.Serafini’s Restaurant is a great restaurant and it's only ten minutes away from Mercyhurst College

Quality: 5 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Price: Moderately expensive

I love a good, homemade, Italian meatball.

And Serafini’s Restaurant on 2642 W. 12th St. rolls only the best.

My parents visited this past Saturday for a day of shopping, watching the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey game, and, of course, exploring Erie for the best food!

A friend of mine recommended Serafini’s, which is located about 15 minutes away from Mercyhurst. If you have ever traveled to Presque Isle, you will likely have passed Erie’s oldest Italian restaurant.

Since 1938, Serafini’s has been serving a variety of traditional Italian dishes such as chicken parmesan, cheese and meat ravioli, lasagna, veal parmesan and more.

Arriving to Serafini’s on Saturday evening was a relief to my stomach. I was ravenous and excitedly anticipated lots of food.
Walking into the restaurant, I immediately notice Serafini’s has dining, take-out services and a lounge and bar.

The hostess greeted us and checked on a table for my family and me. We were seated a few minutes later at a small table with a white cotton tablecloth. All visible tables were occupied by families, couples and friends. Our server immediately greeted us with Italian bread, olive oil and vinegar.

As soon as she took our drink orders, I dipped the Italian bread into olive oil and parmesan. The bread was freshly baked with a soft middle and crispy crust.

Looking over the menu, I decided to order cheese ravioli with meatballs. All dinner entrees include a tossed salad with choice of dressing. My mom ordered broiled scallops and politely asked if they would hold the garlic. Our server was more than happy to help.

My dad ordered lasagna after our server recommended it to him.
Less than five minutes after ordering, our server delivered our salads. My family and I were pleasantly surprised to discover a fresh mix of lettuce, Garbanzo beans, black olives and cherry tomatoes on our salads.

When our server returned to our table to collect our salad dishes, she returned with a fresh glass of Sprite for me. I did not even have to ask for a refill.

Shortly after our server cleared our table, our dinner entrees arrived. We all agreed to share each others’ dishes to gain the full Serafini’s experience.

My raviolis and meatballs were perfectly portioned and warm. I really liked the sauce, which was more sweet than salty, and the meatballs were light though filled with flavor. Similarly, the raviolis were delicious and plump with ricotta cheese.

Though I was satisfied with my pasta, my parents chose the better food. The broiled scallops were the best I have ever tasted because they were soft; not the usual chewy scallops you frequently taste. My dad was equally pleased with his lasagna because Serafini’s actually included meat in between the noodles.

None of us were able to finish our meals, but I was happy to take back delicious leftovers.

My family and I could not get enough of Serafini’s. From the food to the service to the reasonable prices, we all agreed we would return again/

Serafini’s raviolis and meatballs are a good pick