A Hidden Gem in Spencerport: An Unexpectedly Perfect Evening We took a chance tonight. Based on a murmur from a friend of a friend, we drove to a small, unassuming strip in Spencerport, doubts quietly humming in the back of our minds. The exterior gave little away--no flashy signs, no grand windows. Just a simple door. We almost wondered if we had the right place. Walking in, our first thought was, "It's so small." Cozy, intimate, but not what you'd expect for a meal that promised such caliber. How quickly those doubts began to dissolve. We were seated, and almost immediately, we were wrapped in a kind of service I've only read about. The staff moved with a graceful, shadow-like precision--attentive without being intrusive, present without hovering. It felt less like being served and more like being gently cared for. A butler in a fine home, if that home also smelled of incredible things. Then came the bread. It sounds simple, I know. But this... this was to die for. Warm, crusty, soft inside--a promise of what was to come. For a starter, we ventured out: Korean octopus skewers. Now, octopus isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I'll admit, I hesitated. The flavors described seemed like a bold gamble. The first bite was a revelation. An absolute explosion--savory, slightly sweet, charred perfection, and tender in a way that made me question every poorly cooked piece of seafood I'd ever had. I was so, so wrong to doubt. The main course was duck. I've tried duck in so many places, chasing that elusive combination of meltingly tender, flavorful meat. It's so easy to get wrong. Here, the chef was spot on. It arrived looking like a masterpiece and tasted even better. Each forkful practically dissolved, rich and perfect without a hint of gaminess. I think we ate in near silence, just exchanging wide-eyed looks. Somehow, we found room for dessert: a vanilla crème brûlée. Another classic that so many places fumble. The tap-tap of my spoon breaking through that flawless sugar crust was deeply satisfying. It shattered into a perfect sheet, giving way to the silkiest, most fragrant vanilla custard beneath. I genuinely mourned the last spoonful. This place is a true hidden gem. It's not about pretense or a trendy location. It's about profound skill, executed with quiet confidence and served with genuine warmth. We arrived as cautious skeptics and left feeling like we'd been let in on a beautiful, delicious secret. If you get the chance, give it a try. You won't be disappointed. We certainly weren't. We're already figuring out when we can go back. read more

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This is a very small, one room restaurant in Spencerport, but is a humble fine dining experience. The food is of the best quality in the Rochester area. This a great date night spot. The service was professional and attentive without being overbearing. Each dish was presented beautifully and had the taste to match. I was pleased to see some dishes that are hard to come by in the area like lamb, various fish, and mussels. I would definitely recommend. Bathroom is accessible and spacious but there are two doors that lead to the single restroom which sits in a tight enclave, which seemed like it may be a challenge for a wheelchair user. read more

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Great dinner with friends. Chef is a real Pro so we splurged & got the higher end entres. I ordered the sea bass since I love sea bass. It was cooked perfectly over a tasty parmesan risotto with an awesome mushroom demiglace sauce. My wife got the surf & turf special, a 4oz filet plus a few jumbo scallops. Both were pretty much plate licking good . We also had a bottlenof textbook cab. Markup on it was fair & it was very smooth & a great choice. read more

Every time we get to bad apples bistro, it has been a delight. They do not dissapoint! Awesome food and service!

Great little spot. Food & wine were great along with the service. A little noisy on a busy night but it didn't bother us at all.

Great food and atmosphere. The menu is limited ( but delicious). I would recommend checking it out ahead of time. The waitresses are very nice. read more

We love this place. Best food and service on the west side. Menu changes seasonally and chef Chris nails it every time.

Something different. Whatever you choose will be delicious. Friendly atmosphere. Excellent service. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Delicious meals and kind, attentive staff. Menu changes seasonally. Busy, small place so reservations are helpful. Outdoor seating Love the small, quaint setting. Enjoy going there with friends. read more

We stopped here for dinner. The hostess was very friendly. The waitress was extremely attentive. Very cute atmosphere with a seasonal menu. After we were seated we were promptly brought waters. The waitress took our drink orders. Then brought us complimentary foccaccia bread with three toppings. the bread was very soft and was delicious. Depending on the type of dip used it changed the flavor profile. It was so good we asked for another few pieces. We opted for the aracini for appetizer. It was delicious. It was filled with cheese and prosciutto. It was the perfect start to dinner. My husband ordered the fish fry. He loved the sweet potato fries and he doesn't usually like them. They were excellent and converted my husband to like sweet potatoes. I ordered the tomato bisque Mac and cheese, somehow I blurted the photo and a side of jazz fries. The penne was cooked perfectly and the sauce was amazing. The fries are very good, crispy and perfectly seasoned. We were way too full to try dessert. read more

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Stopped for lunch on a cold day...we opted for French onion soup and desserts. Soup was delicious..hearty thyme flavor. Dessert was a warm apple crostata served with ice cream. They must have been out of the ice cream listed on the menu so subbed a vanilla chocolate chip which was a bit odd. Service was great; waitress was very personal and attentive. Tables are nice spaced. read more

Great food, great service and great spot. Wine selection is great. The food menu changes monthly. Never had a bad meal from there

Fast service. Very clean. fresh seafood. A little small inside, would go back in the summer to sit outside. Lava cake was not lava like. But over all apps and mains and service was fantastic! read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - Miso mahi - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

The food was absolutely amazing. The staff was super friendly and the restaurant was perfect size for dinner. It was not crowded at all and it felt very welcoming. I definitely definitely recommend this place for anybody. Who's looking for a nice dinner especially a date. The wine was amazing as well 10 out of 10 will eat again. read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

Went for lunch today and was pleasantly surprised. The food was amazing! I had the fish fry, others had chicken, burger, shrimp dishes, and all were delicious. We had fries and sweet potato fries-yummy!! Our server was attentive but more than that, she was so knowledgeable!!! Cute little space - a little simple elegance - unexpected surprise. read more

We had lunch gathering of six. We were greeted & seated promptly, the restaurant was clean, and our server (Liana) was very attentive and helpful in her outlining good options on the menu & specials. The wide variety of selections were good, and service was excellent. At end of lunch, we realized we forgot to ask for separate checks... no problem! I would definitely recommend the Bad Apple Bistro, although it is kind of "hidden" in the mall, read more

Usually I love Bad Apples Bistro when dining in, however I cannot vouch for their takeout fish fry on Friday nights. The (cod) fish was burnt into the styrofoam container. The sweet potato fries were soggy, and the very small portion of "coleslaw" was some type of peppery onion and apple mixture. I really wish the chef would revamp this dish! On the other hand, they used to have monthly food and wine pairing dinners that were fun! read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - Coleslaw - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

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We went to Bad Apple Bistro 10/4/2024 and we were amazed at how great the service, food and classy ambiance was. We will definitely be back. If you have not been there you are truly missing out! Our new favorite place! read more

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Bad Apple's is a pleasant surprise in Spencerport - elevated American cuisine found in a random strip mall next to a McDonald's. Random but true. The restaurant is a favorite of many of my coworkers who live on the West side, where "fine dining" is sparse and driving into the city is a chore. It seems like a family owned restaurant with a close-knit customer base. People seem like regulars and that speaks well for the restaurant. The physical space is small, but they do make it feel cozy and also have some tables outside when the weather is nice. The menu changes, but everything i've tasted has been decent. I'd say the food is still a notch below the top restaurants in Rochester (especially in plating presentation & execution), but still pretty commendable. Things i've tried include: Beet & Apple Salad, Mango Glazed Chicken, Black Squid Ink Pasta and the steak. The portions are generous, the service is friendly and the pricing is fair. Overall, a good upscale restaurant out on the West-side of Rochester! read more

We had Montreal Steak tips and a Shrimp Tostone appetizer. Once again, you just can't beat Bad Apple Bistro. Chris is an amazing chef!

It's been over 5 years since my original review, and at least a couple years since I've sat down for dinner here, so it was a pleasure to sit down there last night and simply nod my head at whatever specials Chef Chris had concocted on a ho-hum typical Thursday. I did grab a couple of great lunches since then, because I worked at the Urgent Care right next door. Lunch and/or takeout is nice and all, but I don't even feel like commenting on it. In my opinion this food deserves your seated attention, if not purely for the sake of taking in the presentation. Bad Apple's isn't new anymore. It's not a local curiosity. There is no more "Have you tried that new place?" for them. It's clearly become a staple by this point. There's regular clientele, there's established reputation, and the food has done most of the talking. However, I felt like posting an update to tip my cap to the overall business, because the food is clearly a known. Shout out to the staff that is employed here under Chef Chris. While Bad Apple's does maintain a more casual bistro setting, your meal is tended to by servers who are as sharp as those you'd find at a more formal fine dining setting. My original review harped on the word "care", and maintaining a proper staff is another important aspect of that word. They're trained well, they know what they're talking about, and they're fully on board with what that place aims to be. While I wasn't there on the busiest night, I watched Bad Apple's Bistro function seamlessly with (I'm about 95% sure) only 3 people working the floor. Other restaurants would either not function as well, or would staff a higher number of less-capable people. Not here. They're running a tight ship even when it's not super busy, because that helps maximize results. It's also great practice -- they're never lax and always ready to kick into gear if it does get busy. Everything is sharp and efficient, and that's undoubtedly a key part of the success. Good hiring, good training... CARE is put into this. They make everything look super easy (I'm sure it's not), and a lot of it is because it's the right people doing the right jobs in the right way. So tip them well! All of the diligence in their work is how this place manages to exist in this form, and without a bunch of wasted overhead. Last tip I wanted to throw out there: If you're a type of person who's looking for this type of dining experience (seasonal rotation, specials popping up on a daily basis sometimes, always something new, trusting the chef's whim)... then follow them on social media. A lot of independent restaurants benefit from social media, but I would go as far as to say that it's an important part of the Bad Apple's experience. He might whip something up that is so unique or appealing or intriguing that it could change your whole plans for the week. Example: Purple soup? And it's BACON purple soup? I'm no slouch in the kitchen, but I am NOT gonna be making purple bacon soup at home... but you can bet that I wanna see it and taste it just for the experience! That's what this place is all about, and social media is the best way to know about it during the short duration that some of these dishes may run. Things like that can pop up in your timeline on a Tuesday, and you'll be penciling in a nice dinner out on Wednesday. Why? FOR THE EXPERIENCE! read more

This place was amazing. From the friendly service, to the fun atmosphere, all the way to the food. Small menu with some great choices. The pineapple pork belly was so delicious!!! read more

This is the best restaurant in the area. The food is amazing and I've never had a lunch or dinner that wasn't excellent. Tonight I had the salmon with maple bourbon glaze over a sweet potato and apple with carmelized onions hash. The salmon was perfectly cooked to medium rare so it was tender, juicy, and flavorful! We had the brie crostini appetizer and I had the lovely chocolate lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream shown in the picture. Bad Apples Bistro has never let me down when I'm looking for amazing food! read more

Very good service, well executed dishes. Would definitely recommend. Very accommodating with kids also.

This is a very small but bustling bistro. We came in without a reservation (we have a bad habit of deciding we want to go out last minute) and lucked out that they had had a no-show. The women on staff were all incredibly kind and managed the busy crowd with ease. If they haven't worked together for years, I'd be surprised. I ordered the filet with a side salad to start, and the others in my party ordered the surf and turf special, one with a lobster bisque. Everything was prepared perfectly and was wonderful. The wait for food was a bit longer than expected, but it was a Saturday night, a large dinner crowd, and they ran low on mashed potatoes. And I had a well poured glass of wine to work on, so the time helped. :) The chef sent our server back to note that they were running low and rather than short us, the chef would be giving us risotto. I don't love risotto so I asked for frites, and was very happy with what came out. The others got the risotto and raved about it, so both were great replacements. I liked that they had an answer for the mashed potatoes and gave a choice rather than expecting us to come up with an alternative. A nice spot overall for dinner, though a little hidden between an urgent care and a nail salon, and behind a McDonald's. Check it out if you're in the area. read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - Side bistro salad - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

This was my first time here. We stopped for lunch and it wasn't crazy busy (on a Friday afternoon). Small little bistro with outside seating (but too cold for us that day). One waitress working but she handled the crowd with ease! Very friendly and attentive. The menu is fairly limited but you can definitely find something you'd like! I had the avocado chicken sandwich: breaded chicken with back, gouda and avocado salsa. I wasn't a fan of the salsa (asked for it on the side) but only because it has onions in it and I don't like onions! My girls had the spinach/artichoke burger: burger with a cream cheese/parmesan/spinach artichoke spread. They loved it. Would definitely recommend for a nice lunch. read more

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First time here and boy was I shocked. Don't let the menu fool you into thinking this is a normal little bistro that serves soup and panini sandwiches. My husband is a huge foodie and appreciates great food. He said he could go here once a week and that's saying a lot for him. He got the duck with the root vegetables and couldn't stop raving about it even the next day. I had the bistro burger with onion and apple jam (?) and French fries that were amazing. We will definitely be back. Love that they have seasonal menus. Please go and support this small business. read more

The food is ALWAYS amazing!! What a treasure to have in Spencerport. Casual setting with excellent food every time. This a restaurant worth driving to!! Our meals have always exceeded our expectations. Thank you read more

Such a perfect, quaint place for lunch and/or dinner. One of my favorite things about Bad Apples is that the Owner/Chef constantly changes the menu relative to the season. Bad Apples still always has their staple items of course! The french onion soup is the best I've ever had. You will not be disappointed if you chose to visit this establishment - which I hope you will! read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - Bistro Salad French Onion Soup - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

Amazing cuisine!!excellent service!! awesome atmosphere not terribly expensive. I would totally recommend this place in Spencerport Ny

We have ordered takeout every week since March with the exception of a couple weeks. Chief Chris does the best he can considering he has to present his wonderful food in a to go box. Today we were able to take advantage of the weather and enjoy outside seating. Can't wait till all is back to normal. Bad Apples Bistro is the gem of the west side!!! Thank you to all the staff. read more

During an 80 degree week in Rochester you have to take advantage of it and eat outside. We decided to go to Bad Apple's Bistro as it is around the corner from us and we know they have a small outdoor section. The menu seemed a bit heavy for almost the end of May. Given that, we shared two appetizers and each had a salad. It was ok. I wanted to love it but this time around I have to stick with just ok. I am stuck with the feeling that they want to be a downtown restaurant and charge accordingly. I don't mind paying to be wowed but I don't care to pay top price for ok. read more

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Stopped in for lunch. Had chicken with pea pesto with garlic rosemary fries. Also fish fry with sweet potato fries. The waitress was so nice. The food was delicious! We had the crème brûlée for dessert omg so good!! I would recommend this place and I definitely plan on going back and try dinner. Very clean and neat. The bathroom was also very clean. read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - Fish fry with sweet potato fries - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

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This was a bad experience not worth the money spent. The first thing was the loud music we did not like. It was played outside and inside. We could hear it when we got out of the car and then inside while we were eating. There were no salt and pepper shakers on the table. My cheeseburger was ordered medium and came out almost well done. It was too lean and not juicy. It was barely warm also. The other people with me weren't crazy about the place either. The waitress looked bout 17 and did not know anything about the food or menu. It is a small place giving a boxed in feeling. The cheeseburger was $17 and not worth the money. We won't go back. You have been warned. read more

This place is a best kept secret. Absolutely delicious food. I highly recommend checking this place out.

We get fish fry's several times a month there and are always happy with the service and the food. The restaurant is very cute and cozy.

Pretty legit for a little local place. They start you with complimentary roasted apple garlic puree/butter, balsamic n oil, and rosemary butter served with sun dried tomato bread. Each of them was really delicious! The french onion soup was flavorful, cheesy and piping hot. I was not terribly thrilled with the seafood. The mussels were in a great broth but a good hearty handful of them didn't open. I took it to go, having been stuffed from the other items so I couldn't call it to the attention of anyone. The fried calamari was flavorful but soaked up some oil and when paired with the aioli it was surprisingly heavy. That being said, I ate the whole darn thing and if properly shared the effect may not be the same. I certainly wouldn't shy away from coming here again. The wait staff were attentive and friendly. read more

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Absolutely delicious! The Artichoke Parmesan soup was a meal all by itself. It was intensely cheesey which I loved. It was so think and cheesey it could have been served with chips. Salad was also very good. The salad could have used just a little more flavor with maybe some nuts to round out the flavor. The food was delicious. Staff was prompt. Prices were a bit steep for lunch. 2 soups, 2 salads, 2 drinks were $46 read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - Soup - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

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First time here and I have to say that I was not impressed, rather I was blown away! The flavors were spot on, the menu selections were fantastic and the service from Michelle was great. Had no idea this place existed but by years end I'll be able to find it with my eyes closed. Impressed! read more

Bad Apple's Bistro - Bacon Mac n cheese - New American Near Me - Spencerport, New York

This place is such a hidden gem in Spencerport. I love how the menu changes with the season so there's always something new and fresh. Their Brie burger is hands down the best burger I've ever had in my entire life. The service is always good. read more