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Good Luck Restaurant
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
50 Anderson AveRochester, NY 14607
(585) 340-6161
- Hours:
Wed-Sat 5 pm - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
61 reviews for Good Luck Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The menu changes very often, a few times a month it seems."
(in 5 reviews)
"The warm chocolate cake was great."
(in 2 reviews)
"...tender, served in a romanesco sauce with house made chorizo."
(in 5 reviews)
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61 reviews in English
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Review from Fabian L.
Oberlin, OH
1/25/2012
Medium size type tapas - with a bit of an Italian touch. Absolutely delicious.
Braised oxtail with tripe: First rate.
Grilled cauliflowers .. also excellent.
a whole bunch of other plates - all of which were great.
the wine was outstanding.
This is among the very best restaurants I have been to in the last year. -
Review from Jess T.
Rochester, NY
1/2/2012
So we finally tried this place. I am so mad that I can't rave about it. I just want to find a place in Rochester that's different, that's inspired, that makes good food!!! GAH! Adding this restaurant to the "meh" line.
The food and service were right down the middle for me. Nothing bad, but nothing to write home about. We had the meat and cheese platter for an appetizer - I enjoyed the chickpeas and some cheeses. I won't touch rabbit, but my husband was all over that.
My husband got the rabbit entree and enjoyed it. I got the cannelloni which was stuffed with spinach and had a cream sauce. Although the pasta was homemade, which was the reason I went for the dish, it was too thin that it was spongy like and kept ripping into small soggy pieces. The texture ruined the dish for me.
The sangria 1/2 carafe was nice, but wish I had more for the price. -
Review from Alexandra C.
Rochester, NY
12/29/2011
Good Luck has some good things going for it: the space is chic, the menu is inventive, the craft cocktails are unique and often well-executed, and the staff gives excellent service for private room dinners (including creativity and flexibility in menu planning).
The restaurant's shortcomings are few: their interpretation of classic cocktails is lacking or inconsistent, burgers should never be grossly oversized and hacked up for sharing, and they don't publicize their special events well so I always miss them (much to my regret). -
Review from John V.
Schenectady, NY
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Really cool place with great interior and open kitchen. Got the sampler plate which was a little pricey at $19.00. Had some cheese, shaved meat, and great fish spread (tastes better than it sounds) with fresh bread. The place was packed. Seems to be where the good looking young Rochesterians go to eat and be see, Had a great time and the food was great.
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Review from Kim E.
El Mirage, AZ
12/1/2011
I came to Rochester on business, and asked where I should eat. What do I have to say about Good Luck?
You MUST take a trip to Rochester and eat here! In one dinner, it swooped in and usurped the "favorite restaurant" spot on my personal list. The wait staff was friendly, the owner Mike is wonderfully nice, and the food...I did little happy dances in my chair, hummed happy food songs under my breath, and when I got to the car, I laughed out loud! That's an amazing dinner!
(and because I know you want to know...the song was something like, "mmm, mmmm, mmmmmmm, I love my food, mmmm, mmmmmm, mmmmmmmm, gnocchi are round and yummy, mmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmm, people are starting to look at me so I'm going to shut up and cram more of this yummy beef shank in my mouth, mmmmm, mmmmmm, mmmmmmm....") -
Review from Raheleh K.
Cupertino, CA
Updated - 12/3/2011 1 photo
I have to write an update solely to address Brian M.'s review. I have never been one to bash another person's opinion but his review literally makes no sense. If you can't tell that Good Luck uses fresh ingredients and makes everything from scratch, YOU SHOULDN'T BE EATING HERE! You pay a premium for the quality here. Sure, any restaurant can go buy pre-made gnocchi and throw in some frozen beef, add garlic, and charge $10 for it, but Good Luck doesn't do that. If you can't tell the difference in taste of home made quality food, then eat at Applebee's, shop at Walmart, and don't take up space at Good Luck, its already too packed all the time from all the guests who truly enjoy and value the amazing food that they produce. I was at Good Luck again last night and truly had the most amazing time, as I always do.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/12/2011
I absolutely love Good Luck. Not only is it the food, it is the ATMOSPHERE! It makes me want to sit… Read more »
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Review from Kristina W.
Rochester, NY
10/20/2011
Good Luck has consistently delicious food, relatively unique cocktails and pleasant and stylish decor. The food is local, thoughtful and well-executed, whether you get a cheese plate or a full meal. The menu can also be navigated in a relatively affordable manner--the food is supposed to be shared and you can get a whole chicken for $22.
The drinks are also quite good and it is the only game in town that routinely uses things like St.Germain and Hendricks gin (Lento uses unusual liquors but they are more of the chipotle vodka variety).
Caveat: The drinks will be exceptional if you can get them from the right bartenders. However, about half of the bartenders are not skillful enough to make an interesting corpse reviver--they will clumsily imbue any drink that requires a little subtlety with a boring and murky quality.
Finally, I have to say that I have been disappointed with the crowd. It used to be a lot more 20's and 30's, but as people have found out about it the crowd has shifted to an older, more irritating, desperate middle-aged divorce sort of demographic. -
Review from Steve C.
Brooklyn, NY
Good Luck does not screw around.
The kitchen puts out great food: unpretentious, not ostentatious, always of high-quality ingredients and technique. Presentation is austere and functional, as it should be. Try the lentils.
The bar is an honest-to-god American bar of the kind I've been scouring Brooklyn for--you'd think they'd be on top of this--but have never seen anywhere else. Signature drinks are all good but I only order the classics.
If I could rent a room here, I would. The price list looks intimidating until you realize that the food menu is meant to be shared and the cocktail menu is not for overindulgence. I brought a group of twelve here for my birthday and we racked up the heaviest tab I've ever seen.
Chuck, the owner, and I are chips off the same design-school block, and he's done an awesome job on the space and lighting. You'll never eat under fluorescent lights again, if I have anything to say about it! -
Review from Brian M.
Pittsford, NY
10/20/2011
The bar is fine and usually always crowded. But that's the only part of Good Luck I enjoy. That's not to say the food is bad, it's very good and prepared well but they are way, way overpriced. It's about value, and Good Luck does not offer value in any sense. Service as well is spotty - not the waiters fault but that of the kitchen and their approach to family style dining.
An example. Braised beef and greens with Gnocchi last evening. It was overcooked but not exceptionally so. But $21? That's NYC prices. And for serving food "family style" these are tapas-sized portions. The Gnocchi was barely appropriately sized for a single serving according to culinary standards. Any other restaurant would give you twice as much and include 1 or 2 sides. For $21, you received a plate of Gnocchi 6" across. Most terribly disappointing.
The Salmon riellettes were good as well but a very small appetizer at $12 and it would serve only 1. The portions here used to be bigger and their were many more options at smaller prices but what they've done now is include a dozen "family style items no the menu at $20 to $29 that really are single portion items with no sides. I had another reviewer challenge me on this one noting that perhaps they should be given credit for trying something adventurous. Yes, but they're not the only one doing this in town and they are a pale comparison compared to Warfields. Four small toast points and five 1" round chips to dip into the mousse? I ended up eating the mousse by itself because they don't provide bread.
I was questioned at some length today by someone who questioned whether I had experience in restaurant management and should give a break to the owners of Good Luck who have to balance food costs and quality. Yes, the quality of the food is good and preparation is well done but to call it meticulous is a gross overstatement. Frankly, I am amazed at the reviews I see here. They appear to be a lot of young ladies who obviously are not paying for their food. What an overpriced place to go.
$13 for a pizza that is half the size you'll find anywhere else (8-9")? Yes, it's good, once again I have to give kudos to both the white pizza (that's white as in an egg on top) but you have Tony D's and others that put out an equally good pizza at the same price that will feed two. Calling this a "family dish" that can be shared. What are these people thinking? The more I rer-read and edit this review the more I'm amazed at the crowd that will pay these prices and eat this food. And I've done it several times now. Eating out is indeed expensive and most people have to be judicious in where they spend their dollars. Good Luck, in my opinion, is not the place to do that. The atmosphere is casual but because of how they work the dishses in the kitchen, how your food is presented and when is haphazard. Is that how you want to entertain your date? I think not. To have that presented to me as some sort of special event begs reason. An elegant meal requires more polish both in service, restaurant decor, and in presentation and it's just not here.
Just to show you that other reviews are not correct, the whole roasted chicken is $29, not $22. And more often than not, you won't find it on the menu as they run out (we've had that experience 3 times out of 7 including last evening) and had to wait half an hour on another occasion.
My advice is that you very carefully consider the comments you see from others. Take a look at their other reviews and the language they use. With few exceptions, I don't think it's a sophisticated palate they bring to the table.. Yes, the burgers are great but at $18 each, you can get two excellent burgers at The Gate House right around the corner and leave much more satisfied with more $ in your pocket. I'm sorry James, you may be the exception here but I still disagree with your assessment of Good Luck.
As I said before, a lot of the comments are from people who are not from Rochester. I'm pleased that they appreciate what we have to offer here as this is a good restaurant but they obviously don't know of all of the other little hidden gems we have that also offer excellent food at much more reasonable prices (Warfields, Tony D's, Osteria Rocco, Rio Bamba, etc.). I hate to say it, but after eating here six or seven times, this will be our last visit for some time to come until they tackle this menu issue. It's a great bar and a fun place, but not worth the agonizing time you wait for dishes to arrive and the pricey check you're left with. -
Review from petrooshka r.
Oakland, CA
11/15/2011
After not having been in Rochester for years I flew in and met friends here. Wow. This would be a top restaurant in ANY big city. The food was incredible, atmosphere the perfect mix of understated warehouse and magical details. Perhaps I'll be returning to Rochester more often.
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Review from David T.
6/11/2011
My partner and I went here for dinner, in town for vacation, and had a lovely time! A dark renovated warehouse scene with lots of antiquities without being too kitchy... almost steampunk! Very loud. Everything is served "family style" but portions are normal. That said, the food comes out ridiculously fast.
We started out with mesclun greens and some handmade ricotta/marscapone ravioli. The greens were extremely fresh, ample and tasty. The ravioli were also delicious with a poached egg on top, but the portion was a bit on the ridiculously small size at 3 ravioli for $16.
I was still hungry so I went with the lamb sausage with a feta/fingerling potato roasted side which were both fresh and delicious.
In general, anyone with a pork/charcuterie fixation (which I'm assuming the cook has) would be in love here. Almost every plate has bacon, pancetta, pork belly or some other pork goodness incorporated.
That said, my partner is vegetarian and I often eat vegetarian, and we were less than impressed with the offerings in this regard and the prices therein.
The menu, in general, included roughly 3 pizzas (10 inch) at $11-12, 3-4 salads at $9-15, a charcuterie plate at $10-14, lamb/beef/pork entrees from $12-22, 3-4 fish entrees ranging from $18-28 and then a decent dessert list $8-10 (they were out of strawberries! In June!)
The drink list was OK. They really could do better in the craft beer department and I would love to see more on draft, but at least the prices here were reasonable. The wine list was OK, again, nothing too unseen.
In general, we were happy. A bit miffed with the portion size of the ravioli but in general left very satisfied. -
Review from Thom S.
Rochester, NY
11/8/2011
Excellent date spot. Great for people watching. Delicious cocktails. Pricey but very much worth it.
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Review from james s.
Geneva, NY
Updated - 7/17/2011
We had another excellent meal at Good Luck last night. When I wake up thinking about the previous evenings dinner I know it was a great one.
After the gay pride parade and festival (on a very HOT day) we went directly to Good Luck without a reservation on a Saturday! We were immediately seated at a great table and we began to check out the menu which changes often.
We started with the small charcuterie plate, ($15), it was good but I am spoiled by Dano's Heuriger on Seneca Lake, his meats are amazing, these were good. I did love the fruit jam whatever it was and the accompanying bread was tasty too.
We shared two plates after that, the AMAZING burger and fries ($18) wow, I have not had a burger this good in YEARS. It was quartered, the meat was juicy, it was a perfect MR and the fries were so freaking good, double fried, they were like crispy bits of heaven. The burger is served on a big wooden cutting board and the accompanying squeeze bottle of sauce was an unexpected surprise.
Then came the Arctic Char tacos ($18).......shut up. These stole the show and made it onto the list of epic dishes. These tacos were stuffed full of delicious, fresh and tasty Char and delicious guacamole with cilantro and onions. They were served with a very interesting white bean mash, I was speechless. I was delighted. I felt lucky to be eating such a great meal and I was the one paying.
I highly recommend Good Luck to anyone who loves a great looking, casual restaurant with delicious comforting food.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/1/2011
Wow, what a great place. If you have an eye for detail you will notice that the place is furnished… Read more »
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Review from Sylvan H.
Rochester, NY
8/7/2011 8 Check-ins Here
Love this place. The cocktails are superb. They have my favorite manhattan in Rochester.
The open ambience, friendly staff and well fitted music selection all come together to give you a great place to relax and unwind. -
Review from Sarah L.
Philadelphia, PA
8/6/2011
My favorite restaurant experience in the ROC.
I've dined at GL several times while visiting my best friend in Rochester. I love the festive open air dining atmosphere; there is great energy and buzz amongst the wait staff that transfers to the guests.
The menu is compact but every dish is memorable. I'll never forget the first time the burger came out - stacked high and cut in four scrumptious quarters for us to share. The fries that accompanied were also off the hook.
Between the four of us we usually order 5 or 6 dishes to share, and that is definitely the way to go. Wine is always free flowing and we leave with bellies FULL!
The only reason I did not give it five stars is because of the noise level. Voices carry and at times it seems a little too loud to have any real conversation...even when sitting in the "quietest" section as was given to us the last time we were there.
Good work, Good Luck! -
Review from Sophia S.
6/4/2011
I had a great meal here!
We started with the meat/cheese plate, which I would definitely recommend. They select something for everyone--strong cheeses, creamy cheeses, and many different styles of charcuterie.
Everything we shared was wonderful. Standouts for me were the bibb lettuce salad and the orecchiette pasta, which I think had a rabbit ragu sauce.
The burger was only ok....it was slightly overcooked. the fries were very good though.
And, the drink list was great. Though I am normally a beer drinker, there were a number of awesome cocktails that I am glad I explored. I forget the names, but the one with tea and whiskey and the spicy taquila based were particular favorites.
Next time I am in Rochester I will definitely be back. -
Review from Roni S.
Brooklyn, NY
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Although it was sad to see Fabrics & Findings shrink, Rochester needed Good Luck to breathe some life into the Village Gate, or as my friends and I call it "Mall of Broken Dreams." Growing up, I loved coming to the Village Gate, but the dynamic of this complex has changed significantly over the years. Once the mural was painted over and Salena's moved, I thought this place was on its last leg. Maybe I was wrong...
Good Luck brings some big city style and class to an area that desperately needed something fresh. The dining experience is great and the menu is more complex than other restaurants in the city. I like the large dining tables and mismatched chairs, the tapas-esque sharing approach is nice for couples and small groups of friends. Sometimes service can be a little slow or hard to get a hold of, but this place is run by the same guys that ran Cibon and Java's, so you should recognize a few familiar faces and the aloof attitude from a couple of the staff members. Attitudes aside, I've always had a positive experience at Good Luck. The house-made cavatelli is always a good choice, and the waitstaff is always able to recommend a good wine pairing (a real plus in my book).
Sure, the major cities may have "better" offerings, but you know what, Good Luck really stands on it's own. As a native Rochesterian living in NYC eating at some of the finest restaurants on the East Coast, I believe that Good Luck is a great addition to Rochester's food scene and a much needed venue in this neighborhood. If I moved back to Rochester tomorrow, I could eat here and not feel like I was missing out on the big city food scene, and that says a lot. -
Review from Peter D.
1/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am extraordinarily lucky. The evidence is readily apparent in my dinner at Good Luck (and not in my non-existent MegaMillions jackpot):
I was able to sample the Legerdemain* cocktail. It has Sriracha AND orange dust (most poor bastards only get one of the two, if they are lucky). And I stumbled upon Rohrbach, my new favorite brewery; their Java Stout was only $4! It wasn't even happy hour!
I dined on deliciously salty, perfectly medium-rare duck, an above average burger with genius condiments (homemade sauce of ketchup, mayo and brandy) and wonderful fries, and amazing housemade pappardelle with mushrooms and pancetta.
And I have a beautiful girlfriend who not only loves me despite my inability to dress and/or act like an adult, my refusal to bathe frequently, my face, my penchant for 70s dwarf porn, my complete sexual inadequacy, my insistence on airing out private business in Yelp reviews, my theft of everything she wants to eat, my body...but she also paid for this lovely meal.***
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*I also have a snazzy iPhone that recognizes the word Legerdemain. And yet it doesn't know NAMBLA. Get with it, Apple.
**Don't worry, I'll reciprocate. Perhaps on a Thursday, which is no corkage night here. Or maybe I'll just put out.Listed in: the ROC.
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Review from Patrick B.
Beverly Hills, CA
Updated - 2/17/2011
Before you rate this 5 stars because you don't know anything about fine dining....
Go to NYC, find a consistently rated 5 star restaurant on Yelp there, go eat there, and find out how a real fine dining establishment is supposed to operate.
Then you will be rating the Good Luck armpit with the 1 star is deserves.
Hipsters only like this place because it's cheap and makes them feel cool spending mon and dad's monthly allowance.
I gave this excuse for a restaurant another try by eliminating food from the equation completely and just going to the bar. Even the bartender sucks! Did these guys take bar tending classes at MCC? Fuck. Hire some professional staff and GET A NEW CHEF -- for the love of god.
Good Luck: You have such a cool space. Why ruin it with the awful food, awful service, stuck up staff, and poor bartenders.
If this place existed in a real city it would have already been torn to shreds and shut down.
Oh yeah, and to the maitre d who gave a cop a free meal, lose the tough guy attitude. You're just another skinny hipster whose limbs could be snapped by a 30 mph wind.
This place blows. Ugh. I can't say enough bad things about this restaurant.
tl;dr TRIES WAY TOO HARD2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/14/2010
Undercooked duck, dirty utensils, a clueless waitress who couldn't explain anything on the menu, and… Read more »
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Review from benjamin p.
Rochester, NY
2/27/2011
Is this your first time eating here?...The dreaded greeting phrase that is programed into all of the servers at Good Luck, and just like the voicemail greeting of a friend who never answers the phone, I was cringing even before the waitress started the phrase. The warm feeling one gets as a regular of a restaurant when a server remembers their order or what they like to drink is absent here, Good Luck manages to do the opposite by making you feel like a Kansas farmer wandering into Per Se for a bite to eat. Its not the fault of the waitress, they're just doing what they're told. Please, print a short explanation of the portion sizes at the bottom of the menu and flash me a warm smile...pretend you know me.
As I looked around the room it appeared to be empty-nester night even at the later hour which we ate. One can always notice your typical progression over the course of a few years following the opening of good dining establishment: Industry insiders and Hipsters, followed by yuppies in their 20's and 30's, followed by the 40 yr old couples who are nostalgic for their 20's and 30's, followed by the empty-nester foodies, and then finally the suburban couples. Rochester is unique because this progression runs its course and then seems to loop around again until the crowd on certain nights is undefinable.
Now about the food, delicious and well presented (as it seems to be every time I visit) and the wine list short but well appointed. The braised oxtail and tripe in tomato sauce made any disgruntlements from the introduction fade away for the remainder of the meal. The oxtail and tripe were cooked to perfect tenderness with a magnificent beefy flavor enjoyed with every bite of the oxtail. The dish was completed with a tomato sauce that did not overpower the other ingredients and rounded out the dish nicely. And no, I didn't follow the house rules and share with my dining companions, instead i opted to fend them off like a lion standing over a fresh pile of gazelle.
4 stars for the food and wine, minus one for the intro speech -
Review from John B.
1/24/2011
3.5
Good Luck is off to a good start. Speaking mostly as a disinterested observer, since I don't foresee too many more trips to Rochester, my fondest hope for GL would be that it serve as a bellwether. Because although GL is pretty good, it's struggling with a difficulty common to early entrants to any market: lack of competition. Though it's not universally true, the best and most innovative restaurants of any type emerge where clustering has occurred. If this sounds counterintuitive, consider how shitty Windows 7 is. Or perhaps more relevant, how much better (if also more insufferably obnoxious) beer has gotten since 1990.
They're doing pretty well on the beer and liquor end. (Though, as with most of these places, the beer list doesn't seem to be curated to emphasize variety so much as "hip independence"). I enjoyed a cocktail, and my wife really enjoyed a French 75 that put to shame the version offered by a hip Brooklyn cocktail "boite."
The food needs a bit of work, though. Once you get past the enormity of the hamburger, there's still the oiliness. And once you get past the presentation and the coordinated table settings, they're just pretty good salads, overdressed here, underdressed there. A good tossed salad can be served cold, but it shouldn't taste cold. Or seem glued to together.
This is nitpicking. The food is good enough that I'd happily go back. And the service is earnest and hardworking enough that it's hard to find too much fault. Dealing with greaseheads on New Year's Eve who interrupt a bar patron's dinner order to shout, "THREE MORE GENNY LIGHTS, SWEETHEART" can be pretty taxing.
But on busy nights, there MUST be a better solution for bar seating than the free-for-all that results when one party departs. Not keeping a list makes you weird, not alt. -
Review from Carol B.
3/15/2011
I love the environment of Good Luck Restaurant. When I am there, I really feel like I am away from Rochester and in a larger scale city.
Good Luck is bustling, offers a decent food menu, their cocktail menu is unique and their wine offerings are also very impressive. They are lacking a bit in the beer section, only offering a few.
I think that Good Luck is the perfect place to meet up for a drink after work and simply linger. I wouldn't go there for a dinner or something, because the menu is a little too expensive and limited for my taste. If you're trying to impress someone, I'd definitely take them here.
The atmosphere is conducive of an intimate and romantic energy, and it will be sure to compliment an evening with friends, co-workers or a loved one.
If Good Luck loses its charming ambiance, it would definitely lose a few of it's stars as well. While this restaurant offers a vibe that is hard to find in other Rochester hangouts (Tapas 177 matches it), I think that it is also a little to expensive for its own good...Also, the crowd can be unbearably yuppie. -
Review from Bevin K.
Washington, DC
9/22/2011
As a New Yorker, a Washingtonian (D.C.), and now a Bostonian, I can say Good Luck definitively measures up to some of the best dining in this country. What makes it so wonderful is the delicious food, the creative cocktails, and the UNpretentious environment. The atmosphere is expected to be relaxed, not upscale. The food is family style and the image is down to earth.
I can't get over the Ledgermain - it's the one of the best cocktails I've ever tasted. Definitely one for the ages (it's laced with Siracha). -
Review from Erin W.
Los Angeles, CA
12/15/2010
Went here for the first time today with my mom and my dad. I enjoyed the food, and it wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be. The food is served family style and the waitress described it like tapas. Oh yeah, the waitress we had was mediocre...she didn't seem to know much, she read the description of the specials of the day off a paper, and she seemed to chit chat a lot with her other waiter friends.
We ordered the Organic Greens salad, Braised Oxtail, and the Good Luck burger. First to come out was the salad. It was very good, fresh, and had really good croutons. My mom's one complaint was that it was overdressed, but she tends ask for the dressing on the side because she does not like much dressing on her salads. Next came the burger--a 1 pound burger cut into 4 pieces with good cheddar cheese, tons of french fries and some slaw. The cheese was good but I would have preferred it to come slightly melted on the burger, but perhaps they keep it to the side for those who don't want cheese? Actually, I liked everything on the burger dish; the fries were really good too. Finally came the oxtail. It was not as good as we expected. The meat was cooked very well (by well, I mean skillfully), but the flavor was nothing impressive.
For dessert, we ordered a pint of their homemade ice cream. The flavors of the day were vanilla and coffee; we chose coffee. We also ordered the warm chocolate cake. The chocolate cake was not quite what we expected--it was not like a slice of birthday cake and it was like liquidy inside but it was delicious! The coffee ice cream was pretty good too, but not as creamy as we expected.
The total for the meal and dessert for the 3 of us was about $60 so it's really not that expensive (I see it more as a $$, not a $$$). I think the burger was a good deal--it's $17 but it's big and it has a lot of fries too. I'm glad I got to try this place out--I would definitely come here again! -
Review from Huong V.
Chicago, IL
3/13/2011
Love the environment there. Great for group gathering. It's really loud there, but the noise is very enjoyable. I know... you wonder what kind of sound it is. You will need to go there to check it out.
The foods are very good. I would give them 4 stars for this. -
Review from Lyndsey A.
East Rochester, NY
9/5/2011
Good luck was great! I am a vegetarian and there was still plenty I could order and my boyfriend likes meat so there was stuff for us both. My favorite dish was the red lentils!! Spicy and sweet:-) Emma our waitress was also great!
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Review from Carole D.
Rochester, NY
6/16/2011
Loved the room, service, drinks, the food was good but excessively salty.
The white summer sangria was delicious - only slightly sweet, but really packed a wallop after drinking a half carafe.
We ordered house-made ravioli with mascarpone and ricotta - it was tasty but the whole dish was overpowered by chunks of salty bacon. The raviolis were also on the undercooked side of al dente.
The black bass was perfectly sauteed with crispy skin and lovely sauteed mustard greens and some green lentils. Again, overwhelmingly salty which was a shame because otherwise this was a delicious dish.
We had a pizza margherita which was quite good - the crust was very flavorful but a little tough. It was delicious but not quite like something you'd eat in a humble pizzeria in Italy.
We might have sent back the fish for the salt but we cleaned our plates. We were having a great time. We'll definitely go back to try more dishes and the different cocktails, but will ask the chef to go easy on the salt. -
Review from Cody H.
Pittsford, NY
6/15/2010
I have had some of my best meals ever at Good Luck. Last year my brother brought me there for my birthday and I came our a changed man. I go to Columbia University, so I've been to quite a few good restaurants in Manhattan and I would still rank good luck as one of my greatest dining experiences ever.
Hopefully you like sharing food, I love it. Good Luck serves their food with the idea that you will share (though the plates are small enough that a hungry person could finish a dish). The idea is that you get a taste of many things though, and boy will you want a taste. Not only is their famous burger a hit out of the park, their unique salads and vegetable preparations are always a complete delight. Though a bit pricier, it is worth it for the truly unique dishes guaranteed to excite and enlighten your palette each time you visit. -
Review from Jason L.
Irvine, CA
1/10/2011
Really good. Whoever said Rochester doesn't have good food, apparently never actually dined around the area at all!
Good Luck has really great food, and I went there awhile ago, so I don't quite remember all the dishes we got, but the one that sticks out in my mind was the Blueberry Clafoutis. It's a cobbler type dish, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...definitely disappeared within a few minutes. The dishes are all served family style, so, something to keep in mind. Great wine selection as well! Oh, and it wasn't AS expensive as I thought it was going to be--we got 1 salad, 3 main dishes, 3 desserts, and a bottle of wine between 4 people, and we each spent about $45, including tip. Not bad! -
Review from Rachel W.
Philadelphia, PA
10/4/2011
To start I must say we are from Philadelphia so we do have high standards when it comes to restaurants. Judging by the packed house, the locals don't share our same expectations. The decor is funky and great but not noise friendly so expect to yell across the table. The service is slow, actually that's saying it nicely. I hate having an empty glass and that happened the entire meal to both of us. We each had great portioned light salads which I'd recommend. The wait staff is keen on pushing the sharing concept and recommended for us to over-order, glad we didn't listen. The chicken was beyond huge (easily enough for three) but the side zucchini dish left a lot to be desired. Overall i would not come back ever again but if this is the best in Rochester, I'd say drive a few hours and eat in another city.
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Review from Nathan S.
Rochester, NY
10/20/2009
Wow, this place is great. Very cool interior, clearly embellishing the fact that it is in an old brick warehouse/factory space (the former Fabrics & Findings space). I loved the tables and my date loved the miss-match of wooden chairs. The kitchen is open and the generally feeling is that it is bustling as the waiters are hustling back and forth. Most of the customers were your typical urban citizens, and my date, a long-time resident of Manhattan until recently, felt right at home.
We arrived around 8 pm on a recent Saturday evening. Without a reservation, we were informed the wait would be about 45 minutes. Moving over to the bar area, I ordered a Manhattan (~$7) and she ordered from the signature cocktails menu an Inamartina (~$8). The bar service was attentive and prompt. She loved the Inamartina, and the Manhattan was a little stronger than my home concoctions, but excellent as well. Just as we were finishing our drinks, we were informed our table was ready. The maitre d' asked if we'd like to move our tab over to the table. I think this really enhances a restaurant patron's experience, and it should be more common than the unfortunate "close your bar tab" request.
Not sure which bottle of wine to order, the waitress offered us a small tasting. She explained that this was possible with the wines one could order individual glasses but that it was not possible from the bottle only wine list. Fully understanding, we were grateful for the opportunity to sample Hahn Estates cabernet sauvignon. However, after the tasting, we ordered from the bottle-only list, a $55 bottle from the Rhone region, and in my limited judgment I thought it was very good and fairly priced.
For dinner, we ordered the cheese-filled cannelloni which was made with béchamel sauce and some fresh herbs (~$14). We also ordered the meatloaf special which was wrapped in a thick layer of prosciutto, and then sliced, laying several meaty slices on a thick layer of polenta (~$14). The polenta by itself was AMAZING. The two dishes were also excellent, and filled us up so that we did not order a third entrée. Have to keep room for desert ;-)
For desert, we ordered the goat cheese cheesecake (~$7). This was delightful and the perfect end to a great evening. The cheesecake was incredibly smooth and while I had trouble detecting the goat cheese flavors (likely due to the sensory overload and the wine burning off my delicate tastebuds) my date did not.
The food, wine, and experience was amazing. The service was attentive, patient, and informed. I think my total bill was ~$135 after tax and tip.
It has been a long time since I have savored every bite, thank you Good Luck. -
Review from Alex N.
6/21/2009
Relatively new to the restaurant scene in Rochester, Good Luck is certainly a welcome addition. In the old Fabrics & Findings factory, Good Luck has copied a trend used by many other restaurants in other cities. It does provide a different atmosphere and is more conducive to the type of experience they are trying to create. However, on a Friday night, it is the nosiest place in town. The acoustics are so horrible, you can't hear the person across the table.
A shared plates restaurant means your orders are for the table, so make sure you order enough of whatever everyone likes. Seems like the menu changes constantly, but the pork tenderloin my girlfriend and I ordered was the best we ever had. The menu isn't very extensive, but there should be something for everyone. As a filler, we ordered the french fries (not really something I would order outside of a steakhouse, but I was curious) and they aren't your normal steak fries or fast food fries. Overall, the menu seemed unique, being mostly different than any other Rochester restaurants. Expect to spend $60-70 based on our order of 3-4 dishes and a couple cocktails.
Try the Paper Tiger cocktail (as recommended by our waiter).. it's some sort of sake concoction and definitely the surprise of the night.
Wait staff is engaging and extremely casual. So, this is not exactly a "fine dining" establishment, but the food is.. 4 and 1/2 stars, 1/2 off for lack of easy conversation (they need some noise dampeners). -
Review from Sarah p.
Houston, TX
6/29/2010
wow wee, is this one of the most reviewed places in Rochester or what?
Located in Village Gate on a somewhat quiet street with a small patio, I enjoyed Good Luck and the atmosphere inside is wonderful!
Though, for the portions I felt it was a bit pricey and I also felt they could have been a bit more veg friendly with interesting options.
The warm chocolate cake was great
Party of 5 was over $120
Cocktails were a decent price and pretty darn good
Waitress was attentive and friendly
Their literature states a 2 hour max for each party, we went over that and while we wrapped up I could tell they were a little antsy for our large table (but they weren't rude by any means)
Attire is a bit business casual in my opinion (I didn't see a dress code but also didn't see anyone in their laundry day outfit)
Make a reservation for a weekend evening/night time -
Review from Christopher C.
Rochester, NY
4/1/2009
As a professional spirits writer and judge it was highly discouraging to go out in the Rochester are - poor selection, worse preparation and atmosphere, etc., not worth it to put it mildly. Good Luck has changed all that.
Knowledgeable bar and wait staff, great selection and impeccably made drinks ( both classic and signature) make it a pleasure to got out again.
Great food too! -
Review from Peter T.
Larchmont, NY
11/18/2010
I freaking love this place!
I have been here a total of 4 times, twice for full on dinner, and twice for snacks and cocktails.
The ambiance of this place was described by my mother as shabby chic. The interior looks like an old factory with warm creamy lighting, vintage furniture and cool lighting fixtures. My only complaint is that for the price of the food, good luck should use better silverware. Overall the ambiance is cool, retro, and charming.
The clientele at good luck has been pretty much the same every time I've been there. Basically they are out of the "stuff white people like" blog. The crowd seems to be a mix of 20s to 50s professionals. The crowd is pretty attractive and dresses well. I always make sure to look halfway decent when I go here. Over all it is the most "yuppie" places I know of in Rochester. There is usually at least one cool vintage Porsche or Mercedes parked outside.
Drinks- Good luck has some of the best cocktails I've ever had in my life. They are expertly made, and use really cool almost perfectly cubic ice cubes. So far I've had a Negroni, A Last Word, A Corpse Reviver, and Several Knock on Woods. The Knock on Wood is by far my favorite and one of the best drinks I've ever had. Drinks run from $8-10 which seems pricey for Rochester, but are actually a great value considering what you get. On a side note Rhorbach Scotch ales are $4.
Service- Every time I have been here, the service has been excellent. The waitstaff have always been helpful in making decisions. they are never over bearing and are casual enough to keep with atmosphere, but really know how to do their jobs.
The food- Since I have been here so many times, I have been able to sample a large variety of their foods. I know their menu changes quite frequently, but I'll give a quick review of what I can remember
Fennel Sausage with figs- AMAZING! Loved it, ordered it three times. I was so excited eating it I bit on my fork and chipped my tooth!
Roast chicken- An entire roast chicken. Very good, and a good value compared to the rest of the menu items.
Cheese platter- I am a sucker for cheese platters. I know they make about 600% profit on these things but this one was really tasty.
Mixed green salad- good but nothing mind blowing.
Cold Roast beef thing with tomatoes- Good if not a little pricey. Roast beef was so tender despite being lean that it was creamy.
Pizza- Snatched a slice from my friend. It was good, much like any other good pizza you could get.
I know I have ordered other food here, I just cannot remember specifically what. Overall the food is very good however it is kind of expensive.
Conclusion- Good Luck is a great place. Its great for dates, large dinners with friends and family, or just to get a snack and cocktail. The ambiance and crowd is a little yuppie, but over all is very pleasant. In addition I have had some very memorable and delicious food and drinks here which is really what good dining is all about! -
Review from Ankur P.
San Francisco, CA
12/6/2009
So I was meeting up with an old college friend in Rochester, and she says, "hey, want to try Good Luck? It's new and kind of expensive ... well, you live in SF so it'll be cheap for you I'm sure". Well, by the time we finally get the bill and look it over, this place is expensive!
In any case, the food here was flavorful and the service was great. My favorites were the clams and the scrambled eggs, which they were happy to make for me with egg whites.
The place is REALLY loud inside, so if you want a quiet night, this isn't the place. I'd go back. -
Review from Jennifer J.
Rochester, NY
4/4/2009
Since I was here for a drink and not to sit down for dinner I felt I couldn't give Good Luck 5 stars quite yet, but I'm looking forward to going again for an actual meal. They managed to retain most of the original architecture, which is beautiful and the bar and restaurant really match the building. The bar staff was friendly and very attentive even as more and more people came in.
Good Luck is a bit off the beaten path but it's worth checking out, just get there early as the parking lot fills up fast on a Friday night! -
Review from Marvell A.
Baltimore, MD
8/30/2009
I've been to Good Luck several times and it is one of my favorites 'round these parts. Well prepared food with great attention to detail. The flavors are layered and you can taste the small distinctions in the ingredients. Last time there my wife and I shared the burger. Big, juicy....mmmm mmm good. The pizzas are great and just about everything else. The menu can change daily and it's always diverse.
Tried the peach cobbler and blueberry almond cake last night and I wasn't all that impressed although my wife enjoyed them very much.
What pulls Good Luck together is the atmosphere. It can be a bit loud so it's not always perfect for an intimate date, but if you're looking for lively this is the spot. In fact, if you want to get a feel for the noise level, check out the website...on the home page they have sounds of the restaurant playing...essentially you hear mottled conversations.
Start out at the bar and try some of signature drinks. The Gilded Rickey is spectacular. It's pretty much a gin and tonic to the 10th power. Made with Hendrick's gin so it's extra smooth.
This is a wonderful spot for groups and it's a default spot for us now!
Nummy, Num, Num. -
Review from Michael W.
Rochester, NY
3/16/2011
My rating has nothing to do with restaurants in other cities, educational backgrounds, or social groups. Just a review of the food at Good Luck in Rochester.
Good Luck is a fine dining, "tapas" style restaurant that I recently went to with some friends. We shared their 1lb. burger and fries, cauliflower gratin with gruyere, and house-made squid ink spaghetti. The burger was a great deal compared to other items on the menu and filling although not the best I've ever had. It was cooked perfectly medium rare, as we requested. The cauliflower gratin was a surprising hit; it was incredibly cheesy, as expected, but had a crunchy topping that was a nice contrast. The squid ink spaghetti was also very good, but I was disappointed that the rich sauce masked the unique flavor of squid ink.
For dessert, we had a lemon tart, molten chocolate cake, and vanilla poached pears with camembert and hazelnuts. The portions were quite large and filling, especially the chocolate cake. The poached pears seemed less like a dessert to me and more savory, probably because of the cheese.
I'll also mention that the decor is pretty unique for this area; it's a coverted warehouse with a vintage look. I've heard it can get pretty loud on the weekends due to the open space, so take that into account. All in all, I'm a fan of Good Luck and will be back to try many other items off their ever-changing menu. -
Review from Benjamin G.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2010
This is my first 5 star review. I love this place that much. Whenever I am in Good Luck it does not feel like I am in Rochester anymore. The vibe is more like NYC.
The food is consistently amazing. The menu is designed to be shared. Between Megen and I we get between 3 and 5 items. 3 if we both decide to get something big (like the burger, more on that later, or fish) and 5 if we get a bunch of smaller dishes.
The menu changes very often, a few times a month it seems. It's full of fresh, local ingredients. But there are some regulars that you should try: the burger and the gnocchi (or any other pasta dish marked as having fresh made pasta).
The burger is meant for 2 and comes with delicious fries. It's always cooked perfectly and the sauce they give you for it is amazing (I believe it's ketchup, mayo, and an alcohol, rum I think). Last time I went I took half the burger home and asked for a container of the sauce as well :)
They also have a good stock of beer and wine, things you definitely won't see at similar restaurants in the area. And they have a bar menu that includes pizza and fries for when you need something to eat late at night.
