Pomodoro Grill & Wine Bar

Decided to give this place a second chance… mostly because I was given a gift certificate in 2013 for my terrible experience and I was ready to spend it! Arrived about 5:45pm on Wednesday. Love their décor and color scheme! Noticed several couples at the bar enjoying themselves. 2 other tables were already seated and we followed suite. Our served was a soft spoken young lady who did not smile nor show a speck of interest or enthusiasm.
We ordered the calamari fritta as an app. Came out fairly quickly. A few short moments later a bus boy in a bow tie brought out some bread in a basket along with olive oil in a dish. The olive oil contained 3 green olives and a clove of garlic.
A long time later our meals arrive. Linguine Scampi that comes with 4 small shrimp for my hubby. I ordered the Linguine Limone and added shrimp for $ 6. I was surprised by how small the shrimp were, and how little there were on my plate overall. Didn’t seem worth it. (Pretty sure I could buy a bag of uncooked frozen medium shrimp for the same price and have about 35 to eat). Took a while for the server to check on us. In the mean time the hostess passed by a few times so we asked her to bring us some Parmesan cheese. She did so with a smile!
At the end of the meal we noticed the place was getting busy. We saw table after table bringing in their own wine bottles. I checked the menu and realized the «happy hour special» on Wednesday nights was to «bring your own wine, no cork fee». The addition of these table was keeping our server busy. She dropped off the check, informed us that they were «starting a full service brunch every Sunday, beginning 2÷14÷16». She did not drop off the to-​go boxes we asked for. We kindly asked the passing manager and he was happy to bring the boxes.
Overall… nothing was really great, or exceptional to make me want to come back anytime soon.

This review is strictly for the bar area, as I’ve never actually dined here once it turned over into a Pomodoro (the old name is escaping me). I will say that the bar is fantastic: large, with plentiful seating that wraps around a large rectangle, and I believe has seating on three of those four sides. The bar top is expansive, and the bar stools are plush and comfortable, and have backs on them. Yay for laziness!
The staff is nice enough — nothing too memorable. I was given a wine list as soon as I sat down while I waited for my friend and ordered the Malbec. It was standard pour, and their glasses seem weightier than others… I wonder if it’s just me being used to my own, more delicate glasses at home. Who knows. Not a knock, but just kind of interesting to note. My friend ordered a Moscato, which is probably their sweetest offering. No bother to me as I dry wine lover, but a note for those with sweeter palates.
One thing I found odd was that during our 2 hours there, we were never once offered a menu for appetizers or dinner. We didn’t ask, and we were quickly offered a refill on our wine, but I found it slightly strange that a dinner menu wasn’t even offered.
If you’re in the area, it’s a nice spot for a glass of wine in a quieter environment, especially compared to some of the spots in the Pittsford Plaza area.

Food was delish but our waitress was very awkward. I would come back again if I knew she wasn’t going to wait on us.

Not bad — tasty, smaller portions but a decent place to come/​try. Was asked to meet my boss here during a visit to NY for work. We actually had a blast here… probably Better to review that on another «site»…none the less… the dinner was pretty decent. I had the lobster ravioli and a side Caesar. Salad was pretty good, a little heavy on the dressing but I like that… gives me a little sump’en-sump’en to run my bread through :).
The lobster ravioli was surprisingly tasty too. It was a Smaller portion but I tend to over eat anyway so i’m sure this was probably a more appropriate portion for me in the long run! :)
My boss and colleague both had the stuffed halibut with a lobster dressing. They approved — Judging by the two clean plates.
There’s a nice atmosphere here with a pretty solid piano player/​singer. It’s warm, friendly and on a side note… seems to be an active playground for «Cougars»…just saying…
:)

I have been to Pomodoro on many occasions and it has always been good. I would give it 3.5 stars. But I have to choose between 3 or 4. I would say that it doesn’t quite make 4 for value considering the prices but it usually does with the service.
The bar is large enough to host a good happy hour and the bartenders are friendly and capable. The hostess and wait staff have always been attentive and happy to oblige special requests. The cioppino and veal parmesan are a couple of favorites.
Overall I would recommend, especially for a nice drink or meal on a cool summer evening on the patio.

Hadn’t been in a few years. Immediately on entering I remembered why. Noisy, as in very. Poor acoustics. Food was either mediocre and/​or cold. Can’t justify the price/​value. Menu is quite limited. Good wine, bread and coffee. Overrated, as in very.

I’d say this place was average at best. I have been to the University location and had a much better experience. Tonight I met up with some friends for drinks and dinner at this location however. After being seated we waited about 10 – 15 minutes (it wasn’t busy at all) before going to the bar and asking for service. Once we finally got a waiter (or 3? I saw a few different faces over the course of the evening) I ordered a Brie & Garlic plate that came with bread. It was good but nothing to write home about. I also ordered a bowl of the Tuscan White Bean soup. When I received it it looked (and more or less tasted) like they had just dumped out a can of baked beans into a bowl and heated it up. There was literally nothing else in it. The main reason I enjoyed my experience was because of my company, and the food wasn’t all out terrible. A few girls I was with got Pizzas and one a Steak with Vegetables and those looked decent. Waiters seemed to go from non-​existent to having 2 (not the original waiter) ask me one after the other if I was done with my food yet (to me it kinda seemed obvious I wasn’t). When I finally was done and ready for the check, no service to be found again.
Side note– while we were at the bar trying to get service, a well dressed older man approached us with a Tupperware full of chocolates and offered us some. Thinking he was perhaps an owner or manager we accepted a few, wondering what the occasion was. Then he made a very purposeful point to let us know that no, he did not work there. I assume he is a regular or something but it all came off as a little odd and creepy and we headed back to our table joking that perhaps the chocolates were drugged. A harmless man maybe but, he may want to rework his social skills.
Overall, I’d say head somewhere else before here. But, not terrible. But not great. And not good.

Well, I’ve never actually dined here. Though I always consider it! I actually come to this venue for networking events every few months. I will say this is my favorite spot out of all the places we cycle through. Why? The food!
I always make sure to make it to the pomodoro events because I know there is going to be some good food! They make some delicious pizza! Their houierderves are fantastic, and the venue itself is absolutely gorgeous inside! Staff is very attentive, warm and welcoming. The bar inside is huge! Just looking at it makes you want to order a drink. I bet they have an awesome happy hour. Something to look into…

I want to start by saying in my previous review, I failed to mention that the reason they were out of Guinness was because of a Winter storm we were experiencing. Their shipment was delayed.
Anyways, we came back to Pomodoro’s this week for my Grandmother’s birthday dinner and had a wonderful time. We, of course, requested Shawn/​Sean to be our server for the dinner and he was great just like our previous experience.
I’m bumping Pomodoro’s to 4 stars instead of 3 because this time around everything was super smooth. Fun was had by all and our food was delicious. My Grandfather especially enjoyed his lamb dish.
The dessert menu was extensive and they had gluten free options.
We’ll be back to Pomodoro’s again, I’m sure, and we’re coming for you, Shawn/​Sean! Ha!

Went for a late lunch with my team from work. The food was pretty good. We were the only people in the restaurant. Server seemed like he had taken too many sedatives though. It was kinda odd. would I go back, yes, definitely. They have a nice looking patio and party rooms too.

If you really want the best that Pomodoro has to offer, head over to University Avenue and steer clear of the Monroe Avenue location. But even then, the best they have to offer is mediocrity, especially when you compare the competition such as Victoire Belgian Beer Bar, Shema Sushi, The Old Toad, or Good Luck.
Although the menu is the same between the two locations, the similarity ends there. Customer service at University Avenue is head and shoulders above the Monroe Avenue location, as is the care and quality of the cooking. At the University Avenue location, you can sit out on the sidewalk and take in the sights and sounds of the East End but at Monroe Avenue your outdoor seating provides a prime view of the parking lot — not cool. Our server was enthusiastic and payed some attention to us, but you could tell he was not up on his A-​game.
Bear in mind that you are not visiting a traditional Italian café — rather, you get Italian-​inspired semi-​American fare. If you expect to come here and find A-​list Italian such as Mario’s or Proietti’s or Mr. Dominic’s you are simply fooling yourself.
Don’t expect any classic Italian vintages, either. Only 1 Italian chianti was available by the glass. Only one? REALLY?
Chicken salad on on panini with a pasta salad… okay, I get it; it is lunch after all. But for $ 12? Really? The broiled soul was cooked thoroughly, but a tad under-​seasoned. The warm salad, however, was extremely good with fresh green onions, zuchini strands and a very mild vinaigrette. Unfortunately it was the best part of the plate. What does that say to you?
And they wanted $ 6 FOR A SINGLE DOMESTIC BEER! (Anchor Steam lager). Wow. So a beer, chicken salad sandwich, and a fairly small-​sized broiled soul filet was $ 37 (with tax and no tip). Yikes!
Now at the University Avenue location, the staff is above their sister restaurant, the cooking is better, the view is better. For the same price, make the drive an extra mile away and hit the University Avenue Pomodoro’s location.
Hint for the executive chef: you really, REALLY need to offer a European antipasto platter as an appetizer. You know… Genoa salami, capicola, hard-​boiled egg, olives, provolone cubes, pepperoncini, etc. I could sit outside at the University Avenue location with one of those and a true Italian vintage on a warm Friday evening and take in the sights while I snacked with my friends. And by the way, keep the antipasto under $ 10.50.
Now THAT would make for another visit to Pomodoro, irregardless of it’s other faults. Until that day Pomodoro’s Grill & Wine Bar is marginally decent — only if you have more money than expectations and only at University Avenue.

I have not been here in years and it looked like the menu had barely changed. We visited on a Tuesday, they have a special $ 20.00 for a bottle of wine and one of three house pizzas (the minimally dressed kinds of course). Service was friendly and timely although we had to ask for bar snacks that the others were enjoying.

I went here for dinner tonight and have to say I was very disappointed. The menu options were limited there was 1 seafood option on Ash Wednesday. They could have has a seafood special listed. Also the food was extremely salty and frankly not worth the value at all. They charged $ 19 for a plain Caesar with exactly 3 shrimp… Really? That’s just ridiculous

A very nice restaurant, well decorated inside and large and roomy. A good selection of menu items, both Italian and other. Marinara sauce was chunky and spiced just right, not sweet and not too much garlic. I had brick roasted chicken and it was excellent. Our friends had cioppina and paella, both dishes were generous and reported to be excellent. Very friendly atmosphere and excellent service. Also good selection of drinks, and some really tasty sounding drink specials. Large outdoor seating area looks «Italianesque», and we will be back in nice weather to have a meal under the perugilas.

Having been to the University Ave. Pomodoro’s many times before, I was expecting a dinner of passable but lacklustre food, spotty service, and low-​key music. The service lived up to my expectations, but everything else was pretty poorly done.
First of all, the chick tending bar didn’t have a clue as to how to mix even a simple drink. I’m not sure if lousy bartending is an every-​night affair, or if we just got there at a day/​time that no competent bartender was available. If ordering mixed drinks at this particular location, I guess you need to ask if the bartender knows how to do her job.
Next: music. I don’t know just who they thought their clientele was, but on the night we had dinner, in a period of 15 minutes were had delta blues, soul/​rap, and Andrea Bocelli played at fairly loud volume over the speakers. I suspect that the person tasked with tuning in the correct music station was as clueless as the bar-​person was. We were wondering if polka music was coming next?
Food: meh. My pizza was just o.k. My partner’s pasta gorgonzola tasted like pasta with blue cheese dressing poured over it. We also had the calamari, which came with an odd sweet/​sour sauce. It was decent, but didn’t really go with the whole «Italian» idea. Probably would’ve worked better with asian-​fusion cuisine. Once again, I don’t know what they were trying to do, but they missed the mark.
All in all, I can’t see any reason to come here over, say, Benucci’s across the street, or even compared to the original Pomodoro’s on University. I’ll not be returning.

Was just driving through the plaza when I saw this restaurant. This place does have a good ambience, we were well greeted and the service was quite good.
It dress code is not relaxed.
Now I wish I could give this 3.5 stars but, giving it 4 would be going a little far.
It is not the most economical restaurant. Quite pricey.
The portion sizes were good but the salad I ordered lacked flavor and could have been tossed before serving it.
The pizza we had was quite soggy and the crust was overdone .
Nothing really outstanding.

Given the reviews, I was a little hesitant to try Pomodoro Grill, again. The Monroe location and the ability to make a reservation for today helped to make the decision easy. I had visited Pomodoro’s once previously, but I couldn’t recall any significant details. Wine must have been a part of this meal! I do recall the thought of trying it again. I typically don’t make lasting decisions about a restaurant after a first visit. Most think that I am overly forgiving in this regard. That’s just me. Entrees chosen by my guest and I included a house favorite, Baked Salmon with Goat cheese and today’s special feature of Baked Red Snapper with veggies and pasta. The service was a little on the slow side. The place was busy and we were in no real rush. Given this, I was patient. The bread was really good, especially when dipped in the garlic, cheese and olive oil that accompanied it. We split parts of each entrée. The salmon was excellent in every way. It was cooked perfectly. The Red Snapper was tasty, but obviously stayed in the oven about 3 – 5 minutes too long. It was not flaky and was more tough than tender. The sides for both dishes were really good. I loved the penne pasta with fresh tomato sauce. All in all, it was a good meal, not excellent. Had the Snapper been properly cooked, I could be persuaded to give Pomodoro’s a solid four. That again, is my forgiving side stepping in.

Nice lunch today. Food was well prepared and met our expectations. Our waitress did an excellent job. We’ll be back soon.

Arrogant — to summarize in one word. You walk up to the reception desk and people behind the desk don’t make eye contact with you for at least 10min. Nothing even to the effect of «we’ll be with you in a few». They don’t take reservations for groups less than six. With an hour and a half wait for couples, I wouldn’t bother going here for an anniversary or any important occasion. The cheese cake factory across the road turned out to be a much better option for us.

Awful. The university location is much better. The server wasn’t attentive. Got a couple of our orders wrong — took half off my meal — that was nice. It was way too loud in there as well. I will never go back to that location.