A Garbage Plate is a true Rochester delicacy. It is a disorganized combination of either cheeseburger, hamburger, Italian sausages, steak, chicken, white or red hots, a grilled cheese sandwich, fried fish, or eggs, served on top of one or two of the following: home fries, fries, beans, and mac salad. A plate is always made to order. Then, the plate is adorned with optional mustard, onions and hot sauce. Some restaurants will charge for extra hot sauce, and the hot sauce varies widely in flavor and spiciness. A plate is usually served with a side of white bread and butter, though some restaurants charge extra for bread. It is said that the purpose of the bread is to soak up the grease left after you’ve eaten the garbage plate.

Also, some restaurants offer multiple meat plates. For example, you can choose two, three, or four meats to top your plate.

The original (Trademarked 1) Garbage Plate is from Nick Tahou’s but you can get a plate from tons of places. Even Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, an upscale suburban hotel, has added a knockoff to their menu. It is called the Plat De Refuse, available to diners at a price of $15.75 per plate. The burger is made from elk and topped by Vermont Cheddar, the hot dog bison, the macaroni flecked with grape tomatoes, the beans homemade, and the hot sauce is actually a wild game chili.