Great food, this place has character and is always filled with a variety of people from judges to basic workers. Don't expect linen table cloths and napkins, just good food! read more

Seems every time II go there, the staff, except for the owner, is different. Food still good, but they are definitely going downhill in service. Tables are often empty compared to a few years ago when you had to wait in line. Also the place should be inspected for cleanliness. I'm not sure it would pass. read more

The place is a dump. Filthy. Nothing has been cleaned properly in this restaurant in 25 years. I don't know how they pass health inspections. read more

I love coming here and have for years. It's very homey with delicious Italian dishes and reasonable prices. 4 of us went for lunch recently for under $40. Make sure to check the menu online as the options vary by the day. I highly recommend the gnocchi! read more

I came with friends, and asked the waitress if they had any vegan options. She replied we don't do non of that here we are an Italian restaurant! clearly it's an Italian restaurant and I wanted to know if you would do anything vegan but I guess not the lady was rude I tried to tell her I spoke to a guy from the kitchen yesterday and he was willing to accommodate me and she responded no we don't do nothing like that she was just nasty read more

***DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT - DON'T EVEN CONSIDER GOING TO THIS PLACE*** As a preface, this review is not intended to be funny and is an accurate account of our experience at this restaurant. Moreover, its surprising to see all the positive reviews written when Rocky's is so bad on many levels! I took my wife to Rocky's in early September 2023 based on positive feedback on Yelp & Google. However, had a shocking experience, will never go back and warn everyone not to go to Rocky's located at 190 Jay St Rochester, NY 14608. From the moment we parked, we noticed that the exterior of the building is worn down and there was a pit bull tied up at the back door of the building. We walked in the business and it was dirty and smelled moldy and greasy. The tables were not cleaned off, there were particles of food on them from prior customers, the walls, floors and ceilings were old and worn. There was debris (paper bits, leaves, empty sugar packets) all over the floor. The male server who waited on us did not offer us a menu and asked what we wanted. We ordered water, I ordered rigatoni, my wife spaghetti, and we both got salads. We thought the server said something about salads being an extra cost but before arriving and before we placed our order, we visited Rocky's website on our iPhones where the menu is posted. www.rockysonjaystreet.com/Menu There, you will see "large" sized dinners are priced at $6.00, include a side of pasta and salad. It was at this point that we were talking about getting up and leaving. Our first impressions were not good and we felt like any minute someone was going to rob the place since its located in a high crime section of the city. Google Jay street and review the murders and other crimes that have happened in that area over the past several years. Our waters arrived in dirty glasses and our salads were served swimming in what tasted like dressing that was squeezed from low end convenience store packets. The salad was old, wilted and a bit strange with whole baby carrots. We did not eat the salad or drink the water. While we were waiting for our food, people would come in and out and we assumed they were mostly locals. Many of them were not groomed, appeared as though they had not showered in days and had picked their clothes out of a dumpster at the salvation army. Our pasta arrived and was served "prison style". Meaning, the server dropped the bowls in front of us and the appearance of the pasta was messy with sauce splattered around the edges of the bowl. The portions were average and were certainly not "large" as listed on their website. The pasta was barely warm, it was over cooked and the sauce tasted like it came out of a 5 gallon can from the local Aldies. There was not a single thing that was "authentic Italian" about the food. As we were planning to leave, we heard the server tell two customers who were trying to pay their bill that the restaurant "rounds up". Meaning if your bill was $20.15, you need to pay $22. Seriously?!!! The server then came over to our table and put a folded up, ripped piece of paper in front of us that had our dinners handwritten on it with the amount of $33.00!! That's right, the meal that is posted on their website as $6.00 with a side of pasta and salad is fraudulent. Before we could stop and ask the server about our bill, he went into a back room. In shock (again) we didn't know if these were attempts by the employee to extort money from first time customers or we walked into the set of some crazy hidden camera show. It was all starting to makes sense why Rocky's is a "cash only" business. If Rocky's accepted credit cards, customers would have a means by which to document their purchase and file for a refund with their credit card company based on the experience. Wait, it gets better........as we sat thinking about how anyone would ever go to a crap hole like this and eat their horrible food, a mouse appeared and ran along the edge of the wall next to us into another room. A perfect addition to our fine dining experience! That was it...we wanted out immediately. However, our homeless appearing server was nowhere to be found. We placed the $33 on the table and got the hell out of there. Aside from warning you not to go to Rocky's for any reason ever, we feel the business needs to be inspected by the NYS Department of Health for potentially numerous health code violations as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). During the 45 minutes we were there, we did not see any process to track or document the transactions and realized that the owner must be grossly understating the tax they owe and swindling customers out of a lot of money. While Rocky's may have been a charming place to dine at in the 1960's, it's become a place for the impoverished living nearby who believe the prison grade food is scrumptious and the filthy ambience is appealing. ***DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT - DON'T EVEN CONSIDER GOING TO THIS PLACE*** read more

Rochester treasure. Best in the entire area. I go about once a week and it never disappoints.

Ordered a big pan of lasagna and meatballs with bread for an at home get together. They were very helpful and the lasagna was amazing.

Food is outstanding is always been around forever. The restaurant itself is not a place you take a date services great been going there since I was 15 years old. read more

Never here before and made a special trip to pick up a surprise order of tripe for a friend who can't get there anymore. Not the friendliest service I've had, waited a bit to order then had to wait again to pay for it another 10 min. Dropped the order to my friend, lunch order came with tripe only nothing else in bag, next time I talked to my friend he asked where I got it, couldn't believe Rocky's said wasn't near as good as used to be. He was a regular before not being able to get around. read more

Not bad but heck it's not mom's. Large portion sizes, low prices. The folks at the counter were friendly. It was evident there are a lot of neighborhood regulars who are greeted by name and their order is already known. In addition it seemed like the guys working were able to recall all the orders at the tables when it came to check out and they were at about half capacity. The lasagna was thickly noodled, larger than needed chunks of ground beef and unevenly/sparingly cheese​d. read more

Rocky's - I think it's a large lasagna to go, I didn't specify in my order - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Rocky's is by far the most authentic Italian food you will have in Rochester. This restaurant, located on Jay Street, is most definitely a hidden gem but non-the less a Rochester landmark. If you are down for a mom and pop home cooked meal, Rocky's is your go to lunch spot. Some may consider it a local hangout with old pals and others a weekly family ritual. The ambiance has a very old school, traditional Italian feel that you won't be able to find anywhere else. Amongst the casual atmosphere you will find old New York State license plates on the wall, tables with plastic table clothes and paper place mats on each. The staff is family and will make you feel like they have known you for years. The hours are limited Monday-Saturday they are only open for lunch and a few hours for dinner on Friday nights. Each day the menu changes and ranges from Monday's Gnocchi to Wednesday's Macaroni and Beans to Friday's Fish fry. Each table starts off with a fresh heaping loaf of bread followed by a soup (chicken soup) or salad, then your order is taken. The tripe, which is served daily, is outstanding and the only tripe I will eat. Each order has two sizes, which is small or large, and if you order the large you will be taking leftovers home. Any day of the week you are a guaranteed a fresh and consistently amazing meal. Take note on the fact that this is a cash only restaurant and come early because they fill up quick! read more

Rocky's - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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The palace of "Rochester Italian " cuisine. That rustic, red sauced based style that is unique to our area, and unlike Italian food found elsewhere. Only open for lunch, and located in an old house in a seedy part of the city, get here early, because daily specials go quickly. You'll dine among working folk and professionals alike, all getting their daily fix of some really good food, like your Nonna would make. read more

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Food is absolutely delicious! Old school Italian! Delicious salad and soup! Pasta is outstanding! Sauce is to die for! Service was great! read more

This is a hard review.... The positives: Cheap food Good food Nice people Large non-alcoholic beverage menu Fast service Negatives: ....a dive of a place..... Keep your eyes closed Neighborhood Small menu Small wine menu Cash Only I like a nice ambience. It just needs to be remodeled! Some fresh paint, new floors, etc read more

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We had an end of the month luncheon and as always Joe and the team at Rocky's delivered! The meatballs are AMAZING and we always have to order them and now our other new favorite the chicken parmesan! Reasonably priced, the food is out of this world! You will not be disappointed or hungry! read more

My daughter just had catering for her husband's 40th birthday this past weekend. When she told me she had booked Rocky's I tried to discourage her from ordering from there. I'm glad I did not the whole experience was handled very professionally. Everything was delivered piping-hot and and was delicious. I definitely will be returning there soon for more of their food. read more

Everyone should try Rocky's at least once. It's a family owned Italian restaurant since I believe the 1930's, and they are wonderful! Gave us good suggestions for order and one of the sons Nick even let us try a sample of their tripe. I'm usually not a big fan of tripe, but I actually liked it at Rocky's. The sauce it came with has a lot of depth. Nick even tried the tripe for his first time with us! His mom was laughing so hard. Really nice people. We sat at the bar. Ordered gnocchi, stuffed peppers, ziti with sauce and a pastini soup. The soup was a bit salty for my taste, but it was still good. The gnochhi and pasta were cooked just right, aldente. The stuffed peppers didn't wow me, but I also prefer making these myself at home. The sauce for the ziti and gnocchi were the same. Would've been nice if it was varied. The sauce for the tripe though is excellent. You can't get better pricing than here. Very fair. For all the food we ordered, the bill barely came to $16. My belly was happy, and that's all I can really ask! read more

Rocky's - Stuffed peppers & ziti on the left -- gnocchi on the right. They also warmed our bread for us. So nice! - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Im not Italian, but I know that this culture is big on family values. Rocky's does not fall short on that. Family pictures everywhere. History all over the place. The staff makes you feel welcomed -- even if you are not a Rochester native. I felt a modest atmosphere. When it came to the food, it was great!. Pasta and sauce are home made. Each day of the week they are opened, comes with a different choice of menu. Only a few dishes are available all week long. I'v heard people rave about Rocky's, and they have the right to . Rocky's for me stood up to its expectation. Just letting you know in advance, don't expect to have some one waiting in the front entrance like many traditional restaurants. This is a "Mi casa, su casa" setting where you choose an open table and let a staff know you are there. I recommend this place to everyone! read more

Best Italian restaurant in Rochester! Food portions are huge and the food is amazing! I used to love coming here with the owners of the company I used to work for years ago when they introduced it to me. read more

I'll be back again to add that 5th star. Went for lunch. Considering there was little to no parking close by, there were 4 empty tables when we walked in. Everyone inside must've driven separately... It took almost 10 minutes before anyone took notice of us, but we were then told to seat ourselves. Another 5-ish minutes passed before someone came by to ask if we'd ordered, and after being told "no", menus were promptly delivered. If you want cheap, delicious, no frills Italian food, come here. Do yourself a favor and order a small salad. The medium is certainly enough to be a meal, especially when you (finally) get bread to the table. Ours took quite a while, but trust me, it's worth the wait. Don't eat it with the whipped butter-- that won't do it justice. We both ordered linguine in white clam sauce, the small portion. After our monster medium salad, that was more than enough. Mom wished hers had more garlic, but I think she's crazy. The dish wasn't heavy at all, and it has the potential to be so in the wrong hands. The "sauce" was more of a broth but still had tons of flavor and lots of clam, and the linguine was perfectly cooked. It's not overly seasoned, so the clams are definitely the star. Our waitress was a true gem and very much a conversationalist. I'd come back just to hang out with her. The main complaint for a lunch meal would be the overall wait time we experienced: upon arrival (despite empty tables), and then between courses, and the several promises for bread before actual delivery. But on the flip side, I suppose this is also part of the charm. For the next visit we'll make sure to add some extra buffer time. read more

I have been going to Rocky's since I was young, with my dad. They have the best, homemade, Italian food. It's a must try, but will be sure to have you coming back for more!! read more

Best sauce in Rochester. Home made raviolis served on Thursday are my favorite Service is always top notch Be sure to get there early if you want a seat The place fills up fast read more

I'm a huuuugggee Rocky's fan. Monday is my favorite day to go because they serve gnocchi. Rocky's is a unique experience so here's a couple things to keep in mind: They are mainly a lunch place; dinner is only served Friday 4 - 7. The menu changes daily. Example: gnocchi is only served Monday and Saturday. They are cash only. They sell-out, sometimes by 12:30, so if you really want gnocchi get there at noon. Otherwise prepare yourself for a unique experience with some of the best "sauce" you'll ever have. read more

I love this place. I have just about tried everything, but the tripe. It is all soooo good. The atmosphere is over the top. Everyone is so friendly and make you feel like family. read more

My boyfriend found this spot while we were driving through Rochester from Niagara Falls. Parking lot was completely full, so we figured that was a good sign. My boyfriend got the meatball sandwich open faced with marinara and cheese. I got stuffed shells, the Wednesday special. Both were amazing and everything was super cheap. I would eat here regularly if I lived in the neighborhood. You can tell a lot of people do, given the staff greets a lot of customers by name. read more

You don't come here for the atmosphere you come for simple Italian American food that is delicious and priced cheap as can be. My favorite, the homemade ravioli are soft pillowy pasta and cheese,the sauce is smooth and flavorful. For two people to eat dinner on a Friday night you're looking at under $20 before tip, how can you go wrong? read more

Felt a bit out of place where everyone was talking to the staff by name, but they treated me nicely enough. Gnocchi were best I've had in years---tender inside while still having enough bite on the outside. Red sauce might have been a little too heavy for my taste, and bread was just ok, but that might come with the sort of restaurant it is---the gnocchi texture and flavor were well worth the detour. read more

Homestyle. In a day and age where every place has some punk in the kitchen who seems to be bucking for a spot on America's Hot Cheffz or whatever, Rocky's is wonderful. There's nothing fancy, nothing with foie gras or chevre or whatever the hell. It's really really good Italian-American home cooking. The prices and portions make it a bargain. The sauce is really good, old fashioned Sunday gravy. That and a plate of homemade ravioli made me very, very happy. And at a price about half what you'd pay other places for worse food. The atmosphere is great, a real neighborhood vibe. Friendly service. I only wish they served dinner more than once a week. read more

Incredible homemade ravioli and meatballs. Very friendly, exceptional customer service. Our teenager forgot his retainer and they stayed late for us to come back and pick it up. read more

Rocky's - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

If you want to feel like you are in the middle of a mafia movie, and eat great food while doing so, then you need to go into Rocky's on Jay Street. Jay Street is not the best part of the city, but this food is worth going there! I have been going to this little hole in the wall ever since I can remember. My grandfather used to take my mother there and he used to go there when he was little Rocky's has delicious, authentic Italian food. They are only open for lunch during the week and for a few hours on Friday for dinner. When you walk into this place there is no hostess, but you have catch Rocky to put your name on the list. Since my mom has been going there since she was a wee child, she calls a head and we have a table reserved for us. I'm not gonna lie, I always feel bad ass walking into this place, by passing the full waiting area and sitting down at a reserved table. Now when you go to Rocky's don't be socked if you feel like the staff is a bit cold. These people are running around crazy to get every one out in a timely manor, which sometimes that doesn't even happen. Once the waiter or waitress comes over, you start to feel a bit like family. This is the only place that I don't mind having the waitress or waiter call me "hun." It usually erks me to no end when I am called hun while placing and orde,r but here, I feel like I am part of the fam. Each day the menu changes and in my opinion, the best thing there is the ravs, also known as ravioli. After your drink orders are taken and heaping basket of fresh Italian bread is placed on the table and then they take your order. I always get a salad, cup of chicken soup (most amazing soup ever, but rarely has pieces of chicken in it ) and "ravs". Most of their dishes, have two sizes, small or large. The small ravs come with 4 good sized ravs and the large comes with 6. I usually get the large to have something to take home and eat later, and by later, I mean the minute i get back to the office. I think Rocky's has the best pasta sauce that I have ever had, aside from my mothers :) So, a few things to keep in mind about Rocky's. Rocky's is in a crappy area. It might take over an hour for lunch. The staff isn't overly friendly like a chain restaurant and you have to get their as early as possible to make sure they haven't run out of food, but everything on their menu is worth all of it!! read more

Ok, for my Chicago friends reading this....if you are ever in Rochester and want to feel like you are in Bridgeport (for non-Windy City residents, this is a neighborhood in Chicago, where "that" is pronounced "dat"), go to Rocky's immediately. Rocky's is a small family-owned Italian restaurant in a not-so-pretty area of Rochester. I went as part of a family outing and I did not expect much, but kept an open mind. The scene is VERY casual. The food is VERY cheap. I think my small ravioli (which was hardly small) was $5. I think all the pastas include salad....for our party of 13, we were given two large bowls of salad to share. Everything is homemade, so not everything is available every day...each day of the week has its own entree menu. For example, we were there on a Saturday, and on Saturdays the choices are cheese ravioli, spaghetti, ziti, or gnocchi. Aside from the daily pasta choices, they offer hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and while it is not my thing, tripe, every day. I will not say my ravioli was the best I ever had, but it was certainly good. Rocky's seems to be a very popular place...it was packed when we were there. I'd recommend making a reservation and getting there when they open if you want to find a spot in the parking lot. And yeah, bring cash...they do not take plastic. If you're looking to kick it old school big time, Rocky's is so the place to be. Go and see what I mean. read more

Great local spot with amazing Italian food. Lasagna, meatballs, rigatoni were all delicious. Great family owned spot with friendly service. Going back again...twice in one week. read more

We had a quiet Friday dinner at Rocky's. It's the only night it's open for dinner. It's in a safe center city location sort of off by itself. The setting hasn't changed in the 25 years I've been going there; simple, comfortable with a lot of character. We both had a wonderful homemade ravioli. The pasta was terrific; perfect al dente and fresh tasting. The red sauce is to die for. The service was friendly and attentive but not hovering. read more

Came here for dinner before baseball game. Ordered Linguini and Ravioli-v- Mind: cash only lol Really old fashion！ read more

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Like going to visit Grandma's house - back in the day - for Sunday afternoon dinner. Exceptionally good, homey Italian food. And not the fru fru northern Italian, pseudo-French stuff, but the southern Italian / Sicilian, stick to your ribs, comforting sustenance! Freshly baked, chewy Italian bread and butter. Casual yet attentive service. Made to feel welcome - like family! I had the tripe, and my wife went with simple spaghetti and meatballs. Portions were huge and made for another meal. Got out of there for under $25! Unbelievable! Convenient, on-site parking lot. Hours are limited and the place can get really busy, especially at peak times. We''ll definitely be back. Nothing - NOTHING - else like it in Rochester. A regional institutional icon in my humble opinion! Heartily recommended! read more

Very cheap food with big portions. That being said, it's a very no frills place where if it gets busy, you might as well get your own menus and clean off your own table. The food was good and the chef was very nice. They ran out of meatballs so they gave us the last meatball and sausage instead. We got the sausage and pasta first. After waiting a year and a half for the lone meatball we ordered (we were almost done our pasta at this point), the chef comes out and plops the meatball on our table telling us they might be a little hard because he just put them in the microwave. He told us if we weren't satisfied, he wouldn't charge us for it. They were a little tough, but because the price was so reasonable we felt bad for complaining. Next time I think I'll just get take out instead. read more

Authentic Italian right here. This is real food that has had time effort and love put into it. This is not olive garden. Leave your screaming out of control kids at home and come in and enjoy a nice meal. The menu is short. What is on it depends on the day. They have a few dishes and they are all 5 star. This ain't fast food where you have 30 dishes that came out of a frozen bag. So get in you Cadillac cruise down park come inside and sit with a bunch of old Italians and enjoy some real home style cooking. This place is a gem that most locals don't know about. read more

Just to clarify: this is not authentic Italian food; it is Italian-American. That's being said, it's authentic Italian-American. You have to come here if for no other reason than to experience the true Rochester power lunch. It's a dive for sure, but come here for lunch and you'll see politicians, judges, lawyers and some charming senior citizens. The only thing close to it is Antonetta's, also on Jay Street, by the way. Best tripe in the city. read more

I've been going to Rocky's since I was born. I love it here. The food is great--highly recommend the greens and beans. It's always crowded and loud but that's part of its charm. read more