Temple Bar and Grille

I started coming to the Temple about a year ago and I was impressed from day 1 with their lunch offerings. It’s a far cry from your standard «bar food» and their beer selection is not too shabby either. If you get a chance to stop there for lunch, you won’t regret it. The regular bartender there is extremely friendly and very helpful with suggestions. If you are pressed for time, the speed of service is also worth noting. All around great place for lunch.

I’ve seen live bands here, and recently some Saturday night karaōke. We had a great time. Real pipes on some of the singers. The location is nice as far as being around other East End bars and restaurants, and the parking garage if you can’t snag a street spot. Nice outdoor area to chill.

Writing this review in almost a fit of rage. Waited at the bar for 20 minutes before someone even asked me what I wanted. I went for something she recommended hoping that she would make it snappy. I could see her making small talk with the ‘regulars’. There were two other people at the bar who were equally blind to my presence. After waiting for another 15 minutes, I decided to leave. Bad service is one thing but being completely blind to another person waiting to be served is, in my humble opinion, the proverbial ‘line’. I used to think it was a cool place but after this I wonder if I will ever go back. Not only was my Friday evening spoilt, the whole thing also left a bad taste in my mouth.

I’ve been coming to Temple on a consistent basis for a year now. They recently expanded their draft beer selection. The staff is always welcoming, kind, and remember your name and drink as you come in more regularly. The atmosphere brings me here and the food & people keep me here.

Temple is the go to spot on East Ave. if your looking for a casual good time with dates/​friends. It reminds me of being in that hit show «Cheers» back in the 90’s where everyone says «Hi!» walking in. The community that has grown around this bar is what contributes to Temple’s strong following. The guests that come into Temple are looking for a relaxed time, and the setting for the place is perfect for that. Sure the floor’s are sticky, the chairs have holes in them, and the walls are filthy BUT these features make it my FAVORITE hole in the wall. The outside patio is spacious to relax with your friends over a cocktail. Temple has some of the BEST BAR SPECIAL’S every night compared to other local bars. Monday-​Friday, from 4 – 7, is the 2 for 1 Happy Hour on ANYTHING. This 2 for 1 is a HUGE secret, and is widely popular among the locals. I can get 2 delicious dirty martinis for $ 6.00! Tuesday trivia at 9 PM is a fun group time with friends, along with Karaōke night on Thursdays. I have had the best guy moments at Temple over a karaōke song to Britney Spears. The Ghost Wing Challenge is truly not for the faint of heart. You have to eat a dozen of Temples famous HOT/​SPICY Ghost Pepper Wings, and a whole pint of beer in under a certain time. I have seen many successes, and failures in that department. The food here is surprisingly tasty, including there famous Boneless Wings. Temple knows how to take basic bar food, and elevate it.
BONELESS WINGS: This is what makes this place FAMOUS in the Greater Rochester area. There boneless wings are huge, flaky, crispy, and full of flavor. You can get a variety of sauces to go on them. My all time favorites are the BBQ, Country Sweet, and the Garlic Parmesan. I know from hanging out in the kitchen, that all there sauces are homemade fresh daily.
QUESADILLAS: when you get this entrée, you are getting a HUGE Quesadilla. One comes with fresh grilled bbq chicken, red onions, and topped with jack and cheddar cheeses. The Quesadilla always comes out perfectly firm, giving you this huge crunch of flavor. It always amazes me of how everything is perfectly stuffed. The other Quesadilla that you can get is the BBQ Beef Brisket. The beef is so tender mixed in with the homemade bbq sauce.
LOBSTER AND CRAB BISQUE: When my friends recommend-​ed this, at first I was a little apprehensive. I just never thought Temple would be able to pull off a good Lobster Bisque. To my surprise, my friends were right, it tasted amazing. The bisque was thick, and hearty. I did not care that they used imitation crab/​lobster meat, because they gave me enough of it in my soup.
BEER BATTERED HADDOCK DINNER: this will be your go to place for Friday Fish Fry/​Cocktails. The Haddock is always beer battered perfectly for its size. Speaking of size, it’s HUGE. I get my weekly dose of fish with this one meal. The haddock was golden brown, with a nice flaky cut right down the middle. The side of Coleslaw tasted like blue cheese and pineapple. It is an interesting combination that you get tired of eating after the first bite. Never was a huge fan of there french fries, always tasted like dishwater.
Overall: Great Atmosphere, Best Kept Hole in the Wall, 2 for 1 Happy Hour, Cheap Bar Drinks, Ghost Pepper Wing Challenge, Karaōke, Trivia, BONELESS WINGS!, Lobster Bisque Soup, and Quesadilla Heaven… of course I will be back.

Can we get Taffer to come and do bar rescue at this place? Rochester isn’t the most cosmopolitan locale you can find yourself in, but this place is a dump. Inexperienced and understaffed service. Beer was warm from the tap. I got boneless «chicken» wings that were more like damp balls of breaded gristle. Avoid.

I’ve come to love a good dive bar. Temple is a dive bar you become loyal to for all the right reasons. I started visiting Temple with a kickball team, so win number one, they sponsor teams and give a fair sponsorship. They have daily drink specials and a 2 for 1 happy hour. The owner is there almost all the time and visible– I love that. And the staff remembers you & your order if you visit enough. Very Cheers like! The Tacos and Trivia on Tuesday night is fun (better than Geeks who Drink if you ask me). The bar food is good bar food, nothing amazing and they have a limited draft beer selection but you’ll enjoy the time you spend there for sure.

This place is a hole in the wall in the best kind of way.
The draft choices are mediocre but the food keeps me coming back. I love the poutine which you can also get tater tot style instead of fries. Chicken fingers another staple. They do really delicious sandwiches & wraps too. Nothing I’ve eaten there is bad. Even jumbalya.
Tuesday night trivia is a hoot. During shout out rounds you can win a delicious taco or tshirt. Win a round and get a free round of shots. Win the night & your team gets a gift card.

Overall, walking in this just seems like a standard sport bar. That impression is not inaccurate, but it’s definitely still very good! The bartenders were friendly and helpful, and they had a good selection of drinks (I had 3 different ciders to choose from, definitely atypical for this type of bar!). It was pretty quite, considering I was there on a Saturday night, but it seemed like it would get pretty crazy if there were games to watch! I had the fried raviolies, which are simply amazing! I realized after eating them all that I should have taken a picture to show you, but they looked so delicious I ate them immediately without even thinking about it! I would definitely go back just to eat those.

I came here with friends for trivia night. We only ordered drinks, so I can’t speak about the food. I was a little creeped out by the environment – not the cleanest. Definitely not the place to go if you’re looking for a cool, hip hangout spot, but if you’re just looking for some greasy fries and a few beers while out on East, this place does the job.
I do want to add that we got approached by a guy inside the bar, asking us for money. The staff didn’t do anything about it. Maybe this was an isolated incident, but I saw another review say something about it.

Review updated to 4 stars cause the owner is actively engaged in trying to improve business. Only thing that can be done to gain 5 stars is dumping RC cola and better burger/​food. Fries are great though.

My first time at Temple — during the Jazz fest. The festival was so crowded a friend and I decided to head back and get a drink at the bar instead.
I’m not a regular at bars, so that might taint my review. But the place seemed Ok. It wasn’t overly crowded. The bar tenders were super nice. There was some outdoor seating that we eventually snagged so we could actually hear some of the jazz music (and people watch of course). Drinks seem to be a reasonable price. You could catch World Cup coverage.
I guess what more do you need from a bar experience?

Visited Temple bar last night after leaving another event. I went with my hubby, BFF and her boyfriend an a host of other friends and associates. We had a rather large group.
Our primary reason for going to Temple was for their karaōke. We had a great, great time and it was a lot of fun. The karaōke is sort of in the corner off to the side and the DJ has a small tv screen as well. We were hearing some feedback on the mics, but the DJ seemed to be doing his best to correct it. We sang a few group songs and he had three mics which was nice.
As several reviewers have previously mentioned, the drinks are very reasonable priced. However they use bottom shelf unless you request otherwise. We had no problems with the bar staff or service and felt that the DJ was very attentive to our group as well. Overall, we would venture back again because we had a blast. As for the bar itself, upon entering, I mentioned to my husband that I could totally see this place on bar rescue. It is truly in need of an update.

This place was really bad. We were in town for the PGA Championship and stayed at the Hyatt. Some how ended up in this area and would have rather stayed in with a bag of bugles. One person working on a Saturday at 9, warm beer, inexperienced service and poor food. Never complained about a place but this was that bad. Kept 3 24 year old guys in after eating and getting sick. Stay away.
Was also approached in the restaurant by two separate homeless men begging for money.

If you’re in a pinch, this place is a good choice. Still, hard to choose it over some of the better places in the area.
The pluses: it’s cheap. The happy hour specials are AWESOME and the food is on the cheaper side without sacrificing too much quality. Wings aren’t bad. I’ve had pretty good service here and the atmosphere is very laid back. I wouldn’t call it an Irish Pub, I’d call it a neighborhood bar with a good crowd of regulars and specials. It does the job and rarely gets too rowdy. Sunday nights can be quite fun with live Irish music time from time to time. Outside seating is also a plus in the summer.
Minuses: Beer selection, meh. Not many craft selections; many people here probably think that Yuengling and Shock Top mean branching out. Food is average but I’ve never had a BAD meal.
In all, a decent neighborhood joint that offers lunch and gets the job done.

Been here a few times for Karkoke, food and drinks. Good location, fun bar. I had a blast and I’d go back. Wings are excellent. Other food seemed pretty decent. Fun mix of people in this bar. Friendly owner. Good bar!

Friday night fish fry is amazing and I do recommend the steamed clams to start! Don’t go in when your in a rush, this is a laid back have a beer and watch a game kind of bar. It reminds me of Chicago neighbor style bar except it is in Rochester. I took off one star because the drinks could be better made and beers could be colder but it is still my favorite fish fry in town!

Temple Bar is really more my speed when it comes to a bar. It’s normally populated by mostly regulars and doesn’t get terribly crowded on a weekend night. You can sit outside, people watch, and actually have a conversation with someone at a regular speaking volume. I’d say it’s an older crowd, so if you’re looking to recreate a scene from the Jersey Shore, please stay away.
The bartenders are adequate. The food is OK (garlic parm wings are decent). I like to come here because of the atmosphere and because I know a few of the regulars. The owner is a good guy and will usually come sit with us outside. He’s usually pretty good for a story and a laugh.
I’d recommend this place if you want to come, sit, have a drink, watch a Yankees game, and have a conversation. But don’t fret. It’s a perfectly acceptable place to get loaded too.
Good tip — the Scio St garage is right across the street which has free parking on the weekends and during the evenings on weekdays.

I really enjoy Temple. I am especially a fan of their 4 – 8 happy hour where drinks are buy one, get one. They have 5 or 6 beers on tap a quite a few bottles from which to pick. Temple also has a full menu; everything I have ever had from it was tasty. Typical bar fare, but less greasy in my opinion. For the East End lunch crowd, Temple is open for lunch. I have stopped in once, back when I could escape my desk, and had a burger which I enjoyed. They have a small outside seating area for the summer, and inside they have a pool table, televisions (the place isn’t saturated with TV – don’t expect a sports bar type atmosphere), a small seating area apart from the bar, darts, video games, and a jukebox.
Temple is not fancy, but who really needs that all the time? I love Temple for what it is: a great place to hang out after work and have a few beers.