Solid breakfast, friendly service, nice location.... that's the summary. They are cash only so plan for that going in or use the ATM onsite. This was a solid breakfast. Basic diner fare: omelettes, eggs, waffles, pancakes, eggs Benedict... menu is not high end or extensive but just what you're looking for in a good breakfast diner. Daughter got choc chip pancakes and I got the Greek omelette. Both good. Omelette could have come off the griddle 1 min earlier and it would have been perfect, it was just a little overdone. But the flavor was great, gyro meat was really nicely spiced, spinach and feta were good, makes me want to go back for lunch and get a pita wrap. Upgrade from hash browns to tater tots was the right call, they were a great side. All the staff were friendly and quick to help, refill coffee, etc. We ate inside and it was nice, it's on the canal but across the street so patio just looks out at the parking lot. But it's kinda cool inside. Would definitely go back here for breakfast. read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - Chocolate Chip pancakes and a Greek omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

Had a great time at the restaurant. I had never been. Everyone was very welcoming. Our waitress was efficient, polite and quick! The food was perfectly cooked. Very nice experience here. I will be back with my family. read more

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Such a great find!! Jessica greeted us, we got a table with a view of the canal. Food was so good as was the coffee. Prices are reasonable. We will definitely be back!!! read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - Blueberry pancakes and sausage!!! Warm syrup. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

This place has staying power, which is a tribute to its consistent quality and convenience. A popular spot for breakfast or lunch, with plenty of parking, and a huge menu with choices to please everyone. Service is wonderful. Holly, our waitress has been there for Two decades. Prices are moderate and good value. read more

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We loved this place! It's not fancy, it's an awesome local diner that has history. We got seated right away and got coffee...YAY! Our server was terrific - got our orders in fast, as we had to get to our son's rugby game. I had pumpkin pancakes and bacon, my husband had "The Barge": home fries, cheddar, bacon and 2 over easy eggs. Tasted amazing! Fresh and spot on! Cool place, great service and food and inexpensive - total winner! read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - Nice specials, cute local place. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

Er, very bad service with attitude! Actually argued with me about service! they We're short staffed and it was my problem!

Well if you get the hot turkey sandwich, I hope you like deli meat shot on a grill with cheap white bread and instant potatoes, Probably made under a dollar, and paid $14 , ya I know you got to make money, but WTF , at least get REAL TURKEY, to cover your outrage's price read more

Food was alright, small portions. The fact that they are a cash only establishment without signage is my issue. The only thing I can say to this is grow up it is 2025. If you are worried about the 3% charge for taking cards push it onto your customers, NO ONE WILL CARE. read more

We had the grilled turkey sandwich with carrots and eggs over easy with bacon. The turkey was described as oven roasted but was sliced thin and did not taste freshly cooked. The bacon was undercooked and limp when picked up. We were served without much of a wait but after eating our server took an order from a large group sitting next to us before giving us our check. Then she had to re-enter the large order into a computer located by the cashier. It took a long time. We walked up to ask for our bill and were given it without a wait. The diner only accepts cash but we didn't see any signs telling us that until "cashing" out. The location is great, at Schoen Place, with nearby parking. read more

Omelette served with fake American cheese and canned mushrooms. Staff condescending. Doesn't take cards for payment. Will NEVER return.

Went on a Sunday morning and we're seated right away. Both indoor and outdoor seating was available. Our server was very friendly! The food was hot and tasty! Eggs were slightly oily. But overall, good breakfast. Prices are fair. CASH ONLY! They do have an ATM available. Nice place for family breakfast or lunch. read more

Wow the place is worn Service was great place is run down furniture scratches chipping paint Had a burger it was pretty good It's wild cook yells out the waitresses name when there order is done very loud and disturbing read more

I wanted to like this place. I was told a line tended to form so to go early. I was the first person in the restaurant and I got the vibe that the staff was annoyed I was early, even though the locals were there like one minute after it opened. As the first person there, though I didn't get the best seat in the house. I was placed near the coffee bus station so I stared at a wall and the coffee station. Even with that, I was hoping the food would be amazing. It was average nothing earth-shattering. Oh, and they only take cash. Found out when I was about to pay. This is a locals-only type of hang-out. Not super tourist-friendly. read more

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3 1/2 stars Nice little diner with homey atmosphere in downtown Pittsford. It is near the river but not on the river. Like most diners, the menu had lots of variety, including breakfast, sandwiches, mains. My 15 year old son had stopped there the day before during a fishing break and the staff was very nice to him. The next day we all returned. The men all ordered the meatloaf in my son's recommendation. My yelp friends will tell me that it doesn't look good, but everyone enjoyed it. I ordered split pea soup and salad. The soup was thick and tasty. Loved it. Service was quick friendly. Good place for breakfast or quick lunch. read more

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Went on a Wednesday early afternoon for a quick lunch. I regret not getting up and leaving after we discovered there was no air conditioning and they did not accept cards, its a cash only business. If that wasn't a turn-off, the waitress was just uninterested in taking care of the tables. She seemed annoyed and not friendly or like she was not happy to be working. It was very hot in the restaurant, and it was hard to track her down for refills of water. She knocked over the box fan that was blowing the only air flow in the establishment. The food was mediocre. We got a burger with chips. The prices seem fair, but then fries are extra on almost everything. I just wasn't wowed. I thought it was going to be a nice touristy restaurant that took pride in their location on the canal. It has potential to be a gem. It was just lackluster. I would go to village bakery, or simply crepes if I was in the area again. read more

I stopped in for breakfast. They had Potato Pancakes on the specials board - you choose how many you want. The sound of them tickled my taste buds. I made a combo out of it with two eggs over light and ham. I was hoping for lots of shredded potato held together with a little egg rich batter. Maybe with a hint of onion/scallion/chive to put it over the top. They were more like what I might accomplish at home if I'm not careful. They had shredded potato, but they had a lot of batter surrounding them so they weren't as crisp as I'd hoped. I asked for both sour cream and applesauce and the waitress obliged cheerfully. I asked how the ham was - was it thinly sliced? No... Well, it was three thinly sliced pieces, not one thicker piece. It wasn't bad but it wasn't what I wanted to sink my teeth into. The eggs were cooked very well. Over light and no raw white from the "cover with a bit of water to steam the top" trick. I love runny yolks but I want my whites cooked, not slimy. They delivered. The coffee was fresh and plentiful. The service was cheerful and tried to be attentive. It was a great, Sunny later May Spring morning and Schoen Place was getting busy. read more

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Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon. Loved it. Probably my favorite hollandaise sauce I've ever had. Pleasant server. Clean restaurant. I'm sold! read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

A-OK is truly the perfect description for Village Coal Tower! To start, the location is amazing. Located right on the canal and in the center of the bustling Schoen place, there's ample parking and some gorgeous views as you sit and enjoy your breakfast. They accommodate large parties fairly well with larger tables and booths for families looking to dine together. I've enjoy eggs Benedict here, pancakes, and a few other goodies. The diner coffee is on point and the vibe is rustic meets chaos. I will say, being cash only in the year 2020 is a complete drag. I never carry cash and almost never come here as a result of this policy. The staff is fairly hit and miss, I've had great service and I've had hilariously bad service. I find prices to be in line with what you would expect for a Pittsford diner, but I've heard other complaints that prices are a bit high. If I am in Pittsford and in need of breakfast, I'll almost always opt for the bakery or Simply Crepes, but Coal tower is a fine option if you're looking for brekkie in a pinch. read more

It's a very cozy building since it is shaped like a round tower. Coffee hot, my eggs Benedict were delicious. Great service and prices. read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - Phone or eating only - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

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It's been several years since I last visited this place. I liked it. The atmosphere was busy, and full of families enjoying their meals & the time the. The food was great. read more

Came here for a birthday breakfast to celebrate my sisters birthday. I had the best eggs Benedict everand service was impeccable.

I stopped in this morning with my son for breakfast. First time here. I was all ready to get a spinach and mushroom omelette (but felt like I wanted potatoes as well), when you our waitress mentioned the quiche. Not on the menu, and not on specials board. I went for it--perfect! I especially liked the use of potato pancake for the crust. Exactly the flavors I was looking for. Bravo! My son had the cranberry/cinnamon swirl French Toast (special for the day). It looked great. An interesting combo of ingredients. A nice all-around restaurant here, with friendly, but not overbearing service. I'm not from the area, but I'll have to come back. I wish I had a picture of the quiche. Sorry. But give it a try and post one! read more

What I live about the Coal Tower is that it is a simple place to get a nice hot simple breakfast. The service is prompt and polite. I never once had to ask to top off my coffee or to get my wife a refill on her drink. There are no fancy dishes that require practice saying or that you have to look up to understand what they are. Eggs toast home fries pancakes in various configurations with different meats. All served quickly and hot. A great way to spend your Sunday mornings read more

CASH ONLY Delicious pancakes. Maybe the best in town. Everything else is decent, but a tad expensive. If you order American cheese on an omelet you literally get Kraft singles on top... read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - PANCAKES! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

Coal Tower, where have you been all of my Rochester life? How did no one shout about this place from its red cylinder roof top?! Weekend after excruciating weekend, I would crave the greek omelettes of my yester-Sundays at the Towne in Buffalo, with the orange flat-top smashed homefries. Instead, I would find myself in a fancy brunch place, eating overpriced egg benedicts with dressed salad leafs (I know I spelled that weird. But that's ok because I have Coal Tower now and Coal Tower would just let me be me). No! Fancy is not my cup of tea when it comes to breakfast. I want the linoleum topped tables and a styrofoam ceiling. I want the wall-menus with the handwritten specials that get crossed off as they run out (gotta come back for those potato pancakes) and changed over to fish specials when the breakfast hours tick by into lunch. I want cheap greek omelettes laced with spinach and heartily dotted with warm feta. With coffee that tastes decent in a white ceramic mug. I want pancakes stacked high with blue-purple berry smushes, and smiling families crammed into booths, with bright windows, happily shoveling in their perfect breakfasts as fast as they can eat. They're all well-dressed because it's Pittsford, but Coal Tower has the heart that I have been yearning for. I love this place. *also, don't forget to bring cash!! but they have an atm too.* read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - the shrimp basket - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

Nice atmosphere, decent food and a pleasant if befuddled staff. Two out of three of our orders were incorrect. I had a turkey club. It was just okay. A little skimpy on the meat and accompanied by a large portion of somewhat tasteless chips. Prices were definitely reasonable and it is in a great area and I believe a historic building. An okay place but there are much, much better family style restaurants in the area. Can assert that they do much better with breakfast. Kinda wish they served it all day. read more

Kind of disappointed in fish smaller and not as nice and white and flaky ,we will go back probably for breakfast

I find most of the comments here amusing. People complain that they didn't know it was a CASH ONLY restaurant, when it's clearly posted several places. The seating? Well, it's in a renovated actual Coal Tower from the early Erie Canal days, so you do what you can do. The food is very good! Limited menu now, but it's that way with most restaurants since Covid. I recommend the Eggs Benedict and Potato pancakes (usually only on weekends). The fish fry on Friday is also an excellent choice. read more

So bad. I had the ribeye sandwich with chips on the side. The sandwich was dry with no flavor. The bread was toasted and the chips were served in a small bag. If you don't order veggies or cheese that's all you get. A thin, dry piece of meat on a toasted bun. The service was nice and they only took cash. I won't be returning. Worse sandwich I've ever eaten. read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - Rib Eye Steak Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

My grandma and I went out to eat lunch at The Coal Tower the other day, and the food wasn't so great so we didn't eat it all and didn't want boxes. I apologized and just said my grandma doesn't eat much and apologized again. The waitress basically then told me that next time we should just order off the kids menu if we're not going to eat our food or take it home very passive aggressively. I understand food waste and such, but it would've ended up being thrown out anyways and plus we paid the full price of the meal. I as well asked her if we go up to pay or if she gives us a check and she told us go up to pay. I went up to pay and asked him how much, and he seemed irritated because I didn't have a dinner slip. Luckily when asked who my waitress was, she was by the counter and she said , "oh I forgot to give you the bill." Even though I asked if we receive a bill or not... Then when I was standing waiting for my grandma to come out of the bathroom, the same waitress approaches me and asks what I'm doing and if I'm waiting for the person I came with... I don't understand why she felt the need to come ask me what I was doing, because what if I , myself, was waiting for the bathroom? We're paying customers and it's a public bathroom.... Very disappointed in this place, especially since my family has gone many times in the past and it has been around a long time. read more

Was visiting from TX - I grew up in Pittsford. The Coal Tower has been around for years and it was nostalgic to go inside. We were seated quickly for lunch which was great. It took our waitress a while to come take our drink orders.... No biggie if that was the only issue. Once we placed our lunch order we waited at least 25 min for the appetizer to come out....meanwhile tables around us received orders and ate while we sat and waited. Finally lunch arrived and it is mediocre at best- it did the job and that was it. I think our waitress forgot to put our order in which totally happens but the experience fell flat and she didn't really seem to care about us struggling with 2 young kids. I would go back when I visit the area again and hope for a better experience. read more

Forget this place. Cash only, but they don't tell you that until after you order. Got sat at a table crammed against a wall and a pillar, and another table. The server was cranky and didn't like to be asked questions. I ordered something in a boat or barge, basically eggs, home fries and toast with cheese. Nothing at all had any flavor. Bland. Bland. Bland. I took my check up to the cash register, to the grumpy old man. He didn't say a word or even make eye contact... just held out his hand. It was not a welcoming experience. Flavourless food. I won't be back. read more

I love that this place is right on the canal, with lots of parking. Large menu with affordable prices. This place only accepts CASH.

Stopped in for mid-morning breakfast with visiting friend. All was fine except we both got scrambled eggs which were very disappointing. Flat with no sign of fluffy and with the most off-putting grill taste. Throwing them down on a hot grill does not make for a palatable end product. Having worked a grill several times in my life, I would humbly suggest they keep a saute pan on the side just to cook the scrambled eggs to keep them fresh tasting and fluffy. Also, just a small pat of butter would add richness without too much expense, although not necessary. Surprising since this restaurant has been here forever and in an up-scale community. Amazing what the well-heeled will let pass. read more

The pot pie special was about 1" high and no veggies or meat inside, poorly done. The beef barley soup tasted like a beef bullion cube was used for broth. My friend had a decent sandwich. No wonder no line at the door when other places had lines to get in. read more

After searching all over for a new spot to get brunch on a non-weekend, we settled on the Coal Tower. It's not too far of a drive from downtown, and there's plenty of parking in the lot behind the restaurant. Many people are off from work today so the area was pretty busy. It was a bit crowded when we arrived but we were seated within ten minutes. I went with the special of the day which was french toast with cherries and blueberries baked in, along with a side of bacon. The bacon was a bit flimsy and greasy and did not have much crunch to it. The french toast was excellent, the berries mixed in were not too overbearing and were a nice compliment to the syrup. Our waitress was very attentive to our table despite the large crowd. My coffee cup was never left empty which can be an issue at certain restaurants. Overall, a solid breakfast stop and one that I am sure we will be adding in to our regular repertoire. read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - View from the sidewalk - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

Stopped in for breakfast this morning. I was sat near the men's room where every time the door opened, a sewer smell emanated from the bathroom. To note, the bathroom was actually clean, but had a bad odor. I ordered the eggs benedict and the eggs benedict portion was excellent, but the home fries appeared to have a couple of days old reheated. I tried to pay with a credit card and was told cash only - I could use the ATM. Sure, and pay another three or four dollars for ATM fees for a $15 breakfast? Upon entering, nowhere on the two doors does it say cash only. Fortunately, I had some cash on me to pay. I am okay with a cash only establishment, just please make it glaring as you enter and don't try to hide it and sandbag the people at the end. read more

One of my favorite family style restaurants, great burgers & wraps. Bring cash! Checks accepted as well. If you have a hankering for a fish fry, theirs is one of the best! read more

Village Coal Tower Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pittsford, New York

I find myself disappointed when I come here but I keep trying. Today was a disappointment. We decided to stop for a late breakfast and while the service was absolutely fine, the food was lacking. Ordered the standard eggs, toast, home fries and bacon. All were lacking in flavor. Nothing was horrible, but nothing was particularly good. I like to go out and get GOOD food when I don't make it myself. The bacon felt in the older, been sitting around too long side, and the toast was not buttered, or if it was, it was sparse. The coffee was decent and my juice was fine. But I only ate about half of what was on my plate and left there feeling unfulfilled. Hate to post a sub-par review but this was a fair assessment of my meal today. read more

Never eat anything but breakfast here. This place seems to have a large morning crowd but it needs an extreme cleaning. When you enter the door paint has all peeled away, the floors are filthy and the table are too close together. I know you make more money when you squeeze the people in. I gave it 2 stars because the food was decent but you have to look around and see the grundge. read more