570 and Down ranks the ten greatest restaurants in Scranton, PA…
Last updated: 29 July 2025
10. Saigon Corner
Saigon Corner infuses balance into the city’s heavily Italian‑American tableau with bowls of aromatic pho and crisp banh mi, herbs and lime doing the talking rather than heavy sauces. It reminds you that authenticity doesn’t need volume—it needs precision, fresh ingredients, and smiles at the counter. For Scranton, it’s not exotic—it’s necessary: a freshwater current in a well-loved stew.
Address: 300 Lackawanna Avenue (inside The Marketplace at Steamtown), Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-955-0131
Standout dish: Sunny Side of the Wok Pho
9. Sambuca Grille & Bar
Sambuca Grille trades bravura for polish: Italian classics done quietly well under warm lighting. The pasta dishes are expertly prepared in the traditional style, not trend-chasing; the shrimp cocktail is precise, not playful. It’s the sort of restaurant you go to when you want your meal to feel grown‑up, attentive, and free of gimmick. Consistently solid, confidently mature—that steadiness earns it a place in Scranton’s top tier.
Address: 234 Penn Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-961-5205
Standout dish: Rigatoni Number 7
8. The 16th Ward
The 16th Ward is food‑forward in a retro‑diner setting. Think pierogi dumplings stuffed with short rib, French onion pizza finished tableside with caramelized broth, and cocktails that change on a whim. It blends nostalgia and invention in equal measure, and locals love it not because it’s familiar, but because it rewrites familiarity elevated by diner comfort and curiosity.
Address: 306 Penn Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-955-5269
Standout dish: Nduja & Muscles
7. Cooper’s Seafood House
Cooper’s Seafood House is less restaurant than institution: part local myth, part kitschy museum, all anchored by reliably well‑executed seafood staples. The building’s pirate‑ship décor, The Office legend, the famous crab bisque, or the restaurant’s massive beer list (including their own brews) are draws in themselves, but the kitchen still lives up to the romance that surrounds this legendary establishment. You sense that Cooper’s believes in abundance and comfort over refinement—crowd‑pleasing classics with nostalgia baked in, which lands it firmly near the top in a city hungry for personality.
Address: 701 North Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-346-6883
Standout dish: Jumbo Lump Maryland Crabcakes
6. Picciocchi’s Pasta
Picciocchi’s Pasta isn’t flashy, but it is an absolute Italian powerhouse crammed inside a relatively small space. Handmade noodles, rotating daily specials like seafood fra diavolo or truffled gnocchi, and a bar serving Aperol spritzes and Negronis draw praise from regulars (of which there are many). It feels like an Italian neighborhood trattoria you’d stumble on walking home after dinner in Milan—or Scranton, if you looked in the right place.
Address: 114 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-319-5167
Standout dish: Carbonara
5. Mangia Bistro & Bar
At Mangia Bistro & Bar, Spanish and Italian flavors coalesce beautifully: lobster ravioli, paella Valenciana, ahi ceviche, slab bacon guac. The food and cocktails are thoughtfully composed, resulting in one of the more exciting menus offered anywhere in Scranton. The space itself balances modern bistro energy with warm hospitality, and the menu is clearly the work of a kitchen that respects tradition but isn’t afraid to bend it for the sake of flavor. This isn’t fusion for the sake of novelty—it’s cohesion built on purpose.
Address: 127 West Market Street, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-800-5116
Standout dish: Amico (smoked rack of lamb and chorizo in a red wine sauce)
4. Ipanema Grill
Ipanema Grille brings boldness in hospitality and cooking: churrasco‑style grilled meats carved at the table, the must-try Boardwalk Bar, and a full‑service rodizio format that’s rare in Northeast Pennsylvania. It’s a restaurant that makes you aware of the cuisine’s Brazilian lineage—spice and sweetness, fire and rhythm—and in doing so, adds a distinct flavor note to Scranton’s culinary mix. Come hungry and plan on developing acute meat sweats.
Address: 1911 North Main Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-558-0742
Standout dish: Rib Eye
3. A’tera 519
A’tera 519 pursues finesse in a way that feels daring for Scranton: locally sourced swordfish, pastry‑driven desserts, cocktails with top‑shelf mezcal, and thoughtful garnishes. The kitchen strives to do more than feed—it aspires to make diners sit up, consider flavor layers, and appreciate subtlety in plating and technique. A’tera 519 clearly has ambitions to achieve greatness, something it hasn’t quite accomplished yet, but a goal that seems very much in reach.
Address: 519 Linden Street, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 272-228-1725
Standout dish: Whole Grilled Mediterranean Branzino for Two
2. Bar Pazzo
Bar Pazzo offers a seamless mix of wood‑fired pizza, small plates, and cocktails in an industrial‑chic loft space. The Spanish Octopus, the Baby Gem Salad, the Lamb Ragu—all suggest a kitchen pushing Italian‑American cuisine gently forward. Chef John Tabone needs to be considered one of NEPA’s most important culinary personalities, and I fully expect that, should he continue on his current trajectory with Bar Pazzo, his restaurant could soon top this list.
Address: 131 North Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-871-4179
Standout dish: Crispy Wood-Oven Duck Wings
1. Casa Bella
Casa Bella feels like what you’d find if a family-run Italian kitchen were transplanted from Florence to Scranton with preserved warmth and elevated polish. The menu is thoughtful without showboating—luxuriously creamy lobster ravioli, short ribs braised to matte perfection, veal parmigiana that satisfies without heaviness—each dish balanced and generous. It’s not trendy; it’s enduring—an uncomplicated belief that good food and consistent hospitality build a loyal following.
Address: 330 West Market Street, Scranton, PA 18508
Phone: 570-969-9006
Standout dish: Lobster Ravioli
About this Top 10 list…
How did 570 and Down arrive at these rankings?
The old-fashioned way: by eating out. A lot. I score restaurants across five key categories and run those numbers through a spreadsheet that helps sort the best from the rest. The ten highest-scoring places made the list you see above, ranked by overall performance.
What’s the exact scoring formula?
Let’s just say it’s rigorous, mostly fair, and keeps evolving. (And no, I won’t bore you with a pie chart or pretend it’s a trade secret.)
Some context for the data-inclined:
- Only 16 points separated the top-ranked restaurant from #10.
- The differences between #3 and #4, #5 and #6, and #7 and #8 were just a single point.
- The biggest jump between any two consecutive places? Three points, between #2 and #3.
- And three restaurants missed the Top 10 by two points or fewer.
But here’s the real point: this isn’t a permanent hierarchy. It’s a snapshot—one informed by dozens of meals and a lot of note-taking. As Scranton’s food scene keeps shifting (and it will), so will this list. Stay tuned.
What do you think?
I’ll be the first to admit that this Top 10 list isn’t perfect. No such list exists. However, I think that these rankings provide a very accurate snapshot of the best restaurants in Scranton at this exact moment.
I also understand that you probably disagree. And that’s encouraged! Just give me your Top 10 list in the comments section below so I (and the rest of the Internet) can judge you.
