Magpie

The Magpie is a decent pub right in the heart of the Park Ave action. The best aspect of this place is the outside seating (in warm weather) which is great for people watching. They have a good selection of beers and a few TVs for watching sports. They do serve food but the few times I have been here I have never ordered anything except for beers.

Ewww the service was not great and the bouncer was way too rude. he wouldn’t let a girl go pee because the bar was «closed»… not impressed. I won’t be back like ever… didn’t deserve the star I gave them to post this.

Also, one of my favorite Park Ave spots. One thing that would really make it more comfortable is seating pads for the outdoor chairs.

This place always has the worst service! Never enough bartenders. If you have a lot of time to wait for a beer, try it out, but not if you want a drink soon!

This is my favorite bar in Rochester. If you ever have the pleasure, have Anthony (sexy little guy) make you a charcuterie plate. Amazing. They also have Molson in bottles so you should dress nice.

Not my favorite bar in the neighborhood, but decent. I usually find myself here when nothing else is open (because Magpie always is!). I must agree with my fellow Unilocalers that the space can feel tight and narrow. Sometimes I feel like a giantess sitting by the cramped bar, but that’s probably because I’m usually wolfing down a heaping order of mozzarella sticks (which are, admittedly, delicious).
Service varies. Some of the bartenders are really personable and cool, others not so much. The last time I was there a bar back was coughing uncontrollably and complaining about how she was miserably sick. Yikes…
Its saving grace? Magpie has pickle backs! If you’ve never tried this combo (shot of Jameson + pickle juice chaser), it’s worth stopping in. Mmm pickle brine.

I realized yesterday after a brief stint at the Bridal Show being held at the convention center that there are not many drinking establishments open Sunday afternoons between lunch and dinner. Magpie came to the rescue as I stood on Park Ave at 3 pm, freezing my butt off, wondering where I could get a cocktail with a couple of girlfriends. The bar was busy, but we had no trouble getting served. It’s not exactly my type of Sunday day drink spot, but it fit the bill and I’m happy to have had my vodka soda there to unwind from bridal hell.

Good stop bar if you’re on park looking for a beverage! Very narrow so don’t suggest to go with a big crowd.

I have gone to this bar several times and have had a good time. Well this past time ruined it for not only me but everyone I was with and know! So let me just tell you that I am a 24 year old Female. I walk into the bar and the bouncer is checking ID’s which is fine, I hand him mine he scans it and it goes through saying I’m okay to come in, then the bouncer proceeded to tell me that it wasn’t me and I was using a fake ID. In my ID I have blonde hair and I have brown hair now, but IM A FEMALE we change our hair color more than we change our clothes!!! Not to mention if he just put aside the hair color I LOOK LIKE ME oh wait BECAUSE IT WAS ME!
He asked me for additional forms of ID and I gladly gave him every single credit card, health cards, etc. in my wallet and he STILL would not allow me to come in even though it was me.
This was ridiculous and I will make sure people know about this.

Solid bar on park ave. It’s really tiny so be warned. Have standard bar fried food. Steak fries are decent. They typically show soccer games here which brings in a niche clientele. Agree though with some of the other reviewers that the bartenders can sometimes not be friendly or turn on soccer channels.
This bar will most likely have a bit mature crowd compared to dragonfly but not always.
They recently installed these huge front windows on the front of the bar which open up so the bar lets in a lot of air in the summer which is awesome.

The best place to watch a soccer gave in the entire city. As a huge arsenal fan who refuses to pay for cable this is ny go to location to catch all the games. It helps that on game days there are always fellow arsenal supporters there as well as some of the enemy to root against.
Beer selection is always good, great place to sit outside during the afternoon and happy hour during the nicer months in Rochester.

A couple of nights ago I made the mistake of visiting this bar. I am a middle age professional, living in the Park Ave area. As I walked in I was greeted by several very nice patrons at the bar, and proceeded to enjoy my beer striking up casual conversation. This would have been a perfect night if it wasn’t for the colossal ass behind the bar (Anthony). This young man was extremely rude, ruined my night and I will NEVER return to this bar ever again… and neither will any of my friends. F U Anthony!

Nice place for a beer after a long day at work.

Recently returned to pretty much the only bars I frequent (ed?)on Park Ave only to be very disappointed. The regular friendly bartender was replaced by the owners, not so friendly, son. When I inquired about the usual bartender, he said ‘am I not pretty enough for you?’…Really?!? The whole vibe if the place was brought way down, not to mention, it was unusually quiet… hmmm? The topping on the cake was him audibly expressing his displeasure with a tip he had just received. Is this really ‘acceptable’ customer service from the owners son, none the less. I unfortunately will be steering clear of this place in the future.

What has happened to this place? Where are the regular bartenders? Wow.
This past weekend we stopped by for a drink and the owner Johnny’s son was working, John Jr I believe he said his name was. Wow.
This kid must have just turned 20. Why would you put your young, inexperienced son behind the goldmine you have on Park Ave?
This kid could not handle the small crowd, was on his cell phone most of the time. Could not find the Jameson, really. He was cute and all but he is not a bartender and I hope he is filling in and learning or we will not be back ever.

I went to Magpie this week, and I was once again disappointed. Why? Because every time I go in there the bartenders are downright rude. They throw your license back at you, and make it seem like you are doing them the biggest inconvenience by ordering a drink. They have a $ 10 minimum on cards (which isn’t a big deal, just good to know). One time I went there with a friend and when she paid for her drink, the bartender didn’t give her change back and took it as a tip. She was going to tip him anyway, but that’s a bold move. They have outdoor seating but it is very limited, and a lot of times there are obnoxious preps and dorito girls inside. They close the outdoor seating at 10:45pm as well. There are way better places to get a drink in Rochester.

A good place to visit during off-​peak hours. Lunchtime, maybe a Mon or Tues night in the winter. The interior is beautiful with lots of dark wood and furnishings made in Ireland and imported directly. The Guinness is alright. And the food is good, especially the sandwiches.
The problem becomes the patrons and at times the staff during peak hours. Too caught up in being Park Ave, East Ave or whatever seemingly trendy and overinflated stereotype they’re trying to live out, it’s tiresome. And yes, we know you went tanning today.

Fun. Outside picnic tables which are wonderful in summer weather. Good beer selection. Had a few enjoyable nights here. Only issue is staff — touch n go. Worth a stop over for a beer.

I used to live nearby, so when MagPie opened I was excited. Unfortunately, my opinion quickly went downhill. After many many visits (location couldn’t be beat) I have to say I’d rather stay away.
This bar is literally bringing the East-​End crowd down to cozy, elegant (for rochacha) Park Ave. The atmosphere inside can quickly become frat party-​ish, especially with the smell of spilt beer. Good looking bar and décor (lots of dark wood), and some of the best seating on Park Ave. The alleyway seating area is cool, but it becomes awful if others are smoking (and you are not). The draft beer selection is «meh». I’m not a fan of the bar’s patrons as the night progresses (East-​End type of crowd), but I do think it’s a good place to have a pint in the late afternoon. I just wish it was different.

I love this bar. The place looks classy! The staff are great!