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The place is run by british university students so you've got a legit british pub on your hands! This is a nice little get-away from the usual bar scene. Or if you're a Homesick Brit, this'll be the place to go!
The food is your typical crap british food. a little bland but hearty and filling. you've got your classic Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, Shepherds pie and... dare I say it? YORKSHIRE PUDDING! and PORK PIE!
The Yorkshire pudding was served differently than I'm used to. It's served flattened instead of puffy and hollow. The waiter says they make a massive one and cut of pieces of it to serve which explains why it's like that.
The pork pie was pretty much like a cold hard pate. It's good!
Their beer selection is fantastic! They've got light wimpy cider and ales as well as your dark english porters. You should find something u like.
The service is a little inconsistent. Mind you these are uni students running the place so they tend to get distracted, forget or sometimes shy to come check up on you. So you'll have to be un-british (aka a little rude) to get their attention. They're all good kids, nothing bad to say about any of them.
No trip to Rochester is complete without a trip to the Old Toad. While for some it may be a garbage plate, for me it's a Ploughman's Platter and pint of Fuller's ESB at the Old Toad.
Sure, lots of people have recreated the British Pub on this side of the pond, and sure lots have even staffed it with Britts, but the Old Toad actually feels like the perfect British Pub.
I think the food is great, considering British food isn't usually regarded as great. I crave their fish and chips whenever I'm eating fish and chips elsewhere.
I highly recommend the Old Toad. It's one of my all-time favorite bars.
We live in the neighborhood and this is by far our favorite bar.
Good english pub food, great beer selection.
Service is typically friendly and good.
We especially like to sit outside in the summer when walking the dogs and have a beer or two while the dogs hang out.
If you are an out-of-towner check this place out, it will not disappoint.
I've traveled to England, and the best food there is not in the restaurants, it's in the pubs, with the owner as the bartender, his wife cooking the most awesome food in the back (or vice versa). That said, the food here is good, hearty fare. I don't know why British food gets a bad rap, but this is pretty authentic. I've had the shepherd's pie, the fish and chips, bangers and mash, and they were all stellar. To put the icing on the cake, their beer menu is larger than most restaurants' food menu. Amazing, and THE place to go for cider. The only thing I didn't like (someone else ordered) was the nachos, and I don't even count that, because...seriously, who goes to a British pub for nachos?
I wish I had discovered the Old Toad earlier before I left Rochester.
The service was friendly and accommodating when tackling the decision of beers to try. Good selection of beers, so everyone should be able to find something that suits their taste. My favorite is the Old Toad Nut Brown Ale.
The food here is hearty and warm. English pub fare done decently well.
Definitely a nice change of the typical dining experience in restaurants.
Ok but a bit overpriced and service was not that attentive. Try the mad elf beer it's very good. Food is good too.
English service, aka slow (staff are mostly from England working here for school)
Great selection of good beers on tap, if you are willing to pay a price for them.
Great food as well, traditional English fare.
Steel tip darts are located in the bar.
A coworker and I were traveling on business from Austin,TX and were referred to this place by someone back home.
When we first walked in, I'll have to admit we weren't immediately impressed but the place quickly grew on us. As someone who travels regularly on business I'm always looking to take in what the locals due..JUST SAY NO TO THE HOTEL RESTAURANT!!
First of all, everyone in the joint has an English Accent, so for an English Pub, it's pretty darn authentic. Good selection of high quality beers on draft as well as in bottle, plus a pretty extensive menu. And for you vegetarians, a great selection as well. I actually had a vegetarian dish, and while scared at first, it was Awesome. You have to try the Glanmoran Sausage. I also had a cup of Jambalaya, yes at an english pub..i should have been scared but it was great, and no skimping on shrimp and andouile sausage. We also shared the Garlic Mushroom Appetizer which was awesome.
It was monday night and we got there about 7, luckily we did as it was Trivia Night. When we were done eating and yacking....around 9 pm the place was absolutely packed.
Highly recommend trying this place out. I know I'll be back.
Really Good Food, Good help (fun trying to interpret the strong english accent) and good beer. Let me know what you think .
Steve
One of the places I stop by first when I'm in Rochester for a weekend. The servers can sometimes pass you by when it's busy. But this place is hopping, the food is good and so is the beer. Worth the wait if there is one. I highly recommend the Beef & Ale Pie. Absolutely amazing, especially if you're in the mood for a hearty meal.
Different than most, this place is homey. You can play board games in the game room.
Those under 21 are allowed in only for dinner before 10:30pm. Believe me, I know. I once brought my 15 year old brother to go with me and it was 10:45... needless to say I think he was happier getting a trashplate at Henrietta Hots than he would've been with me and my friends.
To be honest, I've never thought highly of English food until I went to the Old Toad. I suppose I just never had it in the right context, or in the right atmosphere. The Old Toad nails it on the presentation, and the selection of beers make it truly a unique place in Rochester. When I just want to relax and drink with a couple of my friends in someplace that isn't a dimly lit bar, the 'Toad is the place I go to first. I've never had a bad experience at the Old Toad, perhaps it is the british charm of the waitstaff that wins me over every time.
Definitely my favorite pub in Rochester. It's well-lit and you can actually carry on a conversation because the music isn't mind-numbingly loud. The best part - they have good beer. This isn't the place to go if you want to get wasted on the cheap, but it's damn good food/service.
Something that's kind of strange - this place is never really all that crowded, at least compared to the other bars in the area. I guess the beer selection and price keeps the crowd away. But, that's a good thing. Last time I went to the Old Toad, Murphy's Law had a line around the building and the Old Toad still had open tables.
I almost forgot my favorite thing - a real dart board.
We had a terrible meal and the service was even worse. I would only go there to drink beer. Service was horrible as well.
Update 10/22/07: I was there this weekend and I'm glad to say things haven't changed too much. There is a nice extension now, with more seating, but it still remains a cozy pub.
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I spent many a college summer here, and whenever I'm back in Rochester make it a point to stop by. I suppose it's a little more of an older crowd, but I'm getting old too.
I like the Old Toad for meeting up with friends, having a few pints, that sort of thing.
Love the fact that the servers and bartenders are actually Brits, or at least most of them.
So this is the place that an American and a Brit opened in 1990 as a place for English University students to come to work and live the US while attending school to get a feel for living here. Great idea!
I don't go here as much as I should! They have an amazing selection of beers! They have a good house brew by Custom Brewcrafters and many other beers. (No John Courage though)
I agree with everyone else with the legroom problem. The tables in some areas are very small, and it can feel like a place for midgets. The people usually make up for any physical lack of comfort though.
What got me to write this review is their hot sauce! What is in the hot sauce??? I love it! The bangars and mash and the Artichoke Parmesean are excellent also. I'm not a huge English food fan, last time I went over there I lost 10 pounds, but it's great here! I'm starting to see why they eat this food ;)
As long as you can get over having to understand a thick English accent and some small tables, you will get in exchange a great evening of conversation, good swill, and great food! Go there soon!
Stopped in here one night bar hopping, I love that the people working there had english accents, increased the hot factor...might have also been all the alcohol I had consumed that night. I also had a good beer but it was kind of pricey for the area.
I never truly ate here...
I did stumble in after a night on A street to ask the bartender to tell me a story... poetry, anything just so I could drunkenly love on his accent.
I miss the roc...
Shepherd's Pie.
Chips and Gravy.
Pub Quiz.
Cask Beer.
Be happy.
There's never a good place to sit here, especially if you have long legs. Maybe everyone in England is short. The cheesy bagguet is pretty delicious, as are the (super greasy) onion rings.
The beer selection definitely their selling point. They have beers from all over Europe (and elsewhere), not just England, and as far as I can tell they're pretty reasonably priced.
This place is a Rochester classic. The inside kind of looks and smells like my grandparent's house, but it is a nice, well-lit, comfortable atmosphere with a pretty good selection of beer.
The food is, well its British. Fried for the most part. Not too spicy.
I love going to The Old Toad. They always have an excellent beer selection and the chips are great to share with a group of friends. The place feels really authentic; even the staff are exchange students from England.
Lovely place when you fancy a pint. Lovely selection too. Enough to cause a bender. This place is definately the dog's bollocks! Cheers mate!
I've spent my entire time since I moved to San Jose, CA looking for a bar like the Old Toad but to no avail. It is a unique and spectacular place that I miss dearly from my 5 nights a week time when I lived down the street.
The monday night trivia contest is not to be missed.
I've only been here once but it was a good experience and the first time I had Hoegaarden (good stuff).
I ordered some kind of cheese filled/stuffed bread and it delicious and way better than I expected bread and cheese to be. Actually, the guy forgot to put my order in so I got a free Hoegaarden and only had to wait a few extra minutes for my cheesey deliciousness.
Bring money.
If you love British accents and beer, then you probably already know about this place.
If you love one of these, but not the other, then you'll be out of place here.
The onion rings were decent, and you learn something new everytime you go.
Also, don't forget trivia night.
Going to the Old Toad is just like hanging out in the pubs in Europe. They import 90% of their staff from England and they are all easy on the eyes. We have not tried the food yet, but the menu looks promising. There is a ton of parking in the free lot behind the place too.
This place brings authentic tastes of british food into Rochester along with a good selection of beer some of which can only be found here in Old Toad. Decor is very cozy and offers a nice sitting area as well as a bar and some good dart game setups. The waiter is excellent straight from Britain, very knowledgable about the food and the drinks. The food is tastes very authentically Britain, although it might not be everyones cup of tea. I would recommand this place if you are looking for something different and a cozy place to enjoy the long winter nights of Rochester.
If you're willing to take a chance on a recommend the Old Toad couldn't be better. Near clubs and bars it's the perfect place to go if you want to talk when it's not appropriate to scream over loud music. I've never eaten there but the beer selection is just fine.
No easy way to describe the interior so here are pics.
http://www.theoldtoad....
This was my favorite bar to hang out in when I was at UR. There's plenty of room to go with a group of friends, they have tons of beers and the largest variety of flaming shots I've ever seen. One night we went, grabbed a booth near the bar, and played drinking card games all night. I don't remember much after that other than somehow ending up a Nick Tahoe's and then in my bed. Always a good time!
The Old Toad is a warm and cozy kind of place, good to hang out and have a few pints of Guinness if you're not into the loudmouth, sparkly purse schlock along the rest of Alexander Street. You can get pub food (helllllo Welsh rabbit, who doesn't love cheese?) from actual British folks. It is close quarters, but since it's pretty chill, it's not as bad as being in a packed bar with the see-and-be-seen scene kids boozing it up down the street.
I've gone here a few times while in college. I always enjoyed the intimate areas to sit with a few friends and enjoy some drinks with good conversation. Now after moving to the SF Bay Area, I am still searching for a great pub like this!
OK, but too pricey. The atmosphere is pseudo english pub, but maybe a little too worn for my tastes. The tables are too short. I had myself and 4 friends (all male) in a booth with a chair on the end, and it was really tight.
The beer was quite good, the service OK, and the food pretty authentic. (Greasy in a yummy beefy oniony way)
We got the check and it was like $150. Ouch.
So it's a nice warm place for a pint. But not so great for lots of pints.
If you want to swill cheap beer, head elsewhere.
Where else in the ROC can you get authentic english pub food, served by English exchange students (with sexy accents), drink European beers and play jenga with your buddies? Plus the decor is very Margaret Thatcher's living room, which adds to the overall British-ness of the place. Give this place a try some night when you're tired of Milestones finally.
I remember this place as "pleasantly stuffy." On a cold, snowy day in Rochester (which more or less describes any day between October and April), it was warmly lit, warmly heated, and the food and stout was heavy and, well, warm too (the stout was room-temperaturish, like stout's supposed to be, not actually "warm" per se). A deliciously thick and fatty slab of pot roast renourished me to survive the rest of the afternoon in the blustery cold. Looked like it'd have been a great place to spend an evening with drinking songs and friendly pints all around. Next time I'll have to plan a longer visit.
This is one of my favorite bars. A tiny, but packed british pub where you can just sit chill, and share a drink among friends. They serve pub food but for the area I think it is some of the best at that. All the bartenders and servers are british exchange students in college so it just adds to the atmosphere. Sort of like a coffee shop that you drink beer at. One of the only bars that you can get an imperial stout at in the area. Sort of miss this place
This is by far my favorite bar in Rochester. Monday night trivia is always a hit and other nights it's just a great place to relax and hang out with friends. While I always go here for the great beer selection, the food is authentic English pub fair and very tasty. All in all I cannot recommend this place enough!
I went back on business in October after being away from Rochester for several post-collegiate years. The Toad was the same as ever; perhaps a little dead and little too well lit for my NYC dive-bar sensibilities. However, the food is served until late, IIRC, and the beer list is absolutely the best. Good to go with a group of people, not so good for meeting people at.
This is one of my favorite watering holes! The atmosphere is always really relaxed and at times gets a bit crowded but friends and I have always found a spot to park ourselves. They have a great selection of beers and a nice selection of imports not usually seen at other bars/pubs in the area. The Old Toad also offers a nice menu ranging from appetizers to entrees (fish and chips, sheperd's pie, etc). The staff is always rather friendly but because it gets so crowded at times getting a drink is not always as quick as you'd like. As for fun times there, they have a trivia night (on Sundays?) that can be great fun with a few friends. The prizes for correctly answered questions? Why, beer of course! Drink costs are a tad higher starting around $4 and up- but for the beer connaisseur- cost won't matter as much- you have to experience this place. Even most of the staff is imported (from England)!
Rochester, NY
Category: Bars
Rochester, NY
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Rochester, NY
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