Char Broil Family Restaurant

Char Broil Family Restaurant is a family-owned diner at 2450 Monroe Avenue in Brighton, Rochester, NY. The restaurant has operated at this location since 1940, making it one of the longer-running dining establishments in the area. Tom Tette and his son Shawn purchased the business in 1999, building on a family tradition that stretches back to Tom's parents, who ran a diner called The Cup and Saucer out of their home. Michael Tette, the youngest son, joined the operation in 2004, and a fourth generation of the family is now involved in day-to-day work.

Char Broil serves breakfast, lunch, and Sunday brunch, with hours running Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. The menu leans on home-style cooking with an emphasis on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Standout items include:

• Signature pancakes
• Turkey roasted in-house daily
• Scratch-made soups and salads
• Homemade pies
• A kid-friendly menu and gluten-free options

Cocktails are also available, and the restaurant offers online ordering and gift cards.

Char Broil has built its identity around what it calls the "Fine Diner Experience" — a neighborhood diner format with a focus on scratch cooking and multi-generational family recipes. The daily-roasted turkey and the pancakes are long-standing menu fixtures, and the kitchen draws on recipes contributed by family members, including Tom's wife Linda. The Tette family's roots in the Rochester restaurant scene predate their ownership of Char Broil, giving the operation a depth of local ties that few diners in the area can match.

The restaurant sits on Monroe Avenue in Brighton, just off Route 590, making it accessible from multiple parts of the Rochester metro area. Monroe Avenue through Brighton is a well-traveled commercial corridor with a mix of independent shops, restaurants, and services. Char Broil is near the Twelve Corners area, a familiar Brighton landmark. Street and lot parking are available along this stretch of Monroe Avenue.