50 Best American Restaurants in Rochester

“Excellent food quality and so flavorful!“

“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“

“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.“

“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!“

“The food is always good and service as well. Nice outside area but limited tables. Only 2 negatives for me. Parking can be a issue and being in a old firehouse it is loud and difficult to carry on a conversing without yelling. Not ideal for a group.“

“Vibes with flavors, more than food“

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

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

“Service was phenomenal! Everything is homemade including drinks and is 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.“

“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!!!“

“My mom and I had a great experience- food, drinks and staff! My mom had the chicken BST quesadilla, full of flavor! She also enjoyed their Mule Tide drink special! I loved The Phoenix naan bread pizza, perfect size for one person and good balance of sweet from the honey and little kick of the soppressata! Their Livin Lav cocktail was very refreshing and the color is fun! Couldn’t resist dessert and the red velvet in a jar was the perfect ending to our meal! Staff was very attentive and friendly! We will be returning for sure!!“

“Great breakfast and fantastic service.“

“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“

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

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

“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!“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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“

“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“

“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.“

“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 🤤👀“

“Every time I get food. It’s delicious. Fresh food. You can tell they care about quality. Great portions at great prices. The staff are kind. The owner is amazing. If you want awesome food. Go to Chili Hots!!“

“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!!“

“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“

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

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

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

“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!“

“fantastic!! Highly recommend!!“

“Dennis, Melissa and the gang have the closest thing to the cross roads place for everyone to get a great breakfast or lunch.“

“Nice vegetarian options. Good service.“

“The food and the staff are amazing! Fast service but not fast food!“

“Ate here on Sunday. Had the Build your Own Burger added cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato, it was cooked perfectly. I also had a Basket of Onion Rings, they were delivered hot, and very crunchy. The best onion rings I’ve had in Rochester.“

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

“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!“

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

“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! 🤤👍🏼“

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

“Great food, great service, awesome flavor, fresh!“

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

“Absolutely love this place! The service and food are always spot on.“

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

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

“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.“

“Great local spot with food made with a lot of love. We had a veggie panini and the dad’s Italian sandwich - both were spectacular, and the staff was super friendly and welcoming. Skip the other spots and get your food here, you won’t regret!“

“Walk-in, counter service Jamaican restaurant. I ordered a medium Curry Chicken with rice / peas / cabbage as well as a beef patty.

Everything was delicious and tasted homemade. The rice / peas was a standout and paired perfectly with the curry chicken and cabbage. Beef patty had mild spice and very flaky dough.

Island Buzz will definitely be in the lunch rotation moving forward!“

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