Pearson's — Restaurant in City of Rochester

I went here with my sister a couple of times because at the time, they were quite new and the first time I came here it wasn’t too bad. I like this place because they are really patient and friendly, but their drinks aren’t really made the way I thought they would be. At least the way I had wanted. The first time I went, I ordered a cronut and a matcha latte w/ almond milk. The drink was somewhat bland in taste, but I drank it anyways. I just felt like it was missing something, but it was one of those things where it got better as you drank it more. Fast-forward to the second time I went, I ordered the same thing, a matcha w/ almond milk, and an almond croissant, and the drink tasted spoiled?? I wasn’t sure so my sister tried it and she agreed that it seemed very “sour” and “strong” tasting. I took it back and told the nice girl it was something I had ordered before, but it didn’t taste like that at all the last time and just asked if it could be remade with regular milk. I was sort of disappointed, because I don’t usually get regular milk, but my sister’s drink tasted a lot better and I didn’t want it to go to waste. The girl working there said she’d be happy to remake it for me and was glad I told her, as they were still trying to feel things out. I was happy she was understanding and she remade it for me and it was much better. Still sort of bland, but I think that’s just how they make it.

I haven’t tried anything else on the menu, only their baked goods, so I can only advocate for those. Their cronuts and almond croissants are pretty good, I would recommend them for a decent snack with the drinks. Their atmosphere isn’t the best, it seems so crammed all the time and the last time I went with my sister, the line was just about out the door. They usually only have one person working the register (at least when I went) and everyone else in the back making the drinks so it was a bit difficult to get someone’s attention. Overall, nice staff, decent baked goods & drinks, and somewhat an uncomfortable and...

This was my first visit at Pearson's. In the past i visited this location when it was Glen Edith coffee. I ordered the Black Sesame Latte and S.E.C Royale. I couldn't finish the latte because it has an odd aftertaste. The sandwich had a brush stroke of garlic mayo and tomato jam. I wasn't able to taste the garlic confit mayo. There was also a clash of flavors with the maple sausage and tomato jam. I believe the sandwich needs acidity. Overall, the atmosphere is great and the Swan family has done an excellent job renovating the place. I'll give this place a second chance and come back with an update.

Updated review 3/27/2024: After my first review, I decided to return to Pearsons once a week for a month to come back and share my experience. Bumping my experience to 4 stars.

Staff: The barista's are very friendly and patient with me.

Food: I ordered an 8oz latte, 8oz bee sting latte and the S.E.C sandwich and after dark cookie. The drinks and food were very delicious and the sandwich cooked perfectly.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is still great. There can be an echo downstairs in the cafe. At times it's challenging to hear the person you're having a conversation with. Upstairs seems to be quieter and a popular area to go to first. As the upstairs area fills up quickly.

Overall: I enjoyed coming back to this cafe and being able to get some work done. The small bakery items, it's great to see that this cafe partner with Amazing grains bakery to add a couple of their signature items (The cronut and...

I tried Pearsons a few times, and I can see what they are trying to achieve here, but like a bunch of places in town, it’s not quite there. The pricing: is $1-5 over what it should be based on the quality/presentation/taste of the food I’ve had. I never want to pay excessively for food I could turn out better, at home, myself. It’s pitching “up-market/specialty store” but the standard is average. The coffee is okay, but not much better than you might find at one of the big coffee franchises. The food is average, or a miss, especially considering the pricing. As far as I can tell they have quality ingredients, but the execution lacks finesse. Also, why so many hoagies? The customer service is quite good, warm, friendly etc. with them being receptive to my feedback and being willing to swap my order when I was dissatisfied with my initial order. The atmosphere is good, nice vibes inside, with a good amount of seating, but I must agree with others, that the “market” is kind of in the way, nice for browsing while waiting for “to-go”, but its location makes it challenging to navigate. All-in-all, I see the potential, and I want it to be great, but the standard doesn’t match the...