The Cottage Hotel - Mendon, NY…read more The Cottage Hotel isn't just a bar & grill--it's a Mendon institution. This is hands down my favorite place to go when I want great food, cold drinks, and a room full of people actually having a good time. Thanksgiving Eve at The Cottage is next-level. The place has that perfect buzz--packed but comfortable, energetic without being chaotic--and when the band SQUID takes the stage, it turns into one of the best nights out of the year. They know exactly how to read the room and keep it moving, whether you're there to dance, sing along, or just enjoy the music with a drink in hand. The bar staff is fast, friendly, and clearly knows their regulars. Drinks are poured right, the food hits the spot every time, and there's zero pretension--just a warm, welcoming vibe that keeps people coming back. You'll see longtime locals, groups of friends, and people who came in "just for one" and somehow stayed all night. If you're looking for a place that feels authentic, fun, and reliably awesome--especially on Thanksgiving Eve--The Cottage Hotel is the place to be. Mendon doesn't get better than this.

The fish fry was only ok and the noise level on a Fri nite was awful the tables are on top of each…read moreother and the hostess seating people disappeared while 3 groups stood waiting

I love the warm wavy reds and pinks that surround you. The seating is comfortable. Good food,…read morecooked well. Extra dirty martini was legitly dirty. I think the highlights were the sauces. We ordered Fried green tomatoes were lightly coated and crisp. The garlic basil aioli was sooooo flavorful. Baked chicken wings, the parmesan cheese gave a nice salty contrast to the delicious black pepper dipping sauce. Calamari was super tender, the accompanying sauce was mildly flavored. White pizza, great homemade dough was golden and crisp on the outside. Deep dish style was mostly dough but the flavorful ingredients held their own, especially the garlic. Steak special, cooked rare to order but it was chewy and tough. Could be my fault for ordering that cut rare. Fantastic bacon, fontina risotto cake hid underneath. The cheese crisped up and caramelized on the bottom while the center remained creamy. The delicate green beans were tender with a slight crisp. The steak was served with a pesto but being allergic to walnuts I asked for the blueberry eggplant caponata that accompanied the fish special FANTASTIC! The eggplant was dense enough to maintain a meaty texture, the blueberries provided a nice subtle summer note and aftertaste. I would certainly visit again, the host and wait staff were very pleasant.

We typically like to try new restaurants from time to time and this one has been on our radar for…read moremonths. So for our 35th Anniversary we took the opportunity to go to the "Grille at One" for our dinner. We are so glad we did, the whole night was wonderful! Our reservations were for 6:45 on a Wednesday night. When we entered the restaurant we were presently surprised by the warm cozy feeling of the restaurant and bar. We arrived a bit early so decided to go the bar for a cocktail before being seated. They were in the middle of a wine tasting that they do on the third Wed of the month. The bartender and hostess explained the tasting process which includes small plates served with wine pairings. We will definitely be coming back to do that. They even offered us a slice of the deep dish pizza to go with our drinks that was being served to the wine tasting party at that time. Once we were seated our waitress came by and introduced herself and acknowledged that we were celebrating a special night and really made us feel very special. It seemed like everyone that waited on us from Hostess, Bartender, to Waitress all treated us as special guests. By the end of the night it was evident that they treat everyone as special guests. Wow, what a change from many of the restaurants you attend, where you are treated like a number or an interruption to their evening. We looked over the wine selection and was surprised by the affordable prices and good selection. We quickly found a good selection to go along with our meals. We had already taken the opportunity while at the bar to start looking over the menu. The menu is straight forward and not complicated by offering you too many selections. It is still diverse though and offers, appetizers (small plates ), salads, upscale burgers and entrees ( large plates ). We ordered the Fried Calamari as an app while we decided on dinner. The calamari came out very lightly battered, almost tempura like. It was soo tender and light. I would have preferred a sauce with a bit more heat but the sauce that came with it had a light orange flavor and paired well with them. The best we both have had in years. For dinner my wife ordered the salmon, which was served over a portion of crispy polenta. The fish was done perfectly and the polenta was a great pairing. I ordered the veal short ribs. They came with a side dish of Truffle mac and cheese and a red wine sauce over the ribs. I would have liked the ribs just a little rarer but that is just my liking, I am sure that they were cooked perfectly for most diners. The sauce was velvety and the mac and cheese, I want the recipe! Mac and Cheese will never be the same after eating theirs. I'm a very accomplished cook and can sometimes be very critical of dinners I get outside of my kitchen but that dish of mac and cheese was the most delicious I have ever eaten. For me, the topping for the night was the Chef coming out to our table and inquiring about the meal and thanking us for giving him the opportunity to cook for us. What a treat! I will say my wife's special moment was the complimentary Chocolate & Cherry Roulade dessert that came to the table with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate on the plate. This is one of Rochester's best kept secrets. I know once the word gets out this will be the Go-to-Place in Rochester. Until then it will stay our little secret!

We've eaten at Jo Jo Pittsford for many years and have always enjoyed the food and ambiance,…read morealthough it's often loud. We recently had a Pizza and salad there. The server was very good but the pizza took a very long time to arrive. It appeared they may have been understaffed. We had a Pepperoni and mushroom Pizza that was good but one piece had something on it that tasted and looked like a piece of meat fat. We advised and showed the server what we found and she said it appeared to be chicken. (It was inedible grissel) We have never experienced that with a Pizza and was potentially a health hazard. It did appear that they have declined since our last visit.

A group of friends decided to meet here for a birthday gathering of 8 people…read more The place is quite loud, hard to converse within the group. I got there late. It is kind of hard to find a restaurant if one is not familiar with the area. I got there late, and the food was not served yet. I ordered my food, and then, we all got the food at the same time. Good. Two pounds of mussels across from me were shared by some at the table. I saw pastas, fried calamari, and Steak Salad(I was not too impressed by it), I got the Pork Chop. It was tender, although I ordered cook well done. The sauce was delicious. It came with Shoestring Fries. Tasty. A glass of Precose to wash everything down. Refreshing Caitlin, our server, was excellent. I told her to bring the special Orange Chocolate Torte for the Birthday Girl with a little candle, and she did in the end. It was a big enough piece of cake that we shared it after singing Las Mañanitas to her. We left happy.

Ordered 2 family meals. They were excellent!! Robin was wonderful. Love this place!! Had the…read morechicken French and chicken parm with vodka sauce both were excellent.

By far my favorite place whether it's take out or eat in. Never a bad meal, atmosphere is so…read morerelaxing and nice, friendly atmosphere, best bread in the area. The food portions are incredible, and for the price you get so much!! If you haven't tried this fabulous restaurant that offers live music during dinner, you are missing out!!!

My daughter has celiac and is a super picky eater. We ate her and everything we got was gluten…read morefree. The GF hush puppies were amazingly, GF arancini with their homemade sauce was so good, the bacon Brie GF mac and cheese (we did gf gnocchi as the pasta) was beyond words. My daughter tried the GF crab cakes (I'm allergic so I could not try them) and she said the taste was really good but they were too spicy for her. Then we finished our meal with GF raspberries crème brûlée and gf cheesecake. Everything was amazing. The owner (I believe he was the owner) was so nice and brought a hush puppy for my daughter and I to try without us even asking. He knew she was picky and thought she would like it so he just brought it out. My daughter LOVED them. We will 1000% be back. This might now be our new favorite gluten free restaurant in Rochester, NY. So many more things to try on the menu!!!

I was delighted to see that the Rochester cocktail revival week featured a bourbon pairing dinner…read morewith the classic kitchen. I've always loved the food at the classic, not only because the food is fantastic, but also because owner Drew is very personable and friendly. We decided to do the classics "Sippin' South" themed dinner. We had already done a beer pairing dinner at the classics several years ago, when they collaborated with one of our favorite local breweries, iron tug, to create an amazing multicourse experience. Firstly, the ambience was excellent and the atmosphere excited. we choose to sit at a table with two other couples we had never met before, but were glad to have interacted with as we shared in our common love of food in the great city of Rochester. We truly loved the pairing of each cocktail with the food. I think everybody loved the appetizer which featured a toasted bread with savory pimento cheese on top with a fresh salad with crunchy ham that functioned almost like a crouton! I personally loved the combination of onions and olives as well. The first cocktail was one of my favorites as it was a take on a whiskey sour with corn liquor with a tajin topping that was a stark savory contrast to the sweetness of the drink, but worked well. Next couple of cocktails included a take on a highball, a sweeter, coconut, flavored cocktail featuring a rum caste bourbon, and finally ending with a toasted bourbon drink that reminded me of an after dinner port. As far as the food, the chicken slider was delicious, and the chicken itself was well seasoned, my only nitpick was perhaps some sort of a aïoli spread to make it a little bit more moist, but this was made up by a delicious coleslaw with fresh vegetables! The lamb was excellent and served with perfectly cooked polenta. We finally ended with one of my favorite dishes, the caramel pecan bread pudding, which was a great end to this lovely dinner. Lastly, I thought the service was excellent and the dishes were well timed, I wish there were one or two more courses because the price was a bit steep in my opinion for the amount of food, although the drinks were plentiful and let's just say I was glad to have a designated driver!! All in all, we will return again to the classic kitchen :)

Good Food (check) Great Vibe (check)…read moreOrder Accuracy (check) I've ordered from this hidden gem multiple times. I usually get the jerk fries. They always have my food ready right on time. I love the consistency and will be going back soon.

We came here with a 6-person group on a Saturday afternoon, intending to grab a quick round between…read moreour friend's wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. We walked in at 5:20, and were joined by maybe 1-2 other people sitting at the bar, so we grabbed a booth -- our first mistake. Service was unacceptably slow -- the waitress didn't come over to get our drink orders for at least 20 mins, and then it was another 20 minutes before we got them. With 1-2 other people in the whole establishment? She must've been new because she wasn't even sure if they had beer on draft. When the cocktails did come, they all had exactly the same garnishment, and were overly sweet: definitely not worth the wait or the $15 price tag. Wouldn't recommend this place.

Great job Henrietta Distillery! My company has been using this location for recent luncheons and…read moreevery single time is consistently wonderful! We will be back for 3 more in April! I already know Im in good hands. Props to the kitchen staff for not missing a beat! The management is excellent with their above average communication and customer service skills. We will be doing many more events with you.

Unfortunately, this was a disappointing experience from the moment we arrived. We got there around…read more12:30 PM and stood in an empty lobby for nearly 10 minutes before anyone greeted us. Once seated, service remained extremely slow despite the restaurant being about 90% empty. Food came out sporadically and with long delays, so our table wasn't able to eat together. I ordered the smash burger, which did not match the menu description. It arrived without the advertised sauce, and it wasn't what I would consider a smash burger. The patty was simply overcooked and burnt. What concerned me most was the staff's inability to answer basic questions about allergens in the menu items. For anyone with food allergies or dietary restrictions, this is a significant issue. I understand not every server will know every ingredient, but I expected someone to be able to provide accurate information when asked. Slow service can sometimes be understandable when a restaurant is busy, but that wasn't the case here. Between the delayed greeting, lack of allergen knowledge, inconsistent food service, and disappointing food quality, this visit fell well below expectations. Based on this experience, I would be reluctant to return.

Local bar right in the town of Clarkson on Ridge Road. Night out with friends. This place was…read morepacked when we got there. Started off with drinks and appetizer combo plate. We ordered our wings Garlic Romano and they brought up Sriracha Asiago garlic wings........HOT! The waitress was apologizing and ordered the right wings. The wings were the best I had. I was a bit disappointed in the rest as the onion petals were burnt and in the bottom of the basket was well done deep fried crumbles. The service was very slow and the waitress forgot 2 of our orders that we placed so it took a long time and we couldn't eat together. I ordered a burger medium and it was well done. I asked for mustard and ketchup and I ate half of my burger before she brought it and had to remind her again. They definitely need more servers as you can see she was the only one serving many tables and hard to keep up.

Ok. Here is the deal. You want a steak. A beautiful steak cooked with love. You happen to be…read moredriving down Ridge Road in Clarkson. You might be tempted to drive right by Ridge Runners as it looks like a pretty straight forward roadside bar. Stop The Car! Just Stop! Go in and order a drink and the Spinach Artichoke dip. Enjoy that as you wait for one of the best steaks I've had in recent memory. Perfectly cooked, made with love by Dawn and Amy. On a Thursday add a Lobster tail and a side all for ..... wait......$25. I'm rarely speechless (as you can see from this review) but I was just that after eating my dinner tonight. Great friendly service. Blown away. Ate it too fast to take a picture.