We endeavored to walk along the Erie Canal trail from Pittsford all the way to Bushnell basin. When we got here, we were searching for a place to eat. After grabbing a drink at aurora brewing, we made our way to Richardson Canal house, a place we had never heard of until today. First of all this is a popular haunt for the locals! It is a fun destination for a nice night out and a fairly pricey dinner (50-100 per person is fair) but very good food! Not pictured is a dozen NE oysters which were delicious, as well as house bread which was freshly baked and very moist :) We also had the Moroccan meatballs, which were succulents and well portioned for an appetizer For our entrees we opted for the medium rare tritip 7 ounce steak which was succulent and paired well with the mashed potato! I personally enjoyed the shrimp scampi - the pasta was al dente and the sauce was well seasoned without being salty. I added a bit of chili pepper for a bit of a kick Overall, we did enjoy our dinner at RCH, and would definitely recommend it to people who are visiting bushnell basin! I gave 4 stars because the food was not out of this world per se and you could get similar food at places like good luck or nosh. read more

Richardson's Canal House - Shrimp Scampi - New American Near Me - Pittsford, New York

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We were traveling in the Webster/Penfield area and our Air Bnb host suggested this restaurant because we were also celebrating our anniversary and birthday. We had called ahead for a reservation and the hostess wasn't very pleasant on the phone about a table outside but once we said we'd be happy to eat inside her tone became a bit more helpful. The food was delicious and eating in such a historic atmosphere was memorable. Our server took the time to show us a hysterical painting done of the restaurant and let us see the upstairs rooms. Afterwards we took our wine outside, borrowed some chairs and sat ourselves by the canal in the shade where we watched the boats and Canadian geese swim by. It was a heavenly way to finish a great meal. Highly recommend! read more

Richardson's Canal House - The parking lot and outside entrance to the restaurant. - New American Near Me - Pittsford, New York

2 couples for dinner. The food was good. Just lacked a bit in flavor and presentation. The Bavette steak was booked as requested. RH sauce flavorful. Meat could have been seasoned more. Others said spare ribs were of good flavor, but had expected them to be on bone. Service was good. Easy to have conversations. Overall nice place. Decent food. read more

Richardson's Canal House - Bavette steak - New American Near Me - Pittsford, New York

Was there last week for the summer menu - had the scallops and they were fantastic!! Drinks were excellent and the service was as excellent as always. read more

Charming ambience by canal in historic building . High quality and attentive waitstaff. Very high quality food . Prices are not cheap but not unreasonable for what you get. read more

Ambiance is historical--both inside and outside! Inside there are last-century paintings and outside there's a lawn going down to the edge of the canal. On top of it all, the food and service are great! read more

We had a very good dinner at Richardson's Canal House! The house itself is super cute and I enjoyed the atmosphere more than I was expecting! We chose to sit outside under the tent which was also a nice atmosphere because you could (sort of) see the canal. The waitress was good, but they got very busy and some things took a while, but we didn't mind since we were enjoying our night. The entrees were very good, but very traditional. I would say the star was the dessert offerings. If you are looking for a fancy and traditionally fancy meal, you should go to Richardson's Canal House! read more

I saw this place from the boat ride in the canal, and I wanted to try it. I drove literally around the corner and there it was. I was seated promptly and was surrounded by many patrons enjoying their meal. Next room there was a woman laughing loud and hard. At first I thought it was a cackling hen, but I realized otherwise. Aside from that it was very quiet, although all tables were having a conversation. They have Octoberfest Menu: Octoberfest Draft Beer( Perfect for the Season) Soup of the Day(White Beans, Sausage & Leeks) delicious. Pork Schnitzel-two generous cutlets perfectly breaded and seasoned, German Potato Salad & Cranberries. It was a very good meal. Love the ambiance, rustic, cozy. Service was excellent by Emily F. read more

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Right after I moved to Rochester, my mom came to visit and wanted to have a nice dinner. One of my coworkers recommended Richardson's. I am so glad they did! The restaurant is so cozy! The service was unparalleled, and the food and drinks were amazing! My mom's boyfriend raved about the fish of the day, and my mom really enjoyed the seafood she had as well. I had the confit duck legs and WOW. Amazing all around. The desserts were fantastic too! I had fresh sorbet and was so happy! I can't wait to return and try more! I want to go in the summer so I can see the canal. It was dark when I was there! read more

Richardson's Canal House - Confit Duck Legs - New American Near Me - Pittsford, New York

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All of the above. Always a treat to eat there. Food service and ambience are wonderful! read more

Dinner wasn't very good service was good our waitress was friendly and competent my dish was way too salty and just not good

The food was good but not memorable (we had the short ribs and the pasta bolognese). RCH could enhance the patio ambiance significantly by moving/expanding it to be closer to the canal. read more

Somewhat disappointed relative to previous visits. Service very slow, especially on a chilly night waiting for entree pick - up and then again for desert menus. On serving so chicken was missing the ham, another of tether tasteless salmon. So not up to a usual RCH DINNER. read more

It was nice to read on the menu that we had our table for two hours. They did not rush our order. The salmon was excellent.

Ambiance is fantastic, delicious food while being affordable and quality service. Gorgeous outside seating

This restaurant was new to us as we were traveling. We had a mini reunion with a few (7) family members, so we chose a place with a very nice atmosphere and good food. Everyone's meal was well prepared, delicious, and ample portions. I would certainly go back. We stayed beyond what a typical meal duration would be and the restaurant had no problem with that. read more

I was SO hopeful! I grew up in the neighborhood directly across the canal from this restaurant and, I had high hopes for my mother's 90th birthday dinner. Those hopes were dashed. Having been trained as a chef by Cat Cora, I can honestly say this missed the mark in so many ways. Very few entire options mean they better do what they offer...well. The scallops were obviously not cooked on an iron skillet and were a 5 out of 10 for the $36 price. The corn sauce served with them had absolutely no flavor. The zinger was the service - a competent server should easily be able to handle 4 to 6 tables at once. Ours had 3 and mine was a two-top at 6:15 on a bloody Tuesday evening. Despite walking past us at least a dozen times, not once did she ask how the food was or if we wanted anything else. I asked the bus boy for a second glass of wine and that took 15 minutes. Mind you, there were plenty of empty tables so they were not that busy. Sad to leave such a negative review for what is *supposed to be* a fab local high-end restaurant, but if the shoe fits... read more

Richardson's Canal House - The scallops. Not so great. - New American Near Me - Pittsford, New York

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Once a very nice restaurant that has clearly lost its way. We have been coming here for years and had previously enjoyed the experience. The restaurant prices itself as a higher-end restaurant, but now the food quality and service clearly don't meet that expectation. In fact quite the opposite. Food is "okay" but not great. Service however is terrible. Hostesses are young and display too much attitude. Worse still, our waitress was overheard by one of our dinner guests at the conclusion of our meal muttering "bitch gave me a lousy tip..." Can you believe that ! (The tip was reasonable and commensurate with the quality of the dinner). That alone would cause me to never to return. Its a shame as we previously enjoyed coming here. read more

Ok I understand New Year's Day is probably not the best for dining out. So we arrived to find a limited fixed menu for the holiday at $85 PP plus wine and tip. we were optimistic because Richardson's is an old Rochester institution, and generally had a positive reputation. However, we were quite disappointed. The service was poor (waters not filled, dinnerware taken and not replaced, servers disinterested, etc.) Thought they were responsive enough when you caught up with someone. The food was poor. They did serve dinner rolls that seemed like they were heated about two hours earlier and sitting We both ordered a lobster and scallop risotto, which seemed promising, and was encouraged by the server as being wonderful. It turned out, not so wonderful. The rice was overcooked and like mush, the lobster tasted frozen and reheated, a far cry from what it should be. The scallops were flavorful, and looks like it was the only thing that was actually cooked to order. The crème brûlée was pretty good, although also looked like it was sitting and was cold. The ambience was decent, although the place looks dated and worn rather than nostalgic. It wasn't as noisy as other reviewers have mentioned, probably because shortly after we arrived half the other tables were empty. Unfortunately, after paying $265 for this meal, we will not be planning a return trip. read more

We are very pleased that indoor dining is back. There are not too many places left where you can get traditional comfort food and great service. That being said, the dinner was satisfying but lacked the wow factor I would have hoped for. Cocktails and wine were a good start. Nice wine selection. I chose a Dr. Frank's Riesling that was crisp and dry. A shared shrimp cocktail consisted of 6 adequate pieces with sauce but they were not huge and while not mushy, they didn't have a snap to the bite. The accompanying breads were fresh but not spectacular. We shared the baby spinach salad which was light, varied, and fresh. For entrees we had the the tri-tip and duck breast. My steak was medium rare as listed on the menu and had the house steak sauce. I should know that I rather have a beefy steak taste than a saucy taste! I had mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. My wife's duck was also medium rare and had the gratin potatoes and same veggies. Both were good but neither fell into the absolutely delicious category! We were full and passed on deserts. For what we had, prices were reasonable. Service was attentive and friendly. We certainly will return and try some different items as this is the perfect winter date-night venue and we're glad they survived the pandemic. read more

Great food and excellent service! Very nice specials. I would definitely recommend it. The doing room was a little cold and quite loud. read more

This review is based totally on a take out order which someone else picked up. Therefore, no info on the setup of the restaurant or the service beyond knowing the order or the phone was handled well and food was ready when promised. So on to the food. We ordered the charcuterie plate and artisans cheese plate as appetizers. They were good but nothing exciting. For our entrees we got an assortment of sandwiches. I had the turkey bacon avocado panini with pepper jack cheese and Chipotle aioli. It was a great combination. The bacon was cooked nicely, turkey was fresh, avocado was generous and creamy, aioli added a slight kick, and the panini toasted perfectly. I also got to taste the Cuban and the southwestern chicken wrap. Both were very good. Was told the salmon burger was tasty as well. There was a choice of sides. We got the of them to share. There was a potato salad, beet salad, and fruit salad. I preferred the fruit salad which was nice and fresh. Overall, good meal. Now I'd like to go back and eat on their patio overlooking the Erie Canal. read more

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Great food, drinks, and service. Always! The canal-side ambiance makes it even better. Danielle is always warm and welcoming. We love Richardsons! read more

The service was great. Shane was our waiter and was very knowledgeable. We were passing through and some of our plans were canceled and he gave us a few ideas but sent Josh to our table who was a plethora of all fun things to see and do. Our food was great, tri tip for my husband with their own in house bbq reduced sauce was killer. I had the fish with lemon and capers, also very good. Nice experience read more

The ambiance has old school cobblestone vibes. Servers were nice. Hostess was awkward and rude but I don't blame her because the phone was ringing off the hook. Food was OK. The cesar salad was good. The NY Strip was OK - good cut, not a lot of flavor. For the price I wouldn't go again. read more

Just a great place for dining, especially in the diner weather when you can dine so elegantly on the banks of the beautiful Erie Canal in Bushnell's Basin. The menu is diverse and interesting and the food and drinks are top notch. The service is consistently outstanding! Richardson's Canal House is truly one of our favorites. Highly recommended! read more

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The food was delicious and the service was amazing and the atmosphere was relaxing and everything was right on time

Nice menu, reasonable wines. Great food, service and setting. Sit outdoors if you can, covered and it makes for a nice evening.

Had the opportunity to attend a business dinner here recently. This place has a fancy menu, with high prices, is uninspiring inside, and has the luck of being situated right along the canal. Overall, they are underachieving. I was able to trying a little bit of everything, since the client ordered a little of everything. The charcuterie plate was what you'd expect. The oysters - well, they were oysters. The confit duck wings were interesting, and had a unique flavor to them. Service was polite and very attentive. For dinner, I had the black garlic shrimp scampi. Had a decent flavor to it, but altogether, this dish was lackluster. There was way too much pasta in relation to the amount of shrimp, and this dish was absolutely swimming in butter. I wasn't sure why it didn't come with sides like the steaks did, and I was never given the side of scalloped potatoes I asked for. I also tried a little bit of the tenderloin, and nothing really set it apart from any other that I've tried. I'd never pay $30 for the pasta dish or $42 for the tenderloin; this place is crazy for charging that just because they are along the water. At those prices, these dishes should be ones I'm talking about for weeks, and craving to have again. Had the "special" dessert, which was a rhubarb and juneberry pastry. It was decent, but nothing worth $12. Overall, good location, but nothing else noteworthy about it. Seems like a place where people with a little bit more money go to, just to blow their money and brag to their friends that they went there like it's something epic. read more

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Perfect dinner. Scallops done to perfection. Salad crisp and fresh. Baked potato cooked completely. Shared a desert with a friend. Great atmosphere. Is one of our / Rochester treasures read more

The food was expensive and the amount was limited. The whole experience seemed rushed. Won't be back.

Over the years, have come to expect more here. The plusses were the outdoor views and the chance to eat outside in Rochester (limited options in the area). The downside is that the outside upkeep seems like an afterthought (from weeds growing throw the stone eating area, the bargain outdoor tables/chairs, to no insect control whatsoever. Also, after ordering drinks - after a lengthy wait, had to go inside to the bar and pick up and serve our own drink orders. All that could have been overcome by service, but it seems like saying "no" is easier than to try and being accommodating. Either they don't have fresh pasta here or the kitchen can't be bothered by requests. A gnocchi dish and penne dish on menu. Asked to switch pastas for dinner. Was told it was pre-mixed. 25 minutes to get our own drink order, but only 30 seconds to get a "no" from the kitchen. Couldn't get plain either way? Decided not to order anything at all. In fairness, they are extremely short staffed for wait staff (or it appeared), but with so many other choices out there - we will opt for somewhere else next time. read more

This is a solid 4 star restaurant. It's like an old house with many different rooms, and the pen area is also separate. The three of us enjoyed our dinner Two appetizers to share. One main entree, and two salads with added protein for the ladies. One dessert also to share. And six glasses or wine!!! Karen was great at reception, and Mike was a friendly and efficient server If in the area, I would definitely return. read more

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Made a reservation on a Tuesday night and was seated quickly inside. They have outside dining by the canal, but we opted out. It was busy!! We sat and ordered the Seasonal mule and the apps came out quick. My oysters were deeelish, soup was full of yummy chunks of seafood. Our waitress, Maddie, was attentive, friendly and the place was swarming with staff that were busing and cleaning!! Well done here Richardson's!! 5 stars for service here, which is not easy to find!! Reservations are recommended also. We ended up ordering dessert to end the evening. It was the strawberry and blackberry sorbet. So good and light. A must to have! While we sat eating we watched an amazing staff of servers, bartenders and wait staff. Enjoy here and bon appetit read more

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Food is very good. Nice ambience in the Pub area. Friendly service. Small bar area. Great outdoors in the summer.

We like to have early dinner here on Christmas Eve. Everyone liked their food. We had pleasant service and a great table!

Food was delicious- service slow and apparently we annoyed the hostess after we rejected a bottle of wine that was substituted for the bottle we wanted. ( eye roll etc). Our reservation was at 7:00 and we got there at 6:56. After we were seated, had menus and water; no one came to our table for 14 minutes- then the wine debacle and when she finally brought the wine, it was cold ( a red wine ). While the food was good, swordfish special and fillet mignonette, we will think twice before returning. read more

This is always a great place to eat. The last time I was there I started off with oysters which were amazing. I then had the catch of the day which was cooked to perfection. I finished off with my favorite dessert a creme brûlée. They have a great outdoor dinning area and the inside is nice as well. read more

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Food is great! Love the ambience! Very pretty space. Definitely great for special occasions. read more

Who knew when you make a spe ial occasion dinner reservation weeks in advance that unless you request you are very likey to be seated in the bar area for dinner. Upon requesting a different dining room table with the hostess...was told ..quite rudely that there were 122 other reservations that night and no we could not sit elsewhere. I havent dined here in years..and was looking forward to what I had remembered was a special wonderful dining experience. The food was definately sub par and not worth the $$ There are much better dining establishments in the area that I will visit instead. Sad that Richardsons is not what it used to be read more