After a long fun filled day at the Strong Museum, we decided to eat at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court St in Rochester. Street parking was impossible due to a wrestling event at the Arena down the block. We opted for the parking ramp on Court Street, a bargain at $2 per hour. The very friendly manager advised us of the 30 minute wait for a full service table and suggested the Take Out window and picnic table option. With two tired and hungry little kids, we jumped at the takeout window option. The place was "slamming" busy, but there was nobody waiting at the takeout window, so YAY for us. The staff was very helpful, two ladies helped us with our menu choices. We grabbed our water bottles and headed for the outdoor picnic tables. A few minutes later, they called me on my cell; my fried green tomatoes were ready for pickup. The three tomatoes were firm and flavorful under a crisp and crunchy Panko crust. The cayenne buttermilk ranch dressing and pecorino cheese was a perfect compliment. The remainder of our order was slow in coming, so I went back to the takeout area to wait. The order came up, but unfortunately one of our combination platters was missing, which was quickly remedied. Back at the table again, we had a Three Bears experience. One plate of ribs was blackened and charred, the next was fall off the bone perfect, and the last one was almost raw. The fries were a fail. I tend to remember when a restaurant has great fries, this is not that place. Limp as always; I'll make a mental note for next time and choose one of the other delicious side dishes. The cornbread is always amazing. As was the Mac-n-cheese. The chicken 1/2's and the smoked brisket were "the bomb". Flavorful, tender and juicy. The two little kids gobbled up the cheeseburger and the chicken tenders and gave a thumbs up. We enjoyed the assortment of sauces that came with our meals but the Wango Tango is my personal favorite. We'll definitely be back. Despite any minor missteps during our visit, the food will always draw me back. read more

Like many fellow reviewers here, I've been going to Dinosaur with my family for celebrations for about as long as I can remember! Watching the pit masters from the waiting area with my family as we eagerly awaited our table and chicken wings, using wet naps, and making strategic side choices so we got to try a lot of things are all memories I hold near and dear. As an adult, hitting up Dinosaur is nostalgic, but also a great reminder of this spot's legacy, commitment to excellence, and consistency. They have a great beer list featuring a lot of NYS gems. I recently went for lunch where they've debuted a new build-it BBQ style menu, which was a ton of fun. I loved the new variety of sauces/BBQ toppings being offered up. You can't go to dino and not do wings - wango tango is my go-to since it was my fam's go to and honestly so delicious. I can't do their mac & cheese or mac salad (too rich) but their chili is off the charts and their cajun corn is another fam favorite. We've also used them for catering, which can be a bit hit or miss (we once had very undercooked wings and sides that seemed like they had been out for a bit.) I always look forward to my next visit to Dino and am so grateful to have this spot for the best BBQ in town. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - BYOBarbque lunch! - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

This place smells so good! I walked in and started salivating! The deviled eggs for app was so good. I got a salad with pulled chicken or something and it was delish. Service was decent, they get quite busy, but it is easy to flag someone down if you Really needed something. Otherwise just eat and enjoy. read more

Can't say one bad thing about this place... it's an amazing smoked food, bbq joint settled on the Genesee river on an old train bridge. You can say it's dirty but that's the atmosphere of the place. It popular by the locals as well as a tourist stop. The decor is local history along with a southern county vibe.. it's a loud, fast pace place but once again it's part of the atmosphere. Our waitress Adrienne was awesome. Her recommendations were on point...great selection of beers, many are local. We started with the wings... plumb, juicy, awesome!!! I had the ribs, brisket and pulled pork... all amazing. My wife said her smoked portabella mushroom burger was great... my son has the Cuban.. it was there version of a Cuban and it was good!!! This place is a must!!! read more

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It's right in the heart of downtown Rochester, so very easy to get to (much appreciated for visitors without a car!) and it surprisingly lived up to the hype! I've heard so many good things about DBB and I figured there's no way it could actually be that good, but it was a pretty solid choice for BBQ in WNY. We were able to split a 3x combo plate with 2 sides between two people and it was plenty - we also loved that we could try a little bit of everything and have some left over to take home! Overall, I'd come back here for a chill night and some solid food next time I'm in town. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - 3 combo plate: brisket, pulled pork and ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

Always can rely on a delicious meal at Dinosaur. Excellent service, food is delivered quickly, hot and flavorful.

This place never disappoints, Get the 3 meat platter its all delicious!! The Man n Cheese with a dusting of the Dinosaur Cajun seasoning is the best I have ever had..The only caution is parking be prepared to find a working meter on the bridge..It is definately worth the parking fee !! read more

My visit to Dinosaur BBQ was fantastic. Overlooking Genesee River, this popular BBQ joint is converted from a old train station and has so much character. We ordered the family size meal with the wings, brisket and 1/2 chicken. We got Mac and cheese and mash potatoes for our sides, which were all AMAZING. The corn bread was ok. Overall a place with lively spirit, nice view and great food. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

The catfish is beyond decent and about the only place in Rochester that you can find catfish. We have also done their thanksgiving meal and my family and I cannot get over how good the pies are! The cornbread is the only thing that I never enjoy, but everything else is tasty. read more

Some of the best BBQ I've ever had! Awesome staff! It's a fun environment with comfortable areas to sit! The foods here are hands down and mouthwatering, so delicious and flavorful! We got chicken wings and get more than 6! The mango spicy sauce is delicious. I had the sampler brisket, ribs, and pulled porked -to die for deliciousness. And such a great atmosphere! Bring your appetite, if you go home hungry, it's your fault! read more

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This use to be the place to go to for BBQ but it wasn't as good as I remembered it being. I ordered the ribs and brisket and they were both dry. The service on the other hand was great as usual at the bar. read more

Came here for my graduation lunch. For a table of 15, it was great to be seated at one long table (reservations had to be made in advance). As a native of Syracuse, I was already familiar with the hype around DBBQ. The challenge was: can DBBQ cater to pescatarians. Yes, yes they can. I chose the blackened catfish with a few sides. The fish was pretty good. What made it stand out was the mustard-infused sauce that was poured over it. Perfectly blackened and not dried out. The cornbread was a bit dry, but the Mac & cheese made up for it. I had to get a side to go! Recommendation: for larger parties, there should be two waiters to one table. We had to wait along time, not only for our food, but for our drinks as well. Maybe a staffing issue that day? All in all, you can't go wrong with DBBQ! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Bronzed catfish, rice, Mac & Cheese, fries, Hunk of Cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

This place is magical. Wow, very delicious. I ordered 1/2 rack pork ribs and 2 sides. It was out of this world. One of the best I've ever had. Daniela was a some. She was fast and amazing. Ambient was amazing. It was super crowded in a Monday night. But there are lot of room to sit. Highly recommended. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

This was a great experience. Great food and big portions. We had Ribs, Steak and Burger! I hope I can visit Dinos again. read more

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Great BBQ, I went to the other location in Syracuse while serving in the army in New York, I was back in the area and tried the location at Rochester and it is the same as their Syracuse location great food and great people read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is my go to restaurant in Rochester! I always go to Dinosaur when I'm looking for a place to bring out of town friends who come visit me in Rochester. My favorite thing to order is Pulled pork and their Mac and Cheese is to die for! I went their on my 21st birthday and got the Donkey Punch as a drink (definitely recommend - but it's a little strong!) Dinosaur is a big part of our family! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Donkey Punch - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

I stopped by Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for lunch with a friend while I was in Rochester for two days. Dinosaur BBQ is Rochester's most reviewed restaurant and has several spots across the state. We parked on the street and had about a five-minute wait for a table. Being from Texas, I'm a BBQ afficianado so the bar is set high. We started off with some fried green tomatoes, a Southern delicacy, which is not something I expect at BBQ joints, but I'm not complaining. From there, I went with the two-meat plate which comes with two sides. This is a lot of food y'all. Enough to last for two meals, if not three. They also have fries as one of the sides options which isn't something you typically see at BBQ spots. And not only is it a large portion. The food delivers. Both the meat and the sides. Add a bar to the mix and you have a great dining experience. And friendly service. Solid and I'd definitely return. read more

Meh. A real letdown from my visits of 20 years ago I picked the 3 meat tray for $27. The collard greens were supposed to have pork in them, but only a 1" piece could be found. The corn was of the nondescript canned variety, with the most distinctive feature being an overdose of pepper. The cornbread was good. The ribs had been held for so long that the ends were dehydrated. The sauce couldn't save them. I had to search for the sausage, which had a greasy mouth feel and was hidden next to the ribs, under chopped jalapeño that was so old that it had lost what little punch it may have had. (hidden next to the ribs on the left.) The brisket was very good. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

Wow!!! Absolutely incredible food and staff. Our server, Jennie, was a rockstar. She was covering a lot of tables but still made us feel so special every time she came to our table. We got the Dino Poutine, Dirty South and Brisket bowl. Everything was a 10/10. Oh and the cornbread.. oh my lord, it was the best I've ever had and I'm from the south!! Everything was perfect tonight but the host did seem out of place. I noticed him being rude to some of the other guests. He also didn't acknowledge us when he led us to our table.. he just started walking away so we followed. I won't let that effect the review because everyone else was on top of it. read more

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Great staff and vibe, fast service and generous portions. I think the food is pretty good, but def a place to come back to for overall professionalism and quality read more

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I come to the Rochester area every so often and Dinosaur BBQ is an absolute must every time. I tend to follow keto/low carb life style and I can always find something delicious here. My most recent visit i had the grilled chicken wings with garlic chipotle sauce **chefs kiss**. I'm a huge fan of spicy so I had their spiciest sauce on the side to dip in, devils duel. Also chowed down on the brisket salad and it surely did not disappoint. Their brisket is SO flavorful and juicy. I was really sad it was over when I was finished with my meal but so extremely stuffed with just those two items. They do a really good job at have a vast selection of items to choose from- not just your typical bbq joint. 10/10 highly recommend if you're looking for some tasty and filling bbq! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Chopped Salad with brisket and jalapeños added. Cayenne buttermilk ranch for dressing - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

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It's what you would imagine BBQ from upstate NY to taste like... It's good don't get me wrong. It's just nothing to write home about. I am probably in the minority of people who think it's overpriced and just average in taste. It's on the level of sticky lips.. truthfully I think I might give the edge to sticky lips, and that's not saying much. I think dinosaurs sides taste better though. But the things that matter like ribs, brisket, pulled pork..etc are so bland in taste to me. I swear the pulled pork taste like the Kirkland signature brand pulled pork from Costco, with a slight apple cider vinegar taste. I was a big fan of the national chain, Famous Dave's. It's the closest thing I think Rochester has ever had in terms of true BBQ flavor. I wish Famous Dave's would come back. It tasted better and was about half as expensive. What you see in my pictures cost about 17 to 20 dollars each. I used to get the same amount of food at famous Dave's for about 7 to 10 dollars each at lunch. And the flavor was leaps and bounds better than any local BBQ joint. read more

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Everything was excellent. Get the peanut butter pie for dessert! Great food and experience!

I was visiting area and heard this place had great food. I tried it and the ribs are great, brisket awful and the pulled pork average. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Sampler - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

I can't say enough good things about this place and we had a party of 15. Including three kids!!everyone loved their food. Service was excellent. I just wish it was in California where I live. read more

The food was delicious!! We ordered the combo plate (pulled pork, brisket, ribs) w/ sides of mashed potatoes & gravy, macaroni & cheese and baked beans; the pulled pork sandwich; and more ribs! We also had a local beer that we forgot the name but it was dark in color. So smooth and one of the best beers we've had! The reason for the 3 stars is due to the first server, a young woman, that came to our table. She didn't introduce herself or provide her name. She came to our table and in an extremely aggressive manner she asked us in a short tone what we wanted to drink. When we took 3-5 seconds to think of what we wanted you could see she was visibly getting upset. We felt so rushed/awkward that we just ordered water. When she came back with our waters she slammed the cups on the table and threw the straws at us. We felt so uncomfortable that we asked if we could have a different server. It was my grandfathers first time out in a long time due to the pandemic and we did not want him to have to deal with that servers poor attitude. We also knew we wouldn't be able to last an entire meal with that young woman. We got a new server and he was amazing! We ordered beers, tons of food and I was also able to get a t shirt in the takeout area. We were so grateful to have had a completely different experience. He was kind, attentive and just all around friendly/knowledgeable about what to recommend. We will definitely be back due to the new server we had! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Dinosaur isn't what it used to be. Still good food, but seems to taste more like commercial BBQ

Good food, service and ambiance on a busy winter evening before an Amerks game. Very festive! The staff was awesome in accommodating the overflow crowd and the food and beer lived up to Dinosaur BBQ's reputation. We were sorry to hear of the Buffalo location closing. read more

Everything from service to the food was outstanding. J-Fur D was an absolute delight and took great care of us. My husband and I shared the prime brisket sandwich and the Dirty South bowl followed by the salted caramel cookie bar for dessert. Dee-lish-ous!!We're just passing through but wish there was a Dinosaur Bar-B-Que where we live in Northern Virginia. We'd be regulars for sure. read more

One of the best bbq places around. If you're in the Rochester area this is a must - try spot. Amazing service/ food and good vibe. Will be back. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Amazing wings. Amazing bbq. Amazing paninis. Love the food here!!!! Must visit. Only complaint is it is always crowded Gotta wait for a seat. read more

Went from Buffalo to Syracuse for the COVID vaccine and heard the Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester is awesome, so we decided to have a try. First of all, the view of the restaurant is fantastic. There's a bridge with the river behind it which made me feel relaxable after a long way drive. The young lady who served us was friendly and energetic. Very helpful and efficient. I ordered a prime ribeye with fresh-cut fries and cucumber tomato salad for sides. The ribeye was cooked awesome. It is juicy and tender and I can tell the quality of the ribeye is excellent. We also ordered 13 pieces of wings with half Honey BBQ and half Garlic Chipotle, but we were so hungry and forget to take pics for it. The wings are brilliant! But I do prefer the Honey BBQ better. Would come to visit again when I'm in Rochester! And probably will try the Buffalo location as well! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Ribeye - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

Still the one still #1. How can you beat the King, you can't. Best-B-Que everything. Servers are cool, bartenders are fun and the vibe is all good. read more

My favorite BBQ restaurant and one of my favorite restaurants overall. Best ribs I've ever had, and the mac & cheese is flavored so well. I love the whipped sweet potatoes too. You need a reservation to avoid a long wait because it's always busy. read more

Solid experience here. Came for the brisket cheesesteak which did not disappoint (brisket, added bacon, sautéed peppers onions mushrooms, melted sharp cheddar, and bbq sauce. It was stellar! The slaw was very good. It came with cornbread which was pretty forgettable. Their side bbq sauces were decent but nothing memorable either. The sandwich I would get over and over again though as the meat was great and the bread was perfectly pressed read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York

In town for work and this place was just a few blocks from my hotel. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I have to say I was impressed both by the service and by the food. We were met at the door by Jim, and I'm not sure if he was the manager, the maitre d, or just someone who loves being enthusiastic about helping people get dinner. In any case, because the place was full, he got us on the waiting list, found us an outdoor picnic table to wait at, AND provided beer and tortilla chips . . . in about five minutes. Kudos, Jim. We didn't wait long, it turned out, to get inside, and our waitress was great, and the food was fabulous. I got some combination of brisket, ribs, and pulled pork that was exactly what I was hoping for. The scotch ale I ordered to drink was equally good. Honestly, I could not recommend this place more highly for a great meal served by great staff in a bustling place -- even despite covid. read more

If you are looking for a fun restaurant with a groovy atmosphere, this BBQ joint is for you! The food is decent BBQ: we had the two meat combo plate with ribs and brisket. Both were pretty darn tasty. The sides? Well, that was another story. We both had Mac and Cheese and coleslaw. Both weren't great. The m&c had a weird taste and texture like the cheese curdled. And why do BBQ places try to doctor up coleslaw? When you order coleslaw you want creamy slightly sweet coleslaw, not some funky concoction that is spiced. Or maybe that's just me! Service was good to start with but after the food arrived we didn't see our server until we were done. There was a mixup with my husband's order which we didn't get fixed because we couldn't get our server back. So that was a bit annoying but not a deal breaker. Anyway, it's a fun place. The food is pretty good. I will get the ribs again and would like to try the wings. This would be a great place for dinner before a concert or game, to get together with friends or coworkers. read more

This place was great! i went last night and the server Jen was great. The food was amazing and the setting of the restaurant was fun. My only complaint was a group of fat guys a few tables down from me. They were being rude to poor Jen and it looked like they were taking advantage of a poor fellow in the group by making him pay for the whole meal. They were obnoxious and were discussing some comedy show at the Carlson called DabbleCon. They couldn't stop talking about this comedian by the name of shuli Egar. They talked about him like if he was Dave Chapelle. Then they'd randomly yell SKOLLLL. It was so loud that my ear drum still hurts. So overall the place was great. I just wish their patrons weren't so slobby and rude read more

I found the barbecue to be good and I enjoyed that as well as the macaroni. What I really loved was the peanut butter cake though. So deliciously dense and well-balanced! read more

Whoa, I didn't expect to find such good bbq in Rochester. The meats were delicious, especially the ribs. Really good fries, but the best was the ranch dressing. Definitely the best ranch dressing I ever had. What's in it? Can I order it? Please share. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, corn bread, side salad with ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Rochester, New York