James Browns Place

I LOVE this place! In fact, my friend and I plan to go there either tomorrow or Sunday for breakfast. Our favorite spot to sit is at the counter where we can watch the Grill Gods. I could watch them all day!

Great food ! Employees could be a bit more friendlier. Last time I went they forgot my loaded fries in the microwave in all fairness they did not charge me so all is forgiven however the place looks filthy! The kitchen/​grill area looks like it’s never been cleaned. Very unorganized! The grill persons pants were sagging. Which I find is disgusting especially when I’m trying to eat. Besides the cleanliness overall it was okay

Take: eggs; potatoes, toast, rice, grits,…; several kinds of cheese; every kind of sausage, bacon, and pork product; and put together in every imaginable combination. Giant menu of items in large portions at inexpensive prices (a place for a very good deal), in an old space that would fit 20 comfortably but serves about 40 happy people at a time. On a Saturday morning you might feel rushed but you will leave full.

I’m not sure why I’ve never reviewed this place before. Maybe because I’ve just assumed you all knew this is THE best breakfast in Rochester. If you’ve never been, you need to go now! Here’s just a few reasons why James Brown ‘s Place is better than all the traditional diners in the area.
***Changing weekend specials that are super imaginative and unique.
***a top notch standard menu with more than just the usual breakfast fare.
***Open kitchen so you can watch the magic of the Grill Gods while they whip up your food.
***James Brown (the owner, not the singer), is usually there hobnobbing with the regulars and making sure everyone is happy with their food.
***Seasonal pancakes and French toast that are
perfect for the season.
***Perfect biscuits underneath a super flavorful sausage gravy.
OK, so now you know why you need to go here ASAP. Here’s a couple tips to make your visit the best it can be.
***Arrive early on the weekends or be prepared to wait. It’s small inside, and this place gets packed.
***If you’re there on the weekend, order from the specials menu. You won’t regret it.
***Don’t come with a big party of people. There’s definitely not enough room.
So now I’ve made myself hungry and homesick for my favorite place in Rochester! Don’t take for granted that everywhere has awesome diners like James Brown’s Place, because it’s definitely a rarity!

Came here on a Saturday morning, was extremely busy. But overall worth the wait to get in. Don’t expect a culinary masterpiece, it’s a diner. It’s home feeling, soul food. I had the mofo, which was basically a burger with grilled cheese sandwiches as buns. Extremely tasty and fatty :)
This is my go to diner, if I don’t mind taking the trip out here from Henrietta.

Outstanding food, great service. Love this place — definitely and old school dive diner! The enchiladas are awesome as are the omelets.

We came in early on a Sunday morning. It hadn’t gotten too busy yet so we had our pick of seats. Our server came over promptly to tell us what they did not have «corned beef hash and rye toast». She offered us coffee and we continued to look at the menu. The menu is definitely extensive. We all ordered basic diner fare such as home fries, frittatas, eggs, toast… I actually also had the Gringo Tacos which were pretty delicious. As we were about midway through our meal the place started filling up quickly. Before we left I trekked to the bathroom downstairs. It was scary! I was so glad a worker happened to down there and was able to point me in the right direction. Very odd location downstairs and down a bit of a walkway amongst supplies.
Nonetheless the food was great, awesome laid back atmosphere, friendly and honest service. I’ll definitely return and recommend this place to others!

Easily the best breakfast I have had in Rochester. Not only are there a million things to choose from on the menu, but it was delicious. I got the carne breakfast tacos, which were so good and I can’t believe they were that good at a small diner. The service was great and the prices were better. Definitely be prepared to wait a bit, as it’s popular and rather small, but it’s worth the wait.

Love love love this neighborhood little dive joint! Their menu is vast and authentic! Lots of homemade cookin here. Had corned beef hash n poached eggs. Yummy but that was a lot of food! Bf had eggs Bene and a side of hash. Coming back tomorrow. We chatted up a few people in booths and we’re looking at their food choices. I think I want French toast or pancakes tomorrow !!! The boys bday too! Convient next door me I had to do laundry… Voila next door! Lol
Well we came back next day and had mo food! Yummy. I had the banana chic chip pancakes and two poached eggs. That was sooo delicious !! Hardly needed syrup. Bf had MoFo breaky Sammy. Omg huge. He squished it together and stuffed it in his mouth. Mmmm good. A meat mans dream! We had a great waitress yesterday. Talked to a gal that worked there for 17 yrs. Her Mom was sitting behind us today. We had a great conversation about Broadway shows!

This is a very popular breakfast place with interesting menu items but I don’t know how patrons fail to notice how dirty the restaurant is and its general state of decline. Everything is sticky, grimy and gross. How is it that people don’t notice the filthy floor, the grimy front windows or the food splattered walls?
Now the food — hard poached eggs with hollandaise with so much lemon it separated. Soggy French toast. Overdone bacon. Hard egg that were brown from being on the grill too long but they were ordered over easy. A pesto frittata that looked like a bunch of chopped up eggs that turned brown on the grill. Totally unappetizing and poorly prepared food. None of it tasted good. Yuck, gross, disgusting. These were the words the four of us uttered as we sampled the food. I don’t get it. Why do people eat here?
The coffee was terrible and the waitress kept offering refills. She didn’t ask if our food was ok. It wasn’t.
Never going back. One visit was enough.

Amazing breakfast! Can’t beat the prices and the quality of food. Sat at the counter today and those dudes really know how to grill. Also finally a place that when I say «hash browns well done» they get it done.
It’s our go to spot when we are headed downtown.

Had breakfast here today for probably the 20^th time in the last 10 yrs — the place is always packed and there’s usually a line. We arrived around 9:45 and got the last open table. Yay! However, it was by the door wedged in the nook where you can’t be seen and are almost forgotten. And at this time of year is pretty drafty and cold as other diners go in and out the main door.
Service here is decent considering the very tight space and crowds. We had two lovely ladies checking in on us and though had to wait 15 min to ask for coffee and about 30 min to put in our order they were friendly and smiley and let us know we were being taken care of.
The food — well, it varies. We’ve been here in the past and have loved our dishes but today was ‘meh’. I had the Mexican yam scramble with sweet potatoes, chorizo, cheese and spinach — sounded great but just didn’t have a lot of flavor. My husband had the POS V (pile of stuff five) with pork chop, home fries and sausage gravy plus eggs. A pile of what looked like decadent juiciness, but again, not a lot of seasoning.
James Brown’s has received a lot of acclaim in the past and some days are better than others. We still love the place and will be back!

James Browns place is just simply the spot to go when you want a heavy breakfast hangover cure.
I went with the frittata and it was incredible. Our waitress was super attentive and friendly and had our order out quick. The menu is massive and there is literally something for everyone. Next time I might go for a big mofo sandwich which is a sandwich between a grilled cheese.
There is plenty of parking in the lot right next door!

Oh James Brown. My bf has been raving about this place as his brunch go-​to spot after he returned to Rochester after college. I was excited to try this place out during my extended weekend visit. Although Mr. Brown wasn’t there himself, this place receives a solid 5 star rating.
Service: At 8:30AM on a Saturday, we beat the weekend brunch crowd and were immediately seated inside. They came around with coffees right away and let us know we could grab some menus from the wall. They were quite attentive, taking our orders right away, and making sure we had everything we needed.
Food: Going into it, my bf suggested just ordering from the Specials Menu. Little did I know that the Specials Menu was an entire page. I was quickly overwhelmed and my bf suggested the Berry/​Peach Foster French Toast. He ordered the Breakfast Pizza. I’m pretty sure I ate dessert for breakfast, but it was delicious. A full stack consisted of five slices of toast (for less than $ 8!), and even though I gave two slices to my bf, I still had one I couldn’t finish. Now, my memories of breakfast pizza from my school days are just awful, this was a tasty take on a breakfast pizza. Eggs mixed with different cuts of meat on a fluffy tortilla created a tasty and unique breakfast dish. You most definitely cannot come here expecting to eat healthy, but your tastebuds will sure thank you!
Coffee: It’s diner coffee. Either get it and don’t expect much or hold off and get coffee after breakfast.
Side Note: They won’t seat you until you’re entire party is present.
Would I return? Yes, please.

You should be aware that this is a breakfast diner with limited seating although, on this Saturday morning it was very full. I found the temperature to be extreamly hot and uncomfortable which resulted in me rushing to leave in order to have some reprieve. Nevertheless, this place does have a very intimate New York City feel which allows you to get to know your fellow customer and see your food being prepared. As a person who does not eat eggs, I found the menu to be very limited and I had to order smothered fries with chili. This would likely be a good place to go to during the cold winters and for a person who loves breakfast and eggs.

The menu is so large that there is just no way it can all be fresh… or good.
I got the Dixie. What a mistake. Their grits were the weirdest texture ever– gooey/​liquidy/​cheesy. I’m from Louisiana– I know my grits. The rest of the plate was just… meh.
It’s also filthy in there. There hasn’t been a deep clean in years.
I won’t be coming back.

If there’s a line, wait. It’s totally worth it! (Unless they’re about to close, of course)
Frittatas, French toast, omelets, pancakes, eggs, breakfast sandwiches, burritos, wraps, quesadillas, breakfast gyros & tacos ! So much goodness, it’s so hard to decide what to eat half the time ! I’ve tried so many combinations and have never been disappointed!
Grab a seat at the counter and watch the chefs cook away or sit at a booth or table and admire all the snap shots of good times posted on the walls. If you’re in there at the right time maybe you’ll get a chance to shake hands with James Brown himself!
All in all, if you’re looking for a quality breakfast/​lunch meal with a wonderful homey feeling atmosphere, James Brown’s is the place to go.

I know I will love a diner if they are constantly refilling my coffee mug. I came here with a friend. On the outside we were nervous about what to expect. As soon as we walked in we immediately enjoyed the vibe James Brown gives. Then we spent so much time staring at the menu with all the choices they had. So many choices and different styles of food… it’s amazing. I ordered the spicy breakfast tacos which were delicious. The service was very nice and quick.
There’s only two downfalls. The bathroom is in the basement and its kind of sketchy. I’m that girl who’s afraid of other peoples basements. A consequence from watching horror movies all through out middle school. I walked downstairs and it had extension cords all over the ground. I ended up turning around and going back to the table. Also you will smell like grease after eating here. Other than that the food and atmosphere are great.

Best breakfast I’ve had in a long time!
I ordered the spicy breakfast tacos and a side order of the loaded home fries (chili and cheese). Not only was it delicious, but it also cured a wicked hangover… miracle food at its best.
The owner J.B. came around and greeted patrons. Pretty awesome to find a place with that kind of hospitality and pride in their restaurant.
Recommending this spot to everyone I know

Wtf we sat down and the table was dirty, an apology and a wet cloth, ok. Really did the waitress have to ask «do you want me to clean the whole table?» Well yes… yes I would. Next surprise was lip stick on my cup. I asked for a new one, no apology this time just a coldly dropped off new cup. I’ll have to say I have eaten in unfortunately dirtier places in the backwoods and NYC but they didn’t offer the food James Brown’s did.
We all opted for the fish fry, it was really good. The batter was crisp, light, even thinkness, not a more batter to fish ratio than would be pleasant. The cole slaw was sweet, maybe a hint of pineapple but not enough to be outstanding. The fries were crisp.
We tried their snickers egg roll, it was ok, nice n gooey but the shell didn’t really crisp, or cook all the way through.