As someone who is intolerant or allergic to the hops in beer, I am always so excited about a cidery or cider bar, and am so thankful that the cider scene in Rochester (and in NY in general) is so expansive- thanks to the great variety of apples this state is fortunate to have. At Mullers you get the opportunity to sample ciders from all around New York State, all in one place! They also do have a small selection of craft beers and a bit of wine too for those who prefer those options and there is a brewery right next door to cater to beer lovers in your group.
I had been to Mullers about 5 years ago, back when they first originally opened, and the cider selection was fabulous, but the food options were...lacking. It was a great place to go to try some ciders and have a snack, but I wouldn't have gone there for a meal. Now? Mullers has undergone a management change and things are a bit different, in the best way possible.
I had the chance to speak to Mike, one jovial and enthusiastic half of the duo that purchased Mullers in November 2019. When COVID hit, it provided a silver lining for the pair as they were able to revamp and revive the space in a small amount of time- while customers were not able to come in and dine. Now Mullers is a cozy, intimate, and relaxed space with an expanded list of ciders on tap and a menu that has seen a dramatic transformation. Originally, this spot touted its 12 taps of cider, but now boasts a hearty 24 taps filled with delicious, local, constantly rotating ciders. They are on tap for as long as Mike and Bill have kegs of it, and once they've run out (which is quickly and often) they swap to something else. So don't expect many of the menu options to stay for long- all of the ones I had just a few weeks ago are no longer listed on the tap menu.
I started off with a hibiscus ginger cider from Awestruck Cider in Sidney NY, which sounded so promising but, for me was not good. I was so sad about it because hibiscus is one of my favorite flavors and I like ginger quite a bit. The cider was more earthy than I expected, and never really grew on me (but not one to waste cider, I drank it anyway). However, if you're into this type of flavor, then this would definitely be a good cider for you. It just didn't appeal to my palette. From there I moved on to a flight of 4 different ciders; 1 each from Embark, Blackbird, and 1911 which are some of my favorite local cideries and also a "Baby got Blackberry" from OSB Ciderworks which is a brand that I hadn't had before. I'd be lying if I said I didn't pick it for the name alone, I'm a sucker for a cleverly named product. All of those were super tasty and I wish I could remember the other flavors, I was caught up in conversation at this point and never took them down.
Food-wise, I was impressed from taste alone, but after talking to Mike, I am even more impressed with both the selection on the menu as well as the quality of the food. You see Mike and Bill have no food experience and struggled when first taking on menu creation- making Google their best friend for finding recipes and used trial and error with flavors and ideas of their own. I only had two items, the pickle pizza (Mike swears by the wild dill pizza- the pickle pizza's wilder cousin) and their basic pretzels. They also have a flight of soft pretzels, which I was regrettably much too full to take on at that point. I've had pickle pizza before at another restaurant, and it was good, but the one at Mullers was top tier! The crust was perfectly crispy and thin, the pickles were nestled under the cheese to keep them snug against the sauce and crust, the seasoning was off the charts, and the cheese was expertedly melted. What a winner. My boyfriend was pleasantly surprised with the pick, as he had no clue what to expect from a pickle pizza.
As for the pretzels, they were just a touch crispy on the outside, with a pillowy soft middle and a slight bit of chew- honestly it was kind of beautiful. Soft pretzels are my go-to bar food and I was not disappointed. Even the cheese sauce was winner. A bit more of a kick than I was expecting, which just had me reaching for another delicious sip of cider, but I'm also a spice baby and it did not take away from the flavor, which is what I always worry about.
Other menu items include gems like a dip flight which includes Mike's other favorite dish- the chicken wing dip, mini panini flight, grilled cheese flight, a chicken and waffle pizza, and fried ravioli. There are gluten free food options, as they know that many of their guests seek out ciders because they are gluten intolerant, so making options available was important to them and they also cater to vegan and vegetarian guests as well. I know, I know, your mouth is watering and you need to get there RIGHT NOW. I get it, believe me. Just wait until the chef they hired gets his hands on the menu. You'll be hooked on seeing what new items are available and make it your mission to keep going back. Maybe that's just me? Nah, I don't think so.
Stop by Mullers Cider House for a drink (or four) and some delicious food as they are open during Covid and taking all necessary precautions to ensure a safe environment for everyone.
1344 University Avenue Rochester NY 14607|| Phone: (585) 287-5875
M & T: Closed || W & Th: 5pm-9pm || F: 4pm-10pm || Sa: 2pm-10pm || Su: 11am-5pm
**Photos used from Mullers' Instagram and my own photos**
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