Rooney’s

Romantic night out in Roc. Crab cakes are super delish. Our waiter was Scottish. A+

Well, we were looking forward to a great meal on our first trip here. All was going fine until our main course was delivered. The server promptly disappeared never to return. I had duck breast, wild rice and mixed vegetables. My wife flat iron steak, frittes and mixed vegetables. The duck was cooked perfectly, moist and flavorful. Veggies were a over cooked mostly lacking texture. The wild rice was doused in soy. My wife’s steak was tragically over cooked, dooming this cut of meat.
Potato was cooked perfectly, veggies were like wise over cooked. Since no one came back to our table until they were clearing the plates (²⁄₃ of steak intact) they had no chance to correct the primary failure. (We chose not to chase someone down, rather waiting for the typical «how is everything?» question) They nicely negated the steak on check without our request, but we left wondering why this place would be highly reviewed for food quality. Atmosphere and the look of a better quality restaurant shouldn’t really over ride their lack of attention to the product. Wishing our expectations were lower.

My wife and I went to Rooney’s for the first time in years. The place is easily the best restaurant in Rochester. The quality of the food, the presentation, the attention of the wait staff are just so far above and beyond what you see anywhere.
I had the Mushroom and Herb Soup, the Belgian Endive Salad, and the Orange Duck. My wife also had the soup, a marinated beet salad, and the rack of lamb.
We will definitely return to Rooney’s

I searched the web and Unilocal for a new place to visit. Rooney’s came recommended by both and I made a reservation well in advance. My wife and I drove a distance to visit Rooney’s for Valentine’s Day dinner. It was set up as a price fixe with a well rounded menu. We arrived to a valet service that was cordial and quick. Once inside, we were greeted once again by a cordial and warm maître d’. The restaurant décor and ambiance was warm and friendly. The food was beyond delicious. My wife had lobster bisque (spicy), beet salad and scallops. I had the rack of lamb. Again, the food was delicious! We would both highly recommend this restaurant!

Excellent attentive service. Beautiful presentation of the meals. Steak was the best I have ever had. Even the side of veggies were perfectly cooked with a nice variety — green beans, carrots, broccoli, etc. Stater salad was a perfect size with nice mixed greens and was perfectly dressed. Dessert options were great and the chocolate mousse was terrific. We even enjoyed the charming atmosphere. We will definitely be back.

My first time ever! I have heard many great things about this restaurant. First, my service was lovely, polite, and knowledgeable. Second, the atmosphere was private but still uplifting, without being snooty. The food was the most magnificent I have chosen, wine selection was superb. I highly recommend this hidden gem.

I visited Rooney’s for the first time recently and very much enjoyed the experience. It has an old-​timey vibe; definitely not an atmosphere for young hipsters looking for the trendiest, coolest spot in town (and that’s not a bad thing). Rooney’s is located in a residential neighborhood, has tons of exposed brick and cool paintings, and a very dim, intimate setting.
We ordered several appetizers and all of them were delicious. A++ on the butternut squash soup. Beet salad was also great with amazing goat cheese on top. Pâté was also very good.
I had the scallops for dinner, and they were very tasty. The preparation was different from what I was expecting and from scallops I’ve had pretty much anywhere else. The flavors were good but surprising. Others ordered salmon, red snapper, and a pasta with beef that were also solid choices.
Sorbet for dessert to celebrate 2 birthdays– mango and raspberry, both excellent.
All in all, nice ambiance and good food. I’d almost say our appetizers were better than our entrees! Would go back, but only for special occasions since very pricey.

My husband recently took me here for our belated wedding anniversary, which happened to fall on Halloween so I think they were probably less busy than normal. No reservations were needed. I could tell that several other tables were also celebrating something including our neighbors who were celebrating their daughter’s engagement. I felt like the décor and ambiance were cozy, but honestly could have been brought to a much more stylish level very easily. I’m a decorator, so while others may not notice or care, I found myself very distracted by the wildly uneven row of cheesy, floral paintings on the wall. LOL
To start, we tried the Jumbo shrimp. The waiter gave us the tip that it comes with 3 large shrimp but we could pay extra for a nice even 4 (2 for each) so we opted for that. I found the flavors to be a somewhat odd mixture, but my husband enjoyed it. I would probably try something else next time.
My husband ordered the rack of lamb and thought it was excellent. I ordered the steak frites. Now I have to offer the caveat that I was newly pregnant at the time and just not into eating all that much so you should take my word with a grain of salt. That being said, while I found the meat to be flavorful (though my pregnant brain remembers it could have been better), it was very chewy. The truffle fries had a wonderful flavor and were my favorite, but some of the fries towards the bottom were incredibly salty — so much so that I couldn’t finish them and I don’t shy away from salt.
At the end of the dinner, they surprised us with some homemade sorbet with a candle in it for our special occasion. I thought that was a nice touch and appreciate it when restaurants do little things like that.
All in all, I would have given this 3 stars, but since my husband liked his meal so much, I’m compromising with 4.

First time I was at Rooney’s was in the early 80’s. Not a regular, but I have come every couple of years. Other then this week I was there 2 – 3 years before.
This time the restaurant seems to have dropped a bit. Still fine, no major problems, but just… ok.
Moment we walked in my guest smelled a strong smokey smell. Possibly it can be charming in a cold winter night. On a sunny summer day at 6:45 PM it was just smokey.
The service again was just alright. Nothing terrible, but at a better restaurant you should not have to ask for more bread, a top service will ask you.
What bothered us the most was the amount of tables. Tables so close that it was impossible not to hear the people around you. We heard conversations from three different tables even though they were not loud.
Dinner for two, not counting liquor, wine, or tips cost us $ 120. To me, in Rochester, for $ 120 it should be better then JUST ok. I have been coming here every couple of years for close to 40 years, I bet I have been there 30 times or more for dinner. I probably will not be coming back.

A Safe Choice
The atmosphere reminds me of a small, cozy restaurant in Vermont, replete with fireplace. The food was fine, but not great. The soup was not quite hot enough, and tasted «ok». The rack of lamb was cooked as we ordered (medium rare); it was good, but could have been better. It was almost bland, and the sides were not especially exciting. The restaurant is quiet and pleasant, and the service was adequate. Nothing wrong with the place, but nothing to rave about either. If conversation and atmosphere are important, then this is a fine choice.

This hidden gem in Rochester was fantastic! Great place for a date night. Excellent food and service!

One of the older restaurants in the city of Rochester, and I am told in the country… The experience and the quality of the food and service were excellent.
We had a series of appetizers we shared and then entrees. Everything was done very well and there was sufficient attention to detail in every interaction to show us that this is a high class well run establishment. The food was creative and the combination of tastes and textures was a beautiful surprise every time…
Crab cakes were firm and full of crabmeat, accompanied by a light but dense sauce that was a perfect accompaniment. The calamari was a nice surprise — not fried, but almost stewed in a brown sauce (soy, sesame etc. ponzu style with some sweetness and yet some sharpness to it) was soft and succulent — the sauce was so good, some even dipped bread in it… Mushrooms and fingerling potatoes were stir fried (large pieces) and were cooked perfectly with light oil and not overwhelmed with any type of heavy sauce. The beef skewers were served on a bed of noodles with a beautifully light sauce that was a little sharp but just coated the noodles and vegetables and did not overwhelm them!
The entrees were varied with the lamb being the most favored and cooked perfectly. The Bouillabaisse Marseille was in alight tomato based sauce with some potatoes and other ingredients. Lots of fish and shellfish — a very nice size… Perhaps a toasted slice of a baguette would have accented this a little more, but it was really nice. Swordfish was also well prepared and juicy with a nice flavorful topping and sides.
Nice experience. A definite favorite in Rochester

Don’t judge the place by its cover. The food was great. We cleaned all of our plates and that was rare.

The food here is pretty good! The service was great the staff never not noticed you and your needs. The atmosphere was definitely a place for a date, not a girls night out place. It was a cute little spot, but the parking was pretty full and you definitely squeeze in to get a spot.

My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary and we’re so glad we did! From the service to the food, everything was wonderful from start to finish. I ordered the lamb and he ordered the steak which were both perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The portion sizes were also decent. We ordered two desserts, the vanilla bean crème brûlée and the coconut sorbet which were both out of this world! One of the best meals I have ever had, hands down. If you’re looking for a cozy romantic fine dining experience, Rooney’s is it.

Outstanding Restaurant!
Having walked in, we were immediately greeted by Joe (Owner) and Katie (Waitress). The atmosphere is very dim and romantic. It would be a perfect place for a date or special occasion.
We started off with a couple appetizers. We ordered the Escargot stuffed mushrooms which was very tasty with loads of garlic and butter sauce. Also tried their house-​made lamb sausage which was also delightful. Very unusual and unique. For mains we had the lamb and swordfish. The lamb I believe is the best lamb I’ve ever had at any restaurant. The sides and sauces just lifted the dish to another level. It was also presented beautifully. As for the swordfish, it was a dense, moist, and very good sized piece of fish. Tasted quite good.
We ended our meal with a couple of desserts which were the Apple Crisp with Raisons, and their Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee. The Apple Crisp was great, and I loved how the ice cream on top was slightly soft and melting over the warm Apple Crisp. As for the Crème Brulee, it was refreshing and very delightful.
Near the beginning of the meal, I’ve noticed the Sous Chef is a Vietnamese man due to his last name being (Nguyen). I then asked the waitress and she told me he is indeed Vietnamese. He came out to meet me in person after our mains, and he was an absolute pleasure. I’m very impressed with his personality and cooking. Also I would like to add, Katie was very professional and a pleasure as well.
This actually wasn’t to overly expensive. For 2 apps, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, and 2 glasses of wine, it still came under $ 150. Very reasonable for the quality, ambience, and service.
Overall, this is definitely in my top 3 best restaurants ever visited, and I would be happy to visit again. Cheers!

We were pretty excited to try Rooney’s based on the great reviews. The restaurant itself is very nice but certainly not overcrowded for a Saturday evening. We were given the choice to sit in the bar area side or the main restaurant and opted for the bar side. Our waitstaff was pleasant and attentative.
We started with drinks– 3 sidecars and a martini. The bartender did not know the sidebar ingredients– and it showed as it was not quite right. We ordered 2 appetizers to share; pork rillette and open faced ravioli. The pork rillette was delicious, the open faced ravioli was unimpressive and not warm.
We ordered 2 salads, the marinated beet salad and a mixed green salad with house dressing. Once again a split decision, beet salad good, green salad had a strong, unpleasant raw onion flavor.
For entrees we ordered caramelized scallops, the salmon special and wood grilled beef tenderloin. There were positive reports on the beef tenderloin and salmon but my scallop dish was heavily over salted. It completely overwhelmed the flavor of the scallops and was very disappointing. The veggies were good and less salted.
For the price of this restaurant not a great value. There were some good fishes but also some disappointing misses.

Rooney’s is one of the last fine dining restaurants in Rochester, let alone the nation. Located on an unassuming street in Swillburg, you may be put off by the neighborhood, but once you enter the restaurant you will be transported to another time. Service is excellent and professional. In business for what seems like forever, that’s the best testament to this institution.
The food is done to perfection with presentation and flavor always kept in mind. Don’t go on a holiday as everyone will bring their significant other out. Try a random Monday. Their Lamb, Osso Bucco, and Duck are some of my favorite in town.
You will often find gastronomical dishes not found in many a Rochester restaurant. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, definitely try an evening at Rooney’s.

We arrived without reservation after a horrible dining experience elsewhere. We were warmly welcomed and seated by Sarah promptly.
Our server Cathy was pleasant and professional. We ordered the strip steak and beef tenderloin. Food was cooked to perfection.
During our dining both Cathy and Sarah visited our table to ensure everything was to our liking. We were made to feel like very special guests. The environment felt very intimate and it was clear that every employee loved their job and was happy to be there.

My wife and I had a great meal at Rooney’s. We had received a gift certificate and decided to treat ourselves. The atmosphere is nice, if a bit dark, but feels very comfortable. We started at the bar and had two very well mixed cocktails from a nice selection of liquor. The oysters that we started with were great: big, fresh tasting and a really good citrusy garnish that went on top. We both had salads (beat and Boston Bibb) which were pretty good also. Our entrees were both delicious. She got the lamb shank and I got the bouillabaisse; the amount of seafood on my plate was awesome. The portions were great, though I think the only reason I don’t give them 5 stars is because I thought the prices were a bit high. Still, for a really high quality meal, that felt like you were dining in a very nice restaurant, I couldn’t ask for much more.
WARNING: this is not the place you take your sexy first date who you’re trying to impress with how hip you are. This is where you take Grandma on her birthday, your wife (or husband!) on Valentine’s Day, or your parents after you’ve graduated with some advanced degree.