root’s is located near Presque Isle, the grill serves a variety of seafood as well as traditional salads, appetizers, soups and more.

My parents took me to Joe Root’s on a weeknight so we were immediately directed to a table.

Looking over the menu, we order drinks and the lobster-stuffed mushrooms appetizer for $6.99.

The interior has a nautical theme with pictures of sailboats and marine life hanging on the walls.

Though very polite and friendly, our server took more than 10 minutes to bring us our drinks. Joe Root’s was sufficiently filled with customers but not enough to occupy our server for such a long time.

After our drinks arrived, we waited an additional 10 minutes for our appetizer. Finally, our waiter delivered our mushrooms, which were buttery and delicious, but small and low in quantity.

Shortly after our appetizer arrived, our main entrées were delivered.

I ordered a salad with coconut-breaded shrimp for $9.89, and my mom ordered a fish sandwich for $6.39. The shrimp was perfectly baked and the coconut was sufficiently sweet.

Crunchy and fresh, my mom’s fish sandwich was very tasty, and I consumed more of it than she did.

If Joe Root’s service was more efficient and the food was less expensive, I would have enjoyed my overall experience more, because the actual seafood was straight-from-the-sea delicious.