Hard pass. Too expensive, and every answer or service from the waitress came back like she was being asked for another favor that you did not deserve. Pizzas were slightly burnt and they refused a request to add pepperoni to one of the pizzas. WTH?Since when is it too hard to add a pizza topping? Probably should've walked out then, but I'll fix that by never walking in again. The crazy sounding carrot appetizer thing was surprisingly delicious, but don't come here unless you like boujie, expensive, and poor service.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Michael Bucello
Always a great place for my wife and I to have a nice dinner and a nice night in the city. The vibe is always full, shows that this place is worth the hour wait. For those who cannot wait that long I suggest going on a week day instead.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bee Sting Pizza
Jacob Kline
Please start taking reservations!!! I’ve tried to go 4 different times over the last couple of months now with a wait time of 1.5hrs or more. I love this restaurant and luckily there are good options close by but haven’t even been able to enjoy Vern’s in far too long because of the wait.
Paige Bixby
Vern's is one of my favorite spots in Rochester! Their garlic bread is made with roasted garlic and flavorful butter that makes my mouth water just thinking about it! It is a bit loud when dining in but the food more than makes up for the bustling conversation/loud atmosphere.
I guess the first step is to try to get a table there. They don’t accept reservations and for the last four fridays in a row, they’ve had a 60-90 minute wait time. You cant call ahead nor do take out when the kitchen is too busy.Ive been there 4 times now and it’s been a 50/50 with service. The first experience, our server greeted us & when we asked her a question regarding the menu, she responded like it was an obvious answer. She took our order and the next time we saw her was when we asked her for our check. The manager brought us our food & also checked on us a few minutes afterwards, which was great because his hospitality was great, not our server.The next two times the service was night and day. We were seated at the bar and truly an experience. The bartenders showed their expertise and the flow was really like a well oiled machine. The vibe was right and the food was 10/10.The last time we went, we were told it was a 60 minute wait time, so we waited. Very accurate estimation because we waited almost an hr. Our server greeted us quite frantically, i guess there was an altercation in the kitchen so she wanted to rush over to greet us before she had to be right back. She came back, took our order and that was the last time we saw her. She walked past us and had a jacket on, covered her face with her bag and walked right out of the restaurant. No one attended us for about 30 minutes. We waited for someone to come over because we wanted to order desert, but everyone was so busy that we didnt want to take away from someone elses needs. We were there for about 2 1/2 hrs from when we arrived at around 745pm to when we were seated and paid for our bill which was around 10:15pm.After venting about my frustrations with service here, I highly suggest implementing a reservation system. The two tremendous experiences are worth the wait, but you can’t expect your regulars to wait 90 minutes. We want to dine in & interact with your staff and enjoy the food that your team prepares.Also, 20$ deposit per person for Valentine’s Day is greedy. If youre willing to accept reservations on days where youre expecting high demand, do it for Fridays and Saturdays without a deposit fee.
We went on a double date on a Thursday night and ended up waiting about 30 minutes, multiple staff members asked us for our drink orders and took care of us. We were seated in the back and got a few appetizers and pizzas. All the food was good but not great. We found the crust to be burned-- wood fired is one thing, but these pizzas were far beyond that. Drinks were exceptional. Service was good but they neglected our waters and we needed to ask. The whole restaurant smelled of smoke, and so did we when we got home. I would go back for a cocktail but would skip the food for something else on Park Ave.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Alyssa, waywardblog
A lovely place to dine on a nice evening in Rochester (when the weather is good!). The pasta is good, but the tomato pie took the cake!
Chris Butler
I'm an Uber driver and Vern's was recommended to me I stopped off to get the pasta dish lost meatballs as I'm walking out I asked for some silverware and I am told there is no silverware so I had to go across the street to the CVS and purchase silverware not even so much as a napkin and I don't know if the dish was supposed to come with some bread or anything else but I literally paid $26 for a bowl of pasta with no napkin no silverware and no bread so that's what you're looking for that's what you'll get here
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Jen P.
I've been eating at Vern's since they opened and have sampled their pizzas, desserts, craft cocktails, wood fired meats, pastas and specials. I have yet to be disappointed, and the more I go, the higher they rise on my list of favorite spots in Rochester. The only thing that can be tough is that Vern's is widely popular, and that means, unless you are able to get there the minute doors open, you will probably have to wait to be seated. Any day of the week. Weekends are worst. I have waited up to 1 hr 20 min to get a table for 3, which, for a place that doesn't take reservations, seems a little excessive, especially on a week night, but this makes my point. If you're lucky to grab a spot at the bar, you can eat there; you can also order cocktails while you wait, but waiting over an hour is pretty annoying. Despite that, I would say it is definitely worth the hype in terms of the food quality, balance, variety and finesse.Within the last few months, I've been there 4 times - once with a group of 6, once with a party in the back room, once with a group of 5 (where we arrived 15 min before close on a Mon night and ordered pizzas all around), and once with a group of 3. In each situation the food was excellent, service was excellent, and despite the wait we enjoyed our time there. I also appreciated that we were never rushed to finish up, pay and get out. I guess if you waited a long time to get in, the least they can do is let you keep the table as long as you want. The following food review goes with the attached photos and is for the visit where there were 3 of us on a Tues. We arrived at 6:30 pm and were told the wait time would be 45 min. No problem as we expected that, and were able to get cocktails. Three drinks a piece into the wait, we were finally seated at the 1 hour 10 min mark. During the wait we had had plenty of time to decide what we wanted and as soon as we were seated we put in our order: the broken buratta with roasted carrots (a great combination and the starch from the carrots was so good we didn't even think of bread), the spicy lettuces salad (a super umami toasted-sesame-forward tahini caesar dressing over a variety of spicy lettuces like radicchio and arugula with grated parm on top - an unlikely but delicious combo), the broccolini (cooked on the wood grill and served with parm and fried chilies) and the iberico pork strip loin (grilled to perfection and served with caramelized cipollini onions). The food comes out of the kitchen as it's ready, and all 3 of us shared. We were all satisfied, not too full, and at the end decided to get the tiramisu (decadent, rich, creamy and a large portion) and the olive oil cake (covered in a super sweet citrus marmalade and bergamot cream) for dessert. A few additional notes: -- Vern's is on Park Ave, which means street parking...at least in this part of the city street parking is still free, but if you park on a side street pay attention to the alternate-side parking signs. We met a friend who had driven over and parked on the nearest side street, thought they parked on the correct side of the street (but were confused because it was between 6:30 and 7 pm when cars are on both sides...) and got back to their car after dinner to find a ticket for $115. That's a pretty expensive meal.-- The entry area to Vern's is pretty small, so during winter, waiting outside may be cold - however, they will take your name and number and text you as soon as a table is ready, so you can get a drink at another restaurant on the street and/or sit in your car-- They have nightly specials - make sure you hear those before you order!-- Anticipate the wait and have a snack before you head over (unless you are getting there right when doors open)....the wood grill makes it smell DELICIOUS in there, and let me just say, as a person who has waited over an hour for a seat, the aroma of that grill is torture.Go to Vern's! Yes, it's busy and you'll wait, but it is definitely one of the best meals you can have in Rochester.
Service was quick and attentive. Food was amazing!! Cloud gnudi was a hit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bee Sting Pizza, Cloud Gnudi
Gurjeet Singh
There Steak was one of the best stakes I’ve had in a while. Great atmosphere and service. Gives me the lower east side vibe in NYC. Fire!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cayley Casto
Vern’s is hands-down the best restaurant in the ever-expanding universe. The drinks are great, the vibes are immaculate, and I literally dream about the cloud gnudi.
Zachary Towey
Best Bee Sting Pizza, Service, and atmosphere. We’re here almost every Sunday for Sunday Funday.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christina D.
Vern's has been on my list of "NEED TO TRY" for too long, and I was finally able to try it out a couple weeks ago while in town for a girls day with my cousin. WOW, I am so mad that it took me so long to get there because it was a culinary experience.I love the ambiance and decor of this restaurant. When you first walk in there's a wrap around bar with some counter seats, high tops and a couple booths. The decor is a mix of boho meets bar, meets a little Paris chic- not sure how to explain it but it's cozy, intimate, relaxed, and dimly lit along with candlelit tables.We were greeted by a very friendly host and a bunch of the bartenders. We were sat on the second level in a cozy corner and when we arrived it had just opened so there were only a couple other tables sat. We didn't have reservations but I'm glad we got there when we did because soon after the rest of the tables were full and looked like there were people waiting at the bar. Our waitress was lovely! She was just excited about it being our first time as we were. She explained the ordering process (you place your order for all the food at one time and it comes out according to what part of the meal it is). She was passionate about the menu and helped us make some decisions. We basically ordered half of the menu because everything sounded good including the specials. We ordered, the spicy lettuces, grilled carrots, the red pizza, PapaLee knows best and their focaccia special. Wow. Top 5 meals I have had in a while. Every dish was just as good as the next. We also ordered the tiramisu for dessert..... no words. Just try it and it will speak for itself.Well, done Vern's, please don't ever close! Can't wait to take my husband back for a date night!
Hard pass. Too expensive, and every answer or service from the waitress came back like she was being asked for another favor that you did not deserve. Pizzas were slightly burnt and they refused a request to add pepperoni to one of the pizzas. WTH?Since when is it too hard to add a pizza topping? Probably should've walked out then, but I'll fix that by never walking in again. The crazy sounding carrot appetizer thing was surprisingly delicious, but don't come here unless you like boujie, expensive, and poor service.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Always a great place for my wife and I to have a nice dinner and a nice night in the city. The vibe is always full, shows that this place is worth the hour wait. For those who cannot wait that long I suggest going on a week day instead.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bee Sting Pizza
Please start taking reservations!!! I’ve tried to go 4 different times over the last couple of months now with a wait time of 1.5hrs or more. I love this restaurant and luckily there are good options close by but haven’t even been able to enjoy Vern’s in far too long because of the wait.
Vern's is one of my favorite spots in Rochester! Their garlic bread is made with roasted garlic and flavorful butter that makes my mouth water just thinking about it! It is a bit loud when dining in but the food more than makes up for the bustling conversation/loud atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bee Sting Pizza, Roasted Garlic, Yellow Pizza
I guess the first step is to try to get a table there. They don’t accept reservations and for the last four fridays in a row, they’ve had a 60-90 minute wait time. You cant call ahead nor do take out when the kitchen is too busy.Ive been there 4 times now and it’s been a 50/50 with service. The first experience, our server greeted us & when we asked her a question regarding the menu, she responded like it was an obvious answer. She took our order and the next time we saw her was when we asked her for our check. The manager brought us our food & also checked on us a few minutes afterwards, which was great because his hospitality was great, not our server.The next two times the service was night and day. We were seated at the bar and truly an experience. The bartenders showed their expertise and the flow was really like a well oiled machine. The vibe was right and the food was 10/10.The last time we went, we were told it was a 60 minute wait time, so we waited. Very accurate estimation because we waited almost an hr. Our server greeted us quite frantically, i guess there was an altercation in the kitchen so she wanted to rush over to greet us before she had to be right back. She came back, took our order and that was the last time we saw her. She walked past us and had a jacket on, covered her face with her bag and walked right out of the restaurant. No one attended us for about 30 minutes. We waited for someone to come over because we wanted to order desert, but everyone was so busy that we didnt want to take away from someone elses needs. We were there for about 2 1/2 hrs from when we arrived at around 745pm to when we were seated and paid for our bill which was around 10:15pm.After venting about my frustrations with service here, I highly suggest implementing a reservation system. The two tremendous experiences are worth the wait, but you can’t expect your regulars to wait 90 minutes. We want to dine in & interact with your staff and enjoy the food that your team prepares.Also, 20$ deposit per person for Valentine’s Day is greedy. If youre willing to accept reservations on days where youre expecting high demand, do it for Fridays and Saturdays without a deposit fee.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Bee Sting Pizza, Roasted Garlic, Olive Oil Cake, Cloud Gnudi
Always impressed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went on a double date on a Thursday night and ended up waiting about 30 minutes, multiple staff members asked us for our drink orders and took care of us. We were seated in the back and got a few appetizers and pizzas. All the food was good but not great. We found the crust to be burned-- wood fired is one thing, but these pizzas were far beyond that. Drinks were exceptional. Service was good but they neglected our waters and we needed to ask. The whole restaurant smelled of smoke, and so did we when we got home. I would go back for a cocktail but would skip the food for something else on Park Ave.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
A lovely place to dine on a nice evening in Rochester (when the weather is good!). The pasta is good, but the tomato pie took the cake!
I'm an Uber driver and Vern's was recommended to me I stopped off to get the pasta dish lost meatballs as I'm walking out I asked for some silverware and I am told there is no silverware so I had to go across the street to the CVS and purchase silverware not even so much as a napkin and I don't know if the dish was supposed to come with some bread or anything else but I literally paid $26 for a bowl of pasta with no napkin no silverware and no bread so that's what you're looking for that's what you'll get here
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
I've been eating at Vern's since they opened and have sampled their pizzas, desserts, craft cocktails, wood fired meats, pastas and specials. I have yet to be disappointed, and the more I go, the higher they rise on my list of favorite spots in Rochester. The only thing that can be tough is that Vern's is widely popular, and that means, unless you are able to get there the minute doors open, you will probably have to wait to be seated. Any day of the week. Weekends are worst. I have waited up to 1 hr 20 min to get a table for 3, which, for a place that doesn't take reservations, seems a little excessive, especially on a week night, but this makes my point. If you're lucky to grab a spot at the bar, you can eat there; you can also order cocktails while you wait, but waiting over an hour is pretty annoying. Despite that, I would say it is definitely worth the hype in terms of the food quality, balance, variety and finesse.Within the last few months, I've been there 4 times - once with a group of 6, once with a party in the back room, once with a group of 5 (where we arrived 15 min before close on a Mon night and ordered pizzas all around), and once with a group of 3. In each situation the food was excellent, service was excellent, and despite the wait we enjoyed our time there. I also appreciated that we were never rushed to finish up, pay and get out. I guess if you waited a long time to get in, the least they can do is let you keep the table as long as you want. The following food review goes with the attached photos and is for the visit where there were 3 of us on a Tues. We arrived at 6:30 pm and were told the wait time would be 45 min. No problem as we expected that, and were able to get cocktails. Three drinks a piece into the wait, we were finally seated at the 1 hour 10 min mark. During the wait we had had plenty of time to decide what we wanted and as soon as we were seated we put in our order: the broken buratta with roasted carrots (a great combination and the starch from the carrots was so good we didn't even think of bread), the spicy lettuces salad (a super umami toasted-sesame-forward tahini caesar dressing over a variety of spicy lettuces like radicchio and arugula with grated parm on top - an unlikely but delicious combo), the broccolini (cooked on the wood grill and served with parm and fried chilies) and the iberico pork strip loin (grilled to perfection and served with caramelized cipollini onions). The food comes out of the kitchen as it's ready, and all 3 of us shared. We were all satisfied, not too full, and at the end decided to get the tiramisu (decadent, rich, creamy and a large portion) and the olive oil cake (covered in a super sweet citrus marmalade and bergamot cream) for dessert. A few additional notes: -- Vern's is on Park Ave, which means street parking...at least in this part of the city street parking is still free, but if you park on a side street pay attention to the alternate-side parking signs. We met a friend who had driven over and parked on the nearest side street, thought they parked on the correct side of the street (but were confused because it was between 6:30 and 7 pm when cars are on both sides...) and got back to their car after dinner to find a ticket for $115. That's a pretty expensive meal.-- The entry area to Vern's is pretty small, so during winter, waiting outside may be cold - however, they will take your name and number and text you as soon as a table is ready, so you can get a drink at another restaurant on the street and/or sit in your car-- They have nightly specials - make sure you hear those before you order!-- Anticipate the wait and have a snack before you head over (unless you are getting there right when doors open)....the wood grill makes it smell DELICIOUS in there, and let me just say, as a person who has waited over an hour for a seat, the aroma of that grill is torture.Go to Vern's! Yes, it's busy and you'll wait, but it is definitely one of the best meals you can have in Rochester.
Restaurantji Recommends
Service was quick and attentive. Food was amazing!! Cloud gnudi was a hit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bee Sting Pizza, Cloud Gnudi
There Steak was one of the best stakes I’ve had in a while. Great atmosphere and service. Gives me the lower east side vibe in NYC. Fire!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vern’s is hands-down the best restaurant in the ever-expanding universe. The drinks are great, the vibes are immaculate, and I literally dream about the cloud gnudi.
Best Bee Sting Pizza, Service, and atmosphere. We’re here almost every Sunday for Sunday Funday.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vern's has been on my list of "NEED TO TRY" for too long, and I was finally able to try it out a couple weeks ago while in town for a girls day with my cousin. WOW, I am so mad that it took me so long to get there because it was a culinary experience.I love the ambiance and decor of this restaurant. When you first walk in there's a wrap around bar with some counter seats, high tops and a couple booths. The decor is a mix of boho meets bar, meets a little Paris chic- not sure how to explain it but it's cozy, intimate, relaxed, and dimly lit along with candlelit tables.We were greeted by a very friendly host and a bunch of the bartenders. We were sat on the second level in a cozy corner and when we arrived it had just opened so there were only a couple other tables sat. We didn't have reservations but I'm glad we got there when we did because soon after the rest of the tables were full and looked like there were people waiting at the bar. Our waitress was lovely! She was just excited about it being our first time as we were. She explained the ordering process (you place your order for all the food at one time and it comes out according to what part of the meal it is). She was passionate about the menu and helped us make some decisions. We basically ordered half of the menu because everything sounded good including the specials. We ordered, the spicy lettuces, grilled carrots, the red pizza, PapaLee knows best and their focaccia special. Wow. Top 5 meals I have had in a while. Every dish was just as good as the next. We also ordered the tiramisu for dessert..... no words. Just try it and it will speak for itself.Well, done Vern's, please don't ever close! Can't wait to take my husband back for a date night!