Village Coal Tower Restaurant

I've been coming here for breakfast many, many times. That's the honest summary of what the Coal Tower is — a place you come back to, reliably, because it does what it does without any drama. Eggs, home fries, pancakes, omelets, hot coffee. The kind of breakfast that sets up a morning right. The building itself is part of the story. The Coal Tower sits at 9 Schoen Place built under a massive historic coal tower on the Erie Canal — one of those pieces of Pittsford's industrial past that got preserved by being useful rather than just memorialized. The interior has a mismatched country home feel, warm and a little cluttered in the right way. The canal is right there. It fills up fast, especially on weekends. The Friday fish fry has a following that extends well beyond Pittsford — it's considered one of the better ones in Rochester. The barge breakfast plate is the signature order. The cinnamon swirl French toast is worth knowing about. Daily specials are on the board and usually worth asking about. Open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday, breakfast through dinner on Fridays, and breakfast only on weekends. Cash only — no frills, no surprises.