Old Abe Coffee

This was so worth adding an extra 30 minutes to go out of my way to pickup lunch before a 5+ hour drive back to Chicago. My vegan colleague told me it was a must-try, and I concur. The banh mi is indeed amazing. I had never had any banh mi before, but it was so good. I went with the "bacon" option and it was super tasty. Also, it was massive. Great portion size. My only regret is that I didn't go here for dinner the night before, because it would have made for a good dinner and leftovers. It was a bit hard to eat in the car on the drive back, so sadly I didn't get to finish it. The chips were also great. I also got two donuts (maple and the blueberry) to go. I inhaled the blueberry donut about 3 hours into the trip somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin, and the maple I managed to save until the next morning (I kept it in my fridge and then microwaved it for 10 seconds and it was delicious. I had to fight off my carb-obsessed cat, because she wanted it for herself). I will be back every time I'm in Rochester, probably multiple times per trip, and I will be buying a half dozen donuts (at least) to bring back home with me. I am eagerly waiting for the next work retreat just so I can come here. It's really that good.

I found this place on Yelp doing a search for highly rated reviews. They were rated very well so I stopped in to check them out. Sorry to burst all those bubbles but overall the experience was underwhelming and did not quite live up to the plethora of awesome reviews. After some discussion with staff, most of which are young, 1 was engaged, others were not. I opted to pick 3 of the vegan donuts (eclaire, blueberry, and strawberry sprinkles) and later I realized that I should have gotten the cinnamon sugar. Reason is - what I noticed about these donuts are they are all the same exact base donut, the only difference is the icing they put on it. So after a bite of each one I got a bit fatigued due to the same flavor donut, and the icing is important because if the icing isn't dominant enough then it just feels like 3 similar donuts. Hope that makes sense but had I gotten the cinnamon I think it would have been a better experience. They are a bit pricey too. I think nearly $9 for just 3 donuts and that is quite high, and overall lacked the wow factor. I got the Korean Bowl per her feedback that it was the most popular and it was "sooo good". I thought this dish was aesthetically pleasing and colorful, and loved the fresh veggies and the rest of the content, but overall it fell short of expectations for me. A bit premium priced I wanted less rice and more veggies and vegetarian meat. I think I got about 3 tablespoons of the good stuff and I was left a bit underwhelmed, and yet I had plenty of rice leftover. I just felt there is a bit skimping and penny pinching here on portions of the good stuff and they add extra rice to make the dish look to be in abundance. I was very unsatisfied. Finally - the coffee I got - it was one of the cold mocha coffee drinks and it was not good. I love coffee, drink it daily, and this stuff tasted like sugar water flavored with coffee. It lacked that flavor and depth that coffee beans usually give you. It just felt like I was drinking sugar water after a few sips and I couldn't finish it. Not a quality experience at all, just tasted cheap. So yeah, 2-stars = Could Have Been Better, and it most certainly could have been. Had the service been a bit more attentive and friendly and accomodating, then it would be a 3-star experience, but improvements there could be made as well. I just felt like the staff was preoccupied and running around and somewhat disorganized even though they were not very busy. Speaking to another customer they said the sandwiches were solid but I can't say I will be rushing back to try it as the pricing here is on the premium side and nothing I had lived up to the expectations.

Really nice, very casual, all-vegan cafe/coffee shop, with coffee and non-coffee beverages, bowls, sandwiches, and breakfast bagels. They're famous for the their banh mi, so I ordered that with the "pork" ($11 -- prices include tax). The sandwich came out in about 5 minutes. Very large sandwich, with a generous amount of "pork", cucumber, carrot, daikon, and jalapenos (not spicy at all), all served on a fresh, French white bread, with some potato chips on the side. Really solid banh mi, authentic enough; the "pork" has a great texture and is on the sweet side, but in keeping with the rest of the flavours. Real nice stuff. I was happy and would definitely return if in Rochester.

Quirky, fun little cafe featuring a vegan food menu, mostly vegan donuts (Drift Dough), and good coffee.My husband and I were in town visiting his parents, and we initially stopped in for the vegan donuts (I have an egg allergy, but am also vegetarian) and got a coffee to wash them down. Both the donuts and coffee were delicious, and it makes me happy to see an iced coffee that isn't more ice than coffee for once! We sat inside, with a view of what looks like a cute outdoor seating area, but since it seems like some pickleball courts have opened up next door, I imagine it would have been a bit noisy outside; can't hear the pickleball from the inside, though!We decided to grab some lunch items to go because they looked really interesting. My husband got the tofu banh mi and I got the salmon bowl, and they were both delicious! I really like the flavors in the salmon bowl, and the half rice half spinach base was just right for me :)Overall, very cute spot with lots of tasty veg-friendly food, so we will absolutely be back next time we're in the area!

Old Abe immediately jumped to being my favorite restaurant in Rochester. The faux meats are exceptional (without being heavy-handed about replicating meat) and the sauces are flavorful but light. My only gripe would be a desire for a higher ratio of salmon to other ingredients in the bowl. Also I think they should prepare the spinach in some way, even just a light sauté to make it mix better. But overall it's an excellent meal and I wish I could bring it with me to San Francisco. Additionally, the staff is extremely nice and the atmosphere is bright and airy. Strong recommend!

Lovely little shop. Surprisingly larger interior than I was expecting and has patio space for better weather. The staff are very helpful. The menu has plenty of options for coffee, drinks, donuts and entrees. I tried the Korean BBQ bowl since everyone seemed to recommend it. I got a to-go box. Everything was biodegradable packaging. The bowl was hefty and tasty. I do wish there was more sauce. The bowl was a bit more dry.I'm excited to come back to try the coffee, smoothies and donuts!

Took a beer-centric trip to Rochester and finally stopped by Old Abe since they're one of the better vegan/vegetarian places I've ever had. Cute cafe in an old house with counter service and small tables throughout the main floor and upstairs. Very hip, but welcoming ambiance. They make most of their stuff in house, including an awesomely rotational lineup of vegan donuts. Got the Banh Mi with their "pork" and it was probably tied for top vegan "meat" sandwich I've ever had. Soft, flavorful baguette that has a nice crunch to the exterior. The aioli was excellent and brightened up the rest of it. The star was the house pulled "pork" that was very much like Chinese pork floss but much more tender. It'll definitely be my go to for takeaway when I'm the Rochester area.

THE BEST VEGAN FOOD IN ROCHESTER!! Absolutely LOVE this place, it's a kinda small interior with some outdoor seating but it's 100% worth it. I've never had a problem with any of my orders and I've gone here too many times to count. Vegan sandwiches to donuts and coffee, I wish more restaurants in Rochester were like this but this will do for now. Even a great option for non vegans so everyone can enjoy their meal, a park is also nearby so it's perfect for the warmer months.

My friend and I drive to Rochester as a halfway point once a month for a girls day and always like to try new places. I found Old Abe through here on Yelp and let me tell you.. it did not disappoint, we will definitely be coming back! The Bahn Mi (we did the pulled pork version) was sooo delicious..omg! I can see why it gets the excellent reviews!The Korean BBQ Bugolgi Bowl was also super tasty!So fresh, great texture and crunch. Yum!We both planned to take some home but ended up sitting there visiting for a couple hours and devoured it all.

LOVE THIS PLACE! Vegan restaurant with great vibes and great staff. Service was fast but great quality, too. Food was amazing! Ordered the "salmon" bowl and ribwich sammy - it was all delicious! Shocked by how tasty the vegan "fish" was! Will definitely go back when we drive through Rochester next.