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Fun, Family-Friendly Restaurants, Cafes, and Breweries

I recently asked the Day Trips Around Rochester, NY, community a question on behalf of a new Rochesterian. They were looking for a restaurant in the Rochester area that would be great for a date night and also kid-friendly but not kid-centric. Check out the suggestions from the community!

Please suggest more family-friendly—and pet-friendly—restaurants in the comments. I’ve also added a list of restaurants at the bottom that serve international and ethnic cuisines, perfect for experiencing new foods together.

Cafes

pure imagination cafe
Pure Imagination Cafe

Food + Games

New Years Eve: Radio Social Bowling
Radio Social

Traditional Restaurants

Hose 22 Rochester Charlotte
Hose 22

Many of these recommendations came with a note that the staff and the environment make them feel comfortable taking the littles out for a delicious meal.

Plus, dozens of international and ethnic cuisines to experience are listed below.

Breweries & Cideries

Blue Barn Cidery
Blue Barn Cidery

Again, these came with notes about having a family-friendly environment, often including games families can play together and fun, themed events.

Nenos Gourmet Mexican Street Food 642 Monroe Ave Rochester, NY
Neno’s

International & Ethnic Cuisine

I also received a question about where to take kids from a young age to experience varied cuisines. Start with these! There are also several cuisines/kitchens at Mercantile on Main.

British

Caribbean/Jamaican

Chinese

Ethiopian

German

Greek

Indian

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Jewish/Kosher

Korean

Latin American/Spanish/Puerto Rican/Dominican

Mediterranean/Afghan/Persian/Syrian/Turkish

Mexican

Polish

Southern US/Soul Food/Cajun/Creole

Thai / Vietnamese

Please suggest your favorite places to enjoy international and ethnic cuisines around Rochester in the comments, and I’ll happily add them to this list!

International Food Markets

Juan and Maria's Empanada Shop
Juan and Maria’s Empanada Shop

Try new ingredients, desserts, prepared foods, fruit, and vegetables. Years ago, we took our Girl Scout troop to Wegmans Calkins Road, where they each selected foods from the hot bar they had never tasted. Then, we visited the various food markets so they could purchase something unique to bring home and try. To this day, it’s one of our most memorable field trips.

Regional Markets

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Where are your favorite family-friendly restaurants around Rochester?


I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Debi Bower, Day Trips Around Rochester NY

Debi Bower is the founder and creative director of daytrippingroc.com and author of the award-winning book Day Trips Around Rochester, New York.

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People often ask if I get free access to the places I visit. The answer is no—unless I’m invited to a special preview or offered behind-the-scenes access through my media role. Most of the time, I don’t even mention Day Trips Around Rochester, New York when I visit a place. I want to have the same experience you would.

I create and share this content because it brings me joy—and I hope it adds value to your adventures, too.

If my work has helped you explore and appreciate the Rochester area, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. You’ll receive an email whenever I publish new content and have the chance to connect with a growing community of local explorers.

Thank you for supporting my efforts to keep producing meaningful and helpful content.

Thank you!
Debi

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