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“

“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!“

“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!“

“Incredible sweet potato fries in a historic firehouse!

Hose 22 Firehouse Grill has such a fun and unique atmosphere. It’s a beautifully restored firehouse, and the classic decor throughout really makes the dining experience memorable.

The absolute highlight for me has to be the sweet potato fries—they are truly TOP NOTCH. I still get a vivid memory of that taste every time I look back at our pictures from that visit! The food is consistently good, and the staff does a great job maintaining the historic charm of the building. If you are in the Rochester area and want a great meal in a one-of-a-kind setting, this is a must-visit spot. Don't skip the fries!“

“Vibes with flavors, more than food“

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

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

“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“

“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“

“so good!!! have ordered from here twice and the food has been amazing. the b.o.b burger is by far the best burger ive ever had and the salad is fresh and topped with a lot! so excited to try new things.“

“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!“

“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“

“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!!“

“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“

“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!!“

“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.“

“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!“

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

“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!“

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

“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.“

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

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

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

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

“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!“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“Awesome place“

“Excellent service Friendly staff“

“Super friendly staff with amazing food. I appreciated the diverse menu and had the smash burger. It was PERFECT. I wish I lived closer because I’d eat my way through the menu and The Old Stone Tavern would be a regular spot. If you’re a local that hasn’t discovered this gem, run, don’t walk. If you’re just passing through Rochester and want to try a local place with amazing eats, find the nearest exit.“

“Visited from out of state and was told I needed to try a plate. Quite the culinary experience! I’ll definitely be back again when I’m in the area.“

“Service was outstanding. Food was hot and delicious. Our server Christine was the best. We will be back cause the breakfast looked wonderful. So happy we found this pleasant place to dine. Linda, Spike, and Sandy.“

“Our bartender Sarah was wonderful! Possibly even better?? Our desert. We had the flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it was the best desert I’ve had in quite some time. The dessert paired with a manhattan for myself and the Hugo spritz for my wife were great. We loved it! Be back soon“

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

“Ok, so I’ve never been a fan of cornbread bread for the longest till I had appy’s this past wknd. This was the most moist& flavorfull cornbread ever& I wld just go back just for that cornbread 😋 lol. The price and sides u get with the meal are amazing .everything was so good & fresh that I forgot to mention my 2nd fav, the collard greens. The whole meal was so good I gorge myself on all of it in an hr“

“I had my birthday/retirement celebration at I Square Wine Reserve Saturday night. Sara the event coordinator and Mike helped me make my plans. It was fabulous. Appetizers were delicious and the.Arancini’s were amazing. Everyone was complementing the chef. I was so happy to celebrate my special occasions there. A big thank you again to Mike and Sara and Olivia our bartender .👋👋👋“

“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.“