Note: Frog Club does not allow photos, so the photo above is not of the restaurant. It does however loosely illustrate the quirky edge of the decor.
I’ve read all the reviews and gossip about the much talked about Frog Club. In absence of its location in the historic old Chumley’s space, I may have passed on a visit. I have no patience for door attitude or restaurants that don’t deliver quality food. However as a New Yorker just shy of 25 years in the city, there are so many memories of this area, and specifically this space, that define my time in the city. I know I’m not the only one who is nostalgic for this part of NYC either. As we were outside of Frog Club, my friend reminisced about the blowout fight she had with her boyfriend right around the corner. The point is that the space and location in which Frog Club now calls home, is meaningful to so many of us.
I reminded myself of that nostalgia when I needed to have a drink in the neighborhood the other day. After my visit to Frog Club, I officially have the unpopular view, of all the Frog Club reviews, that we need to give this place a chance for what it is, and what it could be.
Atmosphere
I really liked the dark tavern-like feel of Frog Club. In its current format, the space is indisputably the most upscale that the old Chumley’s space ever dreamed to be. It has the same vibe as the front room at Waverly Inn, Monkey Bar in Midtown, and on a lesser scale, Polo Bar. The dark polished woods and murals on the wall of frogs doing all sorts of everyday life is fun. At one point we were treated to frog sounds in the background. They embrace the frog theme entirely, and it’s refreshing when a place doesn’t take itself seriously.
The People Watching
The crowd was attractive, in fact much more so than in any previous rendition of the space. I would say that the two guys in particular sitting next to us were the best-looking men I’ve seen in a long time at a restaurant. As attractive women we are a dime a dozen but the guys here stood out. But besides them, the crowd was good. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were even at the restaurant a few days before us. They happen to be some of the few people with money who actually have good taste in restaurants. It says a little something they dined at Frog Club. But I digress; we went for an early drink before dinner at opening so it was pretty empty when we arrived. By the time we left at 7:30 the space was almost completely full. I didn’t know what we would find after all the available slots of Resy, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good scene.
Food + Beverage
I’m going to cut to the chase; there’s no way they’re going to win a Michelin star at Frog Club. However even with all the poor reviews, it is much better than anything that was ever served at Chumley’s. This includes even when the New York Times gave Chumley’s two stars. That by the way, still boggles my mind.
The menu plays on Americana classics like spinach dip, chicken wings and coconut shrimp, all with a side of quirkiness. A highlight for me was the green tomato strings, which reminded me of Outback Steakhouse’s Awesome Blossom, but better. In this dish, they pickle the green tomato and use a spiralizer to to create long thin tomato strings. The strings are then deep fried in a super light batter. The result is a tangy yet surprisingly not-greasy dish. In fact, it’s everything my Midwestern childhood dreams were made of.
The Dishes We Tried
We didn’t order dinner as this was a stop prior, which for the record, I would repeat again. Besides the string tomato, we had the lobster pirogi which was lightly pan fried and filled with lobster and mascarpone. This was also a highlight. After, we moved onto some coconut fried shrimp. It had a breading that was too heavy for me, which wasn’t fatal, but could be done better. My suggestion is they go lighter on the panko and heavier on the coconut.
They accidentally brought the wings to us, which I didn’t try. Visually they looked like the super model version of chicken wings with scrawny bones and just a little meat. We didn’t order anything else but we had enough to know there’s sparks of hope, but room for improvement. I think that whether they take all the reviews that people are piling on right now will determine if Frog Club makes it to winter. And I really hope they make it, as Frog Club could be a cozy winter spot.
My Two Cents, for What Those Two Cents are Worth
My advice for Frog Club is this; embrace your Americana as that’s clearly your wheelhouse. However make like Polo Bar did with their food. Distinguish yourself but don’t get too cute. Serve the best smash burger; we know you can do better than that gas station down the street. Make money off us patrons with a Tomahawk steak and lobster tail and charge us $400 or whatever. Lean into mac and cheese but make it with king crab. Create a few other so-American-it hurts dishes and Instagram the heck out of it. I like we couldn’t take photos of Frog Club, they should highlight their own food on social. Where Polo Bar has the popover, Frog Club can make their signature the pretzel roll but on steroids. Keep it simple but high quality on the food. Without top food, no matter how good the scene is, a restaurant won’t survive in NYC.
Others Have Executed this Formula Successfully
Frog Club clearly has a talented chef who can improve on the menu. Of course they should keep the $1,000 Chef’s Kiss as that’s so Frog Club, and fun. This restaurant doesn’t need excellent food, just good a la Monkey Bar. Frog Club could fill a need in the West Village as the potential and demand are there. Just look at 4 Charles down the street, which is still impossible to book eight years on. If Frog Club had food 75% as good as 4 Charles, I’d be in.
Service
One of my last visits to Chumley’s and the reason it was my last visit, was when I witnessed Chef Victoria Blamey yelling at everyone on staff. It was pretty extreme; our waiter apologized several times. The gist I got was that the kitchen space was terribly small and impossible to cook in. I never came back, as seeing my perfectly nice waiter getting yelled at is past my level of tolerance. With that PTSD in mind, there was none of that at all at Frog Club. They’ve taken their beating in the press and I think that they’re making extra special efforts. When you walk in the host is welcoming, and not at all pretentious which is the impression from other reviews. The chef came to every table personally to see how we liked the food. The lab coat-wearing waitstaff could not have been more attentive. In my 20+ years of visiting this space in all its renditions, it was the best service I’ve had. To make it in NYC is so complicated, but top service and quality food are the pillars of any restaurant to have a shot.
Overall: 7.1/10
I would come back for the fried green tomato strings and drinks post dinner anytime. If you take Frog Club for what it is, the space has a chance of being a solid neighborhood spot after dinner at The Owl. Everyone’s a critic nowadays, but I do hope that they take all the feedback as there’s much more potential.
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FAQs
Q: Where is the Frog Club NYC located?
A: The Frog Club NYC is located at 86 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014 in the historic old Chumleys.
Q: Are reservations needed to go to Frog Club?
A: Reservations are needed to guarantee your entry, but they are pretty easy to get nowadays through Resy. You have options for dinner, nightcap and bar seats.
