Taken Sept 2006

Lux Lounge is one of Rochester's alternative bars. It's the type of place you would think of as typical in a city like Portland or NYC, but in Rochester it's one of a kind. While a lot of bars work hard to draw in bands or crowds, Lux Lounge works just as hard to create a laid-back atmosphere where you can have a few drinks, and still have a good conversation over the music.

There aren't too many places you'll be able to find that have an arts & crafts night and serve drinks. During the warmer months of the year, enjoy their benches and comfortable hammock out back. During the rest of the year, huddle round the fire or play board games inside. The jukebox selection is phenomenal, always seeming to hit the right songs at the right moment.

Check out the weekly specials on the Lux website.

Awards

Lux was voted "Best Straight Bar" and "Best Happy Hour" in City Newspaper's 'Best of Rochester' awards in 2009.¹

Comments:

Note: You must be logged in to add comments

• Althought I love the place, I have to give it about a B+, for reasons explaned quite well at Beer Advocate's review -FarMcKon
  

• A++ -TobinFricke
  

• Purdy but pretentious, I give it a B+ (would be lower but it is serving a niche in ROC) - AnthonyRudgick
  

• A-.. it's okay. one of the better rochester bars. i prefer The Old Toad — RyahDahl
  

• A+ Probably my favorite bar in the city... You can get a drink and play some Trivial Pursuit and not get sweat wiped on you by some asshole wearing too much hair gel and a shirt that exposes his chest hair —JayUnnikrishnan
  

• B- . Yes, Lux is quirky, but to me it feels like Halloween-costume quirky, dressing itself up in conspicuous demonic ways. Maybe in ten years or so it will have grown into itself a bit, and gotten a bit dirtier and gotten over the whole 666-devil-red thing. I resent Lux for being the only bar of its freaky sort in Rochester, but go there anyway because it is the only bar of its freaky sort. So I can't really grade it too poorly. —HeatherYager
  

---

See Archive Page for comments prior to 2008.

---

2008-02-01 08:53:27   Pros: Nice atmosphere, especially in the back patio. And the patio has a fire going in the winter, which is great. Decent prices.

Cons: Lousy beer selection year-round. The music is too loud inside for conversation. —OwenThompson

---

2008-02-22 23:00:38   Ordered the same drink on a friday night from three different bartenders. Paid three different prices, and got three totally different variations/strengths of the same drink. Wait for a drink was not bad once I got to the bar, but the high backed barstools get placed off from the bar and create walls that you can't get through to reach the bar. Snotty customers make me feel like slapping people. Great bar for smokers with the enormous backyard. I feel sorry for whoever has to pick up all those butts. As a non-smoker though I try to stay out of the back. You will go home smelling like smoke from all the cigs and the firepit. AWESOME JUKEBOX, plenty of great music.
bad positioning on the pooltable. Traffic out the backdoor makes it nearly unplayable. They should take it out and put in a couple dartboards instead.
Bucket of condoms by the front door makes me think it's a place where you can easily find a hook-up... that is totally insecure and writes bad poetry. —JoeBeef

---

2008-03-07 04:48:45   If you have problems with the silly thoroughly debunked 911 conspiracy mumbo-jumbo, this bar is probably not for you. For merely suggesting that people seeks out alternative information on 911 conspiracies (that is, evidence and logical calls that refute the silly claims), I was instantly deemed to be a Secret Service spy and subjected to harassment. One of the pathetic 911 freaks even had the barback take a picture of me, and the barback (blonde woman, who apparently can only serve beer) didn't have a problem with that. She took a picture of me and handed the camera back to Squeaky Fromme (we all know her real name).

The barback's action was offensive, inappropriate, rude and unprofessional. I mean, is there ANY instance in which it's OK for a bar worker to take a picture of a patron without the patron's consent? And did she really think that I was a government spy, in cahoots with the NWO conspiracy, who came to Rochester because the local 911 freaks are so damn important? —PatrickBtt

---

2008-03-24 18:44:59   I'd like to note that having gone here multiple times over the past few months, including one night that was very busy, the drink wait issue seems to have been resolved. Now they just need a pinball machine (Elvira? Dracula? Addams Family? Ohhh Monster Bash), more drafts, and to move it closer to my house.... —DarrenKemp

---

2008-06-24 05:42:25   Lux is awesome. Friendly faces, fire of camaraderie in the back, hammock, and best of all - a great assortment of fun people. —HilarieLloyd

---

2008-06-26 01:48:48   One of the best bars around, especially on busier nights. It's much more laid back than others in the area. —JoeyLine

---

2008-06-28 22:27:02   Awesome spot, never seen anything like it except in New York City. Very chill —AskJeez

---

2008-10-14 16:35:30   I like the environment at the bar, and the people that hang out there, but the bartenders have been beyond rude. I was going regularly for a while, usually paying with a credit card and writing a tip in when I cashed out. At some point when I was paying with cash the bartender yelled at me that if I didn't tip her I'd never get served again. At that, I naturally put away my wallet. More recently, I went with some friends and when the bartender recognized me, my friends and I were kicked out. I've never been met with worse service anywhere and can't recommend this place to anyone. —mikeedmr

---

2008-10-14 16:48:47   Lux now offers live music in the garden next door, called Star Alley. After several years of being in business, Lux is still one of the chillest and most interesting bars in Rochester. Worth it for the rotating artwork, juke, backyard, movie nights, and a crowd that is happier to play board games than pick fights. Bartender service varies, but almost every bar is like that. I recently went in while pregnant and ordered a Virgin Mary, which bartender Phil kindly gave to me on the house. He also made me a very excellent pineapple virgin cocktail the time before that. Halloween there is insane every year, check it out. —MariahBetz

---

2008-11-25 11:52:38   The complete lack of good bartending is back at Lux. Went on a recent busy night, bartender serves the guy to the right of me, the guy to the left of me, the new guy to the right of me, the new girl to the left of me, this went on for roughly 10 minutes until I said "excuse me" to which I was given a glare and a snippy "I'll get to you." Same week, different night, friend tries to get a drink, asks the barback if he can let the bartender know he is waiting (non busy night) after 20 minutes, barback replies "I can't help you" and walks off. Unless you regularily go to this bar or are related to the bartenders you can expect bad service. —DarrenKemp

---

2008-12-09 12:29:27   Bartending here has fallen off the wagon. I've waited, belly up to the bar, upwards of 30 minutes while people on all sides of me were being served. I was finally served out of pity or because I held the door to the bar open for one of the bartenders who had his hands full carrying a 30 pack. This is my favorite bar as far as atmosphere but the service keeps me from going more often. —BatGuano

---

2009-01-01 10:44:39   SATAN SATAN SATAN! Nappy You Hair! This is the best Bar in the World, ever.

I love Lux and always will, I give it a 666 on a scale of 667, because even Lucifer isnt perfect.

Hey Patrick BTT, we need another picture for our files.—AlbertSpeer

---

2009-01-02 04:53:09   If you want faster service, I recommend using the various items on the bar to make a minor spectacle of yourself. For example, try wildly spinning the chex mix bowl in a circle. Or start rifling through the garnish container. Here's an even better one: Make a paper airplane out of a dollar bill and send it flying into one of the bartenders. Be creative with your harassment. They love it! —MariahBetz

---

2009-01-03 09:51:26   had some drinks with friends, tipped the bartender well but when one friend refused to pay for a drink she didn't order she gets kicked out??!! I'm sorry but people make mistakes; except this particular bartender, apparently he doesn't and will kick you out if you say different. good customer service, this isn't your livingroom this is a business and businesses need customers and this is a good way to lose them; and from reading other entries this is a common occurrance, bartenders getting all pissy and kicking people out for no good reason other then apparently offending their fragile sensibilities - this is not the only 'quirky', 'funky', bar in rochester, I mean really the devil stuff and the 666 is alittle tired dontyathink? This is not the type of place that anyone should think of in portland or NYC...this place tries too hard and doesn't even come close...hello people, you're in western new york, all the tattoos, piercings, bad attitudes and bad mexican food made by white boys isn't going change that, sorry. I apologize for my own attitude here but this particular experience leaves me very disappointed about Lux and the rochester community. Have to say that it will be my last drink at Lux - not that they care, i'm sure. —lilycom

---

---

2009-02-01 10:29:42   I agree with lilycom with regard to the atmosphere. This place is trying to be several different things and winds up doing none of them well. I'm also not thrilled about getting a large floater in my draft beer the last time I was here. Neither is my upset stomach. —AdamFuller

---

2009-05-20 14:15:03   really love this bar. don't classify myself as any particular type of person, although i'm not "hipster/alternative" in any way i guess. on that note (with the crowd mostly being made up of folks falling into this category) i never feel uncomfortable, judged or treated any less by the bartenders. the drinks and prices are great and the backyard pit is great. people will start up conversations with me and it's an overall really chill and friendly vibe. the mexican day of the dead theme and general dark ambiance is fun and entertaining to the eyes. —Leisel

---

2009-09-13 00:07:07   I'll start out by saying that I like Lux. They've got an interesting theme and many of the patrons are interesting and worth talking to.

That said, I'm not a fan of the current bartenders. Tonight they took my drink when I was away from the bar for 90 seconds, and it was still 1/3 full. I waited for 10 minutes and made eye contact with several of the bartenders to try to order another, and they clearly saw and ignored me. I know that Saturday night is busy, but the wait was ridiculous. I eventually left (and left a credit card) because I got the sense that the bar staff had no interest in me at all. I'll go back tomorrow to clear things up, but I might be done with Lux at this point.

I used to go to Lux fairly often, but don't much anymore. I guess since I'm not a cool "regular" they think it's appropriate to ignore me. I'm happy to reciprocate. I guess I'm not cool/punk enough for them. That's fine with me.

Goodbye Lux! You were great in your early years. —GrahamSaathoff

---

2010-02-24 16:50:41   I've been here a couple times, and part of me loves it and part of me hates it. The atmosphere is fun, especially outside by the firepit, and if you can find a place to sit inside, the board games are great. However, the bartenders are all assholes. Terrible service as well. I get it, you're busy, but you've looked at me five times and the money in my hands should tell you I want to order a drink.

One night I didn't have too much cash, so I decided to take a trip to Lux since they are known for their lowish prices. I rarely drink PBR (for obvious reasons) but I know what it's supposed to taste like. Their supply was *clearly* skunked, and I told them that it was bad. Their response was "what do you expect for a buck fifty?" For $1.50 I'm not expecting Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, but I am expecting a beer that is fresh enough that I can drink it without smelling the aroma of a rotting corpse. I had some bad beer in my life, but I couldn't even drink 1/4 of this can before I gave it to a random drunkard outside (who was happy to drink a free beer, skunky or not).

Give the bartenders some etiquette training and a course in proper customer service, and Lux would be great. As it is, I'd much rather go to Lovin' Cup or Tap & Mallet. The staff at both establishments are top notch, and the beer selection is FAR superior. —ChrisScholz