JoJo Wine Bar & Bistro

So sad the Williamsville, NY location had closed. Still worth the drive from Buffalo to Rochester! Drove up and ordered some of the grilled chicken pizzas to go (I recommend getting the thick crust versus the thin crust, as little of a difference as it is between them). They are the BEST pizza ever… except they used to put Balsamic glaze on it in Buffalo, and upon ordering it in Rochester there was no Balsamic glaze so I had to make my own at home and add it to the pizza. I had a glass of German Riesling upon waiting for my order, it was delightfully sweet and satisfying. Also ordered the french fries (seasoned with a lot of rosemary), the carrot cake (delicious!) and the tempura jumbo shrimp (thought they would have been more like bang bang shrimp– deep fried/​not what I expected). Bring back the JoJo Bistro to Buffalo!

It’s a different environment in here because… wine! It’s a little more pricy than most places but if you get here maybe on a week night early enough it’s a nice spot to hang out for sure. Casual yet classy feel to it. A nice place to meet up with co workers and just relax. I have been here a few times and I will be back again!
Their food is great — especially their pizzas. How can you go wrong with a wood fired pizza and wine?

JoJo’s has a great after work crowd and it’s my favorite place for dinner in the Village of Pittsford. They have a great atmosphere, the bar is always bustling, and the food is excellent. We usually dine at the bar and mostly go for their appetizers and brick oven pizza, which are fantastic. The bartenders and wait staff are very friendly too. I highly recommend that you try JoJo’s!

I love the wood-​fired stove right in your face at the bar as soon as you walk in. I bet it is really nice in the winter months! But, the pipes block the TV behind it, so you can either see the TV or sit in front of the oven; but not both.
You get a ton of muscles for the appetizer! …but the sauce is just mediocre.
A couple of the cocktails were pretty good. The spicy one was particularly delish, but the Ginger and black tea cocktail really didn’t have much flavor. Ginger isn’t a strong taste, so it isn’t unexpected, but I was hoping for more. Maybe a herbal garnish. It tasted like it was mostly tea.

Great food. Great service. Lots of beer and wine choices and a full bar. Wood fired pizza and even whole wheat crust as an option. I had the flank steak salad and it was perfect. A nice rub on the steak added great flavor, and the Carmelized onions greens and tomato were offset by a very nice mustard vinegrette. My wife really likes the pizza, and she is very specific on her preferences. The only negative is that it gets noisy. Even sitting in the back booth the volume kept escalating as the evening progressed. Still, a small distraction from a really fine meal.

Thought I would update my review…
The charcuterie remains a favorite of mine, the selections rotate at least weekly, and the accoutrements are amazing and perfectly compliment the meats and cheese.
Monday BYOB is my absolute favorite. No corkage fee is never a BAD thing. Just beware of servers who take it upon themselves to pour refills without asking first… One time a girl mixed my Chardonnay and my companions Riesling. Gross.
Many people complain about it being noisy but I have enjoyed many cozy dates here. There’s a bar in the main dining room, I am not expecting silence.
The wedge salad is AMAZING, the bleu cheese is perfect and plentiful, and the barbecue bacon they make is perfect.
All in all, Jojo remains one of my favorites for the past 3 years :)

My friends & I like to come here for BYO wine on Monday nights. Good way to save $. The food is very good. I have had the mushroom pizza (thin crust), steak salad (generously sized), & calamari (not too oily) – all of which I would recommend. You definitely need to make reservations on Mondays, unless you’re ok with waiting 45 minutes for a table. It can be very loud there. Service varies – we’ve had good servers & 1 server who made a lot of mistakes. Poured my friend’s wine in a cracked glass, then dumped it out and gave her a new glass. Never offered to replace her wine that had been dumped. The server next to our table dropped a bottle of red wine all over the customer he was serving. Heard many glasses being dropped & broken throughout the evening, which seems strange.

I can’t really comment on dinner. We left before we even ordered because the noise level was so deafening. I’ve eaten here couple times before and really liked the food. It’s to bad we had to leave, I didn’t feel like screaming at my date to converse.

Jojo is a nice restaurant with good food and normally good service. Most of the tables are cozy booths, with larger tables that can accommodate 4 people. We had a reservation for Valentine’s day last night, and there were several booths open, and many of the 4 top tables had couples sitting at them. We were seated at a small table in a dark corner next to the exit door. There was cold air coming in through the bottom of the door, and it was so dark we couldn’t read the menus. Being back in a dark corner, the waitress seemed to forget about us, and the service was slow. The food is consistently pretty good. Just really disappointed with the seating and the service.

Even on a Monday night, reservations are a must. The place was booked solid. Luckily, they have full menu service at the bar. The beef short ribs were amazing with my glass of D. Bosler pinot noir. My husband had the special, which was a NY strip with a side of perfectly grilled asparagus. I would definitely go back again and maybe try the mussels that our neighbor had or maybe one of the wood fired pizzas that we’re getting cooked right behind the bar. Despite the «not for kids» recommendation, we saw plenty of families with well-​behaved kids being seated.

Need I say more?
The beef bologna’s was good enough to eat, I’ve had better… it was better than look warm but not at all hot. the bread they brought out in its own little bag was just bread and the butter or margarine had a slightly funny taste to it. Before I could take a picture of my empty plate it was taken away!
The experience was just o k the zucchini sticks were a little bland as well.

Solid food, good ambiance and great service

Stopped in for dinner and a glass of wine. As usual, great service. Ambiance great as well. Good crowd-​not a college kid in sight. Just professionals out after work and some groups of adults having a night out with friends.
I had a wedge salad which was very good. Dressing excellent. Lettuce fresh, plate cold, bacon delicious.
Should have stopped there. Ordered a burger medium and it came well done on a large roll that was dense and not appealing. Tried to eat just the burger but couldn’t do it. Just not very good. Dry. Bland.
Keep in mind the pizza at JoJo is excellent, as are the sides. I just won’t do a burger again.
Thanks.

I have been to JoJo’s about 10 times now. I keep coming back because I really enjoy myself when we dine here. They’ve been able to get us in on busy nights and that’s great for my non-​planning personality!
I generally love their steak frites. It’s my go-​to and am never disappointed. I also can’t leave without ordering the grilled romaine salad, it’s really unique and yummy. My husband gets pizza and always loves it.
The atmosphere is nice and cozy. It can be a bit loud as there is a bar and aren’t any walls to section the dining area off. But I like that.
Service is always good. We seem to only get the same gentleman when we come but he is very nice.
Definitely worth a shot!

This place probably is considered sophisticated by Rochester standards (a city and area that is Webster’s definition of pseudo-​sophisticated). If hamburgers, «wood fired» pizzas (come to New Haven CT and see that wood fired isn’t a big deal), and fried snacks are bistro items… it’s quite telling the standard that sits here in Western NY. Jojos has a nice interior and the staff was pleasant enough… but the people in here seemed to be some of the most boring whitebread suburbanites known to mankind. Big fish in a very small pond that is Planet Rochester (a dying rust belt city even thought they are in deep denial about it).

How is it your facility can charge $ 7.50 for a .99 cent romaine from Wegmans? That’s not even right, it’s criminal. Shame on you.

Awesome food. Great drinks. Sweet atmosphere and the staff was super friendly. The mussels were awesome but the butter. Oh my!

Jojo’s is commonly known as a good place to meet up for drinks after work or later in the evening for dates, friends, or potential new liaisons. The energy is usually good with a big crowd typically on Friday and Saturday nights. The drinks are usually fair but not overly generous in price or alcohol content. The wood fired pizzas and other appetizers are usually well prepared and tasty enough. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could but I had to choose 3 or 4. It leans more to 3 than 4 with the service and drink quality.
This is a good place to catch some Pittsford people vibe.

Bonus points for being next door to Pittsford Farms Dairy! (I got some ice cream there right after dinner — yum!)
I like the ambience of this place — great location for a date night. I ordered one of their specials, which was a snapper w/​risotto as well as their Purple Lips flight (2 red blends and a zin). The snapper was delicious with great flavor and the Clos Du Bois Rouge blend was my favorite of the three!

I could eat and entire Mushroom pizza (fontina, caramelized onions, olive oil & rosemary) from here and not even feel bad about it — it’s that good.
Their zucchini fries with pesto are also delicious, but on my last visit they did seem to be under-​seasoned/​salted.
I love the high ceilings and the long bar that greet you when you enter. This is a great place to bring a bottle of wine on their no-​corkage-​fee Monday, but you might not want to pass up a chance to try one of their speciality cocktails.

We have always been fans of JoJo’s over the years. Their burgers are always good and reasonably priced for a gourmet burger — this is our «go-​to» meal here. But on this visit the burger was overcooked, not medium rare — we should have sent it back. The steak-​frites was more successful with the flavorful cut of beef cooked perfectly medium-​rare. The fries/​frites with both dishes were very good — super hot and crisp.
On other occasions we have ordered the crispy chicken which used to be a half-​chicken now it appears to be just a chicken breast which I avoid since in most places it is hard not to overcook it. One appetizer that is truly sinful is the Raclette, the JoJo interpretation of this Swiss dish, a plate of home made chips covered in melted Gruyère cheese — you need more than two to eat this if ordering dinner.
The service has always been excellent, especially the back servers — you never need to worrying about your water glass being empty. Also they take a reservation which is a plus.

Jojo is a great place for an evening out with friends — or local celebrity spotting! I won’t say who we saw on this latest occasion, but I was a little star struck!
Anyways, I really enjoy this place. The food is good — my favorite are the mussels! They are a meal in and of themselves! The pizzas are a treat — thin crust is to die for! The bar is always packed, and be prepared to wait for a table. It might be a good idea to make a reservation just to be sure.
My only complaint about this place is the noise level. The acoustics in here are not the best, and it seems like sound just bounces all over the place. It’s a little noisier than I would expect a bistro to be, but the food has won me over.
Plenty of parking in back, but it can be pretty dark at night.
Looking forward to my next trip — and my next celebrity spotting!

To me Total rating 2 ½ Stars
For drinking at JoJo Wine Bar & Bistro it’s very nice. I have been told by people more sophisticated then myself that they are very happy with the wine choices.
Many consider JoJo as a pick-​up type Bar. I cannot disagree from the stories I have heard. I think the Hotel across the street might also agree. So as a bar I would give it 3 ½ maybe 4 stars. The trouble is that JoJo is not Just a Bar. JoJo is a Bistro, a small restaurant as well as a bar. That is where rating stars began to go down.
The food was not bad. I know that I enjoyed London broil over a salad at JoJo. I also think I remember having a great hamburger here in the past. In fact I have no memory of anything tasting bad.
What was awful was when I went to dinner with another couple. We actually had to scream while eating dinner so as to communicate. No matter how good the food is if I can not speak with my friends I feel the meal has been destroyed. I am married, but if I was single, and I met someone at the bar at JoJo’s I would definitely go somewhere else for dinner so as to be able to have a conversation. For the restaurant I would give 1 Star.
There is a hidden ‘Saving Grace’. They have a hidden outside area with a few tables where you can eat and drink. There is a good chance you would not know about it if you don’t ask.

Jojo is one of my fave spots in Pittsford to go with the girls, the wine flights are great and they are very knowledgable about the wines and are willing to let you try them to make sure you love what you’re getting. So good, and I’m crazy about the ambiance of this place.
The food is very tasty as well, my favorites have to be the wedge salad (if you’re ordering it for an app, definitely get the half — it’s huge!), zucchini fries, & the mac and cheese. Yes, I realize these are all sides and apps, but they’re so darn good! The burger and fries are delish as well. Lots of people come for the pizza, which I believe is on special at happy hour or some night? I’ve had it, it’s good but my pizza loves lie elsewhere in Rochester, so these ones aren’t my favorite.
The fried dough as well as the blond and chocolate brownie duo desserts are amazing! Definitely save room for these babies.
We had a pretty unfortunate experience in terms of service the other night: not a soul came to our table for 25 minutes after sitting down, and once she came over she made excuses rather than apologizing :/​and after that the wrong food came out and when it was corrected, it still ended up on the bill. Then the waitress seemed confused when we asked her to take it off the bill before we handed over our credit cards? Overall a pretty big fail and she seemed to brush it off because we were young so that was really unfortunate. I’ll still be back, but I certainly won’t have the patience I had this time! Luckily the chefs saved the evening with their delicious meal. I’ve been wanting to try sitting at the bar anyways, looks like a lot of fun!

What a cute little place! I drive by here often as I love to walk along the canal at Schoen Place, and I frequent the Pittsford Farms Dairy, but I hadn’t been inside in ages. I went about a week ago for a glass of wine on a Saturday evening, and it’s safe to say that I’ll be back!
The bar area is large, with ample open seating, and there were a few patrons already settled around 7pm. The rest of the restaurant is decorated nicely, dark wood, open yet cozy. I do agree with other reviewers however, it does get loud in there, and the acoustics do not lend themselves to an intimate conversation, even though the décor does.
They have a pretty extensive wine list (as they should — it’s a wine bar!), and my friend and I split a bottle of medium-​bodied dry red — I want to say it was a Malbec, but I can’t remember the name. While we didn’t eat, the food that was coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled divine, I’ll definitely be back to eat.
Our server was exceptional. Really, five stars just for her. She was very personable, accommodating, and watchful over us – I don’t think either of us even refilled our wine glasses, she always seemed to pop by and check on us when our glasses were low, and would refill them automatically.
All in all, a nice place with a good clientele (it was varied over our few hours there, but skewed in the thirties plus crowd), and awesome service! Would be equally great for a date night or a night out with some friends.

JoJo has a lot of great stuff going for it. The trick to having a good dining experience definitely depends on timing and what you order because some things are clearly better than others.
From the appetizer menu, I can totally vouch for the meatballs. Perfect in flavoring and texture, with an earthy sauce, I wound up getting them as part of my main entrée. The zucchini fries are an ok pseudohealthy choice, but were a little greasy and not too flavorful.
Shout outs to the bread service for sure. A warm crusty baguette served in a sleeve/​bag so its easy to break off without touching the whole loaf. It’s perfect for dipping in the meatball sauce, along with the fluffy whipped butter they provide.
Can’t agree with folks enough about the stellar mac and cheese. It has a nice flavor and crusty breadcrumb topping but it wasn’t overly creamy and greasy which I find revolting about some versions Ive tasted.
My friend ordered sweet potato gnocci which I don’t think she was too impressed with but is an option for the vegetarians. I thought it was a little on the mushy side but I’d eat it if I was hungry.
The desserts here seem hit or miss. I once had a slice of deliciously moist cake but the last time I tried it it was a little on the stale side. It probably pays to ask your server what they recommend because they seem pretty honest and eager to have you enjoy your meal.

Trendy place in Pittsford. Apparently owned by the same people who own TRATA. Decent sized dining area and a full bar. Decorated quite well. Clientele on the night I went there mostly included thirty somethings out for a drink, men in suits who looked like they were unwinding after a long day at work and girls on a night out. The place is loud. Service was prompt and the waiters/​waitresses were helpful and courteous.
What ruined the otherwise great ambiance was the food. The Jo Jo burger was dry and slightly overcooked. It came with lettuce which did not look or taste fresh. I like my burger juicy and this one was the opposite. I had to douse it with ketchup to make its passage through my esophagus easier.
The white truffle parmesan fries were good. Nothing to write home about however. Serving size was small.
The Jo Jo Dough for dessert was the only thing that everyone enjoyed. Fried dough balls with delicious vanilla ice cream poured on top. My friends ordered the carrot cake and another cake they had on their menu and both were very mediocre.
Prices were reasonable. Bathrooms are well stocked and mostly clean.
I could consider coming back here in the future maybe for the atmosphere but I probably won’t. I’d need a lot of persuasion. Would rather go to TRATA instead.

JoJo is still winning over my heart. I recently discovered their outdoor seating, which is quaint (~4 tables), but perfect for a Sunday evening dinner al fresco.
One thing you need to order is the mac & cheese. Technically, it’s a side and my boyfriend ordered it for the sake of a comfort food fix. The portion is enormous for $ 5, with cellentani pasta (the big spirals) coated inside and out with thick melted cheddar cheese sauce and a healthy topping of crisply browned panko bread crumbs. It’s salted perfectly and then there’s a surprise bite or two or chorizo that adds some smokiness to the dish.
I also had the spinach and walnut salad, which was a great summertime dish. The toasted walnuts were my favorite part with a bite of the strawberries. So fresh and delightful. However, I wish there had been bigger chunks of proscuitto… they were so small I barely got a taste.
It’s also a perfect spot to enjoy no corkage fee nights on Mondays. It’s a popular night for sure so make a reservation.