This page is for comments prior to 2009 for Bazil.
Ross adds: Wow! I can't believe it's not a chain!. I would say this is better than Olive Garden, but that's about it. Prices are a little higher, and food is a little bigger. Food quality is very close to Olive Garden. They have several all-you-can-eat options, which are not cheap (all were over $10, I'm pretty sure all were over $15), but were of higher quality than normal all-you-can-eat food. I might eat here if I were the last non-Atkins holdout in Rochester, eating my last meal. Otherwise, I'd avoid it.
2006-08-02 22:18:40 This place is absolute crap. The atmosphere, food, and service are all cheap. As soon as I walked in, I was greated with jars of Mario's Via Abruzzi sauce. Just in case I wanted to buy some crap. I paid $13.99 for the "Shrimp Scampi Fest". It is far a festival of shrimp. The shrimp were small, absolutely tiny, and rubbery. They tasted disgusting, and were obviously frozen. My friend's "Eggplant Lasagna" was BURNED. Burned as in, hard, black, solid chunks in it. He complained, and the 2nd time it was the same. Hard, burned, SOLID chunks of crap in his Eggplant meal. My other friend had Chicken Parm, and the chicken was dry, fatty, and clearly cooked from some frozen crap. The "Shrimp Festival" is what upset me the most. FOURTEEN DOLLARS for shrimp that are smaller than my pinky? I'm talking, the miniature, rubbery, frozen, cocktail shrimp. Absolutely disgusting. Overall, crappy food, and crappy service. Go to 2Vine, Brio, or any number of other, better, places in Rochester. —LowdenSpence
2007-02-17 18:47:29 This place is locally owned version of the Olive Garden. The food is very similar to what the OG offers. I would rather go to a place like Pomodoro Grill and Wine Bar if I want pasta. —AdamDewitz
2007-04-18 23:42:56 I am a big barbeque guy and love Dinosaur Bar-b-que, but if I were to go to an Italian place, Bazil definitely has my vote. —DavidKloc
2007-07-06 10:00:02 The webster location on Empire Blvd offers a nice view of the bay, provided you are seated on the patio.
The service at the bar was unacceptably slow, especially since they had two bartenders. My drink was weak.
Our server was attentive-she gets high marks. The food was good, although the sauce could have been thicker.
The food is way overpriced, but understandable given the apparent high overhead, and desirable location. We went for dinner on a Thursday night at 7p, and the place was full.
Out of 5 stars, I would rank it a 3. —MrPhil
2007-08-06 12:27:55 I've been to the Henrietta location twice, and I was pleased with the meal for the price, but I'd never go here for a romantic dinner or a special occasion or anything like that. It's a fun place for a big group if you want to sit around eating breadsticks, salad, and ridiculous amounts of pasta all night. The all-you-can eat pasta is potentially a good deal if you have a huge appetite, but they give you so much time to eat salad and breadsticks that it's unlikely you'll take much advantage of the all-you-can-eat. I didn't make it to a second portion, but I've heard that the portion size is cut in half after you reach the second or third portion. One of my friends was cut off after 3 portions. I got the penne vodka and it was less than wonderful, but it was edible and fairly cheap so I was satisfied. (In response to the Olive Garden comparisons, I actually like the food at Olive Garden a little bit more than here.) —RachelBlumenthal
2007-08-06 22:50:10 On a factual note: The all you can eat pasta - if you get past the first portion, you cannot take it home..i.e let's say you only had a few bites of your 2nd portion, you can't take the rest home. It is an immense waste of food but...that's the rule. —OneLove
2007-08-07 09:01:02 I ate here a few weeks ago and I got the all you can eat pasta, and since I was full (breadsticks!) I didn't make it past the first portion. They did box up what was left of my rather large first serving for me to take home. This was at the one on Empire Blvd - I enjoyed eating out on the deck, overlooking the Bay. I don't think I would have been as happy inside. So perhaps this is strictly a summer place for me! —SaraChristine
2007-08-13 21:38:38 Wife and I went here Saturday (East Henrietta location). Server (Toni) was TERRIFIC. I had the Build-Your-Own-Pasta Dish with Fettucini, mushrooms and a Vodka Sauce. Wife had Eggplant Parmesan and both were VERY good. Price was better than I expected. —PeteB
2007-09-12 14:00:52 Reasons why I won't ever go to Bazil again:
1/ Walked in at 8:30 when they said they close at 10. Was told the kitchen was closed and they weren't seating anymore.
2/ Went another time and waited for 30 minutes while multiple parties were seated ahead of us. We were a party of 2. When we finally sat down the hostess **threw** the menus on the table and stormed off.
3/ The food is plain plain plain. I think the water had better flavor than anything I ate. —MarcVera
2008-01-30 10:08:55 Our family eats at a Bazil restaurant at least once a month. We fell in love with this place a few years ago when they first opened. We love that is family owned locally from what I understand a really nice famliy ( I have met the owners many times as they actually visit with most tables checking guest satisfaction). The food is usually great tasting and the service is almost always really friendly and fast. You can tell that they care about their customers unlike some chains (like the Olive Garden that EVERYONE always compares this place to). Bazil has really good food for what we think is a very fair price. And are you kidding me, we love their funnel cake!!! it's is so hard to pass up no matter how full we are! Thank you Bazils and dont let what some of these people say effect what you do! Keep up the good work. —RochesterNative
2008-03-14 11:56:00 If you like Bazil: #1) You have been in coma for years or you been in prison for years and would eat anything, #2) you are just hungry and don't care what goes into your stomach! Positive reviews about Bazil HAS to be from either the owners or people associated with the restaurant, other than that any knowledgeable customer won't make positive comments about this restaurant. It is owned by the people who own Marios. Marios, i believe is operated by the father and Marios is an EXCELLENT restaurant. Bazil, i believe is operated by the sons and Bazil is a horrible restaurant! Didn't their father thought them anything? Seating booths for two people are VERY small, you can't even move. Place, on a weekday, it was very loud, kids screaming, i was like, are we at Dennys? I ordered Chicken Parm and the sauce was just "yuck" it just had a weird taste to it...$1 jar from Wegmans tastes 100% better! Their Dessert menu is horrible. —DennisPtak
2008-03-16 14:44:01 I think some of the comments here a little over the top. The food wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was an enjoyable dining experience that will bring my husband and I back again. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. She checked in on us frequently and kept our drink glasses full. The food was decent. Nothing spectacular, but far tastier and better priced than chains such as Olive Garden. The breadsticks and salad were good, regular restaurant fare. I had the Shrimp Scampi fest. There were plenty of shrimp in the dish. The sauce was a simple lemon, garlic and butter base that complimented the shrimp and the angel hair pasta. The best part of the meal was the dessert. It was a carnival style funnel cake with caramel sauce, mini chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry. Delicious. It was a little too pricey for the quality of the food, but overall a three and a half stars out of five. —CatMagro
2008-03-21 15:56:03 Blah! I dont know how Bazil and Mario's have lasted so long. If you like the Olive Garden then you will like Bazil, it is just a knock-off.
I have only been to the Henrietta location, but the restaurant was chain restaurant dirty and the food was chain restaurant bland.
If you youre not very picky and enjoy common inexpensive meals, then this is the place for you! —MrRochester
2008-03-21 16:11:23 *HENRIETTA LOCATION*-We went for Suz's birthday this last weekend and really enjoyed ourselves. I had a huge plate of Linguini while my wife had Chicken Parm. It was really good! Very little delay in receiving our food and the breadsticks were really good —PeteB
2008-04-11 15:29:50 My husband and I have been to the Henrietta location on several occasions with friends and just the two of us. The food is slightly overpriced for Italian-American food you can get other places.
On one visit with a group we decided to stick out the 20 minute wait for a table and an hour later the six of us were finally seated. When I complained to the manager after 40 minutes of waiting, he whipped out a handful of complimentary drink cards for our whole party (some of whom already were enjoying a drink at the bar) and offered his sincere apologies but were still not seated for another 20 minutes. This place is still in my good graces because of the way the situation was handled - while I might claim to have a sharp tongue, I gladly accepted a free drink to calm it. —StephanieTodd
2008-04-11 19:10:06 I had a good dining experience here with my girlfriend. I would not go often, as it is expensive for me. However, the food is tasty. —ToddBaker
2008-05-06 16:12:45 **WEBSTER LOCATION** -Went here Saturday night for my birthday and really enjoyed it despite a massive rainstorm. I had the Fettucine Schnibalicious and loved it as did Suz with her Lasagna. —PeteB
2008-08-09 23:19:28 Love Bazil. Brought friends who were visiting from San Francisco and they found it to be some of the best food they had had in quite a while. Is it high-end Italian? No. But it's hearty and tastes good- and we've only had great experiences with the service staff. This is a huge step above the "OG" and I find it admirable that it's family owned. —ShawnaLusk
Feels like a chain but it is not. Food is good, not great and prices reflect that. (Comment moved from description of message to opinions)
2008-09-01 16:16:40 Went once and would not go back or recommend to anyone. Food was like fast food Italian. There are so many good Italian restaurants in Rochester why anyone would bother with this place is anyone's guess. Try Dentico's, Mr Dominic's, Pasta Villa, Northside Inn. —NewtonNola
2008-10-12 19:25:48 Webster location - Food is outright bad. Below chain food level. Noise level is deafening. Avoid at all costs. Why do people eat here???!!! —CindyKin
