Went here for our anniversary dinner and had a wonderful meal. They do not take reservations, but we were able to get two seats at the bar on a Saturday in about ten minutes. We had the tomato pie, chopped salad, and the special, which was swordfish meatballs on a bed of spiced couscous. The tomato pie was the best I have had and the chopped salad was fresh and large. The swordfish was particularly amazing and I am a bit sad I won't be able to order it again. read more

Verns is in a high density good restaurant cluster with Roux and Dorado, and Sinbads, etc. Parking is a free-for-all, and you should be careful because it's easy to get a ticket and not easy to find a spot. Walking in you get the smell of the wood fire oven, which IMO, is very pleasant. You will smell like a campfire when you leave, so keep that in mind. The bar is large and accommodating and there's a hodgepodge of 2-4-6 tops scattered around the first and second floor. It's not cramped, but it was decently busy. Service was great, I think our server's name was Emma and she knew the menu very well and promptly brought our dishes. The menu is more intimidating than the actual dishes. We goggled a few things that turned out to be gnocchi and pasta shells. We got a few beers (I actually got the Cider because it was only $5, and I love NYS ciders) and they were refreshing. We ended up ordering the broken burrata (beet salad), the pretzel calamari, and split the Lost Meatball. This was more than enough for two people, and all the dishes come in a sharable portion. It's not enough for two people to get completely stuffed on, but there's enough to be full. The food here is really well thought out. The buratta salad is a lot of flavors at once, but damned if it isn't the best beet salad I've had in a long time. Ricotta and mozzarella, balsamic, pistachios, fresh beets, oranges, and fresh herbs blended very nicely. The calamari was a familiar flavor, but the pickled peppers it comes with are really (really) good. And the lost meatball was a great ragu with the perfect noodle to soak up the sauce and meaty morsels, and a dollop of ricotta to balance it out. We'll be coming back to explore the menu more, since it's mix of old favorites and classic dishes done in a unique way. So, bottom line, we liked it. Parking and more places to hang your coat are things that could have been better, but you can't really solve parking on Park ave. There's enough interesting and different food to try new things, but everything we got was very good and thought out. read more

I love Vern's!! I've been here a few times, and the food has always exceeded my expectations. I came here last night with a friend, and we shared the "red" pizza. The crust was perfectly cooked, and the tomato topping was nice and fresh tasting. I ordered a cocktail that I wasn't too fond of, and they immediately replaced it with something else and took it off my bill. The atmosphere is beautiful, the staff is kind and personable. I love it here. 11/10 read more

Amazing! Easily the best meal I've had at a restaurant in a loooonnnnnnggggggg time. They seated us even though it was late on a Sunday night. The server was super kind. Food was impeccable. We got the bee sting pizza - true Neapolitan style with a beautiful crust and undercarriage without a smidge of grease. Delicious tart tomato sauce as well. All very fresh and traditional with the added novelty of hot honey! We also got their chicken thigh dish, which was definitely marinated for a long time and served with a remarkable curry sauce. Delicious (and STRONG) cocktails too. I went with a martini. The panna cotta desert was super creamy. Wonderful addition of toasted sesame seeds as well. This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Rochester! read more

Crazy good!! From the exquisite cocktails to the entrees, Vern's delivers! The carrots are transcendent -- trust me! My wife and I will schedule another trip to Rochester just to eat here again. Lucky locals!! read more

Was in Rochester for the PGA championship...had dinner at Vern's with a partner company... Fantastic. Great service, great food, great atmosphere... The garlic bread is fantastic with whole roasted garlic cloves that you spread on your bread... The spicy salad was so unique and delicious...but the bee sting pizza was ridiculous, so good and different.... Kudos to the partner for picking the venue and to the restaurant... read more

Fabulous! So flavorful! Love lost meatball ragu & bee sting pizza! Love the atmosphere & drinks!

This place is awesome! For real. From the moment we walked in, the host, and every team member made us feel welcome. Every bite of the tomato pie, lumache meatball ragu, spicy caesar, parsnips & carrots, turbot fish special, tiramisu, & cannoli...just absolutely satiating and delicious! A delightful bottle of Rossese wine and Espresso Martini to boot, and the pudding on top was our phenomenal server Daniel. I run a very successful little restaurant in Manhattan and have worked in hospitality for a very long time and cannot recommend this place enough! Kudos, Vern's! Your are crushing it! read more

Amazing food! There is no other way to explain it! Just try anything! It's all great!

One of the best restaurants in Rochester. Biggest downfall in factoring in the waiting time since they do not take reservations

Top notch. Excellent food, great atmosphere, excellent service. Get the lost meat ball ragu and whatever natural red wine they have. Great place for a date! read more

Full disclosure I consider this restaurant ample foreplay because the food is that delectable. Their bread is out of this world because the dough is made by hand and they have an in house brick oven. I would say this place specializes in carbs, being hip, and hospitable. Not only can you take your avg trendy 30 something Park Ave hipster to this restaurant. You can also take your parents. The vibe is very warm and cozy. It feels like you're on the patio of someone's home. The servers are incredibly nice and amicable. I give this place a 12/10. read more

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Such a cute new spot! Portions are small, but perfect. Love the atmosphere. It was the best date night

The food and cocktails were so great! I recommend ordering a couple dishes to share so that you can experience everything. I only wish there was a little air flow in the restaurant, it was stifling in there to an uncomfortable degree. read more

Vern's became my favorite restaurant in Rochester after only one visit. I absolutely love the ambiance and decorations, which are beautiful whether at night or during the day. The service here was top notch and our server Jose was very helpful. I really enjoyed that the food was served "family style" and everything came out very quickly. We cleared every single plate we received as it was all incredible. Asked our server to "wing it" for the cocktails, and they figured out delicious drinks for both of us. We were able to offer our compliments to the staff, and decided to stay for dessert which we rarely do. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially for a lovely little date night. I can't wait to go back again ! read more

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Been here a couple more times now to try the food and cocktails, and both are amazing. I'm not the biggest fan of cocktails but these were some of the best I tried. read more

Absolutely fantastic! Incredible food. Cool vibe. Wish it was bigger at times so you can guarantee getting a table (totally love the size and that's what makes it special) you have a different experience each time you go as the menu changes. read more

Verns has a nice upscale atmosphere and friendly staff. It is a classy cocktail bar with the decor to match. Nice dim lighting and classy decor. However there were fruit flies on the wall (at least 10 I could count). Huge red flag for me. The drinks are very expansive, at least $10/ drink. That is fine and typical for an upscale cocktail bar but I am not sure it was worth it. My cocktail was sour and too juicy. read more

Vern's - At Verns and there are 10 fruit flies on the wall. Not a great look. - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

My favorite restaurant in Rochester! Lost meatball has now just become a comfort food for me - can't really put into words how good it is. But everything I've ever had here is amazing! Servers/staff are super helpful and friendly! A must stop in Rochester if you haven't ever been! read more

Went for dinner with my girlfriend and it was just the best experience as always. Our server was awesome and super friendly. The food was delicious and quick. Verns is a well oiled machine because time I go, I never have any complaints. All the swan restaraunts are awesome!! read more

The interior is retrochic awesome vibrant ambience! The cocktails are superb the bar is also a perfect place to sit for a quick drink. the platters are shareable like a farm-to table tappas fusion spot! Highly recommend their garlic bread and burrata! read more

AMAZING food and an even better vibe. You really can't go wrong with any dish on the menu, but the lost meatball ragu, chicken dish & yellow pizza are my favorites! read more

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AMAZING. We actually wanted to go somewhere else that had too long of a wait and settled on Verns but boy am I glad we did. We got right in, which was great for a Saturday night. And we got served very quickly after ordering. The food was incredible. The pizza is delicious. And the red pasta sauce - to die for. I'm not from Rochester, we were just visiting, but I would 100% go here again if I was back in the area. read more

We love Vern's. They offer a unique and modern menu with high quality ingredients, and a cozy atmosphere.

Great addition to Park Ave from the very capable people behind Swan Dive, Daily Refresher, etc. The space is a little small which can lead to long waits/unreliable estimates but once you're in, you're in good hands. Absolutely order the tomato pie - I think it's one of Rochester's top five dishes (right under the red lentils). The spicy lettuce salad was one of those things your friends want to order so you raise your eyebrows but agree if they *really* insist and then after it comes you're so happy they did. Bottom line, it's good Italian-ish food in really pretty surroundings, a reliable spot any night of the week. read more

Our server, Olivia, was excellent. She knew every detail of the menu and gave the best suggestions for our celebratory birthday dinner, down to a quiet candle on the dessert. She made our evening memorable with her kind grace and charm. read more

First time to Vern's with friends. Nice atmosphere, small but manageable. Very friendly staff, excellent service. We shared the following - broken buratta, grilled broccolini, pretzel-crusted fried calamari and the green pizza. ALL were delicious! Cooked and seasoned perfectly. I recommend asking about portion size for interested dishes as Vern's definition of 'family style ' is different from mine. For five people, we ordered two of the broccolini and green pizza - glad we did. Will definitely return. read more

Top quality food - we had the pizza and the ragu - and good cocktails. Great service. The only thing that took the shine off was they can't guarantee serving all dishes at the same time. This included saying the main might come before the starter. So Ok if you're sharing everything and you don't care, but seems like they ducked on the part of running a restaurant that involves good timing. Food great though. read more

I was beyond excited to check this place out. They really did a great job gutting the place and making it over. The restaurant looks beautiful inside and out. But after that... that's when the Swan gals start losing stars on my review. Thank goodness we sat outside. The whole place was smoked out and smelled of burnt wood, like a campfire. Our server was excellent, and I'm pissed I didn't catch her name. I think she had red or pink hair? Extremely knowledgeable about the menu and drinks. We ordered a bunch of things. And out of everything, the tomato pie was the only good dish. It was pretty simple, dough was fluffy and delicious, tomatoes had a nice bitter and sweet combo. The olive oil was sharp and tasty. We also ordered the Ricotta special. This is when it all went down hill... there was about a table spoon of ricotta on the actual dish. It was pretty much tomato sauce with olives on thinly sliced, barely toasted, sourdough. I guess I'm way too pampered when it comes to Mark Cupolo's Signature Ricotta dish at Rocco. Then the three of us ordered the Cacio de Pepe and the 16oz local grilled steak. The pasta was ok, nothing memorable, over kill on the pepper. The steak was a HUGE disappointment. We ordered rare, but it came out med well. And was only served with roasted potatoes. For 50$ I would expect a lot more, and it wasn't even a high end quality steak. (And believe me I know steak, I worked at one of Rochester's Chophouse's). We decided to not get dessert. The drinks were ok. We had 2 different cocktails and I ordered a glass of red wine with my steak. Which was the most bizarre thing... it came out in a bowl. Like one I use to feed my cats. Now I'm into cool stuff and platters and dishware, and miss match things. But serve my glass of wine in a flipping wine glass. Please! Give some respect to those aged grapes. All in all, I might check Vern's out again later, I hope the Swan gals get their act together. Btw--- change the font to your menu!!! Reading it is a nightmare!!!!! Ask any graphic designer and they will tell you it's a No No!! Fire whoever approved that. read more

Delicious, hip, beautifully designed, Rochester is lucky to have Vern's added to the fray. I think Vern's is the best of the Swan family of restaurants and my fave restaurant in Rochester at the moment. They had me at the spicy lettuce salad. My green pizza was well balanced with a truly delicious flavor, a total star. Get there now. read more

Definitely will return. Our server was awesome and the food was amazing. We enjoyed the garlic appetizer. We ordered pizza and I believe it was called hidden meatball? read more

I will admit up front, I have not yet eaten at Vern's .. (I will be back for sure) ... but felt compelled to write this because of the atmosphere/decor and the A Plus level of service. I went to Vern's with a specific purpose in mind ... to enjoy a Negroni, an Italian "Craft Cocktail" that traces back to Florence Italy in the early 1900's. I figured, if anyone could do this cocktail justice, it would be this new kid on the block .. and they did, in spades! I made eye contact with the hostess upon walking in, she was so welcoming, I sincerely felt like a regular even though it was my first time there ... I found myself seated at the bar taking in the small but exceptionally appointed space and couldn't help but be reminded of some of my favorite spots in NYC .. Pastis, Balthazar and Rue 57 immediately came to mind. Within moments, I was greeted by the bar staff (all welcoming and friendly) and before I knew it my order was taken and being expertly crafted before my very eyes .. the bartender a larger framed gentleman, precisely measured and prepared my Negroni, he took a large block of ice from an under bar freezer and hand cut a single large ice cube .. placed it into a simple DOF glass poured the blended nectar over the cube and garnished it with a freshly shaved Orange peel. The work of art that this young man created was nothing short of genius with that slightly bitter taste dancing in a melodic blend of Campari, Gin and Sweet Vermouth. My visit was a success ... I confess, I enjoyed another before departing due to another engagement ahead of me. Side note, the food that I had observed passing me by looked amazing, perfect portions, priced right and all exuding comfort. I WILL BE BACK for food and of course more Negroni's! read more

Blown away by this place. We had the olives, burrata, yellow pizza and clams between two people and everything was SO good. We've lived in Manhattan for the past 10 years and this place beats many of the best New York spots, especially because you can get in without a wait! We had the Giuseppe Sanchez cocktails to start and the Grenache for wine after, both outstanding. John the owner and Casey the bartender showed us the warmest hospitality. Try an amaro as a digestif after your meal! read more

Crap food crap drinks you can't even order a soda lol. Then if you want one of there homemade soda it's 7 bucks lol what a rip off salad had no dressing or seasoning. Pizza was burnt. Idk who that girl think she is cooking there but she is trash at cooking lol never coming back bye bye read more

I checked out Vern's as I saw it on Yelp and thought I would give it a try being a newer venue. I will admit, the food wasn't terrible, it was tasty but think I enjoyed the garlic bread appetizer more than my entree. This was a month ago and I must admit, I only recall the appetizer. The pasta dish I had really left no impression; good nor bad. Could be why it wasn't memorable. I will say, I think it is lazy for restaurants to do the "dish will come out as they are done" method. If a dish takes 10 min and another takes 5, the one dish should be started and 5 min into it, start the other. Granted this would require much more time management as it is just easier to make as you go and send as they are completed, but seems more places are going this route. As for the menu options, there were plenty of variety to choose from without being pages of items. The list was simple which is ideal for a local restaurant. Maybe I will check again once the menu changes. read more

Vern's - New Fall menu - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Food was awesome, staff was very friendly and helpful when it came to questions in the menu. Will keep going back for more!

We attended one of their family dinners last month that they put on with Rella (our favorite in town!). It was a prefix wine pairing meal that we absolutely loved. It was a bio-dynamic winery which was interesting and definitely unique, and each course was thoughtfully prepared. I was going through some dietary concerns and they were amazing at making mine dairy free. We had venison (which made me nervous!) that fell off the bone and their potato pancakes with caviar were amazing. We had a really great time and are looking forward to trying their standard dinner menu soon. The seating is very limited, mostly bar seats, so be mindful of reservations for larger parties. read more

One of my favorites! Great food, wonderful customer service and an inviting environment.

We have dined at Vern's on several occasions. The staff is extremely friendly. While the menu is more limited than most traditional Italian restaurants, the selections are more than varied even for more choosy eaters. The tomato pie and garlic bread are delicious as are the pastas. We will continue to frequent this family favorite when in the Rochester area. read more

I really wanted to like this place. The set up and interior is super cute, and their menu options looked great. I'm not sure if we just ordered the wrong dishes or if they were just having an off night but I was really disappointed. My partner and I got a pink pizza and the gnudi in a cream sauce to share. As I was ordering I asked the waitress about the portion size of the gnudi and she said it would serve one person. I then followed up and asked if the combo of pizza + gnudi would be enough to share between two people and she said yes. When the gnudi arrives, there were literally 8 little dumplings *slightly* larger than gnocchi. If we were not sharing, that would definitely not be enough for one person, as was suggested. (Not to add that it was $18.) The flavor of the dish itself was good, but I would have probably ordered something else had we been given a more accurate description of the portion size. Then the pizza arrived. The portion size was OK (not huge, but not tiny), but it tasted like it was in the oven too long. Most of the crust was burnt and all the sauce was basically dried up. Additionally, it felt like they were stingy on their ingredients - there were like 3 basil leaves and 5 small pieces of sausage on the whole pizza. I've had the pizza at Swan Dive plenty of times - which have pizzas at a similar price point - and never felt this way, so I was really surprised. I think the space is nice and the restaurant is a safe option for taking people, but I still prefer a lot of the other modern Italian restaurants in Rochester and would rather visit those. read more