Panos' Restaurant — Restaurant in Erie

Two stars for two years of working here. If you're like me and try to support local businesses, let me give you an idea of what your money goes to. There are maybe three staff members at a time who care about following health code guides, and that's only when it's slower. If it's busy all the rules go out the window. When it comes to hiring there are no background checks conducted. The amount of people getting high or dealing drugs in the back area is laughable, and there have been a fair share of sexual predators working in the kitchen or dish area. Moving on to how workers are treated, the answer is not well and not fairly. There is an extreme amount of favoritism, but only when you are on the owners good side. The rules change day by day whether it comes to what workers are supposed to wear or what duties are expected of them. There is also a huge amount of unprofessionalism in the way everything is run. For example, when I was more readily available to work after my Spring semester of college, I let them know I was available any day of the week during the early shift. Instead of getting any hours, my days were cut short and I was removed from the schedule without any explanation. Long story short, I had to learn from another waitress that the owner was upset with me and expected an apology. This was when I realized it was time for my journey with Panos to end. Also, if there is anything wrong with a paycheck, whether how much you were/weren't paid or the address you have, a worker can't expect to have it fixed. No matter how many times you try to communicate on these things, the hassle it brings really makes you wonder if the correctness is even worth it. I give Panos two stars instead of one because I learned a lot from them, I met my fiancè there, and the second shift staff (Lynn and Cindy) are truly good people. But when you go there for a bite to eat, you are supporting a toxic workplace environment that is outdated and needs to bend to change. If you read this entire review, I hope you rethink your choice in...

Family has done Pano's breakfast at least twice a month for the last 10 years. Breakfast is usually greasy, but very good. Myself, always order greek burgers. I understand ordering greek burgers for breakfast is generally non-conventional. They are obviously not on the level of new york lunch, east or west, but usually very warm and tasty. Ordered 2 greek burgers this past Sunday, and can easily say they were the worst greek, or for that matter, any hamburger I have ever had. I'm not one to complain, so I shoveled down as much as I could and figure ya win some, ya lose some. The burgers were cold, ultra thin patties with a greek sauce that had no taste or seasoning. Soggy buns. The onions did not even seem to have any flavor. It was like pulling something out of the freezer, after it sat there for months, then attempting to microwave it in to a sloppy mess. They were only 3 bucks each so I did not complain. I was surprised at the decline in burger quality over the last few months. Maybe it is my fault for ordering a burger at breakfast time? The rest of the family's breakfast food looked great. I will likely return to Pano's, but I won't be caught dead ordering...

There was a time when this kind of restaurant was the rule, rather than the exception... Lately, we are faced with a choice of prefab "restaurants" where, in some cases, only the choice of gimmicky decor is different and the menus look like the same marketing group came up with them. You can now have the same "food" in every city you visit and never have to stretch your taste. Before corporate restaurants took over the world like bland fungus, every neighborhood had a local eatery, where the regulars were recognizable, where the menu and food was simple and home made, and where the quality and value were a reflection of the owners' pride. This is such a place. We made a conscious choice to bypass IHOP and look for simple quality and taste for breakfast. We found it here. From the attentive wait staff to the clearly scratch made food, we thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast. Come here. Have breakfast ( or lunch, or dinner) and stop feeling like your meal was designed by a pr and marketing group. Just have...