There is no finer food than breakfast.
This much has always been true to the few of us who choose to respect breakfast the way it is meant to be. Breakfast food is not a time-sensitive meal, like so many establishments and individuals tragically believe and adhere their menus too. I'm getting ahead of myself and making this a passion piece.
My husband moved to Rochester about 2.5 years ago, and I followed about a year later right after we celebrated our marriage. In the time since moving here, we have found that Ol' Ra-cha-cha truly does have an incredible selection of breakfast and brunch haunts. I have compiled a list of 10 that I personally love and would recommend to anyone searching for breakfast. Naturally, I have ones that I favor over others, but not one of these is a place I wouldn't suggest.
#10: The Owl House (Pearl-Meigs-Monroe Neighborhood)
The Owl House is on a quiet side street in the lovely Pearl-Meigs-Monroe in a very adorable home. The Owl House is an excellent place for brunch on a Sunday morning, as long as you called ahead. Yes, The Owl House is one of the few brunch/breakfast places you have to reserve your table. I would recommend Owl House if you're looking for a cozier experience, as it is a relatively small space.
#9: Frog Pond Restaurant (Park Ave)
I am most certainly going to catch some flack over where I place Frog Pond restaurant on this list, and a few months back I may have placed it a little higher. Frog Pond is, quite literally, a hole in the wall little restaurant in the Park Ave neighborhood. During the week, this place is cozy, warm, and the perfect spot for some yummy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Swirl French Toast (totally recommend by the way). However when Saturday and Sunday hit, presumably when you'll find yourself looking for a breakfast haunt, this place is swarmed. There is almost always a wait on either of these days, sometimes upwards of 50-60 minutes. One thing that is key about this place, as far as brunches go, it is the more affordable option in this neighborhood.
#8: Jine's Restaurant (Park Ave)
Jine's was one of my first restaurant experiences, period, in the city of Rochester before I had even moved here. Had I never went back after that experience, I probably wouldn't have put it on this list, as I did not totally enjoy my first time. The food, however, is some of the best in the city. Unfortunately, even though it seems well-staffed, the waiters and waitresses always seem so rushed and can make some careless mistakes here and there. If you can look past having to ask for something twice or correcting some simple things, you have to check out Jine's.
#7: Railway Station Diner (W. Ridge Road)
I'd call this a wild-card placement, as it was a wild choice for me to throw into my mostly upscale list of breakfast places. But this is a no-nonsense breakfast joint...you truly could get all the bacon and eggs. A simple menu with affordable prices makes this hidden gem a contender among the big names in Rochester. If you are, however, in a rush to get your pancakes and coffee, don't expect much running and bustling; they do things at their own speed. It is worth the wait, I promise.
#6: Boulder Coffee Co. (Alexander Street, South Wedge)
So yes, it is not technically a strictly breakfast, bacon, and eggs type of menu, but this has long been a favorite breakfast spot for my husband and I to just relax and quietly start our day. Located in the Wedge on Alexander Street (also at the Public Market), Boulder Coffee is, in my most humble opinion, the best cup of coffee in the entire city. I'd recommend a Maple Spice Latte and a Sweet Caroline breakfast sandwich!
#5: Highland Park Diner (Swillburg)
A hearkening back to traditional 40's style diners, Highland Park Diner offers an expansive breakfast menu in a relatively cramped space. But this is the feel you got in old box-car style diners during their hey-day so I suppose we can all just invoke nostalgia when we start to complain. I can promise, however, when you get your first sip of coffee and bite of food, you'll be singing this sweet little diner's praises. Highland Park is a great choice for any breakfast, but make sure you get there nice and early on busy weekend mornings.
#4: Park Side Diner (East Irondequoit, NY)
About 20 minutes north of the city, adjacent to the famed Sea Breeze amusement park sits this humble yet wonderful diner. Inside is a true diner experience, where you meet a friendly staff and incredible food. Park Side Diner has quickly become a personal favorite diner to frequent in Rochester. Despite it being relatively far from the city for both my husband and I to go before work, on our rare day off together, this place is a perfect choice for us. Their sweet breakfast treats, like Pancakes and French toast, are a delicious choice!
#3: ORBS (South Wedge)
The best Bloody Mary in the city and some of the best food can be found at ORBS restaurant on South Ave. ORBS has a simple menu full of absolutely decadent, almost sinful choices for your breakfast-loving heart. ORBS offers you everything you'd ever want, as long as you're willing to wait, it's often the last place to open (12 PM on a Sunday afternoon).
#2: Blu Wolf Bistro (Park Ave)
I am always amazed by how we never have to wait when we are at Blu Wolf Bistro on Park Ave. I watch other couples and families wait for what seems like forever outside some other haunts on this busy brunching street, meanwhile I am enjoying my favorite breakfast treat: a Pierogie Hangover Bowl with one of my BOGO Mimosas (offered on Saturdays and Sundays only)! Blu Wolf is truly the best In-City breakfast place you can find.
#1: ShMeg's (Gates, NY)
The best Rochester breakfast regardless of whether you're an East-sider or a West-sider is ShMeg's restaurant in Gates, NY. Opened in 2014, ShMeg's (the combination of the owner's names) is a breakfast place I probably wouldn't have known had my husband's co-workers not introduced him to it (we live in the city don't have much of a reason to go to Gates, NY that often). The restaurant has an incredible staff that treats you like your family, which is something I always value in a place. ShMeg's is most famously known for their generous portions of delicious, innovative takes on classic breakfast plates. From gargantuan breakfast burritos bursting with eggs, bacon and Meat Hot (a Rochester tradition, if you're not from here) to the ever-popular (and my personal favorite) Mick Toast, which is house-made bread dipped in batter and Frosted flakes, made into enormous slabs of French Toast. You will never leave here hungry and it will quickly become your favorite place to share in that beautiful gift to mankind, an American breakfast.
