Going To Bills Camp? 5 Places To Get A Garbage Plate In Nearby Rochester, New York

Bills fans across Western New York will be flocking to Buffalo Bills training camp when it kicks off July 24th at St. John Fisher University (not college anymore) near Rochester, New York. Catching your favorite team in action before the season starts is a perfect excuse to treat yourself to a Western New York delicacy you might not get to have very often- the legendary “garbage plate.”

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The anatomy of a Rochester, New York “Garbage Plate”:

To be an authentic Rochester “garbage plate,” it must consist of these four basic ingredients. 

#1 PROTEIN

Your typical plate base consists of a burger patty or a hot dog, with or without cheese. If you’re going to a restaurant in Rochester, they’ll ask you if you want a “white hot” (uncured and unsmoked pork, beef, and veal)  or a “red hot” (beef and pork with red dye). Neither is a wrong answer; both are delicious, and it all depends on your preference. 

Yes, you can find places that will substitute the standards with things like grilled chicken or tofu, but a burger and dog are the OGs of the “garbage plate.”

#2 POTATOES

Home fries are the standard starch on a plate. French fries are also a common order, but I personally consider that kind of “boujee.”

#3 SIDES

Honestly, a “side” of a plate is never really a side. The goal is to be able to mix everything together for an amazing mash of deliciousness - but the typical “side” order is traditional mayonnaise-based macaroni salad, and/or baked beans. Getting both is never frowned upon, and often encouraged.

#4 TOPPINGS

Spicy meat sauce, chopped onion, ketchup, and mustard are all acceptable toppings - again, all are amazing,  and no one will judge you if you choose to douse your plate with each one. You might also get a slice of Italian bread to scoop up all of the leftover goodness. 

The Original “Garbage Plate”

As a disclaimer, a “garbage plate” is not technically an actual “garbage plate” unless you make the trip to Nick Tahou Hots in downtown Rochester. Not only are they the inventors and trademark-ers of the famous dish, but they are indisputably the best.

That being said, some great places close to Buffalo Bills training camp come pretty darn close.

If you’re making the trip to Rochester to sweat it out with the Bills at training camp, here are five nearby places for a garbage plate that do it well.

Five Places To Get A Plate Near Rochester

Pittsford Hots

5 S Main St Pittsford, NY

ER Hots

115 W Commercial St East Rochester

Hungry’s Grill

10 State St Pittsford, NY 

Fairport Hots

1226 Fairport Rd Fairport, NY

JT’s Pizza & Plates

108 Main St East Rochester, NY 

Honorable Mention: Nick Tahou Hots 

320 W Main St Rochester, NY