This is the first time I have actually visited Monroe's. All previous interactions with Monroes have been ordering family meals that feed four; including Walnut Chicken Meal and Lasagna Meal. The chicken walnut family meal comes with a ton of food and is absolutely delicious (maybe the best chicken meal I have ever had). My visit here was for a celebration of life after a cemetery ceremony for family and friends to relive memories. This was a buffet containing 2 Meats (chicken and beef), pasta, vegetables (potatoes and asparagus) and salad and fruit. The bartender was awesome opening an open bar at last minute request and being open early for people to come in and get out of the cold and/or a drink. The food service was awesome and well managed and quality and taste was good. The setting and ambiance were beautiful. read more

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Went for dinner on a Saturday night with a group of six. We were seated promptly, but it took a little while for the waitress to get around to us. Cocktails were all good. All dinners include a salad, I opted for a Caesar, which was large and very fresh and good. The men had pasta dishes, the ladies all had salads. Portions were quite large, and all had leftovers to take home. Everyone enjoyed their meals. We weren't rushed at all, actually spent about three hours there. read more

Great food, large portions, and good service!! We also enjoyed the outdoor patio!! I would definitely recommend this place! read more

I went here on a date and we just had drinks at the bar. For being such a classic Rochester staple I was unimpressed at how poor my drink was. I ordered mojito. There was way more ice and water than there was alcohol and mint. I don't know that I've ever had a "bad" mojito before this. It's a pretty basic drink but they failed miserably. Also the noise level. It was SO loud. read more

Update.... It does not matter what you did after you completely insulted a guest to make up your lack of. Just bc you remade the meal does not define how insulted guests...that is not the point. If you were going to remake it any way how about a smile? I am so sorry you did not like it? What can I do to make it better for you? Again not one apology. What about hostess you don't teach them manners or respect on how to treat guests as they walk in? I don't care for the back and forth. I wanted to make sure other guests know how you treat people and will make sure none of my friends or family ever visit. Also if you felt you were so correct you would not be scared and remove my reviews from other sites. From the moment you walk in No smile no how are you! Known about a party if 8 for days....table was not set up. Waitress was outstanding. Hostess and manager Tracy were the rudest people you can ever meet. I should have known to walk right then. The waitress was very nice and that was the only good thing at that place last night. My daughter's birthday was completed ruined by the way the manager spoke to us and made us feel. A 15 year old did not like his lobster Mac and cheese. He did not say anything to me or anyone out of being respectful and being out to dinner with others he did not want to complain. I looked over at him at few times and the whole plate was full. He couldn't take even a few bites as I could see on his face how much he did not like it. We mentioned it to the manger Tracy politely and she very rudely said well why did you wait till the end to say something. And she said well that's just how we make it! I jumped in and said excuse me he is a kid and didn't want to be rude. Her eyes looked like she could murder us and made us feel as if we didn't want to pay or something. I paid a lot of money for this dinner and even tipped the waitress over the 22 percent about $90 just in tip! You think I'm gonna care over a a 30/40 dollar charge? I can tell from other reviews this is common way they treat guests. Just horrible after the amount of money guests spend. Upper management needs to look at Tracy and see how she is treating guests or you will continue to lose customers and money. Extremely sad! read more

Super disappointing. Waitress was very good but that isn't enough to bring us back. Husband ordered greens and beans and couldn't eat it as it was too salty. I ordered the duck ($42) and that entree was inedible because that too was too salty. Both dishes were sent back. We were not charged for the greens and beans but were charged for the duck. I can't imagine this business being around much longer. Such a waste of money. read more

We had a party of 8 for Mother's day Brunch . Place was over booked . Stood in line to get in . Stood in line for 15 to get food . The meats were cold . Never got refills for drinks . Very Disappointed. read more

Ask for Jade as your waitress. Got eggplant parm and a Cesar salad. Fantastic food. Here from Tennessee visiting. So glad that we stopped. Great Ambiance read more

Monroe's Restaurant - What was left of the Cesar salad and dinner - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I recommended Monroe's take out to several people. My sister ordered take out for 8 people. One of the guests spit out his salad because he bit into a stink bug. He left embarrassed. Others left soon after. The dinner party was ruined. She returned with the bug. The manager offered no apology and said he would give her another salad. He wouldn't even give her a gift certificate. I won't be going back and I won't recommend this restaurant. They fail to back their product. read more

Waited an hour for our food and when we asked about it we got a defensive waitress. Other tables around us were their food and they sat after us. Very dissatisfied, made it seem like it was our fault. read more

I usually come here for events and the food was always good. So we decided to come here for dinner and they didn't disappoint. The service, the employees and the food was great. We came early so we sat at the bar and had a drink. While we were sitting there. This couple was arguing with the manager about a gift card that had no money on it that they were trying to use. The manager was very professional, calm and patient with them. She handled it very well. She ended up seating us shortly after and we let her know how well she did with that rude couple. We sat outside. It was quite and they way they have it decorated with the lights gave a beautiful ambiance. Our waitress was very nice and helpful. Everything we ordered came out quickly. We got the antipasto platter, crab stuffed mushrooms, seafood fra diavlo and Delmonico steak. Everything was delicious. We went home so full and still had food to take home. The portion sizes are huge. We can't wait to go back. read more

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Save your money. The waitress was good. We had several different dishes. Lasagna, gnocchi, chicken French, duck. The portions were so large. The chicken was dry, the sauce was bland. The was no seasoning. The lasagna was mush. It was just gross. read more

My husband and I went to Monroe's for our 10th anniversary. The food was excellent, especially the calamari. Service was efficient and our server was pleasant and friendly. This is an upscale restaurant and priced accordingly which I expected. What I did not expect was the very generous portions! There is an entire second meal to take home. The total experience here exceeded expectations and we will be coming back soon! read more

Very disappointing dining experience. We unfortunately got seated next to a group of 25+. We sat there for almost 20 minutes before anyone came to our table to bring water and take our drink order. It took over another 15 minutes before we got our drinks. Then we had to listen to one man at the large table complaining to the manager, as he is pointing at us, complaining how we received our bread and salads before his table of 25+ people. From that point, the staff and manager was only focused on the large group. We had to go to bar to get more drinks. All they said was sorry we had a large table. Then we had to wait 15 minutes to get our check. Never going back. John Morell read more

I have to say this was the worst dining experience I've ever had!!! The steak we ordered was served raw when ordered medium. When brought to the attention of manager she got very defensive and said we should have said something before we ate most of it when there was two bites out of it. The rest of food was mediocre at best. Save your money and go to Applebees! The food is better and staff is much classier. Shame on Monroe's they are an embarrassment to Rochester dining. read more

Monroe's is our goto place for Friday fish fry and the very delicious haddock French. The portions are huge. Service is great and always a great experience. It seems there is always a crowd but it does not effect the quality of preparation or service. read more

Monroe's Restaurant - Benchmark fish fry. What else is there to say! - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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First time at Monroe's and was a great experience. Love the atmosphere of the location. We got to the location prior to our reservation and had a quick drink at the bar and was served promptly. Once seated, our service was great. Our appetizer, the roasted calabrian brussel sprouts, was absolutely delicious. Possibly my favorite part of the meal. Each entree came with an ample size salad with fresh veggies. My dish, the walnut crusted chicken, was a very large portion. Had plenty of leftovers to take home. Highly recommend. Definitely will be returning at some point. read more

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Amazing food, waitress went above and beyond. The service was definitely one of the best experiences I ever had encountered with a server. The ambiance was pretty cool Def going going back read more

Monroe's NEVER disappoints! They have a HUGE menu at reasonable prices, with the largest portions you've ever seen. The drink menu is extensive as well. They have a large indoors and outdoor space in nice weather on the patio. My personal favorite item on the menu is the walnut crusted chicken...it may sound unusual but it is the best thing I've ever tasted! Their mashed potatoes are also to die for. I've never had bad service. I always recommend Monroe's for large groups or a special occasion and I can't wait to go back! read more

Monroe's Restaurant - Walnut crusted chicken - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Came for a family birthday dinner.food was very moderate, could honestly get the same steak at Applebee, they rush food and will just reheat whatever you send back, floors are greasy, and the tall older blonde waitress was very unhelpful and has a very arrogant attitud. manager Resolution to all this was two cannolis for a table of 7.... won't be coming back here read more

Cozy spot for a wintry night Had a spontaneous meet up with some friends - east parking Friendly staff - great happy hour specials Nice spot to gather read more

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Interesting menu. Delicious salmon. Great service. Ample parking Will definitely return

This was probably one of the worst dining experiences we've ever had. Food was just ok, but the attitudes of the people who worked there was terrible! From the young woman at the hostess stand who made a snarky comment to a woman in our party, to our waitress who kept pushing appetizers and when we said we'd order after we enjoyed a drink she disappeared for a long time. We sat there for a good 45+ minutes without a drink after finishing our first and we were ready to order. Once she finally appeared to take care of another table we had to flag her down to tell her we were ready to order, she was rude and had an excuse that she had other tables. We sat down at 6:00 and didn't get served till 8:30! She was extremely snippy and when we asked her name she came back with a sarcastic comment. We've eaten there multiple times but won't be going back any time soon after the way we were treated. Not what we were expecting from a supposed "nice" restaurant! read more

I was there celebrating my parent's 50th anniversary. The waitress was amazing but the food was terrible. I have been at your restaurant and I always get a great impression. I even went to the brunch for Mother's Day and even we were disappointed with the lay out, bumping on people, we enjoyed the food, and we decided to go back. This time we got steak that was over cook, no medium rare like my father asked. Also, the tuna that my mother want, was over cook. I requested a duck dish and the whole dish looks like a garbage plate. The presentation was horrible and no flavor. We paid over $600,00 to be so disappointed. The appetizers were ok. It was a celebration that ended up so bad. A 50th weeding anniversary doesn't happen a lot and we just want to have a great time celebrating with good food. read more

The steak special on Wednesdays is great and the portions are huge! Great restaurant!

So much potential that just kind of fell flat. We were sat in the first area of the dinning room which have bucket chairs for all the tables ... felt like it would have been a lounge seating but just so impractical for actual dining. I'm on the shorter side and felt like I needed a booster seat just to reach the table to eat my food. We Started with the grilled foccaccia with ricotta and tamponade which was a great start but the meals were strange. I got the verdita pasta with chicken which was nice. My husband got the Calabrian rigatoni which was very spicy - were no strangers to Calabrian but were surprised they'd give that much spice for a dish. The biggest surprise was the Porterhouse steak my MIL ordered - it came with raw onions and tomatoes? very strange to see a huge steak with sautéed mushrooms come with raw veggies like that. Overall if we come back we'll probably just stick with an array of apps. read more

I went to this restaurant 9/11. I ordered the Sea bass. I watched another couple come in prior to us. They had their Salad bread and food before we did. When our food came they were done eating. Finally our food arrived. The plate was warmer than the food. I wasn't impressed with my meal and the way it tasted. It was like it was prepared by a short order cook. I will not be returning. read more

I used to love Monroe's chicken French. Unfortunately, the last two times I have been, I've been very disappointed. I am not sure if they changed chefs or maybe it an off night. But definitely means they are not consistent. The food was ok, but definitely missing sauce. They didn't pound the chicken enough, so it wasn't tender like a bunch of other local restaurants. We have tried their red sauce which is also mediocre. Prices have also increased significantly in the past two years. Chicken French used to be $24 now it's $34. Quality has gone down and prices have gone up. Maybe it's just the economy, but I will most likely be going else where for delicious food in the future. Don't get me wrong, if someone wants/suggests to go here, I will. But it definitely would not be my first choice. So disappointing. read more

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Last night two dear friends treated my husband and I to dinner at Monroe's in celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary. Our mood was festive, especially after the Prosecco we started out with, and our palettes were poised to taste fabulousness. The fresh rolls with herb seasoned olive oil and the appetizers, Artichokes French and Fried Calamari, were very tasty. Fabulousness ended there. My husband ordered the DelMonico Steak ($48), medium rare. It came medium well, looking like it had been fried in a pan instead of grilled, and was not tender or flavorful. The accompanying mashed potatoes and asparagus were nondescript. I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Mahi ($42). The parmesan crust was blackened instead of golden and did nothing for the flavor of the dish except to make it overly salty. The fish itself was overcooked, tough and flavorless. The accompanying fingerling potatoes were headed towards burnt and were too greasy and too salty. Monroe's is supposed to be a high-end restaurant. We should have walked out of there raving over how delicious everything was. Instead we walked out of there feeling full but not satisfied, upset that our friends had spent a fortune taking us out to dinner and it wasn't even worth it. Bottom Line - Worst restaurant ever. We'll never go back. read more

Dinner early on Wednesday 1/24 to avoid the epic parking issues at Monroe's. The back parking lot remains unlit and not safe. Nicely seated near the fireplace. No corkage fee so bought our own bottle of wine. Waitress was personable and helpful. Salads were good! We did upgrade salads to Caesar and wedge. Steak night is Wednesday. It took a long time to receive any food. When we received our steaks, medium rare x 2 and medium they were absolutely hammered... well well done. We flagged the waitress who had to get a manager. All three had to be refired and were done correctly. Potatoes were lukewarm at best as was the asparagus. Meh... read more

Monroe's food is absolutely delicious. And the portions were massive. Everything has such great flavors. Our waitress was very kind and helpful. Service was a bit slow but we were sat on a Friday evening. Each course was perfectly timed. I want to come back and try more of what they have to offer. read more

Monroe's Restaurant - Braise beef short rib ragu - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Service was great - 5 stars! I think her name was Anna. Potato Croquettes were our appetizers and they were good. My wife liked them more than I did, but they were good. After that, we both had the 12oz. NY Strip Steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Came with house salads before. It was Wednesday (steak night). Both steaks were cooked perfectly and juicy! We were also able to bring our own bottle of wine Wednesday night. The discounted steak paired with the BYOB allowed for a very nice affordable night out. We enjoyed our time at Monroe's and will definitely be back! The ambience was chill, clean, and calmly lit - lots of candles! read more

Monroe's Restaurant - 12oz NY Strip Steak - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Our first time at Monroe's and maybe our last. Food was good, service ok. We were a party of 11 and were told they would not do separate checks. We were ok with that but when it came time to pay, our server was very flustered with multiple cards. After about 30 minutes, our server came back to us and said their POS was not working properly and could only run two cards so she just put the remaining balance on my card! She never asked me or let us know there was an issue. It wasn't even my party. I now have to collect from everyone. We would have appreciated the choice of whose card was charged and could have discussed other options. In this age of technology, this was really unacceptable. This was a 45 minute fiasco and made for a bad end to a good evening. I would expect better with an $800 bill. read more

Absolutely loved the scallops (as always) and the sugar cookie cheesecake feature was the perfect treat to end to our meal! Great service and cozy ambiance, especially in the booths! read more

Monroe's Restaurant - Scallops entree - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Had a really good meal. The portions size is almost too large. Prices are expensive but again portions are huge. I could take half the food for 2/3 the price. Our server was enthusiastic. I knocked off 1 star for 2 reasons. The white martini was not well done and I don't like when they won't allow 2 checks for a party of 4. Just silly. It's a little more work for the server but I tip accordingly. All in all a fun night with friends and good food. read more

Everything went well. Our waitress was very pleasant and provided us with very good suggestions for ordering. My cocktail of choice was a Basil Handen dark Rye. Waitress was not sure if they had that specific Bourbon and return with it with a couple of pieces of ice. Just as I ordered. The dinner Entress we ordered came out just as ordered. We ordered a Delmonico steak cooked rare and also a Haddock French. Both dishes were excellent. read more

Absolutely a terrible experience!!! Worst experience I've had in 20 years. Service was awful. 10 minutes to get a drink (only 4 people at the bar). 25 minutes to get our simple appetizers and an hour plus to get an entrees. I finally asked to pay for the two bottles of wine I bought and my salad (over cooked streak) and the manager (who is not qualified to work at McD's says, we don't do separate checks. If you want terrible service and overrated food. Monroe's is your placed to go! read more

Came here for a work dinner and was satisfied with my experience. I ordered the Calabrian rigatoni without sausage and the portions were huge! The sauce was spicy and creamy and the brocollini was a nice add to the meal. read more

Monroe's Restaurant - Calabrian rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

I gave Monroe's a glowing review for their Thanksgiving buffet last year. This year the food was excellent, especially the turkey , mashed potatoes and pies. Unfortunately, by time the crowds in long lines got back to their tables, they were cold. My husband and I waited at our table and stood in line for well over 45 minutes before we sat down with our plate . Monroe's should consider a number of revisions to create a better Thanksgiving experience: 1. I was told that 200 people were served every two hour seating period. Take fewer reservations. Please. 2. Have the buffet items filled promptly so that people don't have to hold up the line waiting for an item. 3. Set the buffet tables in the center of the room so patrons can serve themselves from both sides. 4. Leave the foyer open; put the plates at the first buffet station. PS : The husband says, pudding or not, the corn dish should be served hot. read more

Monroe's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Very unwelcoming experience. First of all the hostess, with her crooked eyebrows, was giving us unwarranted attitude. She was acting like this place is the Ritz-Carlton (it's not). We feared our server was going to topple over carrying our two drinks. A gust of wind could sweep her away. This place is 90 degrees at all times. I had beads of sweat dropping into my food. Monroe's has more rules than a second grade classroom. Every time you turn a corner there is a sign with more rules posted. Half the menu is a list of fees they will charge if you misbehave. The cherry on top was a horse fly that kept buzzing around the room. I was surprised our server did not try to charge us the $10 plate share fee for the fly. read more