My first night back in Rochester of the summer, and I wanted to try somewhere new and a little different. Enter Native: a restaurant with a sleek, elegant exterior, a large outdoor dining area surrounded by twinkle-lighted trees, and a cozy, chic interior. The staff were friendly and seated me quickly at a table facing one of the walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, and quickly brought me the Violet Armada cocktail. Woah. It tastes just as purple as it looks, and was a delicious start to my meal! I ordered two of their small plates--the lettuce wraps pictured, and the empanadas, which I forgot to snap an image of before devouring. They were, honestly, some of the best I've ever had, with the flakiest crusts and a wonderfully savory filling. The lettuce wraps were light and well-balanced, and the portion sizes were perfect for what I was looking for. I'll definitely be back soon, hopefully before snagging an evening show at the GeVa, conveniently caddy-corner to Native! read more

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The service was good, keep in mind we went at a time that was not busy, and the place is clean and chic We got mocktails and champagne, burger, empanadas and beef. Drinks were good but the food lacked flavor and didn't taste fresh at all. (The burger bun was good tho!) We got drip coffee afterwards, that was awesome Overall not sure if we would go again for food but might stop by for drinks read more

Native Eatery and Bar - Native burger - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

(3.75) ~ Good Overall Food & Service DRINKS: ** Water (tap) = (4.15) Very good, must be filtered;) * Blue Point Toasted Lager = (3.75) Good * Coffee = (3.75) Bold FOOD: ** Pork Chop = (4.15) Very tasty * Tri-colored Potatoes = (3.75) Good * Brussels Sprouts = (3.75) Good * Charcuterie = (3.5) good * Cinnabon Cake = (3.5) good * Street Corn = (3.25) pretty good read more

The food was very fresh and tasty. Delicious, not a single complaint about my meal. Weather was warm and the doors were opened- it was a beautiful day, However the service was terrible. I sat at the bar earlier this evening and ordered my meal - with an appetizer. The appetizer came out with my main course and I was seated at the bar. I didn't wanna occupy any tables in case it got busy.. three bartenders on and my food was delivered both at the same time, one plate was set in front of what would be the person next to me and one to the left of myself. I wasn't asked if I needed anything else or a refill on a beverage. I ate my meal and finished it and 12 minutes later. I was still waiting on somebody to check back for they never did one single time with three bartenders on and maybe five patrons sitting at the bar. After 12 minutes of sitting with my food in front of me, I was able to grab somebody else and ask her if I could obtain a container for the rest of my meal to bring home. Couldn't even rely on my bartenders/server or the other two behind the bar.. after I packed up my meal I had packed up my meal I had to ask for my check. I gave him cash left a tip and went on my merry way. Excellent food, but I definitely wouldn't go back there again. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - Seared Salmon Risotto - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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The porkchop w grits. The most amazing meal EVER. I have Never in my life ordered porkchops at a resturant but I choose this because of the grits. Chefs kiss. Don't miss out. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Went with a couple girlfriends to celebrate my belated birthday. Waitress sat us in our own private room which was perfect for a party of 7. Waiters were attentive, drinks and food came out in decent time. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinners. Not pictured were salads that we shared and the burrata panzanella which was a great starter. After dinner we decided to go sit at the bar area which was pretty big. All in all, it was a great night. Ambiance was perfect and food was delish. Would love to return when it's a little nicer out and we can sit outside. read more

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Cocktail was good, vibe was cool. We had the Burrata and the bread was so stale we couldn't eat it. Didn't like the texture of the hot cheese, my mistake for assuming it was served cold. The Tostones were just OK, good texture and the meat topping was good but over all flavor was very lacking. Had no idea there were specials until they read them to a table near us half hour later. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

We've been to Native Rochester for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it, so we though we'd try it before an evening GEVA performance. To insure a leisurely dinner, we made reservations for 2 hours before curtain time. The convenience of it being just across the street and parking only once was great. Both food and service was outstanding! We shared a small empanadas appetizer plate to enjoy with cocktails. Then had arctic char and chicken and biscuits for entrees. Each was delicious and unique. We had room for desert, theme brûlée and warm apple tart with ice cream finish off an outstanding meal. read more

Top notch decor, atmosphere, service, and location. The food is great but feels a tad overpriced. Great if you're looking to impress, not so great on a budget because you're paying for the ambiance and presentation. read more

Went here once with coworkers and we loved it! It is a beautiful space that's perfect on a nice, warm, breezy day. Service was good, our waitress was friendly and offered menu recommendations. Food was so good - I had the best veggie pizza. You can tell how fresh the ingredients are. Drinks were amazing too and presented so beautifully. Great place to visit with friends, family, colleagues, you name it! read more

This is a great contemporary space with a large center bar surrounded by tables, booths and high top tables. I love the decor, soft lighting and music. The menu is what piqued my interest. I love how the chef uses plantains in the menu. You can tell I'm a fan. The tostones with braised beef - great idea. The braised pork with plantain gnocchi- genius. We enjoyed our meal. Our sever was nice and helpful. We were able to park on the street but had to walk two blocks - not a big deal. We will definitely return when we are back in town. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

My wife and daughter and I went to dinner at Native. I have had dinner and lunch there before but I wanted a nicer restaurant to take my NYC daughter out to- so she could get a taste of downtown nowadays. She remarked that it was an "industrial and comfy" vibe there. (We sat on one of the 1/2 booths). The ladies had wine and I had a beer- they have a nice selection of both - and I could tell that they can craft a mean cocktail from that large and cool looking bar! We started with 2 apps- tostones and a candies squash salad- both were fantastic. My wife ordered the Red Pizza with pepperoni, daughter had Beet Risotto and I had the Pork Shank. We all enjoyed our meal. I took half of that tower of pig home for lunch the next day! We needed sharing some chocolate mousse for dessert and just hanging out enjoying the space. It is cool and comfy! Our server- sorry I forgot her name!- was attentive, knowledgeable and funny. Perfect night out- I looked like a hero for taking them out here. And we will definitely be back! read more

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Native is awesome! Their cocktails are fantastic, first of all. I definitely will need to try some of the different ones they have next time. They had one of my all-time favorite appetizers - whipped feta! So delicious! And the food was amazing too! An amazing atmosphere - they open the walls up on nice days - and amazing food! Great service too! Such fantastic employees. I can't wait to go back to try more! read more

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This place is a really cute spot to get dinner, but they really didn't have their best night while we were there. To start off, our dinner reservation was at 7:30, but the host didn't even approach us until 7:45 since they were so behind on seating other tables. Once we got to our table, we weren't even served waters for another half hour, but luckily the drinks and food came out rather quickly after that. The drinks were 2/3 - the SWV and hibiscus of Life were great, but the Bentley left a lot to be desired. The SWV was definitely my favorite, and tasted mostly like a slightly-sweet, slightly-herbal lemonade, and the Hibiscus of Life was both fruity and smoky. However, the Bentley was, to put it bluntly, just tequila water, with no depth of flavor, which was disappointing given that they advertise that it has guanabana. The food was also highly variable - we got the whipped feta dip, the cordon bleu sourdough pizza, and the braised boneless short rib. The feta dip was probably the best thing we had - the pita that came with it was certainly store-bought, but at least it was warm, and the dip itself was creamy and topped with peppers. The pizza was good while it was warm, but quickly tasted worse and worse as it got colder and the flavor of the crust came through more (I love sourdough, but this crust was not good). Finally, the short rib comes in at $38, so I was expecting something amazing, but it was overcooked (tough enough that I needed a knife) and not very flavorful (the meat was okay and they didn't include hardly any chimichurri). The plantain gnocchi was unique and tasty, but for nearly $40, the side dish shouldn't be the star of the meal. Like I mentioned, I think they were very busy, and our server was very nice and apologetic, but for the price point, I wouldn't spend your hard earned money here until they're a bit more consistent and able to handle busy Saturday nights/have more staff. read more

This restaurant has very slow service. I actually went up to the bar and picked up my own drink. The appetizer with shrimp was good, as was the carrot purée. I ordered the beef steak rare, and it was rare. However, they did not let it rest, and blood was all over the place. The steak has good bites and bites that I could not even chew. I had to spit it out, as there was nothing else I could do. My daughter ate some of the shrimp and about half of a kale salad. read more

Upscale place right when you enter the Welcome to Rochester sign straight down on Clinton avenue. For its fancy and beautiful exterior, their food combinations were puzzling. What started out as an exciting promising new American menu, became an at loss for what to order when I scrutinized their menu better. Our table ordered a pretty large spread. Unfortunately, everyone's food came out at different times; almost 30 mins apart. The host was super nice and got us a better table so we could see each other. Their salads had too big of pieces, pizzas slightly underwhelming, and drinks slightly confusing with taste not matching name. However, they did well with their meats and crab cakes. So, I would recommend going with a meat dish at this place. Salad- 2 of us ordered a prosciutto salad that came on a bed of arugala. The peppery greens was a little strange with their baked cheddar cheese. I feel parmesan would have been a better choice with this. The prosciutto was large slabs of ham which made this dish difficult to eat. I recommend smaller chunks so that one is not stuffing a whole slice with accompanying oily arugula into the mouth. An ok salad; but it was not quite harmonious. Apple slices could have been smaller too; overall presentation of this salad was "how am I going to mix/fit into my mouth. " The cold halved potatoes were very strange. Crab cakes- A good one. It was indeed a crab cake and not a cake crab. One of their stronger dishes. I would highly recommend- soft and good flavoring. Vegetable pizza; needed a unifying flavor. This pizza was slightly bland. It was vegetables on a piece of dough- perhaps a sauce/cheese/something was forgotten on top to unify this whole dish together. It's a good choice for someone on a low sodium diet though. Their meat options were good- soft and tender with good flavoring. I would recommend calling on a meat dish if you're coming here Drinks: I heard the bachelor and SWV were good. The pineapple express tasted like a campfire; everyone thought it would be a bright pineapple sunny taste but it wound up being smoky. Staff was good and attentive. Food wasn't as impressive as I would have wanted. They had good stuff but they also had stuff that was slightly disappointing. We still thank this place for a good evening and we enjoyed our time here. read more

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The service was great, and the cocktails and appetizers we ordered were incredible! Specifically, the fried green tomatoes were delicious, and my partner is obsessed with the salty, slightly oily bread--worth the add-on. Unfortunately, we didn't love our salad, and the mushroom entree included some pretty rubbery mushrooms. read more

Asked for medium burger, it was RAW! BBQ chicken pizza tasted like straight curry and no pineapple came on it as it states on the menu. Dine elsewhere and you won't regret it. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - BBQ Chicken Pizza - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Never again will I sleep on Native! I had a really lovely experience here celebrating my Sister in Law's recent birthday. The space, which I had been in before only for drinks during the pre-Rona times, is impeccable. Every light fixture, every chair, the bar, the booths, the vibe - is really cohesive and transportative. Every staff member I interacted with was such a gem, with a special shout out to the host who dealt with our large party, plus a two year old, in the most friendly and kind way. Our server, Austin, was also friendly and quick and made the evening seamless. Cocktails really shine here, my SWV (something with vodka) was one of my favorite basic cocktails I've had in town. Syrups are all made in house and the candied lime garnish made for a lovely photo and drinking experience. In the normal times, I will order this before every Geva show and every time I am in the neighborhood. I really like the menu here, with mains, pizzas, apps, and salads. In the future, I will forever just order a smattering of apps and pizzas here, and stay away from mains. We tried the charcuterie board, crab cakes, country bread (you MUST order tis bread), and wings as apps. These were all delicious and well priced. I ordered the burrata and half chicken cutlet for dinner, to make delicious burrata chicken sammies, and this was the right call. My partner found his pork chop pretty bland and the steaks didn't pack the kind of punch you'd expect for a special, according to my fellow diners. I also grabbed a bite of the funghi pizza, and would love to take a bath in the truffle honey on top of this! Overall, an awesome experience at Native and a real gem for this neighborhood. Enjoy a cocktail and apps in the outdoor space in the warmer months, and cozy up in a booth for the cold winter. Looking forward to my next trip! read more

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First time visiting was on Valentine's Day. Seating was a little tight, but we were seated on time and service was timely and courteous. Some elevated sharables and interesting variations on classics, we loved the food. Started with the tostones since we don't find them on menus ever and they were delicious. Girlfriend got the Surf and Turf meaning I got most of a steak as leftovers and I got the chicken and biscuit which was well done. Delicious food, looking forward to going back for drinks and apps soon. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - Surf and Turf, dirty martini - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Ambiance was great, service was decent but food was subpar. The portions are very small for the price, there were 5 of us and every appetizer came with 4. Typically restaunts ask if we would like to add a fifth for an up charge but no mention, don't consider that a deal breaker but the burger was the size of a half dollar on a massive oversized roll. I would be embarrassed to serve that to my family much less a paying customer. read more

Impressive atmosphere and design of the place with open indoor/outdoor seating across from Washington Square. We tried each of the smoked drinks, all where fun (who doesn't like smoke in a glass) and well crafted. We enjoyed the beet dip, Cajun Pasta with chicken and New York strip with potatoes and asparagus. All were delicious. Wonderful service provided by Taylor. Recommend you ask for her. We already plan out return. Parking downtown is dicey. Recommend after 6p when garages are free and availability of on street spaces are easily accessible. read more

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Omg this place is amazing! I had the Bombest pizza evah. (Red) blus the goat chz salad and this awesome cocktail! U Gotta hit this joint up. Julia was the best server ever, totally comin back! read more

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Out of this world physical space... Huge outdoor seating area and the inside opens to the outside with giant doors. Our waitress was friendly but not very knowledgeable about items we asked about. Caesar salad was not what I expected with tomatoes and obliterated bits of lardon. The dressing was fabulous though. Ceviche did not have a ton of flavor and the dice on the fish was pretty large. Burrata appetizer was a hit read more

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Really nice venue, but why would you serve this to a customer? We enjoyed sitting outside and the ambiance is really nice, but we were really disappointed to be served a burned pizza. Top was burned, bottom was burned, veggies were dried out, and where's the cheese (besides the parm sprinkle?) I'm surprised the server dropped it off, let alone charged us for it. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - Burned pizza. We tried. It's burned. - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Amazing Restaurant! The ambiance was amazing. Rachael the waitress was amazing. The food was Amazing. Nuff said eh! read more

Based on customer service only. We had a reservation. Told we had a table by the window. Given a table not near a window in an empty restaurant. Took about 10 minutes to get a waitress and water. By then, we chose to leave and go elsewhere. Overall, not a welcoming vibe read more

My coworkers and I came here for happy hour. We all got a different cocktail and all enjoyed them. They have really good happy hour specials...I think we each paid $3 less than the price on the menu for our drinks. The atmosphere of Native seems really chill and it's really pretty inside, with lots of open air areas. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - Cocktails - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Such a vibe - so fun to have our first outdoor dining of the season date night here. Food was spectacular and delicious, try their Old Fashioned! read more

Native has been on my to do list for sometime now. Finally went with a couple friends and we all loved it! We sat outside which was really enjoyable on the day we went. The chairs were pretty comfortable seeing that my bum lasted 2.5hours in it laughing and talking. It has a really nice ambiance. Next time I will sit inside to see how that feels but from a distance everyone was smiling and enjoying their time. Make sure it's a good week financially as well the menu is small and the prices are more then average. The burger and fries was in the $20 range. The service was good. Sometimes their is a drop off in quality when ones are outside and workers have to split attention to both but they did a lovely job! So now to the food. The charcuterie board was really good. Loved the presentation and it tasted Great! The burger was awesome! It was cooked to well, wasn't as medium as I would of liked by it was probably safe that way with the pork belly added on it...yes they have a burger with pork belly y'all! NATIVE AINT PLAYING. Peach pizza was pretty good. It was more sweet then I would of wanted but it wasn't my entree so I can't complain to much. They lost a star cause I was not a fan of the fries...come on man! I could tell they was sitting under a warmer. But that burger made up for it so I was still happy. Bottom line is I will definitely be back for more. Native is a staple to downtown Rochester and for good reason they endured the last year of COVID. read more

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Pretty cool place to go for dinner. Service was swell, staff was pleasant and accommodating. Ambiance was nice ya know it's a pretty little place. No real complaints other than the food is decent at best. The steak was comparable to any experience at Outback or similar chain which isn't bad by any means just not like a $50 cut of meat imo. Beet risotto was flavorless wouldn't recommmend. Overall enjoyable experience just need to step the flavor game up a little bit to justify the prices. Maybe pregame a bit to get high or drunk enough where everything tastes a little better yeah that's a good call get a little rowdy. read more

The food is amazing along with the service. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. This place has a beautiful atmosphere for dining.

I would give this rating zero stars if I had that option. My party of three had a 7:30 reservation and arrived five minutes early. The young lady working the hostess desk said we would be seated in a couple minutes. I approached the hostess desk again at 7:45, she pointed out a table that she was about to clear and share she would only be a couple more minutes. We waited until 8:05 watched her seat another party at that same table before leaving. Needless to say we were completely disappointed with the service we received and will not be returning. Completely unacceptable treatment for those who took time to make a reservation rather than just showing up. read more

Native is a great spot downtown! They have a really good business casual lunch and great happy hour with some specials! The food is always good and fresh and the ambiance is great. The bartenders make some really good cocktails too! Big fan for lunch, dinner or drinks here! read more

Native Eatery and Bar - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

My husband and I had dinner and a couple drinks here. It was pretty empty when we came but the atmosphere was great. The doors were open to the patio and a live band was playing. My husband got a steak, which he said was great. I tried the broccolini that came with his meal and it was probably the best I've ever had! I had the Berries & Cream salad. It was delicious start to finish. My favorite salad I've ever had that has berries in it. We would definitely come back. read more

Native Eatery and Bar - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Unfortunately this has gone down hill. Ordered the "American Waygu" special. I find it hard to believe it was even a choice cut of beef. Wait staff seemed miserable. Drinks were....okay. Good vibe and atmosphere. the food is not the quality it once was and not worth the $ read more

Whipped feta - fine, store bought pita. Winter veg pizza - mush Beet risotto - palatable Beet salad - overdressed and a few micro sized neeta Chicken lettuce cups - my friend thought it was crab. Something you would get on an airplane Service - no suggestions of specials till we pressed. I think wait person might have been high. Had two tables and seemingly forgot about one. Truly - an Applebees experience. So disappointing. read more

I really liked it here. The bartender was really nice, and had some conversations with me rather than just taking my order. There were more people there than I expected, but it didn't feel crowded at all. I had a Dirty Randy, which was tasty, and also pretty. I am a sucker for pretty drinks! I was torn between the Dirty Randy and the Two Pair, but I will definitely be back to try the Two Pair. The wall to the patio was open, and there was live music. It was nice music and a nice ambiance. I looked over the food menu, and being vegetarian, there really wasn't anything that looked appealing to me. I will definitely be back for a drink though. As far as drinks go, 5/5 for sure. Edited to add: I came here again for happy hour and was by myself!! It was surprising, but pretty cool to have the bar all to myself for awhile. About 20 minutes later some others showed up. I tried the Bentley because it was on happy hour. It was hotttttt!!! It was so hot it was actually burning my lip. I will not be trying that again, but if you like hot stuff, you may love it. I finally got the Two Pair, and that was amazing! It's pretty and tasty! When I go back, I'll definitely get that again. But I'll stick with their wine specials at happy hour rather than the Bentley, lol. read more

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I've never had better food and drinks! The service is unbelievable. They genuinely care about your entire experience and work so hard.

Native is amazing! Whether you are looking for a delicious dinner or potentially a wedding venue, we have gone to Native for it all! Just BEAUTIFUL interior with accordion doors that open up to a spacious patio. We had our ceremony outside (see pictures) and brought our guests inside for a great dinner, highly recommend the chicken french and beef tenderloin, delicious! The space makes a beautiful dance floor and your guests will enjoy the classy, romantic venue with an abundance of natural lighting! Thank you Ross and Lauren for a beautiful wedding, we can't say enough about how much our guests and ourselves loved it! read more

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