I have been coming here since the last 60's. Malt was good the food was terrible. Burger and bun are different. Burger only covered 1/2 to 2/3 of the bun and was cooked to shoe leather on the doneness scale. I brought my family here remembering how good it always was and haven't been for a while. Must be new ownership. If food is always like this, they won't and shouldn't survive. They also forgot our fries and the onion rings were under done and greasy. I rarely write reviews but had to write this one. read more

I walked in with a group of people and the waitresses didn't even look at us or say hello. No one took our drinks. We waited for at least 10 minutes just to be ignored. Those waitresses are the worst to have at a restaurant in a place like Rochester. So disappointed. read more

Have been coming here for over 30 yrs just for the deluxe burgers and onion rings, was truly the best around! We are very disappointed that the burgers have changed under the new ownership. Although the buns appear to be the same, the burger didn't taste the same and the meat only covered half the bun area as well. We always thought they were over priced but well worth it!! Hopefully the Oxford location has not changed, will have to check it out. read more

Went there by the good ratings on Google Map. Very disappointed! There were at least 3 dirty tables when we got there and it was not busy. The waitress quickly greeted us and let us sit at the counter. There were dirty dishes and napkins everywhere. She quickly took the dirty dishes away and wiped the counter with a wet towel that didn't look clean. I had to wipe the counter again with a napkin. The food and drinks came fairly quickly. The hamburger was dry and the taste was just OK. The malts was good. Here came the most disturbing part: all the dirty glasses and cups were hand "washed". There were two sinks: one filled with dish detergent, and the other with water. The waitress quickly thrusted them a few times in the detergent sink and then the other one, and then put the glasses and cups on the rack. I could see foams from the detergent were still on the cups. They were then used for the customers! In the whole time I didn't even see the water changed in the sinks! Isn't that a gross violation of the health code?! Will never again come back. read more

People say bland and unseasoned. I say authentic, hot and flavorful. I don't want anything in my beef that would spoil the flavor. I was happy to see the Tupperware of onions and glad they served it that way. The onion rings were great too. very large. Not overcooked. Not too salty and not too much breading. read more

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My first time to Red Knapps today, it is so adorable and retro. I don't eat meat and I was thrilled to find a bean burger on the menu, it was delicious! I can wait to go back. read more

I have been dinning at Knapp's for more than 30 years. Today will likely be my last. The shake was basically just vanilla ice cream and milk, it had zero raspberry flavor or fruit. The shakes were always outstanding in the past, with tons of flavor and real fruit. Before the fruit would literally plug the straw the pieces were so large. So disappointed today by what I was served. The only redeeming part of the burger was the bun seemed to have not changed. Before the burger would hang out of the bun, today it was a hunt to find the meat buried in the bun. I hope they read this and turn things around or they will soon become another lost icon of downtown Rochester. read more

This place is a 1950's diner. It's a cute little restaurant on Main Street. The inside is small and quaint. I like the burger and ice cream smells as we entered. There are bar stools surrounding the dairy bar. It's first come first serve for these. There are also small booths for sitting too. Now that we are sitting next to the ice cream right behind the bar; it smells so good! We each had a cheeseburger with fries. It was decent. I had the chocolate malt with double malt and it was amazing! The prices here a bit on the expensive side for a diner but the ambiance and free smells a good. read more

It's 2017, who only accepts cash? People can pay with their phone, watch, bitcoin, but no, cash only. They also do not have a children's menu. Meat quality taste like super saver meat, the season fries were good and my wife enjoyed the onion rings. read more

I took my boyfriend here and he hated his food. He LOVES burgers, we both do, but sadly we both disliked ours here. The bun is odd in a bad way. The toppings weren't put together well either. The plate was so small which created a mess of falling lettuce. The chocolate milkshake was good. Service was good. Cash only. I won't be back unless they make some big changes. I would rather go just about anywhere else for a burger. read more

Great experience and great food. My wife and and I and I took our 3 grandchildren in for lunch today and Grace (our server) did a great job. She was great with the kids and made sure we had what we needed. When we were done with lunch, Grace made the best shakes. The kids and I loved them. Thanks Grace for making it a great experience. read more

While Rochester has changed, Red Knapp's hasn't. It feels like a time warp, but in a good way. Used to haunt this place all the time when I was a student at Oakland University. The downtown area wasn't as built up as it is today and this was the "the place" to hang out if you were a college student. I'm glad to see it's still here and hasn't changed at all. It looks the same, feels the same, smells the same. I had a lot of good times here and created more than a few fond memories of those days at Red Knapp's. The food is traditional diner style. It's hearty comfort food with no pretension. The burgers, chili cheese fries and shakes taste really yummy, have always been good and I hope that doesn't ever change. Friendly service, big portions of diner food and old school charm are what you get here. I like that about Red Knapp's. In a town like Rochester, which has changed so much over the years, it just makes me appreciate the simplicity of Red Knapp's. read more

We have traditionally come to Red Knapps every year during the holidays as part of our Christmas tradition. I was so disappointed. Burgers were dry, much smaller than the bun... just didn't taste the same. The new fried pickles were really bad, overall just wasn't the same experience. I didn't realize they were under new ownership until now and I'm really sad the menu lost its classic taste. read more

This was my first visit and now I'm so disappointed I waited so long to try this place. The food comes out fast and the service is friendly. The burgers are delicious and large. The buns are soft and thin the way I like it. The onion rings were delicious as well. The batter is very flavorful. The malt and shakes steal the show. They are delicious. They are also huge. You get 2 servings. One in the glass and the other in the cup they mix it up in. The staff also dresses in 60's era uniforms which gives this place a great vibe. A definite must try. read more

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My man and I took a stop to split a raspberry and caramel malted milkshake and cheese fries. The fries we split with melted cheddar cheese on half of the plate. The malt shake was yummy and plentiful and the fries were smothered in cheese and good to the last bite. If I am nearby I will always stop by for a shake. read more

It looks like they are out of business. I tried calling their business number and no answer. Recording said their business number is disconnected. I enjoyed their hamburgers and great milk shakes and was going to visit today but they look to be out of business sadly. read more

If you want an honestly simple, delicious burger in a nostalgic , 50's style setting, then this is the place for you. The burger patties are hand formed, and the burgers are made with soft, fresh hamburger buns. They are delicious. Try their hand battered onion rings, they're massive! read more

What happened to this lovely little diner? As a Realtor, I brought newcomers to Red Knapps's for the experience of the "old time" American diner/soda shop. Today, the service was bad, the food was not great and I won't be bringing any of my clients there again. They no longer accept credit cards, CASH ONLY. Which is the only original thing from the 1950's. CASH ONLY when the food is already overpriced for the quality? read more

Not the biggest fan. Food is just alright - your typical burgers and fries place. The food is served simply - I got the fried chicken salad and it had cheap iceberg lettuce along with a small smattering of toppings like tomatoes and onions. I also ordered a side of onion rings on the side, which came out to $4 for 4 (albeit, large) onion rings. My friends' burgers looked really bland too - just the general lettuce, tomato, onion deal with a rather thin patty. Our waitress also seemed incredibly unhappy to be there. We had to ask for waters on at least three occasions. It is pretty expensive for what you get, I think my meal came out to somewhere around $15. You can definitely find somewhere else in Downtown Rochester that may offer you a better meal for the money. read more

okay this place is literally one of the best vibes ever. not only do i love the inside of it, but the food is also excellent. they have amazing burgers, which i always go for, and so many other good options. my new favorite thing is that they have dairy free milkshakes so i can finally enjoy a shake from my favorite place around. they're so delicious and they have a wide variety of options. shoutout to matt for making some awesome burgers read more

I love Red Knapps! This place is a classic. The best place to go for lunch. Everyone needs to try the Knapp burger. The buns are the best in the world. And the season fries are nice and crunchy and oily just the way I like it. One of the best places in Rochester. read more

Been going here for over 30 years. This visit was disappointing. Chocolate malt still excellent, however their burgers are definitely not up to par. Patty was dry and over cooked, and the "brioche" bun was tasteless. Sad read more

I loved this place as a kid. LOVED. I would sneak out of work to grab a burger, which at the time, seemed big. But times have changed and this place hasn't. I stopped here on a whim because I was in the area and missed the giant flat burgers and awesome seasoned fries. There was only one other person there. I sat at the bar. Everything was clean, but it did have the smell of grease. I'm cool with that, this is a dairy bar and burger joint. The waitress was very curt. Look, I know working here and listening to the American Graffiti soundtrack probably isn't the best, but try to be nice to the customers. She hurried me with my order because she was so busy. Oh, wait, she wasn't. She was talking to her co-workers about how terrible her other co-workers were. Cool. I'll just sit here then and wait. Got the burger and seasoned fries. The burger was very dry. I like that flat floury bun, that may have something to do with the dryness, but the burger really wasn't that great. Plus, it was like five bucks. You can go to Five Guys with that and literally get triple that burger, and it won't taste like Sudan. The fries were decent, but you can get the same sort of salt and pepper fries at Mr. B's across the street and they're friendlier there. I don't think I'll be back. Like all things from my childhood, this was not as good as I remembered. After coming here, I've decided that I'll not watch my old He-Man tapes and just remember it fondly, because it will probably be rude and dry. read more

Headed into downtown Rochester Friday afternoon and was craving a burger. I remember coming here as a kid, but honestly, all I remembered was the amazing strawberry shake I had... I think I was 11. Ahhh, good times. Today we split one of those amazing shakes, had some delish bacon cheddar burgers and devoured some yummo chili cheese fries. Did you know they bake their own buns?? Some of the BEST chili cheese fries i've ever had!! I love the 1950s feel, it's actually authentic... and the prices are really really good!! It's a classic burger joint at it's BEST For sure!!! /Nostalgia! read more

Ok, this is a downtown rochester staple. I can't say the burgers themselves are "great." The meat is just okay, but like a lot of burgers of this nature the bun and condiments make the burger good. I find them to be pretty tasty when i'm in the mood for them. Mostly we go here because whenever I say to my daughter "where do you want to go?" and she says "red knapp's!" I think she likes the diner atmosphere with the old advertisements on the walls. oh and also the shakes. The shakes are huge and awesome. There are something like 16 different kinds and they let you mix and match (peanut butter banana is a pretty brilliant combination i think. scientifically proven). Some of them are flavor shots (the banana is just a syrup), but some use real stuff. I like the raspberry shake because it's made with real raspberries. read more

I've been here twice in the last month and both times had really poor service. When we stopped in yesterday, I thought great because there was an entirely different group of people working so I thought the service would be better.....nope still bad. I think it might be a requirement there before someone gets hired to be moody and slow. Horrible! The burger and fries have changed under the new ownership and they are no longer good. The burger was mushy and the fries were just ok. The burger and fries used to be so good. The cash only with an ATM inside the restaurant is ridiculous considering the price of the food which is expensive for what you get. Can the original owner come back please?? It used to be a decent place to grab a hamburger and fries! Will not be going back for a very long time!!!! read more

If you like thin, overcooked, thin, tasteless patties on large good looking buns that look better than they taste then this is the place for you. If you are going to serve large buns at least make the patty large enough to fit them without having to leave so much bread on the plate. Very pricey burgers for the described quality and when you factor in the cost of (the small serving of) fries or the (rather large cut) onion rings and you've got yourself quite a tab (especially if you add a Malt or Shake). read more

I'll never set foot in this place again. My wife and I just finished our first and last visit. This place is disgusting. The employees were using nasty, dirty rags to wipe down everything, including the wands used to make shakes. They wiped down the counter, spilled ketchup, then the shake wands. The rags looked like they'd been used all day long. Filthy. As far as the food/drinks, we had a chocolate shake (ordered before we saw what they were doing with the rags) and a chocolate sundae. The sundae was made with chocolate ice cream. Inexplicably, the shake was made with vanilla ice cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup instead of chocolate ice cream. How does that make any sense? That's exactly what it tasted like - fake chocolate syrup. read more

Cute theme. Cash only. Our waitress was slow & seemed to not want to work. A table sat after us and was done eating before we received our food. Prob won't be back. Not to mention all our drinks came out one by one to begin with then our food came out separate. Waitress blamed it on the kitchen however the table that came in after us had no prob getting food fast. Plus there was only one table in the diner when we came in. Nice try to cover herself but not buying what she was selling. read more

Great burgers. Greasy...very greasy...but yummy. The fries are so so. The onion rings are enormous, resulting in soggy, not crunchy onion rings. The waitstaff is hit or miss. Sometimes you get a great girl who keeps your coke refilled, sometimes you get ignored for 20 minutes. Or told that they "don't know how to make a cherry coke." Good for carryout, although A Burger, A Cheeseburger, and 2 fries is almost $20. =( read more

Yes it's been said but I have to say it again... it's like traveling back in time. It's a kitschy 50's diner where you really want a stool at the counter because you're going to forgo comfort for authenticity. There's just something about slurping up one of those giant hand-poured thick-thick malts at the counter that seems pure, innocent and just like a scene in "Back to the Future." You have to do it. And you'll be glad you did. I adore Red Knapp's. Oddly enough I grew up in Rochester and never made it there during high school. I missed out on a lot of good burgers and fries, I can tell you that. These are some of the best cheeseburgers around. The menu is clear diner food. Don't walk in thinking you're gonna get a salad. Sure, you have the option, but it would be a shame. You'd miss out on all the fun. This is a burger and a shake place. And they make the best of both. So spoil yourself and really dive into the nostalgia of it all. Sometimes I suffer from what my dad called "eyes bigger than your mouth" disease. The symptoms? I think I can eat it all but I can't. If you're familiar with this problem, you may want to split the burger (or more likely the fries) with your honey. The shakes are huge too. I always end up with a to-go shake for later. Make that a chocolate malt, extra malt. Mmmm. I'm getting thirsty. read more

Funny that Knapps is in the ice cream catagory. I tend to think of it as a burger place that makes great shakes. I come here for the atmosphere (I like sitting at a bar), the shakes and the onion rings. The onion rings are the best around. At about an inch and a half in height I have no idea where they get onions that big but they make awesome rings. Crunchy too. I tend to go to Knapps when I'm feeling down. Going to Knapps always picks me up. read more

I hadn't been here in awhile and was surprised when my cheeseburger deluxe arrived on a plate barely big enough to hold it. It's not that the burger was huge, but that the plate was very small. At first I thought, this is it? Then I gobbled it up and realized part of what I love about this place is there are no frills. Just a good burger (though next time I will add fries, which will likely result in a bigger plate) and great milkshakes. Don't go changin, Red Knapp's. read more

The Best hamburger I've had in some time. The servers are Wonderful, Quick, and Friendly. Loved the quaint atmosphere of an old soda fountain, with Oldies but Goodies piped in. I'm from California, we don't have a place like this in my area. Wish we did. Our food came out Fast & Hot ! Thanks for a great experience, it was great read more

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They don't take credit cards (anymore) and the server was not attentive. My family sat in one of the back booths for about 20 minutes before we had to grab someone from the front to take our order. I ordered fries and they took 15 minutes to come out when my server said it would be 4-5 minutes. I will not be eating here again. read more

I have always thought Red Knapp's is an awesome lil' gem with good food. I had lunch here the other day and for the first time I found an empty booth by the window! I usually get the food to go so I was happy to eat in for once. I have sat on those dairy bar stools in the past which seems cool at first, but there's quite a gap between the stools and the counter making it uncomfortable. Anyway I finally felt like this time I got to enjoy the whole 50s diner experience rather than just the food. I ordered their distinctive tasty hamburger (no pickles) with the seasoned fries! They also had a peppermint shake on the board that sounded good but I didn't get to try it this time around. read more

Red Knapp's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Rochester, Michigan

I am such a sucker for nostalgia, but I might be an even bigger sucker for chocolate malts. Knapp's may just have one of the best chocolate malts around, and that is no lie. Like some people mentioned, it is served in a metal cup and is super thick! My husband has fond memories of visting this place as a child. He remembers coming here for fries or rings and a burger, which was often a highlight for him. I love that at that point the place had been open for plenty of years, and that nowadays it is still alive and kicking. The fries are pretty good and the onion rings are hysterical, they are pretty much a quartered onion - they are huge! Like others mentioned, the service leaves something to be desired but the malt is totally worth it in the end! read more

Red Knapps is a staple of Rochester. It is the type of place you take someone who enjoys small, 50s style diners. Its not clean, but, in my opinion, its part of the charm. This is a place is a must go whenever I go on a photography expedition in Rochester. Hell, I've taken both dates and my grandma here and its turned out great. The service is usually pretty good, I've never personally ever had any problems. However, I always sit at the dairy bar, so I imagine that helps. Food takes a surprisingly short amount of time, and the waitresses have always been nothing but great. The atmosphere, as mentioned before, is 50s diner style. Dairy bar, not exactly the cleanest floors, but its god charm. The food, however, is why I keep coming back. While their burgers aren't the pinnacle of gourmet eating, like some people here apparently think diner burgers should be, they are fantastic for what they are. I always get a deluxe bacon burger, but am probably going to start trying new stuff soon. The burgers are large, even though the patty is thin. Greasy burgers, thick bacon, thin diner style fries, and, best of anything they have to offer, absolutely amazing shakes. Their shakes are to die for. Anyone who likes a shake will thank you for bringing them there. Overall, a great place for a cheap(er) eat in downtown Rochester. Great atmosphere, helpful staff, amazing burgers. I will agree with some of the other reviewers and say I just wish they'd clean up a bit more. But besides that, one of my favorite places in downtown Rochester. read more

Need a time machine back to 1958? Get yourself to Red Knapp's, slide into a shiny red leather booth (or hop on a metal stool at the bar!), and prepare yourself for a good, old fashioned diner meal. This is one of those places that has been around forever, and you'd expect to see on that wretched unmentionable Food Network show, but are super grateful that it hasn't. Red Knapp's is true diner food, and is the real deal when it comes to Oakland County, Michigan history. An institution as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, the food. These are thin, well cooked (but not "well-done," thankfully) burgers on a soft white bun with gooey cheese, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes. They are quite large for one person, but usually one (read: I) finds themselves finishing it before they know what hit them. It's not the best burger you'll ever have, but it certainly is good, and the charm of it all makes it well worth 4 stars. I'd recommend finishing your meal with a true 50s throwback: the strawberry shake. You just can't not do it! So so so very tasty. read more

Quite frankly, I'm surprised at the previous reviews. This place seems to be a local icon with great reviews. We're new to the area and wanted to try some quaint and local. Unfortunately, this is the worst customer service we've experienced in Michigan yet. The waitress was extremely curt and barely spoke to us. Our drinks were not refilled AT ALL during the entire visit. The malts were really good, which is why I'll give this place a star. However, we're suckers for good customer service and won't be back. True, the ambiance is vintage, quaint, and inviting; but there's just too many great places to eat in downtown Rochester to waist your time and money at Red Knapps. Sorry :( read more