Unkl Moe’s

Good soul food restaurant! Love the wings and of course their ribs. Their breakfast menu is like what your mom back in the day would cook — gritz, scrambled eggs, sausage links and bacon. Great pancakes as well. Their corn beef hash is on point. My favorite meal is the chicken wings cooked in their sauce and their rib sandwiches. I also like their combo rib and chicken dinners. Their barbecue sauce is excellent! They also sell catfish, haddock, pulled pork, hamburgers, oxtail and great side orders of okra, black-​eyed peas, collard greens, and of course mac-​n-​cheese. Unkl Moe’s also appears at the Rib fest every year. Nice, nice place!

Everything here is delicious!!! Breakfast and dinner are both great. Small family run restaurant. Friendly staff and if you go often they remember you and your order– makes for a friendly environment!

Service was excellent! The food was goo, I ordered corned beef hash it was good but I’ve had better. The prices are reasonable

We were in the neighborhood at 10 a.m. on a Saturday, and looking to get something to eat, so I said, «Unkl Moe’s isn’t far from here. Let’s try their breakfast.»
Bit of a disappointment. It wasn’t terrible, but there are FAR better breakfast joints in the city. Given how impressed I was with their lunch offerings, this was quite a come-​down.
First, I was very surprised and disappointed that sausage gravy and biscuits aren’t on the menu. For a place that prides itself on soul food, that ought to be a no-​brainer. Still, they offered grits and fried fish for breakfast, so that was a good sign.
My BF had that, and it was OK. The fish (haddock) was a little fishy, and the cornmeal crust isn’t my fave preparation, but it was fine. I ordered sausage patties, grits, and eggs over easy. The eggs, when they came, were anything but over easy — the yolks were completely cooked and the whites rubbery and overdone. I know that sometimes it’s hard to get «eggs over medium» vs. «over easy» but these were fully cooked fried eggs, no doubt about it. No yolk to sop up with my grits and toast.
The grits were fine; they had cheese mixed in, which was nice. No complaints, but it’s hard to screw up grits, unless you completely scorch them.
I would’ve sent the eggs back, but it had taken so long to get our meals, that I was afraid a re-​order would be another 15 minutes, and I was hungry. Also, my grits were so steaming hot that it was several minutes before I could eat them at all — whereas my BF’s were temperate. I strongly suspect that my meal was ready before his, and that they microwaved mine in order to bring them both out at the same time. The rubbery egg whites, screaming hot grits, and somewhat chewy sausage all bear out that theory.
The coffee was great and the service, while slow, was friendly.
Upshot: I’ll go back for lunch, but probably not breakfast. Which is a shame, because I think that if anyplace in Rochester could do a decent sausage gravy and biscuits, it’d be Unkl Moe’s.

Soooo conflicted about how to review this place food great, service was great until the bill. The bill is my only issue with this place and Im still scratching my head trying to figure out what happened. I have settled on one thing in my mind which is most disturbing but I still dont know. As such I would give this place a 2.5 but since I cant i have to go with a 2 and if the bill situation hadnt happened this place would have gotten a 5 let me get to it before I get to food.
To my own detriment (though this is the first time anything negative has happened) I dont usually look at my bill, I trust the restaurant and server (yes I know i know) and put my card in and hand it right back. For one thing by that point im usually ready to go which leads to my 2^nd reason for doing it they never bring your card right back its a let me ring the bill do other things, meanwhile im still sitting there ready to go it is my experience that if i just give the card they come right back and i can leave.
So I hand her my card and she SHOWS ME the receipt and says its comes to 22.73. I look see that the bill was $ 20 and change and with tax came to 22.73 I say fine. Off she goes. Now follow closely she comes back with ONLY the receipt from the card machine saying how much she charged my card but NOT the receipt that had the itemized bill on it from restaurant saying 22.73 and what is my card charged for …$ 26.73 say what now? Now I know at this point you are like why didnt you say anything (tbh this was a long crazy trip so on top of my usual wanting to get out of there i really wanted to get out of there and was thinking hey they will never get my business again anyway because Im never going to be out here again). So i figure one of two things happened.
1) She gave herself a $ 4 tip thinking I wouldnt notice seeing as how I was so laissez faire with my card (my first thought)
2) They have some crazy $ 4 charge to use your card (i came across some wacky laws and ways while in upstate new york)
I settled on she gave herself a tip because otherwise why wouldnt she bring back the receipt that shows how much I owed and why would there be a $ 4 charge to use a card? At any rate it left a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended) and the crazy thing is up to that point the food and service had been so phenomenal I was going to give her more than she took.
The food was good though, mac and cheese needed no seasoning greens were good, I wanted cabbage but they ran out that day (a running theme in rochester, i kid you not every … single… restaurant I went to out there was out of something it was crazy, never seen anything like it, im intrigued as to rochester’s seeming lack of access to the rest of the world) rice and gravy good, again and even though there was only one waitress again as I saw in someone elses review I didnt find that to be a problem (it wasnt that crowded when I went so maybe thats why)
overall: good food and service… watch your bill

If it were a brothel or a by-​the-​hour motel, then it would be «Unkl Moans.» But fortunately, it’s not. Or should that be: unfortunately?
What to get: Smothered Pork Chop, Mac N Cheese.
What else is good: Absolutely everything.
If it were a kitten shelter, it would be Unkl Mews. But it’s not, and if you have a problem with that, why don’t you write someone a litter.
What «McKenzie’s Soul Food» is to Buffalo, Unkl Moe is to Rochester. Both cities are absolutely blessed with one Soul Food Spot that is absolutely as good as the best of what you’d get down south. Both places are reasonably priced, and unlike McKenzie’s, it looks like Moe’s is actually well known and picking up some of the plaudits it deserves within its community.
If it were a manufacturer of Bovine Growth Hormones, it would be Unkl Moos. But it’s not, so that’s a moo point.
The prices aren’t dirt cheap, but they’re also affordable, with $ 10 ish for a meal. And the meals are more than large enough to fill you up. Heavy, delicious, perfectly prepared comfort food.
If it were a seller of small European motorcycles, it would be Unkl Moped’s. But it’s not. And before you ask, it doesn’t serve Pakistani or Engine food either.
It’s on a little back street in a less-​traveled part of town, in a low income housing area. Unkl Moe himself is a nice guy, he’s all over the place and sometimes the wait time is long, sometimes you get charged a little more or less, and he does a lot of catering orders (since the food is so damn f***ing good), so you can expect a long wait sometimes more than others.
If it were a Canadian place, it would be Unkl Moose. But it’s not, and if you think it is you’ll need to check into that yourself because I have no idea aboot thaht eh.
But having said all that, this is Soul Food at its best. If you like Deep South cooking, then hit McKenzie’s in Buffalo and Unkl Moe’s in Rochester and your life will be that much greater for it. If you haven’t tried it, you’re really missing out.
And if it were Justin Bieber’s place, they it would be Unkl Eenie Meanie Minie Moe’s. Because after all, as Biebz once so eloquently informed us: shorty is an eenie meanie mine moe lover. Maybe because she was secretly doing it with Unkl Moe because after all he has the best smothered pork chop for miles, and yes I do mean his actual cooking, I’m not being dirty. Well not that dirty.
At least shorty was keeping it in the family.

Where do I start? Okay, I live IN Rochester, NY a little over a year now. and NO ONE told me about this place. I was in Syracuse, NY and someone there told me about it due to the fact I was heading back that way going to Canada. Got there.47 minutes to closing, she had stools upside down on the counter and was mopping the floor but.‘yes, we are open and yes you can still sit down to eat. Ordered Combo Dinner, ribs and fried chicken. Sides. Red Beans & Rice, Fried Okra. Never tasted or WANTED to taste OKRA PERIOD. glad I changed my mind. Nice and crisp, not too salty. I would consider eating this while drinking beer if I drank beer, if I drank altogether. Went in on the beans and rice. GREAT! Left them alone, those require eating with no lingering tastes of food in the mouth. Picked up one rib of the 3. I mean to me, ribs are ribs, but they were great also. Fried chicken. People don’t know, then maybe they do. it’s an art to fried chicken. One, you shouldn’t have to season it AFTER it is placed on the table in front of you, these didn’t require it. Hot. crispy and taste like chicken. simple, GREAT also. My guest and I had a long day. just got married in Syracuse. so we ‘doggy bagged’ it. Our waitress asked I hope you aren’t leaving because you think I’m running you out. No, just tired and wanted to get to our first stop, thats all. But before we left and got the bill, peach cobbler for her and banana pudding for me. which I ate it ALL in one complete sitting back at the hotel, and wanted more. Food her is GREAT. Wish I was staying in Rochester, NY, but I’m moving to Charlotte, NC in about a week. I strongly recommend this place for anyone who enjoys Southern or Soul Food.

The food at Unkl Moe’s was delicious. I got the catfish sandwich and my friend had the haddock with grits, which was fantastic. We also had some home fries sautéed with peppers and onions, on the side. The service was slow but super friendly! And one waitress was new and still being trained so it was understandable. If I’m ever in Rochester again I’d definitely come back.

The Good: I really like the sauce they put on the ribs and the mac and cheese was delicious.
The Bad: The location isn’t the best and the woman who pulled into the parking lot at 55mph and almost hit me backing out of my parking spot made me wonder if its worth driving down here.
Times Gone: Once

This is one of those hole-​in-​the-​wall places that is worth trying. Overall very yummy, home style food. We had a large group so they had a buffet set up for us. I’m not a huge fan of pulled pork, but I thought it was pretty good. The collard greens, corn bread, and sweet potatoes were my favorite part of the meal.

Tasty Soul Food!!!
I had been wanting to try Unkl Moe’s after hearing about it a couple of months ago, so I went this past Sunday with my Mom for lunch. The atmosphere was casual and relaxed — with a diner feel to the place. Most of the other customers had just come from church.
I ordered a combo dinner with ribs, wings and two sides (mac & cheese and collard greens), while my Mom orders a fried chicken dinner with cabbage and black eyed peas. I was impressed; the ribs were very good — pink and tender with a smokey flavor to them (which I like a lot). They were doused in a homemade sauce that seemed like a mixture between boss and BBQ (but not too sweet and with a perfect spicy kick). Definitely a different style of ribs than what is served at Sticky Lips (which I like a lot) or Dinosaur (which I am never very impressed with), however, I really liked the flavor. The wings were very simple but fried to perfection (crispy on the outside, tender on the inside). Finally, all of the sides were delicious — with the mac & cheese being my favorite (it was made with real sharp cheddar cheese and I could have easily eaten four more servings!)
Although our order took a long time (there was a big party on the other side of the restaurant) the atmosphere was relaxed and the servers were friendly so I didn’t mind the wait. I will definitely be going back for some more ribs!!!

Came here for lunch this past Friday and was not disappointed. The service was quick and friendly and the food was hot and well seasoned. The macaroni and cheese was some of the best I’ve had in a restaurant in this area. The haddock and the collard greens were delicious. If you’re craving some southern style home cooking without getting down and dirty in the kitchen, go check this place out!

Had a late breakfast here with my husband on a trip through the area. This place has great food, excellent service, and a very comfortable, clean, and basic atmosphere. Thankfully they serve breakfast til 1pm! I had eggs over easy with home fries and grits. The home fries were fantastic! Eggs were great. All super yummy. My husband loved his corned beef hash bc it was crispy and said the poached eggs were perfectly done. What a great jewel in Rochester!

I made a second trip to Unkle Moe’s last Sunday. If we ventured 700 miles south of the city, we would find a nice selection of moderately priced restaurants serving southern, soul, country or a mixture thereof. Some come in the buffet form; which has loss market share in the last 10 years or so. Then there are the «Meat and three» places which I love, love, love. They are only found in the south. Moe’s is not a meat and three, in the truest sense. But it’s darn close.
You can tell that these folks migrated north by the cooking. (There are always a few subtle indicators.) Been to Moe’s twice now in a relatively short time. On Sunday, I ordered sliced beef brisket, steamed cabbage and red beans and rice. My guest had fried wings, collard greens, and corn. Both entrees came with corn bread. The choices can be difficult. There are pork chops (fried or baked), baked chicken, fried cod fish, beef tips, Catfish, a whole half chicken and a long list of added entrees and veggies. They also run specials periodically. The price are moderate and in the $ 10 –12 range.
During my initial visit, our server, a native of LA — as in Louisiana told me that I had to try the beef brisket. I told her that beef brisket is an art and is best left for the professionals to prepare. She smiled and told be about wood smokers out back and a pit master who has competed on the circuit. Seriously, the beef brisket was excellent. It was moist and perfectly cooked. My guest had the fried chicken wings. These were some of the best fried (not buffalo) wings I have had anywhere period. As my buddy Kari C. stated, this is the stuff that Grandma made.
You don’t visit Unkle Moes for the décor, the location or entertainment. If you are looking for a trendy crowd, wrong place. You probably won’t end up at Unkle Moe’s unless you are going there. It’s off the path. Visit Unkle Moes when you want a restaurant that is well maintained and simply serves the best southern cooking in town — period. I’m a fan.
Update — October, 6, 2013
Yep, Egg on my face. I wrote the above review yesterday. And I gave it considerable thought before issuing a reluctant five star rating. Yep, the first two visits were great. But, for five stars, I like the «Trust but verify» approach. So, with that I made a follow-​up visit today. Again «Verify». Today the food was great. But the restaurant had one Server. Several tables were seated when we arrived. The Server was a sweetheart running at full tilt. But, having been in that role before, I know that «You can’t get there from here». It’s a lame excuse by any business. I casually inquired and the Server stated that the second waitress did not show up today. No blame to the Server. Great young lady. But, bad move by any business. Always have a back up plan. While the food was great, today the service suffered. And I can generally forgive a lot of things. Spotty service due to under staffing is not one of them. My rating is pushed to a three plus.
Well, that didn’t last long. Even given today, Unkle Moes will remain on my preferred list, at least for now.

This is actually a 4.6 rounded up.
Today I finally found a great soul food joint here in Rochester!
After being spiritually feed at church, I left in search of some physical nourishment and Unkl Moes hit the spot.
I was able to get one of my favorite meals: Smothered Pork Chops w/​rice and gravy, Collard Greens and Mac n’ Cheese. It was finger lickin’ good! Literally, i licked my fingers and sucked the bones. Please dont share that with anyone else…
Every thing was flavorful, the only thing I did not like was the fact that my food was tempid. It was not piping hot like I like it, hence the 4.6. Now, I haven’t had anything else from there, but my roommate from India liked the black eyed peas, which was impressive. This review was only for that specific meal. Now, I could be overestimating due to the fact that I havent had home cooking in a while, so I will measure the marginal utility after my second meal provide an update when I try something else.

Overall the food was really good. The greens were fantastic. Catfish portions could have been better. Ribs were overcooked but seasoned well. Service was good but the place was understaffed and we suffered for it. The young lady was very nice but doing waaaaaaay too much. We waited about a half hour just to get our drinks, food took longer with no explanation. The waitress was server, greeter, cleaning tables, cashing out. We were neglected at our table. For my first visit to Rochester and this establishment i was a little dissppointed.

Note: The address on Unilocal will bring up the wrong spot (not even close) in Google Maps.
Made my way over for breakfast today and am I’m glad to have found a new spot. I will mos def go for bbq, fish dishes, and their southern sides after having nicely done eggs, grits, and southern sausage this morning. The food came out looking sweet, not thrown on a greasy plate, with hearty portions.
I got the grits with cheese and that means a slice of american. While I usually avoid american, it worked as it melted a little on the grits (not too soupy not too dry). The southern sausage was the highlight, a surprisingly lean, spicy but with other flavors mixed in, and it was «brat» size. The toast I would order dry next time, it was overly buttered and might even have been a margarine mix or something. My over medium eggs were not cooked enough, though they tasted fresh.
The service was friendly and a bit unorganized and a tad slow, but they made up for that with attention and friendliness through out my meal.
The atmosphere is nice and bright, just a standard diner 1970’s décor with wood paneling, posters on the wall, and a football helmet from a local team. About half full today (one side is more of a space for catering), the place had people that interacted with you and a brisk take out service.

Anyone from the South or who guiltlessly enjoys southern cuisine will appreciate Unkl Moes. Unkl Moes is the type of ‘Down SouF’ country made food that your grandma probably used to make.
WHAT MAKES UNKL MOES UNIQUE? Let’s be honest, fried chicken is fried chicken and there are only so many ways to fry a chicken. What makes this place unique is that they actually serve true southern style soul food and there are very few restaurants in Rochester, NY that have been able to successfully accomplish and maintain a restaurant in this capacity. On any given day, they have a full menu which includes daily specials including pork chops, chicken, ribs, fish fry, shrimp and so on.
DINE-​IN OR TAKE-​OUT? Call me ‘bougie’ (for those of you who may not know, this is a word derived from the French term ‘bourgeois’ meaning high class), but Unkl Moes is a takeout joint. There is limited seating with just with a few old booths and diner style seating at a counter near the cash register. There is no décor what-​so-​ever. If you go, don’t expect to see anything special. My suggestion is to GO FOR THE FOOD, not the artwork and certainly not the ambiance of the neighborhood.
AM I GETTING MY $‘s WORTH? While Unkl Moes may give traditional southern style portions, their food is competitively priced with any leading chain or local eatery. For example, my 90 year old grandfather wanted one pork chop and a side of collard greens and sweet potatoes which came to about $ 10. Their shrimp dinner was around $ 12 for twelve pieces, no bueno. I prefer their breakfeast and highly recommend their cheese grits, french toast, and homefries with peppers and onions. A huge pet peeve that I have with this restaurant is that THE PRICE VARIES DEPENDING ON WHO TAKES YOUR ORDER! Be wary of ordering over the phone.
Unkl Moes has been a family favorite of ours for quite some time. The restaurant leaves much to be desired and the service makes me wish for something more, but the food causes me to turn a blind eye to their short comings. As long as the food stays wholesome and delish, I will keep coming.

Catfish, fried okra, and collard greens, need I say more? This place is amazing for a Southern-​style BBQ joint. I always get the catfish, either grilled or cornmeal-​encrusted and fried, along with a side of fried okra. Depending on the day, the sides will be different but the fried okra is always there. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this place also serves sweet tea. You know, iced tea that has so much sugar in it that it’s basically super saturated? Yeah, I can’t drink it, but I know people that love the stuff. And if you’re looking for a change of pace, try coming on the weekend for breakfast when you can get catfish and grits. The grits aren’t as good as some that I’ve had in Savannah, GA, but for Rochester, they’ll do just fine.

My friend (from Alabama) and I discovered Unkl Moe’s a few years ago from an article in the City Newspaper, and it became one of our go-​to places for lunch. My opinion has always been that, similar to Dinosaur, their BBQ and main selections are pretty good, but where they really stand out are the side dishes. Unkl Moe’s has the finest fried okra in town, fabulous sweet potato fries, greens that make you want to drink the likker and sweet tea done the right way– more similar to simple syrup than tea; if you don’t feel like you could put a string in your sweet tea and pull out rock candy, it ain’t sweet tea. I would recommend the fried catfish or the oxtails. The menu revolves daily, and I’m not sure when they have what dishes, but you can be sure of finding a very good meal at Unkl Moe’s. Some may question the neighborhood, but I’ve never felt unsafe. There is always a good mix of clientele in the dining room, from people from the neighborhood to guys in khakis and oxford shirts obviously on their lunch breaks from some office downtown to police to retirees. A warning though– I seem to remember them being closed one day during the week, but I’m not sure which, or if they’re now open every day. You may want to call and make sure they’re open before getting your hopes up. I speak from experience.

We ate breakfast at Unkl Moe’s with a friend, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2003. The place was packed (apparently with «regulars») and our server was very friendly. Unkl Moe is a great guy and we enjoyed meeting him.