50 Best American Restaurants in Rochester

“Excellent food quality and so flavorful!“

“Great food, great service. Very nice atmosphere. The owner came to our table 3 times just to check on us.“

“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.“

“The atmosphere and food is so good. Excellent service and wonderful dining experience all around.“

“Had a great experience at The Cub room! My 1sr time there. Highly recommend it. Best hollandaise sauce I’ve ever had!!“

“It was apparent that the new owner Vickie wants to change the whole vibe and not for the better. She could care less about accomadting you with options & if you have any food allergies. I do not recommend Nosh, not the same restaurant and feel its a turn for the worst. One out of the four meals one was acceptable we had 12/14/2023.The waitress very sweet but felt she was as frustrated as we were. Vickie the owner made no effort to accommodate us and was almost rude.I will pass this along, is a small coummiity in Rochester. Any postive reviews you read are prior to Vickie taking over restuarant.“

“We had the most wonderful experience at Carnegie wine bar. We love the place. It was my 5th time there. We decided to try and get a seat at the bar on a very busy Sat night. When We walked in, there were 2 seats open. Couldn’t have gotten luckier. Meal was amazing! My favorite dish is the whipped ricotta with charred sour dough bread. I get it every time I’ve gone. The wine selections are immense. Service impeccable. But this time we had an over the top experience. Mike, the owner/host, asked us if we’re going to Mama Mia that night. We said no, but were thinking of getting last minute tickets because we were celebrating our 1st Anniversary. Mike gave us 2 tickets for that night’s show. We were so surprised by the act of kindness. Couldn’t have been more excited. When we got to the auditorium, our seats were in 6th row! What an awesome Anniversary we had. Thank you to Carnegie cellars wine bar and kitchen., we are definitely going to have to pay it forward!“

“Loved, loved, loved this grill! They have booths and tables. The food was exceptional-even the decaf coffee was rich and flavorful!! Everyone there working had a smile on there face which tells you they are happy working there. When I called there to ask questions the man who I talked to was so friendly. And... I must give A shout out to Courtney, our waitress, who was friendly and so helpful. Loved her too! We will be back😊 FOR SURE“

“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!“

“All aspects of our dining experience were excellent; food, wine, service, atmosphere. Their menu is fairly brief but they put attention into each dish and it shows. We had the olives, both menu salads, the gnudi, and the Sunday sauce.
I make a Sunday sauce I've been refining for years, and tasting theirs has suggested a new approach for me, just great. The bill was very reasonable considering the quality of the experience.
Angelina's is a real gem, a terrific upgrade to this location.“

“Stopped in for dinner and had a party of 4. It was a Tuesday night and told there was a 30 min wait. They offered us a high top at bar, and unfortanately it was really loud and hard to have a conversation.

The food was good. We previously had a catered event with the barbecue package and it was delicious. Was hoping those items on menu but they weren't.

We started with the artichoke cristini app. It was so good...we fought over the last one. I had an Asian pork sandwhich with sweet potato fries; my husband had a pizza and 2 other family members had burgers. No complaints about the food. Good portion sizes. Hot. Reasonable prices.“

“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“

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

“Great breakfast and fantastic service.“

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

“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.“

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

“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“

“Food was good and had great atmosphere. The customers looked happy , there wings look amazing and they put carrots , celery and Mac salad in bowl with it ! Old school vibes with old school prices we had a wonderful evening supporting local“

“burgers are awesome I would definitely recommend“

“I love the steak Bomber sandwich 🍔“

“The ultimate in Park Avenue dining and drinking was the perfect spot for spending a couple hours with our family between a wedding and the reception recently. Great conversation comes easily in the laid back atmosphere whether you take a table inside, outside or at the bar. Highly recommend... it's not often that a place is both a favorite of mom and dad AND their young adult children...but ROAM has been defying norms and succeeding fantastically for well over a decade. There's a reason for that. Great food, great drinks, great service. It doesn't get better than ROAM.“

“Too expensive in the food's not as good as it used to be“

“Hands down the wings are amazing... the owner is very personable and all about his establishment!“

“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.“

“Great place to eat. Friendly Always have the best meals here.“

“A hidden gem on Park Ave. This place was excellent. The food has quality ingredients and made with love. The best beef stroganoff I have ever ate. The waitress with the red hair was friendly and accommodating. Definitely visit again.“

“We visited Sal's Airpark last weekend. Every time we are in Rochester we stop for this treat. The wings and sides are unmatched. The sauces and blue cheese are like nothing else. I wish there was still a Syracuse location. Party pack forever....“

“Always a good pour and great chicken wings.
Service is great and staff are friendly. Also, my cousin dropped his wallet at the table and left without it. Staff put it in a safe and returned it, with all the content, the next day. Great people!!“

“Burgers are great. Meat hot sauce is my favorite in Rochester! Dining area needs a DEEP cleaning, especially floors.“

“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!“

“An amazing experience. My Grandfather passed and we needed a place for over 100 people. They were accommodating and kind, the food was AMAZING, we were worried about not having enough, they made MORE than enough. Room for kids, a bar area, a place to gather for any occasion. What a beautiful experience.“

“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!!“

“Just love this place in the summer!! It’s always like a HS reunion !“

“I’ve never had oxtails until coming here today, and the meat and gravy had my 15 month old and I licking our fingers. They know what they’re doing 👍🏽
The jerk chicken was 1 of the best flavored chicken I’ve ever had in my life, and the beef patty was so comforting. Delicious and outstanding food! Thank you for feeding us 🤎“

“Wonderful day trip with a great lunch to end it.“

“All you can eat, allergy accommodating dining hall that puts it's students first. The staff is really welcoming and always says hello. You can get everything including pasta, the wok station, salad, fruit, soup, burgers and fries, sandwiches, desserts, ice cream, fresh bagels and English muffins, and whatever the hot entree's of the day are. Lackmann is always trying to find new and exciting things for students and loves getting feedback. Overall, a fantastic dining hall on campus!“

“Absolutely delicious breakfast - beautiful, fresh and so so tasty! Service was fantastic - will definitely return!!“

“Amazing like always, been going here since I was young even before it was Jim’s still an awesome place“

“These people are family, every Saturday morning. They food is delicious, rotating and seasonal specials. It wouldn’t be a Saturday morning without Gina and Stephanie!!“

“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 wife Sharon Fernandez is deaf brought home the garage plate with chicken steak with rice and salad last night She saved some leftovers for me to try it . I ate everything off the plate non stop...It's really good!!“

“Roc City Sammich brought a food truck to the port beach for my rehearsal lunch/welcome party before my wedding. I booked them because the manager Joe was sooo friendly, responsive, and helpful right from the first communication. The food was awesome and we got nothing but compliments the entire time. Their staff was quick and organized and everything ran smoothly. They weren’t expecting tips from any of our guests which was unexpectedly generous but they absolutely deserved them. Highly recommend working with Joe and his team if you want a delicious and easy crowd-pleasing event!“

“Red Fern has been my favorite restaurant for 9 years now. It is literally the best food I have ever eaten, no other restaurant compares in my book. My favorite meal ever is the Mac and Cheese Nachos, best thing I've ever eaten but I also love the compost plate, the Buffalo bleu, steak bomb, baked Mac, flatbreads and omg the jam bars 🤤“

“Our Family has enjoyed dinners and brunches at all three locations. We thank your family for the top notch meals we have enjoyed and five star service your family has provided. We have had many great meals that made great memories for our family thanks to you and family. Our best wishes in your next chapter and a very big thank you for providing a fine dining experience we may not get again. Many thanks and much gratitude. Thank you“

“its the best, great way to meet people and talk about your pursuits“

“Attended food truck Tuesday in Larkin Square…got the caprese Mac and cheese…..phenomenal! Fast friendly service!“

“The best brunch in town, we had the buttermilk pancakes, breakfast basket, yogurt parfait and salmon toast, the food exceeded expectations and the staff was incredibly attentive and kind. We absolutely will be back. This was such a a wonderful experience“

“We use this hotel each year on our trip to Ohio from Maine. Easy to find from I 90. We were welcomed by Diamond at reception in a professional and friendly manner which was nice after a long drive. The rooms are clean and tidy, quiet nights rest , breakfast is always good and we were on our way again.Will. be using this hotel again ! Again a big Thank You to Diamond, definitely an asset to the hotel.“

“Probably my favorite restaurant in Rochester. Love all the creative cocktails and the decor. Servers are always friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Dining as a vegetarian, with my husband who isn't, is a breeze. They always have a delicious, elegant menu item or two for me to try. I've never had the same thing twice.“