50 Best American Restaurants in Rochester

“Excellent food quality and so flavorful!“

“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!“

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

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

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

“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“

“went in first time yesterday met Ian and Sean . manager 2 very personable young men took their time and me the talked about their specials ordered 2 hot subs gotta say were the best hot subs we have had will be going back for pizza and wings thanks men Tom Fox“

“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“

“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!“

“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.“

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

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

“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.“

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

“fantastic!! Highly recommend!!“

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

“We were a party of 5 and everyone had a fabulous meal! Cooked to perfection and as ordered! Service was friendly and efficient we lovers it! Thank you“

“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“

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

“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!!“

“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“

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

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

“We had a wonderful experience visiting Summerville Grill for the first time. I cancelled my reservation then called back a few hours later to see if I could get that reservation back again. They happily added me back without issue. I am also hearing impaired. She gave us a table against the wall to accommodate us. All of our food was delicious and our waitress was one of the best servers we’ve had in a while. I am so happy to have this nice restaurant so close to home. It was very loud. I know that they are making changes to help with that issue. The noise was still worth it.“

“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!“

“please keep your tables clean. thats the only reason I dont like coming in. I mean realllly clean them, often, please !!!!“

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

“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!!“

“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 🤤👀“

“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.“

“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!“

“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! 🤤👍🏼“

“I’ve eaten burgers all over Rochester for 65 years and Schallers is the best“

“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!“

“I ordered th halibut. It was moist and flaky. The service and decor were wonderful. Prices were reasonable.“

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