Great service, friendly staff. the only draw back was the poutine. It was melted chedder cheese instead of cheese curds. Good beer selection The tater tot appetizer was great, so was the mac & Cheese and the lamb sliders. We'll for sure be back.
(4)
Heather D.
Stopped by today after smelling the delicious BBQ smell on our way to brunch. We were quick to get seated and water and menus were brought immediately. I was in the mood for a hard cider, the server showed me what was available and even brought me a sample. I didn't care for it and settled on an Oberon. I appreciated the opportunity to taste, and her knowledge of local cider. My husband chose the deep fried pickles and smoked chicken wings with hot buffalo sauce (1/2 off on Sunday). The pickles were sliced in a French fry fashion and tempura battered and fried, served with a house made remoulade (all sauces and dressings are house made). They were perfectly prepared, presentation was on point. The flavor of the wings were perfectly smoked and very juicy, just the right amount of sauce. I chose the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork. The pasta was perfect al dente tossed with gruyere and sharp cheddar with a parmesan and bread crumb topping. Tossed with pieces of smoky pulled pork. The smoky flavor of the meat, compliments the nutty essence of the gruyere. Served in a small cast iron skillet. Quality, flavor and service were on point. Could use a little broader selection of Craft Beer and Cider options.
(4)
Rob B.
They have amazing food here! I usually get the Texas Tacos with bbq pulled pork. The meat melts in your mouth goodness. I have also had the limited goulash and it's very good too! So much so, that they need to keep it on the menu. They have the tap takeovers monthly. These are good if you want to sample 5 different beers and the goulash and speciality items from the grill. The layout of the room is a bit confusing. To the left is high tables with a small bar seating area and to the right is booths of sitting and dining. They also have a mini bar outside with small tables. This is a popular place to hang out. They have a wide selections of beer, wine and liquor based drinks. Check it out!
(4)
Mike N.
Disappointed. Started with a calamari appetizer which was good, but the portion was fairly small for the cost. I ordered the bbq platter thinking this place used to have pretty good bbq, and my friend had the salmon dinner. The bbq meal was ok, certainly nothing to write home about, but I was advised the salmon left a lot to be desired. Waitress was nice and attentive. I would come back here for a couple beers on the patio, but will be skipping dinner.
(2)
Victoria M.
My husband and I came to Penny Black on a Friday after work. We got there early enough where happy hour was still going on. Therefore, we both got beers. Very good beer selection. I got a strawberry type beer that didn't disappoint. Our waiter was great, very attentive, but not overly pushy. He made suggestions and was constantly checking on us in regards to drinks and if we needed anything else. The decor is modern, but a bit cold. Lots of dark colors and sleek lines, didn't feel much like a pub. Seating was either dining room, bar, or outside. We picked dining room and they had pretty nice large booths. The booths would be good for larger parties, probably fit at least 3 people comfortably on each side. We ordered the Dip Trio with Hot beer queso, fresh guacamole, house salsa, tortilla chips. All the dips were very good. Our waiter even hooked us up with more chips to finish off our dippers. I got the special - Lamb Sliders served with tzatziki sauce, onions and tomatoes. I also ordered fries as well. Fries were seasoned and yummy. The sliders were good, The lamb patty itself was pretty thick, a bit dry, but hey...it is lamb. Overall, this is a nice spot in downtown Rochester to come to get a drink. The entrees and food are a bit pricey. Our bill I believe came to about $50 or more. Still a place to check out and try, good food and swanky atmosphere.
(3)
Lisa W.
I like Penny Black , but not quite love it. Menu has some high points, burgers, ribs, some salads. Some not so high points... Not a fan of a lot of the apps. Very good beer selection and decent mixed drinks. Their strong point is the wait staff, good bunch. Parking.With the new Rochester parking decks, that issue has been eliminated. The restaurant itself has a bit of a cold feel with the stained concrete floors and steel tables. Not homey enough for a pub feel, not edgy enough for a urban feel. Before you form a optintion from theses reviews, give it a try. Good for bite before a movie or a concert or meeting up with a group of friends.
(3)
Liz P.
I came here on Sunday night before a concert at DTE. We showed up a little early, around 4:30pm, and it was pretty empty. Decided to sit inside rather than out because it was crazy hot out (like 85). Service was slow but okay. The food was very good - neither my friend nor I were that hungry, so we decided to split a sandwich and fries plus a side salad. They had a red wine vinaigrette that sounded good, but were out of it, so the waiter brought me a raspberry vinaigrette instead (usually my dressing of choice). The sandwich was this gouda / applewood bacon / apples / heirloom tomatoes concoction and was good, EXCEPT I'm not a huge bacon fan and it lended a crunchy taste to the sandwich which I didn't really like. Once I took the bacon out of the sandwich, it was much better, IMO. The sandwich was also HUGE and fine for splitting. The standout was actually the sweet potato fries, which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious (sounds weird, but you know what I mean - they were very soft). I'd come back here again, it looks like they do happy hour specials as well.
(4)
Teresa E.
Great little outdoor seating area (a lot of bees though). Service was a little slow. They needed another waitress in our section. Food was decent. Nothing to write home about. We had the salmon and pulled pork platter. Both were okay. Not great by any means. I think I'd enjoy this place as a bar more than a restaurant. Good vibe, bad meal execution.
(3)
Sasha O.
I'd like to do two reviews if I could. I came to Penny Black for dinner on a Friday night, the wait was reasonable, the hostesses were very pleasant and the bartender outside (while we waited) was pretty good. My only complaint is my pricey martini was weak at best, now it was admittedly a fru fru girly martini, but I've had better. We sat outside for dinner which was really nice, food was terrific and our waiter was AMAZING. Now here is where it gets interesting... We went to a movie & decided to go back to Penny Black because of the great experience. We went to the outdoor bar and the same bartender was there (who was pretty cool albeit a bit cocky)... There were a couple empty seats so I sat down but my date stood behind me to leave a seat open. The bartender had two shots w/ other guests before coming over & was clearly drunk. We ordered our drinks and the bartender said "you need to move, these seats are taken". I looked around & replied "it doesn't look like it"; he replied "they're out having a smoke"; my reply "ok I'll move when they get back"; his reply "no you'll move right now or I'll move you"; me "did you just threaten me?"; him "no I'm telling you the seats are taken & you are f***ing moving now". Needless to say we left at that point. He had another shot as we were leaving & was laughing with the people (friends obviously) at the bar. I've never been treated so disrespectfully at a restaurant or bar in my life. I was a waitress & bartender for years and am completely disgusted with this behavior. Obviously he shouldn't be drinking on the job, but he's also stealing and you have to wonder how many of those shots his friends are doing he's giving away (also stealing). I'm sad to give only 2 stars because our waiter at dinner was absolutely perfect in every way, the atmosphere is really nice & the food is good. It's a shame an outright jerk & thief is going to drive business away from what could be a great place.
(2)
Kyle Martin D.
You know what creeps me out? People like my sisters. I'm talking overly friendly white people with big toothy smiles who are desperately trying to be trendy despite the fact they have a whole bunch of children, drive gas-guzzling SUVs, and live in tacky McMansions. This is Rochester. The bane of my existence. Penny Black is one of the few bright spots in this god-forsaken town. It's not cutting edge, but it is quality bar food, and a nice escape from all those soccer moms in yoga pants who do a pretty good job at harboring the fact that they might be republican. I ordered a grilled buffalo chicken sandwich. I didn't just like it. I loved it. It also came with a small side of fruit salad that wasn't too filling. Holy shit, (Kyle re-reads the last sentences, realizes Kyle's now writing in third person), I think I'm turning into one of those people. Somebody take me to the Stone House or Bronx Bar before I find myself coated in Lululemon and having in-depth conversations about gardening, standardized test scores and holistic teas.
(4)
Pamela H.
I visited with three friends. We started with the pretzels and the cheese dip was so hard we couldn't even dip the pretzel into it. The waiter brought us a new one that solved the problem, but we were turned off by how long the original appeared to have been sitting out. Two of us ordered the bean burger. It was very dry and difficult to eat. We loaded it with condiments to try and add moisture, but still very dry. My friend didn't eat her burger and the waiter took half the price. Another friend got the salmon and said it was great. I won't be going back.
(2)
Donald L.
What made this place last night five stars; our server Amanda. Thank you for being attentive, smiling and quick to react. Last night upon entering, we found no hostess, possibly busy, and waited for about a minute till another server filled in for her. We wanted a table of six for outside but if ok we would sit indoors until one opened up ((apprx 30 min). Once seated Amanda got my wife and I drinks and a table soon opened up outside. During this short 15 minute wait Amanda was at our table several times. While moving from the inside to the outside, I made sure Amanda was our server, she was. There was a slight wrong wine served which she caught on her own and made everything right. Everything we ordered from the fried Brussels sprouts, tater tots, poutine to our main courses was excellent. At one point Amanda had told us about her wish that night was to go see the fireworks with her kids. She never rushed us or inconvenienced us at all. I hope she made it to show. She did a really awesome job, thanks.
(5)
Steve B.
We've been to Penny Black numerous times in the past. This has to have been one of our most disappointing meals there. Our waiter was attentive, but lacked knowledge and charisma some other staff exude. Having been there recently for burgers, sandwiches, and specials, we decided to order an old favorite, the meat platter. We were disappointed to find that they no longer offered brisket. Our waiter said he didn't know anything about that. We went with the meat platter anyway and added an extra serving short ribs. My wife had lamb slider special. Our meal came quite quickly. The short rib was covered in gelatinous brown gravy like substance, which was not appealing in any way. The meat was soft and tender and had a good flavor on its own. That's the way I like my short rib. Not soaked in sauce or gravy. The pulled pork was delicious. The fries were crisp and hot. Our drinks were constantly refilled. When I finished off the coleslaw, my daughter gave me an evil eye. So I asked the waiter if we could get a little more. He brought out an additional cup to her delight. We polished off dinner and asked for a to go box and our bill. I was surprised to find a small scoop of institutional coleslaw runs an additional $2.00. We walked out and realized we left our to go container on our table. My wife turned around and walked in 2 minutes after having left. The table was already clear. She asked our waiter and the busboy who both said they had not seen anything and that they thought we'd taken it with us. Yes of course we took it with us then turned around and came back in to look for it. There goes $8.00 worth of shortrib. Nothing they can do they said. I realize that my complaints individually are trivial but combined did not make for the experience we have come to expect from dining at Penny Black.
(2)
Tyler D.
The bacon, black and bleu hamburger was fantastic! Probably the best burger that I've eaten all year. The sweet potato fries were also exceptional and well worth the up charge. My problem was with the Reuben sandwich....It contained very little meat, was dry as a bone, and the bread was charred. It left a burnt aftertaste after every bite. We were having fun with friends so we dealt with it in order to avoid all that comes with rejecting a meal. Shame on the cook for sending that out and on the waitress for not noticing.
(3)
Manuela M.
I walked in and no diggity by blackstreet was playing. Try the chicken nachos and the black Apple moonshine! This is probably the best spot in downtown Rochester right now.
(5)
Jo N.
A generous 3 stars. I hope the owner is reading this. ..POOR SERVICE (beyond slow) untrained staff will kill your business. I had to repeat my order when she came back to the table. She was unfamiliar with beer and food. Brought Labatts but we ordered Stella. We ordered to share and she didn't bring extra plates. Had fish tacos. ..dry? Taster tots...dry? She didn't ever come back so we got our own napkins, asked the bartender for plates, asked a waiter for bbq sauce which he brought plus the remoulade for the grilled fish tacos. 30 minutes later she comes up and says, want your bill? Oh how about dessert? She drops the bill off and we are over charged for pitcher of beer. It takes 15 minutes to be corrected because and I quote,"the manager is on a conference call". REALLY? At 9:31pm on a Sunday. If the manager was doing their job the new staff would have a clue. What a SHAME.
(3)
Lynda B.
My husband and I went there on a Saturday night. It was busy, but not overly crowded and we were seated right away, at a table near the bar. It was not too noisy and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. The wait staff was great. We asked for some recommendations which were willingly provided. We ordered appetizers of egg rolls along with chips and a trio of dips. The egg rolls were crispy and had a bit of a kick to them but were very good. The chips came with three different dips. A warm queso, a salsa, and a guacamole. The portions were very generous and all were excellent. I am not a guacamole fan, but this was very flavorful and had a great texture. The queso was served warm and had a great cheesy taste. My husband had a beer of some type and was happy with it. I tried what was their version of a Long Island Iced tea. It was very good and not light on the liquor, it was also very large. For dinner my husband had a trio of sliders. They came with fries, which he said were crispy and quite good. I had the pulled pork burrito. It had a great smoky flavor and was quite large. I enjoyed it for lunch another day as well. For dessert, we again checked with the wait staff and Kristine, our excellent waitress, recommended the brownie and ice cream. We would come back just for dessert. There was plenty to share and the brownie was soft, yet chewy and we loved it. We will definitely come back again. Food was large in portion, reasonably priced and tasted very good. The atmosphere was lively, yet not too loud. Finally, the wait staff was on top of things and very knowledgeable about the menu, the food and the back story of the restaurant.
(4)
Taylie C.
Great food, great atmosphere, great staff, amazing prices. It always takes me 20+ minutes to figure out what I want to order at Penny Black, because I want to try everything on their menu. I've even gone twice in one week! You wouldn't think a $9 sandwich could be life changing, but their Reuben is. It's hard for me to shut up about Penny Black...I love this place!
(5)
Regina S.
A nice little addition to Rochester I would say! Came here with the BF on Friday for lunch. Not very busy, surprisingly, with it being black Friday and all, but definitely started to pick up by the time we left. Decent menu, although a little all over the place. I would say they're going for upscale bar food, but the atmosphere is like half bar/half restaurant. Do they have different menus? I don't know, so I'll assume no. We decided to go the burger route. I got the mac and cheese burger with homemade chips, and BF got the BBQ burger. We both asked for medium; we both got well done. SIDE NOTE: This is seriously like the 10th time in a row I have asked for a medium cooked burger, and I get well done every time. Have cooks forgotten how to make a burger, other than well cooked?? This is very frustrating to me. The mac and cheese burger, aside from being over cooked, just didn't have much of any flavor at all to me. The ketchup drowned out the mac and cheese flavor completely. I thought it was OK but not something I would order again, especially considering how much I love mac and cheese. BF thought his burger was fine, liked the onion strings. The chips were really, really good!!! Whoever is making those has it down pat!! They should offer those at the tables/bar as a snack.. Good stuff! So, I would for sure go back again. The staff was nice enough, and the place is clean and big. You don't feel crowded at all. The burgers were $8.99 with the chips, I believe our tab with 2 beers was around $30 /Rochester!!!
(3)
Eric D.
Have been here often with co-workers, my wife and sometimes with our kids too. Hands down, they have the best patio in Rochester. Fairly-priced and tasty food as well including daily specials. Cajun beef tips and Texas Tots are crowd-pleasing appetizers. Buffalo Chicken Wrap and the Yard Bird are my favorite sandwiches. Good bbq and an actively rotating selection of craft beers. Kids eat free on Sundays as well.
(5)
Steph S.
Strange. My friend had posted not to long ago about how poorly managed this bar is. The managers do not train properly or treat their employees with respect. (the post has been deleted.) Not to mention, I have seen -SEVERAL TIMES- the servers TAKING SHOTS! No "good" bar in their right minds would allow this. I'm not pleased to have a half buzzed waiter smelling like liquor. Management- clearly pathetic to state it simply. Waiters- dress like they're waking up for a 6am class on a Monday. Some look dirty and some are trashy. Over al very unprofessional Food- I found a hair in mine but didn't complain. A bit dry. Service over all: poor I also witnessed the woman who had to bus her own table and got disrespected by the manager. This place needs to be closed down! Just because you have fancy beer doesn't make your bar/restaurant good.
(1)
James M.
Since my last review I have tried Penny Black and few times and had good experiences. They have a good beer selection and I'm a fan of their burgers and the fact that they carry tater tots.
(3)
Jody K.
A group of 6 women met here for dinner on a Friday night at 6:00. We had a nice table outside, and that was very nice. Two of us arrived a little later than the rest of our party, and the waitress was very prompt in getting our drink order & bringing our drinks. She also waited the right amount of time before getting our orders. We all ordered different things, but with only one exception, they were all sandwiches. It seemed to take an awfully long time to get our food; I think it was close to half an hour after we ordered. Since we were there to visit, we didn't really comment about that, but it seemed to me to be much longer than necessary. I ordered the trio of sliders: one each of pulled pork, turkey and chicken, served with fries and coleslaw. Well, if I hadn't looked at each sandwich while I was eating it, I wouldn't have been able to tell one from the other; the were very bland & tasted the same. Likewise, the coleslaw had no discernable flavor; it basically tasted like wet cabbage. No sweetness, no vinegar flavor. The fries were also pretty tasteless, although they were very nicely cooked a golden brown. Two of the women in our group shared a burger and the macaroni & cheese, and they were raving about it. Perhaps I should've ordered one of those instead. Another woman in our group ordered the walleye, which came with asparagus & another side that I didn't see. She said the fish was good, but that the asparagus was too hard and cold for her liking. One of the women in our group ordered the fruit crisp for dessert. She was told that it was a berry crisp. However, when it came, it was tiny chunks of what appeared to be peaches, possibly apples and raisins. Whatever it was, it was definitely not raisins. Another ordered the brownie. It came with 2 generous brownie pieces & a large scoop of French vanilla ice cream, which she said was delicious. The menu is varied, and there are lots of options. It's not too expensive, but it's also nothing special. I would not go out of my way to go back there.
(2)
Connor A.
Great atmosphere, restaurant is stylish but still has bar feel. One side is more formal and one side is more casual bar section. Staff was very attentive and helpful, they didn't make us feel rushed and were very polite. Food came out fast. Good selection of beers. Killer sweet potato fries. Only down side is the price, I paid $11 for a burger and fries. Beers were pricey as well.
(4)
Liz N.
Always satisfied here. Open everyday till 2am. It's our go-to place. Their burgers are great! Egg burger mmmmmmm. Half off wine bottle every Thursday. That's our thing. Absolutely love Penny Black. And also, it seems it's never short staffed. The servers are great. I only had one bad waitress. I think she was new I never saw here before. She was so odd, slow and I'm 90% sure she was high. 4 people at our table we all agreed she had to be high. Other than her, I LOVE Penny Black. You can't go wrong here.
(5)
Miranda R.
I have absolutely no complaints about this place. My boyfriend and I went here at about 10pm on a Friday night. They have an awesome outdoor bar with tvs and a nice looking bar out there. When we went that part of the restaurant was packed so we headed inside and took a seat at a high top. The inside of the place was about almost halfway full, kind of surprising for a Friday night but whatever. I was worried about not getting service at a high top as I've experienced many bars give better service to people actually sitting at the bar during bar time hours, but we had the nicest server. I don't know his name but he had a goutee, longish hair and was wearing a ski cap or some type of cap I'm pretty sure. We had a couple beers, the buffalo calamari, and the pork/corned beef/chicken sliders. All of the food was AMAZING. The buffalo calamari was an awesome twist on how calamari is normally served. As the night went on the place got fuller and emptier fuller and emptier, but our server always made sure to check on us promptly, get our drinks, and provide us with anything we asked for. I had a great time here and definitely will return.
(5)
Daniel L.
Unique atmosphere in the old post office. The microbrewery beers are here. For some reason my generous portion of ahi tuna salad was better the next day. They need to figure a way to make it that good the first day. Gluten free selections available.
(4)
Tate V.
They have the best beer menu! The food is very tasty too. We did a beer tasting with food pairing and everything paired up well! The staff has always been super nice to us and the vibe changes from sophisticated to dinner crowd to outside patio bar to Rochester nightlife...it's a must visit for locals and out-of-Towners alike.
(5)
Victoria K.
Sausage pizza, salmon dip and caprese salad all good choices for late night snack. Open late, good fast service with DJ and outside seating. Will be back!
(5)
Patsy R.
We were here in the summer, sat outside and ordered six different apps. Everything was delish. We especially liked the in house smoked wings and the tomato basil soup. The brisket was fall apart tender. My Margarita was made with fresh lime juice soooo good. The patio was ablaze with twinkling lights adding to the festive atmosphere of the warm summer night. Can't wait to go there again.
(5)
Tom M.
Have gone to Penny Black twice now for quick takeout, both experiences great. On my most recent visit, I was informed by the bartender that the item I ordered may not have been to 100% quality so they not only gave me my choice of replacement meal regardless of cost, they still made and gave me the original order, just without the gluten free bun. Didn't have to ask for this; they just did it because it was the right thing to do. My wife is gluten free and their menu is great and highly recommended for anyone with celiac disease.
(5)
Steve S.
Great Atmosphere. Decent food. Haven't been here I awhile. Great atmosphere. Great drink options. That said - something s changed. Management and bartenders didn't seem as connected. Less interaction, more transaction.
(3)
Alexandria L.
I wish I could give zero stars, but it won't let me. Management is horrible! Horrible service, waited 30 min and watched others who got here way after us get seated right away. All you have to do is flirt with the manager and you'll get a table right away. Absolutely ridiculous, especially on such a busy night! Will never come here again! Not even worth the waiting anymore! Also, they keep the pitcher to refill the water and coke under the shelf where the cleaning products are right next to it and refill your drinks with those pitchers. Um health violation much! Ridiculous!
(1)
Christine S.
After going the last few times I've determined the place to be obnoxious at best. I'm only referring to the Tuesday night karaoke extravagana here. The same characters are there everytime and they think they run the show. It makes it uncomfortable for outsiders to come in and even attempt to sing. The ridiculousness of the dancing by the stage to the point where I was almost punched in the face just trying to walk through to get to a table. We left after one drink. Sorry Penny Black we won't be back.
(2)
Anthony K.
Penny black is pretty good definitely a great atmosphere. The regulars swear by this place and I can honestly see why they would. There's a dining area and a bar section with some tables as well. I haven't really eaten here maybe a salad or two, but I would definitely come back and give it an honest try. The location is awesome surrounded by beautiful downtown Rochester and some nice parks nearby. Definitely check this place out for a drink and dinner, you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Liz R.
Outdoor seating area is wonderful, although the indoor seating area is too loud for my taste. Food has been consistently good. It's our go-to spot for dinner in the summer in Rochester. We don't bother having dessert there, though. But there are plenty of other places in downtown Rochester for that. :-)
(4)
Brad S.
OK, I've been there several times and it's been "ok" every time. - The service is not bad, not great, and kind of slow. Which makes it "ok". - The food, I've never been impressed but it hasn't been really bad either. The last time I was there my son had a hamburger, when I asked him how it was he said "ok". - the atmosphere is kind of dark inside. I think the best thing about the place is eating outside on a nice summer night. I'm always drawn to a place with a patio on a nice evening. If Penny Black didn't have a patio I doubt I would go there.
(3)
Steven L.
Service was good but the ribs didn't have much flavor, kind of dry. Baked beans were good though.
(2)
Anna K.
Wish I could give this place zero stars. Came here with a few friends over the holidays while in town and was extremely offended by how rude we were treated. Not only is the staff rude, but the management is disgraceful and an embarrassment to other establishments in this area. Started with a few drinks, which were decent. Waited about an hour to get a table in the bar area. We asked the hostess and were told that bar tables were first come first serve. Many tables were taken by some pretty large groups so we waited until one opened for four. Finally we found one, but when we went to grab it, a waiter (who looked liked a bus boy) came up and said he was holding it for someone. We questioned this since the hostess told us otherwise. How could a table be reserved for someone when they were first come first serve? The waiter did not like us questioning him and threw up his hands in the air and rudely told us "fine, whatever" and left us. Seconds later we saw the same waiter tell the waitress for our table "don't clean up that sh*t" referring to the dirty dishes on our table from the previous customers. The waitress acknowledged his comments and went about her "busy" way to help other customers, completely ignoring our table and dirty pile of dishes. So I decided to take it upon myself and move the dishes to the floor, seeing as though no one was going to bus our table. In this process, I accidentally broke a cup and got a nasty look and condescending response from our so-called waitress. She asked why we were moving the dishes off the table. I responded and told her that I heard the other waiter's comments and saw her acknowledgement so I figured she wasn't going to do anything, seeing as though she already ignored us the first time around. She made it into this large ordeal, calling her manager over to see this broken cup and sweep up the mess. No comments were made other than that we shouldn't have bussed our own table. Minutes later the manager came by, for a seemingly innocent inquisition of how the service was. We said okay and he lingered around for a little longer than necessary, he asked whether we had an issue there. Instead of being mature and straight out asking about the incidents or taking responsibility for his waitstaffs behavior, he beat around the bush and tried to be passive aggressive towards us. We explained the situation, although the manager was too bull headed to even listen to what we had to say. He corrected us on numerous occasions, accused us of fighting with the waiter, and laughed in our faces. It was pretty embarrassing to see a manager, who should act professional and handle a situation properly, to carry himself with such a lack of respect for his customers. After questioning why he was there to begin with and whether we were okay to sit there, the manager walked away with no excuse for his immature, downright disrespectful, behavior or the treatment we received from his staff. We proceeded to sit there and found ourselves receiving no service whatsoever for the rest of the evening. Not that we had any intentions of spending our money at an establishment as rude, unprofessional, and disrespectful as this. I felt like the management thought intimidation would be a good business practice. The owners need to highly consider who the are having run this business. I was absolutely appalled by the lack of customer service, accusational confrontation, and intimidating approach that the staff displayed us during our visit. Businesses like this do not deserve to be in business and need to think twice about the customers they are serving.
(1)
Jordan S.
Came here on a Friday after a long week. I've been here before but wanted to leave a review. I ordered the pineapple cilantro risotto with chicken from their special menu. I must say it's fabulous! Chicken, moist, well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The pineapple is fresh cut and provides the dish with a wonderful, sweet and balances great with the savory. The culinary team is great. We sat at the bar because they had a wait for tabled and we were able to score some seats as people were leaving. The bartenders were attentive, extremely friendly and upbeat. The beer list is great and the craft cocktails are good too. The atmosphere was inviting, with a friendly, enthusiastic crowd. Wish I had saved some room for dessert because those looked great too. If your looking for something in Rochester to go above and beyond, go to Penny Black, you won't be disappointed.
(5)
Shoshanah A.
Beer selection is decent, switched up (monthly I think) which is nice. Food is ok, not consistent - sometimes I like it, sometimes not so much. Overall pretty friendly.
(4)
Cindy L.
Went to Penny Black with a couple of friends. The food was ok but not memorable. Standard American fare. Why I would not go back? The atmosphere. The acoustics were so bad I could not hear anything our friends said and don't want to shout to others in order to be heard when having dinner.
(3)
Danielle L.
I do like this bar but we had a horrible bar tender. We went on a busy night and I asked for a shot. The bartender responded that he would not pick out "your f**ing shot". Absurdly unacceptable and rude. If I could give a 0 star I would.
(1)
Jake R.
The bar seen is upbeat and exciting at about midnight, and a Dj is bringing as much noise as possible. They also offer great drink specials throughout the week. However... I've tried to eat here 3 different times, and every time has been a disappointment. The burger was over cooked, fries were soggy, and the pulled chicken was about as dry as can be. I will say the tots were somewhat acceptable, but I wouldn't plan your dinner plans here.
(2)
Kaity J.
Horrible food. I came here with a group of 14 to eat before a bachelorette party. The only thing that saved my experience was our waitress, who was fantastic! (She's the only reason I'm giving two stars.) I got the baja fish tacos - one grilled and one battered. They were the saddest fish tacos I have ever seen. The piece of fish in each taco was no bigger than a fun size candy bar. The slaw was mayonnaise soaked and about three times the amount of fish in the taco. The "pico" on it was around 3-4 tiny pieces of tomato and onion - nothing more. The Spanish rice was awful. I get AMPED on fish tacos, so this was very, very disappointing to say the least. Will not be back again.
(2)
Pat M.
If you want cold beer, this is a good place. If you want good food, have a few beers and maybe the quality of the food will rise to the occasion. This is a bar, not a restaurant. I made the mistake off taking my wife out to dinner here, that was a bad decision. The food was below average, the service was below average, the beer was cold. We ended up only ordering burgers. They were unimaginative, served cold and expensive. No one ever asked us if we wanted ketchup for our fries. I eventually went to the bartender and asked for ketchup. Our waitress, as usual, was never in sight. Cold beer, below average food. I will not be back. Four beers, three sandwiches, tab was $66. A bit pricey.
(1)
Nathan K.
Pretty cool atmosphere. Wait staff didn't seem to be trained very well. They were slow and a bit dry, but nice people. Great menu, wish it was a little cheaper. Got $17 sweet chili salmon, it was really good. $10 fish tacos were good too, but only came with 2 tacos.
(3)
Pat F.
I ate here more than and year ago and it was very average. My wife and decided to try it again a couple weeks ago and it was outstanding. We have been there three more times since. Every single thing we have eaten has been really good. We have had the perch sliders. If you like fish sandwiches this is one of the best I've ever had. Tortilla soup, and corn chowder which are both excellent. The fried green tomatoes which I will get every time I go, and the Cuban sandwich. This has become my favorite place to eat in Rochester.
(5)
Clare R.
My opinion is so so. Beer crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves but while the menu is creative the quality of the dishes leaves something to be desired.
(2)
Alicia K.
Outdoor seating was nice and spacious and clean. Service was very slow and food was mediocre. We ordered tortilla soup, potato leek soup, Michigan cherry salad, and Texas tacos. The potato leek soup was bland and tasted like baby food. The tortilla soup was ok, a little too pasty. Texas tacos and rice tasted microwaved. Cherry salad was meh because there weren't enough toppings for $10 salad and the dressing was gross. The best thing there is the beer and my sons fish and chips (fish was light and fluffy and awesome), and my sons little house salad was good too. I wouldn't go again.
(2)
Amy H.
I'm really teetering between 2 and 3 stars here. The service was iffy, it seemed like only high school students were employed here. Our waiter was having a hard time giving us suggestions from the menu. We decided to go ahead and just order a bunch of a la carte items. We got some tater top appetizer that was loaded with cheese and jalapenos and baked. It was okay. It's the kind of dish that would have been INCREDIBLE if I were a 15 year old teenager baked out of my mind. We also ordered some sliders, and they were average. Nothing mind blowing. I feel like the menu is all over the place. 3 stars for the beer selection!
(3)
Adrienne D.
Chips and dip was good Martinis were great Manager was nice and told us that Waitress was friendly Most food is made from scratch Clean place with nice vibe
(4)
Christine K.
I have to say that I am VERY IMPRESSED!!!! My brother-in-law and I planned a surprise 30th birthday party for my sister which took place this past Saturday night and WOW did Penny Black hit it out of the park! I am so very impressed and thankful to their management and wait staff for a job so very well done. A few highlights: - We dropped off decorations / cake midday and they set up EVERYTHING for us before our arrival. You can tell they took pride in what they were doing. - They took such great care of us, our waiter was amazing. I don't think anyone had to wait more than 1 minute for another drink. - They had no issues collecting multiple credit cards to ensure a smooth bill situation - They set up the cake, plates, forks, napkins for us part way through the party. - They cleared everyone's plates, etc although they were not making any $ off of the cake (which they wrapped up for us to take home). I cannot say thank you enough! It would have been so easy for PB to stick us in the corner and let us figure it out. They really went the extra mile to make sure the party was extra special for my sister and our guests. Chicago needs more bars/restaurants like this. Five stars for sure :) :)
(5)
Ben L.
I wish I could give this bar zero stars because that is the kind of service that they demonstrated. The sad part is that I want to go back to this place because they have a decent beer selection but the service is absolutely horrible. We were at Penny Black on a Saturday night and there were two bartenders for a packed bar. When I went to get one last drink (and a soda for my DD), I sat at the bar from 11:04 to 11:32. For 28 mins I watched the bartenders go from the edges of the bar toward the center but returning to the edges at seemingly random times. Unfortunately, I was at the middle. My wife (and DD) was able to come to the bar and get her drink within a few minutes. Serving women first at a bar is a standard policy but the manager at this particular location either has no idea how to staff or train his/her bartenders. Do not go to this bar of you value your time.
(1)
Matt V.
I have worked in downtown Rochester for a few years now, and Penny is definitely my bar of choice in Michigan. I have made very good friends with all the staff, and i have come to feel like it is my home. The beer selection is ever changing and nothing short of fantastic. The food items are a refreshing change to the typical bar foods you will normally see with things like Fried Green Tomatos and Sweet Sriracha wings. If you want to go to a bar with some great beer and food, come here! Matt, the manager is a great guy and takes care of the place and its customers and does a great job, and the bartenders are knowledgeable, fun, and great people. I cant forget to mention they offer a Service Industry Night on sunday and monday which is a half off everything offer! You cant beat that.
(5)
Katie J.
I have become such a huge fan of Penny Black. There is a rarely a week when I'm not here, usually more than once. I love their patio. It's one of the nicest in the area. I love their food. I've literally never ordered something I didn't like. My favorite is the Yard Bird Chicken Sandwich. I always add a ton of their spicy bbq (they have a few sitting out at all times and I suspect it's home made). They have an excellent selection of draft beers, which changes often but they do a great job of keeping their beer lists up to date. All in all it's just a great place to go. Especially when the weather is nice. My only minor issue is that it's a little pricey but that's standard for the area.
(4)
Rachel E.
OH NO. No, no, no, no, no. Once my favorite restaurant in Rochester, now a place that I probably wouldn't return to. It's under new management AGAIN (is this the fifth time?), and this time it's worse than ever. We ate there last night and they've taken both of my favorite items off of the menu - the delicious Black Bean Burger with the marinated goat cheese and the Fajita Salad. BIG mistake! Although I was very disappointed, my husband and I opted for the Texas Tacos -- he ordered the brisket & I ordered the chicken variety. The plates were brought out and what was the delicious garnish my husband had on the flavorless, bland side of rice? A 5" curly black hair. I mean it was sitting RIGHT on top. Anyone with eyes could have seen that thing, it was totally disgusting. It was so bad the manager had to come and reassure us that everyone back in the kitchen wears hair nets. That is NOT a phrase you ever want to hear as a customer dining in a restaurant. They did comp his dinner, but the damage had already been done. Once you see something like that, it haunts you for the rest of the meal. They've also redone the inside decor and now it looks more like a dank night-club, which unfortunately seems to be the direction they want to head toward. RIP, Penny Black.
(1)
La Donna J.
The Curious Traveler Grapefruit Shady was delicious with their Chipotle Black Bean Burger and sweet potato fries. :)
(4)
Donovan B.
This place is *clap hands* Dyno-MITE. Came here with the girlfriend for a late night dinner. We ordered the tortilla soup and mac n cheese for apps. Both were very good. The mac and cheese to me is worthy enough to say its better then vinsettas or tied...not sure yet. (vinsetta still has amazing mac). Our server was on top of everything we needed. Later I had the chicken Caesar salad and she had the club with avocado. Once again. Everything was good. Good vibes in there too. Nice atmosphere.
(5)
Marc F.
Fast service surprisingly good food. It looked like it would be plain old bar food, but everything we had was a step up. Service was good, and so was the food.
(4)
Kelly O.
If I could score this restaurant based on service alone I would give it ZERO STARS. Sunday night we went to dinner with another couple. The four of us had a couple of drinks and appetizers. The waitress, Amber, was rude, unfriendly, rushing us, and apparently a criminal. Yes, criminal. But I'll get to that in a minute. After telling Amber politely that we were in no hurry and wanted to enjoy our evening out, we had to flag her down when we wanted something. I guess she expected us to order everything we wanted immediately, or sit and wait forever while she catered to the table next to us. For my entree I ordered the sirloin medium rare. It arrived medium well. For an $18 sirloin, I asked if I could have a different steak. Before I was finished with my sentence, she was snatching my plate out of my hand. "You can just take the steak if you'd bring me a side plate," I said. She slams the plate back on the table and says, "I was going to give you a whole new set-up." I tell her that's not necessary and she walks away. My friends and I all exchanged comments and glances about her behavior. She was obviously rude, and I wasn't the only one who picked up on that. When she came back to the table she had plastered on the first fake smile of the evening while handing me a side plate. "If this is going to be a problem, I don't need a steak at all," I say. She assures me that everything is ok and she will hurry it back out to me. Steak comes out cooked properly. She's pleasant for the rest of the evening. I'm still annoyed and ready to leave a crappy tip, but my boyfriend suggests 15%. Fine. !5% it is. Here's where the gangster law-breaking happens on the mean streets of Rochester... I look at my back statement this morning and she has given herself a $20.00 tip! That is over 20% of my bill. So I call my bank and call the restaurant. I speak to Matt, the service manager. Nice guy. Apologetic. Refunds my card for the overage and is sending me a gift card. Says "the appropriate actions will be taken with Amber." I will go back again, because I have had very great experiences here before, but I better not see her face in there.
(2)
Karen W.
Been here twice recently I have mixed feelings. The drinks are great, they have a good beer selection and some pretty interesting mixed drinks...try the Apple Moonshine! However the food was "ok". We tried the trio of BBQ sliders, not impressed, lack of flavor and kind of dry. Stuffed mushroom appetizers were decent and the burger was alright. I would recommend Penny Black for drinks and maybe apps but not dinner
(3)
David P.
Good food? Check. Good beer selection? Check. Bartenders capable of making a mixed drink that doesn't suck? Check. Parking? Meh. Street parking, meters, a couple lots semi-close by. Not a problem as long as the weather's decent. Nottacheck. This was the scene of possibly the most hilarious set of circumstances that ever took place at a detroitnet.org event...it's too bad it's NC-17 rated and can't be shared here :) Great little place, really like it. If you're in Rochester Hills and don't feel like hitting the Brewery, then this is a great place to be...especially if you like margaritas.
(4)
Clem F.
This place is in decline. The current wait staff and bartenders all seem more preoccupied with each other than they do the customers. There used to be some decent beer specials but now they seem limited to the big brands like Labatt or Coors Lite. Food has been average my last few visits. I'll still go, but I consider it less often than before.
(2)
William C.
Disclaimer: I grew up in Texas. I know good BBQ.I think my profile picture says all that one needs to know about that. ha. Not only have I sampled BBQ all across this country, I take great pride in my own BBQ and understand the time and dedication it takes to create tender, lean and flavorful BBQ This meal was in total, the worst BBQ meal I've ever had. Ever! I've had chain restaurants, airport joints, roadside joints, fancy joints. This was the worst. Brisket-- dry. tough. Zero smoke ring. Although it was dry and completely tasteless, it had a real greasy quality to it. Imagine a piece of flavorless beef jerkey that somebody had then dipped in old cooking oil. This cut of meat might be brisket, but other than that it had no resemblance to brisket Pulled pork: stringy, dry. Zero seasoning. Zero smoke flavor. We had it as a stand alone and also ordered a pulled pork sandwich. There was practically no sauce anywhere on either the pulled pork or the sandwich. People can debate whether or not meat needs sauce. This one does. It had zero flavor. Unfortunately it also had almost no sauce. The cole slaw had a nice crunch but lacked acid. It was what I would expect in a junior high school cafeteria if I ordered cole slaw. The only thing I liked about the sandwich was the bun. It was a nice piece of bread. When the best thing you ate on a 70 dollar BBQ sampling meal was the bun, that place is in serious trouble! The ribs: zero smoke flavor. Zero smoke ring. They were dry and stringy and had about a ketchup packet squirt of bland dull and ininspired sauce on top of the rack. The chicken: bland. Picture a kroger rotisserie chicken ( minus the salt ) Also, no smoke flavor or sauce Fried pickles. Now these had potential. nice crunch and good tangy flavor, but I got this icky flavor with the first and each subsequent bite as if they'd been fried in something fishy. I wonder if they fried this in the same oil as their calamari. Dunno, but all I tasted was a nasty fish flavor and it ruined the dish. baked beans: way undercooked. completely underseasoned. two bites , not three. total miss Brisket chili- probably their best bet on the menu. a nice bowl of chili from a textural standpoint. however, way underseasoned. absolutely zero heat. My 2 year old likes good spicy chili, and he thought this was boring. nuff said Service: zero stars. I showed up at 1230 PM to pick up my carry out and stood alone at the bar for 6 minutes. The place was deserted. There were 3 or 4 tables only and I saw one waiter shoot by at the far end of the joint. I didn't see anybody for 6 minutes. and when the bartender did show up he had a very bad attitude as he'd been helping do something out of my view and was still angry about it. So of course he was rude to me. I wouldn't go back here if the food was free. This is NOT BBQ. They do nice food across the street at Gus O'connors and at Knapps. There is absolutely no reason to visit this place. Nothing about it was worth a revisit. The bar area looked nice, with lots of nice brews on tap but there are bars with better food. AVOID this FAKE BBQ place! It's also pretty darned expensive too!! almost 70 bucks for the food we ordered. The meal was shared amongst myself, my two small kids, my wife and my in-laws ( who like their food bland....and they even said it was too bland!)
(1)
Danny B.
I kind of got the feeling the owner thought to himself "bbq's popular right now so let's open a BBQ place". They should call it like it is and just be 'an American tavern'. They'd get better reviews and be true to what they are offering. To start good service. atmosphere: the lights were on bright but the black ceiling, black floor, black booths and dark wood tables all kind of blur together. The walls were painted a sweet old cracked cream color. Other than the walls it needs some brighter colors or art on the walls especially if they are going for BBQ theme. Their marketing/logo guy did a good job with the logo, menus, bags. I think they should fill in the wall between the dining room and bar to help reduce noise. Drink menu: big beer and cocktail selection. I enjoyed a good hand crafted cocktail. Limited wine and cheap wine selections. Food: nothing special or unique to set them apart from other BBQ places. I had a great burger, recommended by the server, with tasty house cut fries. The lettuce wrap app had so much suave I couldn't taste the filling. The tacos weren't anything special either. Very good apple crisp dessert. Overall decent menu for a tavern but I think they shouldn't called themselves BBQ. Thanks guys!
(4)
Nijole T.
We went here for fathers day lunch and had a great time and an excellent meal! My husband went for BBQ which is always a tough bet, especially ribs we have never had any at a restaurant that taste as good as the ones he makes at home. We figured give it a try and if we don't like it send it back. He got the 2 meat plate with ribs, and beef briskit and loved it! The man is hard to please when it comes to meat, but he said these were the best he's had (except for his!) and the briskit was lean and of good quality, even the baked beans which I thought he would give to me he gobbled up and I did get to try a bite, they were awesome, loaded with briskit, sweet and tasty. The mac n cheese also great and my sons sliders and tots good as well. They have different housemade bbq sauces at the table, all great as well as a red pepper vinegar that I used for my salad and I was very tempted to take the bottle and put it in my purse. It was the best thing I've ever tried and if they sold it by the bottle I would have bought a case of it! Spicy, sweet n tangy it was so damn good! I got the HUGE made in house black burger loaded with guacamole and sauteed veggies, it was saucy, messy goodness really one of the best burgers I've ever had! Excellent service, the owner came by to ask how we liked everything, really a wonderful lunch from start to finish, one of those meals that you think about later on for a long time and wish you could have again and again!
(5)
Meredith E.
I've been to Penny Black several times throughout the summer for drinks. The outdoor bar was a great addition, but the waitstaff was unfriendly, service was terrible and drinks were expensive. However, my three recent visits were quite good. The last visit was the first time I ordered food. I got the fried green tomato BLT with fries. WOW. This was tasty! BLT's are usually pretty amazing in general, but the thick slices of bacon, mayo and the warmness of the fried tomato led this to be the perfect sandwich! Lately at night, Penny Black has had good drink specials like $2 Blue Lights. I'm liking the recent improvements in food, drinks and service!
(3)
Adam S.
While on the west side on a Sunday afternoon, the wife and I decided to give this place a try based on word of mouth, but it leaves much to be desired. The atmosphere is pretty dull; cold, uninviting, industrial... Weird. You think they'd want to make you feel welcome. Food was lackluster at best... I had the combo with two BBQ meats; pulled chicken and beef brisket with fries and baked beans - the beans were the best part of the meal. Everything was just this side of warm, and my chicken looked like mac and cheese, but tasted OK. The three morsel sized strips of brisket looked like cured shoe leather and tasted like they were smoked on a bed of tobacco leaves; very dry as well. I'm glad there was plenty of BBQ sauce to mask the over smoked beef and to add some moisture. Fries were advertised as hand cut, but I have my doubts that they were fresh, however, the beans appeared to be made from scratch, and while not exactly hot enough, they had a nice flavor. Of course, the best dish was the smallest portion. My wife had the meat loaf and it was "ok"... My main attraction to Penny Black was their claim of "Rochester's Finest Selection of Craft Beers". Had they bothered to list their taps on the online menu, I probably wouldn't have made the effort. Some decent taps were had: Bell's Two Hearted and Hop Slam, Kuhnhenn Loonie Kuhnie, and then, what's this? Bah, standard BMC fare... They did have a decent selection of Michigan beers, and some other micros, but besides the Hopslam, there wasn't really anything you couldn't get elsewhere, and for a better price. Glassware was not thoroughly rinsed (as indicated by the microscopic bubbles that adhere to the side of the glass when filled), but the beer was served in the appropriate glass and at a decent temperature. Points for no frosted glassware and the beer wasn't mind numbingly freezing! Service was average at best. While we were waited on immediately, it was the standard take the drink order, take the food order, drop off food, "are you ok?", here's the check routine. I had stopped our server to see if they had anything on tap that wasn't on the menu (I was spying the Founder's Imperial Stout handle; no mention of any Founder's taps on the menu) and a blank stare was paired with her muttering "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm..... What kind of beer do you like?". I fired another salvo and she just pointed to the Magic Hat entry on the menu and said (or maybe she was asking me) "This is out right now?". There's not much value here; the drinks and plates were priced about a dollar or two too high for what we got, the food was very sub par, but there are some decent beers on... Not worth the effort unless you're in the area and want to stop for an over priced drink or if you need to chew on something while you're cutting teeth. For BBQ, do yourself a favor and go down to Slow's or Lockhart's (I know, Detroit and Royal Oak aren't exactly next door to Rochester). If you're stuck in Rochester and want better food, fresher beer and reasonable prices, take the extra 5 minutes to drive over to Rochester Mills. I'm glad I got this place out of my system, but it totally wasn't worth the effort and I doubt I'd stop back, even if I were starving and this was the most convenient place to grab a bite.
(1)
Heather H.
Penny Black's new menu in the last year is sooo yummy. The combo plate with pulled pork, brisket or chicken rules. Sweet potato fries are more like potatoes and are delicious... Like crack :) Also the buffalo chicken wrap is amazing. Eat here often. Staff is friendly :)
(5)
Shelby H.
The food was good, but not great. I had the Yard Bird sandwich and the person I was with had the pulled pork sandwich. Both of them were a little bland. They had the individual bottles of BBQ sauce that they serve with food as is the trend with places that have BBQ. The sauces they had were Sweet, Spicy, and Carolina. The sandwiches came with sweet potato fries, which were great. I highly recommend those. They have an interested menu of drinks, but there isn't much to choose from. They have a drink menu that lists about 5 martinis, about 5 mixed drinks, wines, and some beers. I usually like to try new beers, but they didn't have anything that sounded very interesting to me - most of the beer they had were on the boring side in my opinion. I ordered a peach martini and it was good.
(3)
Lenny Liliana M.
Love this place!! Texas tacos is my favorite food from their menu.
(5)
Cheryl M.
Maybe I didn't order the right things. The mac n cheese was bland. I won't order it again. The fried pickles were really good. The Caesar salad was boring. The wings were pretty decent. And the margaritas were pre-fab and really bad. We may try this again if we are walking by and happen to be hungry, but with all the really good restaurants out there, I'd rather spend my $$ somewhere else. Not a terrible place, but not worth crossing the street to get there.
(2)
Amanda C.
We came for dinner on a Sunday night. I have been here before for an appetizer and beer, so was not expecting a bad time. Thank goodness my S.O. is a good sport. Our waitress was severely lacking in her demeanor. It took forever to get her attention to place an order, get the bill, etc. We actually left without ordering dessert as we didn't know how long we would have to wait to even order. Foodwise it was extremely average. Would not recommend mac and cheese, totally forgettable and bland. S.O. had pulled pork sandwich which seemed pretty nice, flavour was good when I tried it. Overall not a consistent experience.
(2)
R U.
Not amazing; but, not just a bar food joint, either. The bacon/egg/cheese burger on pretzel roll was quite good. A reasonable selection of draft beer available. Service was attentive. Bar area can be quite noisy, especially when Michigan basketball game is on the TV! Consequently, dining area noisy, too. Worth a revisit.
(4)
Mace H.
Great Atmosphere! Great Food! Great Staff(Ryan, Sean & Mark)! Kids had a great time on the patio and ate free on Sunday! We will definatley be back!!
(5)
Kate F.
I think they've changed owners since my first review. The food is fantastic - tenderloin tips, fajitas, smoked wings (anything smoked), tater tots topped with pulled pork, cheese, jalapenos, buffalo calamari. The beer selection is also great - lots of Michigan brews on tap. We love the servers, the outdoor bar and the daily specials, too. -------------------- Barbecue in Rochester!!! We split the Smokehouse Platter and Tequila Lime Shrimp. Ribs were great - fall off the bone, smoky goodness. Brisket and pulled pork were also good. My husband loved the "collosal freshwater prawns," I thought they were okay. Southwest caesar side salad was large, and full of cotija cheese and tortilla strips. Chicken tortilla soup was creamy and delicious, and sweet potato fries were obviously hand-cut - came in various shapes and sizes. Like any good barbecue, there were five sauces served on the side. All were good, but I especially liked the hot and the Carolina sauces. Yumm! Everything was very reasonably priced, and we will definitely go back for more.
(5)
Anthony E.
The old Rochester Post Office has re-invented itself yet again, this time with a fitting name for what it once was. Penny Black is the fourth or fifth establishment at this location, but it's definately unlike it's failed predecessors. It has the look & feel to a place you might find in a Chicago neighborhood. The outdoor patio covers 1 1/2 sides of the building. Although relatively small, it was well executed and includes a small outdoor bar area. The only pictures on their website of it makes their patio look like a place for caged animals. The inside is nice with a hipster feel, but apparently their floor isn't made for heels according to one review. The bar splits the dining areas with bar tops w/ stools, and booths to the left and table/chair on the right. It doesn't scream family restaurant, but they do have great prices and options for the kiddos. Their draft beer selection is better then any place I've been to in the Rochester area. They had a extensive selection of cocktails as well. The menu is fairly priced, and has a lot of options for tex-mex lovers. Vegans should avoid this place, like most places, unless their just in it for cocktails. ;) I ordered their Jumbalaya with Chicken Tortilla soup, and their house salad with Chipolte Ranch. The soup was super delicious and the salad was fresh. The ranch, had just a hint of chipolte which was tough to pick up in a salad with bacon. The jumbalaya was a little soupy for my taste, but the flavors were spot on. Nice friendly service, good food, and great beer? I'll be back.
(4)
J F.
Went here on our drunken NYE night and I have to say wow! great service. We only had drinks and we stood by the bar, but we ordered probably about 10-12 drinks in a very short period of time (go big or go home) and they were so incredibly attentive and fast. I never waited more than 30 seconds to get a bartenders attention.
(4)
Jen M.
They have a great selection of local microbrews available in a flight of three 7 oz glasses for 7.50.....that's the extent of the charm. The food is garbage. The beans at Taco Bell are far superior to what came on my plate. Likewise, the enchilada sauce tasted like cold watery ketchup. The floors are a lawsuit waiting to happen. While I understand the draw of glazed concrete-cheap and attractive alternative to tile-it does NOT belong in a restaurant/bar. A hint of moisture on the floor creates an ice rink. I, like most females inclined to visit drinking establishments on the weekends, traipse around in heels I have no business wearing. A visit to the loo after a number of cocktails was a feat in and of itself. Bar staff is competent and know their beers. In sum, not worth visiting for dinner or food of any sort really. If you are going for drinks wear flip flops or sneaks.
(2)
Bess R.
Tried again. Still just okay. Had a salad this time. Lots of meat and toppings, which I liked. But the dressing had NO flavor. For chipotle ranch, I expected something.
(2)
Mary M.
Absolutely not. They tried though so thats why they get 2 stars. The drinks were disappointing. The fish tacos were borderline gross. The fries were weird. The veggie side was cold and tasteless...can I have just a little salt and pepper?? I have NO intentions of going back.
(2)
Chris M.
Had a very good mushroom burger and my wife enjoyed her pulled pork. Service was good and prices were reasonable. I will return and try some of their smoked entrees.
(4)
Randy T.
Amazing! You would never believe you are eating inside the old post office. Rich, elegant decor meets reasonably priced, yet well prepared food! The atmosphere is fantastic, the drink menu is impressive, and the food is truly inspired. The barbecue selections are fantastic, well prepared, and just the right portion size. Penny Black can be a real treat for dinner or a night out!
(5)
Lauren S.
I think this a great spot! I had been told by a friend that the food was not great, but I think that since she told me that the restaurant changed hands and is now under new management. I came for dinner on Friday night and was quite impressed. If I remember correctly, our server told us the new chef was from Fortesa and completely changed the menu. The barbecue sauce is made in-house and I thought it was really delicious. It didn't exactly pack-a-punch but I thought it had a really nice flavor. I ordered the barbecue Cobb salad with the barbecue sauce drizzle, which came with a cornmeal and jalapeno scone with cinnamon butter. Now THAT was really delicious. The spicy/sweet combination was really great! On Friday and Saturday nights they have live music, which I was not looking forward to. I'm staunchly opposed to live music during regular dinner hours (unless it's only a piano) because I find the band doesn't understand people are there to eat/have conversation and are not groupies desperately waiting for the band to start playing. Loudly. We tried to finish our dinner before the music but we were unsuccessful. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this particular band! They played lower-key music when we were there and we were able to enjoy our conversation while enjoying their music, which was actually quite good. As it happens, I went back the following night for a little bit for my friend's bachelorette party and the staff was really fun, they pulled up a stool and had the band play a song for her! It was silly and I really enjoyed it. :)
(4)
Christy F.
This review is based on the drinks. I only had a spoon full of the tortilla soup, but it was good and I want more. Not sure on the BBQ. WARNING this place will ruin margaritas for you at any other place. They set the bar high as it should be. Stop drinking that nasty sour mix....penny black does it right with fresh agave, fresh lemon, lime and orages....that is all you need! Well, besides killer tequilla. Dying to try the sangria, esp. when pitchers are half off. This is behind the main strip in downtown rochester. They also have a facebook page...bands on certain nights. This is owned by the Hills restaurant group. Amazing drink menu. i have not been at night time. I love that they serve local micro brews and a lot of them...and one of Michigan's best breweries Kuhnenman just made them their own beer.
(4)
Shannon S.
I like Penny Black, and yesterday was my third visit. I noticed as I walked up that I have never been there in the warmer months, as I see the outside bar area covered up now for the winter. I seem to always go during November. Just curious how it is in the summer months. The parking is crap, it's just hard to find a spot, and again, I seem to go in the winter, so walking long distances doesn't appeal to me, but after circling for for a few minutes I found a spot close enough. Just be prepared for the parking issue. So for last night, the food was okay, we only ordered appetizers to split, and I wasn't impressed, by the size or taste of two $10 appetizers. The veggie flat bread just seemed like some melted cheese, with a few sauteed veggies, dressed with arugula...like they just throw a bunch of arugula on it, to cover the mess underneath or to dress it up.... HEY! You can't trick me! haha.. The nachos were good, but for 10 BUCKS! My plate should be over-floweth! Then there were the Caipirinha's we ordered....and.....boo!! They did not taste like Caipirinha. I was remembering another yelper said to have a specific bar tender make them... I should have checked that out... Anyway, I am still going to give Penny Black 4 stars because I am a fan of the atmosphere, area, food, music, ambiance. I guess you can't always be perfect ;)
(4)
Riordan R.
As I read the reviews, we have many different opinions, but in average everyone agrees that the place is worth the visit. Our food was not not the best. We ordered nachos with cheese, and it just didn't look great, I would not order again. But this could be just our bad luck that day, because overall I think they do a good job. The service was great, the waitresses always paying attention to the customers, and doing a good job. The atmosphere is awsome, beautiful people, nice bar, great place for a happy hour. It can be a little noisy, but I guess I'm getting old...LOL I would definetly recommend the visit, you wont be disapointed.
(3)
Shaun P.
We decided to travel out to Rochester for a holiday cheer. The entire downtown is draped with festive lights impeccably done. The lights weren't the only thing that was perfectly done. Penny Black made the night even more enjoyable with a few pints and some carefully designed and crafted bar food that was a hit. This bar has wonderful daily specials and really great beer selections with the emphasis on tap beer (smile). Make sure you ask what the specials are for the day because I didn't notice them posted but, the wait staff will surely lend a helping hand. Make sure to try the burger with fries that are made in house and the bread brought in from a local bakery. The menu isn't your typical deep fried and frozen selections that most places call bar food. This is a truly thought out and inspired menu without taking anything away from the fatting treats we associate with the bar theme. The emphasis is on fresh and on local items. If you're looking for the bar atmosphere but want good food then you have found your new local bar.
(4)
Tracy F.
Good food and reasonable prices. It is a loud place and especially after 9 when they start the band up. The acoustics are not good for a band or dj because the sound bounces. You can't have a conversation unless you are yelling across the table. So if you want to enjoy conversation, then eat before music starts. Crowd gets younger by then also.
(4)
Caitlin F.
I went to Penny Black last Friday and was pleasantly surprised! Having grown up in Rochester, I saw that building morph into many restaurants...all of which were stunning flops. Penny Black seems to have hope for a solid future, however. P.B. is a spawn of The Hills, so the atmosphere is much the same. Clean, contemporary, and down to earth. Of course, after the Wings game, there was a lame "DJ", blasting Top 40 jams from his Mac Book. Lame. The large group of cougars hanging out were thrilled with his mixing "skills", though. One side of the restaurant is more bar oriented, the other more family-friendly. The menu a bit of an eclectic mix of barbecue, Tex-Mex and standard American fair. I ordered the pulled pork nachos, and my boyfriend ordered the pulled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. Everything was very good, I enjoyed that they had 6 different barbecue sauces to try with our meals as well. The portion for the nachos is absurd. Easily enough for 2 or 3 very hungry people! There's also an extensive drink menu, including a few different caipirinha cocktails. I ordered the classic caipirinha and was very pleased. Strong, balanced, and tasty! We were there for a birthday party, and knew we'd be hanging out for a few hours, so I ordered the "ten gallon hat" next. I expected something similar to one of the fish bowls at the Hills. I was wrong. It came in a pitcher with a giant bendy straw (ooo!), with a variety of rum mixed in. I think they lied about the rum, however...it just tasted like gross red Kool-Aid or Hi-C, with an extra cup of sugar in it. I drank about a third before realizing my throat felt like sandpaper...and I didn't even have a buzz! I finished my night off with a ton of water, but still woke up with a sugar-induced sore throat. Next time, I'll stick with another caipirinha or two!!
(4)
Robert C.
I go here frequently - once or twice a week - because I live near, and because it's so good: the food is very good, the beer selection is outstanding, the mixed drinks are near-perfect, and the service is attentive and friendly without being intrusive. Amber in particular is cordial, professional, and she even handles the very rare obnoxious customer with aplomb. Crystell (sp?) is the one to ask for a Caipirinha, as she mixes them exactly the way they're made in Brasil. And Ashley... ah, what can I say about Ashley? She is a very good server, a very good bartender, and very easy on the eyes! Overseeing this crew (and several others not mentioned) is a manager who seems to be everywhere and see everything, but again unobtrusively: he makes sure that things are working properly and smoothly. As for the food: the menu tends toward the casual, but even has a very good steak; everything I've tried at PB has been quite good. I recommend this place for the ambience as well: inside - trendy, nice decor, but you can catch a Tigers game on the TVs; outside - very laid-back, almost a Key West-type vibe, with patio seating on a very lightly-traveled Rochester side-street. Enjoy!
(4)
Robert B.
Had a late night dinner on a Sunday after seeing a play at Meadowbrook. It was our 1st visit and the place was empty. We were told that the menu had recently been changed. Everything is now prepared fresh. My wife had Salmon which she said was very good and fresh. She also enjoyed the fresh green beans which had a great smokehouse flavor. The potatoes were ok but we're a little undercooked. I had the half slab of BBQ ribs which were very tasty. They had a great smokey flavor. So did the baked beans. We finished the meal with an Apple Crisp dessert. It wasn't bad but we both agreed that less apple and more crisp would have been better. Overall a great meal and we look forward to coming back.
(4)
JB L.
I though I would give this place a try based on that it had seemed to last a short while in a location infamous for failing restaurants. Although I like to try a place more than once before dooming them I don't feel a second try by me will be anything but disappointing. I would have rated this place with a negative 3 stars if possible. I started with a Caesar salad that had to be at least 4-5 days old Romaine. Brown, wilty and over drenched in processed dressing. If it was house made, it was old too. Then my ribs- (That our server stated was what they were known for) where so well done it might as well been jerky. I had a whole slab that I couldn't even finish on account of the hardness. My son's burger- so far past medium the cook had to be on his/her second smoke break in a row while it was grilling. Pretty bad when the "cook" can't even cook medium. (A simple skill any cook should know) My wife had a Cuban sandwich- that just happened to be so completely different than the week before prepared for her. Pulled pork should be pulled. This was just chunks thrown on top the bread. My wife did say the ham wasn't as burnt as the first time she had it though... Afterwards I had asked our server if this was a consistent look of my ribs only to hear "yes, that's how they look every time"... In my opinion, just not worth the $70.00 on a Saturday lunch for two adults an eight old boy and a toddler that had his own food. Unfriendly staff, cool, cold industrial appeal. The only good I found was the Carolina and Texas sauces. Those were free. Seems to me, the Hills reputation for overpriced terribly cook food carries on into this place. Such a shame for what could be a magnificent eatery.
(1)
Matt R.
My girlfriend and I went here after literally "following our noses" to a great smell. I ordered the half roasted chicken with veggies and polenta. Everything was excellent except for my polenta, which was too salty to finish. My girlfriend, however, found the dish I will get next time. Fettucini alfredo with manchego and roasted cherry tomatoes and peas! Phenomenal dish; the sweet tomatoes and peas really cut the richness of the pasta. Yum. Nice atmosphere with a mix of booths, high-top tables, and bar seating. Definitely casual, there are TVs around the bar, and what appears to be a small kereoke stage. Patio seating too for warmer weather.
(4)
Johhny G.
They claim to be a bbq place. Far from it, more like a bar. The food was blahh. No bbq feel at this place.
(2)
Honest O.
Thanks for the great service this evening!!! My friend and i kept accidentaly spilling things and our waiter was really cool about it. We really enjoyed the heaping portions and delicious food. It was my first restaurant experience in michigan and it was great! I wish i knew our waiters name to give gim lots of praise. Nicest guy ever, if youre reading this tell your boss that this compliment goes to you, mister! Love, The two tall blonde girls from dinner this evening. (He was a white guy who said he recently went to san diego.... if that helps figure out who was serving us. He deserves twenty million gold stars!!!)
(5)
Miranda C.
Having noted that four or five restaurants in this location had previously flopped, my friend and I stopped in a bit reluctantly on July 4 when most of the other places in town were closed. What a great surprise. The beer selection was amazing. We split the chicken tex-mex salad that comes in the shell (forget the name). It was served with a tangy side sauce and included mixed spring greens (rather than the usual iceberg and romaine). It was big enough for two adults looking for a light meal. We got a look at some of the other selections being served and it's clear that the quality of food several notches above the usual "pub fare." I am a little puzzled by the complaints about the service, since our service was fine. Our waiter was attentive without hovering over us the entire meal. We were impressed enough to come back a few days later and order the same thing - even though by that time we had a choice of a number of reopened restaurant downtown.
(5)
Lisa K.
My husband and I had lunch here today and it was awesome. Wings as an appetizer...I had the BLT with Fried Green Tomatoes and my hubby had the Yardbird. Great service and delicious food. We will be back!
(5)
John H.
Good food at a good price! I've ordered the blackened catfish on several occasions and it has been delicious each time, for $14. Nice outdoor patio too, and lively bar in half of the restaurant. Friendly staff.
(4)
Wendy B.
So excited to eat here but kind of disappointed. Six of us ate and everyone's meal except mine was good. Jambalaya was really great, Sante Fe Salad got great reviews and ribs were pretty good. My Michigan Cherry Salad was bad....too much dressing and dressing was too vinegary. The Tortilla Soup I ordered came too late to eat and the restaurant - which was packed - was so hot we all wished we had tank tops and sandals.
(3)
Bryan W.
The food was as good as ever and it seems as though that they are continuing to grow the menu. I love the lunch special with Soup, Salad, and Taco! Delicious
(4)
John B.
Like the atmosphere but food is really bad. Its too bad cause it could be a really great place. 4stars for atmosphere, 2 for food.
(3)
Laurelle B.
All new menu! Seafood chowder was tasty. (could have been warmer) LOVED the fried green tomatoes appetizer. Chicken fajitas were good with plenty of extras to load on them. Nothing extraordinary but I would go there again.
(4)
tom m.
Great little bar and restaurant. Extensive beer list, had the Stella on tap, very cold. The catfish was decent, lightly battered, fried, and flavorful. Mac n cheese with bacon was awesome. We'll be back again, many more items on the menu I would like to try.
(4)
S H.
Penny Black in Rochester -- vegetarians beware!! They have a vegetarian fajita on menu, hmmm, perhaps they need a little education on the definition of "veg"etarian. The plate came with rice, which was made with a chicken base, and refried beans, which had lard in them. Sour cream came on the plate, even though we told her we are vegan. Asked for sweet potato fries three (yes 3!) times and never got them. Service was the worst and the booths are super uncomfortable.
(1)
David B.
Went here for the second time and was very unimpressed. You would think BBQ would be their specialty, but it is not. Had the Smokehouse Platter twice: pulled pork, beef brisket & 1/4 slab of ribs. First time pork and brisket we dried out and taste-less. Ribs were ok, but also very dry. Thankfully they have a selection of excellent sauces - make sure the bottles are full, because you'll need it. Second time small caesar was nothing but old, limp, dead lettuce. Platter was almost the same, except the ribs this time were just insanely overcooked - just plain terrible. Dry, taste-less - like eating char. One would think that BBQ is pretty hard to mess up, but not these guys. They do have a good selection of beer and several craft Michigan-made brews. Go there for a drink - the food is terrible. This place is owned by the group that does The Hill, and their food is mostly mediocre. Obviously their focus is on the bar (it takes up half the budiling) and the food is an afterthought. Just another place pandering to the 20-year old crowd. Too bad, because the city could use another decent place to eat.
(1)
Caitlin F.
I went to Penny Black last Friday and was pleasantly surprised! Having grown up in Rochester, I saw that building morph into many restaurants...all of which were stunning flops. Penny Black seems to have hope for a solid future, however. P.B. is a spawn of The Hills, so the atmosphere is much the same. Clean, contemporary, and down to earth. Of course, after the Wings game, there was a lame "DJ", blasting Top 40 jams from his Mac Book. Lame. The large group of cougars hanging out were thrilled with his mixing "skills", though. One side of the restaurant is more bar oriented, the other more family-friendly. The menu a bit of an eclectic mix of barbecue, Tex-Mex and standard American fair. I ordered the pulled pork nachos, and my boyfriend ordered the pulled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. Everything was very good, I enjoyed that they had 6 different barbecue sauces to try with our meals as well. The portion for the nachos is absurd. Easily enough for 2 or 3 very hungry people! There's also an extensive drink menu, including a few different caipirinha cocktails. I ordered the classic caipirinha and was very pleased. Strong, balanced, and tasty! We were there for a birthday party, and knew we'd be hanging out for a few hours, so I ordered the "ten gallon hat" next. I expected something similar to one of the fish bowls at the Hills. I was wrong. It came in a pitcher with a giant bendy straw (ooo!), with a variety of rum mixed in. I think they lied about the rum, however...it just tasted like gross red Kool-Aid or Hi-C, with an extra cup of sugar in it. I drank about a third before realizing my throat felt like sandpaper...and I didn't even have a buzz! I finished my night off with a ton of water, but still woke up with a sugar-induced sore throat. Next time, I'll stick with another caipirinha or two!!
(4)
Matt R.
My girlfriend and I went here after literally "following our noses" to a great smell. I ordered the half roasted chicken with veggies and polenta. Everything was excellent except for my polenta, which was too salty to finish. My girlfriend, however, found the dish I will get next time. Fettucini alfredo with manchego and roasted cherry tomatoes and peas! Phenomenal dish; the sweet tomatoes and peas really cut the richness of the pasta. Yum. Nice atmosphere with a mix of booths, high-top tables, and bar seating. Definitely casual, there are TVs around the bar, and what appears to be a small kereoke stage. Patio seating too for warmer weather.
(4)
Johhny G.
They claim to be a bbq place. Far from it, more like a bar. The food was blahh. No bbq feel at this place.
(2)
Shelby H.
The food was good, but not great. I had the Yard Bird sandwich and the person I was with had the pulled pork sandwich. Both of them were a little bland. They had the individual bottles of BBQ sauce that they serve with food as is the trend with places that have BBQ. The sauces they had were Sweet, Spicy, and Carolina. The sandwiches came with sweet potato fries, which were great. I highly recommend those. They have an interested menu of drinks, but there isn't much to choose from. They have a drink menu that lists about 5 martinis, about 5 mixed drinks, wines, and some beers. I usually like to try new beers, but they didn't have anything that sounded very interesting to me - most of the beer they had were on the boring side in my opinion. I ordered a peach martini and it was good.
(3)
Lenny Liliana M.
Love this place!! Texas tacos is my favorite food from their menu.
(5)
Cheryl M.
Maybe I didn't order the right things. The mac n cheese was bland. I won't order it again. The fried pickles were really good. The Caesar salad was boring. The wings were pretty decent. And the margaritas were pre-fab and really bad. We may try this again if we are walking by and happen to be hungry, but with all the really good restaurants out there, I'd rather spend my $$ somewhere else. Not a terrible place, but not worth crossing the street to get there.
(2)
Amanda C.
We came for dinner on a Sunday night. I have been here before for an appetizer and beer, so was not expecting a bad time. Thank goodness my S.O. is a good sport. Our waitress was severely lacking in her demeanor. It took forever to get her attention to place an order, get the bill, etc. We actually left without ordering dessert as we didn't know how long we would have to wait to even order. Foodwise it was extremely average. Would not recommend mac and cheese, totally forgettable and bland. S.O. had pulled pork sandwich which seemed pretty nice, flavour was good when I tried it. Overall not a consistent experience.
(2)
R U.
Not amazing; but, not just a bar food joint, either. The bacon/egg/cheese burger on pretzel roll was quite good. A reasonable selection of draft beer available. Service was attentive. Bar area can be quite noisy, especially when Michigan basketball game is on the TV! Consequently, dining area noisy, too. Worth a revisit.
(4)
Mace H.
Great Atmosphere! Great Food! Great Staff(Ryan, Sean & Mark)! Kids had a great time on the patio and ate free on Sunday! We will definatley be back!!
(5)
Kate F.
I think they've changed owners since my first review. The food is fantastic - tenderloin tips, fajitas, smoked wings (anything smoked), tater tots topped with pulled pork, cheese, jalapenos, buffalo calamari. The beer selection is also great - lots of Michigan brews on tap. We love the servers, the outdoor bar and the daily specials, too. -------------------- Barbecue in Rochester!!! We split the Smokehouse Platter and Tequila Lime Shrimp. Ribs were great - fall off the bone, smoky goodness. Brisket and pulled pork were also good. My husband loved the "collosal freshwater prawns," I thought they were okay. Southwest caesar side salad was large, and full of cotija cheese and tortilla strips. Chicken tortilla soup was creamy and delicious, and sweet potato fries were obviously hand-cut - came in various shapes and sizes. Like any good barbecue, there were five sauces served on the side. All were good, but I especially liked the hot and the Carolina sauces. Yumm! Everything was very reasonably priced, and we will definitely go back for more.
(5)
Robert C.
I go here frequently - once or twice a week - because I live near, and because it's so good: the food is very good, the beer selection is outstanding, the mixed drinks are near-perfect, and the service is attentive and friendly without being intrusive. Amber in particular is cordial, professional, and she even handles the very rare obnoxious customer with aplomb. Crystell (sp?) is the one to ask for a Caipirinha, as she mixes them exactly the way they're made in Brasil. And Ashley... ah, what can I say about Ashley? She is a very good server, a very good bartender, and very easy on the eyes! Overseeing this crew (and several others not mentioned) is a manager who seems to be everywhere and see everything, but again unobtrusively: he makes sure that things are working properly and smoothly. As for the food: the menu tends toward the casual, but even has a very good steak; everything I've tried at PB has been quite good. I recommend this place for the ambience as well: inside - trendy, nice decor, but you can catch a Tigers game on the TVs; outside - very laid-back, almost a Key West-type vibe, with patio seating on a very lightly-traveled Rochester side-street. Enjoy!
(4)
Robert B.
Had a late night dinner on a Sunday after seeing a play at Meadowbrook. It was our 1st visit and the place was empty. We were told that the menu had recently been changed. Everything is now prepared fresh. My wife had Salmon which she said was very good and fresh. She also enjoyed the fresh green beans which had a great smokehouse flavor. The potatoes were ok but we're a little undercooked. I had the half slab of BBQ ribs which were very tasty. They had a great smokey flavor. So did the baked beans. We finished the meal with an Apple Crisp dessert. It wasn't bad but we both agreed that less apple and more crisp would have been better. Overall a great meal and we look forward to coming back.
(4)
JB L.
I though I would give this place a try based on that it had seemed to last a short while in a location infamous for failing restaurants. Although I like to try a place more than once before dooming them I don't feel a second try by me will be anything but disappointing. I would have rated this place with a negative 3 stars if possible. I started with a Caesar salad that had to be at least 4-5 days old Romaine. Brown, wilty and over drenched in processed dressing. If it was house made, it was old too. Then my ribs- (That our server stated was what they were known for) where so well done it might as well been jerky. I had a whole slab that I couldn't even finish on account of the hardness. My son's burger- so far past medium the cook had to be on his/her second smoke break in a row while it was grilling. Pretty bad when the "cook" can't even cook medium. (A simple skill any cook should know) My wife had a Cuban sandwich- that just happened to be so completely different than the week before prepared for her. Pulled pork should be pulled. This was just chunks thrown on top the bread. My wife did say the ham wasn't as burnt as the first time she had it though... Afterwards I had asked our server if this was a consistent look of my ribs only to hear "yes, that's how they look every time"... In my opinion, just not worth the $70.00 on a Saturday lunch for two adults an eight old boy and a toddler that had his own food. Unfriendly staff, cool, cold industrial appeal. The only good I found was the Carolina and Texas sauces. Those were free. Seems to me, the Hills reputation for overpriced terribly cook food carries on into this place. Such a shame for what could be a magnificent eatery.
(1)
Honest O.
Thanks for the great service this evening!!! My friend and i kept accidentaly spilling things and our waiter was really cool about it. We really enjoyed the heaping portions and delicious food. It was my first restaurant experience in michigan and it was great! I wish i knew our waiters name to give gim lots of praise. Nicest guy ever, if youre reading this tell your boss that this compliment goes to you, mister! Love, The two tall blonde girls from dinner this evening. (He was a white guy who said he recently went to san diego.... if that helps figure out who was serving us. He deserves twenty million gold stars!!!)
(5)
Miranda C.
Having noted that four or five restaurants in this location had previously flopped, my friend and I stopped in a bit reluctantly on July 4 when most of the other places in town were closed. What a great surprise. The beer selection was amazing. We split the chicken tex-mex salad that comes in the shell (forget the name). It was served with a tangy side sauce and included mixed spring greens (rather than the usual iceberg and romaine). It was big enough for two adults looking for a light meal. We got a look at some of the other selections being served and it's clear that the quality of food several notches above the usual "pub fare." I am a little puzzled by the complaints about the service, since our service was fine. Our waiter was attentive without hovering over us the entire meal. We were impressed enough to come back a few days later and order the same thing - even though by that time we had a choice of a number of reopened restaurant downtown.
(5)
Lisa K.
My husband and I had lunch here today and it was awesome. Wings as an appetizer...I had the BLT with Fried Green Tomatoes and my hubby had the Yardbird. Great service and delicious food. We will be back!
(5)
John H.
Good food at a good price! I've ordered the blackened catfish on several occasions and it has been delicious each time, for $14. Nice outdoor patio too, and lively bar in half of the restaurant. Friendly staff.
(4)
Wendy B.
So excited to eat here but kind of disappointed. Six of us ate and everyone's meal except mine was good. Jambalaya was really great, Sante Fe Salad got great reviews and ribs were pretty good. My Michigan Cherry Salad was bad....too much dressing and dressing was too vinegary. The Tortilla Soup I ordered came too late to eat and the restaurant - which was packed - was so hot we all wished we had tank tops and sandals.
(3)
Bryan W.
The food was as good as ever and it seems as though that they are continuing to grow the menu. I love the lunch special with Soup, Salad, and Taco! Delicious
(4)
John B.
Like the atmosphere but food is really bad. Its too bad cause it could be a really great place. 4stars for atmosphere, 2 for food.
(3)
Laurelle B.
All new menu! Seafood chowder was tasty. (could have been warmer) LOVED the fried green tomatoes appetizer. Chicken fajitas were good with plenty of extras to load on them. Nothing extraordinary but I would go there again.
(4)
tom m.
Great little bar and restaurant. Extensive beer list, had the Stella on tap, very cold. The catfish was decent, lightly battered, fried, and flavorful. Mac n cheese with bacon was awesome. We'll be back again, many more items on the menu I would like to try.
(4)
S H.
Penny Black in Rochester -- vegetarians beware!! They have a vegetarian fajita on menu, hmmm, perhaps they need a little education on the definition of "veg"etarian. The plate came with rice, which was made with a chicken base, and refried beans, which had lard in them. Sour cream came on the plate, even though we told her we are vegan. Asked for sweet potato fries three (yes 3!) times and never got them. Service was the worst and the booths are super uncomfortable.
(1)
David B.
Went here for the second time and was very unimpressed. You would think BBQ would be their specialty, but it is not. Had the Smokehouse Platter twice: pulled pork, beef brisket & 1/4 slab of ribs. First time pork and brisket we dried out and taste-less. Ribs were ok, but also very dry. Thankfully they have a selection of excellent sauces - make sure the bottles are full, because you'll need it. Second time small caesar was nothing but old, limp, dead lettuce. Platter was almost the same, except the ribs this time were just insanely overcooked - just plain terrible. Dry, taste-less - like eating char. One would think that BBQ is pretty hard to mess up, but not these guys. They do have a good selection of beer and several craft Michigan-made brews. Go there for a drink - the food is terrible. This place is owned by the group that does The Hill, and their food is mostly mediocre. Obviously their focus is on the bar (it takes up half the budiling) and the food is an afterthought. Just another place pandering to the 20-year old crowd. Too bad, because the city could use another decent place to eat.
(1)
Nick C.
Great service, friendly staff. the only draw back was the poutine. It was melted chedder cheese instead of cheese curds. Good beer selection The tater tot appetizer was great, so was the mac & Cheese and the lamb sliders. We'll for sure be back.
(4)
Heather D.
Stopped by today after smelling the delicious BBQ smell on our way to brunch. We were quick to get seated and water and menus were brought immediately. I was in the mood for a hard cider, the server showed me what was available and even brought me a sample. I didn't care for it and settled on an Oberon. I appreciated the opportunity to taste, and her knowledge of local cider. My husband chose the deep fried pickles and smoked chicken wings with hot buffalo sauce (1/2 off on Sunday). The pickles were sliced in a French fry fashion and tempura battered and fried, served with a house made remoulade (all sauces and dressings are house made). They were perfectly prepared, presentation was on point. The flavor of the wings were perfectly smoked and very juicy, just the right amount of sauce. I chose the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork. The pasta was perfect al dente tossed with gruyere and sharp cheddar with a parmesan and bread crumb topping. Tossed with pieces of smoky pulled pork. The smoky flavor of the meat, compliments the nutty essence of the gruyere. Served in a small cast iron skillet. Quality, flavor and service were on point. Could use a little broader selection of Craft Beer and Cider options.
(4)
Rob B.
They have amazing food here! I usually get the Texas Tacos with bbq pulled pork. The meat melts in your mouth goodness. I have also had the limited goulash and it's very good too! So much so, that they need to keep it on the menu. They have the tap takeovers monthly. These are good if you want to sample 5 different beers and the goulash and speciality items from the grill. The layout of the room is a bit confusing. To the left is high tables with a small bar seating area and to the right is booths of sitting and dining. They also have a mini bar outside with small tables. This is a popular place to hang out. They have a wide selections of beer, wine and liquor based drinks. Check it out!
(4)
Mike N.
Disappointed. Started with a calamari appetizer which was good, but the portion was fairly small for the cost. I ordered the bbq platter thinking this place used to have pretty good bbq, and my friend had the salmon dinner. The bbq meal was ok, certainly nothing to write home about, but I was advised the salmon left a lot to be desired. Waitress was nice and attentive. I would come back here for a couple beers on the patio, but will be skipping dinner.
(2)
Victoria M.
My husband and I came to Penny Black on a Friday after work. We got there early enough where happy hour was still going on. Therefore, we both got beers. Very good beer selection. I got a strawberry type beer that didn't disappoint. Our waiter was great, very attentive, but not overly pushy. He made suggestions and was constantly checking on us in regards to drinks and if we needed anything else. The decor is modern, but a bit cold. Lots of dark colors and sleek lines, didn't feel much like a pub. Seating was either dining room, bar, or outside. We picked dining room and they had pretty nice large booths. The booths would be good for larger parties, probably fit at least 3 people comfortably on each side. We ordered the Dip Trio with Hot beer queso, fresh guacamole, house salsa, tortilla chips. All the dips were very good. Our waiter even hooked us up with more chips to finish off our dippers. I got the special - Lamb Sliders served with tzatziki sauce, onions and tomatoes. I also ordered fries as well. Fries were seasoned and yummy. The sliders were good, The lamb patty itself was pretty thick, a bit dry, but hey...it is lamb. Overall, this is a nice spot in downtown Rochester to come to get a drink. The entrees and food are a bit pricey. Our bill I believe came to about $50 or more. Still a place to check out and try, good food and swanky atmosphere.
(3)
Lisa W.
I like Penny Black , but not quite love it. Menu has some high points, burgers, ribs, some salads. Some not so high points... Not a fan of a lot of the apps. Very good beer selection and decent mixed drinks. Their strong point is the wait staff, good bunch. Parking.With the new Rochester parking decks, that issue has been eliminated. The restaurant itself has a bit of a cold feel with the stained concrete floors and steel tables. Not homey enough for a pub feel, not edgy enough for a urban feel. Before you form a optintion from theses reviews, give it a try. Good for bite before a movie or a concert or meeting up with a group of friends.
(3)
Liz P.
I came here on Sunday night before a concert at DTE. We showed up a little early, around 4:30pm, and it was pretty empty. Decided to sit inside rather than out because it was crazy hot out (like 85). Service was slow but okay. The food was very good - neither my friend nor I were that hungry, so we decided to split a sandwich and fries plus a side salad. They had a red wine vinaigrette that sounded good, but were out of it, so the waiter brought me a raspberry vinaigrette instead (usually my dressing of choice). The sandwich was this gouda / applewood bacon / apples / heirloom tomatoes concoction and was good, EXCEPT I'm not a huge bacon fan and it lended a crunchy taste to the sandwich which I didn't really like. Once I took the bacon out of the sandwich, it was much better, IMO. The sandwich was also HUGE and fine for splitting. The standout was actually the sweet potato fries, which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious (sounds weird, but you know what I mean - they were very soft). I'd come back here again, it looks like they do happy hour specials as well.
(4)
Teresa E.
Great little outdoor seating area (a lot of bees though). Service was a little slow. They needed another waitress in our section. Food was decent. Nothing to write home about. We had the salmon and pulled pork platter. Both were okay. Not great by any means. I think I'd enjoy this place as a bar more than a restaurant. Good vibe, bad meal execution.
(3)
Sasha O.
I'd like to do two reviews if I could. I came to Penny Black for dinner on a Friday night, the wait was reasonable, the hostesses were very pleasant and the bartender outside (while we waited) was pretty good. My only complaint is my pricey martini was weak at best, now it was admittedly a fru fru girly martini, but I've had better. We sat outside for dinner which was really nice, food was terrific and our waiter was AMAZING. Now here is where it gets interesting... We went to a movie & decided to go back to Penny Black because of the great experience. We went to the outdoor bar and the same bartender was there (who was pretty cool albeit a bit cocky)... There were a couple empty seats so I sat down but my date stood behind me to leave a seat open. The bartender had two shots w/ other guests before coming over & was clearly drunk. We ordered our drinks and the bartender said "you need to move, these seats are taken". I looked around & replied "it doesn't look like it"; he replied "they're out having a smoke"; my reply "ok I'll move when they get back"; his reply "no you'll move right now or I'll move you"; me "did you just threaten me?"; him "no I'm telling you the seats are taken & you are f***ing moving now". Needless to say we left at that point. He had another shot as we were leaving & was laughing with the people (friends obviously) at the bar. I've never been treated so disrespectfully at a restaurant or bar in my life. I was a waitress & bartender for years and am completely disgusted with this behavior. Obviously he shouldn't be drinking on the job, but he's also stealing and you have to wonder how many of those shots his friends are doing he's giving away (also stealing). I'm sad to give only 2 stars because our waiter at dinner was absolutely perfect in every way, the atmosphere is really nice & the food is good. It's a shame an outright jerk & thief is going to drive business away from what could be a great place.
(2)
Kyle Martin D.
You know what creeps me out? People like my sisters. I'm talking overly friendly white people with big toothy smiles who are desperately trying to be trendy despite the fact they have a whole bunch of children, drive gas-guzzling SUVs, and live in tacky McMansions. This is Rochester. The bane of my existence. Penny Black is one of the few bright spots in this god-forsaken town. It's not cutting edge, but it is quality bar food, and a nice escape from all those soccer moms in yoga pants who do a pretty good job at harboring the fact that they might be republican. I ordered a grilled buffalo chicken sandwich. I didn't just like it. I loved it. It also came with a small side of fruit salad that wasn't too filling. Holy shit, (Kyle re-reads the last sentences, realizes Kyle's now writing in third person), I think I'm turning into one of those people. Somebody take me to the Stone House or Bronx Bar before I find myself coated in Lululemon and having in-depth conversations about gardening, standardized test scores and holistic teas.
(4)
Pamela H.
I visited with three friends. We started with the pretzels and the cheese dip was so hard we couldn't even dip the pretzel into it. The waiter brought us a new one that solved the problem, but we were turned off by how long the original appeared to have been sitting out. Two of us ordered the bean burger. It was very dry and difficult to eat. We loaded it with condiments to try and add moisture, but still very dry. My friend didn't eat her burger and the waiter took half the price. Another friend got the salmon and said it was great. I won't be going back.
(2)
Donald L.
What made this place last night five stars; our server Amanda. Thank you for being attentive, smiling and quick to react. Last night upon entering, we found no hostess, possibly busy, and waited for about a minute till another server filled in for her. We wanted a table of six for outside but if ok we would sit indoors until one opened up ((apprx 30 min). Once seated Amanda got my wife and I drinks and a table soon opened up outside. During this short 15 minute wait Amanda was at our table several times. While moving from the inside to the outside, I made sure Amanda was our server, she was. There was a slight wrong wine served which she caught on her own and made everything right. Everything we ordered from the fried Brussels sprouts, tater tots, poutine to our main courses was excellent. At one point Amanda had told us about her wish that night was to go see the fireworks with her kids. She never rushed us or inconvenienced us at all. I hope she made it to show. She did a really awesome job, thanks.
(5)
Steve B.
We've been to Penny Black numerous times in the past. This has to have been one of our most disappointing meals there. Our waiter was attentive, but lacked knowledge and charisma some other staff exude. Having been there recently for burgers, sandwiches, and specials, we decided to order an old favorite, the meat platter. We were disappointed to find that they no longer offered brisket. Our waiter said he didn't know anything about that. We went with the meat platter anyway and added an extra serving short ribs. My wife had lamb slider special. Our meal came quite quickly. The short rib was covered in gelatinous brown gravy like substance, which was not appealing in any way. The meat was soft and tender and had a good flavor on its own. That's the way I like my short rib. Not soaked in sauce or gravy. The pulled pork was delicious. The fries were crisp and hot. Our drinks were constantly refilled. When I finished off the coleslaw, my daughter gave me an evil eye. So I asked the waiter if we could get a little more. He brought out an additional cup to her delight. We polished off dinner and asked for a to go box and our bill. I was surprised to find a small scoop of institutional coleslaw runs an additional $2.00. We walked out and realized we left our to go container on our table. My wife turned around and walked in 2 minutes after having left. The table was already clear. She asked our waiter and the busboy who both said they had not seen anything and that they thought we'd taken it with us. Yes of course we took it with us then turned around and came back in to look for it. There goes $8.00 worth of shortrib. Nothing they can do they said. I realize that my complaints individually are trivial but combined did not make for the experience we have come to expect from dining at Penny Black.
(2)
Tyler D.
The bacon, black and bleu hamburger was fantastic! Probably the best burger that I've eaten all year. The sweet potato fries were also exceptional and well worth the up charge. My problem was with the Reuben sandwich....It contained very little meat, was dry as a bone, and the bread was charred. It left a burnt aftertaste after every bite. We were having fun with friends so we dealt with it in order to avoid all that comes with rejecting a meal. Shame on the cook for sending that out and on the waitress for not noticing.
(3)
Manuela M.
I walked in and no diggity by blackstreet was playing. Try the chicken nachos and the black Apple moonshine! This is probably the best spot in downtown Rochester right now.
(5)
Jo N.
A generous 3 stars. I hope the owner is reading this. ..POOR SERVICE (beyond slow) untrained staff will kill your business. I had to repeat my order when she came back to the table. She was unfamiliar with beer and food. Brought Labatts but we ordered Stella. We ordered to share and she didn't bring extra plates. Had fish tacos. ..dry? Taster tots...dry? She didn't ever come back so we got our own napkins, asked the bartender for plates, asked a waiter for bbq sauce which he brought plus the remoulade for the grilled fish tacos. 30 minutes later she comes up and says, want your bill? Oh how about dessert? She drops the bill off and we are over charged for pitcher of beer. It takes 15 minutes to be corrected because and I quote,"the manager is on a conference call". REALLY? At 9:31pm on a Sunday. If the manager was doing their job the new staff would have a clue. What a SHAME.
(3)
Lynda B.
My husband and I went there on a Saturday night. It was busy, but not overly crowded and we were seated right away, at a table near the bar. It was not too noisy and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. The wait staff was great. We asked for some recommendations which were willingly provided. We ordered appetizers of egg rolls along with chips and a trio of dips. The egg rolls were crispy and had a bit of a kick to them but were very good. The chips came with three different dips. A warm queso, a salsa, and a guacamole. The portions were very generous and all were excellent. I am not a guacamole fan, but this was very flavorful and had a great texture. The queso was served warm and had a great cheesy taste. My husband had a beer of some type and was happy with it. I tried what was their version of a Long Island Iced tea. It was very good and not light on the liquor, it was also very large. For dinner my husband had a trio of sliders. They came with fries, which he said were crispy and quite good. I had the pulled pork burrito. It had a great smoky flavor and was quite large. I enjoyed it for lunch another day as well. For dessert, we again checked with the wait staff and Kristine, our excellent waitress, recommended the brownie and ice cream. We would come back just for dessert. There was plenty to share and the brownie was soft, yet chewy and we loved it. We will definitely come back again. Food was large in portion, reasonably priced and tasted very good. The atmosphere was lively, yet not too loud. Finally, the wait staff was on top of things and very knowledgeable about the menu, the food and the back story of the restaurant.
(4)
Taylie C.
Great food, great atmosphere, great staff, amazing prices. It always takes me 20+ minutes to figure out what I want to order at Penny Black, because I want to try everything on their menu. I've even gone twice in one week! You wouldn't think a $9 sandwich could be life changing, but their Reuben is. It's hard for me to shut up about Penny Black...I love this place!
(5)
Regina S.
A nice little addition to Rochester I would say! Came here with the BF on Friday for lunch. Not very busy, surprisingly, with it being black Friday and all, but definitely started to pick up by the time we left. Decent menu, although a little all over the place. I would say they're going for upscale bar food, but the atmosphere is like half bar/half restaurant. Do they have different menus? I don't know, so I'll assume no. We decided to go the burger route. I got the mac and cheese burger with homemade chips, and BF got the BBQ burger. We both asked for medium; we both got well done. SIDE NOTE: This is seriously like the 10th time in a row I have asked for a medium cooked burger, and I get well done every time. Have cooks forgotten how to make a burger, other than well cooked?? This is very frustrating to me. The mac and cheese burger, aside from being over cooked, just didn't have much of any flavor at all to me. The ketchup drowned out the mac and cheese flavor completely. I thought it was OK but not something I would order again, especially considering how much I love mac and cheese. BF thought his burger was fine, liked the onion strings. The chips were really, really good!!! Whoever is making those has it down pat!! They should offer those at the tables/bar as a snack.. Good stuff! So, I would for sure go back again. The staff was nice enough, and the place is clean and big. You don't feel crowded at all. The burgers were $8.99 with the chips, I believe our tab with 2 beers was around $30 /Rochester!!!
(3)
Eric D.
Have been here often with co-workers, my wife and sometimes with our kids too. Hands down, they have the best patio in Rochester. Fairly-priced and tasty food as well including daily specials. Cajun beef tips and Texas Tots are crowd-pleasing appetizers. Buffalo Chicken Wrap and the Yard Bird are my favorite sandwiches. Good bbq and an actively rotating selection of craft beers. Kids eat free on Sundays as well.
(5)
Steph S.
Strange. My friend had posted not to long ago about how poorly managed this bar is. The managers do not train properly or treat their employees with respect. (the post has been deleted.) Not to mention, I have seen -SEVERAL TIMES- the servers TAKING SHOTS! No "good" bar in their right minds would allow this. I'm not pleased to have a half buzzed waiter smelling like liquor. Management- clearly pathetic to state it simply. Waiters- dress like they're waking up for a 6am class on a Monday. Some look dirty and some are trashy. Over al very unprofessional Food- I found a hair in mine but didn't complain. A bit dry. Service over all: poor I also witnessed the woman who had to bus her own table and got disrespected by the manager. This place needs to be closed down! Just because you have fancy beer doesn't make your bar/restaurant good.
(1)
James M.
Since my last review I have tried Penny Black and few times and had good experiences. They have a good beer selection and I'm a fan of their burgers and the fact that they carry tater tots.
(3)
Jody K.
A group of 6 women met here for dinner on a Friday night at 6:00. We had a nice table outside, and that was very nice. Two of us arrived a little later than the rest of our party, and the waitress was very prompt in getting our drink order & bringing our drinks. She also waited the right amount of time before getting our orders. We all ordered different things, but with only one exception, they were all sandwiches. It seemed to take an awfully long time to get our food; I think it was close to half an hour after we ordered. Since we were there to visit, we didn't really comment about that, but it seemed to me to be much longer than necessary. I ordered the trio of sliders: one each of pulled pork, turkey and chicken, served with fries and coleslaw. Well, if I hadn't looked at each sandwich while I was eating it, I wouldn't have been able to tell one from the other; the were very bland & tasted the same. Likewise, the coleslaw had no discernable flavor; it basically tasted like wet cabbage. No sweetness, no vinegar flavor. The fries were also pretty tasteless, although they were very nicely cooked a golden brown. Two of the women in our group shared a burger and the macaroni & cheese, and they were raving about it. Perhaps I should've ordered one of those instead. Another woman in our group ordered the walleye, which came with asparagus & another side that I didn't see. She said the fish was good, but that the asparagus was too hard and cold for her liking. One of the women in our group ordered the fruit crisp for dessert. She was told that it was a berry crisp. However, when it came, it was tiny chunks of what appeared to be peaches, possibly apples and raisins. Whatever it was, it was definitely not raisins. Another ordered the brownie. It came with 2 generous brownie pieces & a large scoop of French vanilla ice cream, which she said was delicious. The menu is varied, and there are lots of options. It's not too expensive, but it's also nothing special. I would not go out of my way to go back there.
(2)
Connor A.
Great atmosphere, restaurant is stylish but still has bar feel. One side is more formal and one side is more casual bar section. Staff was very attentive and helpful, they didn't make us feel rushed and were very polite. Food came out fast. Good selection of beers. Killer sweet potato fries. Only down side is the price, I paid $11 for a burger and fries. Beers were pricey as well.
(4)
Liz N.
Always satisfied here. Open everyday till 2am. It's our go-to place. Their burgers are great! Egg burger mmmmmmm. Half off wine bottle every Thursday. That's our thing. Absolutely love Penny Black. And also, it seems it's never short staffed. The servers are great. I only had one bad waitress. I think she was new I never saw here before. She was so odd, slow and I'm 90% sure she was high. 4 people at our table we all agreed she had to be high. Other than her, I LOVE Penny Black. You can't go wrong here.
(5)
Miranda R.
I have absolutely no complaints about this place. My boyfriend and I went here at about 10pm on a Friday night. They have an awesome outdoor bar with tvs and a nice looking bar out there. When we went that part of the restaurant was packed so we headed inside and took a seat at a high top. The inside of the place was about almost halfway full, kind of surprising for a Friday night but whatever. I was worried about not getting service at a high top as I've experienced many bars give better service to people actually sitting at the bar during bar time hours, but we had the nicest server. I don't know his name but he had a goutee, longish hair and was wearing a ski cap or some type of cap I'm pretty sure. We had a couple beers, the buffalo calamari, and the pork/corned beef/chicken sliders. All of the food was AMAZING. The buffalo calamari was an awesome twist on how calamari is normally served. As the night went on the place got fuller and emptier fuller and emptier, but our server always made sure to check on us promptly, get our drinks, and provide us with anything we asked for. I had a great time here and definitely will return.
(5)
Daniel L.
Unique atmosphere in the old post office. The microbrewery beers are here. For some reason my generous portion of ahi tuna salad was better the next day. They need to figure a way to make it that good the first day. Gluten free selections available.
(4)
Tate V.
They have the best beer menu! The food is very tasty too. We did a beer tasting with food pairing and everything paired up well! The staff has always been super nice to us and the vibe changes from sophisticated to dinner crowd to outside patio bar to Rochester nightlife...it's a must visit for locals and out-of-Towners alike.
(5)
Victoria K.
Sausage pizza, salmon dip and caprese salad all good choices for late night snack. Open late, good fast service with DJ and outside seating. Will be back!
(5)
Patsy R.
We were here in the summer, sat outside and ordered six different apps. Everything was delish. We especially liked the in house smoked wings and the tomato basil soup. The brisket was fall apart tender. My Margarita was made with fresh lime juice soooo good. The patio was ablaze with twinkling lights adding to the festive atmosphere of the warm summer night. Can't wait to go there again.
(5)
Tom M.
Have gone to Penny Black twice now for quick takeout, both experiences great. On my most recent visit, I was informed by the bartender that the item I ordered may not have been to 100% quality so they not only gave me my choice of replacement meal regardless of cost, they still made and gave me the original order, just without the gluten free bun. Didn't have to ask for this; they just did it because it was the right thing to do. My wife is gluten free and their menu is great and highly recommended for anyone with celiac disease.
(5)
Steve S.
Great Atmosphere. Decent food. Haven't been here I awhile. Great atmosphere. Great drink options. That said - something s changed. Management and bartenders didn't seem as connected. Less interaction, more transaction.
(3)
Alexandria L.
I wish I could give zero stars, but it won't let me. Management is horrible! Horrible service, waited 30 min and watched others who got here way after us get seated right away. All you have to do is flirt with the manager and you'll get a table right away. Absolutely ridiculous, especially on such a busy night! Will never come here again! Not even worth the waiting anymore! Also, they keep the pitcher to refill the water and coke under the shelf where the cleaning products are right next to it and refill your drinks with those pitchers. Um health violation much! Ridiculous!
(1)
Christine S.
After going the last few times I've determined the place to be obnoxious at best. I'm only referring to the Tuesday night karaoke extravagana here. The same characters are there everytime and they think they run the show. It makes it uncomfortable for outsiders to come in and even attempt to sing. The ridiculousness of the dancing by the stage to the point where I was almost punched in the face just trying to walk through to get to a table. We left after one drink. Sorry Penny Black we won't be back.
(2)
Anthony K.
Penny black is pretty good definitely a great atmosphere. The regulars swear by this place and I can honestly see why they would. There's a dining area and a bar section with some tables as well. I haven't really eaten here maybe a salad or two, but I would definitely come back and give it an honest try. The location is awesome surrounded by beautiful downtown Rochester and some nice parks nearby. Definitely check this place out for a drink and dinner, you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Steven L.
Service was good but the ribs didn't have much flavor, kind of dry. Baked beans were good though.
(2)
Anna K.
Wish I could give this place zero stars. Came here with a few friends over the holidays while in town and was extremely offended by how rude we were treated. Not only is the staff rude, but the management is disgraceful and an embarrassment to other establishments in this area. Started with a few drinks, which were decent. Waited about an hour to get a table in the bar area. We asked the hostess and were told that bar tables were first come first serve. Many tables were taken by some pretty large groups so we waited until one opened for four. Finally we found one, but when we went to grab it, a waiter (who looked liked a bus boy) came up and said he was holding it for someone. We questioned this since the hostess told us otherwise. How could a table be reserved for someone when they were first come first serve? The waiter did not like us questioning him and threw up his hands in the air and rudely told us "fine, whatever" and left us. Seconds later we saw the same waiter tell the waitress for our table "don't clean up that sh*t" referring to the dirty dishes on our table from the previous customers. The waitress acknowledged his comments and went about her "busy" way to help other customers, completely ignoring our table and dirty pile of dishes. So I decided to take it upon myself and move the dishes to the floor, seeing as though no one was going to bus our table. In this process, I accidentally broke a cup and got a nasty look and condescending response from our so-called waitress. She asked why we were moving the dishes off the table. I responded and told her that I heard the other waiter's comments and saw her acknowledgement so I figured she wasn't going to do anything, seeing as though she already ignored us the first time around. She made it into this large ordeal, calling her manager over to see this broken cup and sweep up the mess. No comments were made other than that we shouldn't have bussed our own table. Minutes later the manager came by, for a seemingly innocent inquisition of how the service was. We said okay and he lingered around for a little longer than necessary, he asked whether we had an issue there. Instead of being mature and straight out asking about the incidents or taking responsibility for his waitstaffs behavior, he beat around the bush and tried to be passive aggressive towards us. We explained the situation, although the manager was too bull headed to even listen to what we had to say. He corrected us on numerous occasions, accused us of fighting with the waiter, and laughed in our faces. It was pretty embarrassing to see a manager, who should act professional and handle a situation properly, to carry himself with such a lack of respect for his customers. After questioning why he was there to begin with and whether we were okay to sit there, the manager walked away with no excuse for his immature, downright disrespectful, behavior or the treatment we received from his staff. We proceeded to sit there and found ourselves receiving no service whatsoever for the rest of the evening. Not that we had any intentions of spending our money at an establishment as rude, unprofessional, and disrespectful as this. I felt like the management thought intimidation would be a good business practice. The owners need to highly consider who the are having run this business. I was absolutely appalled by the lack of customer service, accusational confrontation, and intimidating approach that the staff displayed us during our visit. Businesses like this do not deserve to be in business and need to think twice about the customers they are serving.
(1)
Jordan S.
Came here on a Friday after a long week. I've been here before but wanted to leave a review. I ordered the pineapple cilantro risotto with chicken from their special menu. I must say it's fabulous! Chicken, moist, well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The pineapple is fresh cut and provides the dish with a wonderful, sweet and balances great with the savory. The culinary team is great. We sat at the bar because they had a wait for tabled and we were able to score some seats as people were leaving. The bartenders were attentive, extremely friendly and upbeat. The beer list is great and the craft cocktails are good too. The atmosphere was inviting, with a friendly, enthusiastic crowd. Wish I had saved some room for dessert because those looked great too. If your looking for something in Rochester to go above and beyond, go to Penny Black, you won't be disappointed.
(5)
Shoshanah A.
Beer selection is decent, switched up (monthly I think) which is nice. Food is ok, not consistent - sometimes I like it, sometimes not so much. Overall pretty friendly.
(4)
Cindy L.
Went to Penny Black with a couple of friends. The food was ok but not memorable. Standard American fare. Why I would not go back? The atmosphere. The acoustics were so bad I could not hear anything our friends said and don't want to shout to others in order to be heard when having dinner.
(3)
Danielle L.
I do like this bar but we had a horrible bar tender. We went on a busy night and I asked for a shot. The bartender responded that he would not pick out "your f**ing shot". Absurdly unacceptable and rude. If I could give a 0 star I would.
(1)
Jake R.
The bar seen is upbeat and exciting at about midnight, and a Dj is bringing as much noise as possible. They also offer great drink specials throughout the week. However... I've tried to eat here 3 different times, and every time has been a disappointment. The burger was over cooked, fries were soggy, and the pulled chicken was about as dry as can be. I will say the tots were somewhat acceptable, but I wouldn't plan your dinner plans here.
(2)
Kaity J.
Horrible food. I came here with a group of 14 to eat before a bachelorette party. The only thing that saved my experience was our waitress, who was fantastic! (She's the only reason I'm giving two stars.) I got the baja fish tacos - one grilled and one battered. They were the saddest fish tacos I have ever seen. The piece of fish in each taco was no bigger than a fun size candy bar. The slaw was mayonnaise soaked and about three times the amount of fish in the taco. The "pico" on it was around 3-4 tiny pieces of tomato and onion - nothing more. The Spanish rice was awful. I get AMPED on fish tacos, so this was very, very disappointing to say the least. Will not be back again.
(2)
Pat M.
If you want cold beer, this is a good place. If you want good food, have a few beers and maybe the quality of the food will rise to the occasion. This is a bar, not a restaurant. I made the mistake off taking my wife out to dinner here, that was a bad decision. The food was below average, the service was below average, the beer was cold. We ended up only ordering burgers. They were unimaginative, served cold and expensive. No one ever asked us if we wanted ketchup for our fries. I eventually went to the bartender and asked for ketchup. Our waitress, as usual, was never in sight. Cold beer, below average food. I will not be back. Four beers, three sandwiches, tab was $66. A bit pricey.
(1)
Nathan K.
Pretty cool atmosphere. Wait staff didn't seem to be trained very well. They were slow and a bit dry, but nice people. Great menu, wish it was a little cheaper. Got $17 sweet chili salmon, it was really good. $10 fish tacos were good too, but only came with 2 tacos.
(3)
Pat F.
I ate here more than and year ago and it was very average. My wife and decided to try it again a couple weeks ago and it was outstanding. We have been there three more times since. Every single thing we have eaten has been really good. We have had the perch sliders. If you like fish sandwiches this is one of the best I've ever had. Tortilla soup, and corn chowder which are both excellent. The fried green tomatoes which I will get every time I go, and the Cuban sandwich. This has become my favorite place to eat in Rochester.
(5)
Clare R.
My opinion is so so. Beer crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves but while the menu is creative the quality of the dishes leaves something to be desired.
(2)
Alicia K.
Outdoor seating was nice and spacious and clean. Service was very slow and food was mediocre. We ordered tortilla soup, potato leek soup, Michigan cherry salad, and Texas tacos. The potato leek soup was bland and tasted like baby food. The tortilla soup was ok, a little too pasty. Texas tacos and rice tasted microwaved. Cherry salad was meh because there weren't enough toppings for $10 salad and the dressing was gross. The best thing there is the beer and my sons fish and chips (fish was light and fluffy and awesome), and my sons little house salad was good too. I wouldn't go again.
(2)
Liz R.
Outdoor seating area is wonderful, although the indoor seating area is too loud for my taste. Food has been consistently good. It's our go-to spot for dinner in the summer in Rochester. We don't bother having dessert there, though. But there are plenty of other places in downtown Rochester for that. :-)
(4)
Brad S.
OK, I've been there several times and it's been "ok" every time. - The service is not bad, not great, and kind of slow. Which makes it "ok". - The food, I've never been impressed but it hasn't been really bad either. The last time I was there my son had a hamburger, when I asked him how it was he said "ok". - the atmosphere is kind of dark inside. I think the best thing about the place is eating outside on a nice summer night. I'm always drawn to a place with a patio on a nice evening. If Penny Black didn't have a patio I doubt I would go there.
(3)
Christine K.
I have to say that I am VERY IMPRESSED!!!! My brother-in-law and I planned a surprise 30th birthday party for my sister which took place this past Saturday night and WOW did Penny Black hit it out of the park! I am so very impressed and thankful to their management and wait staff for a job so very well done. A few highlights: - We dropped off decorations / cake midday and they set up EVERYTHING for us before our arrival. You can tell they took pride in what they were doing. - They took such great care of us, our waiter was amazing. I don't think anyone had to wait more than 1 minute for another drink. - They had no issues collecting multiple credit cards to ensure a smooth bill situation - They set up the cake, plates, forks, napkins for us part way through the party. - They cleared everyone's plates, etc although they were not making any $ off of the cake (which they wrapped up for us to take home). I cannot say thank you enough! It would have been so easy for PB to stick us in the corner and let us figure it out. They really went the extra mile to make sure the party was extra special for my sister and our guests. Chicago needs more bars/restaurants like this. Five stars for sure :) :)
(5)
Ben L.
I wish I could give this bar zero stars because that is the kind of service that they demonstrated. The sad part is that I want to go back to this place because they have a decent beer selection but the service is absolutely horrible. We were at Penny Black on a Saturday night and there were two bartenders for a packed bar. When I went to get one last drink (and a soda for my DD), I sat at the bar from 11:04 to 11:32. For 28 mins I watched the bartenders go from the edges of the bar toward the center but returning to the edges at seemingly random times. Unfortunately, I was at the middle. My wife (and DD) was able to come to the bar and get her drink within a few minutes. Serving women first at a bar is a standard policy but the manager at this particular location either has no idea how to staff or train his/her bartenders. Do not go to this bar of you value your time.
(1)
Matt V.
I have worked in downtown Rochester for a few years now, and Penny is definitely my bar of choice in Michigan. I have made very good friends with all the staff, and i have come to feel like it is my home. The beer selection is ever changing and nothing short of fantastic. The food items are a refreshing change to the typical bar foods you will normally see with things like Fried Green Tomatos and Sweet Sriracha wings. If you want to go to a bar with some great beer and food, come here! Matt, the manager is a great guy and takes care of the place and its customers and does a great job, and the bartenders are knowledgeable, fun, and great people. I cant forget to mention they offer a Service Industry Night on sunday and monday which is a half off everything offer! You cant beat that.
(5)
Katie J.
I have become such a huge fan of Penny Black. There is a rarely a week when I'm not here, usually more than once. I love their patio. It's one of the nicest in the area. I love their food. I've literally never ordered something I didn't like. My favorite is the Yard Bird Chicken Sandwich. I always add a ton of their spicy bbq (they have a few sitting out at all times and I suspect it's home made). They have an excellent selection of draft beers, which changes often but they do a great job of keeping their beer lists up to date. All in all it's just a great place to go. Especially when the weather is nice. My only minor issue is that it's a little pricey but that's standard for the area.
(4)
Rachel E.
OH NO. No, no, no, no, no. Once my favorite restaurant in Rochester, now a place that I probably wouldn't return to. It's under new management AGAIN (is this the fifth time?), and this time it's worse than ever. We ate there last night and they've taken both of my favorite items off of the menu - the delicious Black Bean Burger with the marinated goat cheese and the Fajita Salad. BIG mistake! Although I was very disappointed, my husband and I opted for the Texas Tacos -- he ordered the brisket & I ordered the chicken variety. The plates were brought out and what was the delicious garnish my husband had on the flavorless, bland side of rice? A 5" curly black hair. I mean it was sitting RIGHT on top. Anyone with eyes could have seen that thing, it was totally disgusting. It was so bad the manager had to come and reassure us that everyone back in the kitchen wears hair nets. That is NOT a phrase you ever want to hear as a customer dining in a restaurant. They did comp his dinner, but the damage had already been done. Once you see something like that, it haunts you for the rest of the meal. They've also redone the inside decor and now it looks more like a dank night-club, which unfortunately seems to be the direction they want to head toward. RIP, Penny Black.
(1)
La Donna J.
The Curious Traveler Grapefruit Shady was delicious with their Chipotle Black Bean Burger and sweet potato fries. :)
(4)
Donovan B.
This place is *clap hands* Dyno-MITE. Came here with the girlfriend for a late night dinner. We ordered the tortilla soup and mac n cheese for apps. Both were very good. The mac and cheese to me is worthy enough to say its better then vinsettas or tied...not sure yet. (vinsetta still has amazing mac). Our server was on top of everything we needed. Later I had the chicken Caesar salad and she had the club with avocado. Once again. Everything was good. Good vibes in there too. Nice atmosphere.
(5)
Marc F.
Fast service surprisingly good food. It looked like it would be plain old bar food, but everything we had was a step up. Service was good, and so was the food.
(4)
Amy H.
I'm really teetering between 2 and 3 stars here. The service was iffy, it seemed like only high school students were employed here. Our waiter was having a hard time giving us suggestions from the menu. We decided to go ahead and just order a bunch of a la carte items. We got some tater top appetizer that was loaded with cheese and jalapenos and baked. It was okay. It's the kind of dish that would have been INCREDIBLE if I were a 15 year old teenager baked out of my mind. We also ordered some sliders, and they were average. Nothing mind blowing. I feel like the menu is all over the place. 3 stars for the beer selection!
(3)
Adrienne D.
Chips and dip was good Martinis were great Manager was nice and told us that Waitress was friendly Most food is made from scratch Clean place with nice vibe
(4)
Kelly O.
If I could score this restaurant based on service alone I would give it ZERO STARS. Sunday night we went to dinner with another couple. The four of us had a couple of drinks and appetizers. The waitress, Amber, was rude, unfriendly, rushing us, and apparently a criminal. Yes, criminal. But I'll get to that in a minute. After telling Amber politely that we were in no hurry and wanted to enjoy our evening out, we had to flag her down when we wanted something. I guess she expected us to order everything we wanted immediately, or sit and wait forever while she catered to the table next to us. For my entree I ordered the sirloin medium rare. It arrived medium well. For an $18 sirloin, I asked if I could have a different steak. Before I was finished with my sentence, she was snatching my plate out of my hand. "You can just take the steak if you'd bring me a side plate," I said. She slams the plate back on the table and says, "I was going to give you a whole new set-up." I tell her that's not necessary and she walks away. My friends and I all exchanged comments and glances about her behavior. She was obviously rude, and I wasn't the only one who picked up on that. When she came back to the table she had plastered on the first fake smile of the evening while handing me a side plate. "If this is going to be a problem, I don't need a steak at all," I say. She assures me that everything is ok and she will hurry it back out to me. Steak comes out cooked properly. She's pleasant for the rest of the evening. I'm still annoyed and ready to leave a crappy tip, but my boyfriend suggests 15%. Fine. !5% it is. Here's where the gangster law-breaking happens on the mean streets of Rochester... I look at my back statement this morning and she has given herself a $20.00 tip! That is over 20% of my bill. So I call my bank and call the restaurant. I speak to Matt, the service manager. Nice guy. Apologetic. Refunds my card for the overage and is sending me a gift card. Says "the appropriate actions will be taken with Amber." I will go back again, because I have had very great experiences here before, but I better not see her face in there.
(2)
Karen W.
Been here twice recently I have mixed feelings. The drinks are great, they have a good beer selection and some pretty interesting mixed drinks...try the Apple Moonshine! However the food was "ok". We tried the trio of BBQ sliders, not impressed, lack of flavor and kind of dry. Stuffed mushroom appetizers were decent and the burger was alright. I would recommend Penny Black for drinks and maybe apps but not dinner
(3)
David P.
Good food? Check. Good beer selection? Check. Bartenders capable of making a mixed drink that doesn't suck? Check. Parking? Meh. Street parking, meters, a couple lots semi-close by. Not a problem as long as the weather's decent. Nottacheck. This was the scene of possibly the most hilarious set of circumstances that ever took place at a detroitnet.org event...it's too bad it's NC-17 rated and can't be shared here :) Great little place, really like it. If you're in Rochester Hills and don't feel like hitting the Brewery, then this is a great place to be...especially if you like margaritas.
(4)
Clem F.
This place is in decline. The current wait staff and bartenders all seem more preoccupied with each other than they do the customers. There used to be some decent beer specials but now they seem limited to the big brands like Labatt or Coors Lite. Food has been average my last few visits. I'll still go, but I consider it less often than before.
(2)
William C.
Disclaimer: I grew up in Texas. I know good BBQ.I think my profile picture says all that one needs to know about that. ha. Not only have I sampled BBQ all across this country, I take great pride in my own BBQ and understand the time and dedication it takes to create tender, lean and flavorful BBQ This meal was in total, the worst BBQ meal I've ever had. Ever! I've had chain restaurants, airport joints, roadside joints, fancy joints. This was the worst. Brisket-- dry. tough. Zero smoke ring. Although it was dry and completely tasteless, it had a real greasy quality to it. Imagine a piece of flavorless beef jerkey that somebody had then dipped in old cooking oil. This cut of meat might be brisket, but other than that it had no resemblance to brisket Pulled pork: stringy, dry. Zero seasoning. Zero smoke flavor. We had it as a stand alone and also ordered a pulled pork sandwich. There was practically no sauce anywhere on either the pulled pork or the sandwich. People can debate whether or not meat needs sauce. This one does. It had zero flavor. Unfortunately it also had almost no sauce. The cole slaw had a nice crunch but lacked acid. It was what I would expect in a junior high school cafeteria if I ordered cole slaw. The only thing I liked about the sandwich was the bun. It was a nice piece of bread. When the best thing you ate on a 70 dollar BBQ sampling meal was the bun, that place is in serious trouble! The ribs: zero smoke flavor. Zero smoke ring. They were dry and stringy and had about a ketchup packet squirt of bland dull and ininspired sauce on top of the rack. The chicken: bland. Picture a kroger rotisserie chicken ( minus the salt ) Also, no smoke flavor or sauce Fried pickles. Now these had potential. nice crunch and good tangy flavor, but I got this icky flavor with the first and each subsequent bite as if they'd been fried in something fishy. I wonder if they fried this in the same oil as their calamari. Dunno, but all I tasted was a nasty fish flavor and it ruined the dish. baked beans: way undercooked. completely underseasoned. two bites , not three. total miss Brisket chili- probably their best bet on the menu. a nice bowl of chili from a textural standpoint. however, way underseasoned. absolutely zero heat. My 2 year old likes good spicy chili, and he thought this was boring. nuff said Service: zero stars. I showed up at 1230 PM to pick up my carry out and stood alone at the bar for 6 minutes. The place was deserted. There were 3 or 4 tables only and I saw one waiter shoot by at the far end of the joint. I didn't see anybody for 6 minutes. and when the bartender did show up he had a very bad attitude as he'd been helping do something out of my view and was still angry about it. So of course he was rude to me. I wouldn't go back here if the food was free. This is NOT BBQ. They do nice food across the street at Gus O'connors and at Knapps. There is absolutely no reason to visit this place. Nothing about it was worth a revisit. The bar area looked nice, with lots of nice brews on tap but there are bars with better food. AVOID this FAKE BBQ place! It's also pretty darned expensive too!! almost 70 bucks for the food we ordered. The meal was shared amongst myself, my two small kids, my wife and my in-laws ( who like their food bland....and they even said it was too bland!)
(1)
Danny B.
I kind of got the feeling the owner thought to himself "bbq's popular right now so let's open a BBQ place". They should call it like it is and just be 'an American tavern'. They'd get better reviews and be true to what they are offering. To start good service. atmosphere: the lights were on bright but the black ceiling, black floor, black booths and dark wood tables all kind of blur together. The walls were painted a sweet old cracked cream color. Other than the walls it needs some brighter colors or art on the walls especially if they are going for BBQ theme. Their marketing/logo guy did a good job with the logo, menus, bags. I think they should fill in the wall between the dining room and bar to help reduce noise. Drink menu: big beer and cocktail selection. I enjoyed a good hand crafted cocktail. Limited wine and cheap wine selections. Food: nothing special or unique to set them apart from other BBQ places. I had a great burger, recommended by the server, with tasty house cut fries. The lettuce wrap app had so much suave I couldn't taste the filling. The tacos weren't anything special either. Very good apple crisp dessert. Overall decent menu for a tavern but I think they shouldn't called themselves BBQ. Thanks guys!
(4)
Nijole T.
We went here for fathers day lunch and had a great time and an excellent meal! My husband went for BBQ which is always a tough bet, especially ribs we have never had any at a restaurant that taste as good as the ones he makes at home. We figured give it a try and if we don't like it send it back. He got the 2 meat plate with ribs, and beef briskit and loved it! The man is hard to please when it comes to meat, but he said these were the best he's had (except for his!) and the briskit was lean and of good quality, even the baked beans which I thought he would give to me he gobbled up and I did get to try a bite, they were awesome, loaded with briskit, sweet and tasty. The mac n cheese also great and my sons sliders and tots good as well. They have different housemade bbq sauces at the table, all great as well as a red pepper vinegar that I used for my salad and I was very tempted to take the bottle and put it in my purse. It was the best thing I've ever tried and if they sold it by the bottle I would have bought a case of it! Spicy, sweet n tangy it was so damn good! I got the HUGE made in house black burger loaded with guacamole and sauteed veggies, it was saucy, messy goodness really one of the best burgers I've ever had! Excellent service, the owner came by to ask how we liked everything, really a wonderful lunch from start to finish, one of those meals that you think about later on for a long time and wish you could have again and again!
(5)
Meredith E.
I've been to Penny Black several times throughout the summer for drinks. The outdoor bar was a great addition, but the waitstaff was unfriendly, service was terrible and drinks were expensive. However, my three recent visits were quite good. The last visit was the first time I ordered food. I got the fried green tomato BLT with fries. WOW. This was tasty! BLT's are usually pretty amazing in general, but the thick slices of bacon, mayo and the warmness of the fried tomato led this to be the perfect sandwich! Lately at night, Penny Black has had good drink specials like $2 Blue Lights. I'm liking the recent improvements in food, drinks and service!
(3)
Adam S.
While on the west side on a Sunday afternoon, the wife and I decided to give this place a try based on word of mouth, but it leaves much to be desired. The atmosphere is pretty dull; cold, uninviting, industrial... Weird. You think they'd want to make you feel welcome. Food was lackluster at best... I had the combo with two BBQ meats; pulled chicken and beef brisket with fries and baked beans - the beans were the best part of the meal. Everything was just this side of warm, and my chicken looked like mac and cheese, but tasted OK. The three morsel sized strips of brisket looked like cured shoe leather and tasted like they were smoked on a bed of tobacco leaves; very dry as well. I'm glad there was plenty of BBQ sauce to mask the over smoked beef and to add some moisture. Fries were advertised as hand cut, but I have my doubts that they were fresh, however, the beans appeared to be made from scratch, and while not exactly hot enough, they had a nice flavor. Of course, the best dish was the smallest portion. My wife had the meat loaf and it was "ok"... My main attraction to Penny Black was their claim of "Rochester's Finest Selection of Craft Beers". Had they bothered to list their taps on the online menu, I probably wouldn't have made the effort. Some decent taps were had: Bell's Two Hearted and Hop Slam, Kuhnhenn Loonie Kuhnie, and then, what's this? Bah, standard BMC fare... They did have a decent selection of Michigan beers, and some other micros, but besides the Hopslam, there wasn't really anything you couldn't get elsewhere, and for a better price. Glassware was not thoroughly rinsed (as indicated by the microscopic bubbles that adhere to the side of the glass when filled), but the beer was served in the appropriate glass and at a decent temperature. Points for no frosted glassware and the beer wasn't mind numbingly freezing! Service was average at best. While we were waited on immediately, it was the standard take the drink order, take the food order, drop off food, "are you ok?", here's the check routine. I had stopped our server to see if they had anything on tap that wasn't on the menu (I was spying the Founder's Imperial Stout handle; no mention of any Founder's taps on the menu) and a blank stare was paired with her muttering "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm..... What kind of beer do you like?". I fired another salvo and she just pointed to the Magic Hat entry on the menu and said (or maybe she was asking me) "This is out right now?". There's not much value here; the drinks and plates were priced about a dollar or two too high for what we got, the food was very sub par, but there are some decent beers on... Not worth the effort unless you're in the area and want to stop for an over priced drink or if you need to chew on something while you're cutting teeth. For BBQ, do yourself a favor and go down to Slow's or Lockhart's (I know, Detroit and Royal Oak aren't exactly next door to Rochester). If you're stuck in Rochester and want better food, fresher beer and reasonable prices, take the extra 5 minutes to drive over to Rochester Mills. I'm glad I got this place out of my system, but it totally wasn't worth the effort and I doubt I'd stop back, even if I were starving and this was the most convenient place to grab a bite.
(1)
Heather H.
Penny Black's new menu in the last year is sooo yummy. The combo plate with pulled pork, brisket or chicken rules. Sweet potato fries are more like potatoes and are delicious... Like crack :) Also the buffalo chicken wrap is amazing. Eat here often. Staff is friendly :)
(5)
Anthony E.
The old Rochester Post Office has re-invented itself yet again, this time with a fitting name for what it once was. Penny Black is the fourth or fifth establishment at this location, but it's definately unlike it's failed predecessors. It has the look & feel to a place you might find in a Chicago neighborhood. The outdoor patio covers 1 1/2 sides of the building. Although relatively small, it was well executed and includes a small outdoor bar area. The only pictures on their website of it makes their patio look like a place for caged animals. The inside is nice with a hipster feel, but apparently their floor isn't made for heels according to one review. The bar splits the dining areas with bar tops w/ stools, and booths to the left and table/chair on the right. It doesn't scream family restaurant, but they do have great prices and options for the kiddos. Their draft beer selection is better then any place I've been to in the Rochester area. They had a extensive selection of cocktails as well. The menu is fairly priced, and has a lot of options for tex-mex lovers. Vegans should avoid this place, like most places, unless their just in it for cocktails. ;) I ordered their Jumbalaya with Chicken Tortilla soup, and their house salad with Chipolte Ranch. The soup was super delicious and the salad was fresh. The ranch, had just a hint of chipolte which was tough to pick up in a salad with bacon. The jumbalaya was a little soupy for my taste, but the flavors were spot on. Nice friendly service, good food, and great beer? I'll be back.
(4)
J F.
Went here on our drunken NYE night and I have to say wow! great service. We only had drinks and we stood by the bar, but we ordered probably about 10-12 drinks in a very short period of time (go big or go home) and they were so incredibly attentive and fast. I never waited more than 30 seconds to get a bartenders attention.
(4)
Jen M.
They have a great selection of local microbrews available in a flight of three 7 oz glasses for 7.50.....that's the extent of the charm. The food is garbage. The beans at Taco Bell are far superior to what came on my plate. Likewise, the enchilada sauce tasted like cold watery ketchup. The floors are a lawsuit waiting to happen. While I understand the draw of glazed concrete-cheap and attractive alternative to tile-it does NOT belong in a restaurant/bar. A hint of moisture on the floor creates an ice rink. I, like most females inclined to visit drinking establishments on the weekends, traipse around in heels I have no business wearing. A visit to the loo after a number of cocktails was a feat in and of itself. Bar staff is competent and know their beers. In sum, not worth visiting for dinner or food of any sort really. If you are going for drinks wear flip flops or sneaks.
(2)
Randy T.
Amazing! You would never believe you are eating inside the old post office. Rich, elegant decor meets reasonably priced, yet well prepared food! The atmosphere is fantastic, the drink menu is impressive, and the food is truly inspired. The barbecue selections are fantastic, well prepared, and just the right portion size. Penny Black can be a real treat for dinner or a night out!
(5)
Lauren S.
I think this a great spot! I had been told by a friend that the food was not great, but I think that since she told me that the restaurant changed hands and is now under new management. I came for dinner on Friday night and was quite impressed. If I remember correctly, our server told us the new chef was from Fortesa and completely changed the menu. The barbecue sauce is made in-house and I thought it was really delicious. It didn't exactly pack-a-punch but I thought it had a really nice flavor. I ordered the barbecue Cobb salad with the barbecue sauce drizzle, which came with a cornmeal and jalapeno scone with cinnamon butter. Now THAT was really delicious. The spicy/sweet combination was really great! On Friday and Saturday nights they have live music, which I was not looking forward to. I'm staunchly opposed to live music during regular dinner hours (unless it's only a piano) because I find the band doesn't understand people are there to eat/have conversation and are not groupies desperately waiting for the band to start playing. Loudly. We tried to finish our dinner before the music but we were unsuccessful. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this particular band! They played lower-key music when we were there and we were able to enjoy our conversation while enjoying their music, which was actually quite good. As it happens, I went back the following night for a little bit for my friend's bachelorette party and the staff was really fun, they pulled up a stool and had the band play a song for her! It was silly and I really enjoyed it. :)
(4)
Christy F.
This review is based on the drinks. I only had a spoon full of the tortilla soup, but it was good and I want more. Not sure on the BBQ. WARNING this place will ruin margaritas for you at any other place. They set the bar high as it should be. Stop drinking that nasty sour mix....penny black does it right with fresh agave, fresh lemon, lime and orages....that is all you need! Well, besides killer tequilla. Dying to try the sangria, esp. when pitchers are half off. This is behind the main strip in downtown rochester. They also have a facebook page...bands on certain nights. This is owned by the Hills restaurant group. Amazing drink menu. i have not been at night time. I love that they serve local micro brews and a lot of them...and one of Michigan's best breweries Kuhnenman just made them their own beer.
(4)
Shannon S.
I like Penny Black, and yesterday was my third visit. I noticed as I walked up that I have never been there in the warmer months, as I see the outside bar area covered up now for the winter. I seem to always go during November. Just curious how it is in the summer months. The parking is crap, it's just hard to find a spot, and again, I seem to go in the winter, so walking long distances doesn't appeal to me, but after circling for for a few minutes I found a spot close enough. Just be prepared for the parking issue. So for last night, the food was okay, we only ordered appetizers to split, and I wasn't impressed, by the size or taste of two $10 appetizers. The veggie flat bread just seemed like some melted cheese, with a few sauteed veggies, dressed with arugula...like they just throw a bunch of arugula on it, to cover the mess underneath or to dress it up.... HEY! You can't trick me! haha.. The nachos were good, but for 10 BUCKS! My plate should be over-floweth! Then there were the Caipirinha's we ordered....and.....boo!! They did not taste like Caipirinha. I was remembering another yelper said to have a specific bar tender make them... I should have checked that out... Anyway, I am still going to give Penny Black 4 stars because I am a fan of the atmosphere, area, food, music, ambiance. I guess you can't always be perfect ;)
(4)
Riordan R.
As I read the reviews, we have many different opinions, but in average everyone agrees that the place is worth the visit. Our food was not not the best. We ordered nachos with cheese, and it just didn't look great, I would not order again. But this could be just our bad luck that day, because overall I think they do a good job. The service was great, the waitresses always paying attention to the customers, and doing a good job. The atmosphere is awsome, beautiful people, nice bar, great place for a happy hour. It can be a little noisy, but I guess I'm getting old...LOL I would definetly recommend the visit, you wont be disapointed.
(3)
Shaun P.
We decided to travel out to Rochester for a holiday cheer. The entire downtown is draped with festive lights impeccably done. The lights weren't the only thing that was perfectly done. Penny Black made the night even more enjoyable with a few pints and some carefully designed and crafted bar food that was a hit. This bar has wonderful daily specials and really great beer selections with the emphasis on tap beer (smile). Make sure you ask what the specials are for the day because I didn't notice them posted but, the wait staff will surely lend a helping hand. Make sure to try the burger with fries that are made in house and the bread brought in from a local bakery. The menu isn't your typical deep fried and frozen selections that most places call bar food. This is a truly thought out and inspired menu without taking anything away from the fatting treats we associate with the bar theme. The emphasis is on fresh and on local items. If you're looking for the bar atmosphere but want good food then you have found your new local bar.
(4)
Tracy F.
Good food and reasonable prices. It is a loud place and especially after 9 when they start the band up. The acoustics are not good for a band or dj because the sound bounces. You can't have a conversation unless you are yelling across the table. So if you want to enjoy conversation, then eat before music starts. Crowd gets younger by then also.
(4)
Mary M.
Absolutely not. They tried though so thats why they get 2 stars. The drinks were disappointing. The fish tacos were borderline gross. The fries were weird. The veggie side was cold and tasteless...can I have just a little salt and pepper?? I have NO intentions of going back.
(2)
Chris M.
Had a very good mushroom burger and my wife enjoyed her pulled pork. Service was good and prices were reasonable. I will return and try some of their smoked entrees.
(4)
Bess R.
Tried again. Still just okay. Had a salad this time. Lots of meat and toppings, which I liked. But the dressing had NO flavor. For chipotle ranch, I expected something.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Nick C.
Great service, friendly staff. the only draw back was the poutine. It was melted chedder cheese instead of cheese curds. Good beer selection The tater tot appetizer was great, so was the mac & Cheese and the lamb sliders. We'll for sure be back.
(4)Heather D.
Stopped by today after smelling the delicious BBQ smell on our way to brunch. We were quick to get seated and water and menus were brought immediately. I was in the mood for a hard cider, the server showed me what was available and even brought me a sample. I didn't care for it and settled on an Oberon. I appreciated the opportunity to taste, and her knowledge of local cider. My husband chose the deep fried pickles and smoked chicken wings with hot buffalo sauce (1/2 off on Sunday). The pickles were sliced in a French fry fashion and tempura battered and fried, served with a house made remoulade (all sauces and dressings are house made). They were perfectly prepared, presentation was on point. The flavor of the wings were perfectly smoked and very juicy, just the right amount of sauce. I chose the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork. The pasta was perfect al dente tossed with gruyere and sharp cheddar with a parmesan and bread crumb topping. Tossed with pieces of smoky pulled pork. The smoky flavor of the meat, compliments the nutty essence of the gruyere. Served in a small cast iron skillet. Quality, flavor and service were on point. Could use a little broader selection of Craft Beer and Cider options.
(4)Rob B.
They have amazing food here! I usually get the Texas Tacos with bbq pulled pork. The meat melts in your mouth goodness. I have also had the limited goulash and it's very good too! So much so, that they need to keep it on the menu. They have the tap takeovers monthly. These are good if you want to sample 5 different beers and the goulash and speciality items from the grill. The layout of the room is a bit confusing. To the left is high tables with a small bar seating area and to the right is booths of sitting and dining. They also have a mini bar outside with small tables. This is a popular place to hang out. They have a wide selections of beer, wine and liquor based drinks. Check it out!
(4)Mike N.
Disappointed. Started with a calamari appetizer which was good, but the portion was fairly small for the cost. I ordered the bbq platter thinking this place used to have pretty good bbq, and my friend had the salmon dinner. The bbq meal was ok, certainly nothing to write home about, but I was advised the salmon left a lot to be desired. Waitress was nice and attentive. I would come back here for a couple beers on the patio, but will be skipping dinner.
(2)Victoria M.
My husband and I came to Penny Black on a Friday after work. We got there early enough where happy hour was still going on. Therefore, we both got beers. Very good beer selection. I got a strawberry type beer that didn't disappoint. Our waiter was great, very attentive, but not overly pushy. He made suggestions and was constantly checking on us in regards to drinks and if we needed anything else. The decor is modern, but a bit cold. Lots of dark colors and sleek lines, didn't feel much like a pub. Seating was either dining room, bar, or outside. We picked dining room and they had pretty nice large booths. The booths would be good for larger parties, probably fit at least 3 people comfortably on each side. We ordered the Dip Trio with Hot beer queso, fresh guacamole, house salsa, tortilla chips. All the dips were very good. Our waiter even hooked us up with more chips to finish off our dippers. I got the special - Lamb Sliders served with tzatziki sauce, onions and tomatoes. I also ordered fries as well. Fries were seasoned and yummy. The sliders were good, The lamb patty itself was pretty thick, a bit dry, but hey...it is lamb. Overall, this is a nice spot in downtown Rochester to come to get a drink. The entrees and food are a bit pricey. Our bill I believe came to about $50 or more. Still a place to check out and try, good food and swanky atmosphere.
(3)Lisa W.
I like Penny Black , but not quite love it. Menu has some high points, burgers, ribs, some salads. Some not so high points... Not a fan of a lot of the apps. Very good beer selection and decent mixed drinks. Their strong point is the wait staff, good bunch. Parking.With the new Rochester parking decks, that issue has been eliminated. The restaurant itself has a bit of a cold feel with the stained concrete floors and steel tables. Not homey enough for a pub feel, not edgy enough for a urban feel. Before you form a optintion from theses reviews, give it a try. Good for bite before a movie or a concert or meeting up with a group of friends.
(3)Liz P.
I came here on Sunday night before a concert at DTE. We showed up a little early, around 4:30pm, and it was pretty empty. Decided to sit inside rather than out because it was crazy hot out (like 85). Service was slow but okay. The food was very good - neither my friend nor I were that hungry, so we decided to split a sandwich and fries plus a side salad. They had a red wine vinaigrette that sounded good, but were out of it, so the waiter brought me a raspberry vinaigrette instead (usually my dressing of choice). The sandwich was this gouda / applewood bacon / apples / heirloom tomatoes concoction and was good, EXCEPT I'm not a huge bacon fan and it lended a crunchy taste to the sandwich which I didn't really like. Once I took the bacon out of the sandwich, it was much better, IMO. The sandwich was also HUGE and fine for splitting. The standout was actually the sweet potato fries, which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious (sounds weird, but you know what I mean - they were very soft). I'd come back here again, it looks like they do happy hour specials as well.
(4)Teresa E.
Great little outdoor seating area (a lot of bees though). Service was a little slow. They needed another waitress in our section. Food was decent. Nothing to write home about. We had the salmon and pulled pork platter. Both were okay. Not great by any means. I think I'd enjoy this place as a bar more than a restaurant. Good vibe, bad meal execution.
(3)Sasha O.
I'd like to do two reviews if I could. I came to Penny Black for dinner on a Friday night, the wait was reasonable, the hostesses were very pleasant and the bartender outside (while we waited) was pretty good. My only complaint is my pricey martini was weak at best, now it was admittedly a fru fru girly martini, but I've had better. We sat outside for dinner which was really nice, food was terrific and our waiter was AMAZING. Now here is where it gets interesting... We went to a movie & decided to go back to Penny Black because of the great experience. We went to the outdoor bar and the same bartender was there (who was pretty cool albeit a bit cocky)... There were a couple empty seats so I sat down but my date stood behind me to leave a seat open. The bartender had two shots w/ other guests before coming over & was clearly drunk. We ordered our drinks and the bartender said "you need to move, these seats are taken". I looked around & replied "it doesn't look like it"; he replied "they're out having a smoke"; my reply "ok I'll move when they get back"; his reply "no you'll move right now or I'll move you"; me "did you just threaten me?"; him "no I'm telling you the seats are taken & you are f***ing moving now". Needless to say we left at that point. He had another shot as we were leaving & was laughing with the people (friends obviously) at the bar. I've never been treated so disrespectfully at a restaurant or bar in my life. I was a waitress & bartender for years and am completely disgusted with this behavior. Obviously he shouldn't be drinking on the job, but he's also stealing and you have to wonder how many of those shots his friends are doing he's giving away (also stealing). I'm sad to give only 2 stars because our waiter at dinner was absolutely perfect in every way, the atmosphere is really nice & the food is good. It's a shame an outright jerk & thief is going to drive business away from what could be a great place.
(2)Kyle Martin D.
You know what creeps me out? People like my sisters. I'm talking overly friendly white people with big toothy smiles who are desperately trying to be trendy despite the fact they have a whole bunch of children, drive gas-guzzling SUVs, and live in tacky McMansions. This is Rochester. The bane of my existence. Penny Black is one of the few bright spots in this god-forsaken town. It's not cutting edge, but it is quality bar food, and a nice escape from all those soccer moms in yoga pants who do a pretty good job at harboring the fact that they might be republican. I ordered a grilled buffalo chicken sandwich. I didn't just like it. I loved it. It also came with a small side of fruit salad that wasn't too filling. Holy shit, (Kyle re-reads the last sentences, realizes Kyle's now writing in third person), I think I'm turning into one of those people. Somebody take me to the Stone House or Bronx Bar before I find myself coated in Lululemon and having in-depth conversations about gardening, standardized test scores and holistic teas.
(4)Pamela H.
I visited with three friends. We started with the pretzels and the cheese dip was so hard we couldn't even dip the pretzel into it. The waiter brought us a new one that solved the problem, but we were turned off by how long the original appeared to have been sitting out. Two of us ordered the bean burger. It was very dry and difficult to eat. We loaded it with condiments to try and add moisture, but still very dry. My friend didn't eat her burger and the waiter took half the price. Another friend got the salmon and said it was great. I won't be going back.
(2)Donald L.
What made this place last night five stars; our server Amanda. Thank you for being attentive, smiling and quick to react. Last night upon entering, we found no hostess, possibly busy, and waited for about a minute till another server filled in for her. We wanted a table of six for outside but if ok we would sit indoors until one opened up ((apprx 30 min). Once seated Amanda got my wife and I drinks and a table soon opened up outside. During this short 15 minute wait Amanda was at our table several times. While moving from the inside to the outside, I made sure Amanda was our server, she was. There was a slight wrong wine served which she caught on her own and made everything right. Everything we ordered from the fried Brussels sprouts, tater tots, poutine to our main courses was excellent. At one point Amanda had told us about her wish that night was to go see the fireworks with her kids. She never rushed us or inconvenienced us at all. I hope she made it to show. She did a really awesome job, thanks.
(5)Steve B.
We've been to Penny Black numerous times in the past. This has to have been one of our most disappointing meals there. Our waiter was attentive, but lacked knowledge and charisma some other staff exude. Having been there recently for burgers, sandwiches, and specials, we decided to order an old favorite, the meat platter. We were disappointed to find that they no longer offered brisket. Our waiter said he didn't know anything about that. We went with the meat platter anyway and added an extra serving short ribs. My wife had lamb slider special. Our meal came quite quickly. The short rib was covered in gelatinous brown gravy like substance, which was not appealing in any way. The meat was soft and tender and had a good flavor on its own. That's the way I like my short rib. Not soaked in sauce or gravy. The pulled pork was delicious. The fries were crisp and hot. Our drinks were constantly refilled. When I finished off the coleslaw, my daughter gave me an evil eye. So I asked the waiter if we could get a little more. He brought out an additional cup to her delight. We polished off dinner and asked for a to go box and our bill. I was surprised to find a small scoop of institutional coleslaw runs an additional $2.00. We walked out and realized we left our to go container on our table. My wife turned around and walked in 2 minutes after having left. The table was already clear. She asked our waiter and the busboy who both said they had not seen anything and that they thought we'd taken it with us. Yes of course we took it with us then turned around and came back in to look for it. There goes $8.00 worth of shortrib. Nothing they can do they said. I realize that my complaints individually are trivial but combined did not make for the experience we have come to expect from dining at Penny Black.
(2)Tyler D.
The bacon, black and bleu hamburger was fantastic! Probably the best burger that I've eaten all year. The sweet potato fries were also exceptional and well worth the up charge. My problem was with the Reuben sandwich....It contained very little meat, was dry as a bone, and the bread was charred. It left a burnt aftertaste after every bite. We were having fun with friends so we dealt with it in order to avoid all that comes with rejecting a meal. Shame on the cook for sending that out and on the waitress for not noticing.
(3)Manuela M.
I walked in and no diggity by blackstreet was playing. Try the chicken nachos and the black Apple moonshine! This is probably the best spot in downtown Rochester right now.
(5)Jo N.
A generous 3 stars. I hope the owner is reading this. ..POOR SERVICE (beyond slow) untrained staff will kill your business. I had to repeat my order when she came back to the table. She was unfamiliar with beer and food. Brought Labatts but we ordered Stella. We ordered to share and she didn't bring extra plates. Had fish tacos. ..dry? Taster tots...dry? She didn't ever come back so we got our own napkins, asked the bartender for plates, asked a waiter for bbq sauce which he brought plus the remoulade for the grilled fish tacos. 30 minutes later she comes up and says, want your bill? Oh how about dessert? She drops the bill off and we are over charged for pitcher of beer. It takes 15 minutes to be corrected because and I quote,"the manager is on a conference call". REALLY? At 9:31pm on a Sunday. If the manager was doing their job the new staff would have a clue. What a SHAME.
(3)Lynda B.
My husband and I went there on a Saturday night. It was busy, but not overly crowded and we were seated right away, at a table near the bar. It was not too noisy and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. The wait staff was great. We asked for some recommendations which were willingly provided. We ordered appetizers of egg rolls along with chips and a trio of dips. The egg rolls were crispy and had a bit of a kick to them but were very good. The chips came with three different dips. A warm queso, a salsa, and a guacamole. The portions were very generous and all were excellent. I am not a guacamole fan, but this was very flavorful and had a great texture. The queso was served warm and had a great cheesy taste. My husband had a beer of some type and was happy with it. I tried what was their version of a Long Island Iced tea. It was very good and not light on the liquor, it was also very large. For dinner my husband had a trio of sliders. They came with fries, which he said were crispy and quite good. I had the pulled pork burrito. It had a great smoky flavor and was quite large. I enjoyed it for lunch another day as well. For dessert, we again checked with the wait staff and Kristine, our excellent waitress, recommended the brownie and ice cream. We would come back just for dessert. There was plenty to share and the brownie was soft, yet chewy and we loved it. We will definitely come back again. Food was large in portion, reasonably priced and tasted very good. The atmosphere was lively, yet not too loud. Finally, the wait staff was on top of things and very knowledgeable about the menu, the food and the back story of the restaurant.
(4)Taylie C.
Great food, great atmosphere, great staff, amazing prices. It always takes me 20+ minutes to figure out what I want to order at Penny Black, because I want to try everything on their menu. I've even gone twice in one week! You wouldn't think a $9 sandwich could be life changing, but their Reuben is. It's hard for me to shut up about Penny Black...I love this place!
(5)Regina S.
A nice little addition to Rochester I would say! Came here with the BF on Friday for lunch. Not very busy, surprisingly, with it being black Friday and all, but definitely started to pick up by the time we left. Decent menu, although a little all over the place. I would say they're going for upscale bar food, but the atmosphere is like half bar/half restaurant. Do they have different menus? I don't know, so I'll assume no. We decided to go the burger route. I got the mac and cheese burger with homemade chips, and BF got the BBQ burger. We both asked for medium; we both got well done. SIDE NOTE: This is seriously like the 10th time in a row I have asked for a medium cooked burger, and I get well done every time. Have cooks forgotten how to make a burger, other than well cooked?? This is very frustrating to me. The mac and cheese burger, aside from being over cooked, just didn't have much of any flavor at all to me. The ketchup drowned out the mac and cheese flavor completely. I thought it was OK but not something I would order again, especially considering how much I love mac and cheese. BF thought his burger was fine, liked the onion strings. The chips were really, really good!!! Whoever is making those has it down pat!! They should offer those at the tables/bar as a snack.. Good stuff! So, I would for sure go back again. The staff was nice enough, and the place is clean and big. You don't feel crowded at all. The burgers were $8.99 with the chips, I believe our tab with 2 beers was around $30 /Rochester!!!
(3)Eric D.
Have been here often with co-workers, my wife and sometimes with our kids too. Hands down, they have the best patio in Rochester. Fairly-priced and tasty food as well including daily specials. Cajun beef tips and Texas Tots are crowd-pleasing appetizers. Buffalo Chicken Wrap and the Yard Bird are my favorite sandwiches. Good bbq and an actively rotating selection of craft beers. Kids eat free on Sundays as well.
(5)Steph S.
Strange. My friend had posted not to long ago about how poorly managed this bar is. The managers do not train properly or treat their employees with respect. (the post has been deleted.) Not to mention, I have seen -SEVERAL TIMES- the servers TAKING SHOTS! No "good" bar in their right minds would allow this. I'm not pleased to have a half buzzed waiter smelling like liquor. Management- clearly pathetic to state it simply. Waiters- dress like they're waking up for a 6am class on a Monday. Some look dirty and some are trashy. Over al very unprofessional Food- I found a hair in mine but didn't complain. A bit dry. Service over all: poor I also witnessed the woman who had to bus her own table and got disrespected by the manager. This place needs to be closed down! Just because you have fancy beer doesn't make your bar/restaurant good.
(1)James M.
Since my last review I have tried Penny Black and few times and had good experiences. They have a good beer selection and I'm a fan of their burgers and the fact that they carry tater tots.
(3)Jody K.
A group of 6 women met here for dinner on a Friday night at 6:00. We had a nice table outside, and that was very nice. Two of us arrived a little later than the rest of our party, and the waitress was very prompt in getting our drink order & bringing our drinks. She also waited the right amount of time before getting our orders. We all ordered different things, but with only one exception, they were all sandwiches. It seemed to take an awfully long time to get our food; I think it was close to half an hour after we ordered. Since we were there to visit, we didn't really comment about that, but it seemed to me to be much longer than necessary. I ordered the trio of sliders: one each of pulled pork, turkey and chicken, served with fries and coleslaw. Well, if I hadn't looked at each sandwich while I was eating it, I wouldn't have been able to tell one from the other; the were very bland & tasted the same. Likewise, the coleslaw had no discernable flavor; it basically tasted like wet cabbage. No sweetness, no vinegar flavor. The fries were also pretty tasteless, although they were very nicely cooked a golden brown. Two of the women in our group shared a burger and the macaroni & cheese, and they were raving about it. Perhaps I should've ordered one of those instead. Another woman in our group ordered the walleye, which came with asparagus & another side that I didn't see. She said the fish was good, but that the asparagus was too hard and cold for her liking. One of the women in our group ordered the fruit crisp for dessert. She was told that it was a berry crisp. However, when it came, it was tiny chunks of what appeared to be peaches, possibly apples and raisins. Whatever it was, it was definitely not raisins. Another ordered the brownie. It came with 2 generous brownie pieces & a large scoop of French vanilla ice cream, which she said was delicious. The menu is varied, and there are lots of options. It's not too expensive, but it's also nothing special. I would not go out of my way to go back there.
(2)Connor A.
Great atmosphere, restaurant is stylish but still has bar feel. One side is more formal and one side is more casual bar section. Staff was very attentive and helpful, they didn't make us feel rushed and were very polite. Food came out fast. Good selection of beers. Killer sweet potato fries. Only down side is the price, I paid $11 for a burger and fries. Beers were pricey as well.
(4)Liz N.
Always satisfied here. Open everyday till 2am. It's our go-to place. Their burgers are great! Egg burger mmmmmmm. Half off wine bottle every Thursday. That's our thing. Absolutely love Penny Black. And also, it seems it's never short staffed. The servers are great. I only had one bad waitress. I think she was new I never saw here before. She was so odd, slow and I'm 90% sure she was high. 4 people at our table we all agreed she had to be high. Other than her, I LOVE Penny Black. You can't go wrong here.
(5)Miranda R.
I have absolutely no complaints about this place. My boyfriend and I went here at about 10pm on a Friday night. They have an awesome outdoor bar with tvs and a nice looking bar out there. When we went that part of the restaurant was packed so we headed inside and took a seat at a high top. The inside of the place was about almost halfway full, kind of surprising for a Friday night but whatever. I was worried about not getting service at a high top as I've experienced many bars give better service to people actually sitting at the bar during bar time hours, but we had the nicest server. I don't know his name but he had a goutee, longish hair and was wearing a ski cap or some type of cap I'm pretty sure. We had a couple beers, the buffalo calamari, and the pork/corned beef/chicken sliders. All of the food was AMAZING. The buffalo calamari was an awesome twist on how calamari is normally served. As the night went on the place got fuller and emptier fuller and emptier, but our server always made sure to check on us promptly, get our drinks, and provide us with anything we asked for. I had a great time here and definitely will return.
(5)Daniel L.
Unique atmosphere in the old post office. The microbrewery beers are here. For some reason my generous portion of ahi tuna salad was better the next day. They need to figure a way to make it that good the first day. Gluten free selections available.
(4)Tate V.
They have the best beer menu! The food is very tasty too. We did a beer tasting with food pairing and everything paired up well! The staff has always been super nice to us and the vibe changes from sophisticated to dinner crowd to outside patio bar to Rochester nightlife...it's a must visit for locals and out-of-Towners alike.
(5)Victoria K.
Sausage pizza, salmon dip and caprese salad all good choices for late night snack. Open late, good fast service with DJ and outside seating. Will be back!
(5)Patsy R.
We were here in the summer, sat outside and ordered six different apps. Everything was delish. We especially liked the in house smoked wings and the tomato basil soup. The brisket was fall apart tender. My Margarita was made with fresh lime juice soooo good. The patio was ablaze with twinkling lights adding to the festive atmosphere of the warm summer night. Can't wait to go there again.
(5)Tom M.
Have gone to Penny Black twice now for quick takeout, both experiences great. On my most recent visit, I was informed by the bartender that the item I ordered may not have been to 100% quality so they not only gave me my choice of replacement meal regardless of cost, they still made and gave me the original order, just without the gluten free bun. Didn't have to ask for this; they just did it because it was the right thing to do. My wife is gluten free and their menu is great and highly recommended for anyone with celiac disease.
(5)Steve S.
Great Atmosphere. Decent food. Haven't been here I awhile. Great atmosphere. Great drink options. That said - something s changed. Management and bartenders didn't seem as connected. Less interaction, more transaction.
(3)Alexandria L.
I wish I could give zero stars, but it won't let me. Management is horrible! Horrible service, waited 30 min and watched others who got here way after us get seated right away. All you have to do is flirt with the manager and you'll get a table right away. Absolutely ridiculous, especially on such a busy night! Will never come here again! Not even worth the waiting anymore! Also, they keep the pitcher to refill the water and coke under the shelf where the cleaning products are right next to it and refill your drinks with those pitchers. Um health violation much! Ridiculous!
(1)Christine S.
After going the last few times I've determined the place to be obnoxious at best. I'm only referring to the Tuesday night karaoke extravagana here. The same characters are there everytime and they think they run the show. It makes it uncomfortable for outsiders to come in and even attempt to sing. The ridiculousness of the dancing by the stage to the point where I was almost punched in the face just trying to walk through to get to a table. We left after one drink. Sorry Penny Black we won't be back.
(2)Anthony K.
Penny black is pretty good definitely a great atmosphere. The regulars swear by this place and I can honestly see why they would. There's a dining area and a bar section with some tables as well. I haven't really eaten here maybe a salad or two, but I would definitely come back and give it an honest try. The location is awesome surrounded by beautiful downtown Rochester and some nice parks nearby. Definitely check this place out for a drink and dinner, you won't be disappointed.
(4)Liz R.
Outdoor seating area is wonderful, although the indoor seating area is too loud for my taste. Food has been consistently good. It's our go-to spot for dinner in the summer in Rochester. We don't bother having dessert there, though. But there are plenty of other places in downtown Rochester for that. :-)
(4)Brad S.
OK, I've been there several times and it's been "ok" every time. - The service is not bad, not great, and kind of slow. Which makes it "ok". - The food, I've never been impressed but it hasn't been really bad either. The last time I was there my son had a hamburger, when I asked him how it was he said "ok". - the atmosphere is kind of dark inside. I think the best thing about the place is eating outside on a nice summer night. I'm always drawn to a place with a patio on a nice evening. If Penny Black didn't have a patio I doubt I would go there.
(3)Steven L.
Service was good but the ribs didn't have much flavor, kind of dry. Baked beans were good though.
(2)Anna K.
Wish I could give this place zero stars. Came here with a few friends over the holidays while in town and was extremely offended by how rude we were treated. Not only is the staff rude, but the management is disgraceful and an embarrassment to other establishments in this area. Started with a few drinks, which were decent. Waited about an hour to get a table in the bar area. We asked the hostess and were told that bar tables were first come first serve. Many tables were taken by some pretty large groups so we waited until one opened for four. Finally we found one, but when we went to grab it, a waiter (who looked liked a bus boy) came up and said he was holding it for someone. We questioned this since the hostess told us otherwise. How could a table be reserved for someone when they were first come first serve? The waiter did not like us questioning him and threw up his hands in the air and rudely told us "fine, whatever" and left us. Seconds later we saw the same waiter tell the waitress for our table "don't clean up that sh*t" referring to the dirty dishes on our table from the previous customers. The waitress acknowledged his comments and went about her "busy" way to help other customers, completely ignoring our table and dirty pile of dishes. So I decided to take it upon myself and move the dishes to the floor, seeing as though no one was going to bus our table. In this process, I accidentally broke a cup and got a nasty look and condescending response from our so-called waitress. She asked why we were moving the dishes off the table. I responded and told her that I heard the other waiter's comments and saw her acknowledgement so I figured she wasn't going to do anything, seeing as though she already ignored us the first time around. She made it into this large ordeal, calling her manager over to see this broken cup and sweep up the mess. No comments were made other than that we shouldn't have bussed our own table. Minutes later the manager came by, for a seemingly innocent inquisition of how the service was. We said okay and he lingered around for a little longer than necessary, he asked whether we had an issue there. Instead of being mature and straight out asking about the incidents or taking responsibility for his waitstaffs behavior, he beat around the bush and tried to be passive aggressive towards us. We explained the situation, although the manager was too bull headed to even listen to what we had to say. He corrected us on numerous occasions, accused us of fighting with the waiter, and laughed in our faces. It was pretty embarrassing to see a manager, who should act professional and handle a situation properly, to carry himself with such a lack of respect for his customers. After questioning why he was there to begin with and whether we were okay to sit there, the manager walked away with no excuse for his immature, downright disrespectful, behavior or the treatment we received from his staff. We proceeded to sit there and found ourselves receiving no service whatsoever for the rest of the evening. Not that we had any intentions of spending our money at an establishment as rude, unprofessional, and disrespectful as this. I felt like the management thought intimidation would be a good business practice. The owners need to highly consider who the are having run this business. I was absolutely appalled by the lack of customer service, accusational confrontation, and intimidating approach that the staff displayed us during our visit. Businesses like this do not deserve to be in business and need to think twice about the customers they are serving.
(1)Jordan S.
Came here on a Friday after a long week. I've been here before but wanted to leave a review. I ordered the pineapple cilantro risotto with chicken from their special menu. I must say it's fabulous! Chicken, moist, well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The pineapple is fresh cut and provides the dish with a wonderful, sweet and balances great with the savory. The culinary team is great. We sat at the bar because they had a wait for tabled and we were able to score some seats as people were leaving. The bartenders were attentive, extremely friendly and upbeat. The beer list is great and the craft cocktails are good too. The atmosphere was inviting, with a friendly, enthusiastic crowd. Wish I had saved some room for dessert because those looked great too. If your looking for something in Rochester to go above and beyond, go to Penny Black, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Shoshanah A.
Beer selection is decent, switched up (monthly I think) which is nice. Food is ok, not consistent - sometimes I like it, sometimes not so much. Overall pretty friendly.
(4)Cindy L.
Went to Penny Black with a couple of friends. The food was ok but not memorable. Standard American fare. Why I would not go back? The atmosphere. The acoustics were so bad I could not hear anything our friends said and don't want to shout to others in order to be heard when having dinner.
(3)Danielle L.
I do like this bar but we had a horrible bar tender. We went on a busy night and I asked for a shot. The bartender responded that he would not pick out "your f**ing shot". Absurdly unacceptable and rude. If I could give a 0 star I would.
(1)Jake R.
The bar seen is upbeat and exciting at about midnight, and a Dj is bringing as much noise as possible. They also offer great drink specials throughout the week. However... I've tried to eat here 3 different times, and every time has been a disappointment. The burger was over cooked, fries were soggy, and the pulled chicken was about as dry as can be. I will say the tots were somewhat acceptable, but I wouldn't plan your dinner plans here.
(2)Kaity J.
Horrible food. I came here with a group of 14 to eat before a bachelorette party. The only thing that saved my experience was our waitress, who was fantastic! (She's the only reason I'm giving two stars.) I got the baja fish tacos - one grilled and one battered. They were the saddest fish tacos I have ever seen. The piece of fish in each taco was no bigger than a fun size candy bar. The slaw was mayonnaise soaked and about three times the amount of fish in the taco. The "pico" on it was around 3-4 tiny pieces of tomato and onion - nothing more. The Spanish rice was awful. I get AMPED on fish tacos, so this was very, very disappointing to say the least. Will not be back again.
(2)Pat M.
If you want cold beer, this is a good place. If you want good food, have a few beers and maybe the quality of the food will rise to the occasion. This is a bar, not a restaurant. I made the mistake off taking my wife out to dinner here, that was a bad decision. The food was below average, the service was below average, the beer was cold. We ended up only ordering burgers. They were unimaginative, served cold and expensive. No one ever asked us if we wanted ketchup for our fries. I eventually went to the bartender and asked for ketchup. Our waitress, as usual, was never in sight. Cold beer, below average food. I will not be back. Four beers, three sandwiches, tab was $66. A bit pricey.
(1)Nathan K.
Pretty cool atmosphere. Wait staff didn't seem to be trained very well. They were slow and a bit dry, but nice people. Great menu, wish it was a little cheaper. Got $17 sweet chili salmon, it was really good. $10 fish tacos were good too, but only came with 2 tacos.
(3)Pat F.
I ate here more than and year ago and it was very average. My wife and decided to try it again a couple weeks ago and it was outstanding. We have been there three more times since. Every single thing we have eaten has been really good. We have had the perch sliders. If you like fish sandwiches this is one of the best I've ever had. Tortilla soup, and corn chowder which are both excellent. The fried green tomatoes which I will get every time I go, and the Cuban sandwich. This has become my favorite place to eat in Rochester.
(5)Clare R.
My opinion is so so. Beer crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves but while the menu is creative the quality of the dishes leaves something to be desired.
(2)Alicia K.
Outdoor seating was nice and spacious and clean. Service was very slow and food was mediocre. We ordered tortilla soup, potato leek soup, Michigan cherry salad, and Texas tacos. The potato leek soup was bland and tasted like baby food. The tortilla soup was ok, a little too pasty. Texas tacos and rice tasted microwaved. Cherry salad was meh because there weren't enough toppings for $10 salad and the dressing was gross. The best thing there is the beer and my sons fish and chips (fish was light and fluffy and awesome), and my sons little house salad was good too. I wouldn't go again.
(2)Amy H.
I'm really teetering between 2 and 3 stars here. The service was iffy, it seemed like only high school students were employed here. Our waiter was having a hard time giving us suggestions from the menu. We decided to go ahead and just order a bunch of a la carte items. We got some tater top appetizer that was loaded with cheese and jalapenos and baked. It was okay. It's the kind of dish that would have been INCREDIBLE if I were a 15 year old teenager baked out of my mind. We also ordered some sliders, and they were average. Nothing mind blowing. I feel like the menu is all over the place. 3 stars for the beer selection!
(3)Adrienne D.
Chips and dip was good Martinis were great Manager was nice and told us that Waitress was friendly Most food is made from scratch Clean place with nice vibe
(4)Christine K.
I have to say that I am VERY IMPRESSED!!!! My brother-in-law and I planned a surprise 30th birthday party for my sister which took place this past Saturday night and WOW did Penny Black hit it out of the park! I am so very impressed and thankful to their management and wait staff for a job so very well done. A few highlights: - We dropped off decorations / cake midday and they set up EVERYTHING for us before our arrival. You can tell they took pride in what they were doing. - They took such great care of us, our waiter was amazing. I don't think anyone had to wait more than 1 minute for another drink. - They had no issues collecting multiple credit cards to ensure a smooth bill situation - They set up the cake, plates, forks, napkins for us part way through the party. - They cleared everyone's plates, etc although they were not making any $ off of the cake (which they wrapped up for us to take home). I cannot say thank you enough! It would have been so easy for PB to stick us in the corner and let us figure it out. They really went the extra mile to make sure the party was extra special for my sister and our guests. Chicago needs more bars/restaurants like this. Five stars for sure :) :)
(5)Ben L.
I wish I could give this bar zero stars because that is the kind of service that they demonstrated. The sad part is that I want to go back to this place because they have a decent beer selection but the service is absolutely horrible. We were at Penny Black on a Saturday night and there were two bartenders for a packed bar. When I went to get one last drink (and a soda for my DD), I sat at the bar from 11:04 to 11:32. For 28 mins I watched the bartenders go from the edges of the bar toward the center but returning to the edges at seemingly random times. Unfortunately, I was at the middle. My wife (and DD) was able to come to the bar and get her drink within a few minutes. Serving women first at a bar is a standard policy but the manager at this particular location either has no idea how to staff or train his/her bartenders. Do not go to this bar of you value your time.
(1)Matt V.
I have worked in downtown Rochester for a few years now, and Penny is definitely my bar of choice in Michigan. I have made very good friends with all the staff, and i have come to feel like it is my home. The beer selection is ever changing and nothing short of fantastic. The food items are a refreshing change to the typical bar foods you will normally see with things like Fried Green Tomatos and Sweet Sriracha wings. If you want to go to a bar with some great beer and food, come here! Matt, the manager is a great guy and takes care of the place and its customers and does a great job, and the bartenders are knowledgeable, fun, and great people. I cant forget to mention they offer a Service Industry Night on sunday and monday which is a half off everything offer! You cant beat that.
(5)Katie J.
I have become such a huge fan of Penny Black. There is a rarely a week when I'm not here, usually more than once. I love their patio. It's one of the nicest in the area. I love their food. I've literally never ordered something I didn't like. My favorite is the Yard Bird Chicken Sandwich. I always add a ton of their spicy bbq (they have a few sitting out at all times and I suspect it's home made). They have an excellent selection of draft beers, which changes often but they do a great job of keeping their beer lists up to date. All in all it's just a great place to go. Especially when the weather is nice. My only minor issue is that it's a little pricey but that's standard for the area.
(4)Rachel E.
OH NO. No, no, no, no, no. Once my favorite restaurant in Rochester, now a place that I probably wouldn't return to. It's under new management AGAIN (is this the fifth time?), and this time it's worse than ever. We ate there last night and they've taken both of my favorite items off of the menu - the delicious Black Bean Burger with the marinated goat cheese and the Fajita Salad. BIG mistake! Although I was very disappointed, my husband and I opted for the Texas Tacos -- he ordered the brisket & I ordered the chicken variety. The plates were brought out and what was the delicious garnish my husband had on the flavorless, bland side of rice? A 5" curly black hair. I mean it was sitting RIGHT on top. Anyone with eyes could have seen that thing, it was totally disgusting. It was so bad the manager had to come and reassure us that everyone back in the kitchen wears hair nets. That is NOT a phrase you ever want to hear as a customer dining in a restaurant. They did comp his dinner, but the damage had already been done. Once you see something like that, it haunts you for the rest of the meal. They've also redone the inside decor and now it looks more like a dank night-club, which unfortunately seems to be the direction they want to head toward. RIP, Penny Black.
(1)La Donna J.
The Curious Traveler Grapefruit Shady was delicious with their Chipotle Black Bean Burger and sweet potato fries. :)
(4)Donovan B.
This place is *clap hands* Dyno-MITE. Came here with the girlfriend for a late night dinner. We ordered the tortilla soup and mac n cheese for apps. Both were very good. The mac and cheese to me is worthy enough to say its better then vinsettas or tied...not sure yet. (vinsetta still has amazing mac). Our server was on top of everything we needed. Later I had the chicken Caesar salad and she had the club with avocado. Once again. Everything was good. Good vibes in there too. Nice atmosphere.
(5)Marc F.
Fast service surprisingly good food. It looked like it would be plain old bar food, but everything we had was a step up. Service was good, and so was the food.
(4)Kelly O.
If I could score this restaurant based on service alone I would give it ZERO STARS. Sunday night we went to dinner with another couple. The four of us had a couple of drinks and appetizers. The waitress, Amber, was rude, unfriendly, rushing us, and apparently a criminal. Yes, criminal. But I'll get to that in a minute. After telling Amber politely that we were in no hurry and wanted to enjoy our evening out, we had to flag her down when we wanted something. I guess she expected us to order everything we wanted immediately, or sit and wait forever while she catered to the table next to us. For my entree I ordered the sirloin medium rare. It arrived medium well. For an $18 sirloin, I asked if I could have a different steak. Before I was finished with my sentence, she was snatching my plate out of my hand. "You can just take the steak if you'd bring me a side plate," I said. She slams the plate back on the table and says, "I was going to give you a whole new set-up." I tell her that's not necessary and she walks away. My friends and I all exchanged comments and glances about her behavior. She was obviously rude, and I wasn't the only one who picked up on that. When she came back to the table she had plastered on the first fake smile of the evening while handing me a side plate. "If this is going to be a problem, I don't need a steak at all," I say. She assures me that everything is ok and she will hurry it back out to me. Steak comes out cooked properly. She's pleasant for the rest of the evening. I'm still annoyed and ready to leave a crappy tip, but my boyfriend suggests 15%. Fine. !5% it is. Here's where the gangster law-breaking happens on the mean streets of Rochester... I look at my back statement this morning and she has given herself a $20.00 tip! That is over 20% of my bill. So I call my bank and call the restaurant. I speak to Matt, the service manager. Nice guy. Apologetic. Refunds my card for the overage and is sending me a gift card. Says "the appropriate actions will be taken with Amber." I will go back again, because I have had very great experiences here before, but I better not see her face in there.
(2)Karen W.
Been here twice recently I have mixed feelings. The drinks are great, they have a good beer selection and some pretty interesting mixed drinks...try the Apple Moonshine! However the food was "ok". We tried the trio of BBQ sliders, not impressed, lack of flavor and kind of dry. Stuffed mushroom appetizers were decent and the burger was alright. I would recommend Penny Black for drinks and maybe apps but not dinner
(3)David P.
Good food? Check. Good beer selection? Check. Bartenders capable of making a mixed drink that doesn't suck? Check. Parking? Meh. Street parking, meters, a couple lots semi-close by. Not a problem as long as the weather's decent. Nottacheck. This was the scene of possibly the most hilarious set of circumstances that ever took place at a detroitnet.org event...it's too bad it's NC-17 rated and can't be shared here :) Great little place, really like it. If you're in Rochester Hills and don't feel like hitting the Brewery, then this is a great place to be...especially if you like margaritas.
(4)Clem F.
This place is in decline. The current wait staff and bartenders all seem more preoccupied with each other than they do the customers. There used to be some decent beer specials but now they seem limited to the big brands like Labatt or Coors Lite. Food has been average my last few visits. I'll still go, but I consider it less often than before.
(2)William C.
Disclaimer: I grew up in Texas. I know good BBQ.I think my profile picture says all that one needs to know about that. ha. Not only have I sampled BBQ all across this country, I take great pride in my own BBQ and understand the time and dedication it takes to create tender, lean and flavorful BBQ This meal was in total, the worst BBQ meal I've ever had. Ever! I've had chain restaurants, airport joints, roadside joints, fancy joints. This was the worst. Brisket-- dry. tough. Zero smoke ring. Although it was dry and completely tasteless, it had a real greasy quality to it. Imagine a piece of flavorless beef jerkey that somebody had then dipped in old cooking oil. This cut of meat might be brisket, but other than that it had no resemblance to brisket Pulled pork: stringy, dry. Zero seasoning. Zero smoke flavor. We had it as a stand alone and also ordered a pulled pork sandwich. There was practically no sauce anywhere on either the pulled pork or the sandwich. People can debate whether or not meat needs sauce. This one does. It had zero flavor. Unfortunately it also had almost no sauce. The cole slaw had a nice crunch but lacked acid. It was what I would expect in a junior high school cafeteria if I ordered cole slaw. The only thing I liked about the sandwich was the bun. It was a nice piece of bread. When the best thing you ate on a 70 dollar BBQ sampling meal was the bun, that place is in serious trouble! The ribs: zero smoke flavor. Zero smoke ring. They were dry and stringy and had about a ketchup packet squirt of bland dull and ininspired sauce on top of the rack. The chicken: bland. Picture a kroger rotisserie chicken ( minus the salt ) Also, no smoke flavor or sauce Fried pickles. Now these had potential. nice crunch and good tangy flavor, but I got this icky flavor with the first and each subsequent bite as if they'd been fried in something fishy. I wonder if they fried this in the same oil as their calamari. Dunno, but all I tasted was a nasty fish flavor and it ruined the dish. baked beans: way undercooked. completely underseasoned. two bites , not three. total miss Brisket chili- probably their best bet on the menu. a nice bowl of chili from a textural standpoint. however, way underseasoned. absolutely zero heat. My 2 year old likes good spicy chili, and he thought this was boring. nuff said Service: zero stars. I showed up at 1230 PM to pick up my carry out and stood alone at the bar for 6 minutes. The place was deserted. There were 3 or 4 tables only and I saw one waiter shoot by at the far end of the joint. I didn't see anybody for 6 minutes. and when the bartender did show up he had a very bad attitude as he'd been helping do something out of my view and was still angry about it. So of course he was rude to me. I wouldn't go back here if the food was free. This is NOT BBQ. They do nice food across the street at Gus O'connors and at Knapps. There is absolutely no reason to visit this place. Nothing about it was worth a revisit. The bar area looked nice, with lots of nice brews on tap but there are bars with better food. AVOID this FAKE BBQ place! It's also pretty darned expensive too!! almost 70 bucks for the food we ordered. The meal was shared amongst myself, my two small kids, my wife and my in-laws ( who like their food bland....and they even said it was too bland!)
(1)Danny B.
I kind of got the feeling the owner thought to himself "bbq's popular right now so let's open a BBQ place". They should call it like it is and just be 'an American tavern'. They'd get better reviews and be true to what they are offering. To start good service. atmosphere: the lights were on bright but the black ceiling, black floor, black booths and dark wood tables all kind of blur together. The walls were painted a sweet old cracked cream color. Other than the walls it needs some brighter colors or art on the walls especially if they are going for BBQ theme. Their marketing/logo guy did a good job with the logo, menus, bags. I think they should fill in the wall between the dining room and bar to help reduce noise. Drink menu: big beer and cocktail selection. I enjoyed a good hand crafted cocktail. Limited wine and cheap wine selections. Food: nothing special or unique to set them apart from other BBQ places. I had a great burger, recommended by the server, with tasty house cut fries. The lettuce wrap app had so much suave I couldn't taste the filling. The tacos weren't anything special either. Very good apple crisp dessert. Overall decent menu for a tavern but I think they shouldn't called themselves BBQ. Thanks guys!
(4)Nijole T.
We went here for fathers day lunch and had a great time and an excellent meal! My husband went for BBQ which is always a tough bet, especially ribs we have never had any at a restaurant that taste as good as the ones he makes at home. We figured give it a try and if we don't like it send it back. He got the 2 meat plate with ribs, and beef briskit and loved it! The man is hard to please when it comes to meat, but he said these were the best he's had (except for his!) and the briskit was lean and of good quality, even the baked beans which I thought he would give to me he gobbled up and I did get to try a bite, they were awesome, loaded with briskit, sweet and tasty. The mac n cheese also great and my sons sliders and tots good as well. They have different housemade bbq sauces at the table, all great as well as a red pepper vinegar that I used for my salad and I was very tempted to take the bottle and put it in my purse. It was the best thing I've ever tried and if they sold it by the bottle I would have bought a case of it! Spicy, sweet n tangy it was so damn good! I got the HUGE made in house black burger loaded with guacamole and sauteed veggies, it was saucy, messy goodness really one of the best burgers I've ever had! Excellent service, the owner came by to ask how we liked everything, really a wonderful lunch from start to finish, one of those meals that you think about later on for a long time and wish you could have again and again!
(5)Meredith E.
I've been to Penny Black several times throughout the summer for drinks. The outdoor bar was a great addition, but the waitstaff was unfriendly, service was terrible and drinks were expensive. However, my three recent visits were quite good. The last visit was the first time I ordered food. I got the fried green tomato BLT with fries. WOW. This was tasty! BLT's are usually pretty amazing in general, but the thick slices of bacon, mayo and the warmness of the fried tomato led this to be the perfect sandwich! Lately at night, Penny Black has had good drink specials like $2 Blue Lights. I'm liking the recent improvements in food, drinks and service!
(3)Adam S.
While on the west side on a Sunday afternoon, the wife and I decided to give this place a try based on word of mouth, but it leaves much to be desired. The atmosphere is pretty dull; cold, uninviting, industrial... Weird. You think they'd want to make you feel welcome. Food was lackluster at best... I had the combo with two BBQ meats; pulled chicken and beef brisket with fries and baked beans - the beans were the best part of the meal. Everything was just this side of warm, and my chicken looked like mac and cheese, but tasted OK. The three morsel sized strips of brisket looked like cured shoe leather and tasted like they were smoked on a bed of tobacco leaves; very dry as well. I'm glad there was plenty of BBQ sauce to mask the over smoked beef and to add some moisture. Fries were advertised as hand cut, but I have my doubts that they were fresh, however, the beans appeared to be made from scratch, and while not exactly hot enough, they had a nice flavor. Of course, the best dish was the smallest portion. My wife had the meat loaf and it was "ok"... My main attraction to Penny Black was their claim of "Rochester's Finest Selection of Craft Beers". Had they bothered to list their taps on the online menu, I probably wouldn't have made the effort. Some decent taps were had: Bell's Two Hearted and Hop Slam, Kuhnhenn Loonie Kuhnie, and then, what's this? Bah, standard BMC fare... They did have a decent selection of Michigan beers, and some other micros, but besides the Hopslam, there wasn't really anything you couldn't get elsewhere, and for a better price. Glassware was not thoroughly rinsed (as indicated by the microscopic bubbles that adhere to the side of the glass when filled), but the beer was served in the appropriate glass and at a decent temperature. Points for no frosted glassware and the beer wasn't mind numbingly freezing! Service was average at best. While we were waited on immediately, it was the standard take the drink order, take the food order, drop off food, "are you ok?", here's the check routine. I had stopped our server to see if they had anything on tap that wasn't on the menu (I was spying the Founder's Imperial Stout handle; no mention of any Founder's taps on the menu) and a blank stare was paired with her muttering "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm..... What kind of beer do you like?". I fired another salvo and she just pointed to the Magic Hat entry on the menu and said (or maybe she was asking me) "This is out right now?". There's not much value here; the drinks and plates were priced about a dollar or two too high for what we got, the food was very sub par, but there are some decent beers on... Not worth the effort unless you're in the area and want to stop for an over priced drink or if you need to chew on something while you're cutting teeth. For BBQ, do yourself a favor and go down to Slow's or Lockhart's (I know, Detroit and Royal Oak aren't exactly next door to Rochester). If you're stuck in Rochester and want better food, fresher beer and reasonable prices, take the extra 5 minutes to drive over to Rochester Mills. I'm glad I got this place out of my system, but it totally wasn't worth the effort and I doubt I'd stop back, even if I were starving and this was the most convenient place to grab a bite.
(1)Heather H.
Penny Black's new menu in the last year is sooo yummy. The combo plate with pulled pork, brisket or chicken rules. Sweet potato fries are more like potatoes and are delicious... Like crack :) Also the buffalo chicken wrap is amazing. Eat here often. Staff is friendly :)
(5)Shelby H.
The food was good, but not great. I had the Yard Bird sandwich and the person I was with had the pulled pork sandwich. Both of them were a little bland. They had the individual bottles of BBQ sauce that they serve with food as is the trend with places that have BBQ. The sauces they had were Sweet, Spicy, and Carolina. The sandwiches came with sweet potato fries, which were great. I highly recommend those. They have an interested menu of drinks, but there isn't much to choose from. They have a drink menu that lists about 5 martinis, about 5 mixed drinks, wines, and some beers. I usually like to try new beers, but they didn't have anything that sounded very interesting to me - most of the beer they had were on the boring side in my opinion. I ordered a peach martini and it was good.
(3)Lenny Liliana M.
Love this place!! Texas tacos is my favorite food from their menu.
(5)Cheryl M.
Maybe I didn't order the right things. The mac n cheese was bland. I won't order it again. The fried pickles were really good. The Caesar salad was boring. The wings were pretty decent. And the margaritas were pre-fab and really bad. We may try this again if we are walking by and happen to be hungry, but with all the really good restaurants out there, I'd rather spend my $$ somewhere else. Not a terrible place, but not worth crossing the street to get there.
(2)Amanda C.
We came for dinner on a Sunday night. I have been here before for an appetizer and beer, so was not expecting a bad time. Thank goodness my S.O. is a good sport. Our waitress was severely lacking in her demeanor. It took forever to get her attention to place an order, get the bill, etc. We actually left without ordering dessert as we didn't know how long we would have to wait to even order. Foodwise it was extremely average. Would not recommend mac and cheese, totally forgettable and bland. S.O. had pulled pork sandwich which seemed pretty nice, flavour was good when I tried it. Overall not a consistent experience.
(2)R U.
Not amazing; but, not just a bar food joint, either. The bacon/egg/cheese burger on pretzel roll was quite good. A reasonable selection of draft beer available. Service was attentive. Bar area can be quite noisy, especially when Michigan basketball game is on the TV! Consequently, dining area noisy, too. Worth a revisit.
(4)Mace H.
Great Atmosphere! Great Food! Great Staff(Ryan, Sean & Mark)! Kids had a great time on the patio and ate free on Sunday! We will definatley be back!!
(5)Kate F.
I think they've changed owners since my first review. The food is fantastic - tenderloin tips, fajitas, smoked wings (anything smoked), tater tots topped with pulled pork, cheese, jalapenos, buffalo calamari. The beer selection is also great - lots of Michigan brews on tap. We love the servers, the outdoor bar and the daily specials, too. -------------------- Barbecue in Rochester!!! We split the Smokehouse Platter and Tequila Lime Shrimp. Ribs were great - fall off the bone, smoky goodness. Brisket and pulled pork were also good. My husband loved the "collosal freshwater prawns," I thought they were okay. Southwest caesar side salad was large, and full of cotija cheese and tortilla strips. Chicken tortilla soup was creamy and delicious, and sweet potato fries were obviously hand-cut - came in various shapes and sizes. Like any good barbecue, there were five sauces served on the side. All were good, but I especially liked the hot and the Carolina sauces. Yumm! Everything was very reasonably priced, and we will definitely go back for more.
(5)Anthony E.
The old Rochester Post Office has re-invented itself yet again, this time with a fitting name for what it once was. Penny Black is the fourth or fifth establishment at this location, but it's definately unlike it's failed predecessors. It has the look & feel to a place you might find in a Chicago neighborhood. The outdoor patio covers 1 1/2 sides of the building. Although relatively small, it was well executed and includes a small outdoor bar area. The only pictures on their website of it makes their patio look like a place for caged animals. The inside is nice with a hipster feel, but apparently their floor isn't made for heels according to one review. The bar splits the dining areas with bar tops w/ stools, and booths to the left and table/chair on the right. It doesn't scream family restaurant, but they do have great prices and options for the kiddos. Their draft beer selection is better then any place I've been to in the Rochester area. They had a extensive selection of cocktails as well. The menu is fairly priced, and has a lot of options for tex-mex lovers. Vegans should avoid this place, like most places, unless their just in it for cocktails. ;) I ordered their Jumbalaya with Chicken Tortilla soup, and their house salad with Chipolte Ranch. The soup was super delicious and the salad was fresh. The ranch, had just a hint of chipolte which was tough to pick up in a salad with bacon. The jumbalaya was a little soupy for my taste, but the flavors were spot on. Nice friendly service, good food, and great beer? I'll be back.
(4)J F.
Went here on our drunken NYE night and I have to say wow! great service. We only had drinks and we stood by the bar, but we ordered probably about 10-12 drinks in a very short period of time (go big or go home) and they were so incredibly attentive and fast. I never waited more than 30 seconds to get a bartenders attention.
(4)Jen M.
They have a great selection of local microbrews available in a flight of three 7 oz glasses for 7.50.....that's the extent of the charm. The food is garbage. The beans at Taco Bell are far superior to what came on my plate. Likewise, the enchilada sauce tasted like cold watery ketchup. The floors are a lawsuit waiting to happen. While I understand the draw of glazed concrete-cheap and attractive alternative to tile-it does NOT belong in a restaurant/bar. A hint of moisture on the floor creates an ice rink. I, like most females inclined to visit drinking establishments on the weekends, traipse around in heels I have no business wearing. A visit to the loo after a number of cocktails was a feat in and of itself. Bar staff is competent and know their beers. In sum, not worth visiting for dinner or food of any sort really. If you are going for drinks wear flip flops or sneaks.
(2)Bess R.
Tried again. Still just okay. Had a salad this time. Lots of meat and toppings, which I liked. But the dressing had NO flavor. For chipotle ranch, I expected something.
(2)Mary M.
Absolutely not. They tried though so thats why they get 2 stars. The drinks were disappointing. The fish tacos were borderline gross. The fries were weird. The veggie side was cold and tasteless...can I have just a little salt and pepper?? I have NO intentions of going back.
(2)Chris M.
Had a very good mushroom burger and my wife enjoyed her pulled pork. Service was good and prices were reasonable. I will return and try some of their smoked entrees.
(4)Randy T.
Amazing! You would never believe you are eating inside the old post office. Rich, elegant decor meets reasonably priced, yet well prepared food! The atmosphere is fantastic, the drink menu is impressive, and the food is truly inspired. The barbecue selections are fantastic, well prepared, and just the right portion size. Penny Black can be a real treat for dinner or a night out!
(5)Lauren S.
I think this a great spot! I had been told by a friend that the food was not great, but I think that since she told me that the restaurant changed hands and is now under new management. I came for dinner on Friday night and was quite impressed. If I remember correctly, our server told us the new chef was from Fortesa and completely changed the menu. The barbecue sauce is made in-house and I thought it was really delicious. It didn't exactly pack-a-punch but I thought it had a really nice flavor. I ordered the barbecue Cobb salad with the barbecue sauce drizzle, which came with a cornmeal and jalapeno scone with cinnamon butter. Now THAT was really delicious. The spicy/sweet combination was really great! On Friday and Saturday nights they have live music, which I was not looking forward to. I'm staunchly opposed to live music during regular dinner hours (unless it's only a piano) because I find the band doesn't understand people are there to eat/have conversation and are not groupies desperately waiting for the band to start playing. Loudly. We tried to finish our dinner before the music but we were unsuccessful. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this particular band! They played lower-key music when we were there and we were able to enjoy our conversation while enjoying their music, which was actually quite good. As it happens, I went back the following night for a little bit for my friend's bachelorette party and the staff was really fun, they pulled up a stool and had the band play a song for her! It was silly and I really enjoyed it. :)
(4)Christy F.
This review is based on the drinks. I only had a spoon full of the tortilla soup, but it was good and I want more. Not sure on the BBQ. WARNING this place will ruin margaritas for you at any other place. They set the bar high as it should be. Stop drinking that nasty sour mix....penny black does it right with fresh agave, fresh lemon, lime and orages....that is all you need! Well, besides killer tequilla. Dying to try the sangria, esp. when pitchers are half off. This is behind the main strip in downtown rochester. They also have a facebook page...bands on certain nights. This is owned by the Hills restaurant group. Amazing drink menu. i have not been at night time. I love that they serve local micro brews and a lot of them...and one of Michigan's best breweries Kuhnenman just made them their own beer.
(4)Shannon S.
I like Penny Black, and yesterday was my third visit. I noticed as I walked up that I have never been there in the warmer months, as I see the outside bar area covered up now for the winter. I seem to always go during November. Just curious how it is in the summer months. The parking is crap, it's just hard to find a spot, and again, I seem to go in the winter, so walking long distances doesn't appeal to me, but after circling for for a few minutes I found a spot close enough. Just be prepared for the parking issue. So for last night, the food was okay, we only ordered appetizers to split, and I wasn't impressed, by the size or taste of two $10 appetizers. The veggie flat bread just seemed like some melted cheese, with a few sauteed veggies, dressed with arugula...like they just throw a bunch of arugula on it, to cover the mess underneath or to dress it up.... HEY! You can't trick me! haha.. The nachos were good, but for 10 BUCKS! My plate should be over-floweth! Then there were the Caipirinha's we ordered....and.....boo!! They did not taste like Caipirinha. I was remembering another yelper said to have a specific bar tender make them... I should have checked that out... Anyway, I am still going to give Penny Black 4 stars because I am a fan of the atmosphere, area, food, music, ambiance. I guess you can't always be perfect ;)
(4)Riordan R.
As I read the reviews, we have many different opinions, but in average everyone agrees that the place is worth the visit. Our food was not not the best. We ordered nachos with cheese, and it just didn't look great, I would not order again. But this could be just our bad luck that day, because overall I think they do a good job. The service was great, the waitresses always paying attention to the customers, and doing a good job. The atmosphere is awsome, beautiful people, nice bar, great place for a happy hour. It can be a little noisy, but I guess I'm getting old...LOL I would definetly recommend the visit, you wont be disapointed.
(3)Shaun P.
We decided to travel out to Rochester for a holiday cheer. The entire downtown is draped with festive lights impeccably done. The lights weren't the only thing that was perfectly done. Penny Black made the night even more enjoyable with a few pints and some carefully designed and crafted bar food that was a hit. This bar has wonderful daily specials and really great beer selections with the emphasis on tap beer (smile). Make sure you ask what the specials are for the day because I didn't notice them posted but, the wait staff will surely lend a helping hand. Make sure to try the burger with fries that are made in house and the bread brought in from a local bakery. The menu isn't your typical deep fried and frozen selections that most places call bar food. This is a truly thought out and inspired menu without taking anything away from the fatting treats we associate with the bar theme. The emphasis is on fresh and on local items. If you're looking for the bar atmosphere but want good food then you have found your new local bar.
(4)Tracy F.
Good food and reasonable prices. It is a loud place and especially after 9 when they start the band up. The acoustics are not good for a band or dj because the sound bounces. You can't have a conversation unless you are yelling across the table. So if you want to enjoy conversation, then eat before music starts. Crowd gets younger by then also.
(4)Caitlin F.
I went to Penny Black last Friday and was pleasantly surprised! Having grown up in Rochester, I saw that building morph into many restaurants...all of which were stunning flops. Penny Black seems to have hope for a solid future, however. P.B. is a spawn of The Hills, so the atmosphere is much the same. Clean, contemporary, and down to earth. Of course, after the Wings game, there was a lame "DJ", blasting Top 40 jams from his Mac Book. Lame. The large group of cougars hanging out were thrilled with his mixing "skills", though. One side of the restaurant is more bar oriented, the other more family-friendly. The menu a bit of an eclectic mix of barbecue, Tex-Mex and standard American fair. I ordered the pulled pork nachos, and my boyfriend ordered the pulled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. Everything was very good, I enjoyed that they had 6 different barbecue sauces to try with our meals as well. The portion for the nachos is absurd. Easily enough for 2 or 3 very hungry people! There's also an extensive drink menu, including a few different caipirinha cocktails. I ordered the classic caipirinha and was very pleased. Strong, balanced, and tasty! We were there for a birthday party, and knew we'd be hanging out for a few hours, so I ordered the "ten gallon hat" next. I expected something similar to one of the fish bowls at the Hills. I was wrong. It came in a pitcher with a giant bendy straw (ooo!), with a variety of rum mixed in. I think they lied about the rum, however...it just tasted like gross red Kool-Aid or Hi-C, with an extra cup of sugar in it. I drank about a third before realizing my throat felt like sandpaper...and I didn't even have a buzz! I finished my night off with a ton of water, but still woke up with a sugar-induced sore throat. Next time, I'll stick with another caipirinha or two!!
(4)Robert C.
I go here frequently - once or twice a week - because I live near, and because it's so good: the food is very good, the beer selection is outstanding, the mixed drinks are near-perfect, and the service is attentive and friendly without being intrusive. Amber in particular is cordial, professional, and she even handles the very rare obnoxious customer with aplomb. Crystell (sp?) is the one to ask for a Caipirinha, as she mixes them exactly the way they're made in Brasil. And Ashley... ah, what can I say about Ashley? She is a very good server, a very good bartender, and very easy on the eyes! Overseeing this crew (and several others not mentioned) is a manager who seems to be everywhere and see everything, but again unobtrusively: he makes sure that things are working properly and smoothly. As for the food: the menu tends toward the casual, but even has a very good steak; everything I've tried at PB has been quite good. I recommend this place for the ambience as well: inside - trendy, nice decor, but you can catch a Tigers game on the TVs; outside - very laid-back, almost a Key West-type vibe, with patio seating on a very lightly-traveled Rochester side-street. Enjoy!
(4)Robert B.
Had a late night dinner on a Sunday after seeing a play at Meadowbrook. It was our 1st visit and the place was empty. We were told that the menu had recently been changed. Everything is now prepared fresh. My wife had Salmon which she said was very good and fresh. She also enjoyed the fresh green beans which had a great smokehouse flavor. The potatoes were ok but we're a little undercooked. I had the half slab of BBQ ribs which were very tasty. They had a great smokey flavor. So did the baked beans. We finished the meal with an Apple Crisp dessert. It wasn't bad but we both agreed that less apple and more crisp would have been better. Overall a great meal and we look forward to coming back.
(4)JB L.
I though I would give this place a try based on that it had seemed to last a short while in a location infamous for failing restaurants. Although I like to try a place more than once before dooming them I don't feel a second try by me will be anything but disappointing. I would have rated this place with a negative 3 stars if possible. I started with a Caesar salad that had to be at least 4-5 days old Romaine. Brown, wilty and over drenched in processed dressing. If it was house made, it was old too. Then my ribs- (That our server stated was what they were known for) where so well done it might as well been jerky. I had a whole slab that I couldn't even finish on account of the hardness. My son's burger- so far past medium the cook had to be on his/her second smoke break in a row while it was grilling. Pretty bad when the "cook" can't even cook medium. (A simple skill any cook should know) My wife had a Cuban sandwich- that just happened to be so completely different than the week before prepared for her. Pulled pork should be pulled. This was just chunks thrown on top the bread. My wife did say the ham wasn't as burnt as the first time she had it though... Afterwards I had asked our server if this was a consistent look of my ribs only to hear "yes, that's how they look every time"... In my opinion, just not worth the $70.00 on a Saturday lunch for two adults an eight old boy and a toddler that had his own food. Unfriendly staff, cool, cold industrial appeal. The only good I found was the Carolina and Texas sauces. Those were free. Seems to me, the Hills reputation for overpriced terribly cook food carries on into this place. Such a shame for what could be a magnificent eatery.
(1)Matt R.
My girlfriend and I went here after literally "following our noses" to a great smell. I ordered the half roasted chicken with veggies and polenta. Everything was excellent except for my polenta, which was too salty to finish. My girlfriend, however, found the dish I will get next time. Fettucini alfredo with manchego and roasted cherry tomatoes and peas! Phenomenal dish; the sweet tomatoes and peas really cut the richness of the pasta. Yum. Nice atmosphere with a mix of booths, high-top tables, and bar seating. Definitely casual, there are TVs around the bar, and what appears to be a small kereoke stage. Patio seating too for warmer weather.
(4)Johhny G.
They claim to be a bbq place. Far from it, more like a bar. The food was blahh. No bbq feel at this place.
(2)Honest O.
Thanks for the great service this evening!!! My friend and i kept accidentaly spilling things and our waiter was really cool about it. We really enjoyed the heaping portions and delicious food. It was my first restaurant experience in michigan and it was great! I wish i knew our waiters name to give gim lots of praise. Nicest guy ever, if youre reading this tell your boss that this compliment goes to you, mister! Love, The two tall blonde girls from dinner this evening. (He was a white guy who said he recently went to san diego.... if that helps figure out who was serving us. He deserves twenty million gold stars!!!)
(5)Miranda C.
Having noted that four or five restaurants in this location had previously flopped, my friend and I stopped in a bit reluctantly on July 4 when most of the other places in town were closed. What a great surprise. The beer selection was amazing. We split the chicken tex-mex salad that comes in the shell (forget the name). It was served with a tangy side sauce and included mixed spring greens (rather than the usual iceberg and romaine). It was big enough for two adults looking for a light meal. We got a look at some of the other selections being served and it's clear that the quality of food several notches above the usual "pub fare." I am a little puzzled by the complaints about the service, since our service was fine. Our waiter was attentive without hovering over us the entire meal. We were impressed enough to come back a few days later and order the same thing - even though by that time we had a choice of a number of reopened restaurant downtown.
(5)Lisa K.
My husband and I had lunch here today and it was awesome. Wings as an appetizer...I had the BLT with Fried Green Tomatoes and my hubby had the Yardbird. Great service and delicious food. We will be back!
(5)John H.
Good food at a good price! I've ordered the blackened catfish on several occasions and it has been delicious each time, for $14. Nice outdoor patio too, and lively bar in half of the restaurant. Friendly staff.
(4)Wendy B.
So excited to eat here but kind of disappointed. Six of us ate and everyone's meal except mine was good. Jambalaya was really great, Sante Fe Salad got great reviews and ribs were pretty good. My Michigan Cherry Salad was bad....too much dressing and dressing was too vinegary. The Tortilla Soup I ordered came too late to eat and the restaurant - which was packed - was so hot we all wished we had tank tops and sandals.
(3)Bryan W.
The food was as good as ever and it seems as though that they are continuing to grow the menu. I love the lunch special with Soup, Salad, and Taco! Delicious
(4)John B.
Like the atmosphere but food is really bad. Its too bad cause it could be a really great place. 4stars for atmosphere, 2 for food.
(3)Laurelle B.
All new menu! Seafood chowder was tasty. (could have been warmer) LOVED the fried green tomatoes appetizer. Chicken fajitas were good with plenty of extras to load on them. Nothing extraordinary but I would go there again.
(4)tom m.
Great little bar and restaurant. Extensive beer list, had the Stella on tap, very cold. The catfish was decent, lightly battered, fried, and flavorful. Mac n cheese with bacon was awesome. We'll be back again, many more items on the menu I would like to try.
(4)S H.
Penny Black in Rochester -- vegetarians beware!! They have a vegetarian fajita on menu, hmmm, perhaps they need a little education on the definition of "veg"etarian. The plate came with rice, which was made with a chicken base, and refried beans, which had lard in them. Sour cream came on the plate, even though we told her we are vegan. Asked for sweet potato fries three (yes 3!) times and never got them. Service was the worst and the booths are super uncomfortable.
(1)David B.
Went here for the second time and was very unimpressed. You would think BBQ would be their specialty, but it is not. Had the Smokehouse Platter twice: pulled pork, beef brisket & 1/4 slab of ribs. First time pork and brisket we dried out and taste-less. Ribs were ok, but also very dry. Thankfully they have a selection of excellent sauces - make sure the bottles are full, because you'll need it. Second time small caesar was nothing but old, limp, dead lettuce. Platter was almost the same, except the ribs this time were just insanely overcooked - just plain terrible. Dry, taste-less - like eating char. One would think that BBQ is pretty hard to mess up, but not these guys. They do have a good selection of beer and several craft Michigan-made brews. Go there for a drink - the food is terrible. This place is owned by the group that does The Hill, and their food is mostly mediocre. Obviously their focus is on the bar (it takes up half the budiling) and the food is an afterthought. Just another place pandering to the 20-year old crowd. Too bad, because the city could use another decent place to eat.
(1)Caitlin F.
I went to Penny Black last Friday and was pleasantly surprised! Having grown up in Rochester, I saw that building morph into many restaurants...all of which were stunning flops. Penny Black seems to have hope for a solid future, however. P.B. is a spawn of The Hills, so the atmosphere is much the same. Clean, contemporary, and down to earth. Of course, after the Wings game, there was a lame "DJ", blasting Top 40 jams from his Mac Book. Lame. The large group of cougars hanging out were thrilled with his mixing "skills", though. One side of the restaurant is more bar oriented, the other more family-friendly. The menu a bit of an eclectic mix of barbecue, Tex-Mex and standard American fair. I ordered the pulled pork nachos, and my boyfriend ordered the pulled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. Everything was very good, I enjoyed that they had 6 different barbecue sauces to try with our meals as well. The portion for the nachos is absurd. Easily enough for 2 or 3 very hungry people! There's also an extensive drink menu, including a few different caipirinha cocktails. I ordered the classic caipirinha and was very pleased. Strong, balanced, and tasty! We were there for a birthday party, and knew we'd be hanging out for a few hours, so I ordered the "ten gallon hat" next. I expected something similar to one of the fish bowls at the Hills. I was wrong. It came in a pitcher with a giant bendy straw (ooo!), with a variety of rum mixed in. I think they lied about the rum, however...it just tasted like gross red Kool-Aid or Hi-C, with an extra cup of sugar in it. I drank about a third before realizing my throat felt like sandpaper...and I didn't even have a buzz! I finished my night off with a ton of water, but still woke up with a sugar-induced sore throat. Next time, I'll stick with another caipirinha or two!!
(4)Matt R.
My girlfriend and I went here after literally "following our noses" to a great smell. I ordered the half roasted chicken with veggies and polenta. Everything was excellent except for my polenta, which was too salty to finish. My girlfriend, however, found the dish I will get next time. Fettucini alfredo with manchego and roasted cherry tomatoes and peas! Phenomenal dish; the sweet tomatoes and peas really cut the richness of the pasta. Yum. Nice atmosphere with a mix of booths, high-top tables, and bar seating. Definitely casual, there are TVs around the bar, and what appears to be a small kereoke stage. Patio seating too for warmer weather.
(4)Johhny G.
They claim to be a bbq place. Far from it, more like a bar. The food was blahh. No bbq feel at this place.
(2)Shelby H.
The food was good, but not great. I had the Yard Bird sandwich and the person I was with had the pulled pork sandwich. Both of them were a little bland. They had the individual bottles of BBQ sauce that they serve with food as is the trend with places that have BBQ. The sauces they had were Sweet, Spicy, and Carolina. The sandwiches came with sweet potato fries, which were great. I highly recommend those. They have an interested menu of drinks, but there isn't much to choose from. They have a drink menu that lists about 5 martinis, about 5 mixed drinks, wines, and some beers. I usually like to try new beers, but they didn't have anything that sounded very interesting to me - most of the beer they had were on the boring side in my opinion. I ordered a peach martini and it was good.
(3)Lenny Liliana M.
Love this place!! Texas tacos is my favorite food from their menu.
(5)Cheryl M.
Maybe I didn't order the right things. The mac n cheese was bland. I won't order it again. The fried pickles were really good. The Caesar salad was boring. The wings were pretty decent. And the margaritas were pre-fab and really bad. We may try this again if we are walking by and happen to be hungry, but with all the really good restaurants out there, I'd rather spend my $$ somewhere else. Not a terrible place, but not worth crossing the street to get there.
(2)Amanda C.
We came for dinner on a Sunday night. I have been here before for an appetizer and beer, so was not expecting a bad time. Thank goodness my S.O. is a good sport. Our waitress was severely lacking in her demeanor. It took forever to get her attention to place an order, get the bill, etc. We actually left without ordering dessert as we didn't know how long we would have to wait to even order. Foodwise it was extremely average. Would not recommend mac and cheese, totally forgettable and bland. S.O. had pulled pork sandwich which seemed pretty nice, flavour was good when I tried it. Overall not a consistent experience.
(2)R U.
Not amazing; but, not just a bar food joint, either. The bacon/egg/cheese burger on pretzel roll was quite good. A reasonable selection of draft beer available. Service was attentive. Bar area can be quite noisy, especially when Michigan basketball game is on the TV! Consequently, dining area noisy, too. Worth a revisit.
(4)Mace H.
Great Atmosphere! Great Food! Great Staff(Ryan, Sean & Mark)! Kids had a great time on the patio and ate free on Sunday! We will definatley be back!!
(5)Kate F.
I think they've changed owners since my first review. The food is fantastic - tenderloin tips, fajitas, smoked wings (anything smoked), tater tots topped with pulled pork, cheese, jalapenos, buffalo calamari. The beer selection is also great - lots of Michigan brews on tap. We love the servers, the outdoor bar and the daily specials, too. -------------------- Barbecue in Rochester!!! We split the Smokehouse Platter and Tequila Lime Shrimp. Ribs were great - fall off the bone, smoky goodness. Brisket and pulled pork were also good. My husband loved the "collosal freshwater prawns," I thought they were okay. Southwest caesar side salad was large, and full of cotija cheese and tortilla strips. Chicken tortilla soup was creamy and delicious, and sweet potato fries were obviously hand-cut - came in various shapes and sizes. Like any good barbecue, there were five sauces served on the side. All were good, but I especially liked the hot and the Carolina sauces. Yumm! Everything was very reasonably priced, and we will definitely go back for more.
(5)Robert C.
I go here frequently - once or twice a week - because I live near, and because it's so good: the food is very good, the beer selection is outstanding, the mixed drinks are near-perfect, and the service is attentive and friendly without being intrusive. Amber in particular is cordial, professional, and she even handles the very rare obnoxious customer with aplomb. Crystell (sp?) is the one to ask for a Caipirinha, as she mixes them exactly the way they're made in Brasil. And Ashley... ah, what can I say about Ashley? She is a very good server, a very good bartender, and very easy on the eyes! Overseeing this crew (and several others not mentioned) is a manager who seems to be everywhere and see everything, but again unobtrusively: he makes sure that things are working properly and smoothly. As for the food: the menu tends toward the casual, but even has a very good steak; everything I've tried at PB has been quite good. I recommend this place for the ambience as well: inside - trendy, nice decor, but you can catch a Tigers game on the TVs; outside - very laid-back, almost a Key West-type vibe, with patio seating on a very lightly-traveled Rochester side-street. Enjoy!
(4)Robert B.
Had a late night dinner on a Sunday after seeing a play at Meadowbrook. It was our 1st visit and the place was empty. We were told that the menu had recently been changed. Everything is now prepared fresh. My wife had Salmon which she said was very good and fresh. She also enjoyed the fresh green beans which had a great smokehouse flavor. The potatoes were ok but we're a little undercooked. I had the half slab of BBQ ribs which were very tasty. They had a great smokey flavor. So did the baked beans. We finished the meal with an Apple Crisp dessert. It wasn't bad but we both agreed that less apple and more crisp would have been better. Overall a great meal and we look forward to coming back.
(4)JB L.
I though I would give this place a try based on that it had seemed to last a short while in a location infamous for failing restaurants. Although I like to try a place more than once before dooming them I don't feel a second try by me will be anything but disappointing. I would have rated this place with a negative 3 stars if possible. I started with a Caesar salad that had to be at least 4-5 days old Romaine. Brown, wilty and over drenched in processed dressing. If it was house made, it was old too. Then my ribs- (That our server stated was what they were known for) where so well done it might as well been jerky. I had a whole slab that I couldn't even finish on account of the hardness. My son's burger- so far past medium the cook had to be on his/her second smoke break in a row while it was grilling. Pretty bad when the "cook" can't even cook medium. (A simple skill any cook should know) My wife had a Cuban sandwich- that just happened to be so completely different than the week before prepared for her. Pulled pork should be pulled. This was just chunks thrown on top the bread. My wife did say the ham wasn't as burnt as the first time she had it though... Afterwards I had asked our server if this was a consistent look of my ribs only to hear "yes, that's how they look every time"... In my opinion, just not worth the $70.00 on a Saturday lunch for two adults an eight old boy and a toddler that had his own food. Unfriendly staff, cool, cold industrial appeal. The only good I found was the Carolina and Texas sauces. Those were free. Seems to me, the Hills reputation for overpriced terribly cook food carries on into this place. Such a shame for what could be a magnificent eatery.
(1)Honest O.
Thanks for the great service this evening!!! My friend and i kept accidentaly spilling things and our waiter was really cool about it. We really enjoyed the heaping portions and delicious food. It was my first restaurant experience in michigan and it was great! I wish i knew our waiters name to give gim lots of praise. Nicest guy ever, if youre reading this tell your boss that this compliment goes to you, mister! Love, The two tall blonde girls from dinner this evening. (He was a white guy who said he recently went to san diego.... if that helps figure out who was serving us. He deserves twenty million gold stars!!!)
(5)Miranda C.
Having noted that four or five restaurants in this location had previously flopped, my friend and I stopped in a bit reluctantly on July 4 when most of the other places in town were closed. What a great surprise. The beer selection was amazing. We split the chicken tex-mex salad that comes in the shell (forget the name). It was served with a tangy side sauce and included mixed spring greens (rather than the usual iceberg and romaine). It was big enough for two adults looking for a light meal. We got a look at some of the other selections being served and it's clear that the quality of food several notches above the usual "pub fare." I am a little puzzled by the complaints about the service, since our service was fine. Our waiter was attentive without hovering over us the entire meal. We were impressed enough to come back a few days later and order the same thing - even though by that time we had a choice of a number of reopened restaurant downtown.
(5)Lisa K.
My husband and I had lunch here today and it was awesome. Wings as an appetizer...I had the BLT with Fried Green Tomatoes and my hubby had the Yardbird. Great service and delicious food. We will be back!
(5)John H.
Good food at a good price! I've ordered the blackened catfish on several occasions and it has been delicious each time, for $14. Nice outdoor patio too, and lively bar in half of the restaurant. Friendly staff.
(4)Wendy B.
So excited to eat here but kind of disappointed. Six of us ate and everyone's meal except mine was good. Jambalaya was really great, Sante Fe Salad got great reviews and ribs were pretty good. My Michigan Cherry Salad was bad....too much dressing and dressing was too vinegary. The Tortilla Soup I ordered came too late to eat and the restaurant - which was packed - was so hot we all wished we had tank tops and sandals.
(3)Bryan W.
The food was as good as ever and it seems as though that they are continuing to grow the menu. I love the lunch special with Soup, Salad, and Taco! Delicious
(4)John B.
Like the atmosphere but food is really bad. Its too bad cause it could be a really great place. 4stars for atmosphere, 2 for food.
(3)Laurelle B.
All new menu! Seafood chowder was tasty. (could have been warmer) LOVED the fried green tomatoes appetizer. Chicken fajitas were good with plenty of extras to load on them. Nothing extraordinary but I would go there again.
(4)tom m.
Great little bar and restaurant. Extensive beer list, had the Stella on tap, very cold. The catfish was decent, lightly battered, fried, and flavorful. Mac n cheese with bacon was awesome. We'll be back again, many more items on the menu I would like to try.
(4)S H.
Penny Black in Rochester -- vegetarians beware!! They have a vegetarian fajita on menu, hmmm, perhaps they need a little education on the definition of "veg"etarian. The plate came with rice, which was made with a chicken base, and refried beans, which had lard in them. Sour cream came on the plate, even though we told her we are vegan. Asked for sweet potato fries three (yes 3!) times and never got them. Service was the worst and the booths are super uncomfortable.
(1)David B.
Went here for the second time and was very unimpressed. You would think BBQ would be their specialty, but it is not. Had the Smokehouse Platter twice: pulled pork, beef brisket & 1/4 slab of ribs. First time pork and brisket we dried out and taste-less. Ribs were ok, but also very dry. Thankfully they have a selection of excellent sauces - make sure the bottles are full, because you'll need it. Second time small caesar was nothing but old, limp, dead lettuce. Platter was almost the same, except the ribs this time were just insanely overcooked - just plain terrible. Dry, taste-less - like eating char. One would think that BBQ is pretty hard to mess up, but not these guys. They do have a good selection of beer and several craft Michigan-made brews. Go there for a drink - the food is terrible. This place is owned by the group that does The Hill, and their food is mostly mediocre. Obviously their focus is on the bar (it takes up half the budiling) and the food is an afterthought. Just another place pandering to the 20-year old crowd. Too bad, because the city could use another decent place to eat.
(1)Nick C.
Great service, friendly staff. the only draw back was the poutine. It was melted chedder cheese instead of cheese curds. Good beer selection The tater tot appetizer was great, so was the mac & Cheese and the lamb sliders. We'll for sure be back.
(4)Heather D.
Stopped by today after smelling the delicious BBQ smell on our way to brunch. We were quick to get seated and water and menus were brought immediately. I was in the mood for a hard cider, the server showed me what was available and even brought me a sample. I didn't care for it and settled on an Oberon. I appreciated the opportunity to taste, and her knowledge of local cider. My husband chose the deep fried pickles and smoked chicken wings with hot buffalo sauce (1/2 off on Sunday). The pickles were sliced in a French fry fashion and tempura battered and fried, served with a house made remoulade (all sauces and dressings are house made). They were perfectly prepared, presentation was on point. The flavor of the wings were perfectly smoked and very juicy, just the right amount of sauce. I chose the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork. The pasta was perfect al dente tossed with gruyere and sharp cheddar with a parmesan and bread crumb topping. Tossed with pieces of smoky pulled pork. The smoky flavor of the meat, compliments the nutty essence of the gruyere. Served in a small cast iron skillet. Quality, flavor and service were on point. Could use a little broader selection of Craft Beer and Cider options.
(4)Rob B.
They have amazing food here! I usually get the Texas Tacos with bbq pulled pork. The meat melts in your mouth goodness. I have also had the limited goulash and it's very good too! So much so, that they need to keep it on the menu. They have the tap takeovers monthly. These are good if you want to sample 5 different beers and the goulash and speciality items from the grill. The layout of the room is a bit confusing. To the left is high tables with a small bar seating area and to the right is booths of sitting and dining. They also have a mini bar outside with small tables. This is a popular place to hang out. They have a wide selections of beer, wine and liquor based drinks. Check it out!
(4)Mike N.
Disappointed. Started with a calamari appetizer which was good, but the portion was fairly small for the cost. I ordered the bbq platter thinking this place used to have pretty good bbq, and my friend had the salmon dinner. The bbq meal was ok, certainly nothing to write home about, but I was advised the salmon left a lot to be desired. Waitress was nice and attentive. I would come back here for a couple beers on the patio, but will be skipping dinner.
(2)Victoria M.
My husband and I came to Penny Black on a Friday after work. We got there early enough where happy hour was still going on. Therefore, we both got beers. Very good beer selection. I got a strawberry type beer that didn't disappoint. Our waiter was great, very attentive, but not overly pushy. He made suggestions and was constantly checking on us in regards to drinks and if we needed anything else. The decor is modern, but a bit cold. Lots of dark colors and sleek lines, didn't feel much like a pub. Seating was either dining room, bar, or outside. We picked dining room and they had pretty nice large booths. The booths would be good for larger parties, probably fit at least 3 people comfortably on each side. We ordered the Dip Trio with Hot beer queso, fresh guacamole, house salsa, tortilla chips. All the dips were very good. Our waiter even hooked us up with more chips to finish off our dippers. I got the special - Lamb Sliders served with tzatziki sauce, onions and tomatoes. I also ordered fries as well. Fries were seasoned and yummy. The sliders were good, The lamb patty itself was pretty thick, a bit dry, but hey...it is lamb. Overall, this is a nice spot in downtown Rochester to come to get a drink. The entrees and food are a bit pricey. Our bill I believe came to about $50 or more. Still a place to check out and try, good food and swanky atmosphere.
(3)Lisa W.
I like Penny Black , but not quite love it. Menu has some high points, burgers, ribs, some salads. Some not so high points... Not a fan of a lot of the apps. Very good beer selection and decent mixed drinks. Their strong point is the wait staff, good bunch. Parking.With the new Rochester parking decks, that issue has been eliminated. The restaurant itself has a bit of a cold feel with the stained concrete floors and steel tables. Not homey enough for a pub feel, not edgy enough for a urban feel. Before you form a optintion from theses reviews, give it a try. Good for bite before a movie or a concert or meeting up with a group of friends.
(3)Liz P.
I came here on Sunday night before a concert at DTE. We showed up a little early, around 4:30pm, and it was pretty empty. Decided to sit inside rather than out because it was crazy hot out (like 85). Service was slow but okay. The food was very good - neither my friend nor I were that hungry, so we decided to split a sandwich and fries plus a side salad. They had a red wine vinaigrette that sounded good, but were out of it, so the waiter brought me a raspberry vinaigrette instead (usually my dressing of choice). The sandwich was this gouda / applewood bacon / apples / heirloom tomatoes concoction and was good, EXCEPT I'm not a huge bacon fan and it lended a crunchy taste to the sandwich which I didn't really like. Once I took the bacon out of the sandwich, it was much better, IMO. The sandwich was also HUGE and fine for splitting. The standout was actually the sweet potato fries, which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious (sounds weird, but you know what I mean - they were very soft). I'd come back here again, it looks like they do happy hour specials as well.
(4)Teresa E.
Great little outdoor seating area (a lot of bees though). Service was a little slow. They needed another waitress in our section. Food was decent. Nothing to write home about. We had the salmon and pulled pork platter. Both were okay. Not great by any means. I think I'd enjoy this place as a bar more than a restaurant. Good vibe, bad meal execution.
(3)Sasha O.
I'd like to do two reviews if I could. I came to Penny Black for dinner on a Friday night, the wait was reasonable, the hostesses were very pleasant and the bartender outside (while we waited) was pretty good. My only complaint is my pricey martini was weak at best, now it was admittedly a fru fru girly martini, but I've had better. We sat outside for dinner which was really nice, food was terrific and our waiter was AMAZING. Now here is where it gets interesting... We went to a movie & decided to go back to Penny Black because of the great experience. We went to the outdoor bar and the same bartender was there (who was pretty cool albeit a bit cocky)... There were a couple empty seats so I sat down but my date stood behind me to leave a seat open. The bartender had two shots w/ other guests before coming over & was clearly drunk. We ordered our drinks and the bartender said "you need to move, these seats are taken". I looked around & replied "it doesn't look like it"; he replied "they're out having a smoke"; my reply "ok I'll move when they get back"; his reply "no you'll move right now or I'll move you"; me "did you just threaten me?"; him "no I'm telling you the seats are taken & you are f***ing moving now". Needless to say we left at that point. He had another shot as we were leaving & was laughing with the people (friends obviously) at the bar. I've never been treated so disrespectfully at a restaurant or bar in my life. I was a waitress & bartender for years and am completely disgusted with this behavior. Obviously he shouldn't be drinking on the job, but he's also stealing and you have to wonder how many of those shots his friends are doing he's giving away (also stealing). I'm sad to give only 2 stars because our waiter at dinner was absolutely perfect in every way, the atmosphere is really nice & the food is good. It's a shame an outright jerk & thief is going to drive business away from what could be a great place.
(2)Kyle Martin D.
You know what creeps me out? People like my sisters. I'm talking overly friendly white people with big toothy smiles who are desperately trying to be trendy despite the fact they have a whole bunch of children, drive gas-guzzling SUVs, and live in tacky McMansions. This is Rochester. The bane of my existence. Penny Black is one of the few bright spots in this god-forsaken town. It's not cutting edge, but it is quality bar food, and a nice escape from all those soccer moms in yoga pants who do a pretty good job at harboring the fact that they might be republican. I ordered a grilled buffalo chicken sandwich. I didn't just like it. I loved it. It also came with a small side of fruit salad that wasn't too filling. Holy shit, (Kyle re-reads the last sentences, realizes Kyle's now writing in third person), I think I'm turning into one of those people. Somebody take me to the Stone House or Bronx Bar before I find myself coated in Lululemon and having in-depth conversations about gardening, standardized test scores and holistic teas.
(4)Pamela H.
I visited with three friends. We started with the pretzels and the cheese dip was so hard we couldn't even dip the pretzel into it. The waiter brought us a new one that solved the problem, but we were turned off by how long the original appeared to have been sitting out. Two of us ordered the bean burger. It was very dry and difficult to eat. We loaded it with condiments to try and add moisture, but still very dry. My friend didn't eat her burger and the waiter took half the price. Another friend got the salmon and said it was great. I won't be going back.
(2)Donald L.
What made this place last night five stars; our server Amanda. Thank you for being attentive, smiling and quick to react. Last night upon entering, we found no hostess, possibly busy, and waited for about a minute till another server filled in for her. We wanted a table of six for outside but if ok we would sit indoors until one opened up ((apprx 30 min). Once seated Amanda got my wife and I drinks and a table soon opened up outside. During this short 15 minute wait Amanda was at our table several times. While moving from the inside to the outside, I made sure Amanda was our server, she was. There was a slight wrong wine served which she caught on her own and made everything right. Everything we ordered from the fried Brussels sprouts, tater tots, poutine to our main courses was excellent. At one point Amanda had told us about her wish that night was to go see the fireworks with her kids. She never rushed us or inconvenienced us at all. I hope she made it to show. She did a really awesome job, thanks.
(5)Steve B.
We've been to Penny Black numerous times in the past. This has to have been one of our most disappointing meals there. Our waiter was attentive, but lacked knowledge and charisma some other staff exude. Having been there recently for burgers, sandwiches, and specials, we decided to order an old favorite, the meat platter. We were disappointed to find that they no longer offered brisket. Our waiter said he didn't know anything about that. We went with the meat platter anyway and added an extra serving short ribs. My wife had lamb slider special. Our meal came quite quickly. The short rib was covered in gelatinous brown gravy like substance, which was not appealing in any way. The meat was soft and tender and had a good flavor on its own. That's the way I like my short rib. Not soaked in sauce or gravy. The pulled pork was delicious. The fries were crisp and hot. Our drinks were constantly refilled. When I finished off the coleslaw, my daughter gave me an evil eye. So I asked the waiter if we could get a little more. He brought out an additional cup to her delight. We polished off dinner and asked for a to go box and our bill. I was surprised to find a small scoop of institutional coleslaw runs an additional $2.00. We walked out and realized we left our to go container on our table. My wife turned around and walked in 2 minutes after having left. The table was already clear. She asked our waiter and the busboy who both said they had not seen anything and that they thought we'd taken it with us. Yes of course we took it with us then turned around and came back in to look for it. There goes $8.00 worth of shortrib. Nothing they can do they said. I realize that my complaints individually are trivial but combined did not make for the experience we have come to expect from dining at Penny Black.
(2)Tyler D.
The bacon, black and bleu hamburger was fantastic! Probably the best burger that I've eaten all year. The sweet potato fries were also exceptional and well worth the up charge. My problem was with the Reuben sandwich....It contained very little meat, was dry as a bone, and the bread was charred. It left a burnt aftertaste after every bite. We were having fun with friends so we dealt with it in order to avoid all that comes with rejecting a meal. Shame on the cook for sending that out and on the waitress for not noticing.
(3)Manuela M.
I walked in and no diggity by blackstreet was playing. Try the chicken nachos and the black Apple moonshine! This is probably the best spot in downtown Rochester right now.
(5)Jo N.
A generous 3 stars. I hope the owner is reading this. ..POOR SERVICE (beyond slow) untrained staff will kill your business. I had to repeat my order when she came back to the table. She was unfamiliar with beer and food. Brought Labatts but we ordered Stella. We ordered to share and she didn't bring extra plates. Had fish tacos. ..dry? Taster tots...dry? She didn't ever come back so we got our own napkins, asked the bartender for plates, asked a waiter for bbq sauce which he brought plus the remoulade for the grilled fish tacos. 30 minutes later she comes up and says, want your bill? Oh how about dessert? She drops the bill off and we are over charged for pitcher of beer. It takes 15 minutes to be corrected because and I quote,"the manager is on a conference call". REALLY? At 9:31pm on a Sunday. If the manager was doing their job the new staff would have a clue. What a SHAME.
(3)Lynda B.
My husband and I went there on a Saturday night. It was busy, but not overly crowded and we were seated right away, at a table near the bar. It was not too noisy and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. The wait staff was great. We asked for some recommendations which were willingly provided. We ordered appetizers of egg rolls along with chips and a trio of dips. The egg rolls were crispy and had a bit of a kick to them but were very good. The chips came with three different dips. A warm queso, a salsa, and a guacamole. The portions were very generous and all were excellent. I am not a guacamole fan, but this was very flavorful and had a great texture. The queso was served warm and had a great cheesy taste. My husband had a beer of some type and was happy with it. I tried what was their version of a Long Island Iced tea. It was very good and not light on the liquor, it was also very large. For dinner my husband had a trio of sliders. They came with fries, which he said were crispy and quite good. I had the pulled pork burrito. It had a great smoky flavor and was quite large. I enjoyed it for lunch another day as well. For dessert, we again checked with the wait staff and Kristine, our excellent waitress, recommended the brownie and ice cream. We would come back just for dessert. There was plenty to share and the brownie was soft, yet chewy and we loved it. We will definitely come back again. Food was large in portion, reasonably priced and tasted very good. The atmosphere was lively, yet not too loud. Finally, the wait staff was on top of things and very knowledgeable about the menu, the food and the back story of the restaurant.
(4)Taylie C.
Great food, great atmosphere, great staff, amazing prices. It always takes me 20+ minutes to figure out what I want to order at Penny Black, because I want to try everything on their menu. I've even gone twice in one week! You wouldn't think a $9 sandwich could be life changing, but their Reuben is. It's hard for me to shut up about Penny Black...I love this place!
(5)Regina S.
A nice little addition to Rochester I would say! Came here with the BF on Friday for lunch. Not very busy, surprisingly, with it being black Friday and all, but definitely started to pick up by the time we left. Decent menu, although a little all over the place. I would say they're going for upscale bar food, but the atmosphere is like half bar/half restaurant. Do they have different menus? I don't know, so I'll assume no. We decided to go the burger route. I got the mac and cheese burger with homemade chips, and BF got the BBQ burger. We both asked for medium; we both got well done. SIDE NOTE: This is seriously like the 10th time in a row I have asked for a medium cooked burger, and I get well done every time. Have cooks forgotten how to make a burger, other than well cooked?? This is very frustrating to me. The mac and cheese burger, aside from being over cooked, just didn't have much of any flavor at all to me. The ketchup drowned out the mac and cheese flavor completely. I thought it was OK but not something I would order again, especially considering how much I love mac and cheese. BF thought his burger was fine, liked the onion strings. The chips were really, really good!!! Whoever is making those has it down pat!! They should offer those at the tables/bar as a snack.. Good stuff! So, I would for sure go back again. The staff was nice enough, and the place is clean and big. You don't feel crowded at all. The burgers were $8.99 with the chips, I believe our tab with 2 beers was around $30 /Rochester!!!
(3)Eric D.
Have been here often with co-workers, my wife and sometimes with our kids too. Hands down, they have the best patio in Rochester. Fairly-priced and tasty food as well including daily specials. Cajun beef tips and Texas Tots are crowd-pleasing appetizers. Buffalo Chicken Wrap and the Yard Bird are my favorite sandwiches. Good bbq and an actively rotating selection of craft beers. Kids eat free on Sundays as well.
(5)Steph S.
Strange. My friend had posted not to long ago about how poorly managed this bar is. The managers do not train properly or treat their employees with respect. (the post has been deleted.) Not to mention, I have seen -SEVERAL TIMES- the servers TAKING SHOTS! No "good" bar in their right minds would allow this. I'm not pleased to have a half buzzed waiter smelling like liquor. Management- clearly pathetic to state it simply. Waiters- dress like they're waking up for a 6am class on a Monday. Some look dirty and some are trashy. Over al very unprofessional Food- I found a hair in mine but didn't complain. A bit dry. Service over all: poor I also witnessed the woman who had to bus her own table and got disrespected by the manager. This place needs to be closed down! Just because you have fancy beer doesn't make your bar/restaurant good.
(1)James M.
Since my last review I have tried Penny Black and few times and had good experiences. They have a good beer selection and I'm a fan of their burgers and the fact that they carry tater tots.
(3)Jody K.
A group of 6 women met here for dinner on a Friday night at 6:00. We had a nice table outside, and that was very nice. Two of us arrived a little later than the rest of our party, and the waitress was very prompt in getting our drink order & bringing our drinks. She also waited the right amount of time before getting our orders. We all ordered different things, but with only one exception, they were all sandwiches. It seemed to take an awfully long time to get our food; I think it was close to half an hour after we ordered. Since we were there to visit, we didn't really comment about that, but it seemed to me to be much longer than necessary. I ordered the trio of sliders: one each of pulled pork, turkey and chicken, served with fries and coleslaw. Well, if I hadn't looked at each sandwich while I was eating it, I wouldn't have been able to tell one from the other; the were very bland & tasted the same. Likewise, the coleslaw had no discernable flavor; it basically tasted like wet cabbage. No sweetness, no vinegar flavor. The fries were also pretty tasteless, although they were very nicely cooked a golden brown. Two of the women in our group shared a burger and the macaroni & cheese, and they were raving about it. Perhaps I should've ordered one of those instead. Another woman in our group ordered the walleye, which came with asparagus & another side that I didn't see. She said the fish was good, but that the asparagus was too hard and cold for her liking. One of the women in our group ordered the fruit crisp for dessert. She was told that it was a berry crisp. However, when it came, it was tiny chunks of what appeared to be peaches, possibly apples and raisins. Whatever it was, it was definitely not raisins. Another ordered the brownie. It came with 2 generous brownie pieces & a large scoop of French vanilla ice cream, which she said was delicious. The menu is varied, and there are lots of options. It's not too expensive, but it's also nothing special. I would not go out of my way to go back there.
(2)Connor A.
Great atmosphere, restaurant is stylish but still has bar feel. One side is more formal and one side is more casual bar section. Staff was very attentive and helpful, they didn't make us feel rushed and were very polite. Food came out fast. Good selection of beers. Killer sweet potato fries. Only down side is the price, I paid $11 for a burger and fries. Beers were pricey as well.
(4)Liz N.
Always satisfied here. Open everyday till 2am. It's our go-to place. Their burgers are great! Egg burger mmmmmmm. Half off wine bottle every Thursday. That's our thing. Absolutely love Penny Black. And also, it seems it's never short staffed. The servers are great. I only had one bad waitress. I think she was new I never saw here before. She was so odd, slow and I'm 90% sure she was high. 4 people at our table we all agreed she had to be high. Other than her, I LOVE Penny Black. You can't go wrong here.
(5)Miranda R.
I have absolutely no complaints about this place. My boyfriend and I went here at about 10pm on a Friday night. They have an awesome outdoor bar with tvs and a nice looking bar out there. When we went that part of the restaurant was packed so we headed inside and took a seat at a high top. The inside of the place was about almost halfway full, kind of surprising for a Friday night but whatever. I was worried about not getting service at a high top as I've experienced many bars give better service to people actually sitting at the bar during bar time hours, but we had the nicest server. I don't know his name but he had a goutee, longish hair and was wearing a ski cap or some type of cap I'm pretty sure. We had a couple beers, the buffalo calamari, and the pork/corned beef/chicken sliders. All of the food was AMAZING. The buffalo calamari was an awesome twist on how calamari is normally served. As the night went on the place got fuller and emptier fuller and emptier, but our server always made sure to check on us promptly, get our drinks, and provide us with anything we asked for. I had a great time here and definitely will return.
(5)Daniel L.
Unique atmosphere in the old post office. The microbrewery beers are here. For some reason my generous portion of ahi tuna salad was better the next day. They need to figure a way to make it that good the first day. Gluten free selections available.
(4)Tate V.
They have the best beer menu! The food is very tasty too. We did a beer tasting with food pairing and everything paired up well! The staff has always been super nice to us and the vibe changes from sophisticated to dinner crowd to outside patio bar to Rochester nightlife...it's a must visit for locals and out-of-Towners alike.
(5)Victoria K.
Sausage pizza, salmon dip and caprese salad all good choices for late night snack. Open late, good fast service with DJ and outside seating. Will be back!
(5)Patsy R.
We were here in the summer, sat outside and ordered six different apps. Everything was delish. We especially liked the in house smoked wings and the tomato basil soup. The brisket was fall apart tender. My Margarita was made with fresh lime juice soooo good. The patio was ablaze with twinkling lights adding to the festive atmosphere of the warm summer night. Can't wait to go there again.
(5)Tom M.
Have gone to Penny Black twice now for quick takeout, both experiences great. On my most recent visit, I was informed by the bartender that the item I ordered may not have been to 100% quality so they not only gave me my choice of replacement meal regardless of cost, they still made and gave me the original order, just without the gluten free bun. Didn't have to ask for this; they just did it because it was the right thing to do. My wife is gluten free and their menu is great and highly recommended for anyone with celiac disease.
(5)Steve S.
Great Atmosphere. Decent food. Haven't been here I awhile. Great atmosphere. Great drink options. That said - something s changed. Management and bartenders didn't seem as connected. Less interaction, more transaction.
(3)Alexandria L.
I wish I could give zero stars, but it won't let me. Management is horrible! Horrible service, waited 30 min and watched others who got here way after us get seated right away. All you have to do is flirt with the manager and you'll get a table right away. Absolutely ridiculous, especially on such a busy night! Will never come here again! Not even worth the waiting anymore! Also, they keep the pitcher to refill the water and coke under the shelf where the cleaning products are right next to it and refill your drinks with those pitchers. Um health violation much! Ridiculous!
(1)Christine S.
After going the last few times I've determined the place to be obnoxious at best. I'm only referring to the Tuesday night karaoke extravagana here. The same characters are there everytime and they think they run the show. It makes it uncomfortable for outsiders to come in and even attempt to sing. The ridiculousness of the dancing by the stage to the point where I was almost punched in the face just trying to walk through to get to a table. We left after one drink. Sorry Penny Black we won't be back.
(2)Anthony K.
Penny black is pretty good definitely a great atmosphere. The regulars swear by this place and I can honestly see why they would. There's a dining area and a bar section with some tables as well. I haven't really eaten here maybe a salad or two, but I would definitely come back and give it an honest try. The location is awesome surrounded by beautiful downtown Rochester and some nice parks nearby. Definitely check this place out for a drink and dinner, you won't be disappointed.
(4)Steven L.
Service was good but the ribs didn't have much flavor, kind of dry. Baked beans were good though.
(2)Anna K.
Wish I could give this place zero stars. Came here with a few friends over the holidays while in town and was extremely offended by how rude we were treated. Not only is the staff rude, but the management is disgraceful and an embarrassment to other establishments in this area. Started with a few drinks, which were decent. Waited about an hour to get a table in the bar area. We asked the hostess and were told that bar tables were first come first serve. Many tables were taken by some pretty large groups so we waited until one opened for four. Finally we found one, but when we went to grab it, a waiter (who looked liked a bus boy) came up and said he was holding it for someone. We questioned this since the hostess told us otherwise. How could a table be reserved for someone when they were first come first serve? The waiter did not like us questioning him and threw up his hands in the air and rudely told us "fine, whatever" and left us. Seconds later we saw the same waiter tell the waitress for our table "don't clean up that sh*t" referring to the dirty dishes on our table from the previous customers. The waitress acknowledged his comments and went about her "busy" way to help other customers, completely ignoring our table and dirty pile of dishes. So I decided to take it upon myself and move the dishes to the floor, seeing as though no one was going to bus our table. In this process, I accidentally broke a cup and got a nasty look and condescending response from our so-called waitress. She asked why we were moving the dishes off the table. I responded and told her that I heard the other waiter's comments and saw her acknowledgement so I figured she wasn't going to do anything, seeing as though she already ignored us the first time around. She made it into this large ordeal, calling her manager over to see this broken cup and sweep up the mess. No comments were made other than that we shouldn't have bussed our own table. Minutes later the manager came by, for a seemingly innocent inquisition of how the service was. We said okay and he lingered around for a little longer than necessary, he asked whether we had an issue there. Instead of being mature and straight out asking about the incidents or taking responsibility for his waitstaffs behavior, he beat around the bush and tried to be passive aggressive towards us. We explained the situation, although the manager was too bull headed to even listen to what we had to say. He corrected us on numerous occasions, accused us of fighting with the waiter, and laughed in our faces. It was pretty embarrassing to see a manager, who should act professional and handle a situation properly, to carry himself with such a lack of respect for his customers. After questioning why he was there to begin with and whether we were okay to sit there, the manager walked away with no excuse for his immature, downright disrespectful, behavior or the treatment we received from his staff. We proceeded to sit there and found ourselves receiving no service whatsoever for the rest of the evening. Not that we had any intentions of spending our money at an establishment as rude, unprofessional, and disrespectful as this. I felt like the management thought intimidation would be a good business practice. The owners need to highly consider who the are having run this business. I was absolutely appalled by the lack of customer service, accusational confrontation, and intimidating approach that the staff displayed us during our visit. Businesses like this do not deserve to be in business and need to think twice about the customers they are serving.
(1)Jordan S.
Came here on a Friday after a long week. I've been here before but wanted to leave a review. I ordered the pineapple cilantro risotto with chicken from their special menu. I must say it's fabulous! Chicken, moist, well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The pineapple is fresh cut and provides the dish with a wonderful, sweet and balances great with the savory. The culinary team is great. We sat at the bar because they had a wait for tabled and we were able to score some seats as people were leaving. The bartenders were attentive, extremely friendly and upbeat. The beer list is great and the craft cocktails are good too. The atmosphere was inviting, with a friendly, enthusiastic crowd. Wish I had saved some room for dessert because those looked great too. If your looking for something in Rochester to go above and beyond, go to Penny Black, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Shoshanah A.
Beer selection is decent, switched up (monthly I think) which is nice. Food is ok, not consistent - sometimes I like it, sometimes not so much. Overall pretty friendly.
(4)Cindy L.
Went to Penny Black with a couple of friends. The food was ok but not memorable. Standard American fare. Why I would not go back? The atmosphere. The acoustics were so bad I could not hear anything our friends said and don't want to shout to others in order to be heard when having dinner.
(3)Danielle L.
I do like this bar but we had a horrible bar tender. We went on a busy night and I asked for a shot. The bartender responded that he would not pick out "your f**ing shot". Absurdly unacceptable and rude. If I could give a 0 star I would.
(1)Jake R.
The bar seen is upbeat and exciting at about midnight, and a Dj is bringing as much noise as possible. They also offer great drink specials throughout the week. However... I've tried to eat here 3 different times, and every time has been a disappointment. The burger was over cooked, fries were soggy, and the pulled chicken was about as dry as can be. I will say the tots were somewhat acceptable, but I wouldn't plan your dinner plans here.
(2)Kaity J.
Horrible food. I came here with a group of 14 to eat before a bachelorette party. The only thing that saved my experience was our waitress, who was fantastic! (She's the only reason I'm giving two stars.) I got the baja fish tacos - one grilled and one battered. They were the saddest fish tacos I have ever seen. The piece of fish in each taco was no bigger than a fun size candy bar. The slaw was mayonnaise soaked and about three times the amount of fish in the taco. The "pico" on it was around 3-4 tiny pieces of tomato and onion - nothing more. The Spanish rice was awful. I get AMPED on fish tacos, so this was very, very disappointing to say the least. Will not be back again.
(2)Pat M.
If you want cold beer, this is a good place. If you want good food, have a few beers and maybe the quality of the food will rise to the occasion. This is a bar, not a restaurant. I made the mistake off taking my wife out to dinner here, that was a bad decision. The food was below average, the service was below average, the beer was cold. We ended up only ordering burgers. They were unimaginative, served cold and expensive. No one ever asked us if we wanted ketchup for our fries. I eventually went to the bartender and asked for ketchup. Our waitress, as usual, was never in sight. Cold beer, below average food. I will not be back. Four beers, three sandwiches, tab was $66. A bit pricey.
(1)Nathan K.
Pretty cool atmosphere. Wait staff didn't seem to be trained very well. They were slow and a bit dry, but nice people. Great menu, wish it was a little cheaper. Got $17 sweet chili salmon, it was really good. $10 fish tacos were good too, but only came with 2 tacos.
(3)Pat F.
I ate here more than and year ago and it was very average. My wife and decided to try it again a couple weeks ago and it was outstanding. We have been there three more times since. Every single thing we have eaten has been really good. We have had the perch sliders. If you like fish sandwiches this is one of the best I've ever had. Tortilla soup, and corn chowder which are both excellent. The fried green tomatoes which I will get every time I go, and the Cuban sandwich. This has become my favorite place to eat in Rochester.
(5)Clare R.
My opinion is so so. Beer crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves but while the menu is creative the quality of the dishes leaves something to be desired.
(2)Alicia K.
Outdoor seating was nice and spacious and clean. Service was very slow and food was mediocre. We ordered tortilla soup, potato leek soup, Michigan cherry salad, and Texas tacos. The potato leek soup was bland and tasted like baby food. The tortilla soup was ok, a little too pasty. Texas tacos and rice tasted microwaved. Cherry salad was meh because there weren't enough toppings for $10 salad and the dressing was gross. The best thing there is the beer and my sons fish and chips (fish was light and fluffy and awesome), and my sons little house salad was good too. I wouldn't go again.
(2)Liz R.
Outdoor seating area is wonderful, although the indoor seating area is too loud for my taste. Food has been consistently good. It's our go-to spot for dinner in the summer in Rochester. We don't bother having dessert there, though. But there are plenty of other places in downtown Rochester for that. :-)
(4)Brad S.
OK, I've been there several times and it's been "ok" every time. - The service is not bad, not great, and kind of slow. Which makes it "ok". - The food, I've never been impressed but it hasn't been really bad either. The last time I was there my son had a hamburger, when I asked him how it was he said "ok". - the atmosphere is kind of dark inside. I think the best thing about the place is eating outside on a nice summer night. I'm always drawn to a place with a patio on a nice evening. If Penny Black didn't have a patio I doubt I would go there.
(3)Christine K.
I have to say that I am VERY IMPRESSED!!!! My brother-in-law and I planned a surprise 30th birthday party for my sister which took place this past Saturday night and WOW did Penny Black hit it out of the park! I am so very impressed and thankful to their management and wait staff for a job so very well done. A few highlights: - We dropped off decorations / cake midday and they set up EVERYTHING for us before our arrival. You can tell they took pride in what they were doing. - They took such great care of us, our waiter was amazing. I don't think anyone had to wait more than 1 minute for another drink. - They had no issues collecting multiple credit cards to ensure a smooth bill situation - They set up the cake, plates, forks, napkins for us part way through the party. - They cleared everyone's plates, etc although they were not making any $ off of the cake (which they wrapped up for us to take home). I cannot say thank you enough! It would have been so easy for PB to stick us in the corner and let us figure it out. They really went the extra mile to make sure the party was extra special for my sister and our guests. Chicago needs more bars/restaurants like this. Five stars for sure :) :)
(5)Ben L.
I wish I could give this bar zero stars because that is the kind of service that they demonstrated. The sad part is that I want to go back to this place because they have a decent beer selection but the service is absolutely horrible. We were at Penny Black on a Saturday night and there were two bartenders for a packed bar. When I went to get one last drink (and a soda for my DD), I sat at the bar from 11:04 to 11:32. For 28 mins I watched the bartenders go from the edges of the bar toward the center but returning to the edges at seemingly random times. Unfortunately, I was at the middle. My wife (and DD) was able to come to the bar and get her drink within a few minutes. Serving women first at a bar is a standard policy but the manager at this particular location either has no idea how to staff or train his/her bartenders. Do not go to this bar of you value your time.
(1)Matt V.
I have worked in downtown Rochester for a few years now, and Penny is definitely my bar of choice in Michigan. I have made very good friends with all the staff, and i have come to feel like it is my home. The beer selection is ever changing and nothing short of fantastic. The food items are a refreshing change to the typical bar foods you will normally see with things like Fried Green Tomatos and Sweet Sriracha wings. If you want to go to a bar with some great beer and food, come here! Matt, the manager is a great guy and takes care of the place and its customers and does a great job, and the bartenders are knowledgeable, fun, and great people. I cant forget to mention they offer a Service Industry Night on sunday and monday which is a half off everything offer! You cant beat that.
(5)Katie J.
I have become such a huge fan of Penny Black. There is a rarely a week when I'm not here, usually more than once. I love their patio. It's one of the nicest in the area. I love their food. I've literally never ordered something I didn't like. My favorite is the Yard Bird Chicken Sandwich. I always add a ton of their spicy bbq (they have a few sitting out at all times and I suspect it's home made). They have an excellent selection of draft beers, which changes often but they do a great job of keeping their beer lists up to date. All in all it's just a great place to go. Especially when the weather is nice. My only minor issue is that it's a little pricey but that's standard for the area.
(4)Rachel E.
OH NO. No, no, no, no, no. Once my favorite restaurant in Rochester, now a place that I probably wouldn't return to. It's under new management AGAIN (is this the fifth time?), and this time it's worse than ever. We ate there last night and they've taken both of my favorite items off of the menu - the delicious Black Bean Burger with the marinated goat cheese and the Fajita Salad. BIG mistake! Although I was very disappointed, my husband and I opted for the Texas Tacos -- he ordered the brisket & I ordered the chicken variety. The plates were brought out and what was the delicious garnish my husband had on the flavorless, bland side of rice? A 5" curly black hair. I mean it was sitting RIGHT on top. Anyone with eyes could have seen that thing, it was totally disgusting. It was so bad the manager had to come and reassure us that everyone back in the kitchen wears hair nets. That is NOT a phrase you ever want to hear as a customer dining in a restaurant. They did comp his dinner, but the damage had already been done. Once you see something like that, it haunts you for the rest of the meal. They've also redone the inside decor and now it looks more like a dank night-club, which unfortunately seems to be the direction they want to head toward. RIP, Penny Black.
(1)La Donna J.
The Curious Traveler Grapefruit Shady was delicious with their Chipotle Black Bean Burger and sweet potato fries. :)
(4)Donovan B.
This place is *clap hands* Dyno-MITE. Came here with the girlfriend for a late night dinner. We ordered the tortilla soup and mac n cheese for apps. Both were very good. The mac and cheese to me is worthy enough to say its better then vinsettas or tied...not sure yet. (vinsetta still has amazing mac). Our server was on top of everything we needed. Later I had the chicken Caesar salad and she had the club with avocado. Once again. Everything was good. Good vibes in there too. Nice atmosphere.
(5)Marc F.
Fast service surprisingly good food. It looked like it would be plain old bar food, but everything we had was a step up. Service was good, and so was the food.
(4)Amy H.
I'm really teetering between 2 and 3 stars here. The service was iffy, it seemed like only high school students were employed here. Our waiter was having a hard time giving us suggestions from the menu. We decided to go ahead and just order a bunch of a la carte items. We got some tater top appetizer that was loaded with cheese and jalapenos and baked. It was okay. It's the kind of dish that would have been INCREDIBLE if I were a 15 year old teenager baked out of my mind. We also ordered some sliders, and they were average. Nothing mind blowing. I feel like the menu is all over the place. 3 stars for the beer selection!
(3)Adrienne D.
Chips and dip was good Martinis were great Manager was nice and told us that Waitress was friendly Most food is made from scratch Clean place with nice vibe
(4)Kelly O.
If I could score this restaurant based on service alone I would give it ZERO STARS. Sunday night we went to dinner with another couple. The four of us had a couple of drinks and appetizers. The waitress, Amber, was rude, unfriendly, rushing us, and apparently a criminal. Yes, criminal. But I'll get to that in a minute. After telling Amber politely that we were in no hurry and wanted to enjoy our evening out, we had to flag her down when we wanted something. I guess she expected us to order everything we wanted immediately, or sit and wait forever while she catered to the table next to us. For my entree I ordered the sirloin medium rare. It arrived medium well. For an $18 sirloin, I asked if I could have a different steak. Before I was finished with my sentence, she was snatching my plate out of my hand. "You can just take the steak if you'd bring me a side plate," I said. She slams the plate back on the table and says, "I was going to give you a whole new set-up." I tell her that's not necessary and she walks away. My friends and I all exchanged comments and glances about her behavior. She was obviously rude, and I wasn't the only one who picked up on that. When she came back to the table she had plastered on the first fake smile of the evening while handing me a side plate. "If this is going to be a problem, I don't need a steak at all," I say. She assures me that everything is ok and she will hurry it back out to me. Steak comes out cooked properly. She's pleasant for the rest of the evening. I'm still annoyed and ready to leave a crappy tip, but my boyfriend suggests 15%. Fine. !5% it is. Here's where the gangster law-breaking happens on the mean streets of Rochester... I look at my back statement this morning and she has given herself a $20.00 tip! That is over 20% of my bill. So I call my bank and call the restaurant. I speak to Matt, the service manager. Nice guy. Apologetic. Refunds my card for the overage and is sending me a gift card. Says "the appropriate actions will be taken with Amber." I will go back again, because I have had very great experiences here before, but I better not see her face in there.
(2)Karen W.
Been here twice recently I have mixed feelings. The drinks are great, they have a good beer selection and some pretty interesting mixed drinks...try the Apple Moonshine! However the food was "ok". We tried the trio of BBQ sliders, not impressed, lack of flavor and kind of dry. Stuffed mushroom appetizers were decent and the burger was alright. I would recommend Penny Black for drinks and maybe apps but not dinner
(3)David P.
Good food? Check. Good beer selection? Check. Bartenders capable of making a mixed drink that doesn't suck? Check. Parking? Meh. Street parking, meters, a couple lots semi-close by. Not a problem as long as the weather's decent. Nottacheck. This was the scene of possibly the most hilarious set of circumstances that ever took place at a detroitnet.org event...it's too bad it's NC-17 rated and can't be shared here :) Great little place, really like it. If you're in Rochester Hills and don't feel like hitting the Brewery, then this is a great place to be...especially if you like margaritas.
(4)Clem F.
This place is in decline. The current wait staff and bartenders all seem more preoccupied with each other than they do the customers. There used to be some decent beer specials but now they seem limited to the big brands like Labatt or Coors Lite. Food has been average my last few visits. I'll still go, but I consider it less often than before.
(2)William C.
Disclaimer: I grew up in Texas. I know good BBQ.I think my profile picture says all that one needs to know about that. ha. Not only have I sampled BBQ all across this country, I take great pride in my own BBQ and understand the time and dedication it takes to create tender, lean and flavorful BBQ This meal was in total, the worst BBQ meal I've ever had. Ever! I've had chain restaurants, airport joints, roadside joints, fancy joints. This was the worst. Brisket-- dry. tough. Zero smoke ring. Although it was dry and completely tasteless, it had a real greasy quality to it. Imagine a piece of flavorless beef jerkey that somebody had then dipped in old cooking oil. This cut of meat might be brisket, but other than that it had no resemblance to brisket Pulled pork: stringy, dry. Zero seasoning. Zero smoke flavor. We had it as a stand alone and also ordered a pulled pork sandwich. There was practically no sauce anywhere on either the pulled pork or the sandwich. People can debate whether or not meat needs sauce. This one does. It had zero flavor. Unfortunately it also had almost no sauce. The cole slaw had a nice crunch but lacked acid. It was what I would expect in a junior high school cafeteria if I ordered cole slaw. The only thing I liked about the sandwich was the bun. It was a nice piece of bread. When the best thing you ate on a 70 dollar BBQ sampling meal was the bun, that place is in serious trouble! The ribs: zero smoke flavor. Zero smoke ring. They were dry and stringy and had about a ketchup packet squirt of bland dull and ininspired sauce on top of the rack. The chicken: bland. Picture a kroger rotisserie chicken ( minus the salt ) Also, no smoke flavor or sauce Fried pickles. Now these had potential. nice crunch and good tangy flavor, but I got this icky flavor with the first and each subsequent bite as if they'd been fried in something fishy. I wonder if they fried this in the same oil as their calamari. Dunno, but all I tasted was a nasty fish flavor and it ruined the dish. baked beans: way undercooked. completely underseasoned. two bites , not three. total miss Brisket chili- probably their best bet on the menu. a nice bowl of chili from a textural standpoint. however, way underseasoned. absolutely zero heat. My 2 year old likes good spicy chili, and he thought this was boring. nuff said Service: zero stars. I showed up at 1230 PM to pick up my carry out and stood alone at the bar for 6 minutes. The place was deserted. There were 3 or 4 tables only and I saw one waiter shoot by at the far end of the joint. I didn't see anybody for 6 minutes. and when the bartender did show up he had a very bad attitude as he'd been helping do something out of my view and was still angry about it. So of course he was rude to me. I wouldn't go back here if the food was free. This is NOT BBQ. They do nice food across the street at Gus O'connors and at Knapps. There is absolutely no reason to visit this place. Nothing about it was worth a revisit. The bar area looked nice, with lots of nice brews on tap but there are bars with better food. AVOID this FAKE BBQ place! It's also pretty darned expensive too!! almost 70 bucks for the food we ordered. The meal was shared amongst myself, my two small kids, my wife and my in-laws ( who like their food bland....and they even said it was too bland!)
(1)Danny B.
I kind of got the feeling the owner thought to himself "bbq's popular right now so let's open a BBQ place". They should call it like it is and just be 'an American tavern'. They'd get better reviews and be true to what they are offering. To start good service. atmosphere: the lights were on bright but the black ceiling, black floor, black booths and dark wood tables all kind of blur together. The walls were painted a sweet old cracked cream color. Other than the walls it needs some brighter colors or art on the walls especially if they are going for BBQ theme. Their marketing/logo guy did a good job with the logo, menus, bags. I think they should fill in the wall between the dining room and bar to help reduce noise. Drink menu: big beer and cocktail selection. I enjoyed a good hand crafted cocktail. Limited wine and cheap wine selections. Food: nothing special or unique to set them apart from other BBQ places. I had a great burger, recommended by the server, with tasty house cut fries. The lettuce wrap app had so much suave I couldn't taste the filling. The tacos weren't anything special either. Very good apple crisp dessert. Overall decent menu for a tavern but I think they shouldn't called themselves BBQ. Thanks guys!
(4)Nijole T.
We went here for fathers day lunch and had a great time and an excellent meal! My husband went for BBQ which is always a tough bet, especially ribs we have never had any at a restaurant that taste as good as the ones he makes at home. We figured give it a try and if we don't like it send it back. He got the 2 meat plate with ribs, and beef briskit and loved it! The man is hard to please when it comes to meat, but he said these were the best he's had (except for his!) and the briskit was lean and of good quality, even the baked beans which I thought he would give to me he gobbled up and I did get to try a bite, they were awesome, loaded with briskit, sweet and tasty. The mac n cheese also great and my sons sliders and tots good as well. They have different housemade bbq sauces at the table, all great as well as a red pepper vinegar that I used for my salad and I was very tempted to take the bottle and put it in my purse. It was the best thing I've ever tried and if they sold it by the bottle I would have bought a case of it! Spicy, sweet n tangy it was so damn good! I got the HUGE made in house black burger loaded with guacamole and sauteed veggies, it was saucy, messy goodness really one of the best burgers I've ever had! Excellent service, the owner came by to ask how we liked everything, really a wonderful lunch from start to finish, one of those meals that you think about later on for a long time and wish you could have again and again!
(5)Meredith E.
I've been to Penny Black several times throughout the summer for drinks. The outdoor bar was a great addition, but the waitstaff was unfriendly, service was terrible and drinks were expensive. However, my three recent visits were quite good. The last visit was the first time I ordered food. I got the fried green tomato BLT with fries. WOW. This was tasty! BLT's are usually pretty amazing in general, but the thick slices of bacon, mayo and the warmness of the fried tomato led this to be the perfect sandwich! Lately at night, Penny Black has had good drink specials like $2 Blue Lights. I'm liking the recent improvements in food, drinks and service!
(3)Adam S.
While on the west side on a Sunday afternoon, the wife and I decided to give this place a try based on word of mouth, but it leaves much to be desired. The atmosphere is pretty dull; cold, uninviting, industrial... Weird. You think they'd want to make you feel welcome. Food was lackluster at best... I had the combo with two BBQ meats; pulled chicken and beef brisket with fries and baked beans - the beans were the best part of the meal. Everything was just this side of warm, and my chicken looked like mac and cheese, but tasted OK. The three morsel sized strips of brisket looked like cured shoe leather and tasted like they were smoked on a bed of tobacco leaves; very dry as well. I'm glad there was plenty of BBQ sauce to mask the over smoked beef and to add some moisture. Fries were advertised as hand cut, but I have my doubts that they were fresh, however, the beans appeared to be made from scratch, and while not exactly hot enough, they had a nice flavor. Of course, the best dish was the smallest portion. My wife had the meat loaf and it was "ok"... My main attraction to Penny Black was their claim of "Rochester's Finest Selection of Craft Beers". Had they bothered to list their taps on the online menu, I probably wouldn't have made the effort. Some decent taps were had: Bell's Two Hearted and Hop Slam, Kuhnhenn Loonie Kuhnie, and then, what's this? Bah, standard BMC fare... They did have a decent selection of Michigan beers, and some other micros, but besides the Hopslam, there wasn't really anything you couldn't get elsewhere, and for a better price. Glassware was not thoroughly rinsed (as indicated by the microscopic bubbles that adhere to the side of the glass when filled), but the beer was served in the appropriate glass and at a decent temperature. Points for no frosted glassware and the beer wasn't mind numbingly freezing! Service was average at best. While we were waited on immediately, it was the standard take the drink order, take the food order, drop off food, "are you ok?", here's the check routine. I had stopped our server to see if they had anything on tap that wasn't on the menu (I was spying the Founder's Imperial Stout handle; no mention of any Founder's taps on the menu) and a blank stare was paired with her muttering "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm..... What kind of beer do you like?". I fired another salvo and she just pointed to the Magic Hat entry on the menu and said (or maybe she was asking me) "This is out right now?". There's not much value here; the drinks and plates were priced about a dollar or two too high for what we got, the food was very sub par, but there are some decent beers on... Not worth the effort unless you're in the area and want to stop for an over priced drink or if you need to chew on something while you're cutting teeth. For BBQ, do yourself a favor and go down to Slow's or Lockhart's (I know, Detroit and Royal Oak aren't exactly next door to Rochester). If you're stuck in Rochester and want better food, fresher beer and reasonable prices, take the extra 5 minutes to drive over to Rochester Mills. I'm glad I got this place out of my system, but it totally wasn't worth the effort and I doubt I'd stop back, even if I were starving and this was the most convenient place to grab a bite.
(1)Heather H.
Penny Black's new menu in the last year is sooo yummy. The combo plate with pulled pork, brisket or chicken rules. Sweet potato fries are more like potatoes and are delicious... Like crack :) Also the buffalo chicken wrap is amazing. Eat here often. Staff is friendly :)
(5)Anthony E.
The old Rochester Post Office has re-invented itself yet again, this time with a fitting name for what it once was. Penny Black is the fourth or fifth establishment at this location, but it's definately unlike it's failed predecessors. It has the look & feel to a place you might find in a Chicago neighborhood. The outdoor patio covers 1 1/2 sides of the building. Although relatively small, it was well executed and includes a small outdoor bar area. The only pictures on their website of it makes their patio look like a place for caged animals. The inside is nice with a hipster feel, but apparently their floor isn't made for heels according to one review. The bar splits the dining areas with bar tops w/ stools, and booths to the left and table/chair on the right. It doesn't scream family restaurant, but they do have great prices and options for the kiddos. Their draft beer selection is better then any place I've been to in the Rochester area. They had a extensive selection of cocktails as well. The menu is fairly priced, and has a lot of options for tex-mex lovers. Vegans should avoid this place, like most places, unless their just in it for cocktails. ;) I ordered their Jumbalaya with Chicken Tortilla soup, and their house salad with Chipolte Ranch. The soup was super delicious and the salad was fresh. The ranch, had just a hint of chipolte which was tough to pick up in a salad with bacon. The jumbalaya was a little soupy for my taste, but the flavors were spot on. Nice friendly service, good food, and great beer? I'll be back.
(4)J F.
Went here on our drunken NYE night and I have to say wow! great service. We only had drinks and we stood by the bar, but we ordered probably about 10-12 drinks in a very short period of time (go big or go home) and they were so incredibly attentive and fast. I never waited more than 30 seconds to get a bartenders attention.
(4)Jen M.
They have a great selection of local microbrews available in a flight of three 7 oz glasses for 7.50.....that's the extent of the charm. The food is garbage. The beans at Taco Bell are far superior to what came on my plate. Likewise, the enchilada sauce tasted like cold watery ketchup. The floors are a lawsuit waiting to happen. While I understand the draw of glazed concrete-cheap and attractive alternative to tile-it does NOT belong in a restaurant/bar. A hint of moisture on the floor creates an ice rink. I, like most females inclined to visit drinking establishments on the weekends, traipse around in heels I have no business wearing. A visit to the loo after a number of cocktails was a feat in and of itself. Bar staff is competent and know their beers. In sum, not worth visiting for dinner or food of any sort really. If you are going for drinks wear flip flops or sneaks.
(2)Randy T.
Amazing! You would never believe you are eating inside the old post office. Rich, elegant decor meets reasonably priced, yet well prepared food! The atmosphere is fantastic, the drink menu is impressive, and the food is truly inspired. The barbecue selections are fantastic, well prepared, and just the right portion size. Penny Black can be a real treat for dinner or a night out!
(5)Lauren S.
I think this a great spot! I had been told by a friend that the food was not great, but I think that since she told me that the restaurant changed hands and is now under new management. I came for dinner on Friday night and was quite impressed. If I remember correctly, our server told us the new chef was from Fortesa and completely changed the menu. The barbecue sauce is made in-house and I thought it was really delicious. It didn't exactly pack-a-punch but I thought it had a really nice flavor. I ordered the barbecue Cobb salad with the barbecue sauce drizzle, which came with a cornmeal and jalapeno scone with cinnamon butter. Now THAT was really delicious. The spicy/sweet combination was really great! On Friday and Saturday nights they have live music, which I was not looking forward to. I'm staunchly opposed to live music during regular dinner hours (unless it's only a piano) because I find the band doesn't understand people are there to eat/have conversation and are not groupies desperately waiting for the band to start playing. Loudly. We tried to finish our dinner before the music but we were unsuccessful. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this particular band! They played lower-key music when we were there and we were able to enjoy our conversation while enjoying their music, which was actually quite good. As it happens, I went back the following night for a little bit for my friend's bachelorette party and the staff was really fun, they pulled up a stool and had the band play a song for her! It was silly and I really enjoyed it. :)
(4)Christy F.
This review is based on the drinks. I only had a spoon full of the tortilla soup, but it was good and I want more. Not sure on the BBQ. WARNING this place will ruin margaritas for you at any other place. They set the bar high as it should be. Stop drinking that nasty sour mix....penny black does it right with fresh agave, fresh lemon, lime and orages....that is all you need! Well, besides killer tequilla. Dying to try the sangria, esp. when pitchers are half off. This is behind the main strip in downtown rochester. They also have a facebook page...bands on certain nights. This is owned by the Hills restaurant group. Amazing drink menu. i have not been at night time. I love that they serve local micro brews and a lot of them...and one of Michigan's best breweries Kuhnenman just made them their own beer.
(4)Shannon S.
I like Penny Black, and yesterday was my third visit. I noticed as I walked up that I have never been there in the warmer months, as I see the outside bar area covered up now for the winter. I seem to always go during November. Just curious how it is in the summer months. The parking is crap, it's just hard to find a spot, and again, I seem to go in the winter, so walking long distances doesn't appeal to me, but after circling for for a few minutes I found a spot close enough. Just be prepared for the parking issue. So for last night, the food was okay, we only ordered appetizers to split, and I wasn't impressed, by the size or taste of two $10 appetizers. The veggie flat bread just seemed like some melted cheese, with a few sauteed veggies, dressed with arugula...like they just throw a bunch of arugula on it, to cover the mess underneath or to dress it up.... HEY! You can't trick me! haha.. The nachos were good, but for 10 BUCKS! My plate should be over-floweth! Then there were the Caipirinha's we ordered....and.....boo!! They did not taste like Caipirinha. I was remembering another yelper said to have a specific bar tender make them... I should have checked that out... Anyway, I am still going to give Penny Black 4 stars because I am a fan of the atmosphere, area, food, music, ambiance. I guess you can't always be perfect ;)
(4)Riordan R.
As I read the reviews, we have many different opinions, but in average everyone agrees that the place is worth the visit. Our food was not not the best. We ordered nachos with cheese, and it just didn't look great, I would not order again. But this could be just our bad luck that day, because overall I think they do a good job. The service was great, the waitresses always paying attention to the customers, and doing a good job. The atmosphere is awsome, beautiful people, nice bar, great place for a happy hour. It can be a little noisy, but I guess I'm getting old...LOL I would definetly recommend the visit, you wont be disapointed.
(3)Shaun P.
We decided to travel out to Rochester for a holiday cheer. The entire downtown is draped with festive lights impeccably done. The lights weren't the only thing that was perfectly done. Penny Black made the night even more enjoyable with a few pints and some carefully designed and crafted bar food that was a hit. This bar has wonderful daily specials and really great beer selections with the emphasis on tap beer (smile). Make sure you ask what the specials are for the day because I didn't notice them posted but, the wait staff will surely lend a helping hand. Make sure to try the burger with fries that are made in house and the bread brought in from a local bakery. The menu isn't your typical deep fried and frozen selections that most places call bar food. This is a truly thought out and inspired menu without taking anything away from the fatting treats we associate with the bar theme. The emphasis is on fresh and on local items. If you're looking for the bar atmosphere but want good food then you have found your new local bar.
(4)Tracy F.
Good food and reasonable prices. It is a loud place and especially after 9 when they start the band up. The acoustics are not good for a band or dj because the sound bounces. You can't have a conversation unless you are yelling across the table. So if you want to enjoy conversation, then eat before music starts. Crowd gets younger by then also.
(4)Mary M.
Absolutely not. They tried though so thats why they get 2 stars. The drinks were disappointing. The fish tacos were borderline gross. The fries were weird. The veggie side was cold and tasteless...can I have just a little salt and pepper?? I have NO intentions of going back.
(2)Chris M.
Had a very good mushroom burger and my wife enjoyed her pulled pork. Service was good and prices were reasonable. I will return and try some of their smoked entrees.
(4)Bess R.
Tried again. Still just okay. Had a salad this time. Lots of meat and toppings, which I liked. But the dressing had NO flavor. For chipotle ranch, I expected something.
(2)