Pier 45

See Gone, But Not Forgotten

Pier 45 was a tapas-themed upscale restaurant located on the second level at the Port of Rochester.

Awards

Pier 45 was voted "Best New Restaurant" in City Newspaper's 'Best of Rochester' awards in 2009.¹

They closed in Fall 2013 because of the Port of Rochester construction. It was announced in January that they would not be reopening in the spring.

Comments:

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2009-07-30 09:17:05   I ate here a couple nights ago for a friends birthday and it was great. The view of the water and all the boats were a perfect addition to the warm sunny day. We started off with the Mahi Tacos and Empanadas, both pretty good. My entree was the Seared Ahi Tuna with a salad, it was a perfect proportion and very fresh. My friend ordered a pasta dish which she enjoyed. It's a bit pricey but the atmosphere is wonderful. —HyunMee

2009-08-04 11:47:45   I went here for my birthday with my family and everything was perfect. The food was great. The drinks were great. The atmosphere was great. We were given complimentary gnocchis after our appetizers and prior to our entrees. The waiter also brought out a whole triple chocolate cake with a candle in it for me as well. I only have great things to say about this place. Please try it out for yourself. You will not be dissapointed. —limeylimer

2009-09-06 21:35:26   Went for cocktails on a Friday afternoon. Nice bar with good snack bowls. Found the lounge sections outside on the deck overlooking the river. They were nice, comfortable conversation pits. Waiter came over a few times to see if we needed more drinks or if we wanted to eat in the lounge area. We did not stay but the menu looked good. We will be back for a meal. —ScottHendler

2009-09-16 19:43:41   Great overall experience. Had the Salmon which was perfectly seasoned and cooked. My boyfriend's filet was also prepared very nicely, accompanied by his choice of 3 house steak sauces. I like the idea of sharing family style side dishes; the italian vegetables that we split were just fine for both the fish and steak dishes we ordered. Our waitress was paying attention to when our drinks were empty and when our plates were ready to be taken. Food came quickly and made a reservation ahead of time to avoid a long wait (which I would recommend). The main selling point is the ambiance—a great outdoor setting with a relaxing/trendy feel. Take advantage of the few nice nights we may have left by sitting outside. —Leisel

2009-09-17 16:34:24   This is a really great place — one of a kind. I have gone here for just drinks 3 or 4 times, and ate there once. The drinks are good, and it is nice to be able to sit outside. I don't know of any other restaurant in the city that has this kind of view. Every time the staff was friendly, and the prices were good. If you sit outside, it is covered, and they have heatlamps if its cold. When I went for dinner I had the sliders, and my friend had soup and the glazed pork chop. Everything was delicious. I also like they way they do their fries, as it's more like potato crisps. They're shredded really fine, and nice and crunchy. There's a lot of things about this place that make it worth going. And it's nice to finally have a restaurant/lounge on the west side, so you don't have to drive into the city to have a good night out.

Really like this place, and I hope they stick around for a long time. It was pretty busy when I last went. —VinceC

2009-10-15 09:48:02   2 thumbs up! Black pearl pork chops with taters, and the bread pudding, were fantastic.
(great atmosphere, awesome food, and my dessert, well, that was just amazing!) —BurbsGal

2009-11-14 09:18:47   Great food and the service was perfect. (friendly and efficient.) The sole is great and so is the spinach salad! This would be a perfect place to go when the weather is warm to sit outside. Only one suggestion: get rid of the cheap looking shear curtains used as room dividers. (colored with light bulbs)

Without question, we will be back to this restaurant. —JamesPatrick

2009-11-19 12:22:40   The rest of the glowing reviews here make me feel downright curmudgeonly, but I honestly don't see what the fuss is about. The food and service are nearly adequate and certainly not worth the price. Maybe if I sat outside on a warm evening I'd feel different, but I doubt it. I save my thumbs-up reviews for chefs that make what I cannot or will not, if it's really labor intensive to produce or contains hard-to-find ingredients. On to the review:
I should have known we were in trouble when I ordered a perfect Manhattan, up, with a twist, and the bartender asked if a piece of lemon was acceptable, as he didn't have any twist. Couldn't he have removed the fruit from the rind? Maybe he didn't know what twist is. The table was very strange - we sat at a tall table on bar stools. I love the burgers and wings at Merchant's grill from the view of a bar stool, but this is supposed to be an 'upscale' restaurant.
I ordered salmon, and it was a pretty simple affair. I'm pretty sure it was the usual frozen fillet with the grill marks applied at the manufacturer's, with a splash of what could have been Country Sweet Rib sauce. (I do love their wings, but c'mon.) I routinely purchase bags of prepared salmon at BJ's that are at least as good.
When the appetizer course was removed, the server tossed my knife onto the table so that I could use it for my dinner. I guess they don't have enough knives to supply clean flatware between courses.
Sorry, Pier 45. I really tried to like you, but no dice. Maybe for fifteen bucks, but not for what we paid.

—Pointpeninsula

2010-05-22 16:25:12   Wonderful drinks, tasty food (though one of my companions' portions of the seared tuna entre was tapas-sized and unacceptably small for a $25 dish), and fantastic, trendy atmosphere. This isn't a place I'd regularly head to when I'm in the mood for going out for dinner, but if you're looking to impress someone or celebrate a special occasion, Pier 45 should be considered.

Aside from the terribly portioned tuna, my only other complaint was with the service. It was slow, the waiter neglected to bring us bread while we waited for our food, and not once did he check back with us while we ate. However, this is but one diner's experience, and it's entirely possible he was having a bad night or was particularly busy, so this should discourage any potential diners. —AlexK

2010-06-29 09:35:28   Wife and I went for dinner on a Friday night. Started off splitting an order of the pork wings. Found them very tender with a nice sauce. My wife had an order of the Crab Beignes and was pleased with her choice. I opted for the BBQ Pizza. It was loaded with pork, cheese and onions to the point that I brought 1/2 home. We were both very pleased with our food and service. We had a table by the railing overlooking the river. The only downside to the evening was the flying bird feathers and it could be loud at times. Merits a return visit. —almorinelli

2011-03-20 10:35:51   My boyfriend and I went to Pier 45 last night, a Saturday evening. We were impressed with the piano player, and the attempt at a trendy decor. I'm sure that the outdoor seating would be lovely in the warmer months, but mid-March was not an option. Our service was a little bumpy, but over a good experience. For the meal...

The meal began with a selection of bread which consisted of a whole wheat roll, a multi-grain roll, and a warm, popover/pull apart roll. The two rolls were unremarkable and slightly dry, but the popover/pull apart choice was fantastic - like enjoying a buttery croissant.

We moved on to a cup of the Cream of Garlic Soup, which was surprisingly not creamy, but rather seemed to be thickened broth with lots of garlic flavor. It tasted good, but might have been more enjoyable with real cream or milk.

From there, we thoroughly enjoyed the "Land and Sea", which was four small pieces of braised beef short rib on small bamboo skewers, sitting in a generous bath of jus. They were plated along side a small pot of truffled lobster fondue, which was suprisingly thin, but had a nice strong white wine flavor. Separately, the flavors were good, but when the short rib was dipped in the "fondue", the taste was fantastic. I would have it again.

We settled on the 5 Spice Grilled 1/2 Chicken, which was a little too salty for me, but my boyfriend enjoyed. The asian inspired BBQ sauce was a tasty touch. He was especially impressed with the preparation of the chicken; "airline chicken" style, which you rarely see these days. A nice touch. We also selected the Gnocchi and chose the Basil Vodka sauce to accompany. This had to have been some of the best gnocchi we have ever had. The gnocchi were clearly hand-made, irregularly cut, and as light and fluffy as it could possibly be. The vodka sauce was fantastic, with simple, clean flavors and an almost buttery finish while accompanying the gnocchi. This is a dish I would order again and again. And again.

Normally not swayed by restaurant desserts, our curiosity was piqued by the fact that a full-time a pastry chef was listed on the menu. The first choice, a banana bread pudding swayed us. The bread pudding was riddled with banana slices, swimming in a bananas foster-like sauce. Served alongside; a small dollop of whipped cream with a few fresh strawberry slices and blueberries. The entire plate was an amazing end to a fantastic meal.

Overall, we can't wait to return, and hope that others will make the trip up to Charlotte to support this gem. —MerCDotes

2012-08-31 15:20:42   Nice looking place, uninspired and overpriced menu. Aside from a couple "tapas" the menu is full of conservative dishes that you're already very familiar with. For the price I would expect a bit more inspiration, but it's a safe place to take your picky-eater out for a special dinner. —jasons

2013-08-31 22:24:03   Nope. —EileenF