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Location
726 2nd Street
Owner
J Scott Rea
Hours
Monday-Saturday 11am-2am
Sunday 10am-10pm
Kitchen closes at 10pm
Phone
(530)758-7550

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. Froggy's is situated between the former Cantina del Cabo site (now Paesanos) and the The G Street WunderBar. The Froggy's jukebox is set up with a good selection and an excellent happy hour.

Bars are no stranger to this historic location. It was once the Wooden Ship and later The Paragon. Froggy's rose from the ashes of 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 some think it's actually in reference to a well-known expression which would be in rather poor taste considering the tragedy. Another possible origin could stem from Froggy's original plan to serve frog legs.

"The name was chosen to imply that you drink until you croak."
Highlight the above with your mouse to read the expression.

Want to avoid trouble while eating and/or drinking here? Check out the Bar Taboos page before entering.

Tommy J's at Froggy's

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 barbecue 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.

Music & Dancing

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 an 11 year run of Wednesdays at Froggy's/Paragon in January 2009.

Reviews & 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

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

2010-02-25 09:54:35   I first came here for my 21st birthday last week. The bartender/bar manager, Adam, surprised me when he was incredibly helpful and polite. He gave me my free drink and mixed up a delicious custom drink for my friend (that I paid for). I left him a $5 tip knowing that I'd be back the next night for trivia and more drinks.

We came back, and he was just as friendly. He went out of his way to make sure I had a good birthday, and he even gave me another free drink. We were confused when a restaurant waitress told us it wasn't happy hour, but then a cocktail waitress came along and said it was. My team ended up winning trivia night, and our prize was 2 free appetizers and 2 free pitchers of beer. The trivia itself was more laid-back and fun than other trivia nights in town. That night, my group of 4 bought 3 kamikazes and a pitcher of Blue Moon (and yes, we tipped). We were all very happy with our experience.

However, our experience was TERRIBLE when we went back a week later to redeem our prize. The coupon said that it was only redeemable Monday-Thursday 4-7pm during happy hour. My friends and I really wanted to go back to trivia night, so I called to ask if they would accept our coupon at the start of trivia night at 9pm. The daytime manager, Jason, said it would be accepted.

It was a Wednesday night, and we normally wouldn't go out drinking on a week night. We really wanted to enjoy our prize at trivia night though, so we went out anyway since they said they would accept the coupon. We got there and one of my friends ordered a sandwich. When I told the waitress about our coupon, she told us the kitchen was closing and we couldn't get our free appetizers. Fair enough, but that was still a drag since the daytime manager told us we would be able to. Then we asked her if we could just redeem our 2 free pitchers. She asked Adam, and he said no. I went to talk to him about how disappointed I was that they were not honoring their promise for something so simple as 2 pitchers of cheap beer.

Adam told me that Jason made a mistake and that they would not be giving us our prize that night. They seem to have a serious lack communication or coordination between daytime and nighttime staff. I explained my frustration with how we came out on a weeknight just for this, and that any good business would correct their own mistake. I also said that the customer should always be right.

Adam told me I was "just mad because I didn't get anything for free," implying that I was only trying to milk him for free food and drinks. Let's not forget that I tipped him $5 for 2 drinks the first night, only one of which was free. The next night, my group ordered 3 kamikazes and a pitcher of beer, and we tipped. And last night, 1 of my friends bought a sandwich and we were all planning to order more drinks after we got our prize. Clearly, we were more than happy to support this business as paying customers. I was extremely offended by Adam's rudeness, so I gave up, told him we were leaving, and walked away.

While my friend finished his sandwich, I asked the man in charge of trivia to clarify that they absolutely cannot redeem their prize at the trivia happy hour, only the regular one. At this point, Adam walked up to us and told him to not believe what I said because I was giving him a "one-sided story." I explained to him that I was asking the trivia guy to clarify the rules of the prize, and he even confirmed this for me.

Next, Adam kept repeating that he had "worked there for 20 years" as if that somehow justified his poor treatment of customers. He said that he was very offended because I "criticized the integrity of the establishment" and I kept interrupting him. I apologized for interrupting, and he repeated his statement that I was "just mad because I couldn't get something for free." He then told me I was "unprofessional and rude," at which point I replied that I am allowed to be unprofessional because I am the customer. He, on the other hand, is not. The entire time, I was sober, I did not curse at him, and I did not raise my voice. Adam started telling me that maybe if I wasn't so rude, he would have given me the free beer. As a customer, I have never come across an establishment with such rude, childish employees with the exception of this bar.

So we left and went to the G Street Pub for funk night, where we had a great time. Even the bartenders there were respectful and nice, and they even have a reputation for their attitude! Needless to say, I will not be returning to Froggy's or Tommy J's except to redeem my prize. —StephanieRobinson

Wow, I think you were being rude. It is never a customer's place to say the customer is always right, because a business has the right to refuse service for business reasons. It sounds like you've actually had more good experiences here than bad, so maybe you should reconsider after you go back with your coupon at the proper time. —NickSchmalenberger

A business should always honor its promises, especially when it's something so insignificant as 2 pitchers of beer. And especially when a manager gave me the misinformation when I called to check if it would be accepted. It wouldn't have inconvenienced anyone there, but it inconvenienced all of my friends and I when we went out on a weeknight just for that purpose. I had been extremely nice to him until this point, and I was nice about it when I went to tell him about my disappointment.

And quite frankly, it IS the customer's right to say something along those lines. We deserve the service we pay for, and if we receive anything less, we have the right to complain. And my definition of service happens to include honoring the promises that managers make to customers. I'll give my business to a bar who does appreciate their customers. —StephanieRobinson

Maybe if they change their policies and expect staff to be friendly and professional I'll go back :)

For now, I'll stick with bars that actually treat me with respect. I know bartenders don't have a rep for politeness, but this was out of line. It would have made more sense if I was drunk and belligerent, but that was not the case. If he would have simply told me that the coupon would not be accepted and left it at that, I would have told him I was disappointed that they didn't honor their promise, walked out and gone elsewhere (which is what I initially did). But he started attacking my character, and I refuse to support an establishment where that's okay if a customer politely expresses discontent. It was as if he felt threatened by my criticism of that whole occurrence, so he had to retaliate by attacking me personally. He basically called me a gold digger, then he called me a liar when I was talking to the trivia guy. To top it off, he called me rude and unprofessional when I interrupted him as he was calling me a liar.

This isn't just any employee - this was the manager who has worked there for 20 years. He represents that business, so he should set the standard for customer service. I have NO incentive to go back to this place when I can choose from many other bars in Sac and Davis that do know how to treat paying, tipping customers. —StephanieRobinson

2010-02-25 11:47:57   I'd like to point out that I have ALWAYS has a positive experience at Froggys (and Tommy J's) and have found the staff from Adam on down to be well within the norms expected for customer service. If you give respect, you'll get respect. I'd go to Froggys any day over the foul, overcrowded excuse of a bar that is G St. Now if only Froggys could get Coldshot back... —ARWENNHOLD

How I was disrespectful to him? I elaborated a little more after Sredni's comment, but he called me a gold digger and a liar before I ever criticized him. Maybe he was having a rough night, but he was very disrespectful to me. And as for Cold Shot, I wish they were still around too :( —StephanieRobinson

I would just like to say that I too have always had a positive experience with the Froggy's staff and Adam. Yes, they can be rude at times, but you have to realize that they put up with a lot of crap throughout the night from drunkards. While it may have been unprofessional for him to call you a "gold digger", it was also a bit rude of you to insist on redeeming your coupon during an invalid time—especially since it is stated very clearly on the coupon. Yes, the daytime manager might have said it was alright, but Adam is the nighttime manager—which is when you went in to redeem your certificate. If anything, Jason was the one at fault for promising something that he had no control over. From my point of view, you should have taken things up with Jason, not Adam. —MargaretWong

2010-02-27 14:45:52   WOW OMG I KNEW TOMMY J'S FOOD WAS GOOD.BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW GOOD IT COULD BE TELL I WALK IN AND SAW THE RUBEN.SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE IT A TRY. OMG WOW WOW!! THIS IS THE BEST SANDWICH I HAVE EVER HAD! THE MEAT IS SO JUICY IT FALLS APART IN YOUR MOUTH,A LITTLE ADD YELLOW MUSTARD GIVES IT A LITTLE KICK IN YOUR MOUTH. I WOULD SAY THIS IS THE BEST $8.95 I HAVE EVER SPENT ON A SANDWICH. THANK YOU TOMMY FOR SUCH A GREAT MEAL. —JAX777

What an enthusiastic comment! I know that Jax777 works on 2nd, and I bet a shiny nickel that it's at Froggy's.

2010-03-02 17:30:17   Hmm, I love ruben sandwiches, I really need to go here again I guess. I have had 2 burgers here before and they were both amazing. Tommy J's is great and so is Froggy's! —NickSchmalenberger

2010-06-24 13:04:36   The burgers here are good, and the chicken wings are pretty solid. I had lunch here with a friend early in the World Cup and got an order of the wings. They use Frank's Red Hot sauce, which is always tasty. Decent sized wings, and they were reasonably priced. Nothing worth writing home about, but it was good. —TomGarberson

2011-01-04 12:49:44   Hands down my favorite burgers in town. I am always greeted promptly and with a smile. Food comes out pretty quick and has always been cooked to my specification. Great place to grab a beer with a few friends - it can get a little crowded at night, so try to show up early to snag a table! —Roberta

"I went there the other night, best bartenders in town. They were very nice and took care of me and all my friends! Adam was really cool and so was Tommy J. He own's the best burger joint in town. He was there after they closed. Highly highly liked this place!!!!!"

2011-11-11 19:26:32   I wanted very much to like this place, but I went on Thursday for my 21st birthday and had a pretty bad experience there. Drinks were great, but the bouncer and bartender seemed very angry at me and my friends for a reason I can't figure out as we weren't being rude. Maybe we just caught them on a bad night, but it definitely was a little disappointing as some of my friends rave about this place. Then again, maybe it was Preacher based on that comment above...maybe. —AlisaKim

2011-11-14 21:16:49   Ok braaahhs, I gotta bone to pick with these bouncers. Soooo what if i throw up all over the bar and was yelling obsentys. I was friggin drunk. what'd you expect. BARS ARE FOR DRINKING!!jksahfkh29rtu. And whats this about ruspexting womyns? If you wanna bar experience, GO TO APPLEBEES!!!! ITS THE BEST BAR IN DAVIS!!!! —KCSlater

2012-12-20 12:29:08   an absolute favorite bar in town. really great staff.....a great combination of either people who are friendly and will better your experience, or staff who is quiet, does their job and just leaves you alone (usually just door staff). Adam is one of the nicest guys in town and has made sure to hire an exceptional staff —NorteMansion

2012-12-30 22:03:28   So yummy! The blonde waitress is so nice and the food here during the day is awesome! I also love coming here when me and my friends are going out for the night. Adam is an AMAZING bartender and always super nice! They also have drink specials sometimes which are great! Froggys is really fun for a big game or a quick lunch, and always a stop on a davis bar crawl! —AlexLN

2013-08-24 07:42:41   I like the food. Preacher (he hosts Trivia, though I've never been) is really cool! Also, check out the jukebox...they have Scissor Sisters, which ups Froggy's cool factor. The drinks are good, and the bartenders and waitresses are always super friendly. —HannahToru

2014-07-03 12:38:22   I've always liked Froggys in the past. Never been here for the food, I've always come later for drinks when I'm out downtown. Unfortunately after a recent night at Froggys that left a bitter taste in my mouth I won't be going here again. It was a Monday night, which was perhaps part of the problem, they were slow, so they were pushing drinks on people I guess. I came in with my friend who was drinking, and I was DD. When I told the bartender I'd just like water because I was driving he made a big deal about me not drinking and poured me a drink despite me wanting water (I never got my water...). I'm not confrontational so I gave up and just took the drink, I had maybe 2 sips the entire time we were there, as we were leaving about 45 mins later the bartender yelled at me over everybody to pay for my drink. I am not one to ditch out on a bill at all, I always tip well and don't have issues. I explained to him I didn't want to pay for a drink that I didn't want in the first place and didn't drink, he made a big loud deal about it so I started reaching for my purse and this really nice guy at the bar offered to put it on his tab cause he could see I was frustrated, and the bartender refused to let this guy put the drink on his tab. Who is he to say who pays for this drink that I didn't order, want or drink? I was just frustrated by the whole thing. Being a designated driver to me is important, I want to get my friends home safely, and bartenders should be encouraging this, not pushing drinks on people. Like I said, I've been here before and not had issues and actually liked the bartenders in the past. But after having drinks pushed on me when I'm DD, I won't be going back or recommending it to my friends. —TessaMoren

2015-05-23 13:50:41   Last night during their karaoke night, we waited about two hours to even get to sing one of our two songs we requested EARLY and it definitely seemed like the DJ or whoever was setting up the songs for karaoke was not going in order in terms of who turned in their song requests. It seemed like he would always choose the same people to sing. He even had the audacity to come over to us And ask us our names, commenting that he's noticed "we've been here a while and next time it'll help if we tipped" that was definitely an uncalled for action and request! How do you expect any tip when it's been the second night in a row that you haven't called our names for a karaoke song... I doubt I'll be coming back anytime soon. —Alyssajew

2015-09-25 14:03:14   Best chicken sandwich in town! Don't miss the three little pigs and tri tip specials! —tknelson

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