November 18, 2009
One of my favorite places to drink anywhere in the world. Simply the best place to have a conversation. Food is authenticly british and the selection is outstanding. My only complaint is the slow (if not charming) service.

October 10, 2009 [ Updated October 11, 2009 ]
Awesome English pub in Rochester, NY. Comfy sofas to lounge on with your group give the feel that you’re sitting at home, even if the place is crowded. Great beer selection and stemware to compliment the beer you’ve chosen. As far as good goes, try the onion rings. #5 on 10102009 DG.

October 1, 2009
Definately captured the English Pub feel here...odd thing is that so few of the beers available are English! I counted about 18 taps and 3 casks, but only 2 were English ales, and out of about 35 bottles only about 3 were English. No complaints, I’m just sayin...very heavy on Stone and Dogfish products...nice place to hang out, pretty comfortable, board games, food looked good although i didn’t try any myself.

September 7, 2009
Certainly an authentic feeling British pub. The Hop Wallop real ale version was fantastic. Don’t go in on quiz night if you don’t plan on participating. Staff were friendly and efficient but kind of assumed that Americans know nothing about beer. Good bottle selection, decent tap selection. The real reason to go in here is for the cask ales.

March 8, 2009
The only real English pub in Rochester. A great selection of bottled and draught beer, including several casks and real ales. I love the fact that there isn’t club volume music at this place, you can actually enjoy a conversation with friends here! This would be my favourite pub in Rochester if it weren’t for the fact that, while the servers are certainly friendly, the service is dismally slow. Also, be wary of the tables, some of which are incredibly rickety. Many a pint has been lost due to knees bumping the sides of the tables. Most of the food I’ve had has been fairly satisfying, but the monthly curry night is a major disappointment. While they are purists when it comes to ale, It seems they cave to bland American taste in this department. What a pity!

September 6, 2008
Great English pub. The selection is very good and the servers are very friendly. The food is good as well. My only complaint is that the food takes a long time, but that’s ok because there is plenty to drink while waiting!

August 13, 2008
Quaint pub inside old dark wood red cloth booths. Draught served ice cold. 3 real ales on offer. Selection is solid but big bottles were overpriced. Food options seemed authentic(I am no expert on english pub grub). Food was good, seemed fresh, nothing amazing. Lazy late afternoon lunch the english staff was amusing and a nice touch. They sell growlers which I dont think I have never seen for a non-brewpub.

May 28, 2008
Ah, the Toad. I have a love/hate relationship with the place. It really looks great inside, but the small tables in the main room are very wobbly which always results in spilt beverages. So unfortunately, the place always smells of stale beer. The carpet and cushions could do with one heck of a cleaning. Service can be exhaustingly slow so sometimes it can be a real deterrent to even going. I’ve left on multiple occasions after showing up and then waiting 10-20 minutes (no joke) with no service at all. They talk about having sections, but after 10+ years I’ve yet to see wait staff working only in a single area. Now I just end up going to the bar to order beer directly. It can still be slow when it’s busy, but on average the DIY approach is much faster. The beer selection itself is top notch. I usually order cask ales so having 3 to choose from is great. In combination with the 9 guest draft lines I very rarely order bottles. But when I do I’ve never had a freshness issue. Food ranges from OK to very good, but I’m a sucker for Bangers & Mash, Toad in the Hole and Yorkshire Pudding so I probably eat there more often that I should. Overall I still love the place. I’ve spent countless hours hanging out there. Many times I can be found sitting alone reading and enjoying super yummy beers. Other times I’m with friends, laughing and talking. And to that end they score huge points by keeping the music turned down low so you don’t have to yell to be heard as happens in 90% of other bars in the ROC.

May 23, 2008
Nice location, sort of, on the cusp of the park avenue area(one of the nicest areas of town) and what seemed to be a bad area of town (the owner of the building told us there was a high rate of petty crime on the block) - but I love british pubs, and this place really nails the atmosphere - really cool and laid back - all the servers look and sound like they’re fresh off the boat from england - three casks, which is nice - the selection wasn’t as good on my visit as I’ve seen on their website or in other reviews, but there was still stuff I’d never tried before, and a solid representation of fine craft ales that I’ve had - lots of board games for customer use, which is essential for a pub like this - I could see myself hanging out in here every day.

March 20, 2008 [ Updated February 9, 2009 ]
I thought I rated this place! This is a swell spot. Nice lineup of beers, comfy atmosphere, knowledgable servers (most from England), and reasonable prices. The beer list consisted of a lot of British style draughts and a few casks of regional beer. Nice bottle list with a good representation of US micros, Belgians, German beers, and some British ales. They also have a limited vintage list. If you’re in the city of Rochester, this is a solid go-to spot.