Vern's is definitely one of those spots that's worth a visit! They don't take reservations, and when we arrived around 7:30pm on a Sunday evening, it was packed. We were quoted about a 40-minute wait for a table, but told bar seating might open up sooner (around 30 minutes). They took my number and we stepped outside to take a walk around the block while we waited. We ended up getting a text about the bar seat availability in about 15 minutes. Once we got seated at the bar, things turned around quickly. The space has a really cozy, intimate vibe with dim lighting, warm atmosphere and overall it feels thoughtfully put together. We ordered hot toddies to drink, which were perfect for the weather, and for food we got the Japanese sweet potatoes and the cavolo nero pesto. Both dishes were incredibly delicious - flavorful and well-balanced. Just be prepared for a wait (and maybe stay nearby instead of wandering off), but once you're in, it's a great experience! read more

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We tried out Vern's for the first time on a Thursday evening! We made it there by about 5:00 PM and it was easy enough to get a table for 2 with only indoor seating available. It's a small space inside but it's designed well enough to manage a flow of traffic for customers and staff. We sat in the back greenhouse area. I think the least enjoyable part of our experience was how loud it was in the restaurant. Definitely not a good spot if you're trying to catch up with someone and your voice doesn't carry. I couldn't actually hear the specials the server was telling us. I want to try out Vern's again, so I may wait until there's an outdoor table or ask to sit in the second level to see if that's quieter. We tried one of their spring menu appetizer items, the Japanese sweet potatoes with kimchi ranch and dill. One bite and I was addicted, these were so so good. We then moved on to the classics for entrees -- bee sting pizza and the ragu-- and we were amazed at how good everything was! The only note we had was about the pizza, it was very soggy in the middle but still edible if you rolled it over in itself. We also had a few cocktails, and while they were somewhat small, you could tell they weren't watered down in any way. Two drinks was more than enough for me. Overall it was a great experience and we want to try it again. If you're someone who struggles to enjoy a meal out where you can't hear much, maybe wait for outdoor tables. read more

Vern's - Japanese sweet potato appetizer, bee sting pizza - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Visited here for dinner after maybe a year or two since last eating here. The food was very good, the wait was too long. They sent me a Resy review the next day to fill out yet they don't take reservations! We tried two of the daily specials, the potatoes were good but I could make these at home. The spicy lettuces was wonderful with great flavor, was I worried about the lettuce 'yes' but I had no issues the next few days so it's fine! The pasta as usual was great, we also tried the chicken which came out last jeez, it could have been dessert it was that late. We took it to go along with a piece of the chocolate olive oil cake which was fantastic! First time sitting in the lower back room, I'm thankful we did not have to walk up & down the stairs to the upper dining room. read more

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Every season I look forward to a new Vern's menu. And every season I am not disappointed. My favorite dessert right now is the salted honey budino. Best entree I've had recently is a pizza special they had with steak, vodka sauce, and some super spicy peppers. I have to stop myself from going to Vern's every single week. Service is always top tier and ambiance is cozy/romantic. read more

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Went to Vern's with my friend on Super Bowl Sunday and there was no wait! Since I'm vegetarian, we didn't end up doing family-style, but I absolutely love Vern's. The ingredients are fresh, the restaurant is so cozy, and the service is incredible. The lemon parm risotto was packed with flavor and creamy delight . I loved the tangy brightness balanced with the richness. It was done so well. I would definitely go back! My one note is that I wish they had more vegetarian entrées beyond just the vegetable dishes and pizza. read more

Vern's - meyer lemon risotto - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Ambiance is nice food was average service was on the slower side. Excellent drinks.

Finally made it to Vern's after hearing all the hype for years, and honestly it was just fine. The pasta was not anything special but it wasn't bad either. Service was fine, but they do not take reservations so you really have to get there early. It's a cute place but there's definitely better & cheaper options around town! read more

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Visited on Monday for our anniversary. Arrived around 4:45 and we were seated with no wait. We love the upstairs seating area as the ambiance and candle lit table helped to create a romantic evening. The staff are just so warm and helpful. They made us feel welcomed and helped to make the occasion feel special. The fall menu is exciting. We were blown away by the orange pizza- vodka sauce, local squash, prosciutto, with goat cheese and balsamic. The flavors worked so well together. We loved the crispy texture of the wood fired pizza. We also enjoyed a pork chop with a sweet and sour glaze & the lost meatball ragu. The flavors and presentation are always on point at Vern's. Portions are large and meant to be shared with plenty for both us. read more

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Tomato pie, spicy lettuces (forgot to take a pic before scooping on to my plate), the miso and chili Alfredo, the Gus pizza, and the Arincini which was a special tonight. Aside from the Arincini which were good but nothing special everything blew me away. The pizza was especially good. I've never had asparagus on pizza but it was so good and contributed well with the other ingredients. The miso in the pasta played well off the sharpness of the Parmesan and then the chili finished it off to give a very deep flavor. The tomato pie was so fluffy and flavorful and the spicy lettuces were just lightly dressed enough to give a nice simple flavor but keep the greens crisp and refreshing. Our server was wonderful too. Obviously, a very high level of attention to detail at every aspect of this restaurant. Highly recommended but get there early since they don't take reservations! read more

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Sat at bar. Very friendly very attentive. Very small area. The espresso martini was amazing and the hot honey pizza delicious. Love that they have outdoor seating as well. Only complaint that I don't think the bartenders should let people save seats for as long as they did when it's busy happy hour. Lady told us she was saving 2 chairs then when her guest got there about 20 minutes later they ordered a drink and transferred tab to a table ‍ Either way we will be back read more

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Hands down the right choice every time even if you have to wait it's well worth it. Food and cocktails are spot on

First time at Vern's! Beautiful atmosphere and easy to park and find the restaurant. I came with a party 2 and we were able to get seated within 30 min, which was nice. Honestly, nothing about the menu blew me away except for the lost meatball ragu at first glance. Both my friend and I decided that that was the only pasta we wanted to try. We settled on the focaccia special, meatball ragu, and chopped salad to share. The focaccia was underwhelming and really the only thing that stood out during the meal was the lost meatball ragu - we loved it. Wonderful flavor and great portion for two and even three people. I'm not sure I'd come back if I was in Rochester. I'm curious if they rotate the menu items based on season or if these have been the same since opening. Maybe it's time for an update. read more

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Awesome place. Always custom unique menu items. I'm going to take a risk and keep this review short because I've NEVER had a bad experience here. Food is SO delicious.m, flavorful, and thoughtfully created. I leave satisfied. Sat at the bar and the bar tenders are SO personable and friendly. read more

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I called around 7:45 tonight, for reference they close at 9, so well before closing time I called to place an order. Me and my husband had never been here before so we were excited to try something new! Sadly the hostess who took are call was rude, and stated she was busy and didn't have time to take our order, and send it back to the kitchen. Seems kind of strange given they weren't closing for another hour. read more

By far best restaurant by the notorious Swan family. Rotating seasonal menus are pretty good, but can't go wrong with the classic rigatoni pasta or bee sting pizza. Broken buratta is also really good, and what it comes with changes per season. Most dishes can be tweaked for vegetarians and they also have a few gluten free options. Portion sizes vary greatly, so I reccomend asking your server what they think is best for your party size. Inside ambiance is wonderful but limited seating like all other Swan restaurants. I reccomend coming early, putting your name down, and grabbing a drink at the bar while you wait since they do not take reservations. I have never been disappointed with the food or the service here, overall a great place to take a date or a friend from out of town! read more

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This is my favorite restaurant in Rochester and by far has the best drinks and staff. They are always busy and with good reason. The staff is always kind and the food is always worth the wait. read more

This was our first time at Vern's and it certainly won't be the last! The food comes family style, which is great for sharing and trying new things! We got the lost meatball Ragu, roasted carrots and parsnips, and Vern's chopped salad. The pasta was extremely flavorful and was perfectly complimented by the fresh ricotta on top. This light and refreshing chopped salad. The carrots were nearly life changing- they were roasted to perfection and served with this fabulous Lebneh sauce. This is a must get. The ambiance was perfect! Everything from the decor to the lighting created a warm and welcoming feel. Our server Christine was great, explaining everything thoroughly, and helping us make our decisions! We went on a Thursday at 5:00 and didn't wait a minute for our table! Can't wait to go again! read more

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I had a late dinner at the bar on a Monday night. The venue was busy, but no longer crowded, at 8 o'clock. Happily for me, the kitchen was open until 9pm. I ordered the spicy lettuces salad and tomato pie. Wow, was I impressed. What an excellent experience! Vern's, in sum: Amazing atmosphere, thoughtful menu, great all natural wine list, friendly and engaged service, clear focus on high quality ingredients, and nearly flawless execution by the chefs and bartenders. Shoutout to bartender Kinsey who was amazing! Overall exceptional experience, add I highly recommend this place. I'll certainly be back! read more

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Neat area of town. Hustle and bustle neighborhood with strange street parking restrictions that are confusing for out of towners. Service was friendly and attentive. Small kitchen creates a non-traditional dining experience that works well for plate sharing. Bee-sting pizza was creative and good. Signature hidden meatball ragu was the n spot and delicious. Vodka rigatoni was also good but not as good as the other two. Plan ahead as they do not take reservations and are popular. read more

3.5 rounded down. Most of the food was good. Atmosphere was nice. Server was okay, not great, not bad. Was missing an alcoholic beverage, but they took it off the bill. read more

I've heard so many good things about Vern's and I can say it lives up to the hype. The ambiance is very cute and while it is upscaled, it doesn't feel stiff. It is a smaller establishment which means there can be a wait for a table, but the smaller venue makes the the environment is very cozy and comfortable. Once you get a table, service and food is quicker. The service is exceptional, everyone is very accommodating and friendly. The drinks were very good (my Aperol spritz was amazing) and the food was delicious. The bee sting pizza was the best pizza I have had. The restaurant is reasonably priced for the quality and service. read more

Vern's - Aperol spritz - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Love this place! When I'm in the area I make a stop. Pizza & pasta were fresh and full of flava! We appreciated the restaurant accommodating our requests. read more

Vern's - Picture speaks for itself. Deelish! - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Verns has my favorite pizza in all of Rochester. The Bee Sting is out of this world good. The perfect amount of spice, with a wood fired crispy crust with warm gooey cheesy center. It's unreal. Portnoy would love it. The Lost Ragu is the best pasta meal ever, we ate it before taking the picture, but definitely get it! I just wish the serving size was a little bigger. The roasted garlic bread was very good too. Wish they had more Their espresso martinis are AMAZING. I'd go back just for another one of those. Very strong, but still suuuper delicious. I wish there was more outdoor seating, but the inside is really cute and cozy with candle light. The service is always super friendly and fast. read more

Vern's - Roasted garlic - on flour city bread and espresso martinis - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Warm and welcoming! The curried clams and crab salad special were perfection paired with the house pet-nat. Can't wait to go back. One wish...a reservation system!! read more

Vern's - Curried clams - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Amazing!! I wasn't sure about the restaurant when looking at the menu online, but my husband wanted try it. I am delighted that I listened to him. First, we ordered the spicy lettuces, which is a type of Caesar salad. The dressing, the flavor profile and the freshness were all spot on. Tasty! Next or secunda was the braised lamb sugo. The lamb melted in your mouth. The sauce was slow roasted so the flavors melded perfectly. The pasta was fresh tasting and cooked to perfection. It was a really treat. One that I will remember. Our final choice was the pork chop. Again, the texture and taste was phenomenal! I did not really eat the sauce, as it smelled a little vinegar heavy for me (I'm just not a fan of vinegar). I was also +/- on the squash, but my husband loved both of those components and he had picked this dish. I am keeping it a 5 for that reason. If you are in Rochester, Vern's was my top pick of those we tried here. Enjoy!! read more

I visited a Tuesday at 5 pm we were able to sit right away. There were 3 of us and it was no issue, however it did pack in quickly. So if you want to sit immediately, go early!! That being said it will be worth the wait!!! Every season they change the menu and they are to die for!! It is served family style and comes out as it's ready, so be prepared to share. The vibes are immaculate as well and feels like you're in your grandmas kitchen, but she's supper cool . Needless to say you'll feel at home We got the spicy lettuces, focaccia, mushroom risotto, and a bee sting pizza and for 3 of us we were stuffed. We also got a few cocktails and the cream puff dessert. Evething was amazing and our favorite was the spicy lettuces and the espresso martini! All cocktails were amazing as well! read more

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Our friends said my husband and I had to try this spot when we came to visit them since it's their favorite restaurant and they were right. The four of us shared: - Focaccia (special) - Spicy Lettuces - Baked Polenta - Lost Meatball Ragu - Enzo Pizza I can't even pick a favorite dish because it was all so good. This is the kind of place where you can order anything because you can't go wrong. I would love to try the whole menu. I definitely want to come back again next time we visit our friends! read more

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I could not recommend Vern's enough. Every dish comes out as it is made, so freshness is guaranteed. Every bite is exploding with flavor. Their drink menu has something for Everyone, including mocktails. I'm sure you'll be full by dessert, but their dessert menu is a must try. The vibes inside are immaculate and the waitstaff is incredibly patient and kind. If there is one place in Rochester you must try, make it Vern's read more

Excellent service. Delicious meals. Cacio e Pepe, Lost Meatball Ragu and the special was Swordfish. OUTSTANDING. Will definitely come back. Bartender made awesome drinks. read more

Got there around 7:30pm on a Wednesday night and had to wait about 40 minutes to be seated. This place was PACKED. Overall, the vibes were cozy and warm. I came here mainly for the pizza but was told that it would take about 40 minutes to make because the kitchen oven is small, so we opted for pasta dishes and their garlic bread instead. It was DIVINE. The bread was crispy and chewy, and when paired with the butter and garlic.... *faints*. Boyfriend got the meat ragu pasta dish and I ordered one of their pasta specials (not pictured). It was SO flavorful. We ate in silence with the occasional head nod to acknowledge this glorious experience. In summary, the food here is 10 out of 10. But would def be prepared to wait if you come during dinner hours and expect to wait a bit for the pizzas as well. read more

Vern's - Lost meatball ragu - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Vern's is a date night classic. One of the only nicer restaurants in Rochester that is open late for people like myself to enjoy a late night dinner date. We came around 9pm and were served quickly! Sat upstairs by a window overlooking their outdoor area. So cute. Dim lighting. Started off with some Campari spritz before moving on to rose which absolutely recommend! Ordered crab cakes. Lost meatball ragu. Pizza and tiramisu. All of was absolutely to die for! So delicious and fresh. The tiramisu is a must. The blend of cherry and pistachio does not disappoint. We loves Vern's! read more

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The food, the service, the drinks, the staff...everything was PHENOMENAL. One of the top restaurants in Rochester. read more

I can honestly say I haven't had a dining out experience as good as this one in a very long time. This place was crowded but they were still able to get us in without a reservation. We had to wait a bit, but they served us drinks while we waited and the food was absolutely worth the wait. I'm pretty sure we ordered just about every special they had; it was quite the feast. We had salad, focaccia, crab fritters, swordfish meatballs and finished with dessert. Each thing tasted better than the last. And it even made for decent leftovers the next day. Plus, the staff was fantastic. I cannot say enough good stuff about this place. Just go and experience it for yourself! read more

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4.5 rounded up Arrived at 4 on a Saturday, glad we didn't go later because there were people waiting before 5 with a crowded bar. The last time we tried to come here, arriving at 6:15 on a Saturday, the waiting list was over an hour so we squeaked into bar seats up at Leonore's, another excellent choice, down the street. We were seated in a casual backroom that was very comfortable. Our service was prompt and helpful. It was explained that, as is the trend now, the plates are designed for sharing so we should order all of our food at once and it would come out as it was done. The server explained the specials and menu options. We ordered a couple drinks that were good, strong. Focaccia special - good but would have preferred the tomato bread which was the same thing but more topping Spicy lettuces - flavorful, lightly-dressed - nice, heavily sprinkled with sesame seeds, generous, 5* Pizzas - good, thin slightly-floppy crust-style, lightly topped Linguine pasta with crab - very lightly-sauced, could have had more sauce or some veg or something more?, with few visible shreds of crab, good, al-dente Shells with red sauce and ricotta - since there were no vegetarian pasta options, the server helped us to order the shells with house red sauce (very flavorful) and ricotta - great choice 5* We would have ordered and at more if we could! Would definitely go back and try more options. The kitchen and service staff and host were all doing a great job. read more

Vern's - Negroni - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Food, service, and ambiance were the perfect combination this evening with my cousin and her new friend. A wonderful ladies night. I will definitely be back for a date night soon. read more

Vern's - Margherita Pizza - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

My niece and I met after work at Vern's during a weeknight. We were greeted quickly and met our server, Collette, who was very nice. She gave us the nightly specials and took our drink orders. We both had the Spicy Hawaiian, a non-alcoholic pineapple, ginger and nutmeg drink. My niece ordered the Tomato Pie which consisted of local butter, charred flour city bread, which she said was delicious and had the pizza special, Chicken Ceasar pizza. I had the Spring Pie pizza, a delicious blend of olive oil, mozzarella, taleggio, grilled artichoke, spinach, red onion, aleppo, mint. My niece and I both agree that the pizzas had a nice light, delicious and airy crust. Vern's is a very cute place for casual dining and is located on Park Ave. There are no reservations and if you know the area, you know you have to get there early to find a decent parking spot. read more

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Such a cute and small place. I love the decor. They have a rotating menu but their food is always so good. So many unique dishes with different and delicious flavors. read more

Vern's - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Food was tasty and perfectly done. The service was excellent and cocktails even better. We sat at the bar as no tables were available which gave us direct access to all the action. Only downside is the outside draft every time the door was open. read more

Don't listen to the servers here. Tried the shrimp pasta the server recommended and it was gummy and had disgusting flavor. Same with their honey mascarpone pie. Stick to the standbys that everyone gets all the time: bee sting pizza & rigatoni & lost meatball pasta. read more

Just a spectacular experience. Excellent and helpful service, impeccable food and the coolest looking space. We had to wait 5 minutes to be seated, and there's the most unique little sitting area by the door. The kitchen is small and open, run with machine precision. The spicy salad was maybe the best salad I've ever had, with a mix of raddicio and greens, and the perfect tahini Cesar dressing helped coat it all with black and white sesame seeds. The burrata unusually had savory granola on top and was scrumptious. The special, piri piri half wood grilled chicken, was zesty and flavorful, with crispy smashed new potatoes and a spicy sauce to dip (though not spicy as is tradition, more of a savory Italian interpretation.) Dessert was a simple, soft, sweet olive oil cake, topped with a huge dollop of mascarpone crème, with perfectly balanced sweetness. Every little nook you explore (the bathroom, the waitstaff stand) is unique and kinda magical. The whole staff clearly enjoys being a part of that family. A delightful experience. Gonnna try out all 8 or 9 restaurants that hospitality group owns. Edit: this morning we had coffee and breakfast at Pearson's (same owners) and it was every bit as good, see my review for that as well. read more