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    Water St Cafe

    4.2 (245 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 1:00 pm

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    WATER ST CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Water St Cafe

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    Gerald H.

    Friday morning breakfast, our first of the trip to the Finger Lakes we stopped here for some food. Smaller place with a very friendly staff and a small tight-knit community. We were sat in the middle of the floor near the bar on a two-top. Started off with coffee and a water, and settled on the make your own burrito and added one pancake which I noticed were very large. The burrito, which I misheard, came with chopped or cubed sausage - had I known I would have ordered bacon, cheese eggs, peppers and onions. Again - it was my fault but it still tasted good. I just don't like the feeling of a soft burrito filled with cubed meat. The pancake was good a slathered it in butter and syrup. The staff was great and this was a nice start to the day and trip on the first full day.

    Garbage plate
    Kimberley A.

    What a busy place on a Sunday morning! Very small diner style place. Little hard to hear since it was so loud. Statesman platter 8/10 Eggs- over easy. cooked perfectly. Bacon- was delicious. Cooked perfectly, soft with a little crisp. Not hard or overcooked or burnt. French toast- was really good! Very thick slice of bread. Home fries- very plain, no flavor, they were like sliced boiled potatoes. Definitely not what I was expecting. I wish they would have been grilled or something and crispier. Was better dipped in the egg yolks with some salt. Garbage plate 8/10 Eggs- came omelette style. Home fries- same as above. Like sliced boiled potatoes. Wished they were crispy or fried or something. Gravy- flavor was good. corn beef hash- looked like it just came straight from the can. It was warmed up. Had good flavor. Biscuit- nice and flaky. Was beautifully toasted on the insides

    Gluten free banana pancakes
    Lee G.

    Visiting from Florida in July 2024, and our meal was incredible!! Restaurant & building is cool and what you might expect for a breakfast spot, we sat outside and the weather was perfect. Servers were solid and helpful. Food. Four in our group and everyone was VERY happy with their orders. I had an omelette with provolone & roasted peppers, others had poached eggs & French toast (French toast didn't look like it, very cool & original), oatmeal that was surprisingly good and inventive, banana pancakes GLUTEN FREE (which my wife is truly grateful they offer gluten free pancakes and French toast), as I said everyone loved their food! Definitely pay attention to details. Just me getting the toast and having it buttered and melted is a LOVE of mine. I despise murdering a piece of toast with a cold piece of butter. FIVE stars, strongly recommend this place.

    Strawberry Pancakes
    Kenneth L.

    This place is very generous with portions, low-cost, and absolutely delicious. The staff is also friendly & their wait list goes by pretty quick. We got the garbage plate, strawberry pancakes, and sausage links. The vibes are definitely more old-towny, which makes for a cool experience. Parking is also easy and abundant. Great restaurant for breakfast food!

    Rules posted at each table
    Thomas D.

    We went to this place a couple of years ago and loved it. Good food service and friendly staff. That has changed. We had a party of 4, went to have breakfast on Friday morning; we were seated, took our coats off and were handed menus.Then, a group of 6 people walked in and the staff didn't know what to do, there were no tables open for 6, so they turned to the hostess(?) who told us to get up, take our menus, coats and silverware and move to a table she pointed at with her finger. She was rude and treated us like we worked for her. No "please..could you do us a favor?" Just: "You need to move so we can seat this group! Take your silverware, coats and menus and sit over there." Our chins hit the floor and the group of 6 felt awful. They apologized and the whole scene was horrible and unnecessary . I HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH MORE COURTESY AT DMV. The food was ok. Note also new...they do not butter your toast for breakfast, it comes dry with an on-site prepared little cup of orange margarine - this is also new. Also attached and new is a picture of a sign they have at each table. Kind of like "Our rules for customers." See bullet point #2. What does: "Please be Courteous with Your Time(sic)'' mean? This is followed by a rule where you need to wait outside for your table. I'm done, I do not go out to eat to be treated this way.....the people that own and run this place are taking things too far and should not be playing musical chairs with their customers. If the staff keeps acting like this, there will be plenty of free tables......soon!

    Reuben n onion rings
    Marissa N.

    I would come here on the regular if I lived near by. The food was good, the space clean. The servers appeared to have good working relationships. Everyone was on the move and attentive. What really took the cake was when a gentleman walked in who appeared to be a bit rough around the edges. They knew his name, talked to him with kindness and familiarity. They knew he hadn't been feel well and suggested menu items that might sit well. Even if the food was subpar which it wasn't I'd come here to support the humanity that they dish out.

    Super cute coffee mugs - they're for sale too!

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    11 months ago

    Absolutely the quintessential Main St diner like experience. Except it's on Water St.!

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    8 months ago

    Awesome food and great staff ! Big selection of breakfast items my favorite is as always the statesman's

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    1 year ago

    Food was very good! Cute little cafe right in Geneva, great service also. We will be back soon!

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    2 years ago

    Great breakfast place. Omlettes and home fries cooked to perfection, coffee very tasty. Service was outstanding. Highly recommended.

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    1 year ago

    First time here, food was awesome, service top notch. Will definitely be returning to this spot next time we are in Geneva!

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    Ask the Community - Water St Cafe

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    Generally speaking, I enjoy the vibes in this cute little coffee shop. Maybe it's my appreciation…read morefor the plants placed all around, maybe it's the fun of having a piano near the window... I don't know. I appreciate that it feels relaxed though. My friend and I each ordered honey lavender lattes (which aren't large at all), while my friend ordered a berry muffin and I got a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich. Those four items together + tip (20%) came to $30.10... which was far too expensive for lattes that lacked in flavor, a rather small breakfast sandwich, and a muffin that was more "meh" in comparison to something my friend or I could have just picked up from Wegmans up the road. In terms of service, it was just... lacking? Nobody was rude or anything, but they weren't warm or inviting either. For what I'd typically consider to be a nice little neighborhood coffee shop, nobody working there seemed engaged or mindful of the "community" aspect of the service experience. TL;DR No neighborhood coffee shop thrives on chill ambience alone, and there's not enough here in terms of delicious eats, tasty treats, or flavorful drinks to make me want to make a return visit. :-/

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    Back in the day this spot was a music store, not like Area Records where CDs, tapes, vinyl were…read moresold, but instruments. Not even sure when they closed to be honest. Kind of sad to see it gone after seeing it my entire life. There is a bakery there now. It's basically strictly...order and pick it up type of place. They sell cookies and other pastries at the front. It's a "help yourself" and you scan a QR code to pay. So! Ok, I do love the new technology where you can eat out and scan a QR code and pay that way. Or using a QR code for so many other things. I don't however like this set up. I think it's really weird. Cash is also an option here. I wanted to originally pay cash. I got 2 cookies and a brownie. Says "ring bell if you need change" I press the little button 3x and I can see people in the back. Not one person came out after I hit the button. That's booooo! It's like, why have it if you're going to ignore it?! Just close the doors to the public and have it strictly as an online business. I love love trying bakeries like this vs buying anything store bought. When I'm home, I look for places like this, Amish farms, Mennonite farms..any place that sells fresh baked cookies. In Idaho we don't have many great bakeries and if they are around...they are miles away and driving in Boise traffic these days is SO NOT worth the hassle for a cookie lol Also, if really don't eat many cookies and stuff but shoooot when I'm here in NY visiting and I'm close to Amish and Mennonite farms where they make INCREDIBLE baked goods...I definitely indulge lol. The cookies here and brownies were... ya know, good, but would I write home to mama about them? Nah. Hell, I'm staying at my moms and I didn't even tell her about them after I ate them. The cookies were pipe $2 a piece, I think, small brownie was $3. Honestly, cookies should be .75 and brownies... $1.00 There was really no variation in tastes between the two. They use something in their baked goods that made each one taste exactly the same...except you obviously could taste the chocolate on top of whatever they use, in the brownie. Would I recommend? I mean, maybe? If someone asked, I'd be like "there's a bakery in downtown Geneva, buuuut..." and then shrug my shoulders and give that crooked mouth look like... meh Now, maybe their cakes and whatever else they make are bomb af. I'll never know bc 1) I won't be going back lol and 2) I don't see myself ever buying a cake. Again, I see bakeries like this, it's a small business, I love supporting small businesses especially in a town where I grew up, went to high school in, etc...I see them and have to try. I tried it and now... I'm good: I can't say anything about the staff, because they ignored me lol, the place is small, it's clean. It's a bakery haha! Thanks for reading. Cheers, YelperSweets!

    Amazing cakes & super accommodating. We got the Chocolate Chocolate cake and it was smooth, rich, &…read morenot too sweet. I'm not a big cake gal but I would love to get that cake again.

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    Vinifera - Fancy a cocktail? Our speakeasy features curated cocktails including the classics and seasonal choices.

    Vinifera

    4.7(29 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    The most incredible (and only) speakeasy in the Finger Lakes…read more After hours of driving, we knew we needed a cool spot to go to at night for some delicious wine. Of course, the Finger Lakes are KNOWN for wine so we're just thinking we're making reservations for a wine bar (with "speakeasy" vibes). Which that would've been totally cool with us. After continuous back and forth, changing our reservations 50 million times, adding and taking people out, we finally made it to Vinifera on a Friday night and were super apologetic since we had to make yet another change. The staff was absolutely incredible and accommodating, they made sure our party of 10 would be in the same room/table. The only "downfall" was that we'd have to share the room with another small party. Which was absolutely not a problem and we ended up being BFF'S with them by the end of the night. We met the owner Jim - the most incredible human - and he took us down to the speakeasy (which passes right through a super secretive door in the back of the main room upstairs). Side note - the main room upstairs is a vibe on it's own btw and we would've been absolutely fine and happy there. It's an actual wine store and you can purchase all kind of local wines. Be sure to ask and get all the recommendations you want. Not only did we get to enjoy an incredible time but we got a super cool VIP experience and learned the story and so much history about this place, the concept, the origin and what sparked the idea of creating it. That itself, was a treat. On to the actual speakeasy experience. When you go downstairs (through that fun super cool super secretive door) - you're instantly transported to another era, another time. It's dark, it's velvety, chandeliers, spiderwebs (the aesthetic kind, idk if there were actually any but it fit the vibe in my head), Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, candles, curtains. There are two super cool rooms, one to the right (which is where our large party sat at) and one to the left - totally recommended for smaller groups, it's cozy, it's chill, you can interact and share with other guests too. Just by this, I'm wowed. As if this wasn't enough, the drinks were absolutely incredible. I ended up ordering some kind of a smoked drink and they happily substituted the regular old fashioned for mezcal. What a dream. Everyone was happy with their drink orders, some ordered some off the menu things and they happily made them - even though they technically only serve what's on the menu. Wine flights are also available if you're in the wine vibe. Bottom line: we loved this place SO much, we came back 2 night's later for our last night. We sat in the other room and absolutely loved and enjoyed it. I had a lavender drink and it was delish. This place is a GEM and you should absolutely check it out and support it if you're in the area. If you're not, well now you have a place I know you'll love to go to!

    Vinifera Flagship is so charming! Down a European-esque street in Geneva NY, duck in for delicious…read morecocktails expertly crafted and local and international wines. We have enjoyed the speakeasy several times and are treated to a cool, cozy vibe by proprietor Jim Cecere! His service is 5 stars!!! Definitely a must visit if in the Finger Lakes!

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    Vinifera - Speakeasy

    Speakeasy

    Vinifera - The Manhattan. Classic. Perfect. NYS spirits.

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    Vinifera - Sit inside or out during the warm months to enjoy a flight or a cocktail.

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    Iron Heart Coffee Co & Eatery

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    3.5(2 reviews)
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    This review is from Feb 2024 (copy/pasted from my review posted on War Horse Brewing's Yelp page-…read morephotos can be found there as well). Looks like they make the food the day prior and refrigerate it. It's not made to order or even the day of (which it's very simple food and only takes a minute or so to prepare, so i don't get why). There is a "packed date" on the container when you get your food. (Can't say if this is true for the pretzel though, but definitely applies to the other 3 snack items). Would definitely not recommend this cafe to anyone unless they're absolutely starving. Eat before/after you visit here. Turkey BLT wrap 5/10 Mayo comes on the side so it doesn't get soggy. Smart. Wrap was very skimpy. There was maybe 1 or 2 slices of lunch meat turkey in it, and a slice of bacon. See photo. Not worth the price at all. Pasta salad 4/10 SUPER DRY. Was like eating plain wet noodles. Probably because it sat overnight. Needs more dressing for sure. The combination of ingredients were good together though. See photo. Iced latte with caramel 5/10 Couldn't even taste the caramel. Plenty of milk, but it was just poured in.. Not even frothed like a latte usually is. It was just like drinking a plain flavorless iced coffee. Sugar is separate to add yourself, which I did not know until half of my drink was gone. Suggestions for improvement: Fresh is best! Prepare and cook meal items to order/day of.

    A Great Find: Iron Heart Coffee & Eatery During our visit to…read more3 Brothers Brewery, we decided to grab some food to balance out the drinks, which led us to Iron Heart Coffee & Eatery--a cozy spot offering breakfast, brunch, and a solid drink menu. We weren't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a fantastic experience, thanks to great food, friendly service, and an unexpected act of kindness. Food & Drinks I ordered the French toast, while my wife went for a breakfast sandwich, which she paired with two mimosas. The menu had a nice mix of breakfast and brunch options, making it a great stop whether you're looking for something sweet, savory, or just a good cup of coffee. As we were waiting, I hadn't realized that the brewery was connected to the eatery--a pleasant surprise! Naturally, I ended up switching things up and grabbed a beer instead, handing off both mimosas to my wife (which she didn't seem to mind at all). A Small Mix-Up, Handled Perfectly When our order was ready, my ringer went off, and I headed over to pick up the food--only to realize that my French toast was missing. I mentioned it to the supervisor, and she immediately offered to put it in for me. I initially told her, "You know what, don't worry about it," since mistakes happen. But instead of letting it slide, she insisted on making it right--saying it was on the house and she was putting it in anyway. Not only did my French toast come out quickly, but it also came with hashbrowns, which was a great unexpected addition. And let me tell you--it was incredibly good. The combination of sweet, fluffy French toast and crispy hashbrowns paired perfectly with my beer, making for an awesome brunch experience. Final Thoughts This visit to Iron Heart Coffee & Eatery was a pleasant surprise in more ways than one. The food was delicious, the staff was super friendly and accommodating, and the way they handled a small mix-up with generosity and great customer service made all the difference. If you're visiting 3 Brothers Brewery, I'd highly recommend stopping in for food--whether you're looking for breakfast, brunch, or just a great bite to go with your drinks. It's the kind of place that goes the extra mile, and that alone makes it worth coming back to. Loved this place--definitely a spot I'll revisit!

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    Iron Heart Coffee Co & Eatery
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    Iron Heart Coffee Co & Eatery - Menu 2/2024

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    Menu 2/2024

    Water St Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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