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Categories: Pubs, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: MissionPints-Trumer, Big Daddy IPA, Hef, Marzen, Pale Ale = $3
Apps $3 Hot Wings, Nachos, Potato skins, Qusadilla =$3
Happy Hour M-F 5:30-7 PM
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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I find it hard to walk past Toad's and not pop in for a cold brew...and if it is happy hour, then you can picture that beer with some buffalo wings flanking it.
I've been here about 30 times and the food is tasty and consistent.
Great Happy Hour - $3 pints and selected appetizers. Lasts 5-7.
We mainly come here for the burgers/fries, beer specials, and sports on the TV.
Plus the manager, Steve, is a really cool guy - Friendly, accomodating, and quite competent.
They used to have an employee named Juliette working the bar and tables and she was good to talk to and look at but she is currently on medical leave. We hope she returns at some point. Steve is now pulling double duty.
I haven't ventured too far from the burger/fries although I've had their wings(east coast style) many a time and their quesidillas, onion rings, and nachos never let me down.
My only complaint is the place is never busy which is fine if you had a rough day and just want to chill and watch the game of your choice on the TV...but it would be nice to see the place packed with patrons someday.
If you're drinking at Clooney's or The Dovre Club and your hunger comes acallin', don't forget Toad's.
A great neighborhood joint that has great beers on tap, friendly bartenders and a deliciously solid burger! I had a gorgonzola burger with onion rings and the rings were super crisp and the burger was juicy with all the right fresh fixins. D had a brie (brie! at a bar-esk place?) burger with regular fried and was similarly enraptured. Watched the world series and had a nice convo with the bartender and some other regulars at the bar. Yum, so happy to have this place in the hood for a DELISH burger and beer :)
Can't wait to drop in for the happy hours specials which look great - saw some potato skins being prepared (from fresh baked potatoes, not reheated from frozen) which is def a step above regular bar food!
Burgers and sandwiches, for decent prices. There aren't many decent cheap places on the outer edge of the Mission (unless you happen to want tacos 7 days of the week) so, if you don't feel like cooking, or Mexican for the tenth time, this is not too shabby of an option.
Kinda odd that the place is always empty, though. Well, the decor is, uh, lacking to say the least - it reminded me of the type of sports bar you'd find in Jersey City or Baltimore - but without the Octogenarian Irish barkeep usually found in those type of places. The 80s ballads playing on their scratchy sounding radio might really annoy some people. However, ambiance aside, the bartender/waiter was quite friendly, and the food was decent to better than expected.
Toad's looks super random from the outside but is actually much better / fine when you get inside. My burger wasn't bad, the fries were good, service was nice and friendly, prices were affordable ... not a bad neighborhood joint.
This is the case of a four star yelp being upgraded to five because I cannot stop thinking about how good my burger was. I was digging the joint already: friendly service, very reasonable prices ($7 for a turkey burger), salad instead of fries at no charge, and the guy helping me checking my container to make sure everything was OK before I left. A nice touch. There weren't a lot of people there, so maybe I lucked out with all the attention.
I was going to hold back the fifth star because I had to pay an extra $1 for sauteed onions on my turkey burger. But after taking one delicious ketchup saturated bite after another (think the Carl's Jr. $6 burger commercial), I thought to myself, you know what, the $1 extra was so worth it, especially with everything else I loved. Five stars it is.
Classic U.S.-style comfort food. Good veggie burgers, appetizers, veggie chili, beer on tap. Reasonably priced. Excellent service. No scene.
Be aware they close at 10, and they aren't open on Sundays.
just tired their burger today for the first time , i have to say its really good, lets put it this way , better than burgermeister or urbun and ofcourse barney's and in the category of bigmouth i have to say i liked it more becuz the patty is smaller which makes it easier to eat and enjoy , i will go back for more stuff , the owner or manager working there was extremely friendly i think i should stop by for few beers , cheers
Toad's, help me out here, what are you? Are you a bar with decent bar food and bad hours? Or are you a restaurant with mediocre/barely passable food?
This place could be so much more but it's at least a decent neighborhood joint. The food is okay but not the reason to drop in and it closes at 10PM so you'll need to head to the Dovre for a beer after dinner. It is very spacious inside, something that cannot be said for most SF places, service is good. The decor could use some work but next time I go, I'll have to try one of their burgers.
OK I still love you Toad's but you have disappointed me a few times now. Slow service, the food is not nearly as good as I remember- my last bocca burger from take-out tasted dry and cold.
I still love you Toad's but Jay's Cheesesteaks veggie burger might be better and more consistent in taste and quality. However, Toad's is still WAY better then Big Mouth Burger! Man, Big Mouth Burger's veggie burger sucks.
I really love Jay's cheesesteaks for the veggie burgers, but Toad's does the veggie boca burgers… Read more »
Eh. After 2 years of driving by this place and not being able to tell whether it was open or not, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I probably won't ever go back :( Their veggie options are really limited, and the veggie burger I got was totally unremarkable. The avocado I ordered on my veggie burger was not ripe and tasted like soap. It was a completely underwhelming experience.
Upside, they do have a good happy hour, so if you just want some snacks (i.e. nachos and fries, although the nachos were like ballpark nachos) and some beers for cheap, then it's probably a good bet.
I love the burgers at this place - hand formed from fresh ground beef and cooked to order. The curly fries and wings are also tasty and served hot. They both compliment the cold, reasonably priced beer.
If you are looking for a comfortable place with freshly prepared basic food, Toad's is your place. Whether you go with a group of friends or just want to sit at the bar and watch the game on the TV over the bar and relax, don't pass up a chance to eat at this little gem of a restaurant.
Update: They are now serving brunch on the weekend.
Do not go to Toad's for fancy food, a "scene," or an awe-inspiring beer and wine list.
DO go to Toad's for friendly service, a family-friendly atmosphere, art as decor, veggie food options, a great happy hour, and good prices.
If you live in the Mission, you owe this place a visit, it has a nice neighborhood vibe. Check out Happy Hour specials from, I think, 4-7 (call to check). They show sports on a couple of TVs and there's a small bar as well as the dining seating. Local artists hang on the walls.
Families: There is room for strollers, highchairs are available as well as a few books for kids. No changing table in the family-size one-person restroom (i.e. if your kid is potty trained there's plenty of room for both of you in there if needed). I think they have crayons, too.
Veggies: I believe they offer both a vegan and a vegetarian burger (definitely at least one) plus the chili is veg. The nachos are great, especially half off during happy hour! I've never had bad food here and they're veg friendly with explanations, requests, etc.
I really wanted to like this place, but the burgers were pretty so-so. The happy hour deals are good, and I'd go back for them.
Toads has good burgers and happy hour deals, fresh salads and friendly attentive service. The atmosphere is pretty basic, but the windows and light are a plus.
I definitely like the Toads burgers better than Big Mouth. Next time i'm craving meaty goodness I will go here first.
Dropping a fiver on Toads not just because I know the owners, but the burgers are solid and the community vibe is present. Sounds like things are on the move there and good changes are a coming to make this even more of a community place.
A bit Woohoo for Independent SF establishments!
This place presents itself as a basic non-dive bar and grill, with very clean decor and a straightforward bar food menu.
My updated review:
This place seems to be hitting its stride a little more--the "cook wanted" sign is gone from the window and we had some tasty burgers when we went there on Tuesday. I definitely recommend the curly fries over the regular--it's worth the extra dollar.
Original review:
Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that these guys have opened recently--they brighten up a mostly-barren stretch of Valencia. However, they still have some kinks to work out in kitchen, as the "Short Order Cook Wanted" sign in the window will attest. The night that we ate there, their cook hadn't shown up, so the owner's husband was pinch-hitting in the kitchen. After some confusion with our orders, the owner apologized several times and comped us a couple drinks, so I'm inclined to go back there and give it another chance. I'll report back after my next visit. I'm rooting for these guys, because it's nice to have another low-key dining option in the area. In the meantime, its bright, clean interior provides an alternative to the dives nearby.
I only wish they had a wider selection of beer.
For being within rolling distance of my house, for having the darlingest server I know (Shawna with the tattooed skin) and for putting gorgonzola on my burger I rate them high. They're usually quiet and they have the game on with the sound off (that spells classy to me.) Haven't gone wrong with the menu yet.
Nice spot down Valencia off the main section. I went here primarily to get a burger and b/c I actually had the Element and got rock star parking.
Well the place kinda felt sports bar since people were watching the NBA playoffs but I didn't let that turn me off. The server was a bit overwhelmed since I guess all four groups must have all sat down at the same time.
Anyhow, I'm more about the food so I got my burger and onion rings.
The burgers here are pretty good as are the rings. Cooked pretty well and everything tasted pretty fresh - definitely a good solid burger option!
"Hi Toad's!" ::wave out my window::
So on my first night back in the Mission, I went to Toad's because I smelled bad from moving many boxes.
On my second night back in the Mission, I went to Toad's because it was so perfect the first night.
I have eaten three times at Toad's, and all three times my expectations have been exceeded. This is simple, fresh, tasty food, with plenty of options for vegetarians and wanna-bes alike.
My partner in crime the first night asked for a half-pint, and it was provided. My partner in crime the second night wanted a baseball game, and it was provided.
I want Toad's to stay open so please go there. I know, it's the /wrong/ direction in the Mission and it's next to a funeral home, but you won't have to wait in line! And it will hit the spot.
Another Jules Winfield "Mmmm...this is...a tasty (turkey) burger (with gorgonzola)..." place with beer on tap. You know, sometimes, it's just the simple things that make me happy.
My friend and I just happened by this place on our way to Knockout last night. We were sort of hungry and were thinking about getting a taco somewhere, but as we were walking by, I said, "I've gotta like a place called Toad's." We looked at the menu in the window and decided that it would be burgers and fries instead of tacos.
There was us and a few other people at tables and a group of regulars at the bar. I had the Cobb Burger and would highly recommend it. Service was good. The server was super friendly and attentive (I didn't get her name, but I'm gathering from another review that it's Shawna.) She let us stay after closing time to finish our beer because she and the regulars were still hanging out. One of the guys then bought my friend and me another beer (I think he liked my friend.) Another one of the guys invited us to join his "friends" list on MySpace, but being one of the 2 or 3 people left in the world not on MySpace, I wasn't able to do so. Anyway, I love when I just pop into a place on a whim and have such a great time!
My only complaint, I guess, would be that it's really bright inside, which gives kind of a strange ambiance. It's almost a diner feel rather than a bar and grill, but that won't keep me from going back.
By the way, we didn't make it to Knockout. We were full and tired and a little drunk, and headed home after Toad's.
Me and a co-worker wanted burgers and beer after work one day, and we wanted OUT of the Financial District to take part. I logged onto Yelp and read some reviews for places near my house and found Toad's.
As a vegetarian, I wanted a veggie burger of sorts. We both wanted beers. We both wanted it to be cheap. We wanted a dive bar that served greasy awesome bar food.
We got MOST of that. Toad's had AWESOME food. It was great! The curly fries were addicting. The Toad's Ale was great (BETTER than Sierra). The staff was curteous; food quick (although we were the ONLY people there....); beer cheap.
The downside? It wasn't a dive AT ALL. It was more like a friendly neighborhood grill that served beer. We were there on a Wednesday night and saw a sign outside mentioning Accoustic Swing, and we were there when it started....and there was all of 4 people in attendance.
I don't know if it's their location or the fact that I've never seen them advertised anywhere, but it was DEAD. DEAD. DEAD.
It's a shame as it has potential.
Aww, this place is like a block away from me, but I always figured it would be pub-foody and that animals in the name don't often indicate veggie-friendliness. (I suppose Little Piglet Cafe proved me wrong there, though.)
Anyway, they do offer 2 veggie burger options. I was disappointed because they no longer offer portabella burgers. But my Boca was pretty darn good.
I've read that they're often uncrowded, and they were nearly empty when I went on a Saturday night. We're guessing they're not doing too well because the waitress - who was great - kept asking us things like how we heard about it, etc. And then she asked us what kinds of things they could add to the menu to keep us coming back! How's that for customer service?
I told her bring back the 'bella and we offered some other vegetarian suggestions. It was really nice. I will definitely be going back, because I hope this little, local place stays around.
She said they might be converting the menu to have more asian-inspired food. I'm not sure how that will pan out with the burgers they offer now, but we'll see.
It's so new it still smells like paint, but this new mission restaurant is a great find. I had a great burger with avocado and brie, really delicious. A little skimpy on the onion rings which were $1.00 extra, but my friend's burger came with plenty of regular fries.
Service was great, food came out quickly, good selection of beer. I'll definitely make this a regular stop on my mission dining rotation.
Toad's got a great vibe, folks are friendly (diners, open mikers, waitress, bartender, and everyone else).
Food is honestly fuss free, and tasty no bullshiet, I just had grilled cheese with bacon in it.. way better than any other place in last year and a half. And juicy burger with slice of brie! damn.
I would also like to mention that they actually keep delicious but reasonably priced wines. And they hook you up. ;) every glass mmm.
I really needed a easy going space like it in my neighborhood. it just works!
They get 5 stars for being a great neighbor trying to make a go at business in a space that I swear is haunted. Aside from that...
They have great curly fries. I have been known to make them my main course. Decent burgers. Great service. A space for kids to play - complete with cool toys and everything.
I was there the other night and they actually gave the remote control to my buddy so he could watch the sporting event of his choice. He was in heaven.
This is a great comfort food spot to go to with friends.
UPDATE (downgraded from 4 stars to 3):
This place has really gone downhill. Once a month, we rack our brains for where to eat/drink - these days, we use this moment to mourn Toad's and then we think of another place to go. Believe me, I'm not happy to report this, but it is what it is. If someone sees a reversal of the downturn, please let me know!
---
I keep worrying that this place is going to go out of business bc it never seems crowded! I really hope that doesn't happen.
The waitress is SO nice. She started recognizing us pretty quickly, even though we don't go there that often. She reads/studies when she's not busy and I think that's cool. One day I'm gonna ask what's in them there books.
The happy hour is the best. I love the appetizer size specials bc then you eat some crap and not feel as bad about it bc it came on a small plate. The nachos with chili are fantastic! The chili is veggie by default, which is awesome. They also have great curly fries! And the potato skins... Yum. The only thing I wouldn't get again was the grilled cheese.
One thing that befuddles me about San Francisco is the lack of bars that serve food, and therefore, the lack of bar food. Back in Pittsburgh, every bar (even divey ones) also had a menu of burgers, fries, grilled cheese, chicken fingers, and so on. Toad's is the only place like this I've found in SF. . .well, except for that Primanti's-style place in North Beach, but that doesn't count cause it's trying to imitate a Pittsburgh bar/restaurant.
Anyway, the burgers here were fine (nice choices of standard, Boca, garden, and so on), the atmosphere was nice, and the curly fries were out of this world.
A good burger joint with beer in the Mission, which is especially important in the wake of the passing of Kelly's. Plus, it's closer to my apartment than Kelly's was, so that makes it even better!!
Another bonus -- great bike accessibility via the newly paved Valencia Street bike lane!!
just received a flyer from toad's...and now they're serving brunch on saturdays and sundays! holla!
loving you, toad's.
this toad is the prince you've been yearning for...
too many trendy restaurants and bars and lounges…
Read more »
Basically, the opposite of Beretta. And I mean that in a really good way.
In the land of taquerias, it's nice to have a burger spot so close to home.
We walked over to Toad's last night and the place was packed, but we were seated in 5 minutes.
Everyone was pleased with their beer orders and me, with my 7up order:)
They have a good bar menu, the perfect place to go after a couple of drinks, so I started out with chicken wings for the table. Nice and spicy little wings and drumettes, perfectly cooked and not breaded.
I split a burger with my gf and it was the special for the night- western burger- onion rings, bacon, cheese and meat- bbq sauce on the side. It was the perfect burger! Not too overcooked and not too loaded down with all the extras. An extra plus is the fries! They are crinkle cut old school style and crispy!
Toad's is a perfect new edition to Valencia corridor.
Pros: price, food,atmosphere, service
Cons: closes too early
Its only a block away from me, so that helps.
So I heard it's open mic night on Tuesdays.
Updizate: Happy's back now with extended hours, cooooo.
Down to earth folks, fun art , and no non-sense grub. No disappointment here. I enjoy the warm soft ambient light and soft telly volume. Its too bad they close a bit early, 9p i think? Anyway last time I've went they had that cutie Shawna rushin' everywhere because they were short on servers that night. But she handled it quite well, impressed I was, when mama is survivin from the struggle this city commonly brings many. Unfortunate they no longer have happy hour. But a definite spot to check out!
We went with 5 people on a weeknight and the place was completely empty when we came in. I consider that a plus -- I was hoping for a casual place where we could have some burgers and beers and be able to hear each other talk. As we ate, a few more guests arrived, but it was still quiet. So I like the atmosphere.
Fries were good, but in general, the food was pretty unremarkable. I might go back since it's a pretty good local hangout place, but it seems kind of pricey for run of the mill burgers and beer.
Toad's is a solid family oriented pub/burger joint. I think it's a good place for families as the couple of groups with kids will attest to when I was there.
Burgers are pretty standard, good burger. They have a nice beer selection and flat screen in the corner if you want to check out the game.
The service was great and I'd give it four and a half stars. The girl woking there was very sweet and attentive despite serving everyone there and training someone new.
I only give it three stars because it's not MY kind of place per se. I prefer a more sports bar feel but then again I don't have kids.
Toad's has filled a void - in the neighborhood and in my life. It's a family burger place with good beers and the burgers, they sure are tasty. I'd say they are way better than Burger Meister or Burger Joint (and those are passable burgers). Toad's has found just the right balance and it comes with fries. Get a bacon-swiss maybe and pair it with the Speakeasy on tap ($3 pints happy hour) and mmm mmm good; then, if you can handle it, wash it down with Mitchell's ice cream, and you're happy 'cause it's so darn pleasant to be sitting in a nice airy, friendly room.
Good, not great burgers. Buffalo strips were good. Flat-screen TVs with sports on them doesn't hurt.
I was hungry for tacos when my friend noticed this cute little place. After checking out the menu I realized that potato skins and curly fries had just won my stomach. The waitress was really nice; she let us stay after hours and hang out with her and her friends while finished our beers; they were even kind enough to buy us a round. We almost made it to Knockout afterwards but the beer and potatoes had gotten the best of us. This is a great place to grab a bit to eat and relax. They also have a good beer that really does taste like Sierra Nevada, I forgot the name.
I've only eaten here for brunch on the weekends, so I can't address anything other than breakfast food. Their breakfasts are simply good; nothing spectacular, but just what you need for a sunny Sunday brunch.
The atmosphere is quiet and comfortable, and service is friendly and efficient. This morning after I ate, I sat drinking coffee and reading by the big windows for another 40 minutes.
Prices are fair, and there is no wait. I can think of about five good breakfast spots in SF, most of which include a wait - especially with a small group. This is at the top of my list.
Toad's is also quite family friendly; last time I was there my friends brought their 3-month old. Additionally, being that it's on Valencia, it's easily accessible by bicycle.
Solid local burger and beers, best regular-Joe burgers in the Mission. A nice, small selection of draft beers and charming folks running the joint make it a mellow but merry after-work spot. Bonus points for supporting local artist by showing their work on the walls and for having a range of veggie options like being able to swap grilled portabello mushroom instead of any burger patty.
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Dive Bars
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