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    Founders Cafe

    4.4 (121 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

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    Business Info

    FOUNDERS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Founders Cafe

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    Iced Latte
    George M.

    I love everything they make, especially the iced latte! Cute store in an old building. Great vibe and ambiance. Kind people with great service!

    Grilled Cheese and Chili.
    Ellen F.

    Mouthwatering food! My Mom and brother work in the city and this is our new favorite lunch spot when I come to visit. We love their chili and their wraps. I can't wait to try all the things on their menu. The employees are nice and the place is always clean and inviting.

    Herb veggie panini
    Roshan R.

    We had a craving for panini and have been meaning to check this place out for quite some time. We went during lunchtime on a weekday. The place was pretty packed and I guess they get a lot of take-out orders on phone and hence, the service was a little slow. Be prepared to wait. The rod chicken paninis (weekly special) was very good. I would give it 4/5. The bread at the bottom was very soggy and just didn't hold. But it tasted good. The herb veggie panini was unseasoned. It had a lot of potential though. I would give it 3/5. I thought the menu was a bit overpriced. The staff definitely seemed overwhelmed by the number of orders and I feel for them. They were young and as quick as they could be.

    Counter
    Megan C.

    Stopped by Founders today to grab a quick lunch and can't believe I've never been before! What a special place. My favorite part: the menu! It was so difficult to choose what to order due to the options. Salads, soups, quiche, hot & cold sandwiches, wraps, cookies, coffee and MORE! I did not find this place difficult to find. It is right on Fitzhugh and you enter to clear signage as to where to go. I am looking forward to going back during the non-COVID times, when there's more time to take in the sights and sit and enjoy the fun ambiance. I went with the chicken salad sandwich based on Taylor H's review, and she was right - the sammich was DELISH! Filled with fruits and veggies and the sandwich itself had a perfect amount of field greens. I also wanted to try the butternut squash soup that was on special, which is always a gamble since there's such differences from one bnut soup to the next. This is definitely a thicker, earthier version of the soup, but clearly made fresh and seasoned perfectly. Staff is young and seemed overwhelmed during my visit today, but I can only imagine how stressful the lunch rush can get in this area...WITHOUT a pandemic and new restrictions in place. I can't wait to try more items (including the veggie panini!) in the very near future.

    Denver Breakfast Sandwich
    Mark P.

    I downtown gem, worth the walk to find this cloistered full service cafe nestled inside a gorgeous historic location. Always friendly service, the menu has some creative and delicious breakfast and lunch combinations. If you find yourself downtown looking for a bite you can't go wrong.

    Herb roasted veggie panini
    Max K.

    SO DELICIOUS! Founders knows how to do veggie sandwiches! Beautifully seasoned, not soggy, nice variety of veggies, I wouldn't change a thing. They have a nice variety on their menu. Went with my BF who is not really a veggie lover or a huge fan of food that is 'not a hamburger' and he easily found something on the menu and he agreed this place is awesome! Founders is on my top list for lunch time meet ups. Delish!!!

    JEF (Jambon Et Fromage)
    Sarah S.

    Are you ever just in the mood for a wholesome, satisfying sandwich? This place fulfills my cravings every single time. It's a small place, locally owned, with super fresh ingredients. The food is indescribable--I've gotten all of my coworkers to order from here at some point and they've all loved it. This place makes me look forward to lunch every day. The first thing I tried from here was a banh mi sandwich. I am super picky about my banh mi's, but they definitely nailed it! Everything was super fresh, all the pickled veggies were very crunchy, and the sriracha aoli was the PERFECT finish. Next, I decided to try the thanksgiving sandwich, which is made with a healthy portion of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing each. It is also topped with a delectable cranberry aoli that really brings me back to the holidays! I was concerned that the heavy filling would made the sandwich somewhat soggy, but it actually held up really well. I ordered it again later that week, because it was really that good. I decided to spice it up by trying the Jambon et fromage (ham and cheese) sandwich, because who doesn't love cheese? The balance of flavors between the ham and the Brie, along with Dijon and crisp apples was simply amazing!! The latest sandwich I've tried is the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, topped with peppers and onions. Imagine a delicious steak dinner smothered in onions & peppers, but stuffed into high quality bread and topped with melty, warm cheese. So. Good. In addition to amazing food and fresh ingredients, they offer free delivery. Also amazing customer service!

    Veggie panini
    Elizabeth R.

    Very solid lunch place- we will be back for more!! In an attempt to be healthy-ish, I got the roasted veggie panini (and added provolone cheese) and was pleased to find it's everything you could want out of a veggie panini. The crispy bread, the delicious veggies, the gooey cheese. Would I order it again? Yes. But next time I will probably try something new from their extensive menu of mouth-watering options. My fiance had a yummy meatball sandwich and also a hot chocolate- lovely. We were both excited about our meals and look forward to returning. The staff deserve a shout-out for the prompt and pleasant service. And we enjoyed the more urban, historical charm of their building and interior. I loved reading a blurb of history on our table number. It's the little things! So my official recommendation is to go try it out- it's worth it!

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    12 years ago

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    I love Locals Only - my only complaint is that they are not open later. I love that I can make…read morereservations. My kids love the stuffed pancakes. The tater tots are out of this world and their lattes are great too! Always a good time and the staff is fun too!

    We went to Locals Only for brunch/lunch after a wedding, meeting friends one last time before…read moreeveryone headed back to our own cities. Unfortunately, it turned into one of the worst restaurant experiences. We spent 2.5 hours total at the restaurant. After waiting an excessive amount of time, we watched two tables that arrived at least an hour after us receive their food first. When we politely asked if our ticket might have been missed, we were told those tables ordered before us, which simply wasn't true. We were then told the delay was because burgers take a long time but a nearly two-hour wait for a burger is pretty wild. It took about 25 minutes just for someone to take our drink order, and we were never asked if we wanted additional drinks. We had to flag staff down for everything. No ketchup, no hot sauce, nothing offered. The $30 mimosa flight served in tiny glasses also felt like a complete scam. When the food finally came, two people in our party were served 15-20 minutes before the other two, and the food was cold. One dish had completely raw eggs. When I let the server know I couldn't eat it, she came back and removed the meal from the bill, which was appreciated. However, the interaction itself felt tense and dismissive, which made an already frustrating experience worse. They did give us a round of breakfast shots to try to help pass the time which was appreciated. The food itself was disappointing overall. The breakfast burrito was basically all eggs with raw, bitter avocado, and my husband's burger was missing requested toppings. We also noticed food sitting in the service window while we continued waiting. The only person who was happy with their meal got the biggie fries an it was hot when it arrived. To make matters worse, the bathroom was unheated on an 18° day (feels like 2°) and not clean. We're a pretty chill, patient group and understand that kitchens get backed up but man, this experience completely missed the mark. Ironically, the cooks thanked us for our patience and servers said goodbye pleasantly on the way out. We honestly may have let a lot of this go if the service hadn't felt so dismissive when we calmly raised concerns.

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    Good Luck Restaurant - Burger

    Good Luck Restaurant

    4.3(839 reviews)
    1.5 miNeighborhood of the Arts
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    Love this place on a Saturday night to sit at the very energetic and entertaining bar with our…read morefavorite bartender / mixologist "Allison" and her fellow awesomely friendly & inviting other bartenders "Leo" and the rest of the staff there. We always order the same thing to share and it is always PERFECTLY cooked and delicious, "The Steak"! Thank you Good Luck for always providing a delicious and fun experience! Matt & Renee (Red) ;)

    It wasn't bad. It just was not good. I get the concept, but I don't think it's for me…read more First off, the drinks. We each got one at the bar while waiting for our table. I enjoyed mine, but my dining companion's (the Saturn) tasted like straight juice. With dinner, I wanted to get a draft beer and was able to sample the two IPAs. While one was tasty, I didn't order one because the beer was lukewarm. I got a burger, and companion got the black cod. The burger is $32 and a full pound and served with a heap of fries. For the price, less than impressed. The overly thick patty was just too much. It was dry and just not for me. I would rather have two well-seasoned and juicy thinner patties. The fries and sauce were good. But not $32 worth of good. The cod itself was decent but it came in a sauce that was cold and odd tasting. Ambiance is fine. It was loud and crowded, but clean. Service was friendly.

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    REDD - Fish fry

    REDD

    4.2(301 reviews)
    0.9 miEast End, Center City

    I had a wonderful meal at Redd while visiting Rochester for work! I sat at the bar and enjoyed the…read morehospitality and great service from the bartenders, who make great cocktails as well. My martini was perfectly mixed and ice cold! The food was phenomenal as well. I enjoyed the lobster risotto appetizer, chicken thigh with polenta and a delicious and complex mole sauce, and butterscotch pot de crème for dessert. The bar was bustling when I arrived, but quieted towards the end of the evening. The restaurant has high ceilings and an upscale but comfortable feel. I'd absolutely return to Redd if I'm ever in Rochester again!

    I finally had the opportunity to eat out at REDD for a friend's birthday a couple of weeks ago…read moreafter years of trying to come. I really have to say - for the most part, the wait was worth it. First and foremost, I have to call out their drink menu - while ultimately we came to enjoy a nice dinner, their cocktails were by far the biggest star of the show, with our entrees trailing very closely behind. If you like to partake in alcoholic beverages, I can say without a doubt these are the best cocktails I've had in Rochester, let alone all of Western NY, and this is even put up against drinks from the likes of Cure, Bitter Honey, and Avvino. I don't know if the bartender is just using higher quality spirits as a result of REDD being an upscale restaurant, but the "Burn after Reading", "Wise Guy", and Manhattan are some of the smoothest, most delicious, multi-noted drinks I've had in my entire life. If I don't come back for the food, I will absolutely be back for the drinks, because my goodness, abso-freaking-lutely phenomenal. My friends and I still talk about them now even weeks later. For our entrees we had the NY strip steak, grilled chicken, and a poached salmon, and every single piece of protein was cooked just perfectly. The steak was a beautiful warm medium rare, the chicken was glistening with succulent juiciness, and the poached salmon which I had for my main is one of the softest pieces of fish I've had in my life. It beautifully flaked away on a bed of potato puree and extremely well herbed and seasoned home fry-like potatoes that were ever-so-slightly just-undercooked intentionally to act as a perfect foil to the gorgeously soft puree and salmon itself. If I were to knock anything at all, the winter squash, turnip, and green vegetable medley that came with the chicken and steak was unfortunately far too undercooked for my liking, almost to the point of being completely raw, and while I appreciate letting vegetables sing and respect the beauty of raw, fresh vegetables, I was hoping for a little bit more of chef-y flair, seasoning, or even cooking of them. Besides that, the wait staff was simply top tier and were extremely inviting throughout the entire evening. We felt taken care of and checked up on often and they were the utmost professional. The only thing that was a true negative was the desserts -- if there's one thing I would NEVER order at REDD again, unfortunately our dessert missed the mark entirely. My best guess is due to lack of a pastry chef, but our chocolate tart was muddy and flavorless, not even tasting of chocolate, and the two homemade ice creams we tried - chocolate, and oatmeal followed in suit. We ultimately wrapped up at REDD but then ran down to Char Steak & Grill at the Strathallan for what ended up being a phenomenal dessert experience there. But overall, I have to say - I will definitely be back! The entrees were awesome, the cocktails were life-changing, and the ambience and wait staff were without fault. Thank you for a wonderful experience, REDD, and see you again soon!

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    Vern's - Rigatoni

    Vern's

    4.4(278 reviews)
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    Vern's is definitely one of those spots that's worth a visit! They don't take reservations, and…read morewhen we arrived around 7:30pm on a Sunday evening, it was packed. We were quoted about a 40-minute wait for a table, but told bar seating might open up sooner (around 30 minutes). They took my number and we stepped outside to take a walk around the block while we waited. We ended up getting a text about the bar seat availability in about 15 minutes. Once we got seated at the bar, things turned around quickly. The space has a really cozy, intimate vibe with dim lighting, warm atmosphere and overall it feels thoughtfully put together. We ordered hot toddies to drink, which were perfect for the weather, and for food we got the Japanese sweet potatoes and the cavolo nero pesto. Both dishes were incredibly delicious - flavorful and well-balanced. Just be prepared for a wait (and maybe stay nearby instead of wandering off), but once you're in, it's a great experience!

    We tried out Vern's for the first time on a Thursday evening! We made it there by about 5:00 PM and…read moreit was easy enough to get a table for 2 with only indoor seating available. It's a small space inside but it's designed well enough to manage a flow of traffic for customers and staff. We sat in the back greenhouse area. I think the least enjoyable part of our experience was how loud it was in the restaurant. Definitely not a good spot if you're trying to catch up with someone and your voice doesn't carry. I couldn't actually hear the specials the server was telling us. I want to try out Vern's again, so I may wait until there's an outdoor table or ask to sit in the second level to see if that's quieter. We tried one of their spring menu appetizer items, the Japanese sweet potatoes with kimchi ranch and dill. One bite and I was addicted, these were so so good. We then moved on to the classics for entrees -- bee sting pizza and the ragu-- and we were amazed at how good everything was! The only note we had was about the pizza, it was very soggy in the middle but still edible if you rolled it over in itself. We also had a few cocktails, and while they were somewhat small, you could tell they weren't watered down in any way. Two drinks was more than enough for me. Overall it was a great experience and we want to try it again. If you're someone who struggles to enjoy a meal out where you can't hear much, maybe wait for outdoor tables.

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    Founders Cafe - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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