The Tap & Mallet

I can't say enough about how fortunate we are to have a place of this caliber in Upstate NY. I look forward to going there and every time I do I am reminded of how fantastic it is.

They always have a strong variety of regions, genres and styles represented on tap, have a strong bottled selection (stellar, really, I just tend to gravitate toward the draft and cask stuff). Did I mention Cask? They always have something on cask, usually something really unique and always good - plenty of bars that I've gone to have the ABILITY to put something on a beer engine but don't have something ALWAYS on.

Chris, Joe, Paul and the other bartenders have always been patient, fun, enthusiastic and knowledgeable - and they aren't afraid to say "I don't really care for this, or it's not my style" when seeking recommendations. They always are willing to pour tastes and have even run with my crazy ideas for "test concoctions" like a Black & Tan with Ruination and Old Rasputin LOL.

The food is exceptional, not just "bar fare" - yet a great value too. Just like everything there, it's not cheap, but it's well worth what they charge. The beer prices are in line with what I'd expect for a quality pint, they run unique specials on Twitter and just off-the-cuff and their events (tastings, beer-and-food pairings, pig roasts, and "socials" where they bring in reps and a lot of draft/casks from breweries) are always top notch.

If you live anywhere near Rochester you owe yourself a trip or three here!

Reviewed on: 11-04-2009 06:03:19

Good little parking lot next to the building in the city. The neighborhood doesn't look too bad I guess lol. We walk in and first, I am amazed at the number of taps they have at the bar. All excellent craft brews and imports, with the occasional macro to please the crowd. We sat near the entrance as the rest of the bar was pretty full. A large fridge in front of us held an excellent selection of Belgian beers. The bartender noticed us right away and gave us beer menus, then came back a couple minutes later to take our orders. He was prompt and courteous and poured the beers decently well. My only complaint is he did not serve the beer with its bottle. Certainly a great place to visit if you're in the area and want to have some delicious brews at a bar. You can, however, purchase any of their bottled brews at Beers of the World for slightly less.

Will visit again, and next time I'll have to try the food.

Reviewed on: 11-03-2009 14:36:08

Me and a buddy were in Rochester visiting friends for the long Labor Day weekend and in need of a craft beer fix. We decided to travel downtown and check out the Tap & Mallet and we were not disappointed.
We went on a Sunday so we had to wait till 4PM but it was worth the wait.
Our bartender Tom was not only up on all the beers but was very entertaining. The selection of beers was exceptional. We never got to try any bottles due to the large selection of drafts. We only had appetisers but they were very good.
Overall this is a great place that I plan to visit everytime I am in town.

Reviewed on: 09-08-2009 00:39:00

I went here two weeks while on vacation with the family. Our visit was on a Wednesday evening for a late dinner. We were there at about 8pm and the place was kind of quiet. A few people at the bar and two or three other tables in the dining area.
The building sits on a corner, you walk in from the left hand side and the bar is immediately to the left along that wall. There is a dining area off to the right which is where we sat. Not much in the way of decor, kind of plain with paintings on the wall each one with a price tag on it.
They had 30 or so beers on tap and one cask the night we were there. They also have a pretty good bottle list as well. I stuck with some regionals that I can't get at home. Custom Brewcrafters, and Great Lakes helped me out this evening.
The food was really good, I had the Mojo Pork, my wife had the Cuban, and the kids split a steak. Points off for no kids menu! My wife complained about how foo foo the menu is. Meh.
Our server was right on top of things, very attentive and easily found.
Great little beer bar, if I lived a bit closer I could see spending some time in here.

Reviewed on: 08-25-2009 22:43:17

The Tap and Mallet is my home away from home. You can usually find me there on one end of the bar or another.

This is a great spot with 30 taps and one casked selection. Owner Joe McBane is very knowledgeable about beers and beer styles and is usually on hand to make a recommendation. However, all of his bartenders are also beer geeks and can make great suggestions if you are a newbie or just not a big beer drinker.
They also keep a decent selection of wines on hand, but no liquor.

I find the food to be superb at the Tap and Mallet. Some of the menu changes with the season and it's nice to have good nibbles while you drink. I love the fish and chips and the bangers and mash at the Tap. The chefs usually also have an awesome soup selection on the menu as well.

The Tap does a Beer Social once a month, usually on the last Wednesday. These are great events and a way to open your mind to some beers you might not usually buy or be able to taste.

There are bombers available for filling and takeout, which is a great idea if you don't want a whole growler full of something.

I think Joe has done quite a lot to get us some new and exotic beers here in Rochester and I will continue to support him and his establishment.

Reviewed on: 03-11-2009 15:25:59

The Tap and Mallet is not much from the outside, but inside is very open, with a bar area and a dining area. The bar is large, with a ton of space to mull around, and some seating, with tables away from the action. The Dining area is also a large volume with ample room between tables. Throughout, there is the early 20th Century look (brick columns, wood plank floors), with a modern art loft aesthetic. There is lots of funky art on the walls, but still, the focus is on the dinning/drinking experience. Their music selection is various styles of avant-garde, similar to a college radio station.

The food was an interesting range of tastes, again just along the edge of the envelope. Something is there for anyone, with interesting stuff, but nothing pretentious. They have a wide selection of taps, bottles, and one cask, which all rotate. All of the food and beers were well worth the detour we took to check it out.

Our server was knowledgeable, attentive, and considerate. She easily gets high marks, and seemed to fit perfectly with the place. Four thumbs WAY up for her!

The only drawback, worth noting, is the neighborhood. While we felt safe, and this neighborhood seems to be recovering from a sad past, there is still some work to be done. There is a parking lot in the back, and I suspect their staple crowd is from the many local Universities and College's nearby.

Reviewed on: 02-20-2009 11:34:15

Being originally from the Rochester area I often go back for holidays and when I do there is no place I look forward to dining out than the Tap & Mallet.

Parking is a bit of an issue sometimes given that the lot is ridiculously small (12-15 spots) but once inside the layout is nice. Decent sized bar (10-14 seats) and small high tables for 2-4 people an the far side with room to move in between. On the other side is the dining area with booths and tables, local art on the walls and a generally dimly lit theme.

In the summer the small back porch is a fantastic place to have a few pints and eats but it seats less than 20 so you may have to get lucky to be seated out there.

The wait staff has been young, friendly and energetic each time I've gone. They know their stuff when it comes to beer and they're not just reading off a script like at some great beer places.

The food is worth going for if you aren't into beer, or even better a DD could be persuaded to go more than once. The portions I would call modern perfect. In most places you order a pasta dish and there are at least 2 meals presented. Chances are you will not be going away with a doggie bag; just a satisfied belly and a delightful craft beer buzz.

Reviewed on: 01-25-2009 05:15:15

If you are visiting Rochester go here. If you live in Rochester and like good beer...go here.

Thankfully I had the time to grab some dinnner and a few beers while in Rochester for work. Boy am I glad I did, this place is exceptional.

Atmosphere is that of a quality beer bar. Art work adorns the walls, crowd is a mix of late 20s-60s. Everyone is quaffing good beers and its a great sight to behold.

Took a seat at the bar and met a local guy named Joe who knew everyone working there. He told me about the place and the beers they've had over the last few months.

Great selection of drafts. Highlights on 1/23 included:

Ommegang Rouge, Witte & Three Philosophers
Sierra Nevada Weizenbock
Brooklyn Blast Double IPA
Stone Smoked Porter
Long Trail Coffee Stout (say what?)
Arcadia RIS
& Obamagang

They also had a cooler of great bottles and a cask beer that rotates. Man, this place is all about quality and selection and it KICKS ASS.

Staff were great, giving away samples to people left and right. Wow, I wish I lived down the road from this place like the guy Joe I just met, I'd be here all the time.

Another highlight is that they fill bombers of any of their lower gravity beers to go. That is awesome!

Food is excellent pub food. I got a tandori chicken sandwich that went great with frites and the Brooklyn Blast dIPA I got.

Love this place and will be back. I wish I could take the Tap & Mallet home with me!

Check this place out people!

Reviewed on: 01-24-2009 00:30:49

One+ year later and their draft beer selection remains very good-excellent, but I have been having really bad luck with my timing the past few months. I see fantastic stuff listed on their site and print-outs, but whatever I seem to pick first is almost always done. Just shows that they turn over good beer here really fast. Maybe I should start making daily visits?

I don't know if it's another timing thing or not, but their cask line almost always seems to be the house bitter or a porter. I'd love to see more selection there. Regardless, their beer is always fresh and lines are obviously kept clean. The staff knows the beer and can usually provide spot-on descriptions and recommendations. Service is fast and pleasant. Food ranges from OK to very good.

The only real problem I've been having is music volume. On more and more occasions they've gotten into the typical 'blast it so loud everyone has to yell' thing that is so prevalent in bars these days. I used to ask them to turn it down, which they would. But it's gotten so frequent now that I just finish my beer and leave. It's a shame because I really do like the place. Needless to say over the past few months I haven't been going as frequently as I used to. T&M is Rochester's best beer bar and I really want it to stay that way.

Reviewed on: 01-23-2009 21:05:18

Best beer bar ever!

The Tap and Mallet has an upscale feel and look. The waiters and waitress are awesome, knowledgeable, and very nice. The staff knows what beers pair with which dish and which glass to pour the beer in.

The beer selection and quality are top notch. You can tell the lines are clean as well as the glasses. The beer comes and goes very fast. One week you'll go in and take in the selection and the next you'll find 40% i replaced with new brews. Only one cask line though. The prices for the beer are average.

The food is amazing! I've had the appetizers a few times but I also have eaten their bangers and mash and boy that was damn good. You can tell the sausage was home made and the mash was just like mom's. The food is very expensive but worth it!

The Tap and Mallet is one of the best places to go for beer.

Reviewed on: 12-29-2008 01:29:22