Chicken and waffles is a must try item. But they have discounted the number of chicken pieces from 4 to 2 now without any notice. So definitely a disappointment. Fries were burnt but taste ok. Beer was the best as they serve local brews. Overall nothing to die for. They get their business by offering 500 award points towards your stay if you dine and spend $25(piece of cake). I bet the owners of the hotel has lots of control over how the business runs. Am looking forward for some change as the menu and atmosphere do have lots of potential. read more

I had dinner at Drifters while staying in Rochester on business. Having just spent most of the day in the air, I picked it primarily because it was inside the hotel and open. In terms of atmosphere, I'll echo other reviewers and describe it as a nice mix of warm and modern. It was pretty quiet when I was there, as one would expect from a hotel bar on a weeknight. The service was great. It took a couple minutes to get seated. Chuck was my server, and did a good job of making me feel welcome, explaining the menu, and keeping me updated on the status of my order. It's a pleasant surprise to find a server who finds the sweet spot between overly attentive and not attentive enough, and Drifters definitely hit a nice balance. I can imagine being unhappy with the wait time for the food on other nights, but it didn't really bother me when I was there. To eat, I had a duck entree and a side of braised brussels sprouts. The duck was a mix of two styles: a simple roasted duck leg, and a sliced duck breast with a sauce on top. Both were prepared correctly, cooked as I'd ordered them, and the portion was very satisfying for the price. I was initially skeptical of the sauce (a reduction of some sort with what looked like but didn't taste like blueberries in it; I was too tired to ask about it), since I didn't want it to overwhelm the flavor of the duck, but it ended up being a nice complement to the meat. The brussels sprouts were good too, though not a standout next to the duck. I didn't have anything to drink, though they seemed to have a good selection of beer and wine. Overall, I was happy with my experience here, and would happily eat here again. read more

A group of us were in town for business. We ate here the first night and came back the next two. Food and drinks were all good, though the highlight was the grilled Caesar salad. Slightly over priced but worth it knowing that our group would all enjoy the food. read more

A fairly good hotel restaurant and one of the few restaurants in this area of Rochester. I had the special crab cake sandwich, which was served with fries, and it was fantastic. Another time I had the Cesar salad, which was served without chopping up the romaine wedges, but it was still good. Service was good, though a little slow during the lunch rush. read more

I have eaten at Drifters LB for both dinner and lunch and I have to say that everything I have tried has been delicious! The Chicken and Waffles with chili butter and maple Syrup seemed intriguing and I have to say it was amazing. The smoky chili butter mixed perfectly with the sweetness of the maple syrup. I will definitely have that again. The trio of dips with the housemade tortilla chips was a great appetizer, the fresh Pinapple Habenero Salsa was outstanding. If you like corned beef you will love the Drifters Reuben. It comes with Fries but I substituted the Housemade Potato Chips. I have to say it was probably the best Reuben I have ever had. Looking forward to trying everything on that menu. Prices were reasonable too. Nice to have some more options downtown. read more

Valentine's dinner to go! Had to celebrate Valentine's Day early because my boyfriend works that night so I ordered some dinners and an appetizer to go and brought it home. We had chosen items off of their special Valentines day menu. To start we ordered the Crab stuffed Scallops with Orange Basil Salsa which were so delicious I wish I had ordered 2! Our entrees were the Pan Seared Sea Bass over Polenta and the Vegetable Faggioli with heirloom tomatoes, white beans, spinach, artichokes and olives with gnocchi in a tomato butter broth. I can't even tell you how amazing these dishes were and the portions were huge. Hoping they keep these on the menu or have them again as specials because I would definitely order them. They are even serving the special menu all week which is a great idea. read more

I was a guest at the hotel that houses this bar restaurant and based on the reviews my expectations were rather low but based on my dining experience, this place gets 5 stars. I ordered the grilled Caesar salad,a delightfully char-grilled romaine head split in half (if you're expecting your typical Caesar of chopped romaine coated with gobs of dressing and crusty croutons you will be disappointed). A side of grilled salmon was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and cut fries came out piping hot with just the right amount of salt. The happy hour from 4-7p offers a good variety of beer, house wines & well drinks. read more

Great food! They have a really nice decor and the food was incredible. Try the prosciutto and mozzarella sandwhich. Can't wait to come back!

This review is for the NEW Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown at 155 E Main Street where Drifters is located. I saw on Trip Advisor there were 4 reviews for the brand new hotel, and then several reviews here (generally not good) on Yelp for another hotel of the same name at a different address. I want to make sure the new place doesn't get a bad rap 2 weeks into their opening. I made my reservation; spoke with with someone named Zach, and am super stoked to stay at this new property in Rochester. They also have free secure and safe parking, and do business with at least two taxi services if there are concerns about getting around the city. I will post an update to this after stay; but just wanted to say the hotel affiliated with this restaurant (20 beers can't wait) seems to have gotten the same rave reviews; just not here on yelp. BTW, Zach was awesome, informative, and very friendly. My reservation was a good experience. read more

Not the greatest place to eat downtown but I guess it will do in a pinch. The chicken and waffles are overcooked, dry and bland. Their drinks are over priced and appetizers are little. But it's clean and convenient. read more

Food was meh. Asked for extra crispy wings and got soggy ones. Overpriced salad (more lettuce than anything else) Mac and cheese bites were clearly a frozen item--they looked like mac and cheese bites from a fast food restaurant. Their "signature" chicken tenders were nothing to write home about at all. No flavor! Very disappointing. Food looked nothing like the pictures online. Visiting from out of town, but would not go here again. read more

Stayed here for work and had the main street double, which is big mac made with a real burger. Yup it even has a special sauce. It was good with freshly made fries. For a hotel resturant the prices are fair. read more

We have stayed at the Hilton many times but have never eaten in their restaurant. Tonight we did. We ordered the chicken pot pie that must have been brined to excess. It was too salty to eat. We also ordered a grilled caeser salad which consisted of two small romaine wedges that were grilled with dressing and balsamic vinegar squirted on the top. Both tasted horrible. We had to drink water for dessert. We went there looking to order other things on the menu but they were not available. We have never posted a negative review for a restaurant. This was horrible. read more

Drifters - Grilled caeser salad at Drifters. - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

I went here for lunch as a party of four. The food was delicious-- we split the grilled cheese appetizer, and I got the steak hoagie (the others got Mac & cheese burgers and flatbread)-- and we had enough time to get back to the office for a 1pm meeting. Once word gets out around this place it'll be a crowded spot, for sure! read more

Although Drifters wasn't my first choice for an impromptu Saturday dinner with friends, it worked out well. The casual atmosphere and spacious dining room contributed to a relaxing experience for adults in a space that kids may find boring. While the menu was far from inventive, dishes were competently prepared from fresh ingredients. The service surpassed expectations, especially considering how transactional hotel restaurants often feel. The host was pleasant and efficient. When a member of our party found the chicken wings too spicy, the server suggested ways to resolve the issue without added cost. The bottom line is that Drifters is enjoyable but not exciting. read more

Came here with my family on a late night after we've got to Rochester. We were staying at the hotel and needed a quick bite to eat. I didn't expect much from this place initially, and the menu was mainly bar food. I ordered a BLT sandwich with salad, my husband ordered a Reuben with fries and my toddler had chicken fingers. Surprisingly, the portions were very huge, and both of our sandwiches were very moist and flavourful. The salad was a good mix of greens and they even put my balsamic dressing on the side without asking me about it. My husbands Reuben sandwich was also very tasty, the fries were good, except a bit salty. We tried my son's chicken fingers, and they were actually made of real chicken breast instead of processed meats and they were very big portions. The pricing is average to a bit higher, was around $14-15 for each of our plates, but thankfully we were able get a free appetizer (the chicken fingers) when you purchase an entree if you are staying at the hotel. read more

Overheard someone recommend this restaurant, as having a great burger that was made from scratch, decided to check it out, and was delicious! Great atmostphere, without being too loud or feeling like a deserted hotel restaurant. Wish all hotel restaurants had food this tasty and well priced. read more

Not happy. We ordered "to Go" for our event down the street. When I show up- there is an 18% "large party fee" that they Now tell me is on All to-go orders. We only had 5 orders!!!! At no point did they tell me before-hand. And that makes zero sense to charge extra for a to-go order. The steak salad was extremely small, and overall everyone said it was just Ok. Again, not happy. read more

It was my first time there and I have to say I probably won't return. the bar atmosphere was fine but the food wasn't memorable at all. The mai mai was dry. The "surf and turf" chicken and shrimp was not tastey. Maybe they just had an off night, who knows. read more

Stayed in the hotel with my wife and two five year old children, we enjoyed a great dinner in one of the large booths. The atmosphere is modern, but still very warm. I was impressed with the menu and enjoyed Mahi Tacos. We split an order of wings (10/medium) - very tasty wings. read more

The food was decent. The waiter was helpful and kind. The chicken and waffles were alright. I wish I had know it was dark meat chicken only, not a fqn. The waffle was light and fluffy and the parm truffle fries were good as well. Not needing any condiment. The atmosphere was a little lacking. read more

Really good bar and food with friendly staff and super food and beer recommendations. Walked for a bit from my hotel and so glad I stopped in. Tried the local beer Space Kitty on bartender recommend and it was great. Wings were fantastic. Connected to Hilton hotel so expectations were low but it's great. read more

This restaurant is in the Hilton Garden Inn on Main St downtown, but the ambiance and menu are much more interesting than I expected and good enough to standalone, not just serve hotel guests . Nice selection of local beer and wine, including Rohrbach's Scotch Ale on draft, which I love. The menu featured locally sourced ingredients , at a variety of price points, and most of the items sounded appealing . We shared the Brooklyn Sandwich and the Prosciutto Arugula Goat Cheese Flatbread and both were excellent. Our waiter told us the chef was a Rochester native who'd been working down South for several years, so next time I might try the shrimp & grits or the chicken and waffles. They did a lovely job of rehabbing the historic space and mixing in modern touches like reclaimed wood and tile. There is a TV by the small bar, but it's not intrusive if you sit in the restaurant area. They also have a lounge section overlooking Main St, with comfy chairs and coffee tables where I could imagine sipping wine or cocktails. They told us they plan to be open 7 days/week, 11am till 9pm. This is a great addition to downtown, which currently has a shortage of restaurants open evenings and weekends. It would also make a great lunch spot. read more

I enjoyed my first experience at Drifters! Tucked away in the Hilton, the space is beautifully decorated, and a nice departure from the bright lights of the hotel space. Their posted hours are deceiving -- they stop serving food at 10pm, but stay open as long as there are customers (anytime between midnight and 2am our bartender told us). Our service was polite and prompt, and I would like to return to give the food a try sometime soon! read more

Everything is usually pretty good here besides for the fact that every time I order chicken it's never cooked through enough. I understand there are accidents and mistakes but I have sent my food back three separate times here because of the chicken being pink or slimy and they just can't get it together. Will not be back for food, can't believe it hasn't been taken care of yet. read more

We are staying at the new Hilton Garden Inn while visiting our daughter, a U of R student. Food in Rochester has really never been a selling point, it has always been just kind of mediocre everywhere we have tried, but this was below even our low expectations. First, my husband got the hot wings and my daughter and I split the crab and lobster fondue. The hot wings were average, at best, and the fondue was lacking in flavor, seafood, and pita. If your are going to short me on something, don't make it the cheapest item on the plate rendering the most expensive thing completely inedible! My husband, turned off by the wings, opted not to order an entree. I ordered the fish and chips, my daughter ordered the chicken and waffles. The food came in a timely manner and the service was great, but then the 'band" started. At 6:00 pm we got blasted with one woman on mic'd bongos and another on a guitar doing Indigo Girls covers, poorly, but incredibly loud. We literally could not talk to each other at our table, seated not more than 2 feet from each other. Our food arrived and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed her chicken and waffles, but my fish was so over cooked it was dry and, in some places, had turned into more like an unchewable fish jerky. Very overcooked. Once our daughter ate her fill of her delicious chicken and waffles, we retreated to our room to escape the noise of the band... only to find we could STILL hear them from the room. We ended up spending the rest of the evening watching the Rangers/Flyers game from the Hyatt bar next door where we not only got an excellent meal (the burger is fantastic!), but could also carry on a conversation without having to read lips/use sign language over the terrible and blaring live band. read more