Lilas - Rochester (NY)

1 /5 Lena A: Two things: good news and bad news. Lets start with the good news! Its located near the Strong Museum of Play, which is surrounded by other restaurants and activities to do with friends and family. Its also in the lobby of a hotel which is convenient for those staying there or nearby. And lastly, the food was pretty delicious! We tried a variety of appetizers and main dishes, as well as dessert. Now lets move on to the bad news: First and foremost, there is no structure or organization within this restaurant. While it is located in a hotel lobby, theres no host and no proper communication between staff. There was a sign faced the other way saying to "make yourself at home" but with no clarity. Upon finding our way to the dining area, all the tables had placards with the restaurants logo, but marked "reserved". We found this very confusing and didnt realize it meant all those tables were for dine-in "non-bar" guests. After sitting down, we waited a bit for the waiter and drinks came out fairly quick. And then it all goes downhill once were ready for food. It took some time to place the appetizers and we didnt think much of it; they all tasted delicious once we got it! Though after completing shortly after, our waitress was nowhere to be found. Turns out, she was now bartending at the bar in the center of the lobby. We felt ignored and invisible. We had to flag another staff member down for them to even recognize we were done and waiting. A waiter came finally and assumed we were "ordering at the bar". He was nice and was apologetic, but we were waiting a very long time to place our main dish orders. Not only that, there were other tables waiting to be served as well, and people walking in very confused as to where to go, hoping for a host (just like we were!). When we were finally ready for our check, the same waiter came back to go grab it for us. But then, our first waitress suddenly came back to check on us and get boxes and the check. How odd to finally show up when were now in need of the check so we can pay and leave. The waiter came back with the check as well, and was frustrated to hear that our waitress already grabbed it without any communication between one another. We were very disappointed in the service overall. The food was delicious and I would eat it again, but I would absolutely not go back for the service provided (or lack thereof). There needs to be more clarity, more communication, and more attentiveness all around. I wish it were better, and unfortunately I was hoping to give a better review.

5 /5 Rena R: Staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, and very happy to have this option for dinner after a long drive into Rochester. We were pleased to see such a varied menu selection, though the prices were surprisingly high IMO. I had a fairly standard painkiller cocktail, but it hit the spot. We started with the sweet hawaiian rolls and charred pineapple butter - delicious. Our large plates came out just after we buttered our rolls, which was too bad in terms of timing. However, the food was all executed well! My daughter ordered the mac and cheese and she ate every last bit of it. The breadcrumbs for crunchy topping were a nice touch. I had the shrimp coconut curry noodles with veg and thoroughly enjoyed the dish. The tiger shrimp were huge and cooked perfectly, and the shiitake mushrooms were particularly good. When we first arrived, we were told it was open seating - but part of the dining area was closed off by glass doors. Many tables in the smaller open area were full, so we chose to sit at a table for two set off by itself which unfortunately was next to the kitchen door. Our mistake. We liked the vibe, though it began to get a little loud as the evening went on and larger groups came in. All in all, a very good dinner and super convenient.

4 /5 Carl: We came here with friends who were here for Xmas. I read all the reviews who complained the service is spotty at best. I have to admit it’s still like that and it wasn’t busy when we were there. They have very good food but the service is slow and inconsistent. If you’re not in a rush, and we weren’t, it was comical but if you were in a hurry or expect a high end restaurant to cater to you this is not it. The food was excellent. I ordered the Birria braised short ribs. These were small for the price but very good with the sauce, brussels, and polenta going great together. I wanted to lick the plate. My wife ordered the ahi tuna tartar appetizer for her meal. She enjoyed the food and was glad she chose that this day. I tried it and it was very good. Our friends got the chicken sandwich and the lobster roll which I did not take photos of. The lobster roll was 36 dollars but it was very good and she said it was worth it. I’ve heard this from more than one person and if we go back it will be the choice I make to give it a try. Don’t be in a hurry and expect serving mistakes you’d not expect for a high end place. If you’re laid back and not pretentious you should enjoy your meal!

4 /5 Taylor Baxter: Such a pleasant surprise here! Had some friends in town for the Rochester cocktail festival and I brought them here last minute for a quick dinner before they headed home. Food was SO good, bartenders/servers were amazing and the atmosphere was super cool. It felt like we were on vacation for a minute there! It’s a little on the more expensive side but we all felt it was worth it. Only thing that was kind of a bummer and the reason for 4 not 5 stars is that my friend put in a to-go order in for a lobster roll and they never brought it out and we forgot about it but still paid for it. Didn’t realize until we were home, obviously that’s on us too but our servers didn’t realize either. Hotel lobby restaurants are always hit or miss but this one is a hit. Can’t wait to go back!

4 /5 T. Rhett Pinckney: See picture captions! The 4 is mainly for the unclear hostess station when walked in, had to go in further, nearly to the bar to find it. Once seen and sat in dining area, water didn’t come with glasses and the chips were not that good! HOWEVER what was amazing was indeed AMAZING! Highly recommend the Pork Belly Tacos (very tasty and wish there were 3! - priced a bit high for only 2 but the live music makes it make sense). Highly recommend the Crispy Chicken Sandwich (see caption on pic) and Lobster Roll phenomenally delicious (house chips were unsalted snd I wish I got the fries instead, the fries were AMAZING!)