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    The Federal

    3.9 (134 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Federal Photos

    THE FEDERAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Federal

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cuban with side of broccoli
    Daniel M.

    It is a fair bar amd restaurant in downtown Youngstown. I've stopped in a few times while working in the area for lunch. Kind of expensive for lunch, but the food is usually prepared well and they have good service every time I've been in. Last time I got the cuban. Not exactly what I expected, but it was pretty good. Pulled pork amd bacon on a good roll with mustard and Swiss cheese. I like that they offer broccoli as a side...

    The Grilled-Cheese Burger
    Lauren M.

    Stopped here for dinner on Saturday evening before attending an event at the Covelli Center and really enjoyed it! Staff was super friendly and food and drinks were pretty good! We started with the street corn nachos, which I think would have been better served warm. Also ordered a beer from the draft list and the "BAM" cocktail, which was refreshing. Smash burgers were definitely the highlight, and while the grilled cheese sandwiches as buns may be a monstrosity, it tasted so so good. Any version of their smash burger would be my recommendation.

    The front door
    Matt C.

    When in Youngstown Ohio State f you are in the downtown area stop in to the federal. A large clean well run restaurant and bar. The service was friendly and efficient,and the food was fresh, hot and beautifully presented. If you go be very hungry the portions are large. I had the grilled cheese burger. A juicy burger with two grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun, with a massive amount of crispy fresh fries. My wife got the chicken cranberry salad. A huge plate topped with juicy chicken My sister n like ked the wings he got. Overall highly recommend

    Cocktail
    Yo O.

    We were a party of 7 girls that have been friends for over 50 years! We went a couple days after Valentine's and loved all the ambience. The food was great. We shared calamari, Brussel sprouts, and corn dip. All three were very good. I had the shrimp app for dinner and it was good, but I probably wouldn't order it again. A little too much breading. We all had fun trying all their drinks. They were delicious! Service was great and this was a fun dinner with good friends.

    The John Wayne Burger with onion rings
    Amy F.

    KILLER BURGERS! We were traveling through the area and I'm a sucker for a good burger. The Federal has good reviews - and now I personally know why. I opted for the John Wayne with burger. It was packed with flavor and the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce topped off the burger amazingly.

    Jessica V.

    Yelp does it again. We were headed toward Youngstown, and were jonesing for a good burger. Headed to Yelp to see, and lo and behold, The Federal was recommended. We mapped it out, and found parking a block away. Looking from the outside, there's a lovely patio with lights and outdoor tables, and then a double-door entryway that leads to deliciousness. Before the burgers, a bit of ambiance information: It seems like a sports bar, because there are SO MANY TVs at the bar. It seems like a hipster restaurant, because the walls are so blue, and feature metal sculpture. It seems like a club, because there's an enormous dance floor and even MORE enormous speakers. But head there on Wednesday, and you'll find some important information: All Signature Burgers are $6.99!! YES!! (Also, appetizers are $4.) So, we ordered. I got the John Wayne burger (unfortunately named, alas), which features bacon, cheese, bbq sauce, and 3 enormous onion rings. My husband got the Knox, which has lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles. He asked for onion rings to be substituted for the fries, and they did it...NO CHARGE. I've never seen this, and really love them for it! He also got fried pickles, which he loves. They were really, really salty. :( My burger was extremely delicious. The bbq sauce was runny, so the whole bottom bun was wet. No big deal, because THIS BURGER was GIANT!! The fries, which I got with garlic parm, were extraordinary. I was SO full. Like: Thanksgiving full. Yes. YUMx1,000,000. My husband's burger: also delicious. We weren't even hungry for breakfast the next day. But I will say this: I'd detour 100 miles to eat here again. It's that good!

    Sweet Potato Fries
    Wendy M.

    Service was good but ordered a side of fries. $6.00 for a handful of fries. Even the server couldn't believe it.

    Christmas Decor for the holidays
    Lena B.

    Amazing service and such festive decor! It made us so happy to just sit and chill and eat. I was a little bummed they only had their holiday menu available (in January) BUT the good was delicious! The desert was okay we had the chocolate cheesecake (just regular cheesecake with chocolate sauce). It wasn't my fave but it got the job done. If you're in Youngstown, Ohio go here for the burgers!!

    Federal salad with chicken

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    24 days ago

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    1 year ago

    Great atmosphere! Went for Christmas holiday with my wife and it was great food and decorations!

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    bad singers, no christmas music, drinks suck bad customers no service or young people

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    2 years ago

    Food service ambiance 10 plus. Fabulous dining experience . You have to try it. Young or old. Something for everyone

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    2 years ago

    Delicious food and creative drinks. Great service! Christmas decorations were amazing!! A must see.

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    7 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Good smash burgers in downtown. Friendly staff, opens at 4pm. Double burger was a good pick. Huge portion of fries.

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    Page 1 of 4

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    Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Fries

    Royal Oaks Bar & Grill

    4.2(74 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    always great food. my to go place, Always fast service and friendly staff. The wings and fries are…read morethe best

    I'm going five star, because I like bars that serve ribs that taste this great on a Saturday when…read moreI'm zipping out Youngstown on Oak st. and just remembered I really want a rack of ribs. It was 3pm when I walked in, and 30 minutes later after two beers walked out with a full rack, extra sauce. Best thing about the ribs? They have that light char taste that goes right through the meat down to the bone. The girl tending bar was great, took good care of my order, and that order was ready just as the beer went empty, so great service. The Oaks has been right here for many many years, pretty eclectic crowd, but mainly just a joint to enjoy the food, have a drink or a beer, and talk to folks. The inside is a nice mish mash of old photos, art that is more thoughtful than you'd expect, and a long wall length bar, that hits the far wall and becomes a row of booths coming back up the other wall. Plenty of good parking, and through the warm months they got outdoor bands, so, something for everyone. Oh, and it's a good place to just be. If you're alone, or killing time, perfect spot. Seriously. The pic is what I do once I get the ribs all the way back to New Castle, toss in a casserole put in the oven wrapped in foil at @240 degrees for 30-40 minutes, gets them right at perfect.

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    Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - There's so much history in this place.

    There's so much history in this place.

    Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Raspberry BBQ Wings

    Raspberry BBQ Wings

    Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - The hearse says it all.

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    The hearse says it all.

    Riser Tavern and Grill - Hummus and Tabbouler

    Riser Tavern and Grill

    4.4(74 reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    The reviews were good so instead of another place we came here. It's 1:40pm on a Sunday. We were…read moregiven a brunch menu (very limited) thought about leaving so we could get a burger but decided since we have 8.5 hours left to drive we would just get something. Not 5 minutes after we place an order the table behind us gets a full menu, with burgers and sandwiches on it. Am I a bit PO'd.... YEP Also the waitress doesn't smile. She looks miserable, geez, at least make an effort! So I ordered chicken and waffles and my husband ordered a few wings. As for the food..... The chicken tenders are AAMazing! Waffle is good and the hubs like the ginger lime wings although a small side of sauce and a few celery and carrots would make a better presentation. But for the diamond in the rough. I can only assume it was the manager/owner that delivered our food. I asked why we had a limited menu as I read here on Yelp I should have the prime grilled cheese. This man offed it to me on the house now that is some great customer service. I had to decline bc we have such a long drive ahead of us but he hands down was so kind. So I'm going with 4 stars. To sum this up I would happily come back just bc of his kind service! As we were finishing up Doug the owner came by again and he is a great reason to visit this place. He definitely has a heart for customer service!! Thanks Doug

    Don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a restaurant by its exterior. I almost made that…read moremistake when I walked into this place. What looks like a nondescript bar with a modern twist is actually a goldmine of appetizers. My family of five descended upon the place today and we ordered a slew of appetizers. Let me tell you, it was a feast for the ages. The place was immaculate, the staff was warm and welcoming, and the service was impeccable. I had a hard time choosing a favorite, but if I had to pick, it would be the Brussels sprouts and crab Rangoon dip, closely followed by the lime wings. We're all from different parts of town, but we'll definitely be back. It's a hidden gem worth discovering.

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    Bar

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    Sriracha Chicken sandwich

    The Federal - burgers - Updated May 2026

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