The Empire at 138

Name: The Empire at 138
Address: 138 South Washington St, Tiffin, OH, United States, 44883
Telephone: (419) 448-7733
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.2

4.2

813 Reviews

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Top Tags:

Empire at 138, named in part for the building’s original name “Empire Block” and its street address at
138 S. Washington St., is an everyday hub of activity to eat, drink and congregate over real wholesome food and ingredients.
Part local neighborhood hangout, part fine dining restaurant, we develop heirloom recipes based on family and friends' favorites, using as many locally raised and farmed, organic, and hormone free products as are in season and meet our quality standards.
Menus change regularly based on seasonal availability. We offer fine dining, cocktails, wines, interesting beers, and signature coffee.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Contemporary American
Hours of operation
Lunch Thu–Sat 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–9:15 pm
Phone number
(419) 448-7733
Website
http://theempirerestauranttiffin.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Private party facilities
Private banquet room available for both personal and corporate customers. Call 419-448-7733 and ask for an event coordinator to plan for your next meeting.
Private party contact
Michael Pinkston: (419) 618-0311

Location
138 South Washington St, Tiffin, OH 44883
Neighborhood
Tiffin
Cross street
Madison Street
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Meat & Cheese Board$17.25
Served with seasonal preserves and a selection of crackers
Lump Crab Cakes$6.95
Super lump crab, celery, onions, chardonnay, Chesapeake mustard
Roasted Cauliflower Dip$7.95
Roasted cauliflower and roasted garlic pureed with Vermont cheddar. Served with pita chips
Spinach Artichoke Dip$7.95
Spinach, artichokes, roasted red peppers, white wine, served with pita crisps
Fried Mozzarella$7.95
Fresh mozzarella bocconcini, tomato basil marinara
Swedish Meatballs$6.95
Beef meatballs, mushrooms, cream sauce
Yakitori Skewers$7.95
Beef tenderloin, sweet teriyaki, sesame
Ahi Poke Crisp$7.95
Cubed ahi tuna, lime coconut soy sauce
Oysters Casino$5.95
Pepper, onion, garlic, bacon

Soups

Lion Bowl French Onion Soup
Slow roasted Vidalia onions simmered in beef stock and melted Gruyere cheese. Creamy option available as well
- Cup$7.95
- Bowl$9.95
Lobster Bisque
- Cup$8.95
- Bowl$10.95

Salads

Add: chicken $4.95, steak $6.95, Crab $12.95, salmon $7.95

Chopped Farmer's Salad$13.95
Red cabbage, iceberg, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, carrot, red peppers, mushrooms, bacon, eggs, cheddar, and green goddess ranch dressing
Classic Wedge$8.95
Iceberg, tomato, cucumber, bacon, onion, creamy blue cheese dressing
The Empire Grilled Caesar
Charred romaine, bacon, saved Parmesan, red onion, and Caesar dressing
- Half$6.95
- Full$9.95
House Salad
Artisanal mixed greens with red onions, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles and candied walnuts. Lightly dressed in raspberry vinaigrette
- Half$5.95
- Full$7.95
Beet Salad with Warm Goat Cheese$9.95
Beets, apple, goat cheese, shallot, walnuts, in a cranberry vinaigrette

Sea

All Entrees include warm bread and a house salad

Seared Norwegian Salmon$31.95
Pan seared Norwegian Salmon topped with a Hollandaise sauce, lemon, tarragon, and served with asparagus
Seafood Portofino$36.95
Shrimp, shallot, scallop, mussels, mushrooms, white wine, parmesan atop a linguini pasta
Lump Crab-n-Cheese$29.95
Lump crab, 5-cheese blend, fresh herbs, penne, toast bread crumbs

Land

All Entrees include warm bread and a house salad

Filet Mignon$38.95
Center cut by hand 7oz filet accompanied by caramelized onion, demi glaze, and grilled asparagus
Filet Oscar$42.95
A Grilled filet served with crab meat, toped with Bearnaise sauce. Served with asparagus
Filet Medallions$40.95
Wild mushrooms, shallots, cabernet demi sauce, broccolini
Filet la Blu$39.95
6 oz filet, bacon, horseradish, blue cheese crust, broccolini
The Empire Burger$15.95
Topped with Ohio white cheddar, house-made bacon relish, tomato, lettuce on a brioche bun. Served with sweet hot mustard and crispy fries
Chicken Florentine$23.95
Spinach, shallots, garlic, white wine sauce, parsley, roasted garlic potatoes

Pasta and More

All Entrees include warm bread and a house salad. Add: Chicken $4.95, Steak $9.95, Crab meat $12.95, Salmon $7.95

Ricotta Parmesan Gnocchi$22.95
Ricotta gnocchi, wild mushroom ragout, parmesan
Tofu Sweet Chili Rice Noodle Bowl$18.95
Firm tofu, pineapple, red pepper, onion, broccolini, cashew, basil, sweet thai chili sauce, rice noodles
Empire 5 Cheese Penne$16.95
Descendant cheese sauce over a penne pasta

Sides

Garlic Mashed Potatoes$5.95
Parmesan Truffle Fries or Regular Fries$5.95
Grilled Asparagus$6.95
Charred Brussel Sprouts$6.95

What 813 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.2

4.2 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.5Service
4.7Ambience
3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

813 Reviews

J
Jody
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on September 28, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
We asked for basics - salt and pepper. It never arrived. We had to find it ourselves from the bar. I asked for my steak to be medium rare. It was served well done. No bread was served with dinner as menu states. Wait person was apologizing to all tables around for various reasons. Wrong bill given to ppl next to us. No water refill after we asked.
Is this helpful?
F
Feldest
Cincinnati
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on September 24, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Beautiful space the food was excellent and the service was fantastic. The best Caesar salad I've ever had and my husband is still talking about his steak five days later. We were very pleased with dinner here.
Is this helpful?
MP
MikeP
Columbus
30 reviews
vip
2.0
30 reviews
Dined on September 20, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Service was great...personable, effecient, timely. The drinks were delicious. The food was disappointing. The Lamb Chops particularly so. Its a great space, and I'll stop for drinks. I'll be hard pressed to eat there again.
Is this helpful?
DR
DanR
Pittsburgh
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 16, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A very nice and enjoyable evening. Food and service were both great!
Is this helpful?
JB
JeffB
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 9, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Food was delicious. Drinks, Appetizers, Salads all served in timely manner. Entrees took for ever to arrive at our table. Over 25 minutes. The whole restaurant ran out of bread. As usual our meals were very good and competitively priced. Hopefully it was just a bad night for service and hospitality.
Is this helpful?
DT
DavidT
Columbus
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 25, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We always have a great experience at Empire. Staff is great. Food was delicious. It’s a great upscale restaurant.
Is this helpful?
TC
TrevorC
Toledo
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 10, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Good food good service, good drinks. Thanks for the flowers as well!
Is this helpful?
DR
DanR
Pittsburgh
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on July 29, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything was great!! Had reservations, they seated us immediately. Food and service was excellent!
Is this helpful?
BD
BusinessDinner
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on July 26, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
The restaurant is lovely. I ate there about five years ago and remember the food being top notch. This time around, it was good, but not impressive. For the price, it should be remarkable. Our biggest complaint is the uncomfortable chairs. Again, for an upscale restaurant, I would expect a bigger investment in the comfort of the patrons. Several of us, of varying sizes and heights, were extremely uncomfortable in the tiny, hard, cheap, catering style dining chair. It was difficult to enjoy eating our $39 filets when we had to sit forward in an awkward position because the chair was so hard and small. The Empire has a lot of potential, and I will try them again, but would definitely request to sit in the one half booth, as any other seating is completely intolerable.
1 person found this helpful
GF
GilmoreFan
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 22, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Very good food, lovely building, friendly staff. Be prepared to pay; this is not inexpensive dining. We had an $80 gift card from our kids and spent all of it plus extra for the tip on two of the less expensive entrees, two cocktails, and a shared dessert. Our bill would have been significantly more if we had gotten steak or seafood entrees.
Is this helpful?
CP
CPofNaples
Naples
39 reviews
vip
5.0
39 reviews
Dined on July 21, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a most enjoyable dinner . We were greeted very warmly for our arrival and the waitress we had did a nice job, and the food was excellent. Yes, it was a special occasion for us and Restaurant made it such.
Is this helpful?
BC
BobC
Toledo
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on July 21, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The seafood/pasta dish was a little short on seafood.
Is this helpful?
AB
AngieB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 21, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The Empire provided a special memorable evening with exceptional food, service and atmosphere. Noah, our server, was very accommodating, friendly and enjoyable. Our reservation process was user friendly and our table was ready upon our arrival. We had a fabulous time and will be back, Thank you!
Is this helpful?
G
Guest
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on June 2, 2023
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 1
A high end restaurant that serves wilted lettuce with brown spots….and the answer they gave…hmmm we got a truck in just yesterday. I guess that means you don’t have to look at the food before it goes out? It was gross We left and had a lovely dinner elsewhere. Not sure how they are still in business. We were the only customers in there from 5-5:40pm…yes. Over 30 minutes to get wilted lettuce served.
Is this helpful?
s
scottm
Columbus
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 20, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
The food was satisfactory; the service was lacking. It was just my wife and I but the force a twenty percent gratuity. I don't mind tipping for good service but service here was substandard. We never received a wine list. We had to ask for items that were supposed to come with our food. A lack luster experience over all. The funniest part of the meal was when they brought the machine to charge my credit card. After automatically adding a twenty percent tip on to my total, the machine wanted me to leave an additional tip.
Is this helpful?
CO
CarleenO
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 13, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our service was great. Food authentic. Enjoyable. Easy to change reservation times.
Is this helpful?
KK
KathyK
Louisville
28 reviews
vip
5.0
28 reviews
Dined on May 6, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The menu was creative & the food was excellently prepared. The wait staff was very friendly & attentive. Would recommend this restaurant highly.
Is this helpful?
M
Mimi
Toledo
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on April 29, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
This used to be the best restaurant in the area. The quality at my last visit was way down.
1 person found this helpful
e
ericg
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 22, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
All four of us had great food. Not too busy when we were there. Great atmosphere and enjoyed the piano playing in the background.
Is this helpful?
S
Susan
Chicago
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on April 14, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food and service. Elegant atmosphere in a historic building with a solo pianist playing during dinner. Everything was delightful.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Cleveland
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on April 9, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service. Great ambience. Food was average. Wanted to support a local business.
Is this helpful?
J
Josh
Toledo
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on March 29, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and atmosphere were great. The filet mignon was terrible. I ordered medium rare and it came out closer to well done. They took it back and remade it without hesitation. It was much better the second time but still not worth $45. Everything else at our table was delicious. Just avoid the steak..
Is this helpful?
BM
BethM
Toledo
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I love the Empire! The food is fantastic! The atmosphere, complete with piano player is perfect! The staff is knowledgable and so friendly! It is unique and special! One of our favorite places!
Is this helpful?
JJ
JayeJ
Cincinnati
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on March 15, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We were a little concerned at first. The spinach and artichoke dip was horrible, and the salad that came before dinner had goat cheese on it but was not told nor did I recall seeing it on the menu. I've never seen goat cheese on a dinner salad before and was a little put off as I HATE goat cheese. The server who took our payment said I should have requested it not be on the salad. I had no idea, that's what the dinner salad came with. Anyway, the filets were fantastic and the young man who served us was charming and funny. Good experience after all and would recommend. However, if you hate goat cheese, you might want to skip the salads. Yuck!
Is this helpful?
B
Byrdman
Toledo
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on March 11, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Meal very good service very good dessert mediocre. All in all would recommend
Is this helpful?
AY
AnneY
Cleveland
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 10, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic food, cocktails, great atmosphere, and our server Noah was delightful.
Is this helpful?
TS
TSarka
Cleveland
16 reviews
vip
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on March 4, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful experience. AGAIN We go here often and have never once had a bad experience
Is this helpful?
BW
BethW
Cincinnati
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 3, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We were celebrating my Aunt’s 94th Birthday and we could not have asked for a more accommodating staff - they were EXCELLENT! The food was fantastic and the toasting bubbly was an added touch for all of us to remember!!
Is this helpful?
BE
BrookE
Toledo
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 19, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was outstanding. 5-cheese Penne is excellent. Appetizers of crab cakes were delightful. Tasted like I was on the East Coast and having them fresh made. Cheesecake was excellent (more Chicago style than New York) with a perfect crust. Our server was on top of everything, very attentive. The piano player in the background provided a wonderful ambience. Expect to spend about $40-$50 a person as this is a very nice, up-scale choice to have a meal. It is well worth the treat.
Is this helpful?
SK
StevenK
Chicago
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 17, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My daughter got engaged and it was a celebratory dinner!
Is this helpful?
DM
DougM
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Valentines Day
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Toledo
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Valentine’s Day
Is this helpful?
TC
TrevorC
Toledo
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 11, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Carrie and Courtney were the two employees that stood out the most. Their efforts were greatly recognized, and these efforts included making sure my wife felt appreciated for Valentine’s Day, and outstanding customer service!
Is this helpful?
GR
GiRe
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 6, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had filets and they were cooked to perfection. The Blood Orange cocktail was divine!
Is this helpful?
LM
LanceM
Columbus
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 6, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Small portions for the money. Relatively small menu but adequate. Good food. Floors creak and move when people are walking past which is somewhat distracting
Is this helpful?
PG
PattyG
Charlotte
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 18, 2022
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was outstanding and food was delicious. Thank you for opening prior to Michael Bolton. It was nice knowing we had a reservation since we came from out of town.
Is this helpful?
BF
BarbaraF
Toledo
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 16, 2022
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I haven't not eaten here for awhile, but the food was excellent!
Is this helpful?
WB
WilliamB
Toledo
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on December 15, 2022
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Very good food .....................................
Is this helpful?
GO
GlennO
Toledo
24 reviews
vip
5.0
24 reviews
Dined on December 15, 2022
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was excellent and the server was keenly aware that we were attending a show after dinner. All dinners (salmon, filet mignon, seafood pasta, and lamb chop special) were very good. All around excellent evening.
Is this helpful?
TL
TonyL
Cleveland
4 reviews
2.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 3, 2022
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
New menu is very bad, very few gluten free options. Food quality bad with multiple screwups. Used to be a very upscale food choice….not so much anymore. Disappointed in what used to be an awesome restaurant.😞
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Empire at 138 offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (419) 448-7733.

The Empire at 138 is rated 4.2 stars by 813 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Order delivery or takeout

138 South Washington St, Tiffin, OH 44883

Additional information

Cross street
Madison Street
Neighborhood
Tiffin
Hours of operation
Lunch Thu–Sat 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–9:15 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://theempirerestauranttiffin.com/
Phone number
(419) 448-7733
Private party facilities
Private banquet room available for both personal and corporate customers. Call 419-448-7733 and ask for an event coordinator to plan for your next meeting.
Private party contact
Michael Pinkston: (419) 618-0311

The Empire at 138

Not available on OpenTable

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Grilled Caesar Salad

Steak Salad

Filet Medallions

Starters

Meat & Cheese Board$17.25

Lump Crab Cakes$6.95

Roasted Cauliflower Dip$7.95

Spinach Artichoke Dip$7.95

Fried Mozzarella$7.95

Swedish Meatballs$6.95

Yakitori Skewers$7.95

Ahi Poke Crisp$7.95

Oysters Casino$5.95

Soups

Lion Bowl French Onion Soup

Lobster Bisque

Salads

Chopped Farmer's Salad$13.95

Classic Wedge$8.95

The Empire Grilled Caesar

House Salad

Beet Salad with Warm Goat Cheese$9.95

Sea

Seared Norwegian Salmon$31.95

Seafood Portofino$36.95

Lump Crab-n-Cheese$29.95

Land

Filet Mignon$38.95

Filet Oscar$42.95

Filet Medallions$40.95

Filet la Blu$39.95

The Empire Burger$15.95

Chicken Florentine$23.95

Pasta and More

Ricotta Parmesan Gnocchi$22.95

Tofu Sweet Chili Rice Noodle Bowl$18.95

Empire 5 Cheese Penne$16.95

Sides

Garlic Mashed Potatoes$5.95

Parmesan Truffle Fries or Regular Fries$5.95

Grilled Asparagus$6.95

Charred Brussel Sprouts$6.95

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does The Empire at 138 offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Empire at 138 restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information