Rare 3001 - Rochester (NY)

5 /5 Bridget: We had the best service that weve experienced going out in quite a while. The servers greeted us immediately and attended to us throughout the night, which I personally found different seeing that there was no hostess but it ended up being so much more personal that the waiter is with you the whole time. The attentiveness was more than we could have expected, especially with such an intimate & small staff situation. The food was out of this world and it truly felt like a hidden gem of a restaurant! We were surprised at how fast, competent, & attentive the service was, they truly were impressive & friendly & they made our night. We absolutely loved the decor and of course the food was amazing as well, it was the cherry on top of the cake of a great experience.

3 /5 Kristina Moskvych: Food was very average. The calamari had no taste and very dry. The mac & cheese was very bland as well and the texture was off. The Wagyu burger was great though. It didn’t come with any ketchup for the fries and when we asked for ketchup it was definitely not it, unless they make their own in-house. It was so spicy, so dark and more like bbq sauce than any ketchup we’ve ever had. Our water went dry completely and didn’t get refilled for a while. Our server only took our order and then brought our check at the end. The rest was done by other servers or hostess. Then instead of giving her a tip that was representative to the service that we received, we saw that 20% tip was included already, which is just ridiculous. The restaurant is very nice overall, but service and food could definitely be much improved.

5 /5 Santino: I had a fantastic experience at Rare 3001. The team was friendly and professional, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the service exceeded my expectations. The selection was impressive and curated—exactly what I was hoping to find. I’ll definitely be coming back and recommending this spot to friends!

2 /5 Suzi: My husband brought me here for my 40th birthday dinner. It was our first time and was looking forward to trying it, as Ive heard great things. Overall, in the end, I was not impressed. The drink menu didnt stand out to me, and the drink I chose was OK. I got the filet and as it was to my liking, the flavor was not there. I had to keep adding salt and pepper. My husband got the strip and he said it was on the tougher side. We got the mushrooms to share and those were decent. Best part was the bread pudding dessert. For the prices, we expected better. We think Black and Blue is better for the quality and prices. We also wish there was a disclaimer on website or somewhere on menu stating that they automatically include a 20% tip on your bill, which is ridiculous. We base tips off of service, should not be decided for us. We believe we will not be returning. Disappointed.

2 /5 Lauren Elizabeth: We were greeted warmly and had our waters filled quickly, which started things off well. We ordered a bottle of wine, and while our server poured the first glass, that was it — the rest was left to us. Not a huge deal, but unexpected for a restaurant trying to provide a high-end dining experience. The restaurant sits below another, and the constant dragging and banging of chairs from above took away from the ambiance. It gave off more of a “speakeasy” feel than the upscale steakhouse experience we expected. The oysters were delicious the first round, but the crab cakes and later oysters were just average — nothing special. The $88 bone-in steak was also underwhelming. It definitely wasn’t the 24 ounces advertised — more like 12 — and we had to ask for steak knives. We didn’t receive them until we were more than halfway through, cutting with a butter knife in the meantime. The flavor was okay, but not memorable or worth the price tag. Our server barely checked in after the food came out, and when we finished our meal, they brought the check without asking if we wanted dessert. To top it off, gratuity of $67 was automatically added to our bill without any mention, and we were still prompted to leave an additional tip. Overall, the space has potential, but the service and food didn’t meet expectations or justify the price. Unfortunately, we probably won’t be back.