Hogans Hideaway

Hogan's is a wonderful local favorite. Hogan's interior, 6-2008

Location

197 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

Hours

Monday - Saturday: 11:30AM to 10:15PM

Sunday: 4:00PM to 9:00PM

Phone

585 442 4293

Email

<hoganmail197 AT gmail DOT com>

Website

http://www.HogansHideaway.com/

Hogans Hideaway is a restaurant that has been a fixture on Park Avenue for almost 20 years. During that time the restaurant underwent many expansions, but the concept remained the same: Fresh food in generous portions. They serve only fresh fish and fresh meats, bake their own bread, hand make their own pasta, and rely on homemade desserts. Hogan's Park Ave Ale, Pale Ale and Apricot Blonde are brewed by Custom BrewCrafters. They have indoor and outdoor seating, plus an ambient bar and lounge area. Both the wait staff and bar staff are professional and friendly.

Hogan's is known for its collection of fancy vintage hats and umbrellas. The interior is funky and fun, the music is both mellow and interesting, and the food! They have fabulous daily dinner specials that include many seasonal ingredients. The specials tend to come with a house salad and their freshly baked bread. Specials can be expensive, typically running from $15 - $30, but the regular menu is remarkably reasonable and can accommodate any budget.
This is a fun and romantic place to take a date.

Hogans was voted "Best Family Restaurant" in City Newspaper's 'Best Of' Awards in 2008, and "Best Established Restaurant" in 2009.¹²

Comments:

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See Archive Page for comments prior to 2008.

2008-01-17 18:14:45   I went for the first time recently. I must say that I heard a lot of good things going in. My friends (who are more seasoned) were all disappointed in the meal, so I would imagine it was just an off night. I did have a big issue, though: One of my friends ordered the mulled cider which tasted pretty good, so I ordered one. The waitress gave me the spiked cider without asking or telling me. Not only did it cost $4 more than my friend's, but it had a hefty dose of brandy that I didn't catch (it was really spiced) until I started getting a buzz. Let's just say I really didn't feel like driving right after :-( —DaveMilitello

2008-01-25 11:57:40   My beau and I went here last (Thursday) evening for dinner before attending an RPO concert. Nice atmosphere, attentive service, great beer (he had the Hogan's Park Avenue Ale, I had the Pale Ale). However, we ordered off the specials menu and both of us were underwhelmed. The salads were decent, the bread was tasty but a bit too yeasty. I ordered the pan-seared salmon special and my beau had the chicken saute special. There wasn't anything special about either of these dishes. In fact, they were both quite unremarkable. We've had much better meals at other area restaurants for the $18-25 per plate prices. If you want bang for your buck, stick to the regular burger/sandwich menu. If you're looking for a more upscale meal, at those prices, go somewhere else. —HeidiWinfield

2008-03-21 09:00:37   This place is ok. The staff is fantastic which makes up for the so-so meals I have had there. My husband and I used to go there when were dating as he lived around the corner. He loves it much more than I do. It's a great Park Ave. location and the decor is cool. —DianaLicata-Wright

2008-03-21 10:29:34   Hogans serves great food in a REALLY down to earth crunchy atmosphere.

Everything is homemade and service is attentive. I love going to dinner there on a low key night.

BTW, this is not a place to take a date, unless she has armpit hair and dreadlocks. —MrRochester

2008-03-27 20:41:44   Mary Beth, Amy and Mark are the best servers in Rochester, I like the laid back atmosphere and those are pretty much the only reasons for going there. The food is usually terrible and I dont know where an upscale diner like this gets off charging $25-$30 for a "special". We go once every 4 months when its too late to go anywhere else. Tip the excellent waiters well... —JamesPatrick

2008-04-09 20:32:57   I've been here for lunch a couple of times (weekdays), with just one other person both times. Service was very quick. The lentil burger is delicious, and very filling. Good atmosphere, too. —OwenThompson

2008-05-05 17:21:52   I finally made it here last weekend, and I was pleased with my meal. My porkchop was properly cooked and came smothered with a tasty raspberry chutney. At $16 with sides and a salad, it was a bargain. The specials hovered around $15-$20, toppping out at $24.
I was at a table with 8 people, and everyone seemed satisfied with their meals. Service was friendly and efficient —EastSideStephen

2008-05-09 10:53:34   A comfortable place to eat, is how I think of Hogan's. I go there often with my girlfriends since the food is good and the atmosphere cozy. It's our choice when girls' night demands comfort food. The homemade pasta is great (comes with the eggplant parm dinner which is my fav). Portions are a good size as well. Although Hogan's is far from perfect (limited parking, occasional slow service) it's always worth the effort. The bartender is friendly, the other customers are polite, and it's affordable. *** Note - please don't confuse me with "RochGirl." One letter can make a big difference!*** —RocGirl

2008-05-11 20:23:40   My Husband and I stopped in tonight after not having been here in quite some time. I had the Park Ave. Pale Ale which was smooth, a little nutty - a delicious example of an American Amber. My husband had a Hogan's Pale Ale - light and hoppy. We both ordered burgers which were perfectly cooked and served on wonderfully fresh rolls. I had the strawberry soup as a side which was refreshing and good but reminded me of thin strawberry yogurt; my husband had a cup of soup of the day, a mexican corn tortilla soup - flavorful and well executed. For dessert, we shared a piece of the Blackout Torte which was rich and moist but not too rich or too sweet which often happens with super-chocolatey cakes. Overall a good experience including the service - regardless of the fact that it's a bit pricey for what's offered, we'll definitely have to come back more often heading into the nicer weather. —StephanieTodd

2008-05-11 21:56:22   Great! Always great! I love this place, my wife an I come here all the time! —WilliamSmyth

2008-06-02 16:55:07   A favorite of mine. Good draught beer selection, awesome freshly baked bread, tasty salad dressings. Their specials can sometimes be hit and miss, but they do have some amazing ones. Where else can you get blueberry soup? —MariahBetz

2008-09-02 20:25:58   Went here last Friday night. Let me preface this by saying that we have come to Hogans probably 30 to 40 times over the past few years. What we had that night could be summed up in two words: terrible service. I've had slow service here before, but this was totally unacceptable. Every component of the meal was slow. I ordered a burger, my wife a tuna sandwich. An hour later, we had our food. When we alluded to this to the waitress, she made no effort to be apologetic. She could have said ANYTHING and I could have forgiven this, but she basically set the food down and walked away. What was funny was that she barely did anything for us. She didn't refill our drinks, or our water, or take our dishes away, or ask if everything was ok. Now, at this point, I wasn't going to mention that the burger I ordered "medium-rare" was in fact very well done. We will likely give the place another shot. I LOVE their vegetarian burger, and tuna sandwiches. But if the service is this bad again, or I wait another hour for a hamburger, I'm getting up and walking out. Let them eat it. —DavidGottfried

2008-10-27 12:46:37   I'm a big fan of this place and have been going here for at least 10 years - the omelette, quiche and specials change all the time yet you can always count on the staples to be there as well. The sweet potato fries rock. Its very reasonably priced for what you get ($11 quiche/salad/wine is a steal). —MarcusKroll

2009-01-26 13:36:18   The first time I ordered a pastrami on rye sandwich and loved it. The second time I went in and ordered the same thing and it sucked indescribably. The third time I went in we walked out because we couldn't find anything on the menu worth ordering. Our server said "Is there something wrong?" I couldn't make anything polite up so I just said "We gotta go..." It seems like an overstylized diner with overpriced specials. There are places that knock my socks off every time and those are the places that will continue to get my hard earned greenbacks. —PersonFace

2009-02-12 17:22:33   A new guy bought the restaurant and then ruined it. The guy fired every employee that worked their (some people worked there for five or more years), except for a bartender their who is a a$$hol# to every customer. NONE of the food is being made fresh anymore. They fired the chefs and hired 7 dollar an hours people to microwave your soup. This is not the place it used to be. I went there two days ago because i used to like the food and the menu is changed. Do you want to pay 12 dollars for a grilled ham and cheese sandwich? I would skip this place and save your money. —kilnbaker

2009-02-18 21:34:40   I agree with Kiln on every point but one, and this is a major difference. He is quite right that Hogan's recent takeover has been a tragedy for the food quality of the establishment. However, he could not be more wrong about the bartender. He has always shown my friends and I the utmost courtesy and respect, consistently offering helpful drink suggestions and a quick hand to refresh the peanut bowl. He is in fact the only reason we go to Hogan's. His conversational prowess, expertise, and music selection keep this place on our radar despite the changes in ownership. We'll be going there for as long as he is tending bar. —JeffreyL

2009-03-21 08:17:18   Before I write this I have to admit I don't have terribly high standards just the standard that the restaurant has made for themselves with previous visits. I tell it how it is. I took 2 friends to eat at Hogans a few fridays ago for lunch. It was HORRIBLE!!!! I ordered something that I thought couldn't be screwed up, a Friday fish fry. It was so over cooked it was the color or burnt carmel and the fish had withered down into nothing but while flakes inside the beer batter. I ate the fries and went hungry rather than get a case of the shits and or my food altered. My girlfriend asked for alternatives to her side of white rice next to her scallops and the waitress acted like she was personally insulted with the request. The waitress couldn't even offer her a potato. WTF? So my gf requested a salad trying to keep it simple— waitress says "let me go ask" she returned with a house salad and just ads it on our bill and leaves the white rice in the kitchen. If we were paying for the rice at least bring it out and tell us not add it to the already over priced item on the lunch menu. So to top our visit off the person we were celebrating his retirement was served what looked like a plate that came out of nick tohoe's kitchen. For what was described as a great steak sandwich made steak-um look like a gourmet treat! I think Park Ave restaurants are taking the bad economy and turning it into an excuse to lower the quality of there food and up the prices. I will not be donating anymore of my hard earned $ to hogans any time soon! —LissaaW

2009-06-03 18:43:06   I had a great meal here the other night. The veggie burger was superb and the accompanying fries were delicious. The price was also very reasonable. My only complaint was that the waitress wasn't very friendly at all. She seemed annoyed to have to actually wait on a table. —mooster42000

2009-06-22 16:53:30   I've eaten here 4 times. The first 3 times were great and I had no complaints. The fourth (and final) time was Wednesday 6/17 for a late lunch. We were a group of 6, I had decided to bring my out of town relatives here to grab a quick bite to eat, knowing Hogan's is a fun, local place. There were only 3 other tables of guests in the whole place, yet the service was unbelievably slow. We had to wait a really long time to get our drinks, and again to place our order, and again to get our food, and yet again to get our dessert, and finally get the check. There was also a chunk of bread or something in one of the water glasses which practically ruined my appetite. It is extremely unfortunate that even though the food was decent, the service ruined our experience. —LaurenRogers

2009-06-24 11:01:45   Been going here for about 8 years. They have (had) a great chicken sandwich and an underrated cheeseburger. So last night I got my chicken sandwich with the honey dressing. Something was up because everything was different. Bread, honey dressing, sweet potato fries...heck..even noticed the pickle was different. The old bread was so good that the new bread just about killed the sandwich. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the predictable staple I've enjoyed for years. The Italian Wedding soup was forgettable. The peanut butter fudge pie was good, and seemed the same, so at least they've got that going for them. Service was decent but miss the old staff. —JohnBarry

2009-10-23 10:45:10   I heard through the grapevine...that it's under new ownership? Is this true?? I hope not. —GretaKat

2009-11-15 18:23:43   We came here once on Friday. We were told there was a 45 minute wait, so we left. Fair enough... We then made a reservation a couple weeks later. When we showed up on time, we were told we would have to wait 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, we were told "we have your table, we just have to get it ready". (This seems to have been a lie.) After another 10 or 15 minutes with no word or apology, we finally left (and had a nice meal down the street at Magnolia). The host wasn't really rude, but wasn't at all apologetic, and offered no explanation. We won't be coming back. —kong

2009-11-24 11:00:19   An update: Hogan's unceremoniously dumped our favorite bartender over the summer. When we went in (for the last time) we heard the news from his successor who laughed at the sad fate of our friend. What's the point of a neighborhood bar that treats its neighbors so poorly? —JeffreyL

2009-12-31 10:50:03   Was one of our favorites under the old ownership.Based on all the negative reviews since new owner we had not returned. Went this past weekend and must say was pleasently surprised. I thought we had the best service we have ever had there. While we didn't have anything fancy for dinner( burger for me salad for my wife) can't say I noticed any dropoff in quality. See no reason not to return. —almorinelli

2010-01-25 16:40:23   I went to this place in Sept. of 2009. It was just plain awful. I had a "pan seared tuna" steak over a salad. The tuna had to be from a can. What a mistake. I agree w/ the poster who said go to Magnolias. Magnolias is much better, and you get more for your money there. —ScottLaRock

2010-02-22 20:20:18   I visited Hogans Hideaway on or around February 14th for lunch. I was very pleased with the experience. The food was excellent. Their french onion soup is absolutely delicious. I shall be returning. —JoannaLicata