Froggy's

Froggy's is a staple of downtown Davis. Several newer Davis businesses got started within Froggy's walls. Depending on which day of the week you enter, a completely different crowd will surround you in unique camaraderie. But regardless of the day, you always see a blend of people who don't normally hang out together. Often at the bar locals play Liar's Dice. Many country music and classic rock fans rub friendly elbows here too. Various undergraduates are drawn in because there is never a cover. Bartenders generally pour generously. There is something about this spot that seems to haunt undergraduates, between the former Cantina del Cabo site and still surviving G Street Pub. The ghost of fun perhaps? The Froggy's jukebox is set up with a good selection and an excellent happy hour.

Froggy's rose from the ashes of the The Paragon. The owners sold that bar business after a drinking-related death and accompanying lawsuits and criminal charges became onerous. The name Froggy's is possibly a reference to the Toad Tunnel, though many think it's actually in reference to a well-known expression that is in rather poor taste considering the tragedy.

"The name was chosen to imply that you drink until you croak."

The kitchen at Froggy's is now open with the name Tommy J's, named after the guy who opened it up — Tom Jobst. Tom learned his cooking and management skills at the ASUCD Coffee House. The menu features hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, fries, and onion rings. Tom has also incorporated a sweet and spicy bbq sauce that was inspired by his brother's secret recipe!

The owners of The Hotdogger used to run the kitchen under the name the Pond, before that the kitchen was known as Mike's Grill.

Regular events at Froggy's include DJ dancing with The Preacher Man on Thursdays and Saturdays. COLD SHOT has moved to little prague every Wednesday. They ended and 11 year run of Wednesdays at Froggy's/Paragon in January 2009.

• Froggy's was one of the bars Davis Life Magazine visited and wrote about in their 2009 review of seven local bars.

Reviews and memories

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2005-01-13 13:46:34   If your ever interrested in having great food thats like ya thats nice then Froggy's is the place for you. —KurtSchmiegel

2005-09-05 11:12:29   Froggy's is great when you just want to grab a pint of beer with a friend and without the hassle of cover charges and standing in line to get crappy drinks which I sometimes find at other more popular places. —IrenePark

2005-12-25 16:10:13   Apparently this placed used to be Dragon Gate Restaurant, confirm? —SteveDavison

2006-01-13 00:25:51   About a year and a half ago this place served a burger and cajun burger that were so good that words can not possibly do them justice. Apparently, it now serves mediocre mexican food. God help us. —JamesMouton

2006-04-05 09:44:14   Went there yesterday for lunch because a co-worker spoke wonders of the cajun burger.... the grill was off, they had polish sausage that tasted like a costco hot dog. Not going there for lunch again! —DanFisher

2006-08-05 20:44:51   When I was in high school I got snuck into what was then the Paragon....the basement was open and crowded with people drinking and hanging out. Does anyone know why they closed the basement off? —JamesSchwab

2006-08-10 21:59:18   do they still have a card room in there? be nice to play some poker in town —CraigMerry

2006-08-23 18:40:10   The card room has been closed for close to 5 years now. —RogerClark

2006-08-23 16:04:58   You should not be complaining about having to tip in a bar. I work in the restaurant industry and I make my living off my tips. They do too. Don't be so cheap and give the cocktail a dollar and the bartender a dollar for every drink. —RussellAnderson

2006-11-30 13:51:53   The new Tommy J's food is amazing. It's hard to convince people to eat at a bar, but those tacos are worth is. —DarinLaFramboise

2006-12-13 21:32:05   Not clean.. —JohnHumperdinkle

2007-01-21 18:48:26   Tommy J's is good, plus they are open real late on on busy nights. After we close at sophia's the bartenders and bouncers freq. ine on the tacos, fries, and steak sandwich. You get a lot of fries per order. —JarrettNoble

2007-02-22 12:52:38   Hot and sweaty. Smells kinda funny. But a great place to go to run into people you know. —BriannaBetancourt

2007-03-08 16:14:42   I was in Froggy's about a month ago and this bald dude from Kentucky served me.....I liked it and he gave me a free one after that....yummy —AnnaNicoleSmith

2007-03-08 16:16:06   OH! I forgot, that dude with the broken shoulder is dreamy...but has a bad attitude —AnnaNicoleSmith

2007-04-19 17:04:47   some sexy bald guy served me the other night :) —WhitneyMartinez

2007-07-28 21:05:22   Isn't this the place where some people (to remain anonymous) sit at the bar for 8 hours and then drive home, nearly kill themselves and others, and end up with damaged cars, bruised body parts, and DUIs? Isn't it also the place where frat boys and their sort ply girls with beer, cosmos, etc. hoping the ladies will forget where they are and what the hell they are doing? I've seen people puke on the tables and get it on in the tiny bathrooms too, but that isn't Froggy's fault. Staff are usually pretty cool; too bad the customers suck. —GradStudent06

• Yu're thinking of the Cantina Del Cabo, which was next door and is closed now (and the building is torn down). —Rocksanddirt
  

2008-03-15 02:25:58   Make sure your tab is correct before you sign the receipt (read the second paragraph for this). I went there with my girlfriend and two of her roommates - everything was fine (more or less) until I closed my tab. When I ordered my first drink, the bartenders had never heard of a gin rickey, or any rickey for that matter. No problem - I understand that the crowd that frequents Froggy's probably doesn't order that sort of drink (for those that don't know: gin, soda water, lime juice). Later on, my girlfriend ordered a vodka rickey on my tab (I was right behind her). Additionally, we asked to have one of her roommate's vodka-cranberry topped off with more cranberry. The bartender added more ice and vodka, then came back. After we cleared up the confusion, he added more cranberry and put it in a tall glass.

This is where it gets fun. I went to settle my tab because we were going to head elsewhere. For those keeping track or jumping in here, the total drinks on my tab were a gin rickey and a vodka rickey. Total bill? $32.50. $32.50!? After telling them they might have made a mistake, they basically said I was lying. One bartender said I personally had ordered two drinks from him. Firstly, I ordered only one drink because I was driving. Secondly, My girlfriend ordered her drink from the other bartender. Moreover, they said I had ordered TWO ROUNDS of drinks as well. Who from? The cocktail waitress. When the waitress was asked about this, she confirmed that it was a different group that had ordered drinks, and that the name for that tab was Whittle. I understand my last name is relatively similar, so that could have been mixed up. Apparently this was not enough for the Froggy's staff. They insisted that "my friends" had been ordering drinks on my tab. I told them this was not the case, so they asked me to point out my friends and table. I lead them to my table, where the bartender proceeded to argue with my girlfriend about what we had ordered (nevermind that he had screwed up with the vokda-cran not 20 minutes earlier and should remember us). Then they suggested that the other two drinks (which had been paid for by one of the other girls) were some of the drinks on my tab. After 15 minutes of arguing, the problem was resolved because one of our party is a regular and knew the bartenders. If I did not have this help, I believe it would have been much more difficult to get the tab corrected - down to $10 for the two drinks.


I am sorry if that was long winded. For those who skimmed/skipped down to the bottom: check your receipt for accuracy; don't be afraid to dispute the charge; and most importantly, don't sign the receipt if it isn't correct. You can dispute the charge with your bank or credit card company - within the U.S. the customer has the benefit of the doubt. —AndrewWittrock

2008-03-19 17:06:41   I went to Froggy’s for the first time a couple of weeks ago on a Monday and was appalled by how intoxicated the bar tender was. What disgusted me further was his public humiliation of a girl whose boyfriend had (according to the drunken bartender) walked out without paying his tab earlier that day. It’s likely this man would have handled the situation more discreetly had he not been so drunk. That was my last trip to Froggy’s- I go to bars to relax, not to watch some a**hole on a power trip humiliate a customer. —JuneBug

2008-05-09 19:49:11   I go to Froggy's when there's too long of a line at Pasta?. The experience is a toss-up every time I go. Some of my friends love it and some of my friends hate it. The bartenders aren't great, but if you like AMFs, this is the best place to order them. It's like I'm sipping on straight alcohol. It's a different atmosphere because you can actually see everyone and the music isn't always hip-hop. I'd say overall it's a good "stop-by" bar on your way to others or a good place to sit down at one of the high tables with a group of friends. —UCD4thyr

2008-10-21 18:59:17   i was there last weekend and usually have a really great time there, except for when preacher is working. he is a complete tool and thinks he is hot shit because he is a DJ and a bartender. he also seems to hold a personal grudge against me and my friends because we dropped a glass on the dance floor cuz it's so crowded with drunk people someone ran into us and make us drop it. he made a huge deal about having to clean it up even though we apologized profusely. ever since he is completely rude to me and my friends and anyone else we bring in there with us. get over yourself preacher, you are not that awesome and your DJ skills suck. —davisalumnigrad

2009-02-01 11:37:29   Cold Shot will miss Playing at Froggy's. See you at Little Prague. —ReneMartucci

2009-06-17 16:17:55   so froggy's has great food!!! who would've thought....in fact I have heard people claim that they have the best burger in town! —efloughran

2009-08-11 15:36:51   I simply cannot understand what people see in this place. Many of my friends head to this bar after drinking at sophia's, to do what i'm not sure. My experiences with this bar have been extremely rude bouncers/bartenders, poor service and so many sweaty drunk people crammed in I'm surprised the Fire Marshall hasn't shut it down yet. —JeffS