50 Best American Restaurants near East Rochester

“Wow this place does some business! Standing room only as you wait for a table. Constant stream of patrons coming and going. And through it all the staff proficiently manages the seating, service, take out and more. Our party of 5 only had to wait 15-20 minutes at 9 on a Saturday, fortunately.
Service was friendly and spot on accurate. Great tempo to return to refill drinks. Food was very good and plentiful from omelets to quesadillas to sandwiches our crew was very satisfied. My husband was thrilled when he saw the fried bologna special. Even happier when he ordered it! Only thing that could be improved was the bagel. Looked and tasted like a genetic previously frozen grocery store bagel; definitely not an authentic NY bagel.
Server wad prompt in taking and delivering our to go orders, too. Nice and hot for our departure.
Usual diner-esque layout with booths and counter. Clean and spacious. Abundance of free parking.“

“SO happy we chose VRock for our little function. I really love the renovations they have made! It is beautiful in there. Perfect for fun or sexy get togethers. And the staff; SO NICE. We had two bartenders and they were very attentive, pleasant, and quite funny. I have not had a chance to try the food yet, but I definitely plan to visit again soon.“

“Stopped in while on a business trip. Got take out..staff was super friendly...classic burger was flavorful and savory.. Mac and cheese hit the right balance of creamy and cheesey fried pickles were great too. Won't be the last time I stop here.“

“Outstanding dinner, the salmon and filet were both perfect! The spinach fritters should be an appetizer if they were so delicious!“

“Excellent food quality and so flavorful!“

“LOVED THE FOOD!! So good and the atmosphere is amazing! Such great service“

“Service was phenomenal! Everything is homemade including drinks and is so delicious!“

“A++ all around, staff knows what they are doing“

“Rooney’s hosted my colleagues and I today for an amazing dinner. It was mine, and many others first time at Rooney’s and all said the same thing- WE WILL BE BACK. The food was delicious, service amazing, and ambiance was quiet, chic, and moody.“

“What an absolute gem! 💎 the best food (tapas) and wine selections in the area. They offer local to international wines, and the food is made to order and cooked to perfection! We’ve been twice and are going back with friends to share the experience. Our first time was taking our daughter there before she moved to Spain 🇪🇸 and again for our anniversary 🍾🥂. The shaved asparagus salad, grilled octopus, duck, corn dog and chicken shawarma were all excellent! I can’t wait to go back to try more!“

“Ate here while visiting family in the area. Service was excellent and the food was great. I ordered the Cajun catfish with Harlem potato salad and coleslaw as my choice of sides. A server brought us a plate of BBQ samples to try. Everything was good. On-street parking available plus a nearby parking ramp (for a fee). The place was noisy but had a great vibe.“

“Vibes with flavors, more than food“

“always great food, great service.“

“We recently had a surprise 40th birthday celebration for my daughter. There were 14 guests. We had brunch on a Sunday. Everything was wonderful. The General Manager, Webster was great to work with. He was very professional as well as personable. The staff was amazing. Very polite & we had exceptional service. The food was delicious. Everyone was very pleased with what they had. We would highly recommend the Brown Hound.“

“When I had breakfast at Horizons it made my morning! I was greeted by a lovely host named Alli. She was very polite and sat us with a great view! The great service continued when we met our server Abby. She was very tentative and food came out promptly!! Definitely recommend!!“

“what a lovely Sunday brunch! wonderful food. crispy chicken with fabulous fries, cream of mushroom soup, cinnamon raisin French toast with real butter and maple syrup, plus pastrami hash. wonderful service from liza, cheerful. a perfect meal. thank you!!!“

“Jess was great adding cinnamon to my wife's apple pie mule when they were out of an ingredient and it was awesome. The food was to die for, it just doesn't get any better. Thank you Jess for making a perfect experience bettrr.“

“Delicious egg nog ice cream! Also love the raspberry/chocolate tarts and s’mores tart! Great customer service and cozy atmosphere!“

“Great food, service and Friendly.“

“Great breakfast and fantastic service.“

“Amazing food and even better service. The bar manager was so kind and attentive and made our whole experience that much better. && She makes the BEST mocktails!!! We will definitely be back!“

“Delicious vegan food Can’t wait to go back“

“Food, atmosphere, server very good! Bruce picture of mimosas is where it's at. My only reason it's not 5 stars is that we had a weird miscommunication with he server. 2 people at the table asked for a side of churros and the other had chicken and churro entree. The server came over and said that they can't do the churros and so the person with the chicken and churros ordered side of fries instead and they 2 others with the sides of churros asked for sides of bacon instead. Fast forward, all of us got our entress instead of 1 person. They waited 15 minutes longer than everyone else. Then all of a sudden 3 sides of churros came out. The server said ok the kitchen is trying these. So now at this point everyone had their replacement sides and now 3 sides of churros. We assumed they "were testing them" since that's what the server said and they would be on the house since now that's too much food. But when we got the bill we were charged for the curros and the other sides. It was just confusing overall with the communication on that and then also we got charged for sides and the cjurros when we wanted 1 or the other not both. The manager, which I think is the owner was very nice and they comped the churros. It sounded like the server told them that we didn't like the churros, but it was more of the principle of being charged. Would definitely go back, I would never hold a miscommunication against a restaurant, but just wanted to voice a few things. Overall cool new spot“

“Delicious! My wife and I were checking out the menu during the Canal Days when the owner stepped out and introduced himself. He was great to talk to and suggested we try the special. She had the special (turkey BLT wrap) and I had the beef on wick. Food was delicious and the service was top-notch in our book.
We will definitely be stopping in on our next visit to Fairport :)“

“Awesome beer, awesome food, and a great atmosphere and friendly staff“

“Not only were the employees very kind, the food itself was wonderful for my first visit. We also got one of the chocolate chip vegan cookies and it is EASILY the best cookie I’ve ever had. I didn’t expect to like it so much (I’m not even vegan! It just looks yummy 🤭). Lovely little place with adorable animal photos throughout also. Employee was kind when I asked for an explanation for them. Loved finding out it’s a community board of loved pets alive and those also lost. They stated the community could bring in a photo of their pet to place on the wall. Great to see that small moment of recognizing the community and being involved to create that memorial & funny moments for the animals! Thanks for a great experience. For sure will be back.“

“I had my rehearsal dinner at Hose 22 in the Red Room. My sister handled most of the communication to book the event as I live out of town. She was able to tour the space and get photos and videos of it to share with me. The cost to host a small event of 25 people is reasonable. The food was delicious and there was plenty for all my guests and we did a consumption bar. The bartenders were kind and helpful throughout the night. My guests enjoyed the atmosphere and enjoyed the history of the old firehouse and the aspects of the firehouse that have been kept like the poles. One of my guests has a gluten allergy and they were very accommodating, everything we picked for our menu that was not already Gluten Free was able to be made that way for her. The plate of gluten free mac and cheese they brought out specifically for her was huge! Hose 22 is a great place to host a small event with delicious food!“

“Outstanding food including presentation, Excellent Cocktails, worthy of more recognition, faultless service .
Only major fault is the noise level in the main dining area -
It is ridiculously loud for a luxe type restaurant and setting .
We almost fled altogether as it would have been a stressful undertaking-
We were persuaded by the Maitre D to try the bar which was an island of tranquility separated by a glass partition.
The bartender was a delight , knowledgeable and extremely talented , who produced a series of faultless and faultlessly executed cocktails.
Overall an outstanding restaurant but sit at the bar and enjoy the banter and ambiance there, not the maelstrom of the main dining area- a disappointing but avoidable fault in an otherwise stellar dining experience for Rochester.“

“Our family comes here quite often as it is our go-to spot. Everytime we have come to the pub, the service is amazing. Mike the bartender, and Ryan and Kaya the servers are hilarious. Drinks come out immediately, food comes out quick, and any discrepancies are resolved ASAP! Everyone at the pub is beyond welcoming and kind. If the door is unlocked, we are there!!!!!“

“service five stars food five stars my only compliant is 8.00 for a blue“

“fantastic!! Highly recommend!!“

“Visited Strangebird today. And the atmosphere is great! Full service bar. Or tables available for larger groups. The food amazing. Our bartender Dee was epic!! Had the smoked pork sandwich with coleslaw on it. A phenomenal pairing Tried the bbq spaghetti which nearly blew me outta my seat!!! The bbq sauce was epic! @strangebird you need to shrink the size of the bbq spaghetti to a fries size and server them with the handhelds in place of French fries with that bbq sauce. Cuz heck yes! That bbq sauce on the side as a dipper 🤩🤩🤩. Great job to the staff. Bigger vehicles might wanna park on the street. If it’s busy, the parking lot is very narrow.“

“Grew up in Rochester and this is was a really good, classic garbage plate. Add a bit more seasoning the mac salad and it would be 10/10“

“Recently went for a girls dinner and was happy to find many gluten free options clearly labeled on the menu. Staff was very knowledgeable and accommodating. Food and cocktails were delicious. Celiac approved. Will be back.“

“Food is always good. Always fresh and never an issue. Friendly staff as well.“

“Nasturtium decoration on the soup. Both were yummy.“

“Seriously the most Incredible chicken french sandwich I’ve ever had !!!!! I can’t even!!!!! Unbelievable fries , will be recommending 100% out of this world!!“

“My server Christine was absolutely amazing and attentive throughout my experience, I was impressed with her professionalism and good energy, so much so that it enraged me when I overheard the bartender, Mischa yelled across the bar at Christine to “pay attention to the door” where she looked away for a millisecond. As someone who has worked in restaurants for over 10 years I felt the tension in the employees interactions the moment I walked in and didn’t understand why until I heard Mischa being disrespectful to Christine. I took the time to ask him to come over and I expressed my concerns and he claimed he would apologize however I highly doubt that he will“

“Been getting garbage plates from here since I was a kid. I always get the cheeseburger plate with all Mac salad. It’s been about 2 years since the last. Can’t wait to come back and get another plate in June!“

“Went in with my family for the first time since the new owners opened in December 2024, amazing food & drinks! had an amazing experience with our waitress Nicole! she was so friendly and helpful! she recommended the artichoke & broccoli french appetizer & the brussel sprouts, she was spot on wen she said “it’s the best french sauce you will have” , the brussel sprouts, OMG! absolutely amazing! they were cooked and seasoned perfectly! We also ordered wings & she recommended the Sweet Heat BBQ for the sauce , & it is the perfect mix of heat & sweet ! Cocktails & Mocktails were delicious! Nicole gave us an amazing dining experience! We cannot wait to go back & try the smash burgers & fish fry’s! We will definitely be asking for Nicole as our waitress!!“

“Note : to me and only me the ribs had a bite to them ( not sure ) spice or how they were prepared.

Note 2 : in the picture I sent of my food the little box ( right of ribs ) was Brussels sprouts ( and ) to me not the best taste.

Now saying all the above does not mean it would be the same experience I had.
Each of us has there own tastes so you experience will be different than mine.

Service I give 3 out if 5 : person waiting on us did not check on things as much as other places I have been, but also to be far the person did check so that's the reason for the score.

Atmosphere : 5 in my humble opinion.
Can talk very easily and the room is done with the right amount of details.“

“Great experience for girls night out! We started outside but then when it began to rain we moved inside and the service at both spots was great! Food was delicious, drinks were tasty and loved the atmosphere both outside and inside. Will definitely be back soon!“

“BANANA PUDDING = ORGASMIC Wish I could eat that everyday of my life seriously. Everything we get from saucey is always banging but that pudding though 🤤👀“

“Hungy's Grill is Pittsford's local hole-in-the-wall eatery that offers great food at a good price. My wife and I ordered their Cowboy Burger and 5 Alarms Burger. Both burgers were cooked perfectly and tasted great.

Their menu really plays up their 5 Alarms Burger, enough so that it felt like the adventurous option to choose. In reality, it was a pretty straightforward burger with some jalapeños and hot sauce to give it a little bit of kick. This burger was tasty, but it won't have you scrambling for a beverage or cause your nose to run.

Our 2 burgers and a drink cost about $21, without any sides.“

“We had a table of six, we all enjoyed our food. The portions are generous and the service was excellent!“

“My boyfriend and I had decided to do a lunch date here today. It was our first time. It was a great experience, the food was great, with good prices. The atmosphere was nice and calm, and the restaurant clean. The server was friendly and made us feel welcome (I do not remember her name but it was a blonde woman) We will definitely be back!“

“Crispy Eggplant Parm Sandwich w/ House Chips and Chocolate Coconut Mousse were all delicious, and the service that I received from Ian was both welcoming and attentive. This was the first time that I’ve been out to eat in a while, when I didn’t have to worry so much about compromising flavor, in place of excessive dairy and meats. The Owl House is a winner- I’ll definitely be back! 🤤👍🏼“

“Extremely fresh and well cooked chicken, the garlic Parmesan chips were awesome and so were the stuffed tater tots. Highly recommend!!!“

“Came in to explore from Pennsylvania and chose this brewery at random. Great vibes and even better food/beer. Had a great selection of more than just IPAs or sours, which most breweries have fallen into this habit, and the wings were some of the best we have ever had in our lives. Such an incredible / original sauce!“