Fat Willy's — Restaurant in Rochester

Waste of time. In town on business and decided to check out a local place instead of going to a chain restaurant. I'm used to sit-down eateries that greet and seat, and didn't see any obvious signs in the foyer or main areas that told people to seat themselves.

Customer confusion is bad enough, but EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE on staff saw me, saw me looking at them, saw me waiting over 10 minutes by the door, and said absolutely nothing to me. Losing business because your employees can't be bothered to smile and greet a customer is a very poor reason to be losing business, even if the eatery is seat yourself. The fact that I stood there 10 minutes, and all the servers walked RIGHT by me multiple times and said nothing made me feel invisible and felt downright insulting. Where I come from, it doesn't take 10 minutes to say "Hi, sit anywhere you like!" That should be automatic when people walk through the door. The coolest decor and the best food will get you nowhere if prospective customers feel like an outsider.

Since it was obvious the servers weren't going to address me, I ended up asking a customer at the bar if the restaurant was free or assigned seating. Fat Willy's, you are WRONG if a customer has to ask another customer what to do, especially when a placard in an obvious area would do the trick, or you know, train your staff to be more personable.

Unfortunately, no smiles and no warm greeting, just cold stares from behind the counter. Thanks for nothing. Went elsewhere and I don't plan on being back. I'll also warn my dozen or so co-workers who also travel this way to steer clear and go to Rooster's Too instead. The only staff I saw at Fat Willy's were young, 20-something females who were more interested in clustering around the point of sale and chatting than helping the business. I didn't see anyone who acted or looked like a manager. Unfortunate, since some leadership up front would have easily turned this...

Prompt & friendly staff. I have tried several menu items, There has been nothing I have disliked. The restaurant and tables are clean & neat, and the atmosphere is pleasant. My mom's favorite is the Sloppy jalopy. We both enjoy the onion rings. They have light (and just right) batter. My favorite personal side is the beer cheese soup. Way to go, Fat Willy's!

8/14/24 Another fantastic experience! My mom had the special (hot beef plate). She said it had great flavor. This comes from a background of family cooking herself for farmlands back in the day. We shared the onion rings appetizer. These onuon rings are the best we have had. The batter is thin and crispy. And there is more onion than fried batter, which packs a flavor punch from the onion alone. I had a single brisket taco & large beer cheese soup. Their beer cheese soup actually has beer you can taste in it, and theirs has been my favorite. This says something because I don't even drink beer by itself. Too often, beer cheese soup tastes,like cheese beer soup, and it's just "meh," but this is delightfully "beer tangy" & and filling. The brisket meat in the taco is diced, tiny, with a savory brisket flavor that packs a lot of flavor in a small size. One was enough for me (but likely because I had a large beer cheese soup) You'll be delighted by the food, service, and atmosphere. Again, there is something...

WOW!!! My husband and I were staying at a nearby hotel, and while trying to figure out something for dinner one of the nights, I mentioned craving "good bar food." My husband suggested we see what Fat Willy's was since it was nearby. We looked at the menu online, and once we decided on what we wanted, I went inside. The bartender, Jordy, was quick to take my order, polite, and never missed a beat with anyone else sitting at the bar while I waited for my to-go order.

Now for the food! I ordered the Fat Willy burger, which was cooked to perfection! It was so tasty, and the fries were some of the best fries both my husband and I have had in quite a while! My husband had the Philly Streetcar, and let me tell you what! It was a total gamechanger to the classic Philly Cheesestake with the jalapeños instead of green peppers. We both thought the flavor was terrific! I highly recommend checking out this gem of...