Outdoor seating
Yes
Pelicans Nest Waterfront Restaurant in Rochester
Categories
Location on the map
Rochester, Monroe County, New York, US
Service options
Delivery
Yes
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Health and safety
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Highlights
Great cocktails
Yes
Live music
Yes
Sport
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible lift
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Alcohol
Yes
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Happy-hour food
Yes
Kids' menu
Yes
Late-night food
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Dining options
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Cosy
Yes
Crowd
Groups
Yes
Tourists
Yes
University students
Yes
Planning
Accepts reservations
Yes
Phone: +1 585-663-5910
Site: https://www.pelicansnestrestaura...
Site: https://www.pelicansnestrestaura...
Opening hours
- Monday:11AM–12AM
- Tuesday:11AM–12AM
- Wednesday:11AM–12AM
- Thursday:11AM–12AM
- Friday:11AM–1AM
- Saturday:11AM–1AM
- Sunday:12PM–12AM
Comments (199)
Pelicans Nest is a good place to get food on the water. We did have a pretty significant wait for a table for 2 on a Monday afternoon. The view is always pleasant. The food was good, but the portions were a bit on the larger side. Also, beware of all the yellow jackets and bees that flock to the bar and your meal. If you or someone you know is allergic to bee stings, think twice about visiting because these bees can and will land on your food.
Pelicans Nest gets 5 stars for drinks, entertainment and view of the river.As far as the food goes, eat before you come here. We waited 40 minutes for appetizers that were promised to come. I specifically informed our server do not bring out our entrees until after the appetizers. Not only did our entrees come out before our appetizers, our appetizers never came out. I think the kitchen is too small for the seating capacity.No management whatsoever came over to apologize or to try to make it right. Quite cowardly that they couldnt even face me for their mistakes.Food has been subpar at best on my other visits, but this one topped to cake.Come here for food and come here for entertainment, but certainly, not for the food.
My sweet potato fries were cold and boyfriends burger was raw, also 3 empty ketchup bottles before I found one with any in it. The server was attentive and good, but the busboy awkwardly walked us to with the bus pan, and instructed us to our dishes in there. It was comical, at least.
Would have liked to review this spot but went in on a slow Friday night. I say slow because there were a LOT of empty tables and a very bored looking hostess at the stand.Went to the bar which had some people, but there was a spot to stand and waited for 10 minutes without any of the 3 bartenders even giving me a hi!, Ill be right with you. Another patron next to me said yeah...theyre kinda slow and really dont care.Well...I left and probably wont go back. Management might want to let bartenders know its ok to make eye contact even when its busy.If they had made any kind of effort to acknowledge me I would have stayed and ordered. Ive worked in many restaurants and bars, so I tip kinda heavy and know how it is, but to ignore customers isnt good...
This was my first time at the Pelican nest and boy was I disappointed. It started out by being overwhelmed by the beautiful spacious bar and the Riverside seating but it went downhill from there. The menu look like something from the 1970s the way we photocopied something for high school social studies. Our meals were subpar. The bright spot was the manager and our waitress.
Worst service ever, it took 3 hours for a burger and chicken fingers. Every drink I had to get at the bar myself. Im leaving a negative tip and taking it off the bill. The crab cakes are good though, all 2 of them. Dinner was alright, but it was supposed to be lunch.
We got here just as they were opening, so got a table right away. When we left they were really busy, so Im not sure what the wait tends to be like. The food was good, service was great, would definitely return.
Very unhappy when we went to dance, came back to our table to find our freshly served drinks and our dinner to go was cleared from the table. I spoke to the owner and he just brushed me off to say, don’t bother him about this matter. If a table is not occupied, then it is going to be cleared!! It was very obvious that what was on the table was Newly served drinks and food. Not sure why the table had to be cleared as no one was waiting for the table as it was late to the point no one was going to need the table to eat as there were many empty tables! You have to wait forever to get a meal in this place, then when you get it, they take it away in a flash!! I want to be reimbursed for our dinners and drinks!!!!
Joined visiting cousins for dinner, only had dessert and coffee. They and my family(daughter and g-kids) ate after cousin concert at Charlotte Beach. Food is excellent always, summer establishment on Genesee.
Busy restaurant, expect to wait but they do take reservations. Great view of the river from the deck.
Food took almost two hours to come. Had to go to the bar to refill drinks. No communication. Went to the hostess stand to ask to speak to a manager said the manager wouldn’t come out, was busy cooking bc the cook “overheated” 🙄When she finally came to the table behavior was unconscionable. So much so the hostess came over with the owner on the phone to apologize for her behavior.
We waited for 2 hours for seating which i dont understand why because I walked to the back and there were about 6 tables available. We decided to leave along with 15 other people. What a waste of time. Would not recommend.
Phenomenal food and lovely atmosphere. this is a great place to dine especially during the beautiful summer days.great food and drink
Nice atmosphere, adequate food, steep prices.You definitely pay for the lakeside view and atmosphere. $10 for a cocktail is steep. The food was alright: my bacon cheeseburger was good, but not at all cooked to order. I ordered medium and there was no pink. My fries were just slightly undercooked, too. If you go when there is live music, youll have a good time at least.
Food was horrible. Ordered the fried shrimp which was undercooked and mushy and really tiny similar to Walmart salad shrimp..very disgusting. The only nice thing was the view.
Location is great and food was very good. There was a fairly long wait to get any food, but the wait staff was friendly and efficient.
Would give more than 1 star but didnt even get to eat there. Hours say open till 12 but they dont actually stay open till 12, they just ignore the phone and close whenever they feel like. Tried to stop in in person too
Love sitting by the water watching the boats and birds. Chicken salad was delish! Great entertainment......the SkyCoasters were playing!
From the time we checked in at 6:15PM, we ended up leaving at 9:20PM. Positives and negatives from our visit here.Pros:*The appetizers came out quickly*The drinks are delicious*The wait staff is friendly*Live musicCons:*The food took over an hour*We were told the wait was 45 minutes but we were seated after an hour and 5 minutes. We dont mind waiting just tell us how long it is going to be upfront*The crowd is of the older, way too drunk, variety.*A bit pricey for just ok food
Waitress dropped wine glass sprayed all over me. Offered sweatshirt then said room was locked. Boss/cook came out demanded to know who spilledSince it was behind me wasnt able to ID. She disappeared . Dont go if you like what you are wearing and dont expect any decent customer service if they damage your property.
Decent restaurant. Very fun at night with a lot of great live music. Im only giving it four stars because the beer prices are ridiculous. I paid $6 to be given a 12oz plastic cup that was only three-quarters full so that was a bit disappointing. The food was pretty good though. They also have a huge patio right along the water which makes for some great views.
Staff was friendly. Came with a large group, and was still served in a normal amount of time. I ordered a chicken meal, which came out undercooked, but was quickly taken care of.
Great location on a summer day! Good food and service doesnt hurt.
This is a sloppy bar. Fruit flies everywhere. Don’t drink the liquor, unless you want to continuously inspect your drink for fruit flies. Water all over the bathroom floor. Ill update on prices when I get my bill.
The view was nice by the water and our server was great. The food was also good. We ordered the shrimp per our servers suggestion. We also tried the clams and some fries. The fries were actually really good and I almost never like 🍟. The only reason I didnt give five stars was because of my Jack and coke. The first round was small but okay however the second one came in a glass half the size and was all Ice. I took most of the ice out and it fit in 1/4 the other cup and was 7 dollars. For this scale of place definitely not exceptable. It was literally like the size of a shot glass.
Great place to eat because its right on the lake. They have good live music on the weekends, great atmosphere, a good number of tables so can seat many people. A lot of wait staff to accommodate, just not very friendly or customer service oriented. I used to love to come here on Fridays for fish fry, but the fish is so so so small now. It tastes good but the chef should be ashamed of the portion size. Chef goes to public market just about daily though, to get fresh fruits and veggies, and cooks the veggies to perfection so thats a plus! I would definitely rate more stars if some of the food and customer service issues were fixed.
I ordered chicken fingers to go and they were raw! Chicken was literally translucent. When I called the restaurant the girl took my name and number and no one returned my call. Not only is this disgusting but very poor customer service to say the least.This was my second attempt. Last visit a few months ago my friend and I were finishing dinner on the patio and they turned the lights off to apparently let us know they were closing. I thought that was rude at the time but decided to give them another chance.Never again! I will never go back and will share this info with family and friends. Disgusted to say the least!
Last weekend was our first time. We were seated at a timely manner. The view was nice and the food was OK. I ordered the steak and it was very bland. No seasoning and over cooked. The side of vegetables are definitely from a can or steamed from a bag. The salt potatoes if you want to call them that were just heated up potatoes with some butter melted on top. Definitely not worth $26. My fiancé enjoyed the fish fry. Overall not the worst restaurant, but not too sure if I would return.
Great food, good service, really nice view. On a sunny day it would probably be beautiful to eat by the water, but inside is also nice and cozy, and actually kind of felt like a boat to me. The service was perfect, and the food was very good. I recommend the Tuscan Pasta or Pelican Pasta, both great dishes. The inside has a bar but its still a great place to take children, and theres lots of group tables. The atmosphere is really veyst slice of life, kind of like how you imagine a person who lives on a beach is constantly happy. The view of the water and people boating is enjoyable as well, and the service isnt slow at all. I will definitely be going back here!
Excellent food, great service, nice view of the Genesee River while dining.
Great food and location. Was very slow. I think understaffed.
Went for a fun night out with friends. Service was friendly. Waited 15+ minutes for a drink, 20+ for food at the the time of writing this. They sat us in the rain. They are continuing to let people in and sit them in the rain instead of waiting properly for people to leave for dry tables. Not a pleasant first experience. We asked for an umbrella for the tables we altered told our party was too large to receive umbrellas. Drinks were not made well. If the single order of fries we are waiting on ever come.... Ill let you know how those are.
Nice atmosphere, just wish there were more food choices.
Excellent, good food and great service.Nice place to enjoy food and drinks.
Food and drinks Delish ❤. Service was A+. Our Service, she was Fast..positive Vibes(Attitude, ). The atmosphere just Beautiful, watching the Boats go by.👏👏👏..my coworker and his Wife brought me here ( Birthday celebration)..❤🎆🎆
Fan god damn tastic food! Friendly service, skinny sailor drink is wonderful, and the shrimp was out of this world. Get the shrimp!!!
Its a bit pricey but it has a beautiful view and wonderful staff! Great place for a date night!
Only open during summer months. Waiter said just getting rid of stock, supposed to close last week so limited menu justified. Had the grilled Salmon on rice pilaf with side of mixed veggies, nothing fancy, delicious. Grilled to perfection...clam strips and fried calamari also very good with marinara. My friend had the chicken parm she said was very good. Unfortunately they parked us outside under the tent, cool and rainy evening. They had moved a lot of their tables to make room for the live band which is why we were there anyway so... it all worked out. Next summer if youre in town I suggest checking it out
Visiting from out of state and wanting to support local businesses,we stopped here for lunch. This place would be amazing for a sunset meal as its located right on the river and hey have indoor and outdoor seating. The food was tasty and presentation was pleasant. We started with drinks and dessert and finished with our sandwiches. The interior is clean and the staff is professional.
Just love this place.. ambiance in the era of corona is just perfect. Music is okay. Food is good.
Great selection of beers. There own drinks are not the best the day I visit them the service was terrible. I waited almost 30 min for a shrimp appetizer. And longer for my drinks. I left with out trying the food.
Bartender was so sweet and extremely responsive. Beautiful views. Would recommend!
Love The Bands sat and sunday nights!! Should keep it open till Halloween for a party…
Walked into someone screaming at the bartender for moving at a snails pace. The older bartender couldnt keep track of who was coming to the bar first - or who had been standing there for at least 20 mins desperately attempting to get some sort of acknowledgement. No frozen drinks as the machine suddenly went down. Made reservations at Schooners after this shenanigans and handed in our pager. Shouldve done that first. Corrected my boyfriend when he asked for Ruby Red Kolsch, and told him it was just kolsch. Get it together or your locals will start responding, as I see by the amount of people here compared to usual, they have.
Ok...fun to be on the busy harbor and watch the boats and people. Food was mediocre...definitely not gourmet. Like other reviews state, the service was poor. They might be having trouble finding quality servers. One member of my party never received his second cocktail. The server told him it was sitting on the bar when she brought the check and wondered if he still wanted it. The drinks are good. Suggest you go straight to the bar. Go once for fun and keep expectations low and paitience high.
Food was decent, but the location is awesome. It is right on the water.
The beautiful view of the water from the outside restaurant is more indicative of why this place is so hotly visited than anything I can say here, but Ill try. The view is amazing, the food has a decent variety rich in Americana and Italian inspired seafood. The wait times are reasonable and the pricing is to match especially considering portion sizes. If you are ever near by, drop in. Expect a friendly smile and crystal waters to welcome you warmly.
Understaffed but more than happy to take your money. This place use to run like a well oiled machine, but has really gone down hill the last few years. Bar staff was painfully slow and inexperienced, they were clearly overwhelmed. Our server was friendly but not very attentive. We waited 20 minutes to get our first drink at the bar, another 20 minutes for another drink after we were sat. After an hour of waiting for our food we were informed that the kitchen had run out of a major ingredient for the dish. All around a disappointing time at Pelicans
Simply stated....THE BOMB...best food Ive had I a while.
Drinks and snacks for a retirement party. Nice place. Indoor and outdoor dining.
One of the best waterfront dining locations in Rochester. It sits right on the Genesee river and can be reached by land or by sea. They have great food during the day (a little above average pricing) and night. They have live bands on the weekends? Not sure on times but its a busy spot in the summer.
I dont usually write reviews, but I took my sister, from out of state, and a friend here for lunch. I was so embarrassed I suggested the place, location was nice, seated right away, the waitress did seem like she had better things to do, but that aside the real problem was the food. Really any fast food joint would have been better. I had chicken salad which was ok and a safe choice I guess. First the menu doesnt tell you that their crab items are imitation , you have to ask, my friend got the crab cakes, knowing that, and said their was no taste of anything remotely resembling crab or fish at all, she just tasted fried batter. My sister got the clam strips, and was handed 1 burnt strips of batter, again no taste of clam just burnt batter, those I did try at the end of our meal, and I said thats aweful, you should of sent them back she doesnt like to complain and said the fries were good. never again, i would have rather donated the $50 to a food bank.
Been here before and usually like like this place.this time the clams had forgotten to take a hot shower and left themselves frozen, too chewy to eat. My partner across the table had the same issue. Wait staff and management went out of their way to make things right. They were really dedicated to making their guests happy. I would go their again.
Showed up to watch a band and my daughter and her friends who were not 21 were not allowed in. The show was never advertised as being 21+. We would have never showed expecting to go in if it had been. The security company was just doing their job and they were great about it but the bar manager did his best to hide and run from customers who were upset. He wouldnt allow security to X their hand just said no entry...then ran away. I personally have never liked the place and now neither does anyone else who was with me tonight.
They were very accommodating with making my lunch good. I ordered a drink I got that wasnt what I ordered. The side wasnt available I ordered and they tried to make everything good with not charging for the drink,giving me a dessert for the side that I didnt get along with a different side. So the attention to the service was exceptional. The day was hot but sat in the shade. Was noisy,but nice view. Meal was good and was brought in a timely manner.
One of the worst dining experiences Ive had. First had to wait 20 minutes over the time they said we had to wait because they crossed our name off the list on accident. Then once seated nobody came to the table for 25 minutes. Then once we ordered it took over an hour for our food to come and it was cold. Wish I could give zero but the waitress was polite and trying to help. The problem is the owner and manager who did not help the staff at all. All they did was walk around and occasionally ask how the food was. Many tables around us had the same complaints. Wish I walked out before we order. Will never come back.
Poor management and service. We had 7pm reservations, we were not seated until 7:30. It took 15-20 minutes to get drinks. By 8:30 we were starving and wondering where our food was. There was a mistake and the ticket got lost. We were told that the kitchen needed to complete the food for the party of 35 and then they would get to our meals. We asked how long that would take and they told us they don’t know. A well managed place would have stopped everything and paid attention to the table that did not get the food they had been waiting an hour for. We had to leave and get food elsewhere.
Waited an hour after our reservation to get seated. Many others waited longer. Service was alright, a lot of people commented about how long it was taking to get food. Beer was pretty warm and no where near a pint. Not sure why the server asked how I wanted my burger cooked, it was a frozen patty they cook through. Fries were alright, theyre the battered kind. Not entirely sure why its so popular. Wouldnt go again.
Good food with a nice view. Right on the river across from the yacht club. Always busy. Make reservations and go early to minimize the wait for a table. Average prices - not cheap, but reasonable for what you get. Friendly staff.
Wings had no flavor. Pricey. Nice spot right by water though
I have eaten here many times over the years. The food has always been great, the service is always spot on, and you really cant beat the atmosphere and the view. When brings this review to a 5 star is an experience my Mother had. A misunderstanding on my part lead to my Mother being a little short changed on the bill. After some short talks with the manager, she allowed me to settle the bill over the phone and was super understanding about the whole situation. Pelicans is a Rochester staple. Everyone should visit the nest at least once while in town!
We had a great first experience here a few weeks ago. Decent food, strong drinks, and maybe the best fries I’ve had. Came back today for my fiancé’s birthday and had a miserable experience. Hostess was very nice, but was unable to control the chaos being created by everyone else there. The man with the pony tail that was “helping” her was not communicating or listening to anyone. I told him we hadn’t checked in yet and he tried to seat us before the very obviously irritated family that was supposed to be seated. When we were finally seated we waited 40 minutes and were never spoken to. The menus were all different with missing pages and multiple of the same pages. A group I knew personally was seated after us, had already received their drinks and had already had their food order taken before we walked out. I get it was busy, and a simple acknowledgment by the wait staff would have kept us there, however we were ignored when we tried to get someone’s attention.
Very nice,fun atmosphere,friendly wait staff. Nice watching the boats on lake Ontario.
Cool place and ok for drinks, but the food was borderline inedible
I never do reviews. But yesterdays experience compelled me to do so. Of course now that Im writing one I see that Im not alone with my feelings. Wish I would have read them before I spent the cash I did. I would have done only 3 stars, but I have to drop it down to 2 stars because theres just a lot of little stupid things that are easy fixes, but this place doesnt appear to want to change. Unfortunately it cost them a star. In the end, OVERRATED. There are plenty of other choices nearby for similar ombiance. They should reach out to restaurant impossible. That place could be 5 plus stars in 48 hours and the owners, their customers and our city would benefit from it. Dont waste your money.
Great location, especially on a sunny day! Service is good, food and drinks are delicious! Prices, in my opinion, are a little on the high side, but youre also paying for the view.
Had lunch with my wife, seated within 20 minutes, definitely understaffed, over 10 minutes just to take our order, almost 30 minutes to get our order, my wife enjoyed her burger, I ordered a Pelican plate, burgers were burnt on one side, macaroni salad had no taste, hot sauce was fair! Atmosphere was good!
A bar and restaurant with deck seating that has a good view of the Genesee River just south of the Port of Rochester. The staff were friendly and helpful. The bar had a good selection of beverages on tap, and the fast-casual food was very good.
If I could give negative stars I would. Waited 45 minutes to be seated when told it would be 20, asked about it only to find out that they forgot about us. Once sat at table no waiter came over to greet us and take our orders for 20 minutes, and at that point we asked a manager about this and he accused us of lying and then continued to not send anyone to serve us. Once finally served our waiter didn’t refill any of our drinks, the food was made completely wrong, and we asked for sides of sauce which were never brought. Waited for check to come for another 20 minutes before we had to wave another manager over to get the check. Terrible experience will never eat here again. Staff were extremely rude and not apologetic whatsoever.
It was great Brittney and Mike were the best. Great customer service for sure. Food was fast and the view....
Unfortunately the great food does NOT make up for the absolute horrendous service these employees give!! twice now ive been with my friends and each time we are disgusted with the service. one time it seemed like one of the employees purposely AVOIDED us to take our order! another employee realized it themselves and had to force him to take our order! this establishment will not last with that attitude, im disgusted. they are lucky they have awesome chefs thats for sure!
Went there for lunch after paradeWaited along time for our food and it wasnt even warm. We had chicken wings. They are only using the deck seating so not alot oftables to serve. Best part was the view this place use to be good but wont go back agian.
TL;DR good food, but dont go here unless you have 3+ hours to spend out to dinnerThe only reason theyre getting 2 stars is the food is pretty good, but the service? Whew lad.Weve been there three times so far this year:The first time it was fairly busy, but not too crazy. We made a reservation the day before and the hostess lost our name, so we ended up waiting for over an hour for a table. Otherwise the service was fine.The second time it was dead, so we got right in and everything was good. That experience was probably worthy of 4 starsToday was very busy, and by far our worst experience. We were quoted a 45 minute wait. Over an hour later we asked where we were on the list (after seeing people who arrived after us get seated before us. Which OK, maybe they had reservations? Still, that didnt help us when we had one) and they said two parties were ahead of us. We proceeded to watch them seat 5 groups before our buzzer went off.Total wait time: 1hr 35min.Once we got to the table we ordered two waters and a rum and pineapple. The mixed drink took half an hour to get to the table and was completely watered down by the time we got it. The waitress (to her credit) replaced it quickly and said she would take it off the bill. Bill came, still had the drink on it.Sothatwasafuckinglie.jpgThey have a lot of new staff getting trained but man, what an overall negative experience. Im going to blame Covid staffing for most of the problems, because weve been here in the past and not had these issues. But Id be wary if theres any kind of crowd until they have a little more experience under their belts.
Fun atmosphere, boat accessable, we take the boat there often with the kids. Fun music and great food. Staff is very friendly
Although I would give a higher rating for food but having an event was one of the worst experiences I ever encountered! Management was no where around to greet me as a host. I learned from staff that he hides in the office upstairs. Staff are not properly trained! The bartenders were rude and unprofessional. Questions were answered by I DIDNT KNOW specifically by one whom stated ITS MY FIRST DAY. They knew about the band music and staff were rude to them as well.Well, it shows that the owners dont care how their place runs and now they have lost me and more customers.
First time back today after COVID. NEVER AGAIN!!!! Waited 20 min for a table as others were seated before us. The hostess forgot about us after taking our name and giving us a buzzer. Got seated sat for 20 min no server. Asked for a server 10 min later she came and took our drink and food order. Another 20 min no water no drinks!!! I could see our drinks sitting made at the bar. Got up and walked out..told the older woman with the bun we were leaving and to cancel our food order...Can here all the time and will NEVER go back...Shout out to Schooners...went there right after...very busy...seated IMMEDIATELY.. and had a water and drink in first 5 min...Pelican should go across the river to see REAL customer service !!!
Waitress was very nice! My Mother-law didnt care for a drank she choose, the waitress change it out with no problem! Great service! Very welcoming environment!
1. Hostess completely forgot about us, we were given a buzzer and watched multiple people get seated while being ignored. Eventually we go ask and were told they forgot about us.2. While waiting we got a drink at the bar. Immediately after ordering the bartender told us it was illegal to drink at the bar in nys (????) and asked us to move away. We asked about the other people standing at the bar. No response.3. The bartender that told us to move also told me my drink was $9 and charged me $10, and it was not very good.4. Food was mediocre at best. The meat sauce was visibly 80% grease. Crab cakes tasted like fried chicken. One chicken entree came out bone dry with no sauce. We had to ask for sauce for it to have any flavor. I received an item I didn’t order.5. The only redeeming quality was the waitress was fast, friendly, and very sorry about our experiences.The atmosphere simply isn’t enough to overlook the low quality. One to skip.
Awesome Historical Place !!! Beautiful and Spectacular !!! A Must Visit !!! ❤️
Was able to get a table out on the back patio a wait of only 5 minutes. Waitress was great, food was good. My wife loves theyre fish tacos. They also were very accommodating for our 15 month old as far as being out of the sun
Run down. Stinks. Bathrooms were gross. Food was over priced. Servers looked desperate to get you in and out. Paying for the water view.. 26$ for a steak that u get from price rite for 6$.. the bar was smelly of dirty rags. Just not a good place to eat.
We had a great time here to celebrate the end of the school year! Our waiter, Sebastian, was a lot of fun and very attentive. It was so nice to be outside in the sun!
I frequently come to the restaurant at least twice a season. I was there last night for dinner and that had to be the worst experience I have had at any restaurant. After 20 min at the table I had to ask to get a waitress for our table. She took our order and we never saw her again until I had to call her over for our check. Never got a chance to ask for drinks, condiments or anything. Very disappointing
Service was slow and very unattentive by any staff....until the end of our meal anyway. Our appetizer came out with our main entrees and it was cold, food was ok, nothing great. I do not recommend this restaurant at this time. More bun than meat on pulled pork sandwich. If you are looking for waterfront dining, look elsewhere.
My boyfriend & Is favorite spot. Awesome outdoor seating overlooking the bay and the inside is like a tiki bar. Great date spot but also a welcoming, fun bar to take your friends out too. On top of that, they have a variety of food to choose from- seafood, burgers, pasta, wings, ribs and fun tropical cocktails to wine to beer. You cant really go wrong with Pelicans Nest. And Ive never had a bad service experience with the bartenders/servers here either. Definitely a must go-to place in Rochester.
OPEN :COME ON DOWNPopped in with my sister who is in from out of town.We had some GREAT COCKTAILS ...POOLSIDE Pina Coladas, AND THE Mermaid Mules 🍹BOTH FABULOUS. Then had to have the calamari...which was lightly cooked to perfection.SPICY MARINARA IS PERFECT.
I usually love coming here but today I brought my good friend we were having good conversation, we’re the only people there. It’s 11 in the morning and two other parties show up. They placed them right next to us on both sides. No one else was in the restaurant? Why do we have to sit so close to one another? Especially during covid times
There was a wait but it was worth it. Nice place to relax after work. Enjoyed sitting next to water. View is pretty. There was live music during my visit. Wish I couldve stayed longer.
Waited 30 minutes after being seated at a table for a server and no one ever came to take our order. Kept trying to get someones attention but the just ignored us and and help the tables that were newly seated after us. Ended up leaving without ordering. Not impressed, will stick to Windjammers
I got lunch here with my girlfriend today and we got the pelicans shrimp and it was sketchy looking at first giving my girlfriend food poisoning! Never again will I come here or recommend this place to anyone 🤢🤢🤮 one of the worst restaurants in Rochester.
Celebrated our anniversary there yesterday....Merlot and Black & Bleu Salad...Yum....My Husband had Tuna Steak and an IPA....He said dinner was excellent......The Restaurant never disappoints!
I struggled with this review because as much as I wanted to like the place, the food was just not all there. The view is good if you choose to sit outside, and if the prices were to come down a bit Im sure it would be fine, but my friend paid $24 for a piece of salmon that was smaller and thinner than a computer mouse. The veggies she got were clearly frozen and unseasoned. For 24!? My Mac and cheese was okay but not worth the $16. Small plastic cups were given to us and it was $3 a drink. On the brightside our boyfriends burgers were very good according to them. But I dont think I would go here again when Im back up in NY.
Wait staff was on point (Julie) and always had a refill for our drinks right before we finished 👏 food is consistent and good. Ambiance of the water is always a delight.
Just left Pelicans Nest and will probably never return....was seated pretty fast but then waited 10 mins at the table and no one came to even introduce themselves or even give us water....We watched multiple waiters and waitresses walk by serving all the other tables around us...a couple that was seated after us was served water before us...so now we are enjoying some great food across the way...
The worst garage plate in Rochester. Cinnamon in the meat sauce. Dry, yet oil at the bottom of the plate. Couldnt eat it. Chicken sandwiches and wing are good.
Beautiful area! The service is fantastic! The beer is good and the prices are perfect. I cant speak enough to how awesome the service was. The food was mediocre. I ordered the mac and cheese with lobster but it was.. watery. It truly tasted like when you put too much water into a Mac and cheese cup. I brought this up and was immediately offered a different choice and wasnt made to feel like I wasted anyones time. The Philly cheese steak was good! I enjoyed it a lot! Albeit a bit salty.Definitely will be back!
Its a bar with terrible cover bands. If you want to listen to middle age men with no musical talent, its your place to go. Food is okie, has a somewhat decent view. The water at times smells up the whole area.
We used to love this place when we lived in the area many years ago. So we stopped by, waitress was nice but generally inattentive. Took quite a long time to just get a drink order. When we did order, food took a long time to arrive and they were not swamped, plenty of open tables. The food we received was cold, meaning it was up, hot and ready, and then sat there. It tasted good but the lunch was already a mediocre experience at best. I dont like giving negative reviews and rarely do, but I was really disappointed and a little embarrassed as we had invited friends there for the first time and they too were very disappointed. Sorry, but probably our last time here.
The food is fantastic. The view of the water while dining calms the soul. We ordered the fish fry, the steak, the spinach and artichoke dip, carrot cake(no raisins thank goodness) and the berry mascarpone cake(full of berries), and their signature drink. Everything was delicious. However, the best part of the evening was Paul, our server. Great servers make a great meal even better; thank you Paul!
Made reservations, arrived a little late and was very rudely told that even with our reservations that there would be an hour or even longer wait. Extremely disappointed, we were hungry and looking forward to having a nice dinner at one of our favorite spots
We stopped on Monday night 7/6. We wouldnt normally go as we feel the quality doesnt tie ti the prices. Having said that we have always liked their Calamari. They now advertise it as a full pound with white wine sauce. What we recd probably didnt equal a quarter of a pound, no wine sauce. The Calamari was the size of small pasta rings. My husband and I each tasted ONE piece. It was terrible. We took it right back and asked for a refund. The person who called her self a manager gave us $10 out of the $15 they charged and accused us of eating half of it. After insisting on speaking to the Owner she made a call and handed us another $5. No apology, just rudeness. We didnt finish the fish tacos either because they were so nasty. I would give them no stars if that was an option.We will NEVER go again.
Took 15 minutes to get seated, 15 minutes to get a menu, 15 more minutes to finally get a waitress. She said we have no seafood left.45 minutes of my life wasted.
The view was good! The bathroom and floor inside was not very clean which was a big disappointment and not a selling point. Food was ok. Server was wonderful!
This is a great space with good music, fair food, and uneven service. Our waitress seemed very new and not fully trained, but she was friendly enough. Prices were fine, and the band did not over power the dining room. The hostess staff seemed to be focused on the mechanics of turning tables and not so much in greeting and welcoming guests. They were not rude, but not bubbling with personality either.
The view and atmosphere were excellent. The service was extremely poor. We got a reservation for Friday night (always get a reservation if possible). It made a 2 hour wait decrease to 10 minutes. We got seated and created by our waitress. She was not super friendly and was very short with us. The kitchen was extremely backed up. For a restaurant of this caliber, they should be used to the I flux of people on a Friday night. We waited at least an hour for our food. Maybe we ordered the wrong items but it was all below average on flavor and not prepared the way we asked. I was very unimpressed with the experience.
Although the weather can effect your visit the food is always delicious. Had crab cakes for an app which came with a really good dipping sauce. The sandwiches were great as always. Always nice to go to lunch and watch the boats go by.
On the water. Hot Sunday afternoon. Perfect.
We were just at the end of our meal and we had paid and we were sitting chatting for a few minutes and the owner came over to us and asked us if we could leave because she has 40 other people waiting for a table. I personally dont care how many people you have waiting for a table. I waited for my table just like everyone else and I am a paying customer and I should not be asked to leave because you have other people waiting for a table. This experience upset me so much that I will never patronize this restaurant again
It was a little busy but food was great
This place is located in a cool area on the lake with views. We went there on a busy day and they were either not trained to keep up or they are severely understaffed. It was chaos, the bar was disgusting, our drinks had no liquor in them (and they were 20 dollars for 2 drinks, no prices on menu). We got a table after a wait and proceeded to wait 30 minutes for our waters. Nobody working there was in a good mood, its almost like they wanted the customers to feel bad for them because it was busy. The bartenders were fussy. I wanted to support this place because I know the weather and high tides have affected them, but it was a beautiful day and they were not prepared. I witnesses them lose several hundred dollars in sales with people walking out.
We recently visited Pelicans Nest for our anniversary this past weekend. We were excited to be able to go out to dinner amidst everything going on. However, when we arrived we were quite taken aback by how things were being run. First off, while they have signs that say masks are required prior to being seated, we saw NONE of the employees properly wearing masks. Every single employee walked around with their masks hanging around their chins. Not only that, but the tables outside were close enough to easily reach out to the person at the table next to you. There looked to be absolutely no attempt to reduce seating. Even the bar inside had a bunch of people around it. While we were eating a boat pulled up with about 5 adults, none of them were wearing masks, and they marched right through the outdoor seating and no one stopped them.Finally, it took us an hour to get drinks and by the time we placed our order we learned that half the menu was not available. If they had told us about the food shortage as soon as we sat down we would have considered going to another place or just going home.Such a complete disappointment. I doubt well be going back here. Especially after their outward display of disrespect for anyones safety. And we are also reporting the business to New York state.
Last night even with a called ahead reservation I has to wait outside in the sun an HOUR. Then once seated my simple appetizer of nachos took another 30 minutes. Then to top it of after having dinner next to some other irate people, they threw my to go box away and bussed my table while I was paying my check. Way over priced as well, I could have had a nice Italian dinner for the same money. Not going back, Ill find water to sit by elsewhere.
Food good, Service Sucked! 6:30 pm for 5 adults and a 10 year old and a 12 year old. The management should take a look at this problem. We were there just waiting for 2 appetizers for 35 minutes! And then simple dinner orders (salad with chicken), took way to long to come out! And the soup was forgotten... The runners put the wrong plates in font of 2 of us. Just poor training! The table of 4 next to us took as long as us, the place was busy but still many empty tables.
I had a great time the food was really good the band was super I had a nice time the people were very friendly I really enjoyed myself the van was really really good I recommend this place to anybody The View was excellent of the day how to channel
The owner was a rude, arrogant jerk to us. We asked to speak with a manager because my husband asked for no pink in his burger. When they brought it, there was a big chunk tore out where you could tell they ripped it open checking for pink.The manager (owner) took 10 minutes to come to our table. When he did, he completely blew us off. Told us we were wrong and they knew what they were doing because of experience. He was beyond rude and completely disregarded us. When my husband bit into the burger...... it was PINK! As the owner he should treat his customers better. On a side note, the waiter was great. Nice kid who had to apologize for the owners behavior. Pretty sad!!
First time customer on yesterday, daughter took me here for lunch for my Birthday I thought it was a nice place to sit and have a meal by the water, are meals came out I sent mines back because I asked for one and got another but that was not really an issue, when we went to pay for the meal we told the waitress exactly how to split the bill but she took it upon her self to do what she wanted to do so I left her a small Tip and as we was leaving the so call manager asked us why we leave her a small tip and I explain to her why which I did have to leave nothing but I did. So this really upset the manager but I also asked her did you question other tables about there tips. When did they started questioning customers about tips you leave what you want and feel what is fair but at the same point we were the only black family there and for the very first time which we will never ever go back again which this really surprised me that the management would have this type of behavior but this kind of thing is to be expected from people who would treat you unfairly because of your ethnicity and I mean the manager was beet red Mad you would have thought we did something really bad or not pay for our meal but not for nothing we spent over $120.00 there and it was only three of us but from now on we will take our money and business elsewhere were the people have respect for all people I never ever had this happened to me in my life I could not stop thinking about how this made me feel and in my Birthday how hurtful. Our money is hard earned my family work our fingers to the bone we were not born with money we struggle to get ahead in this life and to be treated this way is very unexceptionable 🥴🥴🥴🥴.
This is my favorite place in Rochester -- so happy I live nearby and can go often during the season. One of the bests parts is sitting out on the deck by the river -- watching the boats coming back and forth from the lake. Weve always had excellent service, and the food comes out in a reasonable amount of time. (We always go at lunch -- on Sundays, they have their dinner menu -- so cant comment on their evening entertainment). The food is really good -- salads have lots of different, interesting greens, and everything is fresh, nicely seasoned, and delicious. We usually enjoy the Calamari appetizer with banana peppers and black olives. The burgers are good, but I especially like the pasta. Ive only had one or two dishes (out of many visits) that were just so-so -- most of the food is splendid. A nice, relaxing place. My only suggestion would be to lose the tacky fake palm trees :)
Tried to go eat dinner there but they tried to charge us a cover to eat dinner. Don’t think I should have to pay a 5 dollar cover to go spend more money and eat dinner. We even called ahead because it was a 25 minute drive and they didn’t mention it to us. Poor business model.
What’s the point of making a reservation when you’re just going to have to wait a long time? I called ahead to make a reservation, and we STILL waited an hour and 45 minutes before we were seated, I hope you guys realize a reservation means those seats are RESERVED until the people arrive geez. Once it was basically empty, THEN the hostess finally sat us and asked how many people we had, seriously? If you had just look at the reservation sheet you’d know exactly how many we had. Not only were we already very annoyed with the hostesses for lying saying we had “priority,” the two incompetent girls failed to tell us there was a limited menu, that 95% of the menu items were sold out/not available, so after waiting almost two hours we were forced to only pick from maybe six menu items and honestly, the food was not worth $67, it was gross and left us unsatisfied. We’ve been coming to the pelican’s nest since 2014... and you guys really outdid yourselves, we won’t be returning.
Great location to sit right next to the river for a nice meal. Wait times can be longer than expected due to shortages in personnel.
Loved it! We had a terrific dinner there this evening, and our server Brianna was wonderful ~ Thank You All!! 🙂
Extremely disappointing. Whoever the lady was working the bar was so rude while we were trying to figure out what we wanted to eat. The food was moderately decent but most of our food came cold and the price was way too high. Most likely will never come back to this place
Service was unbelievably slow. The waitress was attentive, but the kitchen must be been a mess. One entree was ordered late in a party of 6, but ended up coming out 25 minutes before the other five. Decent list of draft beer. If this place wasnt on the water itd be out of business.
Went here today for lunch and got seated under the tent out front. Sat there for a good 10 minutes before a waitress came out to a different table and never acknowledged that we were sitting there waiting. Asked her to have someone come out to us and she said she would send someone out. Sat there for another 5 minutes until another waitress came out and walked by us as well. Im a waitress myself and would NEVER just walk by a table and not say a word when they are obviously a new table. Needless to say we got up and walked out.
Good fish fry! Every time Ive been there its been absolutely packed and weve had to wait at least 45 minutes for a table. Not a big deal if you can find a spot to hang out and have a drink or two. The ladies room was a bit of a disaster with toilet paper and water all over the floor. It smelled strongly like bleach.
It is THE place to go on a sunny summer afternoon. The beer selection is decent but ice cold. The deck is a great place to grab some grub and watch the boats go by. Staff are great. Food hits the spot. We will be back for sure.
Like the place and the location but were very disappointed with the food. Hubby had burger and fries but wasnt enjoying the burger so left it. I had steak salad. Liked the very small portion of steak, the 6 tomatoes and 6 slices of cucumber but far too much green on the plate. Really didnt warrant the $19 charge for it. Will go there for a drink but not to eat
Hadnt been there in a long time. Service was slow. It took forever to get waited on and then after it took too long to get our food. Plus my crab wrap was warm. Never had warm crab meat salad. The waitress never came back to the table to ask if we were ok. Prices are a bit high for Rochester. Plus the awning that was open all of a sudden was closed and we were sitting in the sun. The couldnt open it back because it was too wind. The waitress wasnt very friending. Not sure I would go back there.
Fish fry a little dim. Mac and cheese a little excessive. Service was good. Food is questionable for the prices, but you pay for the river views.
It took us twenty minutes to get a waitress because nobody was sure who was assigned to our table. The yuengling was flat and old. We waited over an hour and a half for our food and sent back half of it when it arrived because it was cold. We spoke with a manager and 3 other staff about our negative experience and they blamed it on a large party and they never apologized. It’s a shame that the food is so horrible and the staff is so careless because the view is actually pretty nice. We will never be back.
Decent bar food. Okay service. Views are great but cannot sit outside without ordering food.
Let me start by saying, the experience was surreal, it was something from a nightmare that you never want to believe would happen in real life.Upon arrival the hostess indicated there would be a wait of 40 minutes, the presumable manager at the time was quick to correct her that there was only a 20-25 minute wait. I accepted the option to wait - little did I know the trip we were about to embark on. My friends and I had ordered a few drinks each while waiting before realizing that over an hour had passed and we still hadnt been seated - let alone notified or updated of an extended wait. Clearly in front of us there were a number of tables available both inside and outside, so I decided to inquire.After politely asking the hostess if she knew how much longer the wait was going to be, she indicated I was coming up soon, I inquired if she had a ballpark figure of how long and she replied soon. I again asked if it would be in the next ten minutes or so and she shrugged me off. I was a bit taken back, I had been nothing but polite and cordial, and she left me with the impression as if I was an imposition. So I went back to inform my friends and we made the decision to leave after finishing our drinks.Ten minutes later we were headed out, and I dropped the buzzer back off at the stand and said to scratch my name off the list. Another hostess whom was at the stand at the time said we were up next, I indicated that we were all set and leaving, but she insisted that she would seat us right then. Hungrily we agreed to stay and be seated.Once seated we were immediately asked for our drink order, and it was placed with no issue. After our drinks arrived, it was at least another 20 minutes before the waitress came back to take our order. Our order was simple and fast - burgers and chicken wings. But that would be the last time we would see our waitress for the next 40 minutes. While in the meantime, other parties were seated after us, had their orders taken, and served before our waitress even returned.When we next saw our waitress she came up and started by stating This is going to sound weird.. and continued with she just realized that our order was placed but she never sent it to the kitchen. I appreciated she apologized, but we were stunned. Two and a half hours had passed at this point and not a crumb of food had been served - out of fear of some other mishap I asked her to please cancel our order and bring the check. Getting the receipt for our last drinks was the fastest service we received the entire night.. Over two and a half hours (going on three) had passed and not single one of us had eaten.As a first time visitor Im disappointed to say I cant even tell one how the food was, because I didnt even get a bite. Beer and food prices werent anything to write home about, and the service sure as hell wasnt either. The waterfront location is the only reason Id even give it a single star. Never in my life have I encountered such a dysfunctionally- nightmarish establishment that seems burdened by servicing its patrons.
Had to pay to get in even though it was late and all we wanted to do was eat, but a band was playing. A band that was pretty terrible and didnt get through a single song without the mic screeching. Service wasnt that great, waited a long time to order and she got an order wrong. But at least a few of us enjoyed our food. Probably wont be going back. Which is unfortunate because the overall setting is pretty nice.
This place is for older folks. There are bands that play but its always old music and never anybody with originals. The food is good but very very expensive and so are drinks. I usually have a good time but never stay for very long. The bill at the end is usually huge if you get anything other than a couple drinks.
Its hard to rate this place at a 3 because the food is good. But they are so disorganized and the last 2 times we went the kitchen was so backed up they actually quit seating tables to let them catch up. They said something like were sorry their was somr large partys that backed the kitchen up. But when looking around there was no party bigger than 6. I believe its a lack of organization overall.We were told 45 minute wait but ended up waiting over 2 hours. If you want to eat at a decent time on friday night get here before 5pm.On a positive the fish fry and fish tacos are the best in Rochester. Which is the only reason we waited 2 hours to sit.
Hit and miss with different cooks... But very nice, I did once waited and waited for service , then a water refill... That was only once, and Ive been there a lot.
I love the environment. Great late night hang out. My only problem was I ask my server to make my wings extra crispy. She came back 5mins later with my wings under cooked. After that her entire attitude change made my experience less pleasant. I will definitely return and hope for a much more pleasant experience.
I went to lunch there with my friend. I am 68 and she in her 70s. The music was so loud coming out of the speaker, just above her head, we had great difficulty actually hearing each other or enjoying our conversation. When I looked around at all the people dining, 90% had to be 60-70 years old. Really? Dont you know who your audience is at noontime? Play the thumping loud stuff at night for the younger audience.Manager: You missed the mark on this!
A group of us enjoyed the day riding our bikes along Lake Ontario . After our ride, the 10 of us went to the Pelican for a late lunch. Michele our server did a great job taking care of us. After riding 65 miles , we were pretty thirsty .She keep coming back to check on us to see if we needed anything. Our meals were fine. Sitting outside on the deck was nice. I would recommend this restaurant . Great atmosphere, good food and a wonderful server made this an awesome outing. We are all looking forward to our next ride in that area, and eating at the Pelican. Date of visit 8/23/2016 4 pm.
I have been going to Pelican for years and went tonight and was very disappointed. There used to be some quality gluten free entree’s but they are no longer on the menu. The amount of garlic in the veggies was ridiculous. The variety of meals was better before they changed the menu. The only positive for me was the side salad. I won’t be coming back. I guess if all you want is bar food it would be fine. But I can’t eat any of that stuff!
The food was excellent, the $12 frozen drinks that were half blended with straws 2 sizes 2 small were another especially when the manager laughs it off
We went with a large group, half the people loved their food, half were disappointed. The atmosphere is nice though.
Terrible time last night. Maybe just early season issues but this was quite a disappointment since we have had many, many excellent times at this restaurant, enjoying a beer on the deck by the water.Picked the Pelicans nest to show off Rochester water front to sons out of town fiancé. Called for reservation, seated 20 minutes after scheduled time, but place was busy. Seated, waitress said kitchen is slow, we should have listened. Appetizer came after 45 minutes, We had already invested an hour plus so we continued to wait for dinner. 30 minutes later waitress came and said one of the menu items was out of stock. We left.Mens room floor was a swamp. told the bartender, 45 minutes later still a swamp with wet footprints (urine?) tracking across the floor into the bar area.
We celebrated my daughters birthday here. They were very accommodating. The food was excellent! I had a Haddock Poboy. The view of the river was quite nice! I will definitely go back.
Fun, eclectic waterfront bar and restaurant. Good menu, reasonably priced for the quality. Fun place to dine and wine.
Service was initially slow but got better as the evening went on. Our dinners took a while to arrive and when my dinner arrived half of my French fries were warm and the other half were still frozen! Never had that happen before. The waitress brought some mac salad for me but never offered to take the meal off of the bill or reduce the price. Half way through our meal a waiter approaches our table and asks if he can remove our table umbrella while we were all eating! We asked him to come back when we were done.
I found the service to be very attentive, friendly, and professional. Id have preferred a more updated cocktail menu with more choices, as Im not much of a beer drinker. What sold me on this place is the incredible view of the water and boats, plus the Cobb salad was one the best Ive had anywhere, ever. Great live music every night, too!
Last night I made a reservation for 6:00. At 7:15 we were told the pager didnt work when they buzzed us 20 minutes earlier and had to wait for the next available table. Once we were seated at 8:15 it was 30 minutes before a waitress came over - only after I asked the manager to send one over. Once she took our order we waited until 10:00 and still no food. Other tables around us were so irate they were yelling at the manager and he did nothing. He made no attempt to walk around and apologize for the poor service or lack thereof. We ended up leaving a tip for the waitress and left. We felt terrible for the servers because they had no support from the manager. We will probably never go there again.
Atmosphere is great, one of the few on the water restaurants around with outdoor seating. Food and service are good, sometimes bands play.
Great place to eat outside on the water. I had the cobb salad, it was delicious. Was pretty busy around noon.
Over-priced, mediocre food and drinks. But its on the water and sometimes has a decent band. If thats enough for you then youll enjoy it. If youre looking for a memorable meal and romantic night out, not so much.
Just terrible service in general, waited for over an hour for a seat. When there was at least 10-15 seats available inside and outside... once we finally threaten to leave is when we got seated. Once we were seated we ordered food and an hour later that waitress comes back and say she forgot to put in our order. Great view of the lake but terrible service all around.
We were there right before the dinner menu started, it was literally 10 minutes and we were told we could not yet order dinner items. We order lunch which was fine but not what we went for. The location is nice though, right on the water. It can get windy on the deck, just something to keep in mind for those cooler summer nights to bring something with you to wear.
Place is overpriced, too loud, and Targeted for people who are immobilized . 7.50 for a corona.. yeah. Yes. No... Trying to eat my food, no lights, probably for the better. People here are 65+. Most likely because the prices are so high.
Pelicans Nest was a great place to eat. You are sitting right over the water and can watch all kind of boats go by you as you eat a wonderful meal. You can eat inside or out side on a deck with umbrellas .The view is great and so art the staff.Had a wonderful time.
Made reservations for 9 this past weekend. Left an email, which was suggested, at 11:15am for a requested reservation around 6pm. Had to call twice, since by 3pm, I had heard nothing back to confirm. Arrived at 6:40 for a 6:45 reservation. Waited 35 minutes. No table. It was a hot mess. Very frustrated hostess. I felt bad for her. So many unhappy customers.
Really like the outside seating. Its cool that the restaurant will also allow boats yo pull up to the docks so boaters can eat there. Food was decent. Nothing to surprising about the food. The berry good sangria was delicious!
Last night was my very first experience at this poor excuse for an establishment. I had a party of 6 looking to have drinks and food on a warm summer night. My party and I waited 3 and a half hours even though the hostes stated it would be no longer than an hour and a half. During that time frame, we all had drinks at the bar. Once we were seated we closed out are bar tabs. At this point while looking at the menu for the first time, we all noticed that we had been being over charged for our drinks at sporadic prices. None of my party had been charged the proper amount. We all decided since we waited for so long, to order our food still, due to being so hungry. After an hour and a half of waiting to get our food, we asked the waiter when our food was going to be ready. The waiter shrugged his shoulders and said it might be as long as you waited to be seated. In obvious rage, we asked to cancel our orders and cash out the single drinks we had order since waiting an hour and half at the table. The waiter returns and states he is very sorry but couldnt find our order for food or drinks. At this time, we asked to speak with the manager, as we were astonished at how poorly ran this establishment is. At this time, the waiter left to retrieve the manager. The waiter comes back with out the manager and states he has magically found our order (to which I believe he just re-rang it into the system) we asked the waiter where the manager was and he stated the manager was refusing to come out and speak with us. Can you imagine, a manager simply refusing to speak with unhappy customers?? What a complete failure. It was at this time we saw the manager (who we found out was also the owner of this disgrace) having enough time to be out on the deck taking selfies with random girls at the bar. It was at this time, I walked up to him to address these issues. His response was to just go then. Zero apologies, zero empathy for his patrons, nothing. Needless to say our party of six were all first timers to the pelicans nest, and will be the last time we ever step foot there. If you are looking to have a nice place to have a drink and eat, this is not the place to be. A call will also be placed to the better business bureau for their negligent attitude and sporadic pricing.
The absolute worst service I have ever recieved in my entire life, for only a party of 3. We waited 35 mins to get seated, and another 30 mins for a server to even acknowledge us once we sat down. Our order was wrong, and we *never got any drinks*, we had to go to the bar and order them ourselves. When we brought it to the attention of the staff, they were rude, unprofessional, and ignorant. I will never go to this establishment again and I will tell everyone I know to avoid this sh**hole like the plague.
Heard really good reports about this place so went for lunch. Waited nearly 30mins for a table (were told 20-25 so about right). Nice, friendly waitress took our order but had to wait 35 mins for it to be brought to our table... even though other people who came after us were only waiting about 15 mins. I asked for my burger done well but it was very pink inside and the bun was burnt black. Didnt want to send it back as didnt want to wait that long again so ate the shrimps, coleslaw and the edges of the burger plus a few fries. Told waitress I was disappointed and she kindly got the manager to take some off our bill. Am going again with some friends in a couple of weeks so really hope that today was a one off. Waitress kept apologising but not her fault
I will not be returning to this place. It used to be a great restaurant. The service is good but it turned more into a bar. My food tasted like dirty water. The drinks were off a bit as well.
Great atmosphere. Beautiful view of the water. Great location to go to one a nice summer day. Nice selection of food at reasonable prices. They also have bands play there which is nice too, but be mindful they will charge you a cover to get in (even if your only there to eat). Can be very busy and the service is a little slow. Overall a nice place to go for lunch or dinner.
Went for business luncheon. Great food, great attentive service. Would recommend to anyone who likes a scenic venue and relaxed atmosphere. Nice mix of guests, family, business, friends get-togethers, catering to all ages. Live music with great bands make this waterfront restaurant an awesome summer hangout!
Went for dinner at 6:30pm on a Saturday. It wasnt busy at all. Told the wait for dinner would be 45 minutes, it was an hour and a half. Meanwhile there 10 tables open. When we finally got seated, it took 10 minutes for the waitress to show up. When we placed our order for nachos, she said they were out. Then she rattled off half the menu and said they were out of those things as well. We were lucky to get chicken wings for dinner. Not impressed at all. Service is terrible, hostess doesnt have a clue about all the vacan tables. This is money the establishment is losing. Steer clear, unless you want to eat by the water.
Fries tasted horrible yesterday, came with our three entress. Fries had a burnt taste, we asked for other options and waitress said she could bring us more fries, that was it. Additional fries also tasted just as bad as our previous orders. Waitress just apologized and brought us our check. Its was like she was trying to push us out the door. Ruined our family outing experience.
Fantastic restaurant!! This restaurant is right on the river giving you great views while you eat!! The food and beverages tasted great!! On select night live bands preform here for enhanced entertainment!! There is seating underneath roof and outside!! The waiter was friendly!! This is a great restaurant!!!
This place was horrible. They could not accommodate a large group with reservations n management didnt want to bother or try to help the situation. Its a damn shame 😕.If i could give them negative stars....I would.
Service sucked last night and it wasnt even that busy. Had to stare down our server so we could ask for more drinks. Took an hour to get our food and there was only two of us. I got crab cakes and they were soggy and tasted like oil. People that sat down after us got their food before us. Totally disappointed and they didnt even seem to care when we complained.
Super friendly and kind. Very attentive! Food was amazing. Atmosphere was great and fun.
Excellent drinks and food. Our server was friendly and efficient. For a couple of hours it felt like we were on vacation. I cannot wait to go back.
Not bad but definitely not as good as the reviews says !! Too expensive for the food quality … service not good as it should be they force me to pay 18% for the tip !!! Sooo i won’t coming back ever again .. get it together !!
I had a great time with family and friends at the Pelicans Nest.I havent tried the food yet but I heard its really delicious. The Pelicans Nest is an awesome location where people come together from many different areas and with the atmosphere of being surrounded by water and seeing the boats is a beautiful site. I enjoy the drinks and seeing some of the bands perform ,I would most definitely go there again.
Great view of the water, relaxed atmosphere. The biggest issue was that I specifically ordered my food with no cheese & ended up pick stray pieces of cheese out of my salad & meal, which makes me think that the kitchen staff isnt really paying attention to keeping things in order & is probably crossing all kinds of ingredients.
Skip this place. The food took forever, even though we ordered very basic things. Afterward, we all noticed the meat in our meals was not good quality and kind of gross. I ordered a quesadilla and the meat was greyish, mushy, and odd tasting, and the salsa was easily recognizable as the Tostidos chip brand salsa they sell in supermarkets. Ick. I could have made something far better at home in a shorter amount of time (and I probably wouldnt have felt sick after, like I did after eating at this restaurant). They messed up one order, but the waitress was apologetic about it and gave us something complimentary in response. I did hear a waitress swear unnecessarily while very close to tables, including ours, which was kind of ridiculous as this is a family restaurant. They were friendly enough, but service was mediocre and unprofessional. Bad food, iffy service, but a decent setup and location. Overall I can easily say its not worth it.
Great venue, but the salad I had was sub par. I came with a group for lunch and needed two salads to be the equivalent of a reasonably sized lunch salad. Nothing special, just basic. Probably limit my future visits to drinks and maybe some bar grub, but wont expect anything special.
Love this place. I feel like Im away on vacation when Im here in the summer. Really nice atmosphere with the outdoor seating and bar. We were there for lunch. Food was very good. Service was great.
Three stars because Im giving them the benefit of the doubt, it is probably cool on weekends when. They have live music. When I stopped in it was a Thursday night, service was horrible, and the food not so good. If your looking for a place to catch a band on the water and have some drinks, its probably fun.. so for that they get the third 🌟
Nice Place. And propper Fish and Chips.
Overrated. Nice location with beautiful views of the water. However, sketchy crowd after dark and disappointing food. Good place to get a drink but expect it to be very loud and become very rowdy. Large sized motorcycle parking spaces but car parking is limited.
Poor service, from wait time to staffing, however the waitress was nice. One entree was never delivered, a salad never delivered as well that came with one of the other entrees, and a side was missing from yet another order. Silverware was delivered after the food was. Drinks were never refilled (soda). If I didnt feel terrible about leaving no tip, I would have done so based upon the service we received.
Terrible experience! It felt like we were discriminated against. We were seated at a table with no service for 25 minutes! We sat at the table and watched waiters walk right by us several times. Customers were seated near our table and received service. A waiter didnt come to our table until we asked for a Manager.
The food was pretty good. We waited quite a long time to be seated when there were lots of open tables. The view was nice but I wasnt really satisfied overall with this visit.
Could clearly hear the manager cursing at his employees. Several customers belligerently drunk and disruptive. Appetizer took 40 minutes to arrive and was cold. Overall terrible experience and would not recommend!
My food was good, but the high price drinks that you could barely taste any alcohol was horrible. My waiter was awesome. A party of 25 and out of 25 only 15 somewhat like there food, the rest sent theres back, and ordered chicken and burgers.
I used to love this place. Last 2 times I went it was horrible. I could see the kitchen from where I sat. It was dirty. Food was disgusting... didnt think they could mess up chicken fingers 🙄 they were waaaaay over cooked and dry my son couldnt eat them. To be quite honest... the staff looks gross. Alot of them have missed matches cloths and unkempt hair and looked like they are all hungover from last night. One girl had leggings on that were se see thru I could see her red panties thru them. And so could my husband 😡 sad how far this place has gone downhill. We probably wont be back for food. Maybe a drink sometime only because of location...
Great food and neat location! Never realized how close Lake Ontario was to the downtown area. Loved it!
Love this place. Local establishment that makes you feel like youre on vacation. Bar is huge, but we try to sit outside in the nice weather - water side. Food is good!
On July 1, 4:20 pm, I called to place an order for pick up. I wanted 2 orders of fish tacos and 2 orders of French fries. I was told they were going to be too busy for dinner to accept my order. I am glad that Pelicans Nest is doing so well during this Covid 19 time so they will not be needIng my business anymore.
It was a really nice place in a good location. However wait times were long and although there was a lot of seating in the front facing the lot, we were not offered it until we inquired about it (smoking zone). We took it because we wanted to eat quicker.Food overall was okay, but definitely nothing to write home about. I had the wings with a house made. It was just average. My wife had the quesadilla. Very disappointing as it was just cheese and chicken, and chicken was an upgrade! No peppers, onions, or anything else. If one had just the cheese quesadilla, itd be like a cheese sandwich.Nice location cant save subpar food, and mediocre service.
Total reviews rating 3.8
199 Reviews for Pelicans Nest Waterfront Restaurant 2023:
Review №1
2021-09-04A most enjoyable dining experience on the waterside patio. Great for friends, family, or a date. Our waitress, Amanda, enhanced the visit with her charm, friendliness, and great service! The food is absolutely delicious, nicely presented without hesitation. Fun nautical decorations around the parking lot for those tourist photo opportunities. We happily return every year!
Review №2
2021-07-28This restaurant has a great spot at the Port of Rochester with views of the port and the marina. The dining room is spacious and can be opened to the outdoors. The service is indifferent and ther food is acceptable. The clam strips were fairly good as was my fried fish sandwich, but nothing to write home about. Beer selection was decent otherwise. Good shot mainly due to location with just average food.
Review №3
2022-05-29Went lunchtime on a Monday. Took 20 minutes before anyone talked to us after being seated. They seemed more interested in chatting with each other than taking orders. After all that time, we tried to order clams, but were told they didnt have any, so we had to spend even more time deciding what to order instead. Then 15 minutes later the waitress comes back and tells us they are sold out of the crab cakes. Pelicans Nest without crab or clams. I understand that there are supply issues, but they couldnt tell us before we were seated? The staff was apologetic, but seemed disorganized, like there was no one managing them. They probably only work for tips and only put the effort in when someone looks like theyre going to get drinks. The food came and was only okay. Expected better for the prices.The view, however is perfect. I think you might get better service in the evenings or weekends.
Review №4
2022-05-17The Pelicans Nest Waterfront Restaurant is always a great place to dine, and enjoy the afternoons when the summer sun is out in Rochester. The riverside deck just south of the Port of Rochester offers a view of the lake, river and Rochester Yacht Club. Drinks, food and the entertainment will not disappoint. Add it to the long list of many things to do in Rochesters Charlotte Beach area. Just remember, its not Charlotte, its Charlotte. This isnt the Carolinas. You know that its getting close to summertime in the ROC City when the Pelicans Nest is open.
Review №5
2022-06-05The location was cool, it had a fun vibe, and the staff were friendly, but nothing else about the visit would be enough to return.We were told there would be a wait despite there being a ton of tables open. Something about sending staff home early and had to make sure everything was smooth before they could seat more. Not a huge deal. We were offered to get a drink at the bar while we waited. Drinks were so so, but the bartender was sweet.We finally got sat and started with some calamari. It was flavorless, limp, greasy, and Luke warm at best. Very disappointing especially for the price. I hadnt given up hope for our entrees though. While we are waiting, we hear someone yelling from back in the kitchen. Our server stops helping another table mid sentence, sprints to the back, and comes back out with our food. First time Ive ever seen such a system, but kind of funny. I thought with that type of urgency the food would be piping hot but again, warm at best! The dish I had looked like it had been thrown on a plate quickly and haphazardly. The melted cheese on my chicken was firm and congealed. I got the impression that all of this food had been thrown into the microwave and was stopped before the cycle finished. I could not figure out at all why none of the food was hot.I understand restaurants during these times are understaffed and honestly would not have minded waiting for well cooked food. But $90 later left us with a bad taste in our mouths in more ways than one.
Review №6
2022-05-16Went there on a Friday night with a group of 7, at the time we were there it was pretty late and not packed at all. Our drinks and appetizers came out fairly quickly. However, one person did not receive food when everyone else did. After almost an hour and a half wait for a medium well steak we were told the cook lost the order and was making it now. Shortly after they bring out the steak in a to go container as the group had more plans after dinner and had already been sitting there waiting for 2 hours. The steak is rare not medium well. After complaining to the manager and multiple staff members we finally were able to get $100 off the bill. Do not recommend this place at all. Absolutely terrible.
Review №7
2022-07-10In previous years, we jad always enjoyed eating at the Pelican. Four of us arrived at the Pelican at 5:15PM yesterday for dinner. We were told it would be about 45 minutes for a table. At one point about an hour into our wait, we were told that they were not seating people until the kitchen staff had caught up with servings. At 6:40PM, our orders were taken where we had been waiting at an inside table. We were told our food would arrive in 20 minutes. Our food arrived about 7:30PM. Our cheeseburgers were on large, very dry buns, the cheese had been melted off the meat, and the burger meat was well over-cooked. The bacon was half cooked. We were told they had a staffing problem. The manager said there were some people who had waited almost 4 hours to be served. Unless the staffing problem is corrected, we wont be back.
Review №8
2022-06-26Great view and friendly wait staff. I ordered a Reuben which was missing the Russian dressing and sauerkraut (whats a Reuben without these?) The waitress replaced the sandwich but the replacement was soggy on the side without the sauerkraut which was odd. The waitress said they make the best Reuben shes ever had but I have had better.
Review №9
2022-07-03Went today for lunch and had a completely miserable experience. Waited about 30 minutes to be seated which was fine. Finally get a table and the table was badly crooked. And I mean leaning. Looking around at all of the adjacent tables which have coasters and napkins shoved underneath just to level them. Waitress shoved four coasters under one leg and it still wobbled. Me and my date both order $10 frozen drinks obviously made with bottom shelf rum. We both order pelicans pasta and shrimp scampi. Both are completely drowning in sauce. I didnt feel well after a couple bites of the pelicans pasta. My partner ate a couple shrimp and refused to touch the rest. We tell the waitress calmly were not happy considering each plate cost $25-30 and we were dissatisifed. Then we have the pleasure to meet rudest manager. A large women bursting out of her striped dress yelling at her staff in a walkie talkie that is immediately confrontational stating why did we eat so much of it if we didnt like it. Because honestly I hate to waste food and hate to complain but this was warranted. I tried to eat as much as I could but could not stomach it anymore. We merely mentioned we did not want the leftovers when they asked us how everything was. They discounted my partners meal only and charged us for the shrimp he ate and the full cost of my meal. I have NEVER been treated so poorly at a restaurant before. This will be the last time I ever even consider this restaurant. And Ive been coming here every summer since I moved to Rochester five years ago. But this is the last time. Please consider another establishment if you are considering eating here.
Review №10
2022-06-23Pelicans nest is a great venue. There are so many options you can sit by the river or out front at the cafe area as well as inside for the live music. The food is great the service is very good and the vibe is very much like being on a little mini vacation. Definitely recommend visiting pelicans nest and enjoy the waterfront there as well as all the great people and music!