One of my favorite veggie paninis I've had so far in my life. The veggies are marinated and seasoned so it adds some major flavor to the sandwich, which is pressed and served warm with chips on the side. I haven't tried the coffee yet, since I've been sticking with tea options. They have a good mint tea that I go for so as not to max out my caffeine intake for the day. It's a great place for a downtown meeting. They have wifi and tons of spots to sit and get work done. They also have a large table for group dining. It gets busy during the lunch hour as the downtown folks come in to eat. Street parking is available on School Alley or across the way in the parking garage on the corner of Fitzhugh and Broad St. read more

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Delicious breakfast food and quick service. Grabbed some iced teas, Denver sandwiches and coffee to go. So good and yummy food!

Got all excited to try out this place after arranging an order on Saturday, and was informed that they deliver for free everyday except Saturdays. So I placed my hope on putting in an order late Tuesday night and got denied due to staffing. I get it as our job handles short staffing from time to time too but annoyed now cause my only option is Grub hub which is costly and was told Saturday by one of their people that is "stupid/silly" to order through GH as Founders offers free delivery during the work week. Wish I didn't have to rate this as I didn't get a chance to try them out but just want to let people be aware that don't set your hopes on getting free delivery as is subject to change. Disappointed for now. read more

Great little hidden gem in downtown. I've been here a few times, and have always enjoyed the sandwiches and salads offered. The staff is friendly and speedy, so what more could you want? read more

Great people. Great food. Arrived 20 minutes before closing and were welcomed with open arms. Told us that it was no rush and really meant it. Will come back again the next time we are in Rochester. read more

We were doing business downtown and looking for a close-by lunch, so we tried Founders based on other reviews. We both had the same selection recommended by the staff, so this review is limited in scope. The seafood bisque tasted homemade, assumed but not verified. Served in a real bowl with a plastic spoon it was a nice starter. We had been offered a sample of their chicken salad, so how could we not choose that on toasted wheat bread with a pickle on the side. Many other sandwich, panini, and wrap selections to choose from. Founders is located in an historic building, now housing mostly offices. From the Fitzhugh St side, you wouldn't know it was there except of a little billboard sign out front. It's just a half-block off Main St., convenient if you are doing business on the west side of the river. You order at the counter and food is delivered to comfortable tables in a nice, bright atmosphere. Staff was very friendly. Would go back if in the area (our parking was paid by our appointment afterwards), but would not necessarily making it a destination lunch as we'd have to pay for parking in a garage or at a meter. read more

This was our fried time to Founders and it was a good choice. The carnivore panini was a good. My friend had the chicken avocado chipotle panini and loved it. read more

The Tortola chips with buffalo chicken dip is delish!!! I ordered for delivery and found out I was putting the wrong address so I made a call; the lady who spoke to me was super helpful and it ended up delivering to the right place! read more

Ate here two days in a row while in Rochester. Great sandwiches and friendly service. Highly recommended! Will return next time we're in Rochester. read more

Delicious food and coffee. I work in the city so I stop in every once in a while when I don't have time in the morning to grab breakfast. My absolute favorite is their chicken salad sandwich or wrap. Best chicken salad I have ever had. The employees are super friendly as well! read more

Founders Cafe - american classic - Sandwiches Near Me - Rochester, New York

I love their Caesar salad - their dressing is fish-free! Their sandwiches are great too (try the Thanksgiving) and I really like their wide variety of housemade aiolis and sandwiches sauces. They have a ton of sandwich specials and even offer a rewards program. They also serve coffee, espresso drinks, and tea. Non-dairy options include almond milk. Founders also delivers within the immediate area, which is GREAT if you're craving a sandwich but just can't escape the office. read more

Super mid. Got a steak and cheese panini and it was a bit soggy, aioli wasn't a great add. Wouldn't say it was bad, but won't go again

I wanted to give a better rating but, I was sorely disappointed. I ordered the grilled veggie panini, mainly for the eggplant. Sandwich was made fresh. Good flavor, crisp panini, but no eggplant and very few veggies. litterally 2 small pieces of zucchini and summer squash, one piece of roasted pepper and spinach and 2 small tomatoes. When I asked where the eggplant was in my sandwich she told me they didn't have any. Please, NEXT TIME, tell the customer when the main ingredient is going to be missing. Come on! read more

The Sammy slapped hard asf. Like I loved it. It was so yummy yummy yummy in my tummy tummy tummy.

Great breakfast, coffee, lunch, and the cooookieeeees. Highly recommend!!! Lovely staff and there was plenty of seating in a great Rochester gem of a building. read more

This place is a superb place to get breakfast sandwiches. The Denver and the American classic are my favorites. I haven't tried any of the lunch options but I'm sure they're good too. The staff is always really nice and will bring your food out to you if you sit outside with a smile on their face. I'd definitely come again soon! read more

Founders Cafe is a really solid option for lunch if you work downtown. Their salads and sandwiches are super tasty--I've liked everything I've tried on the menu. The coffee drinks are great, too. They offer both made-to-order as well as grab-and-go options situated in a cooler by the checkout counter. If you're going for lunch right at noon (12-1pm), you might want to opt for the grab-and-go. Things get busy midday and the staff vibe is very relaxed, which makes things tough if you're on a schedule. If you have time to spare, get it made fresh! Last time I visited, I got the ham and swiss sandwich. The rye bread was amazing and the whole thing super flavorful. There is plenty of seating to relax and take a break midday if needed. I'm thrilled that Founders Cafe exists as an option for downtown lunching. read more

Maria and Mike are great and have quite the establishment going. My favorite is the "Benny" breakfast sandwich with aioli. My girl loves the Avocado toast with a latte. Haven't tried lunch here yet, but plan on very soon. We really enjoy this place and the atmosphere and vibe is friendly. read more

Went here on my jury duty break to hopefully eat a refreshing lunch and I was disappointed. The women who seemed to be running the shift was screaming at her workers and they all looked miserable. On top of that, my coffee was not so great and my panini was very soggy and had way too much pesto on it. Over all, the environment was very stressful and uncomfortable. read more

Stopped in here for lunch the other day while in the city for business. Place has a great setup for people downtown during the workweek as there are outlets for computers and chargers all over. I had the Reuben which was pretty good and the menu is pretty large so most people should be able to find something they like. The good: great setup for people downtown on business. Staff was super friendly and service was pretty quick. The meh: the location. If it weren't for the signs on the sidewalk I never would have known where this place was. The bad: nada. read more

Cute place! We stopped by on our way through Rochester and really enjoyed it. The employees were so nice and helpful and the food and coffee was delicious. We got avocado toast, the American classic breakfast sandwich, and a BLT and enjoyed them all. This was the biggest serving of avocado toast I've ever gotten- 2 slices of toast stacked with avocado and tomato! Perfect serving sizes. Very clean eating room and restroom. Such a cute place! We're glad we stopped by. read more

Typical downtown prices but probably the best food in the immediate area. Great coffee, nice selection of baked goods, and the salads and sandwiches I've had are fresh and flavorful. They get pretty busy at lunch but the quality is never lacking. read more

Founders Cafe - Sandwiches Near Me - Rochester, New York

I love everything about this place. Delightful service, delicious food, warm atmosphere, unique building, and solid Wi-Fi.

Founders Cafe is becoming my go-to lunch spot - the Founders Favorite salad is my personal favorite. Prices are reasonable for a downtown lunch and the selection is great. Every once in awhile they seem to run out of things (once they didn't have dried cranberries for my salad; another time there was only spinach for salads rather than mixed greens) but nothing that will keep me away. There is seating inside, and outside too for when the weather is nice. Great option for downtown lunch! read more

This is a great little cafe to meet up with friends at lunch time - especially if they work downtown. The food is quite tasty and the drinks are good too. This location seems to get really busy right around 12:30, so I suggest going a little early or a little late for lunch to make the most of your time. Their service can be a tad slow. But the space is nice, and it is very convenient! They seem to have an extensive menu, and I've only had a paninni, but that paninni was really good. The bread was just the right texture and thickness and the meat and cheese were in perfect combination. I literally scarfed down my food the last time I was there. You're also likely to see some locally famous faces in here. They will go unnamed, but you might recognize someone on your next visit. read more

My favorite lunch spot downtown. Offers a decent variety of vegan options. Soups are fresh tasty and homemade. The herb encrusted vegetable panini is outstanding. I recommend 10 out of 10 read more

Founders Café offers a full menu of breakfast items, sandwiches and wraps, panini and salads. Their Italian Trio Wrap with Genoa salami, ham, capicola, provolone, mesclun spring mix, red onion, and fresh sliced vine tomato and Horseradish-Chive dressing was outstanding. They also offer a full coffee menu. The service is friendly too. read more

Founders has a great location, delicious food, and they offer catering which everyone in my office always enjoys! Thanks for the great food and service. We're lucky to have you in Downtown Rochester! read more

Founders Cafe has great, fresh lunch options from sandwiches to salads. Their chicken salad is my favorite. I highly recommend!

Stopped in on a whim while attending a training from out of town. Nice, clean place; had the chipotle turkey panini which was delicious and for once had chipotle sauce that was actually a little spicy. Also got a homemade chocolate chip cookie that was melt in my mouth amazing. Liked it so much came back again the next day! Nice sizable portions, and for someone picky about their pop was pleased to see both Pepsi and Coke as options. Would come here again the breakfast menu also looks good. read more

I always hit up Founders for lunch when I'm in the ROC...it's a staple for alot of the employees who work in the area. It's pretty good...they should be familar with me by now :-) read more

Founders Cafe - Mango mint pineapple smoothie - Sandwiches Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Best chicken salad sandwich in Rochester. This bread and chicken is so fresh and their house sauce sweetens this sandwich up in all the right ways! read more

Excellent food. Tons of options. Cool location. Super friendly staff. Large selection of daily specials. I had the meatball hero and the meatballs were fantastic on a great crusty/soft roll. So good! This place is worth checking out!! read more

Wide variety of breakfast and lunch options. Yummy hot and cold offerings. A cut above. We stopped by on our way through town and were delighted. read more

This tiny cafe is secretly tucked away downtown near the Monroe County Executive Building inside a residential loft building. The staff were very pleasant and the food was very tasty and I would love to make this location a regular hotspot. However, I feel that the biggest draw back to this cafe is that fact that it is located downtown which means that parking is very hard to come by and that you will likely have to pay for it. read more

Founders Cafe - Great layout! - Sandwiches Near Me - Rochester, New York

I was looking up places to have new breakfast sandwiches on the weekends and heard about this place. The bread was very good and the regular was tasty I enjoyed it but wouldn't say it was the best I have had in Rochester. Went back and had their their BLT and it was delicious. Great place to go downtown and get a bite to eat for lunch! read more

I love coming here for a quick lunch during the work day. U can either grab already packaged sandwiches/salads or wait for the quick made menu items. I've done both and have enjoyed the quality of both. Last lunch I got was a "grab" from the cooler... gorgeous bread with turkey and cheese with fresh lettuce & got a bag of chips and didn't need them frankly..sandwich was filling enough Happy read more

Food is good, but be prepared to wait it you arrive after noon. I've waited over 20 minutes for soup and twice I've waited more than 30 min for a panini. Had I known I'd lose my entire lunch break wait about half the time I order from there, I'd have gone someplace else. Lesson learned. Please give customers an eta. read more

This place is amazing. Every time I go, the people are fantastic. Never had a disappointing drink and I love the ambiance. My favorite is the frappe (perfect for a hot summer day and a nice kick of coffee that a lot of frappes miss) and I cannot wait to come back when it is cooler for a nice warm coffee. read more

Founders Cafe is amazing- fresh delicious food!