Freakin’ Frog

October 10, 2008
(Visited 04/2008): Freakin’ Frog is located close to UNLV on Maryland Parkway not too far off Flamingo. The strip mall where it is located has a decent-sized parking lot. It’s impossible to see into the bar from outside, and upon entering it takes your eyes a moment to adjust because it is so dark. The windows are heavily tinted so when the front door opens it is temporarily blinding if you are at the bar. The bar is on the left side with restaurant seating on the right. There are lots of TVs including a projection screen that plays movies. It has to be noted that the bathroom was a horror scene. Nice touches like tap handles displayed offset the negatives but not enough. The beer selection is phenomenal, at least in bottles. I did not witness the entire selection (they must keep a lot of it elsewhere) but I flipped through their beer list and even if it is out of date a little it is amazing. They have 10 or so taps with local/regional selections from Tenaya, Drake’s, Deschutes and others. Service here was spotty, as it took quite some time for one of the bartenders to acknowledge me, but after that it was alright. They do know the beer, and it was interesting that the majority of the patrons ordering beer at the bar were ordering craft beer. I had the Teriyaki burger for lunch and it was very good, as were the fries. Overall I would check this place out again just to try some more unique beers, especially during happy hour when certain bottles are buy one get one. I doubt I would want to visit during peak hours.

August 19, 2008
Decent ambiance, somewhat sportsbarish. Decent service and fried greasy food. Good bottle list.

July 3, 2008
Totally doesn’t look like a great barjust a hole in the wall in the middle of a strip mall. But once you get inside it makes up for it. Decent selection on tap and the two-for-one bottles happy hour was a good deal, although the selections available were a little scant. The cooler is a beer lover’s dream, if a bit pricey for many of the selections. The bartender/manager (Trish) was great and very knowledgeable. Typical bar food menu, although the mac and cheese appetizer was very good. This is easily the best beer bar in Vegas (which, admittedly, isn’t saying a lot) and well worth the cab ride off the strip if you’re in town.

June 18, 2008
Great tap and bottle selection.Live music to boot. Was lucky enought to go into their cellar and I was pretty impressed!

May 31, 2008
This place is in a small, scrappy strip mall, similar to one you’d find in a small, economically troubled town. I can’t remember what it was next to, but just think dry cleaner, laundromat, Western Union, pawn shop, and you’ll get the idea. We hit this place in the afternoon on a bright and sunny day. When I opened the door, it was like walking into a damp, dark cave, and all the pale-faced people with rapidly dilating eyes cringed when they turned our way, as if they were vampires facing the sun. It wasn’t crowded, so we bellied up to the bar. The draft selection was very nice, with some goodies and rarely found tap beers. The bottle selection was fantastic ... but it was like the Brickskeller, where they only had every other beer I requested. Prices were insanely steep (12.7-oz Belgians for $23-$46, for example). Service was OK. The bartender that served us could’ve used a bit more knowledge and a bit more personality, especially when they’re serving $23-$46 beers! The draft beers I had were $6 or $7, and a couple were only 6- to 8-ounce barleywines. Now that my wife is into sour Belgians, her beer tab far exceeded mine. After two or three beers each, we dropped quite a bit of dough.

April 22, 2008
I’m not sure about essential, but I will say this is the best beer bar in Vegas. Although The Yard House may have more beers, this place has more interesting beers. When I was there I had a DFH 90 Min, a Drakes Impy Stout and a Descutes Abyss. The Drakes and DFH seemed a little old, as if they had been sitting around too long. I know some Impy Stouts age, but Drakes is best Fresh. The ambiance is great if you want a college beer bar with the occasional band and a good selection you just won’t find anywhere else in the state. Service - well, the Tornado it’s not. But good enough. If you’re stuck in Vegas this place can become a haven.

April 9, 2008
The freakin’ Frog is the best beer bar in Vegas. They have several taps that rotate with always something interesting available, even for someone like me that has already had everything. Plus they have two big walk-in coolers with an extensive bottle collection. If you appear to be a person that likes beer, you can be invited to browse the first cooler. If you really know your beer, you might be invited to view the second cooler. The owner goes out of his way to go and get beer and bring it back for the bar. You never know what you might find. Last time I was there, I was sitting at the bar when a delivery of 5 bottles of Utopias showed up and they started selling shots (in a snifter). Oh, bring your wallet. My last bar tap was $100 plus tip. But still may be cheaper than an afternoon at the tables.

March 31, 2008
Essential? Uh, I don’t know about that, but easily the best beer bar in Sin City. There are some very major pluses, but even more major minuses. The beer list exceeded my highest hopes, for Vegas anyway. In other cities it would not even be in the top 5 bars. In Seattle or NYC it would be near the bottom of the top 10 at best. Pluses: It is everything regular Vegas is not...real, great people, top-notch beers, unpretentious, not interested in status (yours or theirs). The service was great. I mean GREAT. The bar has some major obstacles for bartending, making their jobs needlessly difficult, but all 3 tenders I encountered rose to the occasion. Minuses: They only have 1 printed bottle beer list for the whole bar. And since they only have like 12 taps, it’s really the bottle list that people care about. They rarely (if ever) update the list, so MORE THAN 1/2 of all the beers in it are not in stock. It’s pretty phony and very annoying. The prices are not listed for about half the beers. And when you find out the prices, you will need a beer. JW Lee’s Harvest Lagavulin 9.3oz: $35! That’s just stupid. Then there are some beers they DO have, but they WON’T SELL THEM TO YOU. Stone 9 & 10. Think Spinal Tap: “Don’t even look at it”. Essential? Whatever. But all in all I had a really great time there and will most certainly visit the Freaking Frog every time I go to Vegas.

February 20, 2008
I’m a huge fan of the classic dive bar. The Freakin’ Frog isn’t one but it does have a classic dive bar element. This is a place to drink. If you’re looking for something else then go find it else where. College bar feel but without the kids. Maybe somewhere that grad students and younger profs would go. The beer and whiskey selection is outstanding. The service while a bit on the crass side more than makes up for it with knowledge, patience, and respect for the goods offered. Tip well and if the prices are too high then go to a liquor store. This is a bar for people who like to drink.

January 17, 2008 [ Updated January 22, 2008 ]
Visited in the summer of 2007. In my opinion, this is the ONLY place in Las Vegas to go for beer. Small, dark space that is off the beaten path, in a shady looking strip mall across from UNLV. The bartender was friendly and helpfull, though a bit overwhelmed by the crowd as she was the only one working. You won’t find many tourists here, thankfully. Nice beer selection with about 10 taps and several hundred bottles. Stick with the non-reserve stuff or be prepared for some serious sticker shock. This is a must-go if you’re looking for good beer in the desert.