February 4, 2012
I’m not sure if I’ve ever been to a better bar... bottle and tap selection was outstanding. Many Cantillon, Hanssens, other lambics, sours in bottle. Quite a tap list as well. Food was excellent, if a little fu-fu and overpriced. Beer prices were also a touch high as well. Overall, the best place in Rocheter.

January 31, 2012
Good selection of taps that typically favors locally brewed beers. Not a large selection for hop heads, and there is only one cask amongst the 30 taps. Food is very good - try the vegetarian poutine with a cold pint. Bartenders are generally knowledgable and friendly. Can get packed evenings and especially weekends. Limited parking in the back.

July 22, 2011
Nice downtown bar with good amount of parking for a city bar. Good selection, but expensive. Staff is nice enough, but more interested in talking to each other than customers.

June 2, 2011
8/25/2009 I went here two weeks ago 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.

April 22, 2011
I like this place. They have a good selection of English ales of course and americans, but not much for Belgians. The staff is very knowledgeable though and helpful. Beer is served properly and stored properly as well which isn’t so common. Definitely one of the better bars in Rochester.

July 19, 2010
Stopped in at lunchtime. Average atmosphere. Tender was friendly and spoke a bit about beers. Decent selection, though I can’t say it blew me away. Beers were in good condition. Seems like one of the best 3-4 places in town to drink. Would like to stop back in the evening.

June 29, 2010
Nice enough place with a pretty solid beer list and good, knowledgeable service. I wasn’t thrilled with the food I got and it was pretty expensive even for the average beers, but all in a pretty good place for good beer.

April 11, 2010
We went here on a Thursday night in April of 2010. Ambiance was nice enough - kinda chill, dim lighting, steel sculptures of brewery logos on the wall. The tap list was OK, but not great. Solid offerings included DFH India Brown Ale and Anchor Porter. Bottle list was decent, with stuff from Stone and Unibroue. Service was attentive and happily fixed a miscommunication we had when ordering. Kinda annoying to be IDed as soon as you walk in the door, but not a huge hassle.

February 25, 2010
Tap and Mallet is a great place to have a beer. They respect beer as well as anyone in Rochester. The taps are constantly evolving and it really makes you feel a sense of "gotta be there" because sometimes they move too fast. The selection is all over the board and you should always find something you want there. The beer lines are clean, the bartenders are extremely knowledgeable, the service keeps up to the pace of the bar. The food is quite good and evolves as well. There are some items that are better values than others but I’ve never walked away disappointed. The prices are higher and that is why the value takes a hit but if you want a place that will give you a beer the way it should be enjoyed this is it. I only wish they have more beer engines.

November 13, 2009
One of the best bars in Rochester. Go there a couple times and the staff knows you and what you like to drink. The beer changes daily, so check their webpage for up to date information.