Swan Market - Rochester, NY

Posted By Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle on September 13, 2009 11:24 PM

Who doesn't love grocery store dining? There's something especially appealing about sitting amongst the shelves of canned beans and boxes of elbow macaroni while chowing down on a drippy burger or plate of crunchy catfish. We always thought you had to head south to find places like this, until now. The Swan Market is a German meat market/grocery, located in a residential Rochester neighborhood, that offers a bargain lunch four days a week. And the Swan is no Northern knockoff of a Southern tradition; it is thoroughly Rochesterian in character.

Find yourself a seat at one of the oilcloth-covered tables in front of the meat counter and make your selection from the menu hanging above. Barry Fischer makes his own sausages (the Swan motto is "The Best of the Wurst"); if you don't plan to make a meal of sausage, a good way to start is with the assorted sausage appetizer, at the incredible loss-leader price of $1.50/person. These sausages are extraordinary! The pale fresh pork (and veal?) bratwurst is flecked with herbs and seasoning, with a gentle flavor that is soul-satisfying, while the coarser-ground pink bauernwurst, with a punchier flavor, spurts juices as the taut natural casing is pierced. Other sausage possibilities include a smoked version of the bratwurst, as well as knockwurst, weisswurst, cajun sausage, bockwurst, smoked curry sausages... the selection varies.

Other lunch options might include roast pork with sausage stuffing, various schnitzels, the stuffed beef dish called rouladen, goulash, and that pink German loaf meat called leberkase. All entrees are $6.50, which includes two sides, or for the amazing price of $7.50 you can get a sampler plate of four or five entrees and four sides (the online menu, in the now locally requisite nod to Rochester's signature dish, calls it the "German garbage plate"). And don't ignore those sides, which may include red cabbage or kraut or spaetzle. Especially good is the loose German potato salad, loaded with smoky bacon; we've never had better.

Service is old-world sweet and caring, and all the while you can observe customers picking up hams and roasts and bacons to bring home. The original market goes back to the early 1900's, we were told, although Mr. Fischer's tenure here is more recent.

Overall Rating

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Posted By Dr Vigg on October 29, 2011 10:27 PM

What a place. When I'm jonesin' for a fix of German cuisine, Gunther Swann's suits me to a T. I actually gave up going to Swan's for Lent one year. The bauernwurst is my favorite sausage here, and Barry, the second owner, does a fantastic job with it. Only complaint: I have to bring my own horseradish.

Don't, by any means, overlook the stuffing. The pork roast it normally comes with is okay, but that stuffing is good enough to make a meal of. With a bit of gravy. And, of course, a glass of beer.

I've spent no little time in Germany and, while this place is like none I visited there, it's a neat mash-up of many I have, combining the best of them.

Overall Rating

Sausage Platter

Bauernwurst

Sampler Platter

Stuffing

German Potato Salad

Leberkase

Noodles with Gravy

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Posted By John Gilpin on April 22, 2011 10:36 PM

This place is GREAT! I have read a number of reviews about Swan Market and they are generally good ones. My wife and I just returned from our first and, now, second visit.

These folks make the best fresh and smoked sausages, chops, schnitzel, and sandwich meats I have ever eaten. Everything is well-seasoned and tastes authentic, with great smoked flavor and good texture. Bacon and ham is excellent. Bread is great.

There's a good selection of German draft and bottled beers. The live music (see the schedule) is fun. They make you feel like as if old friends, not newbies (like us), just walked in.

Overall Rating

Sausage Platter

Fresh Bratwurst

Bauernwurst

Sausage Appetizer

Sampler Platter

Jäger Schnitzle

Leberkase

Imported Draft Pitcher

Sandwich Meats

Bread

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Posted By Daron McKee on July 2, 2009 4:53 PM

Swan Market is a true Rochester gem and a great throwback to yesteryear. This place has got it all: friendly staff and delicious food all washed down with a nice German brew in a traditional butcher shop/market atmosphere.

I'm a huge fan of the Hungarian goulash, which sometimes is a little spicy. I also regularly enjoy the German Sampler platter which always changes depending on the specials that day. The sauerkraut and red cabbage sides are delicious. I've never been a fan of German potato salad until I had Swan's. Their smoked ham (speck) is terrific, more like a fine Italian prosciutto than your typical deli-case ham.

I would be there once I week if I could afford it. All meals are served with delicious German rye bread to start. They also stock imported German grocery items. If you're a fan of traditional German food and find yourself in the Rochester area, then this place is not to be missed.

Overall Rating

Sausage Platter

Noodles with Gravy

Fresh Bratwurst

Bauernwurst

Sausage Appetizer

Sampler Platter

Spaetzle with Gravy

Sandwich Meats

German Potato Salad

Jäger Schnitzle

Bread

Leberkase

Imported Draft Pitcher

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