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.

Rochester’s highly recommended restaurants, in no particular order:

1. El Latino
2. Hose 22 Firehouse Grill
3. Mr Dominic’s
4. Burger Bar by Wegmans
5. Thali of India
6. Donuts Delight
7. Gruttadauria Bakery
8. Savoia Pastry Shoppe
9. Country Sweet
10. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
11. Owl House
12. Mamasan’s
13. Plum Garden
14. Itacate (Penfield, and, yes, even the one in the gas station in Gates!)
15. Garlic Pit

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123 Day Trips
from Rochester, NY

1. Nosh
2. Jade Palace (Webster)
3. Rooney’s
4. Leo’s Bakery & Deli (East Rochester)
5. Village Bakery
6. Cerame’s Italian Villa
7. La Casa
8. Good Luck
9. Voula’s Greek Sweets
10. DiBella’s
11. Don’s Original (Irondequoit)
12. Atlas Eats (Irondequoit)
13. Agatina’s (Gates)
14. Pittsford Farms Dairy & Bakery
15. Vic’s Place
16. Chen Garden

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29 Culinary Trails and
Self-Guided Tours

1. Shmeg’s Restaurant (Gates)
2. The King and I
3. The Gate House
4. Captain Jim’s
5. South Wedge Dinner
6. Edibles Restaurant & Bar
7. Next Door by Wegmans
8. Park Ave Pub

1. Farmer’s Creekside Tavern & Inn (LeRoy)
2. Highland Park Diner
3. Village Coal Tower Restaurant (Pittsford)
4. The Frog Pond
5. Six-50 (Chili, Victor)
6. James Brown’s Place
7. Phillips European (Brighton)
8. The Beer Market

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31 Rochester-Area Restaurants Featured on
the Food Network and Travel Channel

1. The Red Fern vegan
2. The Distillery
3. Dogtown
4. Rocco
5. Tony D’s
6. Abbott’s Frozen Custard
7. Salena’s Mexican Restaurant
8. Aladdin’s Natural Eatery
9. Pi Craft (Henrietta)
10. The Revelry
11. Ristorante Lucano
12. Jines Restaurant

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21 Craft Beverage Tasting Rooms
in Monroe County

1. Roots Cafe (Naples)
2. Core Life Eatery
3. Golden Port
4. Tandoor of India (Henrietta)
5. JoJo’s Bistro & Wine Bar (Pittsford)
6. Max’s Chop House
7. Tournedos

1. Castaways on the Lake (Webster)
2. Bernard’s Grove (Greece)
3. Orien’s Cafe (Greece)
4. Pasta Villa (Irondequoit)
5. Benucci’s (Pittsford, Greece)
6. Fatso’s Bar & Grille (Gates)
7. Swillburger & The Playhouse
8. Pomodoro Grill & Wine Bar
9. Proietti’s Italian Restaurant (Webster)

1. White Swans Asia Cafe
2. Roncone’s Italian Restaurant
3. Grinnell’s Restaurant
4. Jeremiah’s Tavern
5. Back Nine Grill
6. Flight West Wine & Whiskey Bar
7. Fiorella
8. Sinbad’s Mediterranean Cuisine
9. Black Button Distilling
10. Lemoncello Italian Restaurant & Bar (East Rochester)
11. Label 7 Napa Eatery & Bar (Pittsford)
12. Magnolias Deli & Cafe
13. Delmonico’s (Brighton)
14. Simply Crepes (Pittsford)
15. Shamrock Jack’s Irish Pub (Irondequoit)

1. Tai Chi Bubble Tea
2. Genesee Brew House
3. Ridge Donut Cafe
4. Cheesy Eddie’s
5. Eastridge Family Restaurant
6. Monte Alban Mexican Restaurant (Webster)
7. Mesquite Grill (Gates)
8. The Waffle Factory (Webster)
9. Penn Yan Diner
10. North Chili Family Restaurant
11. Mt Hope Family Diner (Rochester)
12. New Yorker’s Pancake & Grill (East Rochester)
13. Edoya (Gates)

1. The Caboose (Lyons)
2. Canal View Cafe (Sylvan Beach)
3. Orbakers Drive In (Williamson)
4. Roam Cafe
5. Sunny’s Family Restaurant (Lockport)
6. Jines Restaurant
7. Village Coal Tower Restaurant (Pittsford)
8. Cedar Mediterranean Restaurant
9. The Frog Pond
10. Lock 34 Bar & Grill (Lockport)
11. Mac’s Drive-in (Waterloo)
12. Canal Walk Cafe (Baldwinsville)
13. Jim’s on Main
14. Butapub

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5 Old Country Stores
Around Rochester

1. Scottsville Diner
2. Connie’s Diner (Waterloo)
3. D & R Depot Restaurant (LeRoy)
4. South Wedge Diner
5. Cozy Kitchen (Caledonia)
6. Jay’s Diner
7. Lincoln Street Diner (Ithaca)
8. Stromboli’s
9. Yellow Mills Diner (Palmyra)
10. Mark’s Texas Hots
11. Mom and Pop’s Soda Shop (Oswego)
12. Brooklyn Ramen

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31 Quirky Rochester-Area
Roadside Attractions

1. Highland Park Diner
2. Union Street Eatery (Spencerport)
3. Mama Lor’s Cafe (Webster)
4. Mamma G’s (Henrietta)
5. Durf’s Family Restaurant (Fairport)
6. Mr Beenz Diner (Gates)
7. Bee Tee’s Drive-In (Newark)

1. Hettie’s Delites Cafe
2. DB’s Drive In (Weedsport)
3. B’Ville Diner (Baldwinsville)
4. Stella’s Diner (Syracuse)
5. Dahls Diner (Oswego)
6. Amy’s Place (Buffalo)
7. Bertha’s Diner (Buffalo)
8. Hunter’s Dinerant (Auburn)
9. Macri’s Deli & Cafe (Canandaigua)
10. Black Eyed Susan Acoustic Cafe (Angelica)
11. Pizza Stop
12. Five Mile Cafe (Penfield)

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95 Highly Recommended
Restaurants Bakeries, and Bars

1. Felicia’s Atomic Brewhouse and Bakery (Trumansburg)
2. Leaf & Bean Coffee Co (Chili)
3. Lovin’ Cup
4. Basha Mediterranean Eatery
5. Starry Nites Cafe
6. Java’s Cafe
7. The Old Toad
8. The Coffee Connection (Oswego)
9. 3 Legged Pig BBQ (Lakeville)
10. Log Cabin Family Restaurant (Macedon)
11. The Dockside Bar & Grill (Tonawanda)
12. Bob’s Diner (Henrietta)
13. Lima Diner
14. Emilys Family Diner (Clarence)
15. Abigail’s Restaurant (Waterloo)

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206 Annual Events
Around Rochester

1. Whiskey River Pub & Grill
2. Acropolis Family Restaurant
3. Lake Effect Diner (Buffalo)
4. Naan-tastic (Henrietta)
5. The Original Steve’s Diner (Penfield)
6. State Street Cafe (Phoenix)
7. Lakeville Family Restaurant
8. T’s Family Restaurant (Webster)
9. Tina’s Place (Sanborn)
10. Kenmore Village Restaurant (Buffalo)
11. Mill Creek Cafe (Honeoye)
12. Park Place Restaurant (Farmington)
13. Arnett Café

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73 Trails That Are
Not Just a Walk in the Park

1. Reminisce Soda Fountain (Caledonia)
2. Tom Wahl’s (Avon)
3. Chat-A-Whyle Restaurant (Bath)
4. Heid’s of Liverpool
5. The Gem Diner (Syracuse)
6. Peppermints (Avon)
7. Johnny Bear’s Restaurant (Darien Center)
8. Hots Point (Sodus)
9. Water Street Cafe (Geneva)
10. Schaller’s Drive-In
11. Texas Hot (Wellsville)
12. The Texas Cafe (Hornell)
13. Skyline Trading Post (Penn Yan)
14. Andy’s BBQ Shack (Penn Yan)

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80 Other Museums
Around Rochester

1. Bill Gray’s (Multiple Locations)
2. El Jimador (Farmington)
3. Doug’s Fish Fry (Skaneateles)
4. The Silo (Lewiston)
5. Jo’s Diner (Hilton)
6. Youngstown Village Diner
7. Mt Hope Family Diner
8. Daisies Cafe (Buffalo)
9. Super Freeze Drive In (Derby)
10. Cafe Sasso
11. Salvatore’s Saloon (Scottsville)
12. Vic’s Place (Irondequoit)
13. Jelly Beans Restaurant (Painted Post)
14. Donna’s Restaurant (Corning)

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20 Monroe County Parks

1. Country Kitchen & Pizzeria (Perry)
2. Maa’s Diner (Webster)
3. Silverlake Family Restaurant (Warsaw)
4. Ace’s Country Cupboard (Belfast)
5. Johnny’s Lunch (Jamestown)
6. Classic Chef’s (Montour Falls)
7. Sprague’s Maple Farms Inc (Portville)
8. Tom’s Diner (Lockport)
9. Brockport Diner
10. Sam’s Diner (Holley)
11. Heintzelman’s BBQ Pit (Ontario)
12. Boxcar Donuts & Fried Chicken
13. Beef’n’Barrel (Olean)
14. Chuck Wagon (Olean)

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9 Rochester U-Pick Seasons

1. Roots Cafe (Naples)
2. Bob & Ruth’s Vineyard Restaurant (Naples)
3. Railway Station Diner (Rochester)
4. Chit Chat Cafe (Victor)
5. Char Broil (Brighton)
6. Patti’s Pantry (Greece)
7. Sullivan’s Charbroil (Spencerport)
8. Harry G’s Deli
9. Star Diner (Waterloo)
10. Mother’s Cupboard (Syracuse)
11. Moonwinks (Cuba)
12. Mr. Theo’s Restaurant & Lounge
13. Sprague’s Maple Farms (Portville)
14. Bitter Honey

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6 Hidden Places
to FInd This Weekend

1. Country Club Family Restaurant (Medina)
2. Ugly Duck Coffee
3. BC’s Chicken Coop (Webster)
4. George’s Family Restaurant (Penfield)
5. Nutcracker Family Restaurant (Webster)
6. Artisan Coffeehouse (Scottsville)
7. Nucci’s Italian Steak and Seafood
8. Amaya Indian Cuisine
9. Chen Garden
10. Charlie’s Restaurant (Webster)
11. Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In (Oswego)
12. Original Candy Kitchen (Williamson)
13. Empire Pizza (Webster)
14. Swan Street Diner (Buffalo)
15. Chill & Grill (Palmyra)
16. Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn (Angelica, only open Feb-April)

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Top 32 Ice Cream Shops

1. Kind Crepes (Mendon)
2. Joe Bean Roasters (Rochester)
3. Boulder Cafe & Lounge (Rochester)
4. John’s Tex Mex (Rochester)
5. Harry G’s NY Deli & Cafe (Rochester)
6. Guacamole Authentic Mexican Taqueria (East Rochester)
7. Thai Mii Up (Irondequoit)
8. El Rincon (Sodus)
9. Euro Café Real Food & Deli (Geneseo)
10. Rubino’s (Rochester)
11. Donnelly’s Public House (Fairport)

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43 New York State Parks
Within a 2-Hour Drive