"Driving through Rochester on Labor Day, we decided to get something to eat. In the downtown area, close to Mayo, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from, though options were a little more limited because of the holiday. We picked Chester’s because we liked the lunch menu selection. It was a little after noon, and there were several other small groups already there. The place is nicely laid out, with plenty of seating areas available, offering both tables and booths. We were greeted by a friendly host, seated, and then offered waters by our server. It didn’t take us long to decide on the Big Mac Burger with fries, and the Cranberry Walnut Salad with shrimp. The food came out quickly, and everything tasted very good. The burger was cooked to order (pink), and the fries were hot. The burger had been put together with care, and all the parts were well presented. The salad was fresh, and the shrimp were a nice addition (though it would have helped to have a couple more). The service was efficient and helpful, with plenty of refills on the water. Overall, a decent meal with good service. I would stop back for another meal."

"The Walleye Taco Bowl was delicious! Highly recommend. Enjoyed the Banana Cream Pie for dessert. Definitely enough to share. Our waitress was friendly and very attentive. Would definitely recommend"

"Loveee their shrimp scampi Steak was not as tender as I expected but everything was nicely seasoned Had their Banana Cream Pie Waffle, and it was delicious. I would love it to have less cream though since it git heavy quite fast. Service and atmosphere was great"

"This will be a difficult review to write. We had a difficult meal, because of something I overheard from our server. I did not confront him because, emotionally, I did not wish to. And we still left a nice tip, I understand how hard people work, but my entire meal was ruined. I did not share the problem with my family either, because why ruin their meal in what was a celebration of my daughter being admitted as a chemist at the Mayo Clinic and starting her first day. We currently live in Asheville North Carolina which is a real “localvore” community. I write food and drink articles and have written for beer magazines and other lifestyle magazines. I have a large palate and I really like to explore local offerings. I’ve eaten a world Class cities, lived in Sydney, 10 years in San Francisco, 10 years in Boston, Argentina etc. etc. So it’s not my first Time at a restaurant. We chose Chesters because all the reviews said that the servers were so lovely, and it was within walking distance of my daughter’s new apartment near the mayo. So what happened? I value eating local foods. If I’m in Nicaragua, even though I normally don’t eat a lot of meat, if the specialty is meat, I will try the local cuisine. And in the Midwest, it certainly seems like cheese and beef are a Midwestern staple. So when I saw meatloaf on the menu, I thought perhaps this was a big specialty of their restaurant. I haven’t seen meatloaf on a menu in decades! Normally I would go for a fish dish, but I asked the server between the cioppino and the meatloaf and the jambalaya, which one he would prefer. I even told him that I’m a carnivore, and that normally I would go toward the fish but if their meatloaf was something special then I would try that. I asked because again, we are in the Midwest, and if he said “the meatloaf is Chester’s thing” then I would know. I understand I was asking for three very different things. But, When In Rome correct? He said that a lot of folks like the cioppino. Great. I love cioppino. Decision made! But when I went to the bathroom I heard him tell another server, “I can’t believe my guest asked me about choosing between the meatloaf and the cioppino and the jambalaya.” And the other server said, “oh my God.” And something along the lines of “customers can be idiots.“ wow. Making fun of your client behind her back? Not good form. Also, when we made the reservations they sat us at the bar in a booth, and I have really short legs. My feet did not reach the ground in this booth. This happens sometimes, and I have to move to a regular table or my chin is pretty much on the table. It’s not like I’m going to ask for a booster chair! So I asked to move someplace else, away from the bar area, which had not only a lot of noise, but no chairs I could sit at without feeling like I was seven-years-old! Plenty of other open tables in the restaurant. I am not a Karen. I’m not the type of person that asks to be moved and then moved again. The booth was just way too high for me. And I’m not the type of person that would send food back or cause problems. I’ve worked hard all of my life. I respect servers. I always leave a nice tip, and I even left a nice(ish) tip this time, even after the server insulted me. I just don’t understand why any server would go out of their way to complain about a client. I wasn’t being mean. I wasn’t sending drinks back. All I was doing was asking about three of the menu choices, and he was still making fun of me and being cruel. And again, we chose Chesters because we heard how nice their servers were. The food was good. My cioppino was good. The salad was good. The ‘basil bubbles’ drink had more vodka than bubbles and probably should be rebalanced; my daughter really enjoyed her Parmesan walleye, but we will not be back If the servers think of their clients this way. Maybe he thought that I was a Karen because I asked to be moved to a table where I could eat comfortably. That still didn’t invite him insulting me. This is not a good look for the restaurant."

"Chester's Kitchen & Bar has excellent food and desserts! We have always had excellent food and service here. On our recent visit with our family we had everything from the Halibut to the Rotisserie Chicken. All very flavorful and cooked to perfection. We finished off with a large slice of the Key Lime Pie to go for dessert. The Key Lime Pie was excellent and rivails the best Key Lime Pie that Key West, FL. has."