The Boulevard Grill

Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

412 Empire Blvd
Rochester, New York, 14609-4455
United States

(585) 288-8123 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.19
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
7
pDev:
13.13%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 3.04 by dhmxray from New York

Dec 05, 2013
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Reviewed by david23 from New York

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Well things have gotten back on track. Selection is vastly improved and seasonals are available and rotated before they get too old. Bengali Tiger and Southern Tier 2x I.P.A. will keep me happy while I'm there. If your looking to try any of Naked Dove's brews you'l find them here. Getting cooler now and a 45 Fathoms Porter is a welcome find.Still on of the best 1/2 pound burgers in town as it's fresh not frozen and cooked to your liking to perfection. Prices have gone up a little but hey, you still cant find a better price on good micros.
If you stop in, say hello to Jen and start talking beer! Staff has changed a little and most are quite knowledgable about what they're serving.
Sep 27, 2011
Photo of cbrzana
Reviewed by cbrzana from New York

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Visited The Boulevard Grill based on a few recommendations I was given over the past few months. I was smiling before even sitting down at the bar - $2 pints/$6 pitchers of Ommegang's BPA, I knew immediately that I was going to enjoy the next few hours.

Staff was very friendly and the bartender offered free samples/blends to my friend and I, without us asking. The food was phenomenal, the sweet potato fries were the best I've ever had, and it paired deliciously with my brew.

Went with a friend who won't drink anything but Blue Light and he still really enjoyed it -- the roast beef sandwich kicked his ass :) Will absolutely be a regular at this bar.
Jan 30, 2011
Photo of slander
Reviewed by slander from New York

4/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
Quick meeting, lunch, and a short film, early afternoon and we're out; a smart man would get on the road from Rochester now. But they're doing the Allagash cask event at that frog place and it doesn't kick in until 6, so I'm iffy. What? No, don't be silly, I'm not iffy on whether I'm staying or going, I'm iffy on what I'm going to do until 6. And weren't there a pair of places I wanted to get a look at before I was done with Rochester and it done with me...

Out on the boulevard, the Boulevard. Parked out back and saw the side door but I know not to sneak up on a bar, never ever. Off to the right, an "L" shaped wood bar seating 8, fronting a large wood bar back unit, with sectioned mirrored backing logoed on center. Three tiered booze to both sides, shelved glassware below, bottled selections displayed above the unit amidst TV's there, and angled flatscreens in all the corners. Pressed tin ceiling and crown molding, stucco orangey walls over wood slat lowers, drop bell lamps above the bar and spinnin' ceiling fans. And they've got a Bevador (one of them vintage bottle shaped coolers) down at the end of the bar. I've seen 4 of them now, this one's in good shape; it's totally cool. 3 raised bar tables on the other side of a divider, and a dozen tables front and running to the rear nook. Brewery signage, panoramic sports venue prints, pub signs, a Josey Wales poster, an Al Pacino Scarface print, and a big blackboard on the far wall listing taps; a few short and it ain't current. And Big Buck Hunter (pro) to the rear.

8 taps on a center tower on the bar, 9 below to the side, and a stray Strongbow sunken solo on the other side. 18 taps in all. Roughly ½ of them American micros, mostly regional (CB's Raspberry Wheat, Rohrbach Scotch Ale, Sackets Harbor War of 1812 Amber, Hennepin, Dundee's Pale Bock, Long Trail Belgian White, Harpoon IPA), with a few from beyond (Stone Arrogant Bastard, Greenflash IPA); the rest are macro, cider and blah import (although it's always nice to see Beamish instead of Guinness). And 2 dozen plus bottles, all macro & malto except for the oddball Victory Storm King & Heavy Seas Loose Cannon. I had the Greenflash IPA & a shorty Hennie. Beers were fresh and tasty.

Apparently they do very good food but I didn't get to it. Nice comfortable bar, excellent tuneage, friendly folks (bartender told me everything she knew about the Bevador), and a grown up crowd. Someone had a birthday and they offered me a shot. It wouldn't have been a good primer for the driver, me, but thank you very much. One down, one to go.
Jul 23, 2008
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Reviewed by BuffaloBelgians from New York

4.58/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
After hearing mostly good things about this place, finally got a chance to stop in this past Saturday with a few friends. Pretty much blown away with most aspects. My jaw hit the floor when we walked in and saw not one, but two Ommegang offerings on draft (Witte & Hennepin), along with the Brooklyn line, Heavy Seas Hop Ale, along with a Rohrbach's and more of the usual suspects seen at most places. Hennepin was on special - $3 pints / $10 pitchers, so you know where I was headed. The owner claimed he didn't know a lot about beer but his head chef is a geek, so he clearly steers him in the right direction. Hennepin was on special because "he was trying to get rid of it". The place wasn't too busy until the karaoke crowd showed up around 11:00, but still a fun time. Ran into the most on-point, attentive, and friendly bartender (Meg) since I moved out here over a year ago. My fiance and I resolved in our drunken haze around midnight to become regulars from now on. North Rochester / Irondequoit geeks - this is our bar.
Apr 16, 2007
Photo of John
Reviewed by John from New York

3.95/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Update Oct 2011
Boulevard is still a favorite place of mine. Draft beer selection is solid and is typically in line with some of the better area beer bars. Food is consistently good. Service is inconsisent however but ends being about average overall.

Original review
After attending a couple beer tastings and watching the beer selection evolve from a few occasional crafts to its current state, The Boulevard has officially turned the corner into a legit BeerFly worthy establishment. After being tipped off by BA david23 to the fact that there was Smutty IPA on tap, I decided to drop by last night. After all, the Smutty on tap was worth the trip on its own. I was pleasantly surprised to find an expanded selection from my last visit with plenty of other craft brew on offer. Draughts included; Smutty IPA, Custom Brewcrafters 19th Hole, Brooklyn Lager, Erdinger Hefe as highlights, Strongbow Cider, Stella and Amber Bock as better macros. Bottles include; Stone, Schneider Weisse, Magic Hat, Lake Placid, Southern Tier, Grant's, Brooklyn BCS, Sierra Nevada, Weyerbacher, Yuengling and Saranac. Very respectable. Food and service are solid here, good dinner specials and solid regular menu. I had a fish fry and a bowl of chowder, both were excellent. The vibe here has a definite neighborhood bar feel to it with lots of regulars. Bar is attractive and worn, I'd guess it's seen about 50 - 60 years of age. The coolest damn old Bevador cooler stands behind one end of the bar. It looks like a round phone booth/Wonkavator/Jeff Goldblum in The Fly type genetic transfusion pod. Stamped tin ceiling adds to the charm. Bar and dining area are separated by a half wall with about 15 seats at the bar and 15 or so tables. Glad to see The Boulevard emerge as a quality beer bar as there's been a need in this area of town. I'll be making more frequent visits and recommend stopping by.
Jun 04, 2005
The Boulevard Grill in Rochester, NY
Place rating: 4.19 out of 5 with 7 ratings