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    Jay's Diner

    3.1 (303 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican, Diners
    Closed 6:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Jay's Diner Photos

    Business Info

    JAY'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Jay's Diner

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    Menu
    Jen R.

    I've given this place a few more chances. The first time went smooth. The attitude of the servers, the way the food was tossed on the table and the fact the fries were cold granted they gave us more. The pita was hard... food is maybe a 3 but.... That's all I got better diners around

    Entrance.
    Tj A.

    This place is an institution, and the staff are absolutely perfect at their jobs. Old school diners with old school food and great service are so rare & Jay's is keeping the past alive. You won't regret your visit here.

    J S.

    This place has obviously seen better days. We are new to the Rochester area and love diners. Decided to go here instead of the Highland Park diner, which is closed for the holidays. I ordered a simple breakfast: 2 eggs, has browns, and pancakes. The eggs were ok, but the "hash browns" were obviously store bought and deep fried, in grease that tasted like it hadn't been changed since 1977. The pancakes were dry and gritty, with a vegetable oil based butter substitute to put on the pancakes. The syrup came out of a plastic bottle that's mainly used for ketchup and mustard. The atmosphere is definitely low key, with regulars that seem "interesting". As I sat eating my meal, a kitchen worker came out and cackled at me as he walked past, adding to the strange atmosphere. I might be a diner snob, but the experience here was a huge disappointment. It's kind of hard to mess up a basic breakfast. I kept thinking of what Gordon Ramsey would say about this place. Not going back unless he comes here to fix it up. One positive: my waitress (Nicole) was great.

    Greek Salad
    Kelly K.

    A friend and went here for dinner last night. I hadn't been to Jay's in years. The service is the only thing I could honestly compliment. We were seated and Rutheve was our server. She was great. I ordered a Greek salad with steak done medium rare. I could barely chew the "steak" it was thin and leathery like rawhide. The server even noticed and offered to replace it with chicken. One bite and anyone could tell that was some random frozen piece of something. The Naan bread was okay and I found it odd that we were asked if we wanted free refills on our drinks... and then told they were in fact, not free. The ambiance is your typical diner style place, but it didn't appear clean and I'm not so sure I would return for a dinner service.

    Inside
    Tim S.

    Like a typical NJ diner in Rochester NY. Busy, loud, scratch made food. Parking lot full and all tables packed. Sarah was dress like a witch for the holiday season and used her broomstick to service her patrons. The kid bussing tables was into his job; covered in food and shirt soaked with water and juice.

    Four eggs with cheese, scrambled with sausage and hash browns
    Madeline W.

    I have been to Jay's Diner a few times in the past. We were greeted and seated quickly. Our waitress was very nice and took our order immediately. My husband ordered four eggs, had browns and sausage, and I had the pecan waffle. The food was hot when delivered, but my husband said his eggs were scrambled hard, but he ate them anyway. My pecan waffle was nice and light and loaded with pecans. I was somewhat disappointed in the coffee as it was very watered down, barely any coffee taste! Just a side note. ..the restrooms were not very clean, and the waitresses were spraying cleaning solutions on surrounding tables while customers were eating! ‍ Can I suggest they spray the cloth in the back and then wipe down the tables?

    Veggie Omelette with Hash Brown and side of bacon with whole wheat toast
    Yajaira R.

    Such a great dinner! The last time I came here I was in college and it brought back all of those fun memories. They seated our group quickly and the staff was super friendly and fast with their service !! I ordered the Veggie Omelette with Hash Brown, and a side of bacon with whole wheat toast. This was delicious and I ate it all. Carrot cake - was super moist and tasty. I had them warm up the cake and it was sooo good.

    Hot Meatloaf Sandwich
    pantea T.

    This is a very old American diner with a very nostalgic interior design, which I love And most of the time it's actually pretty crowded specially for breakfast .However, the service is actually good The food portion is good, but unfortunately, most of the time it's very greasy so you can't really enjoy the taste but the vibe of the place is awesome so I went there a couple of times In general, I feel like if you're American, you would really enjoy this place .

    a pancake and a cup of coffee
    Malou C.

    Although the place was packed when we arrived the food was basic. There was a slight wait to get a table and service was quick. However our server was stretched so thin she could not really provide decent service. It's unfair to her but she was trying her best. We opted for brunch and could have cooked it at home. The menu is not creative so it's an average place for a quick meal. The coffee is not good - sorry. The place is rundown and needs updating badly. We have been to many diners and their desert options is dismal. In my experience walking into a diner you are greeted with a plethora of sweet treats - not this time. I will not come back. Also they failed to optimize the space and could add more tables to the right side of the restaurant. On a positive note, there is plenty of parking.

    Counter

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    1 month ago

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    2 months ago

    Friendly service. Good food and opens at 6AM! Very well maintained and decor is traditional and well maintained. We'll be back

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    1 year ago

    Wonderful, old school diner. Good fun feel and decent menu options. I would come back

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    11 months ago

    the waitress was extremely judgy torwards a child with severe social anxiety. and extremely slow.

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    2 years ago

    Very cool diner close to RIT. Took my son there for lunch. Service and food were great. We plan to go back again for sure.

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    Ask the Community - Jay's Diner

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    MarketPlace Grill - Buffalo wings served with celery sticks, carrot sticks blue cheese, and Pub chips.

    MarketPlace Grill

    5.0(1 review)
    1.1 mi

    I rarely give out five stars. Between the abysmal customer service that seems rampant these days…read moreand fast, slapped together food, this is a Hidden Gem (promise not to tell anyone, o.k ?) I was done with work, tooling around Henrietta, and thanks to my errant GPS, took a wrong turn down Clay Road. That's how I found this place. Since I came in on the Clay Road entrance, I had no idea it was actually in the Holiday Inn and Suites, on the corner of Jefferson and Clay Roads. Of course, this means that it has a huge private parking lot. I used the Clay Road entrance, leading directly into the restaurant. It's actually bigger than you would think. It's very sleek, modern and cosmopolitan. To the left as you enter, is a gleaming, polished, black marble bar and barstools, with large, flat- screen TVs flanking the bar. I seated myself at one of the tables between the bar and the long, rectangular high top that separates the dining room. On the other side of the rectangngular table, is a spacious, living-room area, with comfy chairs and sofas, and another large flat-screen. It's a great place to gather and have drinks, or just relax and scroll through your email. There were over a dozen people enjoying their drinks and laughing and a couple of teenagers chilling on the sofas, intent on their cells. An impeccably groomed server, Preston, immediately came over and greeted me and gave me a menu. He served me both times that I was there for dinner. He asked about my mother, which was kind. I was impressed that he even remembered, considering the amount of people he serves. He even remembered what I had to drink (Prosecco) the first time. I usually avoid eating in hotels, even while on a trip in bad weather. Between his excellent service, and the delicous food here, I was warming to eating in a hotel, even if I live in Rochester. The first time, I asked him what he suggested; he said their burgers were excellent. I ordered a build-your-own Burger, with cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, and onion. The burgers all come with a side of fries or Pub Chips. Preston said that the Pub Chips are made in-house daily. I went with those. I changed my mind and canceled the lettuce, fearing iceberg. Being rather soft-spoken, he probably didn't hear that, and my burger arrived with lettuce. Fortunately, it was not the iceberg that I loathe; it was a nice wonderfully green and crisp leaf lettuce. I took one look at the Burger and thought "Oh Mama, there's no way I'm going to finish this sucker," as it was huge...like the Grand Canyon of burgers. I'm not a picky eater, just not a big eater. But I had a very light, early lunch, and was pretty sure I could eat most of it. I ate it all. I'm not generally a fan of fried foods, but the pub chips were beyond delicious. It was all I could do to restrain myself from eating them all; I saved some for my mom and it was quite a sacrifice. She devoured them. Last week I bounced in and decided to try their chicken wings. Man, they really give Richmond's a run for their money: large, meaty drums perfectly slathered in delicious buffalo sauce. They were served with a handful of carrot and celery sticks and the de rigueur blue cheese. Nice presentation, too. I highly recommend trying this Hidden Gem. This place not only knocked my socks off, it made them roll up and down.

    Photos
    MarketPlace Grill - Cheesecake to go. Preston did an excellent job on presentation.

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    Cheesecake to go. Preston did an excellent job on presentation.

    Jay's Diner - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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