Chester's Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Rochester

This will be a difficult review to write. We had a difficult meal, because of something I overheard from our server. I did not confront him because, emotionally, I did not wish to. And we still left a nice tip, I understand how hard people work, but my entire meal was ruined. I did not share the problem with my family either, because why ruin their meal in what was a celebration of my daughter being admitted as a chemist at the Mayo Clinic and starting her first day. We currently live in Asheville North Carolina which is a real “localvore” community. I write food and drink articles and have written for beer magazines and other lifestyle magazines. I have a large palate and I really like to explore local offerings. I’ve eaten a world Class cities, lived in Sydney, 10 years in San Francisco, 10 years in Boston, Argentina etc. etc. So it’s not my first Time at a restaurant. We chose Chesters because all the reviews said that the servers were so lovely, and it was within walking distance of my daughter’s new apartment near the mayo.

So what happened? I value eating local foods. If I’m in Nicaragua, even though I normally don’t eat a lot of meat, if the specialty is meat, I will try the local cuisine. And in the Midwest, it certainly seems like cheese and beef are a Midwestern staple. So when I saw meatloaf on the menu, I thought perhaps this was a big specialty of their restaurant. I haven’t seen meatloaf on a menu in decades! Normally I would go for a fish dish, but I asked the server between the cioppino and the meatloaf and the jambalaya, which one he would prefer. I even told him that I’m a carnivore, and that normally I would go toward the fish but if their meatloaf was something special then I would try that. I asked because again, we are in the Midwest, and if he said “the meatloaf is Chester’s thing” then I would know. I understand I was asking for three very different things. But, When In Rome correct? He said that a lot of folks like the cioppino. Great. I love cioppino. Decision made! But when I went to the bathroom I heard him tell another server, “I can’t believe my guest asked me about choosing between the meatloaf and the cioppino and the jambalaya.” And the other server said, “oh my God.” And something along the lines of “customers can be idiots.“ wow. Making fun of your client behind her back? Not good form.

Also, when we made the reservations they sat us at the bar in a booth, and I have really short legs. My feet did not reach the ground in this booth. This happens sometimes, and I have to move to a regular table or my chin is pretty much on the table. It’s not like I’m going to ask for a booster chair! So I asked to move someplace else, away from the bar area, which had not only a lot of noise, but no chairs I could sit at without feeling like I was seven-years-old! Plenty of other open tables in the restaurant.

I am not a Karen. I’m not the type of person that asks to be moved and then moved again. The booth was just way too high for me. And I’m not the type of person that would send food back or cause problems. I’ve worked hard all of my life. I respect servers. I always leave a nice tip, and I even left a nice(ish) tip this time, even after the server insulted me. I just don’t understand why any server would go out of their way to complain about a client. I wasn’t being mean. I wasn’t sending drinks back. All I was doing was asking about three of the menu choices, and he was still making fun of me and being cruel. And again, we chose Chesters because we heard how nice their servers were. The food was good. My cioppino was good. The salad was good. The ‘basil bubbles’ drink had more vodka than bubbles and probably should be rebalanced; my daughter really enjoyed her Parmesan walleye, but we will not be back If the servers think of their clients this way. Maybe he thought that I was a Karen because I asked to be moved to a table where I could eat comfortably. That still didn’t invite him insulting me. This is not a good look for...

I want to start off with this review by saying that I have eaten here a handful of times for celebrations with family throughout the year. Each time the food and service has been wonderful! However, this last experience has been nothing but discomforting. I ate here with my family Saturday evening (9/29/2024). At the beginning we were sat outside on the patio and was greeted by our server, Michael. I want to state how great of a server Michael is. One thing that I appreciate is when a server reads back what we order to make sure he did not miss anything. He also did a very good job not only taking care of us, but, the other tables that he had to cover. The appetizers were great, and the drinks. When it came to the main course I was very disappointed. I ordered the 20oz prime rib, medium rare. When I saw it I knew that it was way over the temp I requested. I cut in the center of it and saw that it was medium well, on the verge of well done. I asked another server if I could get another cut of prime rib because it was overcooked. I really do not like sending back food, but I was very respectful and apologized for sending it back. She saw it and also agreed that it was way past medium rare. Less than a minute later, the FOH manger, Jonathan, came back out with the same cut I sent back. He set the steak down on the table and told me that this cut is perfectly fine. He told me that the "lighting" outside may have caused it to look overcooked, but he ensured me it's medium rare. He told me that the light in the kitchen showed a "rosey red center". This shocked everyone at the table as well as other customers around as he gaslighted me. He told me there are no other cuts of prime rib that he can offer me, and if I don't want this, I can order something else. I told him that I don't want this at all, and ordered something else. He looked upset when I told him that. Note the cost of the 16oz prime rib on the menu is $59.99, so I can only imagine the 20oz is around $69.99. Jonathan came back with a different dish I ordered and said here is your dish. I want to state that he never apologized for the incident and was very condescending! I was also upset that he brought the same steak back and set it on my table making in a humiliating way. After the incident I saw him serving other people, but I noticed that he would constantly look at our table before going back into the restaurant, giving us an unwelcome feeling. I recommend that Jonathan should learn better leadership skills especially as a manager that leads a team of hard working servers, food runners, and bussers. Little did he know I have 12 years of restaurant experience from a line cook to executive chef, with a masters degree in business in hospitality. Never in my culinary career, or as a customer, have I ever been treated in such a condescending way! I want to finally state that Michael and other staff did an amazing job recovering from the belittling manager. They apologized multiple times and Michael was not at fault for this incident. He received a very good tip for his customer service. I want to personally thank the servers, food runners, and bussers for trying to fix the situation for a celebration of my...

I have dined here several times with a family member or friend. We were always treated great by every server, runner, and bartender we encountered. We absolutely love the food here too. Overall, it was always a 5-star experience. However, this time I decided to dine at Chester’s as a solo diner and sat at the bar. After being handed the menu, asking about drinks, and saying I needed a few minutes to decide on my drink, I was left twiddling on my phone for 15-20 minutes after deciding on everything I wanted on the menu, not just my drink. I also was not even given a water initially, so I had nothing in front of me at all. The bar was not that busy and the restaurant was moving at a fair pace. There were a few bartenders behind the bar and while they asked everyone else how they were doing, clearing their plates, and getting fresh drinks, it was very clear that I was being overlooked. I waited and decided to speak up and said I was ready to order. The bartender, just said “ok”, sort of brushed me off, and did not acknowledge me otherwise and continued on with what she was doing. I waited another few minutes and looked around noticing that all the other customers at the bar were being checked on by the other bartender, but not me. While I can only guess why I was being passed over, I am a rather young looking person and I do admit that I may not look like “a good tipper”. With Chester’s being on the more expensive side and a seemingly on average “older” clientele maybe I was easy to overlook by the staff. And maybe, this wasn’t the case, but it sure did feel and look that way. I decided to get up and told the hostess and the manager quietly about my experience and he agreed I had been waiting a while. At first, I was not going to take the manager’s offer to try to make it better because I was very upset and felt like he was kind of brushing me off too. After realizing I had to wait for a shuttle for a while and having no where else to go, I decided to give it another shot, but at a table instead of the bar.

The server at the table was very attentive and timely (with not just me, but every one of her customers). She offered me different options outside of what I picked on the menu which I appreciated. The manager and the server at the table redeemed the bad experience I initially had at the bar. The food was great too, which is why I give this 3-stars. I hope the bartenders’ service was just a one-off thing as I do like to dine solo occasionally, but from a few other reviews I...