Old school Italian that does everything right. Meatballs. Grilled octopus. Arancini. Pizzas. The small bar can be a fun scene but this place is small and always busy. You want a primo table? Be like me, the original Nish, and call for a reservation. read more

I finally had dinner at Rocco! It's only been open for a million years, but it's actually a little challenging getting a reservation since they are beloved and their regulars seem to swarm the place every night they are open! But on my lucky occasion, I booked weeks in advance for a Friday night, and then arrived a few minutes early with my party, and, as expected, it was a packed house with only our table open and every other table and every seat at the bar full. We sat in the section served by the 'singing waiter', aka Mark Daniels, local opera tenor, which we requested, and we ordered the arancini, their special mushroom vegetable soup, and their special lamb shank dinner, a fish dinner and the amazing caprese torte for dessert. Food was delicious, atmosphere was very cozy, and I would say 'old school', and Mark was amazing! He treated us to a live performance of a song he is working on for his upcoming performance at the Lyric Theatre in June - it silenced and transfixed the entire room, and when he finished, we struck up a fun conversation with other diners, an experience that really topped the night. Almost everything was perfect - there were only 2 things we didn't like or couldn't appreciate: 1) hard, plastic-wrapped, manufactured bread sticks on the table. WHY?? All the food and the entire experience is so good - I think these are cheap and tasteless and really made me question what that was all about; and there was no 'real' bread option, and no butter or dipping sauce for the hard bread sticks (my husband wanted to try them...) and 2) it was REALLY dark in there, too dark to get any food pics, and that always makes me question 'what could they be hiding?' No matter, we loved it and hope to go back again soon! read more

My favorite Italian place in Rochester. I always fall for Italian home-cooking style restaurants, the kind of place that reminds you of your grandma, even when you are not Italian yourself. Cozily tight seating, no fancy fonts on the menu, straight forward dish names, breadsticks on the table. You know you are at the right place. I don't fully understand the three dollar sign rating. It is not the cheapest thing in Rochester but the entree dishes come in larger portion with heart-warming taste. Try their lamb if it's offered as a special. If not, don't miss out on their slow-cooked pork. To finish, don't forget to try their butterscotch budino. One oftentimes needs to wait to be seated. Check out the bar if you have to wait. They have one of the best collection of Italian liqueurs in town. read more

Rocco - butterscotch budino - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Excellent service Excellent menu choices Atmosphere very appropriate for fine dining

This place was amazing. Went here before a early morning fishing trips. Got the grilled octopus and the rigatoni and meatballs which is something I never ever order out because I'm too Italian to be ordering red sauce anywhere. I'm amazed I even ordered it but was so happy I did. It was delicious. Also had a glass of wine recommended by the waitress and it was so good. Red with a lot of depth I wish I remembered the name. I will be back. This place is incredible. read more

Rocco - Rigs and meatballs - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

I truly enjoyed the atmosphere and all the food ! I was slightly delayed for the reservation and with a quick call they took care of it. For dinner, the lights were nice and dim with lit candles at every table. There was an authentic Italian feel to the restaurant, except for pre packaged bread sticks that threw me off a little. The meals were really good! We got the Arancini and Polpo for the appetizers ! The arancini was phenomenal, however the grilled polpo was slightly chewy. We also got the pasta with meatballs and bucatini. The meatballs were very nice and light. We were disappointed with the bucatini as it was very cold when first arrived to the table, then had a slightly burnt taste after we asked to have it warmed up. Overall, good food but would like to come back and taste the pizza. read more

Rocco - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I wish I could give zero stars! The worst customer service I have ever experienced. Our waiter was very rude and wasn't attentive at all. I will never come back to this establishment. The food was so subpar and lacked flavor. Disgusting! Will never recommend this place to anyone. A Italian restaurant with no bread???? read more

First and foremost why did it take me/us almost four years to visit this little gem! I'm slightly dumbfounded by this... We are transplants and it seems when we go out sometimes things can be underwhelming this time just wow! Read the other reviews on the food, it's no joke and it's worth the trip. Ok on with the review. As others have said this is a small place, it's intimate and can be loud. It's an Italian place seriously just deal. I've got Italian relatives so. This place is bathed in warm hues and soft lighting. When you walk in you see the long bar walk up a bit and someone will greet you. We were seated right away. The menu is compact and they also do specials and some seasonal dishes. I like to order things that I don't normally make or can't get on the regular. Our server was lovely (a tip they want you to order everything but they will stagger your service this was perfect. The guy who sat us was wonderful as well. We got the House-made Ricotta and Charred Bread. YOU MUST GET IT.. it's just what you need to order. It was creamy and luscious and... just get it. We than did the special antipasti plate with house made smoked duck, salami and mortadella and Parmesan crisps and pickled vegetables. That was worth it too. I had a glass of procecco it was perfect with our food. The wine list is compact as well but has some really lovely things on it. The husband had the Pasta and Meatballs or Pasta Con Polpette I tried it and liked it, the marinara was good but for me a little sweet? But know it was good as the husband finished it all! I got the Slow Roasted Pork with Sautéed Greens and Polenta or Maiale Cotto a Fuoco Lento I could not finish it I brought it home. Also be aware the main dishes come out HOT, steaming hot be prepared before you dig in. We than shared the Butterscotch Buddino this was so lovely except for me I'm not a fan of almonds but holy crap that Buddino was so smooth and luscious. Before the bill came our server brought out some house made lemonchello for us and said "Happy Anniversary this is from us! " What a lovely touch. Over the years it's always been a let down after a restaurant asks if it's a special occasion and it was so kind to actually be acknowledged. This is really a hidden gem you should visit. If your not one for small restaurants and loud talking this is not a place for you. For me and others it was lovely and a fabulous meal! A great date night place for sure! They have a small parking lot, but you can park on the street or we Ubered. I'm coming back you need to visit! Cheers read more

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I'd give zero stars if could. It's been on the list for a bit, and we were all set to go. Reading their hours and recommendations of reservations, I called on a Monday at 5p (opening) and was told by the hostess that I would have to call back tomorrow, before 5p. I mentioned they were closed on Tuesday. She was insistent that would be what I needed to do if I wanted reservations. NOPE, lost our business. read more

It's a nice place, ambiance, etc. I had a soft shell crab sandwich. Was the most disgusting thing I ever tasted. Didn't know what it was and that it was deep fried and greasy with all the shells and legs etc. I realized I had made a poor choice and voiced my disgust . didn't eat it, paid my bill with a 25% tip. I'm not the type to make a scene or complain but in reflection I would think the server knowing that I hated it could have offered me something else that I might have enjoyed or even a slice of bread! I don't think I'll go back. read more

Very disappointing. I hadn't been to Rocco since before the pandemic, and was really looking forward to it, as I had good memories of its food. Service at Rocco has always been a bit unpredictable. This time our server was fine, if a bit aloof, probably because he also had a table of ten to cater to right next to us. The place is noisy! Hard to have a conversation. Then, the food... The octopus appetizer I remembered as a highlight, but it now consists of two skewers with four tiny pieces of meat. Way too little food for the price. My main was the chicken and sausage saltimbocca. I understand the concept of light-charring, but this was downright burned food. Also, I can take salty food, but this dish was so salty I simply couldn't eat it. The special pulled pork-like dish ($25!) my friend had was also exceedingly salty. My wife had a very soupy, probably made-in-advanced risotto that was also disappointing and, you guessed, too salty. The only dish everyone seemed to agree was very good was a pepperoni pizza. Maybe Rocco should just be a very good pizzeria, instead of pretending to be a fine-dining establishment? We did have a perfectly nice bottle of Luisa Cabernet Franc. This wine is $20 at a store, and we paid $50. Wine markups at US restaurants are simply unreasonable. In sum, if we ever go back to Rocco, we'll simply stick to pizza. read more

I love this cute little Italian restaurant! Very small, warm and welcoming! Pizzas are amazing! So is the pasta. I don't have a picture but the garlic bread and ricotta is an absolute MUST!!! By far my favorite thing on the whole menu. read more

Rocco - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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First time eating here- why did I wait so long?! On a beautiful Friday night in June - we wanted to eat Italian on a patio somewhere. We were in Penfield, so going to the new Mario's on the bay seems like a good choice. Until they told us about the 90 minute wait for a table outside. Oh well -good restaurants will have a wait! So we decided to head into the city to Rocco. We called ahead and they said they would have a table in 15 minutes. When we got there they said that that table hadn't left yet, but would we mind sitting on the patio out back? But of course!! I think this is one of the biggest secrets in Rochester - I never heard they had a patio here! They have about a half a dozen tables out back. We started off with garlic knots with a side of marinara - soft and chewy and very tasty. I ordered the special pizza for the night - it had porcetta (pork) on it -it was awesome. The other members of my party had lasagna and gnocchi. The service was great and the prices aren't bad! There seem to be a lot of regulars around the bar and in the restaurant - I can see why! I just may become one as well. Check out Rocco - it's worth it! read more

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We had been meaning to eat here for years but it always slipped under our radar. You definitely need a reservation and you need to do so more than a few days before. The small nicely decorated and lit dining room is warm and inviting. The service was efficient though not all that friendly. As others have mentioned the octopus appetizer was excellent with a nice smoky grill flavor. My only complaint was that for $12 it was a small serving. The autumn pasta dish had nice flavor but it was just ok, we expected more. On the other hand the lasagna was very good - the red sauce was nicely complex, not your typical Rochester sauce. We opted for the panna cotta with honey and candied pecans - it was delicious. Overall a nice meal though a bit pricy. read more

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We walked in last night and were able to get a table without a reservation which was nice. We ordered the charred bread and house made ricotta appetizer with was a wonderful start to the meal. I ordered the mushroom pizza and my spouse ordered the short cut pasta with meatballs. The pizza was amazing, however I only ended up ordering it due to the lack of information the server was able to give me about the other main course meals. The menu was vague only listing the protein and the server was unable to give any other details about what came with the dish. The pasta dish my spouse ordered was tasty but nothing spectacular that couldn't have been made at home. The atmosphere was cozy and intimate, the server was subpar, and the food left something to the imagination. read more

Rocco - Ricotta Fatta In Casa - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

To preface this: I gave 1 star but I would do 1.5 if half stars were allowed because I did find the staff to be nice and courteous. The low rating is in large part based on the food itself. My friend and I came here on a weeknight- it had high reviews so we decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, our experience did not align with the high reviews we read. We were able to get in right away, but we sat for quite some time before a waitress came over to take our drink orders. We had waited so long at one point my friend was like, "do you think maybe we should just get up and try somewhere else?" We inevitably stayed and a waitress finally came to take our order. Note: The dining room is incredibly small, the tables are tiny and close together so if you are weary of COVID you may want to rethink this option. First disappointment: The wine selection is very limited if you're not interested in purchasing an entire bottle. Second disappointment: The menu is also very limited as far as meals go if you're not interested in having pizza. Unless things have changed since we went a few weeks ago they had 3 pasta dishes available and 4 other meal options- a veal, a pork, duck, and lamb. They do not even offer a chicken option nor do they offer just a traditional pasta without meat, or an pasta with just with a red sauce or a white sauce on the menu. For an Italian place, this is pretty surprising. The pasta dishes do not come with any side at all and some of the meat dishes only seemed to only have one small side they come with. Also important to note, no soup or salad is offered as a part of the meal, no bread either but they do have some of those super skinny, pre-packaged breadstick type things on the table. We ordered Arancini as an appetizer and each ordered a pasta dish for our entrees. I had rigatoni and red sauce, which is not offered on its own on the menu but they were able to accommodate this. My friend ordered the pasta and meatballs option. Biggest disappointment: The food. Unfortunately neither of us liked any of the items we ordered and the main issue is definitely the sauce. The red sauce is hands down the worst I've ever had, and nothing I would even consider comparable to an authentic Italian sauce. I hate to sound so harsh, but I would've rather eaten bargain brand jar sauce. Neither of us finished the app or our meals. We opted for dessert in an effort to give this place full consideration and it was also pretty horrible. We ordered a ricotta cheesecake to share and it was the the worst cheesecake I've had, ricotta or otherwise. We did not finish this either. (Pictured is the arancini and the cheesecake). The pace of the meal was insanely slow. We sat for 2+ hours and a large portion of that was wait time. I would expect this if we were at a place that offered several courses but for an app + meals we didn't even attempt to finish and dessert things moved at a glacial pace. I don't typically mind slow meals, I enjoy the time to talk and visit with my dining companion(s), but I know most people would not have wanted to sit that long so I feel this is important to mention as part of the review process. Overall, I would strongly advise patrons to seek out an alternative if you're looking for an Italian meal. The quality absolutely does not match the price point and there are far better options in ROC as far as depth of the menu and taste of the food. read more

The best meatballs I ever had. Their salads are over the top. And generous too. Their pizzas are divine. And so are their pastas. Ive never been disappointed in any of their meals. In the summer it's lovely to sit outside on the porch. I LOVE ROCCO's!!!! read more

This is a pretty basic home-style Italian restaurant. We ended up here because we had a reservation at Rella next door but when we showed up they had closed without warning. Rocco's was very helpful in accommodating us at the last minute and giving us some comps to make up for our bad experience with Rella. Unfortunately, their food was just not very good or interesting. We shared arancini to start and it was just ok. For the main course my husband had the pork chop and I had the linguine and clams, which was not even linguine but more like a bucatini. Both were just ok. Probably would not go back. read more

Although I give four stars it really was more worth 3 1/2. I'll tell you why. Terrible parking, I had to park in Fairport, OK I'm kidding but it was like two blocks away. Pricey given what you receive. With appetizer's an entrée and one dessert for two people plus wine you could easily end up paying $150 after tip. Given the fact that it is somewhat pricey it would've been nice if somebody could've parked my car for me with a charge. Slightly small tables AND the tables are pretty close to each other. Finally I did not at first realize it but it was very LOUD. I actually did not realize how LOUD it was until I left the restaurant. Those were the only reasons why I would not have easily given it 4 Stars. We totally enjoyed the service. We also loved the food. We had a table of four and we ordered a lot of appetizers including a pizza . There was a slight problem with the small table given the fact that we had so many appetizers. In essence we totally enjoyed dinner but given the small tables and the price I felt like I was in Manhattan with Manhattan prices. I would easily go back to Rocco but I'm not in a rush. read more

Went for dinner with some coworkers and found this place to be packed on a Monday. Food came out hot and tasted really delicious. I'm fussy when it comes to Italian and I felt the sauce was great and the food all came out with care. Pasta was cooked just right. Everyone's plates came out looking great, especially the pork chop! read more

Rocco - Veal Parm - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Last night my wife and son and I went to Roccos for the first time in many years. I see that other reviews give five starts and I can see why. The food was very, very good. But, the service not so much. Shortly after we arrived I asked that the fan above us be turned off, or slowed down. The paper menus were flying to the edge of the table and I was cold. There were many empty tables. The waitress said she wasn't sure what she could do. I suggested moving us. She said she couldn't do that. So, I was left in what felt like a wind tunnel. The waitress could have moved us, but it was too much trouble. I also was unhappy with the menus. We had three menus and not one listed the prices. It's not unusual to have menus without prices, but the host most times gets a menu with the prices. So, I'd say there's not enough attention to details. I won't be going back in spite of the good food. I'm giving three stars. Wear a coat. read more

Small and intimate. We had excellence service! We were told when we sat that our table will be needed for a reservation after us but we did not feel rushed what so ever and we were given a complementary dessert from our server! read more

Rocco - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Food was amazing. Service was great. Super nice server. Pizza was outstanding. Loved visiting this restaurant. Parking next door was easy to access. Great Italian family run vibe. read more

I really want to like this restaurant. It has a small, classy atmosphere, and the service is always terrific. However, there are a few inexcusable things for an Italian restaurant. First, for the prices being charged, a plate of fresh bread and butter should be brought to the table, and this is important for those needing to mop up sauce left on the plate (of which there was much). What is pathetic is the paper-wrapped bread sticks, dry ones in a cup on the table. Tacky!! In addition, fresh Parmesan cheese should be offered to the table and left there. Finally, lasagna, without a salad or anything else on the plate, should not cost $20, especially if the portion is nothing special. Keep your prices reasonable, don't follow the trends, and serve hearty portions with extras, and customers will be loyal forever. There are better, less expensive, more flavorful Italian restaurants in Rochester and its suburbs, so it would behoove this establishment to do more for their customers and lower the prices. read more

Excellent first time experience at Rocco last night. Wanted something small and romantic for our 20yr anniversary but the food had to be high end. It was, and so was the service, including a complimentary after dinner drink for the two of us. Highly recommend the charred octopus appetizer! Bottles of wine are reasonably priced ($35.00 Barbera was fantastic) And the brick oven pizzas.. Wow! the best we've ever had. Our new go-to place for fine Italian read more

Rocco - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Tough to get in. We lucked out and found a parking spot then only waited 15minutes for two seats at the bar. Bar ought to have a tv if tender has no game. My wife's salad was excellent. Pie was on point. Another 45- 60 seconds in the oven would have nailed it.. yet it was still very good. Space is cramped. Noise is escalated. Bread basket was good. Just real tight. And that is hard to overlook. Guy knows his craft on the pie...give it a try. read more

Rocco - Side of meatballs to mingle with the pie - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

We absolutely love Rocco's. The food is always on point and the service is absolutely stellar. It's a very small place, and they have plenty of servers so you always feel very well attended to. The ricotta is out of this world amazing. It comes with charred, olive oil soaked bread that is delicious. The arancini appetizer is fantastic as well. Both are must-gets (be prepared for a full stomach here). This time, I got the prosciutto wrapped chicken with comes with sage risotto. It's amazing - the chicken comes in little columns so there's a good prosciutto to chicken ratio. Super tender and juicy. The risotto is great as well - very creamy and delicious. (Disclaimer: I had the risotto special on a previous visit and wish they made it an entree item). The boyfriend got the gnocchi, which he had on a previous visit as well. It's semolina gnocchi, so it has more the texture of super tender cornbread than potato pillow. The gnocchi are heavenly, super soft and super flavorful. They come in a tomato butter sauce that sizzles all the way to the table. The last highlight of any evenings at Rocco's should be the butterscotch budino. It's their signature dessert for a reason - I'm not even a huge fan of butterscotch and I still dream about it sometimes, it's that good. It's a butterscotch pudding topped with caramel and whole almonds. There's a texture disposition and a heat one as well (custard is cold, caramel is hot) and it's just amazing. read more

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This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Rochester! My boyfriend and I went for dinner on a Saturday night. It's small inside but has a great, cozy atmosphere, much like a true trattoria in Italy. We had a bit of a wait but they seated us quickly. We started off with the whipped ricotta and charred bread. It was excellent! I had the semolina "gnocchi" - very unique and had great flavor! My boyfriend for the meat entree off the featured menu which he loved - lamb and butternut squash. We each finished the night with some coffee. We also got a bottle of wine for dinner. They have a nice wine selection and reasonable prices. Can't wait to return! read more

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Hands down my fave restaurant in all of ROC. My boyfriend and I went on Valentine's Day. I know I know, you don't expect much on an amateur holiday. Mark Cupolo, the owner and chef executed the meal perfectly. Instead of caring about how many people he can get in the door, he allowed for only 2 seatings, one at 5:30 and the other at 8pm. The menu was a four course tasting menu that allowed for you to choose between two choices of entree. Every course has a wire pairing. First course was the show stopper. It was a seafood salad. Light and refreshing, awesome to start the dinner off. Second course was a risotto, Rochester loves its risotto. My boyfriend and both chose the lamb. Cooked to a medium rare, it melted in your mouth. It was paired with a spinach budino which I couldn't stop wishing there was more. The dessert was also paired perfect. Light and not too heavy, and not chocolate! Which was perfect because I'm sure every other restaurant in town had a lava cake on special! Standing ovation to Mark and the staff at Rocco. You continue to impress and make my mouth want more!! Happy fooding!! read more

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A Rochester gem, and for good reason, the food!!! A relatively comfy, and smaller space that sits on Monroe Ave with an entrance and parking behind, but hard to miss their exterior signage. The bar has a decent selection of mixed drinks available, with plenty of amazing wine offerings to complement their delicious offerings. I found the interior rather set for the ambiance of romantic dinners, or in our case a working dinner! The menu has a very traditional Italian breakdown and is easy to navigate no matter what you're in for. Antipasti offerings to piatti, to dolci and everything else in-between that would make you salivate! The house made charred bread with ricotta is so damn delicious with creamy and crispy playing off of each other, you may forget the olive oil and herbs to complement! The polpettes (meatballs) were perfection - properly seasoned and just that right touch of firm exterior to melt in your mouth interior. The main course, the costola di maiale con mozzarella fritte (pork rib chop/tomato sauce/fried mozzarella) is worth the trip alone. This succulent rib chop is the stuff of dreams, and a dish that you won't want to skip. Sure, the tagliata di manzo and the maiale cotto a fuoco lento are drool worthy, but this is in a class all its own! read more

Rocco - costola di maiale e mozzarella fritte - pork rib chop/tomato sauce/fried mozzarella - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

I've been to Rocco a few times and to be honest, I don't get what the big deal is. The few times I've tried their food, it's been OK to good (3-4 stars). I've never had anything here that's amazed me. IMO, Lucano is hands down the best Italian place in Rochester. The food there is just on a different level. My biggest source of irritation with this restaurant is with their reservation system. You have to call between 10am and 4:30pm (if memory serves me correct). If you call later, they don't take reservations (even for another day); there is no online reservation; and if you just show up without a reservation, there's a good chance you won't get a table. If this were an absolutely incredible restaurant, such inconvenience might be worth it; but it's not - it's nothing special. Just good - not great - Italian food. A secondary source of irritation is with parking. It can be pretty tough to find street parking nearby on a Friday or Saturday night. EDIT: A few other things: 1) I agree with others who have mentioned there being too much parsley in the red sauce. I had a pizza recently and the parsley on the pizza somewhat detracted from the taste of the pizza. 2) Others have been critical of the use of a basket of pre-wrapped grissini (thin Italian breadsticks) on the tables (instead of the usual complimentary bread / rolls that most Italian restaurants in the US offer). From my travels in Italy, this is something I've seen in Italian restaurants. 3) I don't recall if Rocco has always done this, but currently they are using a one-sided paper menu. The dishes don't have any description and in quite a few cases, it's not self-evident what's inside the dishes (this is especially true for the pizzas and some of the appetizers). It would be helpful to at least write a description for each menu item (I ended up taking out my phone at the table and going to Rocco's website to look up several dishes). read more

Rocco's - the hidden little gem of our city! I love it here. The ricotta is out of this world, it's a MUST have when dining at Rocco's. Seating and availability is sometimes tough but it's worth every minute of the wait. The meatballs and sauce are a top favorite of mine as well, and having made my own sauce for years it's hard at times to like others sauces- but Rocco's does it right!! Highly Recommended. read more

Rocco's is our family go-to restaurant for birthdays and special celebrations. I can truly say that I have never had a bad meal there but I cannot say that I have not had a mediocre meal. Such was the case last week. First, a note about the ambiance. There is a window table in the front (bar) room where you can eat and have a conversation with your meal. The back room (main dining room) is something else, the sound/noise level in that room is super-sonic. You have to shout to be heard and there is plenty of that. I am sure there is some smart and costly solution to that but I don't know what it is. The appetizers for our dinner were out of this world delicious and creative. There was a salad special of small mixed greens with asparagus and a pecorino cheese pudding. The warm cheese pudding was outstanding, light and fluffy, strong cheese flavor without gooey cheese. The second item was the arancini. Those fried balls of risotto are to die for. Next time, maybe I go for just the appetizers. The Linguine with White Clam Sauce was disappointing. Overall, the pasta had a musky color from the clam sauce and the sauce looked like it could have come from a can; the flavor was barely detectable. Also, the mussels entree with a red sauce had fishy tasting mussels. Really fresh mussels have a taste of the sea but they are not fishy. Your mileage may vary. read more

I can not say enough about the food, service and atmosphere. The lasagna and Calamari salad was insane. The pepperoni and peppers pizza was out of this world. Definitely coming here again and again! read more

Really disappointed with this establishment it was for my hardworking mother 50th birthday and made reservations 3 weeks in advance. When we arrived it took 20 minutes to be seated with no room to sit and wait which was extremely inconvenient for my elderly grandmother and mother. When we were finally seated they placed us at a table in the corner in almost complete darkness not only that the lights continually flickered on and off like strobe lights. Not a very nice dinner setting to eat at for a fancy restaurant. Onto the food and service the waiter could barley hear us and we had to scream to get our orders out in. After another 30 minutes the appetisers arrived the arancini was extremely salty and tasted like soap. The ricotta and bread was tasteless. Onto the entree the arrived 1 hour and a half later I had the short pasta and meatballs it was salty and I only had about 1/4 cup of pasta in my dish very disappointed. My mother and grandmother ordered the pork chops it was hard & not tender at all and again very salty. Also at this point we were eating in the pitch black in the booth in the corner so at least we couldn't see the terrible food we were eating. Lastly my father ordered the slow cooked pork and it was mostly greens , barley any pork as pictured. We expressed our dislike with the waiter who didn't even give us his name and he didn't even take anything off the tab. Over all very sad I chose Rocco to take my mother for her 50th birthday. Do not go there if you enjoy good food and service. read more

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100% fantastic experience. We had a 6:30 reservation on a busy Saturday. Our waitress was very attentive, and friendly. We ordered and loved every bite of the ricotta, a grilled shrimp special, mushroom pizza, calabrese pizza, lasagna and a chicken special with chard potato and tomato. For dessert the budino is amazing, creamy, rich, crisp toasted almonds craziness. We also tried the spumoni semi-fredo and were delighted. Our plates were staggered, well timed and cleared quickly. The atmosphere is welcoming and cozy. read more

Rocco - Delighted that they give you scissors to cut your pizza, just like home! - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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About 8 of us crammed into a (or the) booth at Rocco on a random weeknight. The service was impeccable and very attentive without being overbearing. The atmosphere is elegant but very very relaxed. Our table had a white table cloth, as did a few others, but not all did. The bartender was very accommodating and gave some good advice on various wines. All the appetizers we had were amazingly good. Including, 1) the octopus escarole mint, 2) the frittes 3) a beet salad, and 4) the bread with a ricotta spread. My best advice would be to not skip having an appetizer or two, these were certainly the highlight. The main courses were very good also. I ordered the a mushroom & white truffle oil pizza, and was surprised at how much I liked it. My companion thought the truffle oil was a little overpowering, (it's good that she ordered a lasagna). I also had a side of the fried polenta, which was excellent but piping hot on my first bite. We couldn't pass on dessert when we discovered the gelato/ice cream was homemade and they had a nutella flavor. Very good and creamy. The restaurant was full on Tuesday evening. A testament to its quality. One owner typically works the front of the restaurant while another owner cooks (and even delivers some of the food to the table). Again, the atmosphere is very casual (but not a diner casual), as is the dress code but one wouldn't feel out of place wearing your Sunday best. Reservations are a must, otherwise don't expect you'll get a table, but you never know, you could get lucky. Our bill was about $40/pp (including tax but before tip), and we ordered 3 bottles of wine, a couple of beers, loads of appetizers, as well as main courses for 8 people. Rocco is easily in top 5 restaurants for the Rochester area. read more

Rocco - street view - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Adam and I came here as part of his birthday celebrations when he wanted only pizza for an entire day. After asking my fellow yelpers I decided this would be a great place to have dinner and enjoy each others company. I looked at the menu and the website and made reservations ahead of time and I suggest everyone else does the same as this is a very small place and each table is booked for at least 1 and 1/2 hours. We got there on time for our 5:30 dinner reservations after a little bit of confusions on where we should be parking and whether or not we could even fit in the super tiny lot and then were the actually back entrance was. We struggled because the door to the kitchen was open making it difficult to see where the entrance door was. Anyways we got it in and we were seated right away and given our menus and some water and then we sat there, and sat there, and continued to sit there for 10 minutes before someone even came over to great us and see if we wanted a drink other than water. I decided to stick with the water and Adam got a beer. Being that it took so long to even get someone to acknowledge us we decided to take advantage of having the waitress and we ordered our food, after 10 minutes and a small menu, we already knew what we wanted. We waited the perfect amount of time before our food came out - probably because our waitress didn't gave to bring it to us. As soon as the food came to our table she rushed over to see how it was -- we hadn't had it yet so we couldn't determine that. Afterwards, we didn't se our waitress again until our meals were finished. I am a quick eater and I finished probably 10 minutes before Adam and she did not come clear my plate and then we waited another 10 minutes before someone can and picked up Adams. We knew we weren't going to have dessert so I asked for our check right away. They were obviously very quick to get our money so we didn't have to wait to be finished then. Our food was good. I loved the pepperoni on the pizza's that we ordered as well as the cheese. I felt the crust was lacking and it was super flimsy and a little soggy which I didn't like. I loved that the restaurant gave scissors to cut your pizza as I grew up cutting my pizza with scissors and still do. I really have to say the reason we won't be back is because of the service. Just because a place books a party for at least 1 and 1/2 hours doesn't mean I want to sit there for 1 and 1/2 hours. We could have easily been done in about 45 minutes but since we were left waiting around it took an hour and 10 minutes. Also, we were never really checked up on, no one came to great us in a timely manner and no one cleared our table in a timely fashion. I just didn't think the pizza was good enough for that sort of hassle. read more

Rocco - Gringo pizza - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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As one can tell by glancing at my body of work on Yelp, I'm not a huge fan of Italian restaurants. For the most part, I feel that Americanized Italian food is the most overrated cuisine in the United States. There aren't many Italian food experiences that really stand out in my memory, other than a phenomenal meal at Giacomo's in Boston, and I rarely find myself with a strong hankering for Italian food. Sure, I like fried calamari, lobster fra diavolo, linguini and clam sauce, and tiramisu as much as the next guy, but I feel like I can make decent versions of most Italian dishes at home for a fraction of what they charge in restaurants. Fresh pasta...not so much, but the majority of Italian places use dried anyway. Considering my indifference to most Italian restaurant food, it was a major leap of faith for me to select Rocco as the destination for my 30th birthday dinner. Last year, I went to Good Luck with friends, Rio Tomatlan with the gf, and Lento with my parents, and I chose these three establishments only after several weeks of research and scrutiny. Having already visited my two favorite sit downs in Rochester (Lento and Dinosaur) the previous week, I chose Rocco due to the fact that it was one of the only highly rated restaurants in the Rochester area I hadn't yet visited. We arrived a little after 5pm and although our reservations were for 5:30pm, we were quickly seated. The decor was pretty basic - no tablecloths, oldish wooden chairs, basic tables, pictures of food on the wall, etc., but at the same time intimate and comfortable. The background music was adult contemporary, which was a bit odd for an Italian place, but it wasn't off-putting. Besides, I would imagine most people dining here aren't really looking for a fresh-off-the-boat Italian dining experience. I started with a Raspberry Bellini, made with prosecco and fresh raspberry puree. It was slightly tarter than I expected, but the flavor made sense due to the natural tartness of raspberries and the dry prosecco. I got the famous grilled octopus for my starter, and I couldn't have been more pleased with this dish. The skewered octopus was tender and slightly charred, and the escarole and salsa verde that accompanied it did a great job of cutting the richness of the succulent cephalopod. My parents got the meatball bruschetta and, despite the fact that it was impossible to pick up without completely douching my hands in red sauce, I was blown away by how tender and light the meatballs were. It was as if the chef was somehow able to whip air into perfectly seasoned meat (presumably a mix of beef, veal, and pork) and the result was a cloud of meaty deliciousness, which floated across my palate like a beef-filled kiss blown by Jesus Christ. Yeah, it was that good. For my entree, I chose the lamb leg steak with eggplant parmigiana, which incidentally ended up being the weakest of the three entrees ordered at our table. While the meat was delicious and cooked to a perfect medium rare and the eggplant was excellent, I felt the dish, as a whole, was ill-conceived and could've used a defined starch component. It wasn't a bad dish and everything on the plate was well seasoned (not over-salted) and well executed, but it seemed like something was missing. I'd probably reduce the amount of eggplant and add a simple side of pasta with mint pesto to compliment the lamb, but that's just me. In contrast, my parents' entrees were both perfect. My father ordered the duck with fried polenta cake and seasonal fruit. The stewed plum condiment was amazing, the duck skin had crispy skin and perfectly pink meat, and the polenta cake was hearty and satisfying. My mother's meatless lasagna was filled with light, homemade ricotta and topped with the same bright tomato sauce as the meatballs served earlier in the meal. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the portion was huge. I can't say much about the desserts, other than they couldn't have been any better. The Butterscotch Budino was served in a glass and tasted similar to creme brûlée, except the brûlée part was replaced with a thick layer of rich butterscotch and topped with whole almonds. Due to its size and richness, this dessert could (and should) be shared. My mom's chocolate panna cotta was gigantic, surrounded by a moat of raspberry sauce, and generously topped with crumbled Amaretti cookies. I had Lento's version of this dish a week earlier, and this one was better. I thought my father's olive oil cake with fresh figs was excellent, but my mom thought it was a little too dry. I snuck a peek at the bill and it was a little over $150 for three people liberally ordering two appetizers, three drinks, three entrees, and three desserts with coffee. This place deserves the distinction of being one of the few great $$$-$$$$ restaurants in the Rochester area. read more

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This is my favorite restaurant in Rochester. Their pork chop is always executed perfectly. The Roman-style gnocchi... ungh. I can't contain myself. I rarely order spaghetti and meatballs when out, because it's boring, right? Nope. I ordered it last time I went, on a lark, and guess what? At Rocco's, it's amazing. Their red sauce devilishly good. Go. Take your date. Take your parents. Treat yourself. Go. read more