The place was nice and very clean. Would be great for a vegetarian as there are many options. If you are a fan of meat don’t expect a ton of choices or a piled high sandwich. It was pretty good but not something crave-able.
Rose V.
Place rating: 3 Rochester, NY
I have heard nothing but good things about this place so I figured I’d give it a try. There’s no sign in the street with the restaurants name, but just simply on the door. The place is very small with only 6 tables, 4 tables for 2 people and 2 tables for 4 people. I ordered a open face and my coworker ordered the special wrap. My sandwich was basically a salad with bread. The portions are huge. You get a ginger mint with your utensils. Our meal was $ 28, definitely not a cheap lunch spot. I recommend this place for vegetarians and people that are gluten free. The place didn’t WOW me. I wanted a bigger selection of foods.
Marti K.
Place rating: 4 Rochester, NY
Absolutely adorable place with a woodsy cabin feel. I had the peppered turkey sandwich and gingered carrots. Holy hell both were delicious! I love new foods! The staff(including chef) were warm and friendly, super accommodating. I really enjoyed this little place and am so happy a certain vegan restaurant on Park had no parking that day!
Catherine W.
Place rating: 4 Rochester, NY
Awesome lunch. Tasty and unique sides. Definately try the open face sandwich of the day. They pour their soup of the day on it. And it’s just a warm fuzzy bowl of yummy ness. I def wanna come back and try the rest of the menu.
Jordan C.
Place rating: 5 Niagara Falls, NY
There’s just no describing how delicious the food here is. Awesome vibe and cool attention to everything. It’s a must for everyone and vegetarians!
Amy P.
Place rating: 5 Rochester, NY
No two ways about it… I love Open Face! I’ve tried all of their vegetarian sandwiches by now(probably 3x each) and I keep coming back for more. Highlights include: 1) The unique menu. Hello CORNMASH?! 2) Extremely vegetarian friendly. 3) The flexibility. «Sandwich tasting» option is my jam. 4) The savory sides. Forget your standard kettle chips… they’ve got pickled beets & ginger carrots! Nommm. 5) The staff — very accommodating and friendly. 6) They’re a local business with a ton of heart. 7) They deliver! For lunch, anyway… And only until 11:30am… Within a certain distance, of course. Ok, so maybe not the delivery service so much. But I still love these guys because I know that no matter what my food will be delicious, fresh, healthy(ish), and completely satisfying. To be fair, the prices are sightly above average — but who the heck wants average? The menu here certainly is not, so why should the cost be? In my eyes, Open Face is worth every single penny. Ugh, now I’m hungry!
Paulina L.
Place rating: 4 Fairport, NY
Best artisan sandwich around. Its adorable inside, too. I had the goat cheese sandwich and there is nothing better than a pretty looking sandwich. Rosemary, pepper, mixed greens, with olive oil drizzled on a baguette. I love it in here and wished that I could come down to this end of town more often just to come here!
Julia Y.
Place rating: 5 Rochester, NY
This was my first experience at Open face. I had the roast beef melt. Let me tell you the sandwich was delious. Bread nice and fresh and amazing flavors to the sandwich. The carrots were not what I was expecting but still so yummy. I had the split cookie of chocolate and pumpkin. That was my favorite part! Will definetly be going back to enjoy more food here. A hidden gem!
Marti G.
Place rating: 3 Glen Cove, NY
Open face is a unique place in the trendy south wedge with tasty local eats. They do take out and eat in(though be advised there are very few tables so not good for groups or at busy times of the week or weekend) which is nice. I’ve done both and enjoyed my meal more with take out where I got a soup and half sandwich vs an over priced pretty bare salad in the restaurant. The pickled carrots are awesome so you should definitely try those as a side. When I got take out I got the peppered turkey sandwich — it wasn’t what I wanted since my friend messed up my order and it was a little dry. The soup was amazing — some type of veggie minestrone. Overall the sandwiches are good but definitely not worth the price. I would go back for the pickled veggies cause they were delish but that’s about all.
Sarah D.
Place rating: 3 Rochester, NY
The inside is very small and cramped, not good for a large group. I got the special wrap, it was okay, certainty not worth the $ 11 it cost me. I asked for ice water… And got hot water in a metal mug? Server was nice when we asked for ice but it didn’t do much. The one high point was the s’mores cookie.
Ed D.
Place rating: 5 Rochester, NY
We enjoyed the best 2 sandwiches at Open Face! The vegan-style corn something and the black bean sandwich reenergized us for the rest of the day, and so filling we had leftovers the next! This is not fast food, made to order but fun watching the chefs do their magic through the order window. Definitely a place to return for eat-in or take out lunch. Thanks!
Benjamin D.
Place rating: 5 Rochester, NY
How have I not reviewed open face after going a dozen times now? I always get takeout, it’s always ready when I get there and there’s always cookies to be impulse purchased. The corn mash is my usual item of choice and it’s consistently excellent. All the sides are great, the ginger carrots being my favorite. I’ve also had the cheese sandwich, the brie, and a few mashes. All of them are really well thought out and good. I’ll have the try and open face some time, as I’ve never had the soup. I see they have teas and some other beverage related things like moxie. Never indulged in any of this stuff either. Overall a great place to get lunch.
Suzy M.
Place rating: 5 Rochester, NY
I visit Open Face pretty much every day(at least for coffee). The food is always amazing and the staff is always courteous. It’s a very unique little sandwich shop that caters to vegan and vegetarian palates as well! Try the beets and corn mash! You won’t be let down!
Alanna W.
Place rating: 4 Rochester, NY
We came here hoping for good sandwiches and soups, and weren’t disappointed! Great for lunch! We loved the pepper turkey sandwich and the special wrap and soup of the day. Side of carrots was excellent. Great atmosphere and great décor. Helpful, friendly service!
Jennifer L.
Place rating: 5 Rochester, NY
A buddy suggested Open Face for lunch and it happened to be on my to-try list, so I was really looking forward to it. In my excitement, I didn’t see that you could do the sandwich tasting and choose 2 halves(next time!). Ordered the open melt with chicken salad on sourdough with a side salad. How can you go wrong with melted harvarti cheese and those little french fried onions? So yummy! The side salad had a very light dressing, which was pretty good as well. We also tried the curry triple split cookie. The curry taste was definitely interesting, but probably not something I’d have a craving for in a cookie. They also give you a ginger candy that’s wrapped with your utensils for the end, which was a nice touch.
Jan N.
Place rating: 3 Rochester, NY
I heard nothing but good things about this fancy sammies shop, so I was excited to check out Open Face last month. I really wanted to rant and rave about how amazing their sandwiches were, but it was just okay for me. I adore the simple and stylish décor of this charming shop. The cool dark grey walls, stainless steel appliances, and glass jars/bottles are balanced with the warmth of the dark cherry wood wall and tables. Everything had its own spot and was very organized, which to me, is pleasing to the eye and even exemplifies the cleanliness of the place. Maybe I was in a grey kind of mood, but I even liked their silver charger and bowl that was used for my dish.
I ordered the tasting so that I could try two different sammies — corn mash and open face. The corn mash was sweet and creamy mixed with chunks of corn kernels. I wasn’t expecting it to be as sweet as it was, but it still tantalized my palate with something new. The soup of the day was summer squash, which topped my turkey open face sammie. I can’t remember whether I chose rye or sourdough bread for the open face, but the slice was thick and hearty but didn’t take too well to the soup. The middle of the bread was soggy and the edges were hard. My side of ginger carrots definitely stimulated my taste buds because they were so strong that I cringed. I had to take my time eating it because if my bite was too big, I had to immediately take a swig of my Moxie to clear my palate. MOXIEMOXIEMOXIE was everywhere so I was intrigued. It tasted like cream soda and less bubbly. I usually give restaurants a second round before completely shunning the place because who knows, it could be a bad day, order, or taste bud. I’ll go back to try something else, but I’m not rushing.
Pradip A.
Place rating: 3 Corn Hill, Rochester, NY
I had been excited about going to Open Face ever since I heard about it. The idea of getting a sandwich with soup poured all over it sounded delicious to me. The menu gives a nice selection of sandwiches and I appreciated the new spin on the sides. Items like ginger carrots and pickled beets stand out in my mind as unique items to try. I went with the namesake and ordered the roast beef Open Face with either a chicken corn chowder or a tortilla soup slathered over it. When I received the plate of food, it was like fat kid’s delight. The sandwich looked pretty good and it had been covered in the creamy soup. My mouth literally watered at first sight of it, but then I started eating and the overall feeling as that it just alright. The star of the dish was the pickled beets which made me want to eat beets on a regular basis. Great flavor and consistency! I also left a bit of a drool puddle next to their desserts/pastries case. The cookies and other baked goods looked fantastic, but I never ended up trying any. I certainly won’t sit here and bash Open Face because they’re a nice little sandwich shop. While Rochester certainly has no shortage of small sandwich shops, I think Open Face is worth a visit for at least one trip. The best way I could describe this dining experience was unmemorable; didn’t disappoint and it didn’t wow me. However, I may have to go back some day just to get some of those treats out of the dessert display case.
Judy Z.
Place rating: 5 New York, NY
I absolutely love this place, and it definitely is on my list of top 5 places to eat in Rohcester. The shop has really cute décor, very quaint! My favorite dish here is the corn mash sandwich, with the bagel chips and ginger carrots as sides. I love corn dishes in general, and this one is amazing! There’s also a little bit of hot sauce on it that makes it just slightly spicy. They always have special teas too! Too bad they are closed on sundays!
Justin H.
Place rating: 5 Manhattan, NY
I love Open Face… there is no place like it in Rochester. It’s my go-to spot for lunch and I often drive from RIT to the SWedge between classes just for their tasty sandwich creations. If it’s your first time here, I recommend doing the tasting so you can try two different sandwiches. They offer a ton of creative options but it’s hard for me to stray away from the turkey melt and the corn mash. The turkey melt is topped with french fried onions that give it a great crunch with the melted havarti cheese and seasoned turkey. The corn mash is packed with flavor(apricot BBQ glaze!) and has some heat to it, but even I can handle it. I also enjoy the sides you can choose from and usually get the simple salad or the gingered carrots. I like to think that I am eating somewhat healthy here :) Open Face has daily specials posted on their website so definitely keep your eye out for those as well. I have yet to try their baked goods but they do look pretty good! I recall myself drooling over the white chocolate snickerdoodles and cookie sandwiches in their display case. One of these days I will indulge in them and then quickly run over to the nearby church to repent my sins! The only negative thing I can say about Open Face is that their hours kind of suck. They are closed Sundays and Mondays and only open till 7pm. I have also arrived at their door a couple times during their posted hours to see a closed sign. I definitely think they would attract a lot more customers if they stayed open a couple hours later given their prime location in the SWedge.
Breanna B.
Place rating: 4 Rochester, NY
A funky little sandwich shop on South Ave dishing out some killer grilled cheese sandos among other culinary delights, like homemade soups, espresso bevs and macha. But in my eyes, you really can’t go wrong with cheese and bread. Among my favorite things in life, for sure. They have quite the selection and they pump these sandwiches out like pros. It took me a full 5 minutes just to narrow down my order for that evening. Honestly, you could come here every day for months and find some different order combo. Plus their specials! Sandwich order anxiety … in the best way. I went with the sandwich tasting — 2 halves w/a side — corn mash and the toasted cheese. Bam! What flavor! The corn mash is comfort food at its best with subtle heat. Just a half is filling enough. Then, the toasted cheese. Havarti might be the loveliest cheese to melt between two slices of sourdough. The fried onions add the perfect crunch factor. Add a side of pickled carrots and I’ve met my match. Tangy perfection. I also have to go back soon and figure out this Moxie thing. Looked like regular cola to me so what’s the deal? It’s like a specialty item in this place — walls lined with it, signed announcing it’s availability. I must know.