TV star and comedian visits popular Rochester cocktail bar after UR show

Guy walks into a bar.

Only he’s not just any guy. He’s Joel McHale.

The actor and comedian performed stand-up Saturday night at the University of Rochester as part of its Meliora Weekend.

Afterward, he searched his phone for “good-late night food that wasn’t trashy,” and The Daily Refresher popped up, said Sarah Pavia, the Alexander Street establishment’s marketing manager.

McHale placed an order at the bar for a burger and a charcuterie board and a glass of Robert Mondavi merlot.

That’s when Daily Refresher chef Patrick Scanlon thought he recognized McHale and tipped off co-owner and operator Cameron Phelps.

“He said, ‘I’m not 100% sure, but I think Joel McHale is inside. Do you want to verify?’”

Having been a fan of the NBC sitcom “Community” on which McHale starred, and E’s “The Soup,” which McHale hosted, Phelps recognized him instantly.

“I walked over and introduced myself and thanked him for choosing The Daily Refresher,” Phelps said.

To his surprise, McHale invited Phelps (who was celebrating a birthday), his brother, Adam, and Pavia to join him and Michael Rowland at their table. Rowland opened for McHale at UR, the two currently star on the FOX sitcom “Animal Control.”

The group talked for two hours, and McHale, who also played Chef David on Season 3 of “The Bear” (FX on Hulu), sampled some of The Daily Refresher’s brisket.

“He is a really nice, gracious person,” Phelps said. “I can’t say that enough. I tried to give him a couple of outs, like ‘We can leave you alone if you want,’ but he was like, ‘No, no. I love chatting with people from the area.’”

At end of the evening, McHale and Rowland left out the back door and took an Uber back to their hotel.

The last time McHale grabbed an Uber here was in 2018 .

He had traveled to Rochester after performing stand-up in Alfred, but when he arrived, he found that his flight to New York City — needed to get him to an appearance “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon — had been canceled.

So, he opened the Uber app and was connected with driver John Costello. He later told Fallon on the show about their six-hour journey: “I said, ‘Can you take me to Manhattan?’ And he was like, ‘(Expletive) yeah.’ And he was an amazing driver. It was like we were in a video, like an Xbox One X game called Forza Albany.”

McHale also had high praise for The Daily Refresher, thanking them in a private Instagram message for “the best food in upstate.”

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood .

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: TV star and comedian visits popular Rochester cocktail bar after UR show