Shmeg’s Restaurant

I’ll make this quick and simple. The food portions are huge! Great for the price. Biggest downfall of his place is the wait and size of the restaurant. We came in on a Saturday mid morning. The front was packed. We stood there for 30 minutes to finally be seated IN THE BACK where it was COMPLETELY empty. The whole time! That’s what threw us off. I’ll come back since the food was good but not a perfect experience.

From buffalo it is hard to find a good place to eat in Rochester for me. The dennys that I went to was terrible but my aunt saw the waffle sandwich and we were determined to go now.
This morning we woke up and got dressed hopped in the car and went, a little jog from where we were but not a bad 10min drive. We got here early and were seated right away.
Very nice server he recommended some different things we had an appetizer of potatoes diced very well seasoned and cooked to perfection.
Entrees
Waffle sandwich for my aunt I looked and saw the bomber with 5 eggs
The plates came out and everyone was commenting the bomber is massive and the waffle sandwich was mmmmmmm orgasmic.
I could only eat ¼ of my sandwich and I am a big eater
5 star and I left a photo or two of the left overs
I call this a buffalo spot good food cheap prices and friendly staff

We showed up Sunday morning at 11:00am, peak breakfast time so we expected a wait. Sure enough, 45 minute wait to be seated for a party of 5. Not a big deal, the kids were hungry but waited patiently. We placed our orders quickly since we’ve been there before and waited another 45 minutes before being served which was a bit of a nuisance since the kids were no longer being patient. Food came and it was delicious, like usual. We ordered a Valentine’s day griddle cake for the kids to split which are massive. Because it was a special it was 9 dollars, it was a chocolate chip pancake and came with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, a custard sort of cream on top, and a chocolate covered strawberry. Quite good. I ordered the t-​ball plate because I knew from previous experience their portions are huge. 4.99 comes with 2 eggs, choice of meat, toast, and homefries. Everything was good, I got the sausage patty which is sweet, almost like it’s made with maple. Potatoes were room temp not hot but seasoned well. Overall, we’ve been here before and we will return. Staff very friendly and accommodating.

Went for the first time this weekend. Service was great. Waitress was friendly. Homemade sausage was really delicious and the prices were great. Awesome meat sauce as well.

This place is pretty good. Great portions and great value. My only concern is how long it takes to get the food, it is worth the wait, but when you come out of church around 11:30 and havent eaten all morning long, you want your breakfast as fast as possible.,
Keep up the good work, your food rocks.

I have eaten here twice. The first time, we were able to get a table immediately but it took over an hour for our food. The restaurant was busy, but nothing insane.
The second time, it took an hour to be seated and another hour and forty-​five minutes to get our food. The manager was telling people it’d be an hour before they were seated, but then would stall taking their order. The saddest part is that even though we were in the diner for THREE HOURS for BREAKFAST, no one offered to comp our coffee. This is just how business is run there. They just kept telling us– the food is worth the wait!
Well, the food is good. It is. But it’s not worth three hours for bread, eggs and sausage.
I wrote a similar review on their Facebook page and instead of management wanting more information to understand the issue, they told me there was no possible way that our food could have taken 1h45mns to make because they monitor ticket times. WRONG.
There are a serious flaws in their systems and the people running the business seem very defensive.
No thanks.

We’ve been wanting to try Shmeg’s for a while now but just haven’t mustered up the energy for the wait we heard is long and everpresent. Went in today at about 11:30am. Waited a few minutes for someone to seat us and were given seats at the counter. Others have commented that they didn’t like it but we sort of felt like we were at the «Chef’s Table» because we could see and hear everything ((since it was essentially happening 12 inches from our faces). This was fun for about an hour or so — as we watched all of the food other people ordered being cooked and delivered and dreaming about our own delicious plates that we thought would be soon to come. Alas, we had another hour to go before our order even went in (which we knew because we were literally sitting RIGHTTHERE).
After two hours of waiting we got our burrito and breakfast melt. They were both good — HUGE and far too much for either of us.
So, we would go back but on an off day at an off time (like Tuesday at 6am).

My kids and I love Shmeg’s! They always split an order of the chocolate chip griddle cakes and some scrambled eggs. Portions are very generous; that is more than enough food for my 8yr old and 3yr old to share!
I switch my order up each time and have never been disappointed. Last week I got the chubby breakfast burrito with sausage eggs and cheese, and I asked them to add veggies. I was so pleasantly surprised with the veggies. I was expecting the normal peppers and onions which there were, but they also added mushrooms, spinach and asparagus! It was amazing!
I love the homemade sausage; it has a bit of a sweet taste but that makes it even more delicious.
The staff is great; there are usually the same two servers there and they always remember my kids. I’m so happy that Shmeg’s is here and in our neighborhood!

This is what a small, locally-​owned diner/​restaurant should be. They care more about the food they’re putting out, than the money they’re bringing in. They have a small menu — which is a good sign of good food. They’re dishes are all unique and well thought out, not the same old cookie-​cutter garbage you get at every other diner. On top of that, they use premium foods and ingredients. The kitchen is in the center of everything, not in the back, so you can watch the dishes be prepared. Large portions, good prices, and friendly service.
My only gripe is that menu in and of itself is hard to read. It looks like it was a copy of a copy of a copy they sent through a bad printer. On top of that, there’s no explanation of the different entrees you can order. But the waitress was very helpful in explaining what everything was.

It’s ok.
After all the hype and excitement we were kinda let down. It was good… but not great, and not great enough to make me want to keep going back for more. Not to mention that the menu is very difficult to read.
Overall, worth trying out and going to again sometime, but won’t go out of our way for it.

First off I really wanted to like this place. I’ve seen lines out the door driving by and the waitress and cook were really nice. I arrived about 6:30AM and upon opening the door a waft of something less than pleasant hit me. A combo of old musty something and the smell of garlic and maybe dairy? It is the type of smell that once you’ve sat there for about 15 or 20 minutes you’ll adapt. The very pleasant waitress brought me a tasty cup of coffee and a hideous menu. The ‘menu’ looked like someone took a copy of a copy of a copy while the copy of the copy was still in the case! It can’t be read or figured out in any way. Rather than wrestle with that I asked for a couple of eggs, toast, and potatoes.
The cook delightfully brought my plate asking if I cared for any tabasco sauce. Arrival of the plate presented a HUGE piece of homemade heavily buttered bread with greasy eggs and even greasier potatoes. The bread would be fantastic as french toast I bet. Maybe I’ll have to come back and try that. But for trying to eat with greasy eggs and potatoes — way too much. I picked at it a little after using a couple of napkins to soak up the excessive butter and grease. The eggs were cooked as ordered and the potatoes were over spiced with maybe garlic and a taste of vinegar?
After a few bites I covered it up with a napkin and paid my bill. The inside has a nice look about it and the coffee is good, but for standard eggs, potatoes, and bread I won’t be back.

The only thing keeping this place from 5 stars is there breakfast potatoes. The bread is to die for and their portions sizes are huge. Everything is very reasonably priced and the service was very friendly.

I have really been wanting to try Schmegs and finally came out early enough to beat their rush! First off, I love the décor, it makes for a very comfortable atmosphere. I love the mismatched coffee mugs. It’s like I’m in my own kitchen.
Since this was my first visit, our waitress went over the whole menu with us because it was a little hard to decipher. I got a melt on the homemade toast and my boyfriend got mick’s toast. We were both really impressed with the homemade bread. It was delicious.
If you come here I suggest you bring your appetite. So. Much. Food.

In town on business, thought I would give this place a go with my main man Pete. Reviews looked good, so why not.
Sat down at the bar right in front of the kitchen so we could watch the magic happen. Place is small, but cozy! I order the plate XM which is a huge plate of everything they have. Almost all of it (including the sausage and toast). I resounding «yeeeuuuppppp» in my head when off. My buds got the burrito. Coffee while we wait is your standard diner blend.
Wow. Just wow. Everything was amazingly good. I seriously cannot wait to go back.

Shmeg’s is cool. We took the advice of fellow Unilocalers and ventured early on a weekday in order to avoid the long wait of the weekend crowd. Unlike many restaurants, Shmeg’s food is actually the main attraction here. The portion sizes and creative menu options create a serious draw for most of their patrons.
I ordered their gigantic sized french toast called the «McToast» which is dipped in Kellogg’s and it was delish! I also had some home fries with peppers and onions. The home fries were oddly sweet, but good. My mom had the «chubby» which is a breakfast sandwich. Overall, we both enjoyed our food.
The dining area is tiny. There are about five tables and a long counter. With their popularity, it is obvious that they have quickly outgrown this space and an upgrade will soon be in order. The décor is hipster minimalist with chalkboards and aluminum backsplash lining the walls. Our waitress was kind. We noticed the owner greeting someone who appeared to be a regular. It is nice to know that it is a hands-​on family run business. Enjoyable, can’t wait to visit again soon.

I’ve been dying to try this place for months. After finding them on Unilocal,shmeg’s had me at the name alone. (A friend calls me shmegan) after reading multiple five star reviews and viewing fascinating photos of breakfast and lunch meals — I finally popped in this weekend. And boy am I glad I did!
Upon entering, you step back into the 60’s type era — the old school looking diner feel which was very cool. After glancing at the menu, I had to ask what half of the items were — because they all had crazy cool names. The waitress described each one mentioning everything is homemade and cooked to order. Their bread especially is homemade and oh boy, it’s amazing.
Manny ordered their xm plate — an enormous breakfast platter one who compare to a breakfast garbage plate. Eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon and meat sauce with home made bread. Even he couldn’t finish it was so big, and he enjoyed every bite. I ordered the burrito. 3 eggs with your choice of meat (I chose shaved steak) and requested meat sauce inside (SO good) with sour cream and salsa on the side.
Service was great. We got right in, sat at the counter. The girls were very friendly and helpful. We had a great experience. Looking forward to next time.

Ah, Shmeg’s. Your reviews were so promising but my breakfast/​lunch has earned you the dubious honour of being in the top 10 worst restaurant experiences of my life. Pull up a chair, Unilocalers — I am planning on using all 5000 characters today.
We got there at 10am and were told by the hostess the wait would be an hour — an entirely fair wait for most good restaurants around town. We asked for some coffee while we waited and were given some. That was a nice gesture.
People were only being seated in the 5 tables up front + 5 spots at the counter — maybe a total of 22 seats — not what I would consider an overwhelming crowd for a spot that focuses on breakfast that mostly features quick cooking items like eggs + bacon. Yet the food appeared to be taking forever to come out. This was the universe’s hint to move on and go to a different place. We ignored it because of the utter dearth of other breakfast places around that area.
We were seated at 11:05am but were told we couldn’t order for another 10−15m as the hostess was trying to «space the orders out for the kitchen». I am not really sure how this helped the kitchen (It may have helped the average ticket time that was being reflected somewhere?).
At this point, we were all full on starving and I asked the (extremely sweet!) server if she could bring us something to just stave off the low blood sugar rage and she brought out chips. In fact, throughout this ordeal, our server was the highlight/​beacon of hope. She made sure our coffee mugs were full and actually felt bad for how long we had been waiting. Never let go of your server, Shmeg’s — she is the best of the best.
At 11:40am, I asked our server if we could order. She asked the hostess and was begrudgingly told, «Sure, they can order.» Given that we had 1h 40m to analyze the menu (which had names of dishes but little in the way of descriptions), we ordered right away.
An hour goes by. Yes, a whole fecking hour. At 12:40, we get our food. At 12:50, the hostess dropped off the check and takeout boxes, saying she did not want us to wait for her. This was absolutely rude. I can only hope this was her idea of being efficient but next time, please ask your table if they would like the check due to the long delay instead of dropping it off 10 mins after the food was delivered.
So, the food! I got a breakfast burrito which came with meat of choice (I chose shaved steak), 3 eggs and cheese. I also added peppers, onions, and jalapenos. For $ 1 extra, I also got a side of their much raved about home fries. The breakfast burrito was gigantic and a great value for what I paid. Our lovely server also brought out some salsa which went well with the dish. I barely ate half. The home fries were thick cut. Unfortunately it tasted like it was seasoned heavily with rosemary and it didn’t really go with the rest of the menu’s offerings.
We also shared the pancake of the day that featured bananas, walnuts and chocolate. The pancake was light, fluffy and the best bite of the meal
I read an article where the co owner described it as «working-​man style». We should have taken the hint and ordered less. Every dish we got could have been shared by 2 – 3 people with hearty appetites. Someone described this menu as creative — I don’t agree. It is traditional American breakfast served in ginormous portions and it is better than average for sure (eg. they make their own bread and sausage patties.).
However, the hostess (she may have been the other owner. I hope not.) handled the crowds poorly. Claiming that the wait was an hour when we had to wait another 40 mins to order is a terrible way to manage expectations. I also overheard her justifying the wait by saying they were down a cook and their grill was small — I would have loved this info at 10:00am, not 12:30pm. Takeout orders were still being taken despite the people waiting at tables for 45+ mins. The other tables were upset but a few of them were repeat customers who admitted that they usually had to wait quite a bit for the food. This place definitely has a following that I do not claim to comprehend.
You know, I get it. Shit happens. Restaurants are hard as hell to run. Honesty, free coffee and a sincere apology will usually keep the peace with most customers. Splitting up the wait time between «time to sit at a table» and «time to order your food» is shady at best. Also, comping the $ 1.50 cup of coffee would have been a cheap but appreciated gesture showing that they kind of felt bad that we had waited close to 3 hours for our food. Instead, the general vibe seemed to be that they felt their food was worth whatever the wait was.
Whenever the hostess apologized (halfheartedly in my admittedly hangry opinion), she would follow it up with «BUT the food is totally worth the wait!»
We arrived at 10am for breakfast and instead ended up having lunch at 12:40pm. Sorry, Miss Hostess but the food was most definitely not worth it. I will not be returning.

I wanted to love Shmegs. Instead I walked away with Post Traumatic Shmeg Disorder. My experience was so game-​changing that I broke my Unilocal rule of going to a restaurant more than once before any negative reviewing. I write this to tell you of the highs and the lows so you can make your own judgment call, but I’ll probably never be able to bring myself to go back. And the saddest reality is that the food was good.
Honestly, I took the crowd of Sunday brunchgoers sitting outside its nondescript entrance as a positive sign. When I was told at 10 a.m. that there would be a one hour wait to be seated, I took that to mean that in one hour (hopefully even just shy of an hour) I would be able to sit down at a table and order my food. I was thankful that there was a bench to wait inside with my two friends, and that the staff allowed us to order a cup of coffee while we waited. The interior was comfy, with a tv in the corner and sunflowers on the table. All good things.
Let me just say, the first hour passed by with me watching two tables of people who were watching me watch them because they had no food. For an hour.
At the top of the next hour, I must have looked faint because the three gentlemen closest to my obtrusive gaze who had just received their waffle breakfast stack of food ate for about 15 mins and got to-​go boxes. One patted me on the shoulder and said that they were ready to sacrifice that precious table for our own good. It was an act of beautiful selflessness that was undercut by the news that the kitchen was on a hold. We could sit at the table but we couldn’t order any food. I looked around at now three tables who were looking at me looking at them because they had no food.
One of the waitresses was so kind enough to bring over some potato chips to tide us over for the next hour to come. That gesture of human understanding did not go unnoticed. Especially considering that others on staff seemed unfazed by the sheer ridiculousness of this wait. There were maybe 17 people in the restaurant and the menu consisted mostly of eggs, potatoes, waffles and breakfast meat. «It’ll be worth the wait,» another staff member said. «The sausage is homemade and the bread is baked fresh.» Cue my «were they growing the pigs and baking each roll to order??» comment here. I learned that the kitchen was down a cook and that the griddle was apparently the size of a postage stamp. I really wish at this moment that someone brought some sort of roll, cut up banana, even a glass of water, to tide the rest of us over or prevent fainting spells.
It was literally 11:30 when we were allowed to order our food. Maybe this is not a crazy wait for food that you really want, fellow foodies, but I was not in line for a Cronut. I was at a nondescript little diner in Gates. I cracked open my purse and found my «in case of an emergency» box of raisins to attempt to save my friends and me from nearing starvation. I blame myself for not leaving, but the commitment to the struggle was hopefully going to prove for reward at the end. Right? When I heard that a to-​go order and a three-​top were all that were standing in my way to eating solid foods, I was proud of my self restraint and told myself that the to-​go order was definitely called in three hours ago.
At 12:20, I got my water glass and a pancake. I credit that pancake for saving my life. It was the entire size of the plate it was on, filled with chocolate chips, bananas and walnuts. It was good. It was not three hour wait good.
At 12:30, I got my Plate X-​M with over easy eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, toast and cheese. Other than it tasting like a good plate of breakfast food, I didn’t see the magic.
At 12:45, I got my to-​go box and the check. Dare I say that it came with some frostiness… likely due to my hangry RBF that was all but uncalled for during this experience. I was almost impressed by the steadfast brazen attitude of «yes you will wait for our food.» Hey, they didn’t charge for the chips. The waitress who brought them earned Shmegs another star.

After seeing all its rave reviews, I was really pumped to try out this place.
We came in at 12 noon on Saturday. The interior was actually much larger than what I expected, with numerous tables encircling the center table extending all the ways towards the back. Quite a charming place actually. However, the chairs (depending on where you end up sitting) can be quite uncomfortable — the bottom of my chair was so soft and unsupportive that it felt like I was sinking into quicksand.
The menu is artsy, though a bit cluttered and difficult to read. Not a bit deal; I thought it added to the charm.
I was really hungry by the time we ordered (12 noon brunch is pretty late!), and got the Radical Hasu (a breakfast hash), while my friend got Mick’s Toast (french toast with corn flakes) and a side of home fries. As we waited for our food, I couldn’t help but look around at the other tables that were getting their food — the portions were massive and the food looked soooo good!
I began to lose my enthusiasm for this place when I realized that the table of 2 next to us (which had ordered about 5 minutes before us) had long gotten their food, FINISHED IT, left, and WAS EVEN CLEARED before I saw any sign of our food. I checked my watch. It was freaking 12:50 — that means we had been waiting FIFTY minutes since ordering. I’m generally very understanding of longer wait times when place is busy, but 50 minutes for breakfast food in a diner-​like place is simply unacceptable. The place wasn’t even full. A restaurant shouldn’t have so many tables if their kitchen can’t keep up. And how the heck did the neighboring table, which had ordered at more or less the same time, get their food half an hour before us?
We were not once informed that our food would take so long, or have anyone check on us during the wait. (We did get checked up on three times after we mentioned the long wait… a bit too little, too late.)
Our food finally came out shortly after my friend asked the waitstaff about it. I will say the the food was very good value for the price. My hash was decent, but I’ve had much better hash elsewhere. The cheese on my potatoes wasn’t even melted, and I wish that the toast came with something to spread on it. My friend’s French toast was very good, though a bit overly blackened.
Being as famished as we were by the time our food arrived, you would think that this would be one of the most amazing meals of our lives, but quite the contrary: the frustration with the long wait completely killed our experience. I don’t think I have the patience to wait another 50 minutes for breakfast, and will be looking to other places for brunch in the future.

My boyfriend and I have actually passed Shmeg’s countless times without noticing it was there, but after I read the reviews for this place I decided that I needed to try it for myself. My boyfriend and I went for breakfast this morning, and we both loved it! My boyfriend has grown up around those parts and NCFR has been a long-​standing go to place for breakfast and hangover food, and he said that this place may have changed that for him.
The food is really good. Fresh bread made in house, and everything is made to order. Plus the portions are ridiculous. We got a breakfast plate and a blueberry griddle cake to get some sweet and savory action going on. The breakfast plate came with potatoes, sausage, bacon, three eggs, and toast, and wasn’t greasy or salty at all; the flavor was great and we were both super impressed. The griddle cake was crispy on the outside and fluffy and airy on the inside, with big fat juicy blueberries. So yummy. And the prices are great; our bill turned out to be about $ 18.
On top of that, the people that work there are crazy nice. They made sure my boyfriend’s coffee mug was always full and just made us feel so welcome.
The décor is eclectic retro diner-​esque, and each table is different. Even all the mugs are different and mismatchy, it was fun.
Parking is relatively easy but this morning it wasn’t plowed so that made things a bit more interesting.
Try Shmeg’s!