I agree with several that Wegmans is worth the trip. Nick Tahoes is an original and should be visited late at night. L& H Charpit that is reference in Roadfood link above is a must stop. I always have one red hot and one white hot there. Make sure to add all the accompaniments on the side table. There are other better restaurants in the city, but to find something local and unique go to Charpit, Tahoes, and Wegmans.
Bistecca Fiorentino Basically a porterhouse
Every local BBQ or berger joint here seems to have there own hot sauce recipe and many are now selling the sauces in the local supermarkets.
Some local brands are
Sweet/Hot Chicken Sauces
Boss Sauce
Country Sweet
Snuffy's
Sal's
Meat Based Hamburger Sauces
Bill Gray's
Coach Tony's
Zweigle's
Don's Original
Steve T's
Some are available for shipping around the country, along with many other local food products, at http://www.nystyledeli.com
Dinosaur Barbeque is good. If you can get to Tom Wahl's I'd do that too. The cult of the Nick Tahou Garbage Plate has always been lost on me-- maybe it's a self-esteem issue, but I've never been comfortable eating something that bills itself as garbage.
I'll third the recommendation for Sal's Birdland or if you go to Wegman's just pick up a bottle of the greenish-yellow "Sal's Sassy Sauce". It's a truly unique sauce - hint of sweetness and tang and also a hint of hot. Incredibly good on fried chicken btu you coudl use it on just about anything.
The suburban "Nick Tahoe's" has split from the original downtown location due to a family dispute. It is now called Steve T's. It's on Lyell Avenue. Try to make it there for a Cheeseburger Plate with everything.
Other favorites - Don's Original, Sal's Birdland, Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs. Abbott's Frozen Custard
I also recommend this place.
http://www.tonysbirdlandandpizzeria.com/menu.html
Order wings with Tony's sweet and sour sauce(its also hot) not regular buffalo wings. The decor used to be a little run down but those are some great wings.
if you want to catch an independent movie, go to "the little" on east ave. it's one of the best independent theaters i've ever been to, and it's been around since the 1920s. the cafe at the theater is interesting, too, and they serve wine and beer. just down the street is spot coffee - housed in an old car showroom, it's a must-see if you're a coffee lover. enjoy the terrible, depressing weather, too! ;-)
Nick Tahou's and Wegmans.
At Wegman's get some:
and
http://stores.bosssauce.com/StoreFront.bok
to bring home!
If you don't have a car available and are staying in downtown Rochester then your options will be far more limited than with a car - to say the least. The Nick Tahoe's in downtown Rochester is no longer open late at night but their suburban location is. As for Wegman's - if you visit there (which is worth the trip if you're into food) - you'll want to go to the flagship store in the suburbs (I think it may be in Pittsford). The original very first Wegman's location is still in operation and relatively easy to access from downtown but it's a fairly small and ordinary store - not a huge foodie destination like the new stores.
There is a very good and longstanding ongoing thread in the NY forums on eGullet that covers "Upstate Dining". It has some very detailed Rochester dining discussion that covers the moderately priced ethnic offerings as well as the progressive upscale dining choices available. It's the best compendium I'm aware of at present that covers that scene and is up to date.
It really really REALLY helps to have a car in cities like Rochester (even more so than in Syracuse where I live). Parking downtown is about $3 per DAY and there's abundant free street parking available everywhere in the evening. If you drive then rent a car and get one with a GPS - Rochester has a somewhat screwy "Inner Loop" and "Outer Loop" system that is confusing if you're new to the area.
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