Review: The Old Toad - 9/4/11

Has it been a while since we’ve had a review on here? Sadly, it has. Life gets in the way sometimes. How about this warm November weather we’ve been having, though, right? Who can think of sitting at the computer when we have such surprisingly great weather for this time of the year?

We hope you enjoyed our last list, which was a unique guide to dating (or just hanging out) in Rochester. If you have any extra ideas, send them our way, and we can always put together a Volume 2 for the Date Guide. With the holidays coming up, we're bound to have more suggestions for you!

The outside of The Old Toad

Back in September, Joe and I went to a place I’d been wanting to try for a long while, but I had put it off thinking that they wouldn’t have much in the way of vegetarian fare. Being a bit of an Anglophile (that is, somebody who loves all things British), I was intrigued by The Old Toad for quite some time. Much of their restaurant either comes from Britain (like the bar) or is heavily influenced by the classic English pub. They bill themselves as “a pub from over there, over here.” Even their staff members hail from across the pond!

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes

Joe and I went on a somewhat gray Sunday afternoon for a late lunch (or perhaps early dinner?). This place was on our “to try” list for a while, and after viewing the menu on the pub’s website, we ventured out that day. I loved the charm—and I don’t use that word often—of the place as soon as I set foot in the door. From the Penny Lane sign near the entrance (Beatles fan here!) to the homey feel of the cute cushioned benches, the atmosphere immediately makes you feel at ease. Since we were there early, we probably didn’t get the full effect of the place on its busier evenings (when they host pub trivia games and sometimes even a Beatles tribute band). Something I also found refreshing was the lack of big flat TVs (or tellys here) all over the place blasting sports or news (or both) at you while you’re trying to have a relaxing meal or a night on the town. Could every place just do away with those? Our experience at The Old Toad certainly didn't suffer from having no screens around.

Awesome bar!

Since we were there fairly early, we got right in, but we noticed that several tables had cards on them showing that they were reserved for dinner (many for 8:00, likely for pub trivia shortly after that!). Our booth was a small corner near the bar, which I thought was sort of cute. Our waitress was British, likely a student (since The Old Toad recruits them to work there). The bar must have been freshly waxed because Joe and I could smell it when we arrived. We ordered our food and drinks shortly after while some Brit rock-sounding bands played quietly overhead.

Joe ordered a Brooklyn Brown Ale to drink while I had a Fuller’s London Pride. Joe didn’t really like the Brooklyn Brown much and described it as skunky, so he ordered a Guinness afterwards. This, he said, was much better, even if a bit warm like the Brits prefer it. My beer, actually British, was delicious; after all, why order domestic in a place like this?

For dinner each of us ordered Shepherd’s Pie, but with one obvious difference if you’ve been keeping up with this blog. Joe had a traditional Shepherd’s Pie; mine was an Old Toad specialty of vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (something I didn’t think existed). Joe’s dish, as he said, was well-executed. The mashed potatoes in both of ours were definitely homemade—none of that packaged stuff. However, Joe said the bottom of his dish lacked the gravy it was supposed to come with. Perhaps it was too early in their service to make a fresh gravy? (Vegetarian here, so I could be totally off base.) He also said there was some oregano in it, which might be okay for most people, but Joe is adamantly opposed to using oregano in his cooking. He added Worcestershire sauce in order to add a bit of saltiness to the dish.

Joe's Shepherd's Pie

My Shepherd's Pie

For me, this was the first time I had never eaten a dish like this before, even back when I ate meat a decade ago. It was a definitely a sort of comfort food. The mashed potatoes were delicious and the meatless crumbles were cooked perfectly. My dish actually seemed to have more cheese than Joe’s did, which was a bit too much, but not bad. My dish also plenty of spice to it, and unlike Joe’s, I thought it had enough salt (not too much but not too little either). Maybe the meatless crumbles, as they were referred to on the menu, added those flavors, or perhaps Joe has a more sensitive palate than me (okay, he definitely does when it comes to spices, but in a good way). Overall, I thought the meal was delicious, and our server was quick and attentive.

As for our review, it’s tough to come up with a number here. Since I don’t really want to give out half stars (it’s all or nothing), I almost feel that this place would get a 4.5 overall. Joe gave a 3.5 (3 or so for the meal and a bit extra for the atmosphere). Since I, however, am a biased anglophile and a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie first-timer, I would give it a 4.5. For now, though, we’ll go with a tentative 4 stars since we were there at a more relaxed time. If we go back sometime for a pub trivia night, I have a feeling that rating will go up!

Rating: 4 stars