Anchor Bar

Having lived in Buffalo for two years and becoming acquainted with the Original Anchor Bar, I was hopeful that the food and the environment at the original Buffalo establishment would transfer to the new Rochester restaurant. I have been highly disappointed during each of my two visits to the Anchor Bar in Rochester. My first visit was during its first week in business, so I let my harsh opinions slide. I told myself that I would give this place the benefit of the doubt since the managers, cooks, and waitstaff were surely trying to find their groove while working the kinks out. After a month or two, I decided to revisit to see if this place had improved at all. Unfortunately, I just got more of the same. Here are some of my cold-hearted observations:

1. During its first week, the Anchor Bar offered a full menu on paper only. The chicken wings were the only items available. And, we weren't made aware of this until we were finally seated and ready to order. I do not agree with this strategy because it plays a trick on the patrons. I feel that restaurant owners should keep their doors closed until their full menu is available. First impressions are everything. And, I have a feeling that the first impression of the Rochester Anchor Bar was rather bleak for many people.

2. The Rochester Anchor Bar has a reputation to uphold, considering the original chicken wing was invented under the same name. Those of us familiar with the Buffalo Anchor Bar are greatly saddened because the Rochester bar is not doing the original wing any justice. In fact, the wings at the Rochester Anchor Bar are some of the worst I have ever had. It is because whether you order your wings mild, medium, or hot, they all taste the same. They all taste tasteless! We ordered hot chicken wings last night, and they were completely unsauced.

3. The Anchor Bar was not busy with hungry eaters during the second visit. Most patrons were there celebrating Halloween at the bar. So, when our waitress told us that our food would be awhile because the kitchen was backed up, I once again felt tricked. Supposedly, the management sent many of the kitchen staff home early on this particular Halloween night. Makes perfect sense, right? Wrong! It's not like we ordered a table full of filet mignons with twelve sides. We ordered a basket of eight wings, a combination platter of fried whatevers, and another basket of fried shrimp. Something makes me think that there is something going seriously wrong behind the scenes in the Anchor Bar kitchen. They really need to step it up one of these days.

The second visit was my last visit to the Rochester Anchor Bar. I will gladly drive an hour to the original Anchor Bar any day of the week to get my fill of some quality chicken wings. The Buffalo Anchor Bar is not flashy, but it has substance. In my humble opinion, the Rochester Anchor Bar has it backwards. The flash won't last.