Rochester's commercial core. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que occupies the historic 1905 Lehigh Valley Railroad Station on Court Street. Branca Midtown runs Italian on East Broad Street. The East End neighborhood east of downtown is the primary nightlife and bar district, especially on Alexander Street and Gibbs Street near Eastman School of Music.
Good Luck in Rochester opened 2008 in a converted industrial space on Anderson Ave and earned Best Restaurant in the 2025 Best of Rochester awards.
Signature: Seasonal cocktails, Chef's market menu
Order: Whatever is on the seasonal menu board that week. The kitchen writes around what's available at the Rochester Public Market.
Tip: Walk-ins at the bar are easier to secure than a table. The cocktail program is one of Rochester's best.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Rochester occupies a 1905 railroad station on Court St, overlooking the Genesee River. Named Best BBQ in Best of Rochester 2025.
Signature: St. Louis ribs, Pulled pork, Prime brisket
Order: St. Louis ribs with coleslaw and mac and cheese on the side.
Tip: Best seating is at the bar overlooking the river. Live blues music on weekend evenings. Reservations available on Resy.
Branca Midtown on E. Broad Street serves Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza and hand-cut pasta in a polished downtown Rochester dining room and bar.
Signature: Neapolitan pizza, House pasta
Order: The Neapolitan pizza from the wood-burning oven, charred and blistered at the edges.
Tip: Lunch service runs Wednesday and Thursday. Bar stays open later than the kitchen. Reservations via Resy.
Good Luck on Anderson Ave in Rochester opened 2008 as one of the city's top rooms, writing menus around seasonal availability with a serious cocktail program.
Signature: Seasonal market menu, Chef's cocktails
Order: The seasonal tasting menu or the cocktail pairing with whatever the kitchen is featuring.
Tip: Best reserved four to six weeks ahead for Friday or Saturday. The bar is the most interesting seat in the room.
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen on W. Main St won Best Local Wine List in Best of Rochester 2025, with global wines and seasonal entrees.
Signature: Wine flight pairings, Chef-inspired tapas, Seasonal entrees
Order: The wine flight paired with the rotating seasonal entree from the chef.
Tip: The kitchen closes earlier than the bar. Reservations on Tock.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court St occupies the 1905 Lehigh Valley Railroad Station with Genesee River views, named Best BBQ in Best of Rochester 2025.
Signature: Prime brisket, St. Louis ribs, Smoked half-chicken
Order: The prime brisket platter with mac and cheese and collard greens.
Tip: Live blues music on weekends. The bar occupies the original station waiting room. Reservations on Resy.
Branca Midtown on E. Broad St is a polished downtown Italian room serving wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and hand-cut pasta in central Rochester.
Signature: Neapolitan pizza, Hand-cut pasta, Seasonal antipasti
Order: The Neapolitan pizza from the wood-burning oven and the pasta of the day.
Tip: Lunch only Wednesday and Thursday. Bar stays open after kitchen closes. Reservations via Resy.
Nick Tahou Hots on W. Main St in Rochester has served the original Garbage Plate since 1918, the dish that defines the city's food identity.
Signature: Garbage Plate, White hot, Red hot
Order: The Garbage Plate with white hots, home fries, mac salad, and meat sauce. Order it at the counter; no substitutions needed.
Tip: Cash is preferred. The restaurant is a no-frills diner; the dish is the destination. Closed Mondays.
Locals Only on Alexander St in Rochester serves daily breakfast and lunch with a full cocktail program, named for its commitment to Rochester identity.
Signature: Purple Rain brunch plate, Sweet Home Avocado, Full cocktail brunch
Order: The Purple Rain brunch plate, a Rochester-themed egg dish with local accompaniments.
Tip: Open daily 08:00-15:00. No reservations needed. Full cocktail and coffee program available all morning.
Fuego Coffee Roasters near Washington Square Park in Rochester roasts in-house and serves espresso, pour-overs, and a rotating lunch menu daily.
Tip: Seasonal pop-ups at Brighton Farmers Market and The Lucky Flea. Metered parking on Woodbury weekdays. Vegan and gluten-free snacks available.
Locals Only on Alexander St in Rochester serves breakfast and lunch with a full cocktail program from 08:00, a Rochester-themed brunch counter open daily.
Tip: Full cocktail and coffee program available all morning. Open seven days. No reservations needed for brunch.
Carnegie Cellars on W. Main St in downtown Rochester is a wine bar with coffee service and a world wine list, offering Finger Lakes and global producers.
Tip: Wine by the glass from Finger Lakes and global producers. Reservations on Tock.
Fuego Coffee Roasters near Washington Square Park in Rochester roasts single-origin and blended coffees in-house, serving espresso and pour-overs daily.
Tip: Rotating pour-over menu changes as new lots arrive. Seasonal pop-ups at Brighton Farmers Market. Beans available for retail purchase at the cafe.
Carnegie Cellars on W. Main St in downtown Rochester serves specialty coffee alongside wine, transitioning from daytime cafe to evening wine bar.
Tip: Full wine list opens in the afternoon. Finger Lakes and global producers by the glass.
Aporia Coffee Co is a Rochester specialty roaster founded by Wade Reed, with national competition accolades and wholesale supply to cafes across the city.
Tip: Primarily a wholesale roaster without a standalone retail cafe. Find Aporia coffee at Locals Only on Alexander St and other partner cafes. Beans available for purchase online.
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen on W. Main St won Best Local Wine List in Best of Rochester 2025, with global wines and a seasonal kitchen.
Tip: The wine flights are the easiest way to sample the list. Kitchen closes an hour before the bar.
Good Luck on Anderson Ave in Rochester runs a curated wine list alongside one of the city's strongest cocktail programs and a seasonal kitchen.
Tip: The bar team does both cocktails and wines with equal care. Ask the bartender for a wine recommendation with whatever is on the seasonal food board.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court St in Rochester has a strong bar program alongside its BBQ kitchen in a 1905 railroad station with river views and live blues.
Tip: The bar occupies the original railroad waiting room. Beer list focuses on craft and regional pours. Live blues on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Branca Midtown on E. Broad St in Rochester has a focused Italian wine list with Neapolitan pizza and pasta, the bar staying open after kitchen close.
Tip: Bar stays open past kitchen closing hours. The Italian wine list is one of the more focused in the city. Aperitivo cocktails a good start to an evening.
Good Luck on Anderson Ave in Rochester has one of the city's strongest cocktail programs in a converted industrial space with a seasonal kitchen.
Tip: The bar seats are the easiest walk-in option. Order what the bartender is excited about; the cocktail menu rotates with the kitchen.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court St in Rochester has a full bar in a 1905 railroad station, with live blues on weekends and Genesee River views from the rail.
Tip: Best bar seat is on the second-floor mezzanine overlooking the main floor. Live blues Friday and Saturday evenings. Craft and regional beers on draft.
Genesee Brew House on Cataract St is the pilot taproom of Genesee Brewing (est. 1878), with pub food, pilot batch beers, and river views from the dining room.
Tip: The second-floor dining room overlooks the Genesee River. The pilot batch section is the most interesting part of the tap list. Museum displays cover the brewery's history since 1878.
Nick Tahou Hots on W. Main St in Rochester is the originator of the Garbage Plate, serving the trademarked original since 1918 at a no-frills counter.
Tip: The white hot Garbage Plate with home fries, macaroni salad, and meat sauce is the canonical order. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays.
Genesee Brew House on Cataract St is the pilot taproom for Genesee Brewing (est. 1878), America's oldest continuously operating brewery, with river views.
Tip: Second-floor dining room has the best river view. The pilot batch section of the tap list changes weekly. Museum space covers the brewery's history since 1878.
Flower City Food Tours' Downtown After Hours tour runs Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 17:30 for $89, covering Rochester's downtown dining scene with tastings and cocktails.
Tip: The after-hours format includes cocktail tastings alongside food at each stop. A good option for visitors with only one evening in the city.
Rochester Pedal Tours runs a progressive dinner tour cycling between downtown Rochester restaurants, a social format popular for birthdays, corporate outings, and out-of-town visitors.
Tip: Group bookings required; not a drop-in experience. Best for parties of 8 or more. Reservations by phone or website well in advance.
The Rochester International Jazz Festival runs 9 days each June in downtown Rochester, drawing 200,000 attendees and 1,700 performers to 350 concerts near the Eastman School of Music.
Tip: A $35-$55 Club Pass covers all indoor club venues for one night. Purchase online; top venues such as Harro East and Montage Music Hall sell out in advance.
Corn Hill Arts Festival runs each July in the Corn Hill neighborhood along the Genesee River, combining fine art, live music, and local food vendors on the historic residential streets south of downtown.
Tip: Free admission on the festival grounds; artist booths run both days. Arrive via Monroe Ave from the South Wedge to walk to the festival without parking challenges.
Rochester Brainery at 176 Anderson Ave runs rotating hands-on cooking classes for adults in the same building complex as Good Luck, covering cuisines from pasta to Thai to pastry techniques.
Tip: Classes run weekday evenings and weekends; check the website calendar for current offerings. BYOB is typically allowed. Book at least a week in advance; popular sessions sell out.
Nick Tahou Hots on W. Main St in Rochester serves the original trademarked Garbage Plate for under $10, one of the best cheap meals in Upstate New York.
Tip: A two-item plate runs $8-$10 depending on protein. White hots, cheeseburgers, or eggs over the top. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays.
Locals Only on Alexander St is a go-to daily breakfast and brunch spot, known for creative egg dishes and local sourcing in a compact downtown dining room.
Tip: Expect a wait on weekend mornings; they do not take reservations for brunch. Arrive by 09:30 to avoid the worst of the Saturday queue. Coffee program is strong.
Good Luck on Anderson Ave runs occasional brunch pop-ups with a seasonal menu that applies the same farm-to-table discipline as its evening kitchen.
Tip: Brunch at Good Luck is seasonal and irregular; check the website before planning a visit. When it runs, it is one of the most polished brunch experiences in the city.
Branca Midtown on E Broad St downtown serves Neapolitan pizza and pasta, with lunch service Wednesday through Saturday and a polished dining room.
Tip: Lunch only Wednesday and Thursday. Bar stays open after kitchen closes. Reservations via Resy.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court St is open until midnight on weekends in the downtown railroad station, one of the few late full-kitchen options downtown.
Tip: Kitchen closes at midnight on Friday and Saturday. Live blues runs until 00:00 on weekends. The bar itself may stay open later than the kitchen; confirm on arrival.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court St in Rochester hosts live blues bands Friday and Saturday nights in the 1905 railroad station building, one of the most consistent live music venues in downtown Rochester.
Tip: Live music starts around 21:00 Friday and Saturday. No cover; music is included with entry. Best seats are the bar and the mezzanine overlooking the main floor.
Good Luck on Anderson Ave in Rochester occupies a converted industrial space with an intimate cocktail bar that functions as Rochester's closest equivalent to a cocktail den, with a serious and seasonal drink program.
Tip: No neon sign; the entrance is understated. The cocktail menu changes seasonally. Best seats are at the bar where the bartender can walk you through the current list.
Carnegie Cellars in downtown Rochester operates as Rochester's de facto listening bar equivalent, with vinyl and curated music programmed to match the Finger Lakes wine poured at the counter.
Tip: Not a dedicated listening bar in the Japanese sense, but the low-key wine focus and music curation make it the closest Rochester has. The wine list focuses on Finger Lakes varieties.