Merchants Wood Fired Pizza & Bistro — Restaurant in City of Rochester

I liked this place. I've been meaning to check it out and was glad i did. I took my 16 year old daughter out for a rather quick and light dinner on a whim last Friday. It was a gorgeous night in June around 6:30 pm. The parking lot was full so I parked on the side street for free about a 1/2 block away. Outside seating was full and some larger parties had about a 10-15 min wait for inside but a table for two was ready so we took it inside. It was pretty busy but noise level was not an issue. Several servers were moving around at good speed and they all looked like they knew what they were doing. Our server was nice and knew the menu well, however we knew we only wanted to share a cheese pizza going in so that is what we ordered. The food came out pretty fast despite the busyness of the pace and it was pretty good. Not the BEST wood fired pizza I've ever had but def worth the 17.99 price point. The one lemonade and beer I ordered bumped the overall price up but I was happy with the food and the experience we got for what I paid. We were in and out in about 45 min which is what we wanted but could have easily stayed longer for sure, depending on what you want (inside, outside, drinks at bar, inexpensive pizza or more expensive entrees, etc. ). Diners included families and couples of all ages and the menu had something for everyone depending on what you wanted to pay. I will be going back for sure and will order something a little more than pizza next time. I could see coming here 3-4 times a year and this becoming a go-to place for my family. It was versatile, fits nicely into the neighborhood, and the...

I live in this neighborhood and knew of the location. It had changed hands and menus several times in the last 5 years. I had heard that a Wood-fired pizza joint had moved in, but figured it was short-lived, so why bother. Man. Was I wrong.

What a great little spot this in. First of all, the pizza was excellent. I had their special, mozzarella, ricotta, cherry tomatoes and asparagus (yes!). I was there with a friend so we decided to split a pizza and each get salads. Great decision. I had the Romaine Wedge and my friend had the house. Both full of flavor and we commented, "why don't our salads at home ever taste like this?" The pizza had a nice charred crust and the toppings were flavorful. There was one piece leftover for lunch (for me 😁). I had a Southern Tier (two, actually) IPA and my friend had a vodka and seven. Neither of us had room for dessert, though our server Yessie said they are delicious. (Loved her. Great service and super friendly). Our bill came to $50.

Did I mention we sat outside, under a pergola, with a glorious breeze blowing? Perfect Rochester evening! (Maybe 10 tables outside...?)

When I got home I told neighbors on both sides of the fence about this place. We will all be coming again soon. Hope to see other neighbors from the Merchants/Winton Road area there, as well as old volleyball ball friends that I haven't seen for years (they were at at table next to us!). Eat local. Eat...

I love this cute spot in the Winton area. My friend was running late so I went to the bar and had a great. The bartender was great. She asked if I wanted their special, I can't recall the name of the drink, but it was grapefruit base margarita. It was delicious. My friend got there we sat in their outdoor area. It is a cute setup and a nice evening sitting outside. The waitress ( I didn't catch her name, but I want to assume that she is new at being a server 🤞🏼) told us the specials and I asked if their chicken Tuscan pasta dish was the same dish that was posted on their FB page yesterday and she said she didn't know because she didn't work that day. I asked for a straw and never received it. She didn't refill our waters when needed, and the biggest thing was when she brought our check with our cards, she was trying to multi-task with having a tray of drinks and trying to put the booklet onto our table, she ending tossing it to our table. I have never gone to a restaurant where they toss anything onto my table. I do hope she was new at being a server and it that never happens again. (The food we ordered was delicious. We had the spring pea and asparagus Risotto, creamy and absolutely tasty. We also ordered the Fungi pizza, if you love mushrooms, this is the pizza you will love. Crust was crispy, and the combination of the...