Nice old place. The food and service were very good! My first dinner in Rochester. A nice place for a family celebration or where you can talk to your friends without having to yell over the sound of tvs or music blaring. I will definitely go back again. read more

My wife and I went to Rooney's for the first time in years. The place is easily the best restaurant in Rochester. The quality of the food, the presentation, the attention of the wait staff are just so far above and beyond what you see anywhere. I had the Mushroom and Herb Soup, the Belgian Endive Salad, and the Orange Duck. My wife also had the soup, a marinated beet salad, and the rack of lamb. We will definitely return to Rooney's read more

Rooney's Restaurant - Orange Duck - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Rooney's is one of the few of a dying breed of old fashioned classy restaurants left in Rochester. The kind where you take your parents on a special occasion, or you take your younger relatives for their first real steak. It's quiet, elegant and classy. The service people are nice and patient, since many people are not familiar with the type of restaurant Rooney's represent. Rooney's does the whole old-fashioned thing very well. Their martinis are tasty, and cold, and their steak is delicious. Their mashed potatoes are also fantastic, and so are their sauces. Where Rooney struggles is when it tries to go outside that realm. Their scallops where just OK, not quite the perfect balance of crisp vs creaminess that a great scallop should have. Their rice dish was just sad. Their side veggies (good old side veggies) were perfectly cooked, if a little bland. All in all, Rooneys is a great place to take your meat and potato lovers for a fancy meal out. Outside of that, it's not that great. read more

Rooney's Restaurant - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Coming off of a string of some pretty blah experiences, Rooney's was pleasantly mediocre. Ambiance - 3 It has the vibe of floor to ceiling carpeting. Everything is upholstered, old looking, and gives the feeling that a cigar should be passed out in between courses. As a 20 something girl out for a graduation celebration, I didn't quite get the va va voom one expects from a fine dining experience. The table next to us, hosting a dignified steel-haired woman in a fox fur stole, looked right at home. Food - 3.5 While certainly overpriced, the food was not low quality. We began with escargot and jumbo shrimp. The shrimp were jam packed with flavor, but the escargot were swimming in butter without many other flavor additions. Quite bland. Entrees brought salmon, mixed grill, scallops, and lamb. Four scallops on a $32 plate with nothing more than rice and steamed veggies as an accompaniment? It was a bit of a ripoff, although the scallops did taste very fresh. The salmon and mixed grill were both rather bland, but not bad. The lamb was excellent I was told, so although I didn't try a bite, it was good. My grandmother had to ask for lemon and sauce to spruce up the bland salmon, but it was inoffensive overall. Service - 4 I can't put my finger on what exactly what was so weird about our server. Perhaps it was the weird painting of servers dishing out some side eye that gave a weird vibe. Our server did try to trick us into buying more by implying that a salad was free with dinner until expressly asked if there was a charge. But she and the other waitstaff were attentive and kept our drinks and waters full. Just a bit of an overemphasis on the bottom line (i.e the tip) read more

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Great service with seating , cocktails , apps, salads, dinner. . But had to ask for dessert list and waited a while to take the order that we changed our minds so still had to wait a while for the check. All 3 meals were fabulous. Highly Recommend the shrimp and the calamari app. I do not recommend the Scandinavian seafood dish. Not worth the $36. Sooo small and no fish in it at all. Better off with the $12,mussels dish read more

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This is a consistent old-school, upscale hotel type of restaurant with the expected dinner and dessert options

We just had an amazing meal at Rooney's. I started with the plantain shrimp with mango salsa (prepared gluten free) and my husband had the crab cake. Then we shared a Caesar salad. For our entrees I had the rack of lamb with chimichurri aioli sauce and my husband had beef tenderloin. It was all unbelievable. I can't begin to describe the flavors. And btw, these were the best mashed potatoes I've ever had. - loaded with onion. OMG. Highly recommended!! read more

This restaurant is so charming and the food is very high quality food expertly prepared. I used to go to Rooney's probably 30 years ago and then when I moved back to the area I was hoping it would be as good as I remembered and it was!! Probably the best food in Rochester. read more

Meat-tastic. My friends who like meat were happy, but my wife and I, both meatless, went hungry. Had to stop on the way home for food, we were starving. This place might be good, but they basically give the finger to vegetarians. I'm just leaving this for my fellow vegetarians, meat lovers disregard. read more

My wife and I went for our three year anniversary. Our server made us feel very unwelcome. We had a question about the menu and he talked in such a cutthroat way we ended up ordering less than we normally do and tried to leave as quickly as possible. read more

Two stars because they offer a vegetarian menu and shouldn't bother. Swedish Roti consisted of burned potato soaking in the oil it was fried in. Vegetables atop were cooked nicely but tasteless except for the bits of cheese. Service is attentive and friendly. Companion's scallop entree received thumb's up. Vegetarian options? I'll pass on this place. read more

First time I was at Rooney's was in the early 80's. Not a regular, but I have come every couple of years. Other then this week I was there 2-3 years before. This time the restaurant seems to have dropped a bit. Still fine, no major problems, but just...ok. Moment we walked in my guest smelled a strong smokey smell. Possibly it can be charming in a cold winter night. On a sunny summer day at 6:45 PM it was just smokey. The service again was just alright. Nothing terrible, but at a better restaurant you should not have to ask for more bread, a top service will ask you. What bothered us the most was the amount of tables. Tables so close that it was impossible not to hear the people around you. We heard conversations from three different tables even though they were not loud. Dinner for two, not counting liquor, wine, or tips cost us $120. To me, in Rochester, for $120 it should be better then JUST ok. I have been coming here every couple of years for close to 40 years, I bet I have been there 30 times or more for dinner.. I probably will not be coming back. read more

Lucky me I found a seat at the bar to have my dinner. The place was crowded due to a event that occupied half of the place. Fortunately, the restaurant had two separate dining areas and thus I was spared the "informational" raucus of the event in the other room. Even in the dinner area, space was limited but I rather sat at the bar than waiting for an open table. I loved the interior of this place. It had a nice neighborhood feeling but still maintain its classiness. The main focus of the dining area was the bar with an impressive selection of spirits and wine. I didn't feel like any alcohol tonight and went ahead with an appetizer and an entree. For appetizer, it was the shrimp and salmon cake. I think the waitress mistook it for crab cake or the menu was printed with the wrong information (the menu changed daily). My crab cake was, however, delicious. It was filled with generous lumps of crab meat. Added to that were some creamy sauces and black bean salsa as condiment. I got the saltiness and savory of the crab cake, the creaminess and spiciness of the sauce, and the sweetness of the salsa. It was a full flavor dish. For entree, I opted for the red pepper crusted Atlantic salmon. The plate consisted of couscous, roasted vegetables and baked salmon topped with a red pepper cheese melt. The salmon was seasoned before hand and you could distinguish the different flavors that it had. The meat was soft and juicy. I loved the crusted part where the flavor was enhanced ten folds. As always, I was stuffed before touching the dessert menu, which I kindly declined. Good food and interesting environment. read more

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Disappointed this time around with quality of the food and the presentation of the meal. We were seated early, but our table faced the kitchen. I sent back my entree because it was cold. My partner's appetizer was cold in the center and his entree featured burnt potatoes. Our nice waiter offered us a complimentary dessert which we declined as we were full. It would have been a courtesy if the host had extended an apology. read more

One of the older restaurants in the city of Rochester, and I am told in the country.... The experience and the quality of the food and service were excellent. We had a series of appetizers we shared and then entrees. Everything was done very well and there was sufficient attention to detail in every interaction to show us that this is a high class well run establishment. The food was creative and the combination of tastes and textures was a beautiful surprise every time.... Crab cakes were firm and full of crabmeat, accompanied by a light but dense sauce that was a perfect accompaniment. The calamari was a nice surprise - not fried, but almost stewed in a brown sauce (soy, sesame etc. ponzu style with some sweetness and yet some sharpness to it) was soft and succulent - the sauce was so good, some even dipped bread in it..... Mushrooms and fingerling potatoes were stir fried (large pieces) and were cooked perfectly with light oil and not overwhelmed with any type of heavy sauce. The beef skewers were served on a bed of noodles with a beautifully light sauce that was a little sharp but just coated the noodles and vegetables and did not overwhelm them! The entrees were varied with the lamb being the most favored and cooked perfectly. The Bouillabaisse Marseille was in alight tomato based sauce with some potatoes and other ingredients. Lots of fish and shellfish - a very nice size... Perhaps a toasted slice of a baguette would have accented this a little more, but it was really nice. Swordfish was also well prepared and juicy with a nice flavorful topping and sides. Nice experience. A definite favorite in Rochester read more

There food was amazing, the staff there were wonderful!! I loved the steaks and there salad. I definitely recommend going there for a nice quite night from the kids! read more

We were looking for a place to have a nice family dinner that would also lend itself to the ability to have some deep and important conversation. Those needs filter out a majority of restaurants that are noisy with a bar atmosphere. Rooney's fit the bill perfectly. The entrees were just amazing, I personally had the duck and the portion size, the moistness, the flavor, and the delicate sides were the best I've ever had. Others in our party had beef tenderloin and lamb shank dinners with the same compliments. The waiter was quiet, attentive, and performed flawlessly. The different deserts that we had were heavenly. I will definitely be returning on date night. read more

Good service. Wine pour was sparing. Crab cake and beet salad delicious. Tenderloin and mashed potatoes melted in your mouth. Rack of lamb disappointing. read more

The service and the food were outstanding. This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Rochester. It was a great experience had by all! Our server Alex was first class. From the appetizers to the desserts everything was fantastic. read more

Somehow had never been before this past Saturday. Great meal, great dining room albeit would be a bit tight at full occupancy. Nice contrast to the current trend of loud, industrial decorated dinner big rooms in new restaurants. Wife and I were actually able to carry on a conversation over dinner! I had the mixed grill- wonderful! Wife had the pasta dish that evening which she said was delicious. Brought a nice Burgundy along with us taking advantage of a very acceptable $20 corkage fee. Waiter (Alex) was appropriately attentive. Great meal, anxious to return! read more

Rooney's takes you back to the days of fine dining. Quaint ambiance, knowledgeable bartender and attentive waiter. We began our dinner with a delicious salad. Between the three of us, we ate fish, filet mignon and duck. All three plates were full of flavor. We sipped on wine and enjoyed conversation. A must try. read more

(Real rating: 3.5 stars. Yelp... please add a half star feature!) Rooney's is sort of a less steak focused/slightly less fancy cousin of Tourneo's (read: not at all hipster, old money, mostly traditional upscale American). The ambiance is a little dated but charming. The service was very attentive. The drinks (martini + gin and tonic) were well made. Appetizers: The crab cake appetizer was quite good - mostly crab that was barely held together by fillers. I would get it again. The escargot and mushroom was earthy but in a good way. The duck terrine was too sweet with the accompanying sauce and wasn't my favourite. Entrees: I cannot express this enough: stick to the steaks for guaranteed wins. I got scallops and they were ok (I don't even want to talk about the saffron pilaf - under seasoned/undercooked). The people who got the tenderloin+mashed potatoes and steak frites were on cloud 9. Desserts: The creme brulee was greatly enjoyed by others (I wasn't feeling dessert at that point). Overall it was a good (and expensive) dining experience. It's a great choice for celebrations with people who are into traditional meat+potatoes. read more

This place is amazing. Classic steakhouse vibes with thoughtful and well appointed menu choices. I started with the lobster bisque which was served at the perfect temperature. Details like this matter at the price point Rooney's charges so I was glad they got it right. The bisque had nice chunks for sweet, succulent lobster - it was spot on. Followed up with the tenderloin which was cooked to a perfect medium rare temp. The potato puree was amazing and veggies were flavorful and cooked to my liking with just a slight crunch to ensure their freshness. I did want to try the Creme Brulee however the kitchen was out of the dessert which was a slight disappointment. But also a reason for me to go back! read more

The food was extraordinarily and the service outstanding. We had a crab cake appetizer, endive Salas and scallop dinners. Fabulous!! read more

Rooney's Restaurant - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I haven't been to Rooney's in YEARS! I thought of the idea, something different than where we usually go on a Friday night. My boyfriend had never been. It was such a wonderful date night. We got a drink at the bar before we sat. Never felt rushed at all. The vodka martini and his Manhattan we spot on. We got a cute little table by the window. Yes, like other reviews sad the decor is outdated and old. But I thought it adds to the over all charm of the place. It makes it and going to Rooney's special. We started with the Pork Rillette, I had to talk my boyfriend into. Man, was he happy!!! It was delicious, full of porky flavor! Then the main course. We decided on the duck breast and the NY strip steak. The Duck was the show stopper!! We were in love and couldn't get enough! The flavor, cooked to a perfect med rare. Wow. The strip also was very good. The mashed potatoes and veg were on the cold side. But I'm not taking away a star for that. W We split a bottle of reasonably priced Pinot noir that complimented the whole meal perfectly. Service was on point, friendly and attentive. What a great Friday night date night !!!! Thank you Rooney's!!! read more

Very nice and secluded. A rare hide away restaurant away from the noise and chaos of Park Ave. & Monroe Ave. nice selection of wines and beers. It is a tranquil spot to feel like an adult and get proper restaurant service. read more

Loved this place. Cozy, fabulous staff, deeelicious food! Parking was easy. The dim lighting enhances ambiance, but admittedly it challenged my eyesight while reading the menu. Adequate time to chat between salads and entrees. This is that restaurant with white table cloths and napkins, with a "tavern and booths" on the opposite side of the building! Classy, attentive wait staff but not "stuffy." It was a subdued crowd and the place was packed. I perused an eclectic menu. I ordered a blood orange salad with a savory citrus vinaigrette over Boston lettuce. Red onion, blue cheese...simple pleasure! I wanted something light so I ordered an appetizer for an entree: smoked salmon on onion pancakes with dill creme fraiche. Perfect Portion sizes were appropriate (you likely will not be taking home a doggy bag) and the wine list was good. To end the evening we ordered the flourless chocolate cake and 6 forks. Yum! I would highly recommend this place for a special occasion. read more

Rooney's Restaurant - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Biased review: I was an employee a LONG time ago under a different owner. I didn't have all that great of an experience as I was young and worked as the dishwasher, so, no surprise. But that has nothing to do with my experience as a customer. Just being up front. I've eaten at Rooney's for over 30 years (with my parents when I was young and on my own as an adult) and simply haven't had anything but excellent experiences and food. However it's been a year or two since I last went so I don't know if things have changed. If my memory serves me right, the kitchen had more of a classic French Bistro menu a long time ago and some of that has remained to this day. Though now it seems to be a bit more chophouse-like, or steak and seafood oriented. It's a real fine-dining establishment. Rochester used to have many but with time, as fewer and fewer remain, that definition locally has been lost. Now it seems far too many people refer to any "nice" place as fine dining in this city. read more

Our dinner at Rooney's was superb, and was perhaps the best dining experience we've had in Rochester. Great food, great professional service, and a relaxing vibe. Yes, it was a bit expensive, but it's worth it. read more

Excellent escargot! Good beet salad, very good flourless chocolate cake. Ambience nice. Salmon was dry though and they removed the scallops from their menu but I don't think they updated it, so we found out upon arrival. Overall sense they're trying to reduce costs by replacing scallops with salmon. read more

This place was completely unimpressive. The service was snooty. The food was bland. They annoyingly made substitutions without prior warning. Yes, actually I think it is important to let someone know you're out of french fries and using shriveled red potatoes instead, in a dish where fries are specifically part of the name! Also pickled vegetables does not generally mean three gherkin pickles over a droopy lettuce salad. Exotic mushrooms usually doesn't mean 3 shriveled mushrooms with plain steamed carrots and broccoli. When asked how our meals were, and met with an answer of "Not so good, the steak is pretty flavorless." the server offered to bring out some sauce, saying that many diners found that helped. If I'm paying $30+ for a meal, do you really think I want you to fix it with a sauce? Perhaps you should serve me delicious steak to being with. I mean, am I wrong? Do I expect too much? There was a really impressive painting on the wall of restaurant servers giving me the side-eye. I enjoyed that quite a bit. read more

We decided to splurge and go to Rooney's to celebrate our anniversary. We had been there only once before, some years ago. I read over the reviews before we went and I was a bit apprehensive as there were a number of less-than-stellar reviews, and it was a given that it was going to be an expensive night out. But everything, with one small exception, was spot on. I ordered the beef tenderloin, and my wife ordered the scallops. Both were exceptionally good. I'm not a big vegetable fan but the way my mixed vegetable side was prepared was excellent -- not quite sure what was done, but there was a very subtle interesting flavor to all of them. The whipped potatoes were also quite tasty. The beef was done to perfection, medium rare as ordered, and was about the best-tasting beef I can ever remember having. And the portion size was good -- had a little trouble finishing it. My one small quibble was with the wine I ordered, which was a glass of Shiraz. I didn't expect an exceptional quality wine when ordering by the glass -- I suspect I would have had to have ordered one of the $40+ bottles to have gotten that. And I know there is always a huge markup on prices for wine, such that a glass that goes for $8.50 would be a wine that you can get a bottle of for that price in a liquor store. Still, I was a little disappointed in the quality of the wine, although that may well be personal tastes -- my wife thought it was fine. But the main quibble with the wine was that it was too warm. Red should be served at 60-65 degrees, this was probably more like 75 degrees. Hardly any place gets that right in the summer months -- they tend to just serve it at room temperature which in the summer is way too warm. I would have thought that a place like Rooney's would have the serving temperature nailed, though. But all in all, a very nice dining experience. And speaking of temperatures, we were happy that the place wasn't overly air conditioned like many places are. read more

Having acquired a half-price certificate, I suggested my husband's birthday dinner should be at Rooney's. We've been there twice before, once with a friend and once to experience the cooking of a visiting French chef. We went on Saturday, December 8 at 7 pm. Thank goodness for the valet parking, as there is no parking to be found on the narrow streets surrounding the building. The valet mentioned that several patrons each evening are upset that they are not able to park in the parking lot's spaces without the assistance of the valet. It's hard to believe that these patrons are about to drop at least a hundred bucks on a meal but are too cheap to tip a valet. Rooney's has the feel of your grandfather's den, if your grandfather lived in a nice mansion on East Avenue, which mine just happened to. The ambiance is very nice. We were given a choice of having a drink at the bar or being seated immediately. As it was very busy, I'm surprised they would give us that choice if our table was ready. We were quite hungry, so we opted to be seated right away. The dining room is noisy, especially if all the tables are filled. We were seated at the front window, which was nice except for outside motion-detector light turning itself on and off. When it was off, we were plunged into darkness. It became annoying. I had a glass of Riesling, while my husband had a Chilean Cabernet. The menu was entitled "Holiday Menu," but I thought the choices seemed more autumnal than Christmasy. I started with the squash soup, and my husband had the....shoot, I can't think of the name of the tiny bird they serve sometimes (edit: my co-worker has since informed me it was quail.). Well, he had one of those. Both the soup and the tiny bird were very good. For our entrees, I had the duck medallions and my husband had the wood-grilled beef tenderloin. Again, everything was very good with normal-people-sized portions. We were still quite full when we were done. It's a novelty these days to finish our meals and not have to take a grocery bag of leftovers home (although I'll be sad about it tomorrow). We were too full for dessert, so we just had coffee. The bill came to a bit over $100. My certificate was for $50, for which I paid $25. I just found myself not enjoying the whole experience that much. I used to love to get dressed up and go out to a fancy dinner, not so much anymore. Is it because my husband is such a good cook that he can make the same meals at home? Is it because no matter how high-end a restaurant is, the wait staff all act like they work at Olive Garden? Is it because I'm really starting to have trouble spending over $100 on one meal with retirement looming ever closer? So, I may be jaded, but Rooney's is still an excellent restaurant. They know that many patrons are headed for nearby theaters, and they have no trouble making sure they get a nice meal but are in their seats before the curtain goes up. We were in and out in 90 minutes ourselves. Don't forget about Rooney's. Tucked down a residential street, it might be easy to overlook it. And, when you go, just grow up and give your keys to the valet! read more

We went to Rooney's for Valentine's Day this year. It was overall a good experience. The not-so-good things: - There was a fixed price of $85/person + tax and tip including appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert. This wasn't a problem for us, but we were not warned beforehand, which I thought was unprofessional. - By the time we left around 8pm, there were people who had been waiting well over an hour for a table (and I'm pretty sure they had reservations, because they were turning people who didn't have them away!) - They cancelled our reservation accidentally The super good things: - Even though we technically didn't have a reservation because the restaurant had cancelled it (they did have a record of it, so we were clearly not just coming in and hoping), they did fit us in as soon as they could and bought us drinks while waiting. So we got to meet some wonderful people at the bar! - Duck is one of my favorite dinners, and their duck + sweet potatoes + roasted vegetables was one of the most delectable dishes I've ever had. The sweet potatoes had been sweetened with brown sugar or something and would have been too much on their own, but perfectly complimented the rest of it. The plate was the definition of "savory." - The service -- everyone from the bartender to the water girl was a gem. I would go to Rooney's again. Tips specific to Valentine's Day: be prepared to spend at least $100 per person before drinks and get a reservation at or before 6pm. I called a month in advance to procure one! read more

We were pretty excited to try Rooney's based on the great reviews. The restaurant itself is very nice but certainly not overcrowded for a Saturday evening. We were given the choice to sit in the bar area side or the main restaurant and opted for the bar side. Our waitstaff was pleasant and attentative. We started with drinks- 3 sidecars and a martini. The bartender did not know the sidebar ingredients- and it showed as it was not quite right. We ordered 2 appetizers to share; pork rillette and open faced ravioli. The pork rillette was delicious, the open faced ravioli was unimpressive and not warm. We ordered 2 salads, the marinated beet salad and a mixed green salad with house dressing. Once again a split decision, beet salad good, green salad had a strong, unpleasant raw onion flavor. For entrees we ordered caramelized scallops, the salmon special and wood grilled beef tenderloin. There were positive reports on the beef tenderloin and salmon but my scallop dish was heavily over salted. It completely overwhelmed the flavor of the scallops and was very disappointing. The veggies were good and less salted. For the price of this restaurant not a great value. There were some good fishes but also some disappointing misses. read more

Rooney's Restaurant - American Near Me - Rochester, New York

My wife and I had a great meal at Rooney's. We had received a gift certificate and decided to treat ourselves. The atmosphere is nice, if a bit dark, but feels very comfortable. We started at the bar and had two very well mixed cocktails from a nice selection of liquor. The oysters that we started with were great: big, fresh tasting and a really good citrusy garnish that went on top. We both had salads (beat and Boston Bibb) which were pretty good also. Our entrees were both delicious. She got the lamb shank and I got the bouillabaisse; the amount of seafood on my plate was awesome. The portions were great, though I think the only reason I don't give them 5 stars is because I thought the prices were a bit high. Still, for a really high quality meal, that felt like you were dining in a very nice restaurant, I couldn't ask for much more. WARNING: this is not the place you take your sexy first date who you're trying to impress with how hip you are. This is where you take Grandma on her birthday, your wife (or husband!) on Valentine's Day, or your parents after you've graduated with some advanced degree. read more

Rooney's is my favorite restaurant in Rochester for fine dining. The ambiance is cozy and relaxing, the staff is very friendly. The crab cake appetizer is one of the finest things I have ever eaten. It is served on top of a black bean salad with a drizzle of three distinctive sauces and delicious sauces. The plantain shrimp is another must try. I have had the pleasure of trying a few of their staple dishes on this menu that changes daily. The osso bucco short rib, diver scallops, ravioli, rabbit, roast duck and mixed grill have all delighted. What impresses me about Rooney's is the consistency. I have had the crab cake half a dozen times and each time is exactly as I remember it. Everything I have orderd at Rooney's has been near flawless in executeion. Although I must say the mixed grill and the rabbit can be a little heavy on the demi and the side of carrots and green beans always seems a little dated to me. Rooney's has the distinction of being one of the very few places that I actually order dessert. The service is always extremely polite and professional. I never wait long for drinks or bread, and each course comes out perfectly staggered. Great restaurant. read more

Rooney's might be a Rochester institution, but it's over-rated. I had an unpleasant experience there with my wife and a friend. First, the top-level summary: Pros: Nice ambiance, large selection of high-end alcoholic beverages. Cons: Not vegan-friendly, mediocre food, small portions, mediocre service, long waits for food to arrive, parking can be difficult, coat closet is too small, men's bathroom cramped & lacks privacy. My wife and I dined at Rooney's a few days ago. A friend of ours had won a gift certificate, and he treated us to dinner. The three of us are all vegans. My friend called in the reservation and emphasized that we're all vegans. He was assured that it wouldn't be a problem, and the chef could accommodate us. When we arrived, we told the host that we were vegans, and we twice told the waiter that we were all vegans. He recommended some options to us. Two of us ordered the potato röstis, and one of us ordered the bean cakes. After a long delay, our dinners arrived. The bean cakes looked vegan, but the potato röstis both had melted cheese on top. Unfortunately, the waiter left right away after delivering our entrées (before we even noticed the cheese), so we had to wait for him to come back before we could tell him about the problem. He apologized and took the food away. We had another long delay before the cheese-less version appeared. The röstis had some mixed vegetables on top, and they tasted like they were prepared with butter (though I can't be certain, and I didn't make an issue of it). The portion sizes were small. The food itself was only so-so in quality -- both the bean cakes and the röstis. I should point out that before we received our entrées, we had the bruschetta appetizer. The bruschetta wasn't very good -- it was salty and seemed to contain mostly chopped olives. And the portion was fairly small. The waiter did give us free vegan sorbet for dessert (I didn't have any, so I don't know if it was good) to compensate us for the problem with the cheese, but I really felt like he should have said to us, "You know, just keep the gift certificate and use it another time". A few more things to mention: There is a coat closet, but it's far too small to accommodate the coats for all the diners. The men's room is cramped, and the stall has an under-sized, flimsy door on it. There isn't much privacy between the stall and the main part of the bathroom. God help you if you have to defecate while you're at the restaurant. The parking lot is tiny, and many diners have to park in the street, sometimes a considerable distance away from the restaurant. Our waiter was reasonably polite, but I expected better from a high-end restaurant. He also seemed a bit... odd. One final weirdness: Rooney's has a Facebook page, though it has very little activity on it. The Facebook page describes Rooney's as a "Family Style Restaurant". Um, what?? It's clearly not a family restaurant. We won't be back. read more

We arrived without reservation after a horrible dining experience elsewhere. We were warmly welcomed and seated by Sarah promptly. Our server Cathy was pleasant and professional. We ordered the strip steak and beef tenderloin. Food was cooked to perfection. During our dining both Cathy and Sarah visited our table to ensure everything was to our liking. We were made to feel like very special guests. The environment felt very intimate and it was clear that every employee loved their job and was happy to be there. read more

My favorite restaurant ever, and I live in Brooklyn. They make the best green salad ever - the dressing is simple and perfect, sour/tangy/sweet in perfect proportions. After having their salmon spring roll appitizer I can't get the usual ones from normal asian places. The entrees are impeccable. I can still taste a classic skate wing in balsamic/caper/butter sauce from probably 15 years ago. Their grilled beef (they always have a tenderloin and usually a steak as well) is high-quality, the mixed grill (often has lamb, venison, homemade sausage, etc) always leaves me super-satisfied, and their fish offerings are good too (one friend always gets the plantain-crusted jumbo shrimp, a menu mainstay for at least a decade). the ravioli is usually quite flavorful as well. My only concern is that sometimes they accompany their fantastics entrees with rather plain steamed vegetables, but I supposed there's virtue in simplicity also... The servers have mostly worked there for a decade, they're efficient and friendly. The space is cool - one room is the bar, with tables along the opposite wall, it's relatively casual and typically pretty low-key. There's also a dining room with more tables and a fireplace; it can get a bit loud if the crowd is boisterous, but it's pretty elegant, nice wood finishes all over. The water glasses are this fantastic transparent dark blue that really makes the water taste more appetizing. Could easily compete in NYC. read more