Tapas 177

Recommended by a local friend and it's an eclectic joint with decent food. The ladies got cocktails and we split the fried brussel sprouts plus chips/salsa/guac apps. For entrees I got the ribeye, my wife got the tofu poke bowl and our friend got the Jamaican jerk chicken curry. I'm partial to red meat, so my ribeye was clearly the best... but the other two dishes looked good too. Service was good but I think I would have enjoyed it more on another night. They were having salsa dancing lessons in the downstairs bar and it was pretty loud. We knew that before going to their downstairs, but the brick walls really echoed the salsa music. It was a fun joint and I'd definitely go back and try other menu items.

Great food, cocktails, and ambience. Tapas restaurants are strangely sparse in Rochester’s food scene, and while not Spanish-focused, Tapas 177 is filling that hole in my heart nicely. We tried the calamari salad, mushroom and cream cheese wontons, PEI mussels, and the rack of lamb. All were great, but the crispy, tender calamari and incredibly flavorful mussels stand out in particular. Several seating options (tables on sidewalk, upstairs bar, downstairs lounge, and an inner courtyard) and it’s a really lively, fun place in the evenings.

I had a lovely evening sitting at the bar. Tim was one of the bartenders that was very attentive and friendly. I wish I’d caught the name of the other bartender because he was also super kind. Great atmosphere. Definitely high class quality with a price to match. (It’s pricey) Sounds like they have fun dancing nights too. Interested in checking that out.