Eastside Tavern — Restaurant in Rochester

I’m a retired professor with kids in the area, always on the lookout for friendly social venues around Rochester. The evening at the mile-away Eastside Tavern a few weeks ago began well enough, with good food, a pleasant atmosphere, and some engaging conversations with a doctor and nurse who love to dance, a former Marine, and several talented line dancers I complimented.

That’s where things took a turn. Earlier, I had briefly high-fived a birthday girl wearing a crown. Her group seemed cheerful, except for one scowling man beside her.

Later in the night, the same man started signaling that he was “watching me,” clearly misunderstanding my intentions. Having spent 23 years organizing parties in Tokyo, where a bit of friendliness usually smooths things over, I approached him and commented politely on his cap. Instead of relaxing, he challenged me to a fight outside. When I asked why, he accused me of “hitting on” some of the women in the birthday group, presumably the same ones sitting across from me that I had simply complimented on their dancing.

He then moved as if to strike me. I told him calmly that if he did, I would call the police. (It reminded me of an incident years ago in Tokyo when Mark Hunt, early in his MMA career, threatened me after I intervened when his friends got too handsy with two of my female companions. His friends hit me, I simply reported it, and Hunt later shook my hand and apologized. But that is another story.)

At this point, the manager came over and asked me to leave. When I asked why, she said some women I had spoken to “felt uncomfortable.” I asked what exactly I had said that made them uncomfortable, but she could not say. It became increasingly clear that she and the bouncer were buds with the birthday group.

As I was exiting, so was the group, and the scowling guy charged at me and hit me. I called the police, as promised. The bouncer, who had seen everything, suddenly claimed he “didn’t see a thing.” When I moved toward the road to get the attacker’s license plate, the bouncer blocked me.

Fortunately, there are security cameras pointed at the scene, and there were other witnesses. Unfortunately, management has been unable or unwilling to provide the police with the surveillance footage. The police say it looks like a subpoena may be necessary.

Final verdict? The salad was quite good, but the hospitality fell short of expectations. Until management learns how to condemn aggression rather than defend it, I would recommend other nearby spots like Scenic Lounge or Revolution. These places serve great food, and their staff will likely not side with individuals...

While the service was great and the atmosphere was fun, what happened left a really bad taste. A woman in our group (who I didn’t even know well) was extremely intoxicated, harassing people, and clearly not safe to drive. I went straight to the bartender and told her this woman should not be driving. The bartender / server acted like she’d handle it but let her leave anyway.

Considering this bar even has a ‘drive home’ bus that’s supposed to take drunk people safely, it was really disappointing to see nothing done. Allowing someone that drunk to leave and potentially drive is unsafe and unacceptable.

Edit to owners response: This happened on September 20th (my birthday). I got there around 7 PM, and we were at the table with a pink tablecloth near the band. The woman came around 8:30. At first, I didn’t really notice how drunk she was since she was saying vulgar things to others, but then my sober driver (my boyfriend) said she was all over him and uncomfortable. That’s when people in my group also said she was slurring, acting erratic, and being inappropriate. After that my man focus was just to not have her drive her car. When my friend paid out her tab, I told the bartender she was drunk and had a vehicle there. She still left, and I know she drove because she later showed up at the casino acting the same way. Drunk driving is never okay, and I just expected staff to step in after I said something, mistakes happen but this was a big mistake in my opinion. Please note I did call before writing this response too and was told I would get a call last night and never did. for camera purposes you can see the conversation happen roughly @9:45-10 right when your walking into the pool room the first left table- I’m wearing a black dress and the server...

I recently visited the new tavern to see Follically Challenged on Saturday with some friends. We arrived about two hours early, planning to have dinner beforehand. Upon arrival, we managed to snag the last parking spot in the lot but were surprised by a $5 per person cover charge, which wasn't mentioned anywhere on the event information on Facebook or the tavern's page.

We were told that the place was packed but that it might clear out, allowing us to find a table. However, when we walked in, every table was marked as reserved. We were informed that reservations had to be made in advance, though this information was not available online.

We ended up spending the evening at one of the two small high-top tables left in the billiards room. Our waiter was excellent, as we were her only table since the others were seated on the main floor. While we were disappointed about paying a cover charge and not getting a proper table, we made the best of it.

The food was decent, nothing extraordinary. The tavern definitely has some kinks to work out. We might give it another try once they've got...