The atmosphere is nice, not a very loud place. You can actually have a quiet dinner. The problem is the menu is so so. The parking is horrendous. I ordered e Grilled Steak 18.00 Beef tenderloin tips served over grilled romaine dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, topped with crispy onion strings and crumbled blue cheese Very little steak lots of Romaine. Like a Whole head of romaine cut top to Bottom not very grilled and so Little dressing I couldn't taste it. The steak I ordered rare and it was more than medium. The wait and hostess staff were wonderful. Oh by the way, if your going to go, try the Crispy artichoke hearts. They were great. Other wise don't go. Grilled Steak 16.00 Beef tenderloin tips served over grilled romaine dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, topped with crispy onion strings and crumbled blue cheese read more

I was just in tonight with my girlfriend and my son, we ordered two pizzas which seemed good for the 3 of us but also still kind of small. And the bottom was pretty crispy and burnt, I didn't say anything as it wasn't her fault. But when I went to pay our server Kristina seemed annoyed and snatched the book out of my hand. There was also a creepy guy behind the bar not sure if he was the owner but he seemed intoxicated. Anyways I'm giving this two stars because the food wasn't horrible but the service was. read more

Went out for an early Sunday evening dinner here- I had never been to Roam Cafe before. It started out quiet but filled up by the time we left. The bar was busy with Sunday Funday folks and a few watching football. Wifey ordered the Angelhair pasta special with artichokes, black olives , etc. Sorry- I didn't order it so I can't remember everything in there- but I did eat some of it and it was delicious! I ordered the Roam Pizza- they had a few pizzas that looked awesome but I tend to go with something named after the restaurant- if it wasn't good I am sure they wouldn't name as a signature dish! Very good- especially paired with a The Kind IPA from Three Heads! Great friendly service too. The menu had nice appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, and full dinners. Vegetarian and vegan dishes too. I'll be back! read more

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I've been here a few times and the food is always MEH.. I just never leave here loving everything. It's never a restaurant at the top of my list to return to. The pizzas here are always a solid choice. Unfortunately, the calamari is not too good. My dad didn't even think it was edible, but I did. I didn't love it though. And the salad leaves were cut into giant pieces that I needed to cut up myself. Their espresso martinis are also lacking in flavor. They are somehow super blah. I know people tend to go to Roam just for the espresso martinis, but I honestly think it's one of my least favorite in all of Rochester. The prime rib sandwich is good and I also like the arancini balls, but they are a bit pricey. I won't be going back to Roam anytime soon but I think it's worth a try. Staff are pretty friendly. It's on Park Ave in a fun spot, but all street parking FYI. read more

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Drinks were great (mimosas and espresso martini), food was okay, service was below average. Went for brunch and made reservations. Sat on time, but service was very slow. It took about 20 minutes for the waitress to bring us a carafe of mimosas. (It was not at all busy at the time.) Finally ordered about 20-25 minutes after being seated, and got our food about 35 minutes after ordering. Food was okay, nothing to write home about. GF breakfast pizza was burnt and far too crispy. Potatoes were soggy yet dry. Regular breakfast pizza and French toast were good. I would not recommend for brunch but I have been here several times for dinner and the dinners were great. read more

ROAM Cafe - Mimosas, GF meat lovers breakfast pizza, Hangover pizza with regular crust, French toast, side of potatoes. - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

I went here with a friend, looking to have a nice casual meal given that she lives SO close to the spot. We weren't too hungry so we ordered a salad and a pizza to split and they were both absolutely delicious. Even months later I'm still thinking about the CHUNKS of pepperoni on the pizza. I was, and still am, bewildered by the way that they had large chunks of pepperoni on their thick and puffy pizza. The salad was nothing to write home about but did its job nonetheless. In terms of the food, we were more than satisfied with the quality and taste. As for the service, I did find our waitress to be spending the least amount of time with us she could and seemed visibly slightly unhappy--that being said life is rough and so is being a waitress so I don't really blame her. Overall, our experience was great. We were seated near the back of the restaurant by a large curtain and the bathroom door at a table for 5 even though there were only two of us. It was a bit of a weird location given that the restaurant was nearly empty indoors. However, this could be the staff trying to create distancing within the space due to COVID. Overall, a great experience with delicious food, adequate service, reasonable prices, and a convenient location. read more

ROAM Cafe - The Roam Pizza and House Salad - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Had lunch here today with a friend. We sat outside and it was lovely- lots of shade & such a great people watching spot. Our waitress was so sweet, service was quick and the food was pretty good. The pizza wasn't anything to write home about, but that didn't stop me from eating many slices. Looks like a cute & cozy evening date spot inside. read more

ROAM Cafe - Roam pizza - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Ived been coming here a ton. I absolutely love it and the staff is so nice. The Mediterranean mule is one of the best mules Ived had and that's my favorite type of drink. Today I got the smothered chicken, with twos sides that were the baked Mac and cheese and the garlic fries. It was all cooked perfectly. Make sure to tip well they definitely deserve it read more

ROAM Cafe - Smothered Chicken, Garlic Parmesan Fries, Baked Mac & Cheese - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Friend suggested it and I had never heard of it - I was looking for a sign for Rome :) Excellent meal. The Arancini starter w vodka sauce was outstanding. Forgot to post this long ago. read more

When you're on park ave, not sure where to go for a nice a meal and delicious dessert with a drink, then you should totally put Roam Cafe on the top of your list, the vibe is very friendly, you get to see and meet the humble and nice owner while he's making you a delicious drink. Service is not slow, waitresses are friendly and attentive, will always keep your glass of water filled. All in all, this place has a special place in my stomach, and heart of course! read more

ROAM Cafe - Try the Lava Bomb!! - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Good luck getting acknowledged by the servers once you're seated. We sat for 15 minutes and then left. Boooooo.

Would give them 3.5 stars. Came here on a busy Saturday evening. We did not have reservations but they were able to accommodate us in their heated tent. We thought it was creative the things they were doing for outdoor seating with their glass patio house out front and their heated tent. The reason I am giving them a lower rating is we felt even though the manager said the tent was heated, it really wasn't that heated at our table. Most of the other tables got a heated lamp but for some reason we didn't get one which made the experience not so enjoyable and my friend couldn't feel her feet by the end of the dinner despite wearing boots. We can understand that service is busy but we did feel the waitress was a bit rushed with us. The food was what to be expected but nothing to rave about. I do have to say their appetizers are probably better their entrees. For appetizers, we got the Buffalo cauliflower, spinach and artichoke dip and the arancini. The arancini and Buffalo cauliflower were great with the arancini being very flavorful with the blush sauce and melted cheese. The Buffalo cauliflower had the added taste of the blue cheese which made it definitely more elevated in flavor. The spinach and artichoke dip was sort of bland but the pita chips were nice that went with it. For entrees, our table got the meatball sub, shrimp capellini and the chicken Parmesan. I only had the shrimp capellini and the flavors were nice but couldn't really taste the wine sauce and the pasta was sort of watery. My friend who had the chicken Parmesan said it wasn't the same as she had it there before. Think this is more of a place to come here for drinks and apps and hopefully they can improve on offering a heated lamp for each table in the more colder months inside their outdoor tent. read more

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So I just went to Roam last night for the second time and the experience was amazing! After trying to have dinner at another restaurant and leaving disappointed with the total lack of service- we decided to dine at Roam Cafe- which was a refreshing wave for the night. Food: Both times I've visited Roam, they have given large amounts of food for a reasonable price- I had dinner and plenty left over. I ordered the ravioli which came in a blush sauce and a Caesar salad on the side. Everything was delicious! Both of my friends ordered the smothered chicken- which came with two sides; and they were equally satisfied with their meals. Service: Our waitress was friendly and attentive, making sure our glasses were full and we had everything we needed. It was a breath of fresh air after having tried to have dinner at another location and being treated so despicably. I will definitely be returning! read more

ROAM Cafe - Four Cheese Ravioli - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

We decided to stop here on a whim. We started with marinated artichoke hearts & the arancini balls. Both delicious. For dinner we did the lamb chop special and the four cheese ravioli, both meals were kinda bland. Nothing really blew us away. Our server was nice, but the food took almost a half an hour- everyone around us were already eating so it was strange for the delay. No wow factor for us. read more

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Roam is simply one of my favorite places in Rochester. They do so much so well and I feel they really accommodate all kinds of food experiences. I have been here (successfully) for the following meetings: 1) Post-show gathering with group of theater friends 2) awkward post break up drink/chats at the bar 3) Park ave Christmas bottle of wine on the sidewalk 4) Date night 5) Brunch with girlfriends (Mimosa pitchers FTW) 6) Post-bridesmaids dress shopping with bridal party 7) Summer weekend day drinking on the sidewalk And many many more! It is a 4 minute walk from my apartment and has never failed me - food, drinks, service, and ambiance in every season. Some top food picks of mine are the chicken parm sammy, steak salad, and just about anything off of their brunch menu. There is a ton of variety and prices are reasonable, especially for wine and beer. I love the neighborhood feel and always walking in to comfort and warmth. read more

My hopes were so high when I walked in the door. I left very disappointed. We ordered an appetizer, soup and entrees. The waitress said she would bring the soup first, then the appetizer, followed by the entree. That sounded perfect. Unfortunately it did not turn out that way. Soup and appetizer arrived together. We were still eating the soup and hadn't even tried the appetizer when out came the entrees. Even if the food was great, I wouldn't have been happy with this arrangement. Sadly, the food itself was disappointing too. The vegetables in my soup were crunchy instead of soft. The crispy duck wings were not crispy. After all those disappointments, I couldn't have cared less about the entree. Will not be back. Do not recommend. read more

Not my cup of tea, but definitely a cute and fun restaurant! The best parts were our waitress - she was super knowledgeable, nice and efficient, and the arancini, parm fries, and peanut butter martini. I also like that they have a lot of veggie options for sides - I really like the side of zucchini, but wasn't a huge fan of the green beans. The meatballs were also a bit dry and my steak was just OK. We were also put in a back room right next to the bathroom, but the rest part of the restaurant looked super cute! read more

Such a fantastic bar where the employees are professional and personable. Its a cute little place where regulars and new guests go. Their prices are better than anyone I've seen on the park ave strip. You need to come check out this place if you're like me who doesn't enjoy large crowds but enjoys great company! read more

ROAM Cafe - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Ok, so I went to this restaurant on June 4, 2023. My friend and I only ordered coffee. The coffee was great, but service was absolutely atrocious. So, I went to the restroom, and came back to find a frown on my friend's face. I asked him what's wrong? He told me (while I was gone)the waitress was extremely rude. The gist of the story is that my friend paid cash for his coffee and the waitress shorted him .14c. Ok, obviously we are not going to lose sleep over .14 cents. However, the pregnant waitress was extremely attitudinal when my friend asked for the correct change back. My friend and I have been former waiters for years, so we ( especially me) are generous tippers because we both know how hard the work is. The issue is the waitress tells us (when confronted about the incorrect change)that they have been rounding up or down the change for the last 10 years. My position to her was I don't care if you have been doing it for a century, the owner has no legal authority to not give consumers the correct change back. I don't care if it is 2 cents or 2 dollars. There were no signs anywhere conspicuous to the general public explicating their currency "round off" policy to the nearest quarter etc. There is no law for the same. Another waitress came out to defend this nonsense by saying the waitress that served us did nothing wrong. Huh? I cannot believe she defended her xo-worker. The co-worker then changed the narrative by saying the staff all voiced these concerns to owner with no resolve. The tall Caucasian waitress then told us she would give the owner's contact info, but never came back to the table. Both waitresses were extremely unprofessional, dishonest, lack integrity, and should not be serving the public. I don't give a rats ass how many years the cafe has been modifying the consumers' returned change, it is without question STEALING. This cafe along with any other restaurant for that matter, have no legal authority to arbitrarily short change consumers. Coin shortage is a ridiculous and implausible excuse. As a consumer, it is not our problem to be subjected to your coin shortage, staff shortage etc. Anyone in the industry knows how that works...internal problems belong internally. Consumers should not be subjected to any issues that happen within the organizational structure. I gave the waitress a tip, but my friend did not. If I knew this ahead of time, I would have never tipped her period. Her conduct was completely unhinged. You cannot get mad at the consumer for asking for their correct change back. My friend and I would have brought it to their attention if she over-changed us. Either way, consumers want our correct change back, you do not have the legal authority to round up anything. I want to hear the owner's response to his/her justification in having staff impose this upon consumers. Again, I am a very magnanimous person, but will not tolerate these illegal, unethical, and cringy tactics. Both servers' behavior was an absolute disgrace. read more

Came here when visiting Rochester last week & I enjoyed the crowd, the small local business feel, as well as the food & drinks. Staff were attentive & patient. Loved this spot for a quick dish, cafe, or cocktail. I did not feel awkward being their alone especially as a visitor. It was also walking distance from my hotel which made it convenient to get to. read more

I had the warm pretzels and steak. I got Parmesan fries and garlic spinach with my steak. I asked for medium rare for my steak and it came medium well. The steak was not good but the fries, spinach, and pretzel was good. The pretzel came with a mustard and cheese sauce. There is a lot of outdoor seating so I brought my dog and she sat on the door outside with us. read more

Definitely ROAM and NOT ROME. Chicken parm with canned sauce and French fries on the side is not a bad lunch item I suppose. But it reminds me a of dish served at a townie bar in the suburbs. The menu is a tad all over the place. Not Italian. Not American. I don't know how to pinpoint it. But something about the name doesn't fit the menu in my option. Calamari is excellent. Wine list ... it's not a list, it's a stickie with 4 options. Roast beef sandwich was really good and juicy. Prices are not low! It's mediocre, decent atmosphere. Especially if you like park avenue vibes. I'd go again but probably not for at least 6 to 10 months. Nothing about it pulls me back in. read more

first walking in they have a bar and seating to the left, not much seating so if you go on a busy night probably should check reservations. they do have outdoor seating in the warmer months too though. this place is pretty popular and I hate that I took forever to go and I can't wait to go back. both the wine and food is very good, I was not disappointed. I got the tomato and artichoke soup and an arancini. I don't get arancini's much cause I can be skeptical but this was a great one. the sauce was flavorful and the arancini was crunchy with just the right amount of content inside. read more

This a great little place for brunch. We were looking for a meal and found this great place. It was packed with people and a friendly staff. Service was good. We didn't have reservations for brunch so we sat at the bar. I enjoyed my mimosa while waiting for my meal. It's funny because it was such a mix of locals and "visitors" ( meant in a nice way). We were just hanging out and were pleased to see how the staff knew the locals by name. It almost felt like a Cheers episode - for those old enough to remember the sitcom. We enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere. I will be back. read more

Met my friend for lunch last Tuesday at noon and got right in, no wait. Server was very kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. My friend had pizza, I had the turkey club (so good!) and we shared the pretzel appetizer (Yum!) Food came out timely and delicious, server was great, place was priced fair, and clean, appreciate that. Definitely going to be back when in the area. read more

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars I had a pleasant experience visiting Roam for lunch on a Monday afternoon in February. However, our experience at Sunday brunch (table for 2) today was not nearly as pleasant. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. We placed orders for drinks which arrived within 5 or so minutes. However, the waitress delivered hot water and sugar for tea with no tea bags - we had to hunt down the waitress before we could get started on the tea. The wait for food was around 45 minutes and the restaurant was not even full inside. The brunch selection was appealing and the food was good; however, some of the food items were not prepared to our order specifications, such as sunny side up eggs which were delivered as scrambled eggs. After waiting 45 minutes for the food, it was nearly noon and we were starving, so there was no way we were sending the food back to be corrected. After finishing, it was another 15-20 minutes before a waitress returned and we could ask for the check. The waitress was not attentive or very pleasant, although there were several servers and the restaurant was still not full. We have had a more positive experience here for lunch in the past, but would probably not return for brunch. read more

My daughter and I survived this lovely restaurant after visiting the Museum of Science. The food was WONDERFUL! We had excellent risotto bake and lovely sandwiches in a perfectly quaint suburban home atmosphere. It was a lovely afternoon out together! I can't recommend this lovely little restaurant enough! read more

Stopped in here for a quick bite to eat and drinks for my dad's birthday. It's a popular spot on Park Ave., and they were slammed so we ended up sitting at the bar. The bar tender took great care of us, and the owner even stopped by to say happy birthday and do a shot with my dad! The food was hot and tasty and everything coming out of the kitchen looked great! If you're not in a hurry and want a good bite to eat, definitely try ROAM Cafe! read more

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I had never heard of Roam Cafe prior to eating there last night. For starters it is a small very tight place especially at the bar. We were seated in the back corner of the room which I was totally okay with, a little away from the tight crowd. Service was slow at first but they made up for it in kindness. Entrees, if you have been reading this you are probably thinking, where's the 5 star rating coming from. It's the food. We ordered a steak with sweet potato fries and Mac and cheese. As well as a Pizza. The steak was absolutely very delicious and fairly priced, the stars of the show were the sides. Sweet potato fries with the brown sugar were to die for. The Mac and cheese had a nice golden crisp on the top and also rivaled the fries in the competition of most delicious. Next the pizza, we got the New Yorker one. It was amazing as well, we were blown away at the food, it's a hidden gem in park ave. Just don't tell too many people the location won't be able to hold many more patrons at once. This place will be visited again for sure, I suggest you go there as well 5 strong stars. read more

I visited ROAM my first time last week for lunch and I was extremely satisfied. We were able to sit outside immediately without a wait, and were seen quite swiftly. My friend and I split the hummus plate after seeing multiple tables with it, and it surely did not disappoint. The pita chips that came with it were addicting! For the main entree, my friend ordered the Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Wrap and she said it was delicious! I ordered the patio salad and it was so good I couldn't stop eating it! My experience at ROAM was nothing but positive and I am excited to visit again this summer! read more

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As a Buffalo native, this was my first time at ROAM! Our party sat in the tent outside, it was about 15 degrees on a February night but it almost felt like a nice summer evening with how warm it was in there! The server was attentive, drinks were never left empty and food was delicious! We had the warm pretzels for an appetizer and they were truly very warm and soft! The mustard was good but the cheese sauce was the real winner here! I personally had the pesto chicken with tortellini and I was blown away. Typically dishes like this are hit or miss, the pesto can be too overpowering or not saucy enough but ROAMS was perfect! It was to the point I had to force myself to save some so I could enjoy it again tomorrow for lunch haha. My partner had the sirloin, another thing that can be hit or miss, especially when you're asking for rare or medium rare. Again, ROAM seared and cooked the sirloin to perfection! As a steak lover myself, I was a little jealous I passed that dish up! Guess I'll have to come back, which I am not mad about in the slightest! Maybe next time I will sit indoors to get a feel for the atmosphere. Good job, ROAM, you managed to impress this foodie so far! Parking kinda sucks but hey, at least you'll have a good meal to look forward to! read more

ROAM Cafe - Pesto Chicken - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Steak sandwich was really good, meatball sub was all right. The garlic park fries were amazing and the service was good!

Wonderful service. The ambiance is cool and classic. Great for a post-show meal but maybe call ahead for reservations.

Decided to check this place out for Sunday brunch on a beautiful fall day. They have cute outdoor seating available on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant- which is helpful bc this place gets packed for brunch! Staff were super nice and helpful- bc we didn't have a reservation we sat outside which was perfectly fine with me. I ordered the sausage omelette w/roasted red peppers & caramelized onions with an English muffin and home-fries. My BF got the French toast with a side of home-fries. The food was desperately missing flavor. The syrup for the French Toast was watery. It seems like my omelette was made with egg beaters vs real eggs. There was not much sausage in the omelette either which was disappointing bc that was the only part that seemed to have flavor. Frank's red hot, salt, pepper, butter and jelly are all needed to make the food flavorful. They do have breakfast pizzas - so I might try that next time. The atmosphere is cute for brunch and it's located away from the main busy drag of Park Ave DT which makes it much more accessible. I've had better brunches at Blue Wolf, Jines and Blades- but I'm willing to try a different dish at ROAM to give it a 2nd chance. read more

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Good pizza!!! good service and good garlic parm fries!! very good, definitely will go back!

This place is an oasis of smiles, good food and excellent service at prices that quite frankly should be, at least, 30% higher considering their excellence across the board. The young lady who waited,on me, Marilyn, has a smile and an attitude that could instantly improve anyone's day. I highly recommend this place for anyone who craves good food and a little healing for the soul. I wish them extraordinary success!!! read more

We came here on Labor Day and it was like 1 out of 4 restaurants open so it was BUSY but luckily we called ahead with a reservation. The menu has something for everyone - unless they're out of calamari....which we were the unlucky ones that didn't get any. We ended up getting prosciutto wrapped mozzarella instead, and it was pretty good but it was a thicker prosciutto than I'm used to. For an entree, I wanted something light so I got a caprese salad and added a crab cake. The crab cake was so tasty! Definitely recommend. All in all, a solid meal! read more

My girlfriends and I (party of 5) made a reservation for 6PM on a Friday here in advance. Upon arrival, we were seated inside by the window (perfect people watching spot!) and there were a good amount of people at the bar and seated already. Around 6:45, the crowd lightened up a bit, and as we headed out around 8:30, it had picked back up. I guess this makes us officially old! Our waitress was literally the funniest, sweetest girl and definitely made the evening even more pleasant! We ordered drinks (the bartender even made my friend blue cheese stuffed olives by request!!!) and appetizers. Buffalo fried cauliflower, crispy artichoke hearts and calamari. All 3 literally were the best I have ever tasted, and I probably ate too much but I couldn't stop! The cauliflower had blue cheese crumbles also which helped tame the spiciness of the Buffalo sauce, the artichoke hearts came with an AMAZING Cajun dipping sauce and the calamari was perfection. I ordered the sweet & spicy stir fry (was not eating meat for Greek Orthodox Holy Friday but you have the option to add meat/shrimp/tofu!!) and it was tasty. My only complaint was there was too much sauce vs vegetables/rice ratio. I would have rather had to ask for more sauce, but it still was the perfect balance of heat for the dish. I will definitely be back, especially for that Avenue Burger my friend ordered that looked HEAVENLY even if I wasn't craving meat for the past week beforehand haha! Oh I also ordered the sweet potato fries - do yourself a favor and order these. I don't know what delicious tastiness topped these but they were sweet and savory! read more

Great service and remarkable food. My wife and I stopped in for lunch on a Thursday afternoon and were surprised and delighted by the place. We're just in town for a short vacation, but we will absolutely try to come back if we can. read more

This establishment has yet to disappoint. I've eaten here during brunch, lunch, dinner and ordered to go and have had great experiences at all times. The service is always great. The food is astounding. I love the setting and I never have to wait super long to be served. Great place with some great food, what else can you ask for!!! read more