Independent
City Limits:
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Boulder Coffee Co. - 3 locations: in the South Wedge on Alexander Street, Public Market, and Brooks Landing
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Cafe SQLS — Cafe where the proceeds benefit a non-profit organization for youth
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Cafe Vas - re-opens April 2009 after remodel
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Canaltown Coffee Roasters — 1805 East Ave
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Cibon — "European style bistro" located on Park Avenue
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Dark Horse Coffee on Dewey Avenue across from Aquinas Institute gourmet coffee and light lunch fare
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Flat Iron Cafe — opened summer 2005
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Full Moon Vista bike shop, 180 St. Paul Street, serves up espresso drinks in a comfortable cafe space in front.
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Garden Cafe - Located in the Pieters Family Life Center
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Gate House Cafe - Gourmet pizza and burgers, located in Village Gate on Goodman Street.
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Gusto — Cafe in the East End-Alexander Street.
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Java's — darker, hipper, cozier than Spot, Java's is often abuzz with students from the nearby Eastman School of Music. If I remember correctly, there are pool tables downstairs and a giant paper mache shark hanging from the ceiling. Offers a brunch of sandwiches on weekends. There's another Java's on the RIT campus, as well as one on the MCC campus, and the company has imperial ambition.
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Java's MCC - Cafe inside MCC's Brick Lounge.
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Little Theatre Cafe — you probably think of the Little as a theatre, but it's worth going for the Cafe as well. Good food, wine, and jazz.
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Magnolia's Deli & Cafe — serves a variety of deli style sandwiches, salads, and afternoon pizza
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Muddy Waters Coffee House - Coffee, Pastries, Cozy, Quiet, Free WiFi. South Wedge / Highland Park area.
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Natural Oasis Market & Cafe — 288 Monroe Ave
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Open Face Sandwich Eatery — located in South Wedge, this is our local dealer of Moxie. Furnished in bright and modern brushed steel and creatively applied electrical conduit, you won't find this place if you don't know it's there.
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Orange Glory Cafe — located on East Avenue near the Little Theatre
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Park & Oxford Cafe & Delicatessen — not a cafe!
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Rosey's Italian Cafe —Downtown cafe.
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Spin Caffe (3) — what it lacks in atmosphere it makes up for in functionality. Spin Caffe is a homegrown Rochester microchain, with several instances scattered about our metropolitan area.
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Spot Coffee — on East Avenue, housed in what was once the Hallman Chevrolet dealership, Spot features high ceilings and many tables where students (and professors!) can be found studying, reading, chatting. I prefer to sit upstairs on the balcony, where it is a little warmer, quieter, and I can look down on everybody else. There's live music regularly, and it is, without exception, terrible. There are two Spot Coffees in the world; the other, the original, is in Buffalo. All the baked goods are made there and trucked to the ROC daily, and the employees have a bizarre, disconcerting, and fiendishly annoying way of calling out orders. Free Wifi.
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Starry Nites Cafe — a beautiful "European Bistro"-inspired establishment with a Van Gough theme, nestled out-of-the-way on University Avenue near the Village Gate Mall (which is not a mall in the suburban-apocalyptic sense). Formerly Moonbeans.
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Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe — a small cafe located on the corner of Alexander Street and Park Avenue (same space as "La-Tea-Da!")
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Tea Parlour — called "La-Tea-Da!" on the corner of Alexander Street and Park Avenue
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Tivoli, 688 Park Ave, 461-4502
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Wintergarden Cafe — a small cafe open weekdays at Bausch and Lomb Headquarters
Out in the Suburbs:
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Bagel Bin Cafe — Elmwood Avenue—variety of bagels, sandwiches, salads, and beverages
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Campgrounds Cafe — 950 Ridge Road, Webster, 671-3170
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Canaltown Coffee Roasters— 6 S. Main St, Pittsford 248-0390
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Cappuccino Italiano Cafe — now in Fairport
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Carol's Cucina— (Henrietta)
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Coleen's Cafe- Brockport
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Cole & Parks - 607 Rowley Road, Victor, NY 14564 924-8710 Just after Eastview Mall
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Earthtones Coffee House (Webster)
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Fairport Village Coffee - under new ownership. Now Towpath Cafe: Coffee and Wine
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Fruit & Salad Co.— Pittsford (Bushnell's Basin)
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Garden Cafe — located within the Pieters Family Life Center
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Hicks and McCarthy - 23 S. Main St, Pittsford 586-0938
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Jitters Cafe — Location #1-4357 Buffalo Rd, North Chili, 594-3922; Location #2-Southtown Plaza, Rochester NY, 427-7070
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Keuka Coffee Company and Cafe - 616A Pittsford-Victor Rd. 249-9310
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Leaf & Bean Coffee —3240 Chili Ave, Chili, 889-8270
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Little Green Cafe —3300 Monroe Ave, 586-3410 Pittsford
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Little Java Coffee - drive-through coffee in Winton Place
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lovin' cup - located at Park Point at RIT.
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Maxeen's Cafe Cupid — 754 East Ridge Rd, 342-2640
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Melon Bean Eatery — Buffalo Road in Gates
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Mona Lisa Cafe — 807 Ridge Rd, Webster, NY 671-2080
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Mulberry Mill — 2485 Dewey Ave, 621-6230
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Mythos Cafe — Brockport
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Rene's Cafe - 617 Whitney Road, Fairport 388-7480
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Rigatoni's Italian Cafe - 2133 Five Mile Line Road, Penfield 381-8550
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Tazza Bistro — 3208 Latta Road, Rochester (Greece) NY 413-4404
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Towpath Cafe: Coffee and Wine - Fairport Village in the Box Factory Building along the Erie Canal. 377-0410
National Chains
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Camille's Sidewalk Cafe — Corner of Park Avenue and Berkeley St. across from Jine's Restaurant. Pretty good sandwich wraps and coffee.
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Dunkin' Donuts - multiple locations features coffee, baked goods, and breakfast sandwiches - highly regarded coffee
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Great Harvest Bread Store - Park Avenue store has coffee shop as well as baked goods
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Starbucks — There are currently 11 Starbucks locations in Rochester, with more to come. A big corporate chain, of course, but many of Rochester's locations are very "neighborhood" with cozy atmospheres.


