3 Rochester restaurants that offer a feast (for the eyes)

Aug. 18—Of the many places to eat in Rochester, some restaurants offer something unique to look at while you chow down.

The Workshop Food Hall and Bar, Fat Willy's Bar and Grill, and Taco JED are among them, with their carefully curated collections.

The Workshop

Stepping into the Minnesota Room at The Workshop is like taking a trip back in time.

The Workshop is housed in a former Seneca Foods building, and owners Andy and Kari Friederichs take the throwback a step further in the Minnesota Room, an overflow area that will eventually become a rental space.

Displayed on the walls are over 70 historic pieces, including reprints of posters, Rochester postcards, and items the Friederichs have bought from antique shops.

"Andy and I love history and old buildings, and repurposing and things like that," Kari Friederichs said. "So this is the perfect fit for this space. This was a struggle to figure it out, but this, in the end, is what it was meant to be."

Some highlights of the wall include a small Jolly Green Giant Friederichs' brother had as a child and an embroidery of the ear-of-corn water tower across the street from the restaurant. A key box and cardholders from the building's industrial past are also on the wall.

The Minnesota Room also has a mural of Minnesota symbols painted by local artist Jenna Whiting, featuring icons such as the state butterfly and bird, a Tonka Truck, and Paul Bunyan.

"She brought it to life, and it's a really nice anchor of that wall," Friederichs said. "We probably could do this entire wall, but we had to rein it in."

Taco JED

Taco JED's namesake is a fictional character named JED — Joseph Edward Dunn, a combination of owner Steve Dunn's father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Among other activities he enjoys, JED loves to visit national parks. Throughout the restaurant, there are national park patches, maps, pictures and postcards. When you order, rather than a number, you're handed a card with a national park on it, and information about that park to read while you wait.

Step into the bar area, called JED's Shed, and you'll see more of the taco joint's out-of-the-ordinary décor.

"We don't have beer signs," Steve Dunn said. "We don't do all that kind of normal stuff."

Instead, the bar area is covered with posters for musicians like Bob Dylan, photos, and road signs. On the walls are a large painting of a cat and two mounted guitars. Opposite the cat, there is a wall of pictures of the Dunn family at national parks, as well as photos dedicated "JED Heads" have sent of themselves wearing Taco JED hats at national parks.

The customer contributions don't stop there.

From the colorful planters on the outdoor patio to the preserved chalkboard from former Rochester barbecue joint Roscoe's, patrons have added their own touches. Dunn appreciates the community that has formed around his business.

"We just try to be very friendly to our customers," he said. "One of the great things about living in Rochester, you get to meet people from all over the world."

Fat Willy's

Bill Henderson's favorite car is a '41 Willys Coupe, but he's not exclusive. From the over 800 items on his restaurant's walls, it's clear he loves all things car-related.

Along the walls, Henderson has road signs, gas station signs, license plate toppers, and more. He has license plates from every U.S. state and Washington, D.C., and even some international plates.

The huge collection is the result of over 15 years of searching for pieces. Henderson has acquired pieces from all over the country, and often spends his vacations looking for new items.

Henderson's first find was an old Sinclair sign, which glows in a prominent place on one of the walls. One of his recent acquisitions is another gas station sign for his collection, which features many ceramic gas station signs, many of which are riddled with bullet holes.

The new sign isn't up yet, though.

"I might get a sign, and it might sit here for six months before I finally figure out where I want to put it," he said.

The walls may be filling up, but that doesn't mean Henderson is going to stop getting new items. His latest project is a board of car tail lights.

"I've got probably 20 different styles of tail lights, and we'll eventually get them mounted and backlight them," Henderson said. "But it's getting a little thin on space."