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REVIEW: Making Miracle on Federal your new favorite holiday tradition

By Kelcey Norris Mahoning Matters

December 8, 2023 3:04 PM

Need a new holiday tradition?

You can book a table beforehand or snag a seat at the bar at The Federal, which has been transformed into a winter wonderland called Miracle on Federal.

Why Miracle on Federal is so special

Everything (and I mean everything) inside the restaurant is decked to the max with multi-colored Christmas lights, tinsel, decorated trees, red ribbons and Santa hats.

No one in your party will be disappointed by the display of thousands of multi-colored lights hung everywhere, from the seats and bar to the wall art and ceilings. It seriously looks even better in person than in pictures.

For dinner at The Federal, I ordered a delicious cup of wedding soup and grilled chicken vodka pasta, but you really can’t go wrong with a burger from The Federal.

The winter wonderland was complete with hot chocolate topped with whipped cream in a gingerbread man mug.

While eating our dinner, we watched Home Alone on the TV behind the bar.

Remember the scene where Kevin McCallister orders a pizza? Well, they decorated the bar wall with the same Little Nero’s Pizza cardboard boxes. The attention to small details made my dinner so memorable and magical.

I have a lot of great memories of dinner at The Federal with my parents and grandparents when they visited from out of town with my amazing college journalism advisor, M.B. Earnheardt, wishing us well ahead of graduation day and saying cheers with friends.

What’s it like to eat at Miracle on Federal

But Miracle on Federal might be one of the best memories in downtown Youngstown.

Bar seating is first come, first serve, but the wait for a bar seat and food wasn’t long at all when I showed up for dinner around 6 p.m.

You have to book a table online, or wait for a table while admiring the decorations. There are multiple spots to take Christmas-aesthetic pictures with your party while waiting.

Doors open at 4 p.m. most days, but check the booking website before you head out.

Staff takes weekly rest and reset days; they’ll be closed this Sunday, next Tuesday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Don’t forget to share your pictures on Facebook for the photo contest.