I love going to family restaurants. They have a wide variety of food, often home cooked, in a comfortable, family friendly environment. While visiting some friends in Rochester, New York, I found a great one. Our meal at Stone’s Countryside Tavern was an unforgettable experience.

Stone’s Countryside Tavern resides in the small village of Churchville, just west of Rochester, NY. West enough that soft drinks are called “pop” and not “soda.” Pop is the term used in Western New York and throughout the Midwest. Stone’s is located in a rural area and is very easy to miss.

Stone’s Countryside Tavern opened 1978, when family matriarch Lois Stone, along with husband Ted, bought the building. Previously it had housed a drive-in called Nune’s Nook. Stone’s has been a family affair ever since. Lois passed away in 2023 but her spirit still fills the place, imbuing it with a warmth that is felt as soon as you walk in. The Stone family still operate the restaurant. One of Lois’ sons was our waiter.

Menu

Stone’s has a expansive menu with Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Seafood, Pasta, and Sandwiches.

There are 14 choices of appetizers. They include Cheesy Garlic Bread, Pizza Logs, Steamed Clams, and Jalapeno Poppers. The soup options are Chili, Soup of the Day, and French Onion. The salads are Julienne, Taco, and Pittsburgh Salad (with fries, of course).

Entrees include Chicken in the Basket, Pork Chops, and Prime Rib. Seafood dishes feature shrimp, salmon, clams, or scallops. The pasta choices are two: Spaghetti and Meatballs or Linguini Alfredo.

There are over 2 dozen choices of sandwiches. They include open faced (hot turkey, roast beef, or meatloaf), melts (Reuben, Patty, tuna, etc…) burgers, chicken, and a Fried Egg Sandwich. Of special note is the Stone’s Plate, which is a choice of meat over french fries and mac salad. It is their version of a “Garbage Plate”, a regional Rochester dish.

Our meal

We started our meal with an appetizer, fried Mozzarella Sticks. They were fairly standard mozzarella sticks, but are notable because they were served fresh from the oven. Piping hot, the sticks were crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside. The marinara sauce was a great accompaniment.

For my meal, I had the Baked Meatloaf entree. It consisted of two big slabs of meatloaf, smothered in gravy, and a side of mashed potatoes. The meatloaf itself was moist and hearty. The gravy had good flavor and went well with the meatloaf. The mashed potatoes were made with real potatoes and were dense and delicious.

All entrees come with a choice of soup, salad, or vegetable. I chose the soup of the day, which was Cream of Potato. It was rich and creamy, with bits of bacon which added depth of flavor. It was wonderful.

My companions ordered the Chicken Parmesan, Fried Fish, and a child’s Spaghetti with meatballs for their daughter. I did not get a full review, but the chicken parm was better received than the fried fish. The marinara sauce on the spaghetti was a bit runny, but the meatball looked fabulous. As did the side of macaroni salad. The side salad may have been made with iceberg, but I am not sure.

Dessert

Stone’s has a variety of cakes and pies for dessert. We went with the cakes. I ordered the Chocolate Caramel, while my companions ordered the Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting. The cake itself was fantastic: moist, dense, and having a deep chocolate flavor. I found the frosting on the caramel cake a bit too sweet for my tastes. Next time, I’ll just go for the chocolate frosting. The children’s meal came with a free scoop of ice cream, which they very much enjoyed.

Atmosphere

Stone’s Countryside Tavern exudes warmth. There are signs everywhere welcoming you to their family. The staff makes you feel right at home. While there is a bar area in the back, the rest of the place is table seating with a decor that provides comfort and welcome.

Our waiter was quite friendly. Not only was he very helpful with recommendations, but he also gave us a history of the restaurant. This included showing us pictures depicting the restaurants history. With great food and the warm, friendly atmosphere, Stone’s Countryside Tavern is a place I want to visit again and again.