What people need to understand, especially after Covid. To keep up the same quality, standards and guest relations and keep their head above water. They did it! As well as many others. People, human beings expect the same exact thing to happen before, during and after a pandemic. Is that happening at your work? Probably not. So quit with the bs and be thankful a server, bartender, manager or guest relations is there in the first place. Unless you're served dog shit. Be thankful. read more

We ended up here last night after another restaurant screwed up our reservation. We hadn't planned to go here but we were driving by trying to find another place for dinner and it looked nice so we went in. What a great surprise--the restaurant is beautiful, they have live music, and there is an awesome outdoor patio. We got there around 8:30 and were able to sit down right away. We ordered drinks, an appetizer to share, and dinner. The food and service were excellent and everyone in my family was happy. I look forward to going back soon. read more

Four of us had dinner reservations at 6:30 and we were seated promptly. Took a while for the server to come over and there were VERY long stretches between when they'd take orders, bring items and check on us. We ordered an appetizer that never came. Luckily we weren't charged. Ordered the "shareable" tacos for the meal which were delicious but not sure how they could be shared. There are three and they are messy. No real way to divvy up easily if you wanted to share with more than three people. Friend ordered burger with side of Mac salad but was brought fries instead. Chèvre pizza wasn't just ok. NEVER got water refills until I went to the bar and asked. Ridiculous! All in all good was ok, service wasn't great and pace of meal was off. They have some work to do but it has potential. read more

stopped in prior to a show at Geva theater. The staff was great and the menu was unique-one of my favorite things in a restaurant. I enjoyed the fish special as well as the hummus platter. I also loved my cocktail-very creative options! read more

I feel like three stars is a good fit for this establishment. It's not bad. I just think this restaurant makes a lot of strange choices. I feel like they are doing it to maybe set themselves apart but, they just turn out to be unpleasant. I went to dinner with my family on a Saturday night. The host whom I also assume is the GM was great! Super friendly and helpful. It also seemed like he was picking up any slack in the restaurant. Unfortunately, our sever was not up to the same standard. He wasn't rude but, he wasn't friendly. He walked away so quickly after telling us the specials we couldn't ask any questions. Just bam! Specials and gone. He actually pointed at my sister and said "okay you" when taking her order. It was pretty off putting. There was also the issue of appetizers not being cleared before entrees being brought out, so it's kind of a scramble to make space. It's not a big deal, just an annoyance. The food was good for the most part. I just really can't get behind the blueberry ketchup. I don't understand it or why it's on so many dishes on the menu. It's a blueberry syrup. It's overly sweet and a liquid. Making your own ketchup? Great! Why can't it just be a really good homemade ketchup? The coq au vin was decent. Was it worth $25? No. It was a chicken leg and some vegetables. Also, it was served in a bowl. I really don't understand things that need to be cut with a fork and knife being put in a bowl. We also ordered a burger to go and it didn't even dawn on us that our waiter didn't ask how we wanted it cooked. When we got home and opened it, it was well done and dry. Overcooked $17 burger, great. The charcuterie was probably the biggest disappointment. It comes with about 4 slices of meat and a few pieces of cheese. The remainder of the board was just accompaniments. What did you want us to do with the huge pile of raisins? The pile was larger than the meat and cheese combined. They give you pickled onions, jam, mustard but, only a handful of super flimsy crisps to put it on. It's just all extras and not nearly enough of what I actually ordered (meat and cheese). I would prefer if you took all of the fluff off and just gave a decent portion of meat and cheese. On the positive! The steak frites had a really nice quality beef, really full of flavor and tender. Also, the bread and butter...wonderful. The cocktails we had were great and there were plenty of different options. I guess I would recommend this place for cocktails before a show at Geva. Also, maybe some bread and butter with the drinks. Other than that, it was just meh. read more

We had happy hour here this weekend and had a really enjoyable experience. We didn't get food, but the drinks and service were great. The atmosphere is nice. The bar opens up to the patio and has a really modern and trendy feel. The bartenders were all very personable and accommodated my pregnant friend with mocktails! We definitely want to go back and try the food next time. read more

I would agree with some of the other reviews, this is a new place working out their kinks. Food came out in stages... not wanting to be rude we waited about 5 minutes for the rest of the table to get food... so ours was cold. Waitress had almost no knowledge of the menu and no motivation to acquire any. When you advertise yourself as upscale dining, your servers really need to provide exceptional service. read more

After a disappointing first visit for post-show cocktails and dinner when initially opened, my husband and I were encouraged by a friend to give Native another try. The three of us visited again last week and were absolutely blown away with how after a shaky start they recognized and made positive adjustments. The attentiveness when we first sat down for a pre-dinner cocktail at the bar (a perfectly shaken martini), and throughout the evening was exceptional. My husband's steak special was tender, juicy, and cooked exactly to what he requested. My gnocchi special with a beef ragu was a wonderfully unique blend of flavors- kudos to the chef! Our friend ordered the Coq au Vin which was the best any of us at the table had ever tasted anywhere in Europe or the U.S. I could keep writing about the incredible bottle of wine shared, to the desserts ... but will just end this review with a final recommendation. Move Native to the top of your 'must try' Rochester dining list! read more

My husband and I wandered in for our anniversary, not knowing Native had just opened. What a happy accident! We each had an incredible cocktail, split a phenomenal farm-to-table summer veggies salad, and shared two entrees (the Arctic Char is NOT to be missed!). Everything was phenomenal and the wait staff was the perfect level of attentive. We just moved and have been experiencing a few hit-and-misses, but this is one we can't wait to return to in Rochester! read more

Some friends and I decided to give Native a try for dinner. Cocktails at the bar were delicious & strong as always with friendly bartenders. We decided to split some apps (empanadas, poutine, pizza & risotto) and they were all so good- tasty & came out quickly. However, our waiter ruined the experience for me. Once our food was delivered he didn't come back to the table for 30 minutes and then took another 15 minutes to bring our drink order. While we were finishing our drinks & chatting, he came over and asked us to pay the bill. The restaurant was not crowded, there weren't people waiting for a table and he wasn't cashing out for the night- we saw him waiting on tables as we were leaving. Great drinks, food and atmosphere but we won't be coming back. read more

Tried it today. I ordered the lobster chowder. It had 3 small pieces size of a dime of lobster. $17. My wife ordered a burger medium rare came out well done, came on a little bun that was hard to keep the toppings in place read more

The ambiance and space isn't rivaled by much in Rochester. It's just as beautiful inside as it is outside. The menu is small and a bit fancy for my taste, but I made due with the burger. It was delicious and cooked perfectly. My only complaint is the small menu and small variety of options. One pizza, one burger, one pasta dish... hoping they will add more as they continue to grow! Overall, great job with the place and food. read more

It was one of my worst meals in Rochester. The drinks and the charcuterie was great, the main courses is where it all went wrong. We got the soft shell crab with pasta. One tiny crab, in a bowl of liquid that had no taste and overly cooked pasta. Service was beyond terrible. Id only go back for a drink at the bar. read more

Great service. Just went in for a quick drink after working a 52 hour week. What I was most impressed with was the collaborative teamwork between employees and their manager. The bar was closing early because it was Labor Day, a day in which we honor those who work. The manager decided to close early for his employees. It's not often you see younger people who know how to lead and create a positive working environment and my Fireball Old Fashion also hit the spot! read more

Six of us had dinner this Saturday night. The server was great and wonderful atmosphere. The food was very disappointing. We ordered pizza and burgers. Took an hour for the food to come out. The burgers were raw and the pizzas burned. We asked to speak with the manager, he informed us this is how our chef Jay Carlson prepares our food and offered to replace the burgers and pizza. The manager was not happy we complained, never offered us a courtesy and ignored us the rest of the evening. The topper for the evening was when we looked at the bill. The burgers come with blueberry ketchup we all asked for traditional ketchup and I asked for mustard for my burger. On the bill was a $.50 charge for mustard. read more

We went there after going to the play at Geva tonight. The drinks were basically ten bucks each but that's okay because the atmosphere was nice and the drinks and wine selection were good. However, the kitchen closed at 10 which was too early and the bartenders used bleach which we could smell while we were sitting at the bar finishing our drinks. Also, their liquid candle fuel on the bar smelled like burning kerosene. read more

I think Native serves some of the best food in Rochester right now. It's a little pricey for what you get, hence the fours stars. Mostly I go for cocktails at the bar; they have some good ones and the bartenders are nice to chat with. They also have a nice patio area, and have had some really good music a few nights. read more

So pleasantly surprised by this restaurant!! Very good ambiance and delicious food!!! The gnocchi top notch

They continue to change the menu to tailor to the cliental. The drinks are amazing. Truly enjoyed my times here and always liked my meals. Can't wait for the outside to open and to sit out there with some drinks. read more

Service wasn't great (to be fair the was a mishap so we went served right away) it happens. But the real thing that's annoying, is if you order something on the rocks or neat, you get charged an extra $2. Because they figure you want more for the lack of and watered down liquor. Food is good and their homemade ketchup is delicious read more

I've been here a few times now and although it's brand new with a completely new staff, this place lives up to the hype I heard while it was being built. It is beautiful, plain and simple. Native has an open and airy feel while still being very comfortable and inviting. The food is amazing. Perhaps not the quickest kitchen in Rochester but the food that comes out of it is high end classic farm to table fare. The bar is the focal point of the room and the cocktails are incredible. It's a true classic craft cocktail bar and worthy of stopping in simply for a cocktail or two if you're not in the mood to eat. Native Eatery and Bar will only get better as they mature and the staff gets comfortable. Give it a try. You won't regret it. Five stars you ask? Yes, definitely. I'd give it 6 if I could. That's how much I believe in Ross and Lauren. read more

I went to Native to celebrate my sister's birthday on a Friday night with a table of spectacular women. The food and service was amazing. Ross is a gentleman who aims to please. Looking forward to going back soon. read more

Native Eatery is a great place to go for true local foods. Their menu's are based off local farmers fresh selection of the current "season" food. Their drinks are local as well, but also keep the most popular brands around for those who may not be a fan of local craft beer. If you're looking to spend a nice evening downtown with a Geva Theater show, you're in luck with Native being diagonally across from Geva. Parking is on street or in the parking garage right across the street. Portions are not the biggest but i've also seen smaller. Glass walls open up when the weather permits and turns your inside meal to an enjoyable outside feel. read more

Great location! Indoor restaurant and bar open up to a nice outdoor patio. Had wine and lobster roll at sunset. Lovely summer night in the city. We'll be back. read more

This restaurant is a great new addition to Rochester. The ambiance is wonderful, the service is excellent, and the food is both unique and tasty. They make excellent bread and hummus. Their Caesar (made with a hummus dressing) is one of the best I've had. The bread pudding, made from their own sticky buns, was amazing. Excellent wine list and very knowledgeable wait and bar staff. read more

I have visited Native several times and have watched it evolve from a new establishment working through its infancy, to one that presents a wonderful dining experience. Native is attractive and comfortable upscale restaurant in the heart of Rochester. The staff is attentive and personable, but most importantly the food is delicious. I had a gnocchi and short rib dish that was absolute heaven! It was imaginative and very well-executed. It was so good that I will be craving this meal until I have the pleasure of experiencing it again. read more

A night on the town after a great dinner at Tapas..... Wanted a different environment for drinks, well that didn't go as planned. Waited 20 plus minutes and no service. A caucasian couple walks into the bar and unbeknownst they are served. Enough said. read more

This past weekend we had my daughter's graduation party at Native Eatery and Bar. I can't speak highly enough about the staff, food and ambiance. Ross, Nate and the serving staff were so easy to work with and made this even such a success. The food was amazing, the staff was friendly and accommodating and the the drinks served were delightful. Thank you for making this a memorable event and we will certainly be back again! read more

Great dinner out with a group of friends. We had the steak special which was perfectly cooked, gnocchi app which was excellent and the size of a dinner! The root vegetables and beets were a nice addition to the dish and really made it spectacular! Cocktails were spot on and our waiter was truly fantastic! He made the evening awesome knowing all of the dishes and giving us great recommendations (like the bbq chicken pizza... which we would have NEVER tried if he had not recommended it and it was a must have!) the interior space is huge! And even when packed made it feel very private which we really liked. Overall great first dining experience! read more

The food was well done, and it had a great atmosphere, but the service was unacceptable. We were a party of 4 and waited for an hour and a half for our food after ordering, no one checked on us, refilled our drinks or could even offer us bread - they said it would take longer to make bread than to get our food out. My meager size salad (mostly romaine lettuce) with 4 ounce portion of fish was $21. I love to eat out and try new restaurants but this was NOT worth the money. My recommendation: try someplace else :) I hope they can figure out the kinks in the kitchen and train the wait staff on how to handle these situations better, Native had a lot of potential but it's hard to justify the money with such poor service. :( read more

From the drinks to the food everything was perfect! We ordered the burger and for the price it's everything you could imagine! I would've spent $30 on that burger. Don't even get me started with The Bentley, so delectable. I'll be back for sure. read more

This is a great spot. A bit upscale. A bit pricey but you get what you pay for. Decent wine selection. Cool cocktails. Will come again. Definitely recommend. read more

Visually, the restaurant space was fresh and inviting. The burgers were tasty, but the Coq a Vin was expensive for an individual chicken leg. The menu is quite limited as well. On the upside, our server was attentive and the Latino band was great! read more

My friend and I went to Native after a Geva matinee. The play was all about a dining experience in a restaurant, so it seemed only fitting that we grab a bite afterward. The convenience of Native after a Geva performance cannot be overstated. Leave your car where you parked it for the play, and then pop over across the street for an ultra-cool experience. Seriously, you'll think you've been beamed to a bigger city -- whoever designed Native knocked it outta the *park!* Super hip and sharp vibe. A bit of advice -- make a reservation. For the night we popped in unannounced, they were fully booked ... until 8:45pm! So we got a drink at the bar until 2 seats became available, and then ordered apps and bevies there. We shared everything and the two of us were completely stuffed with three apps -- crab cakes, pork tacos and empanadas. Service is great without being too hovering. And later when we had a question about the bill, Danielle was exceptionally helpful and kind. WXXI sustaining members with your MemberCard, be sure to get your free appetizer at Native, and trust me -- you'll want to go back for more meals and happy hours. This place is such a welcome addition to a burgeoning food scene in the ROC! Wish I'd snapped some pictures, but we scarfed down everything too quickly! Next time! read more

This place was fantastic! The live music was excellent and the entire outdoor patio is beautiful. From the manager to the waitress everyone was kind hearted and diligent not to mention my midtown burger was delicious. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Well you only get one chance to make a good impression. And I was not impressed. Took 7 minutes for some one to approach the table and the place was half empty. Every restaurant in town does a burger and wood oven pizza. For god sake Rochester there's more to food than that. Stone salad w/ fennel had literally 3 small pieces of peach and what I assume was dried strawberries. Isn't this fresh strawberry season? Couldn't even detect the fennel. Not much of a selection. Really only one appetizer? On a good note,the interior is nice,sleek,minimal What's up with the stall in the women's bathroom? You literally have to step to the side of the toilet to open and close the door. Overall if you're not ready to open a restaurant and have most of the kinks worked out for Gods sake don't open. read more

First and last time going to this place went with an open mind as anywhere I would go. The place by all means is very nice modern clean the waiter was nice and knew the menu because when one of us ordered and asked for fresh cuts fries he said they aren't prepared until dinner the menu had a mistake no problem it happens. The portions for the price is very high also 5 dollars for a blue light is kinda humorous I wonder what it would have cost for a whiskey sour with an egg white but they didn't know what that cocktail was.... My burger was small in my opinion What really bothered me was when a guy came into hand his resume wanting to work to what seemed to be a manager took it and as soon as the guy left said something to a waiter about him and started laughing about the guy which is kind of very unprofessional and distasteful because he has a mental illness schizophrenia to be exact because I know him personally. I did two stars only because the burger tasted good and my beer was nice and cold but otherwise not impressed. read more

I've never written a review for Yelp before. Not my kind of thing. However, after our experience at Native, I felt compelled to do so. If you read the rest of the reviews here, I think you can get a definite understanding of this place. If you want to go somewhere that looks great and has good cocktails, but you don't care about really poor service and mediocre food, then this is your place. The TLDR version= this place has been open for over a month now and has had time to "work out the kinks" as so many others (including the owner) have noted in the reviews here. The fact is, this place seems more concerned with looking cool than actually operating as a functioning restaurant. If you want a cool spot to get a drink, this will work out fine. If you want to sit down and eat, I would strongly suggest you find somewhere else. The longer details. We had a 8:30 reservation on a Friday night. We happened to be downtown already and arrived a little after 8. We checked in at the host station and said we were early. They said they couldn't seat us yet, which is totally fine and understandable. We said that we'd have a drink at the bar and the host told us that he'd get us when our table was ready. We were sitting 12 feet away from the host station at a high-top next to the bar. The host saw us go over there. Shouldn't be an issue right? Wrong. 8:30 comes and goes. I finally grab my phone to see what time it is (8:40) and I see a text message from an unknown caller. The text says, "return to the host stand; we won't hold your table for more than five minutes". The host never mentioned sending a text; he literally said he would come and get us. What if I hadn't checked my phone for the time? Would they have just given our table away with us sitting there making eye contact with them? Some people consciously try not to be rude by looking at their phone when they are out talking with others. The only reason I checked my phone was to see the time. At any rate, we get seated outside. It is a great open space and perfect evening. Except, we never see our server. After at least 15 minutes, another host comes by to take a chair away from our table, sees that we no longer have drinks and still have menus and realizes that we haven't been seen yet. She apologizes and the server comes over a few minutes later. We tell the server that we are vegan and had heard that the restaurant is vegan-friendly. She agrees and rattles off all of the menu options that can be made vegan. She stresses that the gnocchi is a great choice. So, we follow her recommendation and get the gnocchi. and another dish. When the food comes out later, we have a bowl of veggies, but no gnocchi. When she finally comes back over I mention this to her and she apologizes and says, "oh I guess the gnocchi isn't vegan." Great; there is no way we would've ordered it if we were told that was the case. But, we've already been here an hour and half at this point and really don't want to wait another 30 minutes or however long it would take them to make another dish. My wife then made the unfortunate mistake of ordering a dessert when we were told there was vegan ice cream. Big mistake, as apparently, it takes 15 minutes to put ice cream in a dish. All told, we were at the restaurant for over 2.5 hrs to get a completely disappointing meal with atrocious service. Then the bill comes and all we could do was laugh. Nothing taken off the bill. A full charge for the gnocchi plate ($17) which was just a pile of sauteed veggies. "Hey sorry, we ignored you for huge stretches of times and completely botched a meal option for you; here's your bill at full freight!" I can't remember the last time I've tipped less than 20% but boy did they earn it at Native. As I said above, they have had plenty of time to work out these kinks. Clearly they have de-emphasized the service aspect of their business. It is unfortunate, as I really wanted to love this place. It is a really cool indoor/outdoor setup and good cocktail options. The emphasis is clearly on the wow factor here and not the service. My advice is to only go there is you want a drink. If you want a meal, I'd recommend waiting until they go out of business and someone else that has an actual interest in running a functioning restaurant takes over this great-looking space. read more

This place is certainly a unique addition to Rochester. Firstly, the biggest plus is that this is a unique "downtown" dining option in Rochester that has a ton of space and outdoor seating. I felt like I was in the middle of NYC eating a fantastic dinner on a simple weeknight. There is parking in a parking garage across the street but it's only free after 7 PM. Otherwise, parking might be a little bit of an issue. I think they're still new hence getting seated quickly was not an issue at all. We ordered a hummus-type appetizer, and for dinner a pizza and mediterranean salad to split. The salad was so-so and met expectations. The hummus appetizer was delicious! And the pizza was great too - filling, though a little too dough-y perhaps. Service was certainly ... a work in progress. The server forgot drinks until we reminded them and frequently didn't refill water - but the place is still pretty new and I'm sure everyone is still just getting into the hang of things. I might hold off on food the next time, but I will certainly be back to try some of their drinks and cocktails. Their menu was a little too limited for my taste at this point, but hopefully they'll expand it in the near future. read more

First time we visited and liked it very much. It was early evening on a Saturday so we sat at the bar staffed with attentive bartenders especially Kimbo. Tried several of the house cocktails, all were delicious. Had wings, poutine, my wife had tomato soup with toasted cheese. I liked all the dishes however the wings are cooked and seasoned to perfection but not a fan of full wings. read more