What a beautiful Asian theme atmosphere with right on Park Ave. Then to top it off with amazing food that is more bold tasting than typical Chinese restaurants. Our waitress was wonderful and friendly! Overall, it was a great experience and the meal is worth every buck. Definitely coming back again.Parking: With it being on Park Avenue, the street parking can be difficult to find. There is a paid parking lot next to the building where you can pay through your phone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quintin LaFoe
The food was fresh and delicious, the service was polite and timely. It was a very nice experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emily Marshall
I'm genuinely confused by the reviews if this place. They all seem to be either 5 or 1 stars and unfortunately, our experience was definitely a 1 start. We ordered takeout: general tso and cashew chicken, egg rolls, bao buns and fried rice. The fried rice was the best part but that's not saying too much, it was just basic. The egg rolls were edible but the main dishes and bao buns were not. The chicken was a strange texture and the sauces were very sweet and vinegarry. There was no spice at all which was a bummer. The bao buns had thin white paper stuck to the bottom which blended right in visually and texturally so our first bites included paper which was unappetizing. The taste of the filling was really bizarre, and not in a good way. For the price ($20 per dish with a couple dollar upcharge for the fried rice) and based on the reviews raving about this place we expected at least something decent. I was also confused that there was no option to get Szchesuan chicken (my favorite dish) considering the name of the place and thats its a fairly standard dish at most other nearby chinese restaurants. That being said, the man I spoke to on the phone was very friendly and tried his best to help me when I called to ask about the menu but he did not know what Szchesuan sauce was which I thought bizzare. We will stick with Chen Garden - even on its off nights its better than this.
Food: 1
Service: 2
Roman Bednarik
Authentic, not your typical chinese. Tasty food. When busy, not so perfect, 4.5 stars.Table next got uncooked portion. Maybe because of busy service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Michael Rahimi
There were seven of us and we only had a 10 minute wait. The food was very good and the service friendly, albeit a little slow because they were so busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Nicole Bartner
I managed to get tickets to Jon Batiste (thanks Dad!!) back-to-back in Toronto and Montreal on a Tuesday and Wednesday and I planned a roadtrip from home in Central Vermont out to Niagara Falls and then Toronto, Montreal and back down to Hartland. My plan was to leave directly from work on the Monday at like 3pm and drive to Niagara Falls. I figured that was about as far as I could make it that first night. In hindsight I think I probably could have made it to Toronto that night. But I guess, better safe than sorry. I was making such good time across the NYS Thruway that I decided to find a spot opened late to get something to eat (I had snacked my way across New York…).Rochester was the only place with anything open late and really wasn’t a detour of any consequence. I had no idea there was LEGIT Szechuan food in Rochester?? I mean, I guess, how would I know? It’s been a few decades since I lived in Upstate NY.Szechuan Opera was open until 10pm and I pulled in shortly after 9. The menu is huge. Excellent variety of all sorts of things, including Dim Sum. My problem was I didn’t have a plan. I hate not having a plan when I’m going to a restaurant. I’m THAT person! I read menus and choose items ahead of time. Which probably seems ridiculous. I own a restaurant and I have a somewhat absurdly large menu at my own place. Yet I am one of those people that just does not like to go into a new spot “cold.” I always feel like I maximize my dining experience if I review the menu before.My other “issue” is that I don’t really ever want to try one thing. I want to try as many things as possible and that does require a plan of attack!Service was really good and everyone was very friendly. Although they don’t allow anyone to sit/eat at the bar? So I had to sit a table by myself. I am just not a fan of that. But, last minute dining choices late at night…Got my water, got tea, got truly horrible sake. HAHAHAHA That was my fault. They’ve just got one terrible sake they serve hot (NEVER drink hot sake my friends).It was a little tricky to find menu items that did not have beef, pork or poultry (which I don’t eat). I decided to focus on appetizers and Dim Sum so I could try a few, different things. Because I just couldn’t convince myself to commit to one or even two items! LOLFYI: All portions at Szechuan Opera are huge. Regardless of whether they’re called “appetizers” or something else. I wound up with a ridiculous amount of food!What I Ordered:Chengdu Style Mung Bean Noodle: Look, when the waiter tells you it’s spicy and you’re in a Szechuan restaurant. Believe them. Delicious, but your taste buds might need some time to recover…Wood Ear Mushroom with Garlic: OMG!!! First these Mushrooms were the biggest I’d ever seen. I could eat this dish all day. It was so insanely delicious. Wow.Crispy Cucumber with Garlic: gorgeous, beautiful fresh, delicious.Crispy Shrimp with Tofu Roll Dim Sum: I think this might be the best fried food item I’ve ever eaten. Hot and crispy right from the oil. Paper thin tofu wrapper. Everything about this was perfection.Pan Fried Chives and Shrimp Dumpling: Also wonderful and delicious.Black Truffle and Mixed Mushroom Dumpling: Skip these. Meh. Not so tasty and I didn’t love the wet, gummy consistency.IMO I ate an impressive amount of what I ordered. Because some of these were just so good I didn’t want to stop. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Don’t get the sake.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matthew V
Best Chinese food I've had in 20 years.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
G M
Beautiful decor, great food, and friendly service. I will be going back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephen Samuel
Great place for familiesLoved their foodAte the dry pot which is really spicy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C Lott
When I order to take out they, rush my food, I don't know if it's because I'm black. But the food is under cooked. Ive asked them to stop rushing it out to me and they keep doing it. I don't know if they just don't want black people in the waiting area, or what. ive asked for them to stop rushing out my meal for 3weeks and they still do it.
Amazing Chinese ? ? found off grub hub one of the best places I've had Chinese in
Food: 5
Service: 5
Qi Wang
Szechuan opera is absolutely the top 1 Asian restaurant in Rochester. Me and my girlfriend visit here almost every week and the food and service have been consistently incredible. We love the environment and the vibe, the music. We brought our foreign colleagues here and they turned out love it!Parking: There’s a paid parking lot nearby. But you don’t need to pay if you are coming to Szechuan opera. Just come to the counter and let the staff know your plate number and they will validate you 2-hour free parking!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
M G
Worst sesame chicken I've ever had. I paid $19 for an order of sesame chicken and it wasn't even edible. The meat didn't even look like chicken.... it was dry, veiny, and gross. Don't recommend it here.
Food: 1
Shelly OBrien
Best Chinese I have had. Beautiful dine in restaurant! Huge menu. Fantastic! A must stop!Vegetarian options: Really delicious and lots of choices!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Garlic Sauce Style, Egg Drop Soup
Kelly S.
Enjoyed my first experience at Szechuan celebrating the lunar new year with some fellow yelpers. Huge shout out to Jenny R for planning everything!! We sat in a super cute booth that fit us six perfectly, so private and cozy. They offered a special menu, we ordered six items from that and a few regular items. Special menu: Stir fried twin lobster with ginger and scallions Oil and shallot steamed abalone Dungeness crab in Szechuan style Steamed sea bass Braised sea cucumber with scallions Steamed garlic shrimp w vermicelli Reg menu: Wontons in spicy chili sauce Duck with veggies Dried sautéed string beans We shared all plates, family style Tried some new items I would normally not order, the duck and wontons were ridiculously amazing! We all ate like queens and I had the best time with these girls!
What a beautiful Asian theme atmosphere with right on Park Ave. Then to top it off with amazing food that is more bold tasting than typical Chinese restaurants. Our waitress was wonderful and friendly! Overall, it was a great experience and the meal is worth every buck. Definitely coming back again.Parking: With it being on Park Avenue, the street parking can be difficult to find. There is a paid parking lot next to the building where you can pay through your phone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was fresh and delicious, the service was polite and timely. It was a very nice experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I'm genuinely confused by the reviews if this place. They all seem to be either 5 or 1 stars and unfortunately, our experience was definitely a 1 start. We ordered takeout: general tso and cashew chicken, egg rolls, bao buns and fried rice. The fried rice was the best part but that's not saying too much, it was just basic. The egg rolls were edible but the main dishes and bao buns were not. The chicken was a strange texture and the sauces were very sweet and vinegarry. There was no spice at all which was a bummer. The bao buns had thin white paper stuck to the bottom which blended right in visually and texturally so our first bites included paper which was unappetizing. The taste of the filling was really bizarre, and not in a good way. For the price ($20 per dish with a couple dollar upcharge for the fried rice) and based on the reviews raving about this place we expected at least something decent. I was also confused that there was no option to get Szchesuan chicken (my favorite dish) considering the name of the place and thats its a fairly standard dish at most other nearby chinese restaurants. That being said, the man I spoke to on the phone was very friendly and tried his best to help me when I called to ask about the menu but he did not know what Szchesuan sauce was which I thought bizzare. We will stick with Chen Garden - even on its off nights its better than this.
Food: 1
Service: 2
Authentic, not your typical chinese. Tasty food. When busy, not so perfect, 4.5 stars.Table next got uncooked portion. Maybe because of busy service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
There were seven of us and we only had a 10 minute wait. The food was very good and the service friendly, albeit a little slow because they were so busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I managed to get tickets to Jon Batiste (thanks Dad!!) back-to-back in Toronto and Montreal on a Tuesday and Wednesday and I planned a roadtrip from home in Central Vermont out to Niagara Falls and then Toronto, Montreal and back down to Hartland. My plan was to leave directly from work on the Monday at like 3pm and drive to Niagara Falls. I figured that was about as far as I could make it that first night. In hindsight I think I probably could have made it to Toronto that night. But I guess, better safe than sorry. I was making such good time across the NYS Thruway that I decided to find a spot opened late to get something to eat (I had snacked my way across New York…).Rochester was the only place with anything open late and really wasn’t a detour of any consequence. I had no idea there was LEGIT Szechuan food in Rochester?? I mean, I guess, how would I know? It’s been a few decades since I lived in Upstate NY.Szechuan Opera was open until 10pm and I pulled in shortly after 9. The menu is huge. Excellent variety of all sorts of things, including Dim Sum. My problem was I didn’t have a plan. I hate not having a plan when I’m going to a restaurant. I’m THAT person! I read menus and choose items ahead of time. Which probably seems ridiculous. I own a restaurant and I have a somewhat absurdly large menu at my own place. Yet I am one of those people that just does not like to go into a new spot “cold.” I always feel like I maximize my dining experience if I review the menu before.My other “issue” is that I don’t really ever want to try one thing. I want to try as many things as possible and that does require a plan of attack!Service was really good and everyone was very friendly. Although they don’t allow anyone to sit/eat at the bar? So I had to sit a table by myself. I am just not a fan of that. But, last minute dining choices late at night…Got my water, got tea, got truly horrible sake. HAHAHAHA That was my fault. They’ve just got one terrible sake they serve hot (NEVER drink hot sake my friends).It was a little tricky to find menu items that did not have beef, pork or poultry (which I don’t eat). I decided to focus on appetizers and Dim Sum so I could try a few, different things. Because I just couldn’t convince myself to commit to one or even two items! LOLFYI: All portions at Szechuan Opera are huge. Regardless of whether they’re called “appetizers” or something else. I wound up with a ridiculous amount of food!What I Ordered:Chengdu Style Mung Bean Noodle: Look, when the waiter tells you it’s spicy and you’re in a Szechuan restaurant. Believe them. Delicious, but your taste buds might need some time to recover…Wood Ear Mushroom with Garlic: OMG!!! First these Mushrooms were the biggest I’d ever seen. I could eat this dish all day. It was so insanely delicious. Wow.Crispy Cucumber with Garlic: gorgeous, beautiful fresh, delicious.Crispy Shrimp with Tofu Roll Dim Sum: I think this might be the best fried food item I’ve ever eaten. Hot and crispy right from the oil. Paper thin tofu wrapper. Everything about this was perfection.Pan Fried Chives and Shrimp Dumpling: Also wonderful and delicious.Black Truffle and Mixed Mushroom Dumpling: Skip these. Meh. Not so tasty and I didn’t love the wet, gummy consistency.IMO I ate an impressive amount of what I ordered. Because some of these were just so good I didn’t want to stop. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Don’t get the sake.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best Chinese food I've had in 20 years.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful decor, great food, and friendly service. I will be going back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place for familiesLoved their foodAte the dry pot which is really spicy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
When I order to take out they, rush my food, I don't know if it's because I'm black. But the food is under cooked. Ive asked them to stop rushing it out to me and they keep doing it. I don't know if they just don't want black people in the waiting area, or what. ive asked for them to stop rushing out my meal for 3weeks and they still do it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing Chinese ? ? found off grub hub one of the best places I've had Chinese in
Food: 5
Service: 5
Szechuan opera is absolutely the top 1 Asian restaurant in Rochester. Me and my girlfriend visit here almost every week and the food and service have been consistently incredible. We love the environment and the vibe, the music. We brought our foreign colleagues here and they turned out love it!Parking: There’s a paid parking lot nearby. But you don’t need to pay if you are coming to Szechuan opera. Just come to the counter and let the staff know your plate number and they will validate you 2-hour free parking!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Worst sesame chicken I've ever had. I paid $19 for an order of sesame chicken and it wasn't even edible. The meat didn't even look like chicken.... it was dry, veiny, and gross. Don't recommend it here.
Food: 1
Best Chinese I have had. Beautiful dine in restaurant! Huge menu. Fantastic! A must stop!Vegetarian options: Really delicious and lots of choices!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Garlic Sauce Style, Egg Drop Soup
Enjoyed my first experience at Szechuan celebrating the lunar new year with some fellow yelpers. Huge shout out to Jenny R for planning everything!! We sat in a super cute booth that fit us six perfectly, so private and cozy. They offered a special menu, we ordered six items from that and a few regular items. Special menu: Stir fried twin lobster with ginger and scallions Oil and shallot steamed abalone Dungeness crab in Szechuan style Steamed sea bass Braised sea cucumber with scallions Steamed garlic shrimp w vermicelli Reg menu: Wontons in spicy chili sauce Duck with veggies Dried sautéed string beans We shared all plates, family style Tried some new items I would normally not order, the duck and wontons were ridiculously amazing! We all ate like queens and I had the best time with these girls!