Not impressed. The food was not good the pasta was overcooked, the stake was very bland. I wasn't impressed by the service either. The kitchen didn't vent outside so we felt smoked out by the food being cooked. Will not go back for over priced and not very good food with poor service. read more

3 of us went there for dinner on a Sunday evening for the first time. Everyone on the staff greeted us and made us feel welcomed and like old friends (loved that!). We were seated upstairs right away. Pretty cool to walk by the grill and food fired oven. Loved that the menus were accessed by scanning the bar code on the table. Our waitress was super nice (sorry I forgot her name!). We ordered wine and antipasti, then a margarita pizza (cup pepperoni, my favorite!) and the ribeye steak special.Both were excellent. My husband is very fussy about his steak, and it took a bit to get it, but he said it was well worth the wait, grilled to perfection and sliced so we could all share some. It came with fried mozzarella. It was so crispy and the cheese was smooth and creamy (should be added to the appetizer menu!) We will definitely go again to see our new old friends and enjoy some great food! read more

Vern's - Margarita pizza, rib-eye steak and friend mozzarella - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Service was great! The staff were pleasant and were great about masks and everything. The restaurant has a good flow to it and aesthetically matches the the kind of food it serves. The food itself was good/better than average, but nothing was memorable. We got the yellow pizza, a pasta dish, and their broken buratta salad. I liked the crust of the pizza and the little spice it had. The pasta was a little basic. The buratta was great, I really liked the flash pickled (?) components that balanced out the buratta. Their selection of wines was nice for a small restaurant and they had some interesting cocktails. We settled for an orange wine that night and it was refreshing and was probably the most enjoyable part of the dinner. Overall, I feel like this place isn't meant to be where you come to get a complete meal, but rather for a small social gathering with some decent food to pick at with some drinks. For that I think it fits the bill and does well. read more

Me and my friend went there for diner. The food was very tasty which is great. The design of the restaurant is also very awesome. We can't hold ourselves to take photos by the restaurant! read more

Vern's - By the restaurant - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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To begin, all employees wore masks and were very COVID conscious. Our hostess was warm, welcome, and very informative. Our server was well informed, very helpful, and a delight throughout our whole meal. My spouse ordered the lost meatball entree, and as a lover and chef of all things Italian I can say this was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. I ordered the special of the evening which was a spatchcock chicken with fried zucchini noddles w aioli, which I was lucky enough to be the last customer of the evening to enjoy this dinner. I had 2 different customers tell me that they were jealous that I got the last one and I can't blame them! This was the first time in a long time that I sent my compliments to the chef and I can't wait to see what they bring to the table for our next visit. read more

Vern's - Special of the evening - spatchcock chicken w fried zucchini spirals - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Beautiful restaurant! Service was amazing, drinks were delicious and food was even better. The bar area was really aesthetically pleasing, a mix of cozy and cool. We were seated in the green house area at the back of the restaurant which was great considering it was late summer and raining a bit but we still wanted to sort of be outside. We could hear the rain beat on the rough of the green house which was really pretty. I went with a group of 4 and we just shared a couple different dishes as the waitress recommend. The food comes out as it's being prepared which was different but set the pace nicely for dinner. The pizzas were great for sharing and it felt very homey to pass our dishes around the table as we shared our pasta. I really enjoyed the bee sting pizza and we also got the margarita which was relatively good considering how simple it is. The Lost Meatball Ragú was the overall favorite though (rightfully so). If warm hug was a food this would be it. They have a great selection of drinks, all very creative. The 'Wing it' is specially made for indecisive people like myself. The waitress ask 1-2 questions about your taste and brings back a cocktail for you to try. Great concept! Overall it was lovely and I can't wait to go back. read more

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New favorite restaurant in Rochester. The lost meatball ragu is absolutely untouchable. I had tears coming out of my eyes after one bite over how amazing it is. The bee sting pizza was incredible as well. On top of that, cocktails were delicious. Highly recommend the espresso martini!!! Interior design was impeccable & service was top notch-- I hope to be back a million more times. read more

Vern's - Lost meatball ragu & bee sting pizza - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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The one time I've been here I sat at the bar. If you've never done it, I highly suggest it. My friend and I had a few various cocktails and shared a crab and pasta special and a piece of their tomato pie. Both were fantastic but I especially loved the pasta dish. Our bartender was very attentive and fun. And I absolutely loved the atmosphere. Afterwards we visited Dorado for more cocktails and finally Roux for dessert. All 3 restaurants are right in a row and owned by the same family. I really recommend this fun excursion! read more

The food was good. The service was excellent and the ambiance was fantastic! The place a bit small but cozy.

Excellent place to go. Staff very friendly Especially the bartenders. The food was amazing especially the lost meatballs sauce was great the pasta was excellent read more

I love small portions with several tasting options. Nice atmosphere, nice server with good sense of humor

One of my favorite restaurants in the city of Rochester! The food is always fresh and flavorful!! An amazing place!

Verns is a nice place. Sat at bar, staff where all friendly. Started with their small bite which was a rigatoni arancini. Had the spicy lettuce salad which was excellent. Finished with a Bee sting. Forgot the drink but they really take care in how they prepare them. Would definitely return. Great food and great atmosphere. read more

Excellent place in so many ways!!! Our daughter loves it here so we went as she was in the hospital. Loved everything about this place, especially the staff!! Amazing!! Definitely go!! read more

What a magical place. Wonderful food and amazing service. This is an experience!! Don't get married to the menu selection! It rotates and moves. New dishes breaking the rules and out of this world. Don't be afraid to try what sounds good. I promise you it will be from lost meatballs to the Panna cotta you will laugh and smile with happy tastebuds singing your praises. The roasted garlic bread is killer for an appetizer. Try them out you will love this place!!! read more

The tomato pie is literally just cheeseless day old pizza from dominos. It's not even warm. Just bread with cold tomato paste on it. My friend and I ordered two "wing it" cocktails because none of the other cocktails on the menu sounded appealing. We were served a gimlet and a gin and juice. No "creative" cocktail at all. They did look attractive though. And the service was excellent. read more

Awesome food. Innovative Italian! Great drinks too! Gets busy quick - worth the wait! Awesome place nestled on park Ave

The food was fine. BUT, I would definitely NOT recommend this place if you are a slow eater or you want to enjoy a nice dinner night with your friends. We were literally kicked out of the restaurant on a Tuesday night while my friend and I were still working on our meals and dessert! A lady (not our server) rushed to our table and gave us a last 10 minute warning/deadline for us to finish whatever food we left on the table and get out of the restaurant because they were so busy and popular on that night. We NEITHER occupied a large table, NOR only ordered a 30-dollar meal and sat for four hours, NOR finished eating and were just sitting there for nothing. We were just two people and used a tiny table at the corner of the restaurant and only worked on our food for a little over 1.5 hours... PLUS, we ordered pretty decent amount of food (a pizza, clam with soup, pasta, and dessert) and that's part of the reason we needed longer time. PLUS we are two friends who haven't seen each other for years and we were enjoying great conversations over our dinner and that's part of the reason we needed longer time. We were literally still eating and talking and getting our 10-minute deadline notice for the dinner (?). It was absolutely RIDICULOUS and I was still really UPSET about such an unpleasant experience so I decided to speak it out here. I don't think I deserve this even if I were a customer who didn't order such an expensive meal in the restaurant. However, I still tipped the waitress well as I don't think it was her fault. She was just doing her job. read more

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

The best-- from the food to the service! We got lucky and sat at the bar for our anniversary dinner and it was perfect.

Went to Vern's a couple weeks ago with my husband, and they were doing a cool Birds-themed thing with all the Front of House staff, which was fun. We had a tasty and fun experience at Vern's and would definitely go back. If I could give 4.5 stars I would; the food was yummy, service was great, and the prices overall were fair. They serve family-style food, which is preferable for us, so we loved that too! Food: -We started with the Tomato Pie appetizer based on all the great things we'd heard about it already. Let me say, that alone will make me return to Vern's. SOOOO YUMMY! I think I dreamed about it later that night, honestly. It's kind of like a marinara-soaked thick bread with great olive oil and flaked salt sprinkled on top. I recommend that everyone starts off their meal with this! I couldn't get enough of it, and would've ordered a second one to go if I wasn't so full by the end of the meal. -Roasted Garlic Bread was very yummy, the garlic was roasted well, and the butter tasted very fresh and creamy. It's not a traditional garlic bread, but as someone who loves whole roasted garlic cloves, I really appreciated it! -Lost Meatball Ragu: flavorful, creamy, and unctuous are the words I'd use to describe this. If you're having a home-cooked pasta craving, this will definitely satisfy that. The portion for this was decent also. -Whole Branzino: this was the "Papa Lee Knows Best" special for the night, and we wanted to go for it. Honestly, this was the let-down in the meal for us. The fish was cooked well, but lacked flavor, despite the lemons and herbs inside. I don't think it was the fault of the kitchen, it just didn't do it for us. The other reason we weren't crazy about it was the price compared to the amount of actual edible fish, but that's our own fault for not asking the price beforehand as it was marked as MP on the menu. Drinks: we were greeted with a great grapefruit-y cocktail to start the meal, which was a nice surprise! I also ordered the Ruby Soiree cocktail, and it was DELICIOUS! Bright, flavorful, and fun. Service: it's not a huge space inside, and the service team all seemed to be working together to keep things running smoothly. We never felt like we had to wait long to get our server's attention, and everyone was really friendly. read more

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Hipster Italian food. Don't go there if you want authentic. Prices are insane for "sharing portions" that are actually small. Good drinks though. read more

Always a great menu with genius combinations and presentation! Staff are attentive and ensure that all have a great experience.

Super tasty. Quick. Trendy. When there to find some classic Italian food and they deliver. More expensive than your average though but worth it because the recipes are one of a kind. read more

Awesome fresh Italian spot on park ave! Beautiful atmosphere, great drinks and food! We ordered the tomato pie and antipasto for apps, both great. I will definitely order the tomato pie again. We ordered the white pizza which had awesome garlicky flavor and a nice amount of cheese! Only down side is they are quiet small, BUT perfect for 2 people to share. We also ordered the lost meatball, awesome portion and we really loved the meatball but wish there was more. We also visited the Vern's pop up at Swan dive a few months back.. highly recommend the spaghetti caico e Pepe!! If you like black pepper, in a light cream sauce and freshly made pasta definitely order this! At the pop up they had a loaf of garlic bread with herbs, butter and cheeses baked in to it, this was our favorite thing we ordered and are really hoping to see it on the Verns menu. Dessert- order the pie, you won't regret it!! Excited to visit again!! read more

Vern's... not sure what Vern's stands for but and not going to bother looking it up. When I checked this place out before visiting in person on Google... it read as being an Italian joint. Upon stepping inside, I definitely did not get the vibe of an Italian style eatery. The restaurant is trendy and chic (the windows, the outdoor dining in the back and the wine racks) stood out in particular to me. Sat at the bar (there were multiple men tending) and we were immediately given menus as we learned a little about the drink list. I ordered Hours In the Garden and my boyfriend had a draft. I believe they have 5-6 drafts on at any given time. The menu confused me slightly only because I'm one of those people who doesn't read the entire thing. I love the font for the title of the restaurant at the top of the menu but the rest of the menus font I actually had trouble focusing on. Everything food is designed to be shareable. Portions were a decent size... I was pretty impressed with the seeded fried fish and the yellow pizza. It was very weird, but worth the money. The only thing I didn't like really was the menu seemed very small to me. I wish there was a little more variety but maybe I'm just being picky. The mood was fun and the ambiance was upscale casual. Definitely a nice addition to park ave and I hope this place flourishes! read more

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Verns is very much family style eating. So when they say share you have to share. Plates are decently sized. We ordered the hidden meatball which is something we've ordered before and one of their best dishes. Tonight they had a Ragu and mushroom risotto special which tasted amazing. Also their new autumn menu is more creative and friendly than their summer one. I still think the best part of Verns is the bar, they will make whatever you want, they are incredibly accommodating. The ambiance really sold it for me. Their food must not be "THE BEST" in town but their location and local is! read more

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You have to hand it to the Swan family for turning this building over (Formerly Esan) and making it their own, and gorgeously appointed! New and very much a-buzz, Vern's is a great addition to the row on Park Ave! Right next to Dorado, it's got a rather unassuming facade, but the packed outdoor dining out front should give you a clue about the food! They also have outdoor dining in the rear of the building as well! When you go inside, bright color schemes greet you with a throwback style that instantly gives it a home - like feel. We came here for food, so let's dig in! A straight forward menu with a curated list of creative options awaits you and on the back a list of wines to ponder. They also offer beer and craft beer, along with mixed drinks. They offer a gorgeous tomato pie as an app, along with Antipasti, and fried green stuffed olives! For main dishes, lamb ribs, Manila clams, wood grilled steak, fresh pasta, and specials like haddock parmesan were available. The pizzas caught my eye - the red and white is what my group went for! The red - speck, peppers, mozzarella and basil red sauce, perfectly presented. The white - charred corn cream, calabrian chili, and smoked mozzarella. read more

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I ordered a glass of cabernet, $12, which seemed a bit steep to me. It was served in a short, thin lowball glass. I'm not a wine snob, so I didn't really care, but wine glasses have their shape for a reason. Vern's serves family style, which is fine with my wife and me as we enjoy sharing. They make it a point to tell you that dishes are served as they are ready, not all at once. What we found was that 3 tables nearby us were served before us, all who sat after us. We ordered the bread special (Flour City herb and cheese) and the lost meatball ragu. It took about 45 minutes just to get our bread. It was delicious, so I guess that saved it a bit. Eventually our ragu arrived. 2 bites in I discovered a long hair intertwined in the pasta. Ugh. Not normally a guy to complain, but had to send it back. It was replaced and comped. The replacement pasta was cooked nicely, the meatballs were tasty but the sauce was just bland. Our server, Jenson, was polite and fairly attentive. I get it, this place is new and it was a busy Saturday, but I expect more from the Swans who own several other restaurants in the area. My wife's response as we walked out: "Oh, well that was disappointing!" read more

Amazing atmosphere, such great food! We got rained on outside and they gave us free drinks, free dessert and the hostess even gave me her jacket to put over my shoulders! Would def go again! read more

Food was really tasty and the menu had some great options. Some of it felt familiar to many places in New York, but not in Rochester so appreciate that for the area. All the food came out cold unfortunately. Slightly expensive for what is offered and for the area/city, but think it's a great option. read more

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After looking at other reviews, I think me and my partner may have caught them on an off night. This was our first time here, so we might try again another time. As others have said, they serve dishes 'family style' and 'when they are ready' so the traditional meal timing is a bit different here. We don't have an issue with family style restaurants, but the timing was way off from what we could've expected. We ordered, and got our appetizer (the fried olives) and drinks very quickly. About 20 minutes later came my pick for dinner, me and my partner shared it but he was trying to save his appetite for his pick. 35 minutes later our second entree was still not at the table, it was a shrimp and potatoes special. Our server said it was coming soon. Waited another 15 min and we were starting to wonder how long does it take to cook shrimp. We both lost our appetites and really just wanted to leave. We requested from our server shortly after that they just pack up the rest of the service to go and get the bill. Our dessert didn't come out, but wasn't present on the check so we let it go. All in all, we each had 1 drink each, a small appetizer, and a shared entree, and were there for over an hour and a half. Most of the time spent chatting, and waiting. The pizza we saw on other tables looked and smelt really good, so I think we'll try a pizza takeout next time. The bartenders were working super hard and our drinks were pretty good, so props to them! Hoping for better luck next time. read more

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

We arrived with a party of 4 at 5:45 on a Friday evening and were seated upstairs right away. Our server Sam was very attentive and had a great presence. We shared many plates: lost meatball ragu, clams, baked polenta, chopped salad and broken burrata. The flavor highlights were the sauce on the ragu and the broth with the clams. The ambience of the upstairs was nice and you could see the kitchen serving up plates from above. For drinks, two of us split a quartino of orange wine and the other two got signature cocktails. The quartino was two and a half glasses total: a quarter liter for $20 which was half the price of a bottle. We will be back this summer! read more

I've been dying to try this new spot on Park Ave and it did not disappoint! Decor is so pretty & unique- the Swan family is killing it with their decorating skills at their restaurants. My husband and I got a few things to split and it was the perfect amount of food- we left full & happy but not too stuffed! Pasta was delicious, al dente and so fresh. I'll definitely be back to try the lost meatball ragu! Great date night spot! read more

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I can't stop thinking about our fantastic meal at Vern's last week. We enjoyed the ambiance, our servers, each drink, and our food. You can't go wrong starting off your meal with tomato pie, but get two of them, as you'll likely devour the first before remembering what you've done. I had the Lost Meatball Ragu for dinner and it was so fresh & reminiscent of a delicious, home-cooked meal. We're already talking about what we'll try next time! read more

The lost meatball pasta dish is SO good! Really simple dish but done with quality ingredients. You will not be disappointed! The Napoli pizza was really yummy as well. Service is attentive and warm and we had a really good time eating dinner outside, even though it was raining. The umbrella covered us well. read more

Had a lovely dinner here last Sunday. The ambiance is perfect for a date night - just the right amount of fancy and cozy. The staff was very friendly and the waiter we had was very knowledgeable about the menu. We had a lot of questions about their wines which are all organic and he was great about explaining everything. I don't see organic wines much so that was really nice. They seemed to have a lot of interesting cocktails too though I didn't try any if them this visit. We got the caciao e pepe and a "yellow" pizza. The pasta was simple but rich and made well. The pizza had a corn base sauce which was interesting. It worked well. I'm not generally big on crust but their dough was tasty. They had explained at the beginning that all of their dishes are made to share so that makes for a nice experience as well. read more

Vern's - Caciao e Pepe and Yellow Pizza - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

I want to love this place but every time I have been there I have received sub par service. Each time we have ordered cocktails, plenty of food and been polite and respectful diners. starting to think if you are not a young hipster you should find someplace else where your patronage is appreciated read more

Great vibes, great staff, and great food! Loved sitting at the bar. Very happy we spent our one night in Rochester at Vern's.

Slow, overpriced and average food. Over an hour wait to be seated tonight. Server immediately tells us that the food is all "shareable" and comes out 1 thing at a time. Roasted garlic came out fast and was delicious- the only reason they got 2 stars from me. Next out was the Caesar salad. Some inedible items like long thick "stems". Very quickly next was the steak. Mind you this comes with NO sides. Just a chunk of meat. Supposedly 20 oz but in reality closer to 14-16. Overcooked. Then crickets. Waited and waited for my daughter and her boyfriends meals. Another person (not our waitress) finally came to ask what we were waiting for and we told her. Waited more finally 1 of the meals came out. Mind you we are now into this meal for a good hour. The final thing we waited for was a pizza. Everyone was done eating when the pizza arrived. No apology. No removal from the bill. $225 for garlic bread, 1 salad, 1 pasta meal with virtually no meatball ("hidden meatball" indeed!), 1 overcooked average $69 steak, 1 small pizza. 4 cocktails. They also add a $6 service fee. Not sure why. The 90 minute meal was mostly waiting ... and more waiting. This place is so overrated, overpriced and honestly not good. Please don't waste your money here. read more

Yummy delicious food! Sweet staff. Ambiance is so cute dressed as a transitional farm house with art deco accents. There are a few areas to eat dinner so it's fun to walk by the kitchen and seeing the magic at work. read more