Tap and Mallet

Really wanted to try the restaurant. Had high hopes for the place. Brought some out of towners to check out the place. It was pretty early for dinner and the restaurant was pretty empty, yet we were ignored at the door. After maybe 15 minutes someone finally asked us if we needed help, but turned around and ignored us again, so we went off somewhere else.

Went back with a group of friends, and service improved immensely, perhaps it was just the waitress we had. Also — try the breakfast ‘coffee’ stout! SO unique!

Updated review:
On our first trip here, we weren’t head over heels, but it was a positive experience. After our second dining experience, I highly doubt we’ll be back.
We went on a Monday night when it wasn’t super busy, at 7pm. It took 25 minutes to get water, another 15 to get drinks, and another 25 after that to get our food. Not so great when you have kids or need to keep to a schedule with babysitters. I got the Brie and apple grilled cheese and it was pretty bland — way too much bread for what was inside the sandwich. Ordered carrots on the side that were drowning in butter and honey. My husband had the buffalo chicken tacos, which do NOT come with a side like everything else, but he said they were decent. We had to ask the waitress to bring the check three times before she actually did. At that point, half of our dinner party was waiting in the car with babies who were more than ready to leave.
There are a lot of great restaurants to try in Rochester. Personally, I’d leave this one off of the «must try» list.

Stopped here for dinner and drinks on a recent trip to Rochester. The wait was about an hour on a Saturday evening, which was to be expected. AMAZING beer/​cider selection and the food was great!

One of my go to favorite bars in Rochester! I’ve been going there frequently over the past 4 years and it never gets old. Back when they had a changing menu was great, there was always something good and new to try. I wish they still made the pork schnitzel with egg noodles and the osso bucco with risotto. Now they have the same menu that doesn’t change but they added so many great things. Definitely try their fried pickles, and chicken tenders! I also love how they expended their poutine menu! Also their alcohol list is crazy! So much to try and everything is just so good!
Can’t wait to go back again!

The bartender was extremely rude to me when I sent back very overdone, burnt, rock hard $ 7 french fries. The portions are small and expensive. The only good thing is the extensive beer selection, but there’s other places for that. Want to like it there since they are one of the only veg-​friendly bars, but oh well, I don’t like it.

Hipsters, beer lovers, vegetarians, and the rest unite! This is definitely an every person place. Great ambiance, wide array of food options (the beefiest guy will love their tofu bites) and a beer list that goes on for days. We went on Friday to grab a beer and since its lent, the obligatory fish fry. The fish was beer battered, perfectly crisp and flaky — very fresh and hit the spot!

I came here on a Sunday evening with friends and the place was quite busy. If you love beer and IPAs, this is your place. My friend who moved to NYC loves coming back here every time he visits. He said there’s nothing like this place in NYC.
I love their poutine here, traditional beef gravy. They have since added more options, Kim Chi, curry, bacon and scallions, and buffalo chicken. I’m do not like pickles at all but my friends absolutely love the fried pickles here.
A fun chill place for you and friends to hang out. I once came here on a weekday and played cards against humanity for a couple hours.

What a great place! It’s the traditional European pub in a Rochester neighborhood. Great selection of craft brews and a solid menu. Excellent service, even with a larger group.

The best beer selection in Rochester! Whether you’re chasing a hard to find pint from a microbrewery in Maine or just looking for your favorite local flavor, this is the place to go. They have their own app and update it as often as they change their kegs so you always know which beers are available. They also have the option to take home a crowler, a can of your favorite draft of the day sealed right in front of your eyes on their very own canning machine.
On my most recent visit I had the fish fry. The portion covered the entire platter, was flaky and cooked to perfection. A great place to go on a Friday night this time of year. Try the poutine, my favorite is the Buffalo Chicken.
They have a small parking lot in the back but you’ll most likely have to find some parking on the street as it fills up fast.

Incredible selection of beers. Be prepared to look over a long list of drinks! The food was outstanding the service was awesome and I had a great time the few times I have been here. Located in the South Wedge I highly suggest coming here if you want to have a casual drink and some appetizers. Yes to Tap and Mallet! It’s nothing short of a good time.

Most people would choose to go to tap and mallet for the beer, but the food is not to be ignored. For starters my boyfriend and I tried the fried pickles. While deliciously seasoned and even better dipped in the Cajun sauce, the spears were extremely hot even after we let them sit and cut them in half. You’ve been warned. For the main meal I had the Cuban sandwich and he got the spicy beef and cheddar sandwich. Both delicious! I especially enjoyed the bread for the Cuban which was nicely toasted. The beef and cheddar was also good, though I wasn’t too big of a fan of the horseradish aioli.

I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to poutine. Have been to a couple of places so far that never measure up to my favorite poutine place in Buffalo. Alas, I have finally found «the one.»
I ordered a side of the traditional beef gravy poutine to add to my «mallet» burger. I only ordered it as a small side because I thought I would be underwhelmed and I was completely wrong. Crispy fries, melty cheese curds, and just enough gravy without drowning the fries.
This was the perfect addition to my mallet burger which was perfectly cooked medium rare. The pickle relish on it gave it a nice crunch and went well with the creamy garlic aioli. I also had a few bites of the «sriracha ace» burger. I think this would be my burger of choice for next time. Kim chi, egg over easy, sriracha aioli — all so, so good.

Tap and Mallet is a great place to go for beer or noms! Tons of different varieties on tap, very fresh food options, and great music. The sandwiches and salads are very tasty and there are plenty of beers to choose from. This is a good place to go with friends or family. The atmosphere is pretty laid back and the dining area features cool, hip art that’s fun to check out!

Their food always left me feeling disappointed (even their menu descriptions are awful) but with over 30 beers on rotating taps and a great variety of bottled beers as well, this place is a great place to meet up with friends. Their Friday and Saturday crowd is chill and friendly and their staff was great in recommending beers.

I am a super fan of T&M. Been going here since they opened, rented out part of the bar for my 40^th bday bash, spent a new year’s eve here once, and really enjoy their special events. It’s always been a place where you can count on solid food, good service, clean bathrooms, nice outdoor seating (weather permitting), decent parking, and a menu with something for everyone.
However, my most recent experience with a group of friends was just average. Maybe I ordered wrong, or maybe they are making changes… we started with poutine as an appetizer to share. Imagining a huge portion like you get at some other places around town, we figured one order would be enough for 4, and it allowed all of us a taste, but it seemed small. I could have probably eaten it by myself or felt satisfied sharing it with one other person as an appetizer.
For dinner, a couple folks ordered fish and chips — always good here. One person ordered the CLT — made with ‘coconut bacon’ — she’d never had anything like that before and thought it was awesome. I however ordered the turkey BLT with a side of cole slaw. The slaw was a huge portion and took up half the plate while the sandwich was very small — I think there was maybe a single slice of turkey and a couple strips of bacon — but overall, not much ‘meat’ to the sandwich. Was my hunger satisfied after eating it? Yes. Did I clean my plate? Yes. But was it so delicious I would recommend it or order it again, sigh, no.
The menu here changes all the time, just like their awesome revolving beers on tap, so we will definitely be back and I will continue trying different things. And I’m still giving them 4 stars because as a gastropub, they are in the top 3 for me in Rochester. But I would hope to see equal attention to detail and quality given to every dish on the menu, and I felt the turkey BLT was just not up to their usual standards.

Tap and Mallet is a go-​to, default bar. I’ve been there dozens of times, never had a terrible experience, quite often had a stellar experience, but always know that it will be solid. It’s predictable. I’ve been there with girlfriends, with work friends, on dates, on friend-​dates… I even had the Most Awkward Double Date Ever (me, my boyfriend, my ex-​husband, and his girlfriend) there.
I prefer going earlier so I can get a seat at the bar, or in the bar area. It’s nice on weekend afternoons or in the happy-​hour range on weekdays. Later on, it can get crowded, and I’m not a fan of the dining area. Sitting at the bar is preferable to me, because you can schmooze with the bartender and sample different brews, if you like, rather than order blindly off the extensive draft list.
The food at T&M is, as others have mentioned, hit or miss. Usually the fish fry is on point, but I’ve had greasy, underwhelming versions, too. The wings are generally good, but again, sometimes they are subpar. The poutine has never impressed me, and the sandwiches seem to be a crapshoot. I had a terrible cuban sandwich there; my BF recently got the caprese grilled cheese which was barely warm. I also wish they had a bit more variety in terms of the appetizers, for nibbling while sampling different beers.
I’m not a huge dessert person, but the Scotch Ale crème brûlée is not to be missed!

It’s a decent place for a Beer but not the kind of place to go for a dinner or if your looking for a well groomed drinking hole. It’s more of a stop in and pound a few beers after work kind of spot which I have no problem with. Friendly staff and awesome art. I would have purchased a piece or two as it was for sell but apparently it has to remain in place until the «exhibit» is over. I don’t know about you but if I buy a piece of art I’m not likely to let it sit in place for months before being able to put it on my own wall. In any case I just popped in for a few beers and had some pretty good Spinach and artichoke dip. A heavy hand was used when salting the chips but in all it was a nice appetizer to go with my Stout beer. I’d go back for a few more beers and to see if the art is ready to take home. Cheers mates.

Fun spot for the beer connoisseurs! I am not a huge beer fan, but I do like my hard cider. They have some interesting choices which are pretty cool. Some I have never heard of. I was very happy with their cider menu.
Both times I’ve come here was really for the food. My boyfriend is all about the beer so it was kind of a happy medium for us both.
The food is good, but nothing amazing. Just good, nothing to rave about or refer a friend to. I ordered their Crispy pretzel chicken sandwich the first time. It sounded right up my alley. It was quite bland though with not much flavor. I shoveled it down really fast and I am not a big eater. We even ordered appetizers. Fried Pickles. Good, but so hot it burned the roof of my mouth. The second time, I ordered the Cuban sandwich. Much much better, more filling as well. I wasn’t able to finish my whole sandwich. Pretty loud atmosphere inside, not bad but not a good spot for a quiet date night, and on — street parking FYI.

I truly love this place. I’ve only ordered food once, and I just remember it to be mediocre bar food. People… it is ALL about the beer menu. Probably the most extensive in my experience in Rochester. I am a sucker for Belgian Blondes (teehee) or «pale ales» (i prefer the former). And thanks to a super helpful staff member that asked «do you trust me?», and thankfully to which I replied «sure», I discovered the twice voted Best Beer in THE WORLD, but not like Celine Dion being the best singer in the world. Delirium Tremens… and I ordered it every time I see it on a menu… and I am actually happy that weggies and trader joes carry it too. SO thank you awesome staff member that sadly I was too tipsy to remember the name of.
I can’t wait for my next visit. I will probably order something Iron Throne worthy!