Jay's has been a "go to" place for me for (OMG!) over 50 years. It's had a facelift or two over the years, but I still come back for the food. I have visited Jay's in various stages of sobriety and I always enjoy the "laid back" style to the food and atmosphere. I'm not here for a formal five course meal. I'm here for some comfort food. And Jay's has never let me down. My wife has become a fan of Jay's too. She's from Chicago and has a pretty experienced pallet, but Jay's has won her over. If you've never been to Jay's, check it out. The art deco decor is welcoming and the staff is friendly too. OK, get out there and enjoy! read more

Great Old Fashioned Diner! The menu is very big and gives a lot of options and the prices are decent. The waitresses are sweet and ready to serve, would 100% be back. read more

A through I, move over. K through Z, forget it. It's all about J's Diner. Because here at J's, you can get Juice, you can get Jerk Chicken, you can get Jambalaya, and you can get Java Coffee. And the customers are all Jerks and the waitresses have really big J... So anyway. Jay's is actually nothing like I just said it was. It has very fond memories for me, because a million years ago, I came here with three girls: Amanda, Annette and Julie. It was a lovely time, and we shared a Chicken Souvlaki and some other random stuff. I remember the Chicken Souvlaki being absolutely delicious, even though I was completely exhausted from an amazing concert at Starry Nites Cafe which over 100 people had shown up to (outside on the sidewalk). Great times. I came back here with Julie years later and it just wasn't as good. The souvlaki is served on a skewer and it seemed a little dry, burned, and tasteless. The salad wasn't as good either. So from a definite 5 it went down to more like a 2, unfortunately. But because of the fond memories and the fact that it's a locally owned place, it averages out to a 4. I'll give it another try one of these days and see if it's any better than it was the second time I came. So to speak. read more

Love the ambience and food was good. Customer service was amazing too. Went there for the breakfast on a Saturday. It was very busy on that day. I ordered a classic breakfast with sausage home fries and onions with jalapeño. Ample Amount of place here. Coffee was warm enough. Its open 24 hours and has good parking site. read more

Jay's Diner - Classic breakfast with sausage and jalapeño ,onion home fries. - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

It's so difficult to find a restaurant that open late at night, so Thank you Jay's Diner! I tend to come here more often during the winter time, early breakfast then head out to ski/snowboarding. It's a great place to eat with your friend/colleague since the price of the meal is so reasonable. It's pretty busy in the weekend/early morning. Great place for pancakes and omelets! Most of the time I forget to take pictures of my meal. This is I have so far: -Farmer's Frittata (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jays-diner-rochester#YCJqEYweXn6XIYUgHgfuYA) -Philly Warp w/ Mac (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jays-diner-rochester#DHaEfbudH4W0BBYHQ1oFVA) Tip: Jay's Diner is nearby Harley Davidson, 10% discount for student (bring your Student-ID/Cash Only) read more

Jay's Diner - Philly Warp w/ Mac - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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SAVE YOUR MONEY GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! We ordered 2 omelets, pancakes & French Toast. Did not give us the pancakes & both omelets are dryer than a desert. The French Toast tastes like it's out of a freezer.​ read more

Hair in my tea water dirty cup couldn't eat my food after seeing the hair and dirty cup

i have been going here since for a while. it is a diner the food is amazing for those who can enjoy the smaller things. the service is great even if sometimes it's not the best bc they're people too and it's cheap and quick. even on the busiest days its half the wait you'd get anywhere else. Good seating and menu. The ambiance is great due to the classic lighting and seating which are comfortable unlike some other places which make you feel like you're sitting on concrete covered with mesh. read more

My cousin and his wife hosted a brunch at Jay's Diner recently. We were a group of around 12 people. Jay's Diner is very much a typical diner with typical greasy diner food. It's ok for what it is. Don't be expecting anything original or anything "with a twist." I had the Roast Beef French Dip with fries ($7.99). The sandwich was pretty unremarkable. It was a toasted bun with onions, cheese and roast beef (the roast beef was satisfactory both in taste and in quantity). The au jus for dipping was very watery and too salty for my taste. The fries were battered and very very crispy. My husband had the Turkey Melt ($7.50) with onion rings (an extra $1.99). It was deli meat turkey with cheese and tomato on rye. I didn't have any, but he said it was ok. I did have some onion rings. They were hot and crispy. I liked them. Most other people had breakfast dishes (eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy etc.) which looked ok. Someone had spaghetti, which looked like spaghetti that would be served at a diner. My aunt gave me one of her hashbrowns, which was delicious. It tasted like the hashbrowns at McDonalds! Apparently Jay's Diner is where a lot of college kids go after a night of drinking. Or so this is what the Rochester residents tell me. The service is excellent. The waitress was super nice. Our waters and coffees were re-filled often. If you are looking for a greasy spoon with good prices, big portions and nice service, this place would meet your needs. I probably would have loved this place 15-20 years ago, but I'm not so into greasy spoons anymore. Decor is cute and retro. Lots of free parking. read more

The fact that Jay's is open 24 hours makes it amazing. Getting a tuna melt at 2am after going to the bar is sometimes just what you need, as is a giant breakfast plate on a Saturday morning. The food is standard diner fare. Everything is good. I love their tuna melts and clam chowder. Cheap, greasy(in the best way possible), and generous portions. The waitresses are always nice! One time I asked for chips instead of fries, and the waitress informed me that, while that was possible, it wasn't a good deal for me to get chips. She offered me a whole list of other options. When my food came, she had given me the other side AND chips. read more

Jay's Diner - Tuna melt and clam chowder! - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Oh gosh, hmmmmm, at a loss for words. I ordered the florentine benedict. The frozen spinach or maybe boiled I'm not sure didn't taste badly and there was plenty of it, but it sogged out my English muffin. The hollandaise was also ok flavored but had broken/seperated. The poached egg was perfectly cooked. The home fries were good. Although we were asked if everything was ok a few times the water and coffee wasn't refilled until we asked. read more

Average diner experience for appearance. The diner is larger than it appears from the front. There are a number of dining rooms as well as counter seating. There were several TV screens showing Family Feud in Closed Caption. There were lots of people in the restaurant for a late breakfast. The service was slow. The breakfast meal from seating to finish the plate should not take 45 minutes. The coffee was good. The scrambled eggs were over cooked; the pancakes were ok but not as good as Denny's. There was a single sausage patty along with the two eggs and two pancakes. The syrup was watery and they used some sort of soybean-based butter spread instead of real butter Really, sport for real butter and better syrup. read more

Let's play Jeopardy. A: How bad can it get. Q: What is Jay's Diner? Cold potatoes, surly waitress, and slow service left me wanting more. The best part of the experience was checking out as the lovely, young lady at the register listened to my comments and took 10% off. This place is now an "inside joke" for my family as bottom of the food dining chain. read more

Jay's Diner - Hot tea & interesting reading. - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

The interior is cute. That's about it. I went here last week to get an early breakfast with a friend before shopping, and the place wasn't very busy. It took forever to get service. The waitress didn't come by with coffee very often, and didn't bring syrup to go with the french toast. I got a breakfast special and the eggs didn't come out right for my order, and they were barely cooked for my friend's breakfast. I understand when places are slammed, but the service and food were lacking...sorry Jay's. read more

It was pretty good! They are open 24/7 and so I really liked that. Even when they were super busy, the food came out relatively fast. Everything was so cheap up here in comparison to the Virginia area. The portions are really big too!! I got the corned beef hash and another time I got eggs with gyro meat. They do they eggs perfectly to order and I really appreciated that. I liked the service and would definitely come back again if I were in the area. They can do modifications and I really liked that! They have a big menu so that's always good. read more

I've been to Jay's Diner several times although always after midnight. They offer a large variety of desserts and standard diner fare. The service has always been excellent, and the staff are eager to please. I recently ordered strawberry shortcake (btw, served on a biscuit, not shortcake) and there was too much strawberry juice which turned the dish to mush. I mentioned it to the waitress who apologized, told me it was completely her fault because she made it, and whisked it away. She returned a moment later with a new one, freshly made with less juice. I've been there with parties of 2, 5, or as many as 20+ people, multiple checks, various stages of rowdiness, and the servers are always patient and accommodating. If I lived in Rochester, this would definitely be on my regular rotation of restaurants. read more

Jay's Diner - Strawberry shortcake sundae :-) - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

The worst...flies flying around over your food and waitresses do not even try to apologize and do some customer service. Dirty place. I too couple of bites but then threw it away to avoid poisoning...who knows how their kitchen area is cleaned. I am not going out to eat food with flies and suspect they do jot wash their hands either before cooking or cookware as appropriate for infection control. read more

Great food! Came all the way from Columbus ohio to see the bills bengals game only issue about this place is the noise and how we could hear everybody's conversations read more

Breakfast food came out fast and hot . Priced reasonably, decent menu. The place appeared clean including the silverware . Coffee cups could stand bleaching . read more

Looking for a fun diner experience? Jay's Diner is place ti dine. The decor is 50's. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Huge omelets, pancakes and waffles. Breakfast all day. Can't be beat. A fun time. Greak service and staff. read more

Stopped in for lunch with two friends around 1230pm on a Thursday and found the place busy but with plenty of open tables. Two of us ordered a turkey burger with feta cheese off of their daily specials menu. I subbed a pasta salad for the fries to lower the caloric impact further. My burger arrived quickly and was well prepared with lettuce and tomato among the fixings. The feta cheese gave it a different texture and taste that I enjoyed. Their pasta salad was fresh and gone in no time. Service throughout lunch was good but not great. There's lot to choose from their menu and I would return again to try something new. read more

Whenever I take a trip out to Rochester, it almost invariably includes a visit to Jay's. ...this is partly because it is open 24/7 of course, but it also does have really good diner food at pretty reasonable prices. This past visit, I tried a plain french dip which was quite good. Tasty bread with a stack of thick-sliced beef, it was accompanied by some of the best fries I've had in ages. Probably not what I need at 11:00 at night, but pretty much worth the calories. The others in the party had an array of sandwiches with different sides, and everyone seemed quite pleased with their choices. It was a bit late for dessert, but I am told the desserts and milk shakes are also fantastic. The ones in the display case certainly looked tasty... Service was also awesome. My sister knew the waitress, a cheerful and helpful sort, who I am told is a favorite. She was very friendly and made us feel right at home while we were there. As to atmosphere, the place just oozes retro kitsch with the pink, teal, and silver under the colorful glow of neon accent lights. I actually find it a bit nostalgic since it reminds me of that crazy 50's phase everything went through when I was a kid in the late 80's, with everything being pastels, neon, and chrome. While it is pretty bubblegum, the down-to-earth servers in normal clothes keep it from becoming a flat out theme restaurant. Anyway, it's nothing super fancy, but it is nonetheless a place that will definitely stay on the "regular" list when I'm in the Rochester area. read more

Jay's Diner - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Jay's is decent. They definitely slipped during Covid, but TBH I found that to be true for every restaurant. They can be hit or miss even in good times though. Sometimes you get a surly or inattentive server. A food item may just be "off" or not cooked well. Their zucchini *fries* are awesome, but sometimes the "fried zucchini" are breaded *slices* that are too bready and greasy. We call ahead to find out which are being served. That said, I don't think I've ever had a *bad* experience here. It's Jay's. You get what you get. read more

This is a great diner. Even coming on Sunday at 11am during the busy time we were seated and our orders taken very quickly, and our food came out shortly. The service and staff are excellent. The menu has a ton of options, so there's something for everyone, and the food is fresh and tastes great. Good comfort food! read more

Jay's Diner - Eggs Benedict and a waffle! - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Nice diner, just the right amount of food. Not expensive. It took us some time to get our food. We went twice.

This place was sooooo good. Our server was so sweet and attentive I can't remember her name but she had red short hair. Food was perfect I had the eggs Florentine and stuffed French toast with strawberries and chocolate milk. The ambience was chill. I'll def eat there again if I go back to that area. oh my sister ordered the soup with beef I believe she said it was amazing and ordered extra to-go read more

Jay's Diner - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Good food but really crappy attitude from the middle aged hostess with glasses and curly hair. She was sooo annoyed that we had to move booths because the baby car seat wasn't wide enough for a high chair. Like unnecessarily annoyed with the situation and was going back and forth with my sister on the why she's asked us in the beginning if we needed a high chair. First we said no because we thought the booth was wide enough, but it wasn't so big right? Wrong apparently lol. Minor but not the best experience for breakfast luckily our server was so nice and cute read more

I've been going to Jay's most of my life and they've never disappointed me. They've got just about the best clam chowder in town and a vast menu. I got the seafood platter and it was fine. My son got the hot dog and fries. Everything was cooked properly and quickly. The waitress was attentive almost to a fault and we tipped her 40%. Jay's is pretty much my favorite diner here. read more

First I was quoted over the phone for my pick up BLT of $11.50 but when I got there the manager maroon hair and piercings' $11.87. Mind you she never looked at me as I walked in she focused looking to her left and rung up my item. I went to hand her my card she took it swiped it left the receipt on the counter and almost ran away. I asked to speak to the manager she rolled her eyes giggled and said I am the manager. When I asked her was there a problem she said I don't touch people. I did not change another word with her because she took the card from my hand. What was the issue handing it back to me?? Instead of tossing it to the counter? So, I see in Jay's Dinner you can working in the back and stay in your place. It would of been nice if when this manager is working to put a sign in the window NO ___allowed. Never the less I through the food out, that was a $11.87 lesson, we still have a ways to go, when we over come. Brenda B. PLEASE KNOW I DID NOT WANT TO RATE THEM THIS ONE STAR BUT IT WON'T SEND WITHOUT IT. read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would, the food was terrible, coffee was cold, customer service was rat droppings. Wouldn't ever recommend this place to anyone unless you're coming to see the sunflowers OUTSIDE. read more

Typical diner food, with a good atmosphere, acceptable service, and hours that can't be beat. I don't have a lot of experience with their extensive menu, but I can vouch for their Colorado Omelette. I've been here more than several times, mostly for meeting up with people because of the convenience of this place, and overall I've been happy. Now is it a place to write home about? Probably not, and I'd advise saving this one for when you're out at an odd hour, but it's definitely in the top half of the Rochester diner places I've been to. read more

Stopped in late night for some dessert while on a date. Clean place with friendly staff. Our server was patient while we talked, and looked at the menu. Many dessert options, we split a slice of peanut butter pie a la mode. Was a nice quiet place to enjoy a delicious dessert read more

Typical diner. You don't come here waiting to be wowed, come for a standard comfort food. Service was fine, par with any diner.

I moved to Rochester in 1976.Jay's Diner which is still in the same location on W.Henrietta Rd.that it now stands.It was one of the busiest restaurants in Rochester. Things and ownership have changed dramatically over the years.It was nicely remodeled and expanded 20 years ago.The world has changed and so has Jay's.. unfortunately not for the better.Food quality has degraded dramatically as prices have increased dramatically. Cleanliness has gone down and tackiness of signage etc.is really an eyesore in this day and age when so many professional looking things are readily accessible. Now, on to my food reportage.Last week, on a spur of the moment dining out impulse, we ended up at Jay's. I had been craving a good ole' Rochester haddock fish fry.They used to have one of the best fish fry dinners in town along with great clam chowder.Let me tell you,fellow Yelpers,that has really changed for the worse.Undercooked breaded haddock was inedible. Coleslaw was old and funky tasting.The clam chowder was reminiscent of school paste.I vowed not to return since I had a few similar prior experiences regarding food quality in the no so distant past.Unfortunately, I was dragged to Jay's tonight with some other people who picked Jay's because they knew it wouldn't be too busy to accommodate our party of 5 quickly...duh...there's a reason they won't be too busy when every place else is swamped!.True to Jay's current form,my Buffalo Chicken salad was nasty.Way too much hot sauce on the one cut up fried breaded chicken tender.It was on top of crispy romaine lettuce with some soggy overripe slices of tomatoes.The waitress forgot the croutons and it came with thinned out Bleu cheese dressing all for $12.99 ???.Not what I call a value quality product. My one grandson wasn't very hungry and ordered cheese fries.It was basically their side order of frozen fries with 1 ounce of shredded cheddar cheese on top only and overly melted under a salamander heater.The other 3 meals were equally blah,including a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato on sourdough bread.When I looked at the check I saw that the 7.99 sandwich had been enhanced with $1.50 charge for bacon,69cents more for tomato and $1.99 more because it was on sourdough bread....are you kidding me??!!! I will not be returning, and I will predict that the new Sunny's Diner down the road will soon put Jay's out of business. Sadly. read more

We stop at Jay's for lunch when ever we are in the area with the hungeries. I always get a bowl of the Clam Chowder. It is very thick and seasoned well. A simple recipe with the most clams I've ever had in a bowl. Delicious. I always get a quart to take home. Get a bowl with a Ruben Sandwich, you'll leave with a smile. read more

I was there sat night and they still have freakin flies!! And they are the only restaurant open 24 hrs! I have decided to call the board of health on them. read more

We had a fabulous dinner. Both of us picked the veal parmesan special. Totally worth it, had enough left over for a whole other meal. Service was awesome. Tammy was very nice and pleasant. The pie looked so good, but too full to eat anymore. We plan on coming again just to get dessert. read more

The food was only good when the son Michael was cooking... gone down hill since he's been gone... he kept Jays Alive.... We no longer go there since he is no longer there... read more

Good food and service, and opens 24/7- these 3 alone should give Jay's diner a solid 3 stars. There are a lot of items on the menu and I have not had opportunities to try them all, but I have tried Omelettes, Chicken Wings, Wraps, Milk Shakes, and a few other menu items that I cannot remember the names at the moment. I think I stop by Jay's Diner at least once when I am up in Rochester. It's not a bad place considering this is one of the very few places that stay open late at night in Rochester. read more

Usually enjoy this place for breakfast but not today. When food arrived my eggs Benedict hollandaise was broken- pointed it out to waitress who said she was sorry. My husband asked for hot sauce and got Tabasco- when he opened the ketchup bottle it spayed out all over him- he went to the restroom to clean up and there were no paper towels. There was a man hanging outside begging for food and coffee the waitress explained he was from the methadone clinic across the street and often comes there for a handout- it was very unsettling to the customers as he argued with employees who gave in and got him food and coffee to leave. I wish I would have received a discount on my breakfast read more