233 Highly Recommended Restaurants, Diners, Cafes, Pubs, Bakeries, and Bars Around Rochester

This list represents 40+ years of experience dining in the Rochester area, as well as recommendations of highly recommended restaurants from friends and colleagues. I had planned to stop at 52 (a new place to try every weekend) but the passionate recommendations kept coming in!

Rochestarians frequent these establishments because the food and atmosphere is consistently amazing. These are places the locals go several times a year, if not more, and recommend them to friends and visitors. Some of these food destinations are well-established, loved by generations, while others are quickly becoming favorites as Rochester’s culinary scene explodes.

Highly recommended restaurants in the City of Rochester

1. Aladdin’s Natural Eatery
2. Arnett Café
3. Bitter Honey
4. Black Button Distilling
5. Boulder Cafe & Lounge 
6. Boxcar Donuts & Fried Chicken
7. Brooklyn Ramen
8. Butapub
9. Cafe Sasso

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1. Captain Jim’s
2. Cedar Mediterranean Restaurant
3. Cheesy Eddie’s
4. Country Sweet
5. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
6. Dogtown
7. Donuts Delight
8. Edibles Restaurant & Bar
9. El Latino
10. Fiorella

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1. Flight West Wine & Whiskey Bar
2. Genesee Brew House
3. Golden Port
4. Good Luck
5. Harry G’s NY Deli & Cafe 
6. Hettie’s Delites Cafe
7. Highland Park Diner
8. Hose 22 Firehouse Grill
9. James Brown’s Place

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Roadside Attractions

1. Java’s Cafe
2. Jay’s Diner
3. Jeremiah’s Tavern
4. Jim’s on Main
5. Jines Restaurant
6. Joe Bean Roasters
7. John’s Tex Mex
8. La Casa
9. Magnolias Deli & Cafe
10. Mamasan’s

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Top 32 Ice Cream Shops

1. Mark’s Texas Hots
2. Max’s Chop House
3. Mr. Theo’s Restaurant & Lounge
4. Mt Hope Family Diner 
5. Mullers Cider House
6. Nosh
7. Owl House
8. Park Ave Pub
9. Pizza Stop
10. Pomodoro Grill & Wine Bar
11. Railway Station Diner

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1. Red Fern
2. Roam Cafe
3. Rocco
4. Roncone’s Italian Restaurant
5. Rooney’s
6. Rubino’s
7. Salena’s Mexican Restaurant
8. Sinbad’s Mediterranean Cuisine

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Highly recommended restaurants with multiple locations

1. Abbott’s Frozen Custard
2. Benucci’s
3. Bill Gray’s 
4. Core Life Eatery
5. DiBella’s
6. Itacate 
7. Mr Dominic’s
8. Schaller’s Drive-In
9. Six-50 
10. Tai Chi Bubble Tea
11. The Distillery
12. Tom Wahl’s
13. Village Bakery

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Highly recommended restaurants in Monroe County

Brighton

1. Amaya Indian Cuisine
2. Basha Mediterranean Eatery
3. Cerame’s Italian Villa
4. Char Broil
5. Chen Garden
6. Delmonico’s
7. Grinnell’s Restaurant
8. Phillips European
9. Plum Garden
10. Ristorante Lucano
11. Thali of India
12. The Beer Market
13. The King and I

 

Brockport

1. Brockport Diner

 

Chili

1. Acropolis Family Restaurant
2. Leaf & Bean Coffee Co

 

East Rochester

1. Guacamole Authentic Mexican Taqueria
2. Lemoncello Italian Restaurant & Bar
3. Leo’s Bakery & Deli
4. New Yorker’s Pancake & Grill

 

Fairport

1. Donnelly’s Public House
2. Durf’s Family Restaurant

Gates

1. Agatina’s
2. Edoya
3. Fatso’s Bar & Grille
4. Mesquite Grill
5. Mr Beenz Diner 
6. Shmeg’s Restaurant

 

Greece

1. Bernard’s Grove
2. Gruttadauria Bakery
3. Orien’s Café
4. Patti’s Pantry

 

Henrietta

1. Bob’s Diner
2. Lovin’ Cup
3. Mamma G’s
4. Naan-tastic
5. Pi Craft
6. Tandoor of India

 

Hilton

1. Jo’s Diner

 

Irondequoit

1. Atlas Eats
2. Don’s Original
3. Eastridge Family Restaurant
4. Pasta Villa
5. Ridge Donut Cafe
6. Savoia Pastry Shoppe
7. Shamrock Jack’s Irish Pub
8. Thai Mii Up

Mendon

1. Kind Crepes

 

North Chili

1. North Chili Family Restaurant

 

Penfield

1. Five Mile Café
2. George’s Family Restaurant
3. The Original Steve’s Diner

 

Pittsford

1. Back Nine Grill
2. Burger Bar by Wegmans
3. JoJo’s Bistro & Wine Bar
4. Label 7 Napa Eatery & Bar
5. Next Door by Wegmans
6. Pittsford Farms Dairy & Bakery
7. Simply Crepes
8. Village Coal Tower Restaurant

Scottsville

1. Artisan Coffeehouse
2. Salvatore’s Saloon 
3. Scottsville Diner

 

Spencerport

1. Sullivan’s Charbroil
2. Union Street Eatery

Webster

1. BC’s Chicken Coop
2. Castaways on the Lake
3. Charlie’s Restaurant
4. Empire Pizza
5. Garlic Pit
6. Jade Palace
7. Maa’s Diner
8. Mama Lor’s Café
9. Monte Alban Mexican Restaurant
10. Nucci’s Italian Steak and Seafood
11. Nutcracker Family Restaurant
12. Proietti’s Italian Restaurant
13. T’s Family Restaurant
14. The Waffle Factory

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Highly recommended restaurants outside Monroe County

Angelica

1. Black Eyed Susan Acoustic Café
2. Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn 

Auburn

1. Hunter’s Dinerant
2. Peppermints

 

Baldwinsville

1. B’Ville Diner
2. Canal Walk Café

 

Bath

1. Chat-A-Whyle Restaurant 

 

Belfast

1. Ace’s Country Cupboard

 

Buffalo

1. Amy’s Place
2. Bertha’s Diner
3. Daisies Café
4. Kenmore Village Restaurant
5. Lake Effect Diner
6. Swan Street Diner

 

Caledonia

1. Cozy Kitchen
2. Reminisce Soda Fountain

 

Canandaigua

1. Macri’s Deli & Café

 

Clarence

1. Emilys Family Diner

 

Corning

1. Donna’s Restaurant

 

Cuba

1. Moonwinks

 

Darien Center

1. Johnny Bear’s Restaurant

 

Derby

1. Super Freeze Drive In

 

Farmington

1. El Jimador
2. Park Place Restaurant

 

Geneseo

1. Euro Café Real Food & Deli

 

Geneva

1. Water Street Café

 

Holley

1. Sam’s Diner

 

Honeoye

1. Mill Creek Café

 

Hornell

1. The Texas Café

 

Ithaca

1. Lincoln Street Diner

 

Jamestown

1. Johnny’s Lunch

 

Lakeville

1. 3 Legged Pig BBQ
2. Lakeville Family Restaurant

LeRoy

1. D & R Depot Restaurant
2. Farmer’s Creekside Tavern & Inn

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Lewiston

1. The Silo

 

Lima

1. Lima Diner

 

Liverpool

1. Heid’s of Liverpool

 

Lockport

1. Lock 34 Bar & Grill
2. Sunny’s Family Restaurant
3. Tom’s Diner

Lyons

1. The Caboose

Macedon

1. Log Cabin Family Restaurant

 

Medina

1. Country Club Family Restaurant

 

Montour Falls

1. Classic Chef’s

Naples

1. Bob & Ruth’s Vineyard Restaurant
2. Roots Café

 

Newark

1. Bee Tee’s Drive-In

 

Olean

1. Beef’n’Barrel
2. Chuck Wagon

 

Ontario

1. Heintzelman’s BBQ Pit

 

Oswego

1. Dahls Diner
2. Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In
3. The Coffee Connection
4. Mom and Pop’s Soda Shop

 

Painted Post

1. Jelly Beans Restaurant

 

Palmyra

1. Chill & Grill
2. Yellow Mills Diner

Penn Yan

1. Andy’s BBQ Shack
2. Penn Yan Diner
3. Skyline Trading Post

 

Perry

1. Country Kitchen & Pizzeria

 

Portville

1. Sprague’s Maple Farms

 

Sanborn

1. Tina’s Place

Skaneateles

1. Doug’s Fish Fry

 

Sodus

1. El Rincon
2. Hots Point

 

Sylvan Beach

1. Canal View Café

 

Syracuse

1. Mother’s Cupboard
2. Stella’s Diner
3. The Gem Diner

 

Tonawanda

1. The Dockside Bar & Grill

Trumansburg

1. Felicia’s Atomic Brewhouse and Bakery

 

Victor

1. Chit Chat Café

 

Warsaw

1. Silverlake Family Restaurant

Waterloo

1. Abigail’s Restaurant
2. Connie’s Diner
3. Mac’s Drive-in
4. Star Diner

 

Weedsport

1. DB’s Drive In

 

Wellsville

1. Texas Hot

 

Williamson

1. Orbakers Drive In
2. Original Candy Kitchen

 

Youngstown

1. Youngstown Village Diner

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