The Old Toad

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
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 Bristis 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.

January 12, 2008
Awesome pub. Bartenders know their stuff and won’t hesitate to give you some samples of stuff you’re interested in. Great stuff from local breweries on tap and a lot of stuff from American micros and from overseas. Draft beer changes regularly, bottle list is very good. Food is excellent, try the shepherd’s pie, it’s my favorite.

September 2, 2007
Great pub-styled bar, very quaint, in an English way, warm and inviting. The most unusual collection of beers I’ve seen. Included $18 07.07.07 from Stone for instance, along with a menu of visiting selections including Dogfish Head’s Peche. Overwhelming in that way. Good to bring friends to split in on the more expensive bomber selections. Bartender was English, young, and extremely knowledgeable about all the beer selections. We didn’t eat, so didn’t rate that.

August 2, 2007
An inviting moderate -sized English-style bar surrounded by a restaurant. How much they pack in! British apprecentices young and very motivated to learn the bartender trade, and enjoy beer and are friendly. Two casks and several taps-I believe eight to ten. With some very good ones. Late Tuesday afternoon, a good Twenties to Thirties crowd. Well lit. One place I will return to.

March 19, 2007
Nice little English Pub. Nice decor, huge extensive bottle list. Nice tap selection & always a few casks poring. Very good shepherds pie. Manager Joe is a stnadup guy. Recommended.

October 23, 2006
A very nice bottle list. But otherwise, the place was packed, the service was overwhelmed (took one hour to get the order), the food was soso, and one of the orders was wrong (cheese plater). Not a good start. However, the local is quite nice, and there are the lights behaving like there was a German raid, flikering on and off.