By Neal Patel

Batavia has a variety of restaurants, some better than others, but no restaurant here is awful. Today, we will be determining the top 10 restaurants in Batavia and ordering them from best to worst.

1. Tribella – Located off of Mill Street, Tribella is an urban bistro serving steaks and Italian specialties. My favorite dish here is the chicken parmesan, this includes lightly breaded and baked chicken, topped with mozzarella cheese and homemade marinara, and served with linguini Pomodoro and focaccia garlic bread. My favorite thing about this dish is the homemade marinara sauce that they put on it. It’s not like other marinara sauces. The service here is also decent too, most of the dishes are bigger meals so you should expect to be waiting for a little longer than most places. Tribella is a very tasty Italian restaurant that has a variety of meals to pick from, making it the best restaurant in Batavia.

2. El Sazon – Although there is another Mexican restaurant on this list (Salsa Verde) El Sazon definitely beats them and deserves to be number two on this list. The food here is great; my favorite meal is the steak and chicken tacos. All Mexican food is similar but there is a difference in taste that El Sazon does with their food. Besides their food being great, their service is another contributing reason on to why they are so high on this list.  The last time I was there, I ordered my food and in 10 minutes it was ready, and we weren’t the only people in there either. El Sazon is a great Mexican restaurant in Batavia; they have great food and even better service.

3. Gaetano’s – Located off of E. Wilson Street, this is the only restaurant on this list that I haven’t been to, but from what I have heard, this deserves to be number three on this list. Gaetano’s is an Italian eatery that is only based in Batavia. It is right downtown so they attract a lot of people every night. My friends have told me that the food here is to die for and that the service is excellent as well. They also have a fantastic atmosphere. The inside of Gaetano’s is beautiful from the pictures I saw. So even though I have not been here, I know that this, out of all the other restaurants, deserves to be this high on the list.

4. Apple Villa – Located off of West Wilson Street, don’t let this little breakfast place fool you. Apple Villa has a very warm environment. The workers here are very genuine and always put the customers first. My favorite thing to get here would have to be the chocolate chip pancakes, although it seems like such a simple breakfast item. The chocolate chip pancakes at Apple Villa come out amazing every single time I have had them here. The pancakes are made with a perfect amount of chocolate chips and every time I eat them my stomach gets happy. Apple Villa is a different type of breakfast restaurant that will start ones day off the right way.

5. Swordfish – Located off of North Randall Road, Swordfish is a great restaurant for people who enjoy seafood. Some of the more popular items here include various types of sushi rolls. Swordfish is without a doubt the best place to get sushi in Batavia. They are usually pretty busy every night but one should always be able to get a seat there. Swordfish makes sure their fish is freshly served every time.

6. Pal Joey’s – Pal Joey’s is a pizza place located on North River Street. The pizza here is excellent, along with the pasta and other dishes they serve here. Pal Joey’s was on the river so they provided an incredible view of one’s dinner. However, recent news tells us that Pal Joey’s will be moved from its original location, to where the Golden Corral used to be, off Main Street. This building is huge so the transition from a small restaurant on the river to a huge restaurant off a main road will be difficult. Besides Pal Joey’s switching locations, the workers are very nice and want you to have great experience everytime you come in. Pal Joey’s is the best place to get Pizza in Batavia, and it will soon be at a bigger location.

7.  Gammon House – Located on South Batavia Avenue, Gammon House is actually the highest-rated restaurant in Batavia. However, the one time I went there I didn’t think the service was that great compared to these other restaurants. The food made up for it, though; my favorite thing to get here is the BLT. The BLT is served on Texas toast so that’s the main reason I like it so much. Besides the service not being the best, the food was great!

8. Tusk – Located off of North River Street, Tusk is a Thai restaurant. They serve food that is similar to Chinese food, but in my opinion, Tusk is way better than Chinese places. Unlike Chinese restaurants, Tusk makes their food without using a bunch of oil, and their food turns out spicier, which is better. I didn’t think that Tusk was as good as the other restaurants so that’s why it’s at the eighth spot.

9. East China Inn – Located off of West Wilson Street, East China Inn is a great Chinese restaurant, but like we just said about Tusk, East China Inn cooks their food with a lot of oil. This is the main reason this why it’s at the ninth spot. Although they use a bunch of oil, the food still isn’t bad. I really like East China Inn. My favorite thing to get here is the orange chicken and shrimp. Besides the fact that they use a lot of oil, the food is still good.

10. Salsa Verde – Located off of North Batavia Avenue, Salsa Verde is a Mexican restaurant. However, this is in the tenth spot because one of the times I went there I got sick after I ate the food. It wasn’t food poisoning, but I did get sick right after eating here. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from going here again. The next couple of times I went here I was fine after and the food was great. Salsa Verde is not as good as El Sazon and it’s not as good as the other restaurants, so that’s why it’s coming in last on the list.