Review: The Frog Pond - 7/16/11

Jen here! Welcome to our new blog! This is our first review on here, and we will definitely have more to follow!

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Recently, I looked through Yelp.com to find some new places for Joe and me to try in and around the city. One of the places was one I’d passed plenty of times on my way to Jine’s on Park Avenue: The Frog Pond (recently renamed from Charlie’s Frog Pond). Mainly known for its breakfast and brunch menu, The Frog Pond sits at 652 Park Ave—a bustling area filled with trendy shops and restaurants catering to Rochester’s twenty- or thirty-something crowds (especially those living nearby in this artsy district).

I was hesitant to try the place since I’d seen at least one review on Yelp saying that you were better off going to Jine’s next door. Other reviews, however, sang the eatery’s praises as a great place if you like breakfast foods. (I know I do!) Out of curiosity, Joe and I decided to venture out there this morning.

The first thing we saw upon walking up was that there were tables on the sidewalk outside. In this area, this is fairly common; in the summer, which doesn’t last ridiculously long in Rochester, getting to sit outside is something of a luxury. I didn’t really want to sit outside this morning since we would be in direct sunlight, so we sat inside in a booth. The restaurant has no hostess, so you are free to just seat yourself (or at least we were this morning).

The décor in the restaurant is, I admit, a bit garish, and for some reason, perhaps being blinded, I forgot to take any pictures. (See another review and pictures here.) The bright yellow wallpaper boasts a pattern of black and white frogs, and for some reason the owners decided to put full-length mirrors around the restaurant’s walls in the places that didn’t have wallpaper. In a slightly confusing twist, six pretty paintings of Victorian-esque girls hang on the walls as well. In short, there is no real theme to the place. I actually thought our booth was kind of cool. The booths in the restaurant are also bright yellow with red trim and made of vinyl, so they look fairly retro. Our booth was up front by the window, and the shape reminded me of the top part of an egg. At the very least, it gets some points for absolute kitsch—definitely an acquired taste.

One waiter took our drink order fairly quickly (green tea for me and Coke for Joe) and brought out water as well. After our waiter brought our drinks, I noticed him busing tables, so I thought he may have forgotten us. To our surprise, a waitress came over and took our food order. I’m not really sure what the point is of having more than one waiter per table, unless the waitstaff experience some kind of mix-up. I don’t really know what happened there, but since both were courteous, I’d let it slide.

The food is fairly inexpensive and mostly diner fare. I think it comes in handy if you’re in search of some cheap eats, especially if you’re the partying type. The Frog Pond has one dish called the Hangover Omelet, although I cannot personally attest to its effectiveness with said affliction. The menu offers much more for breakfast than lunch, and today they had a good amount of specials. Joe ordered the half-pound ground round, and I ordered blueberry pancakes. This really is more of a personal preference for both of us. If out, I like to start my day with breakfast, even late morning or early afternoon; Joe is really more of a burger or sandwich kind of guy at that time. The food is pretty no frills; my pancakes did have a dash of powdered sugar on them, but they didn’t come with any sides. I found that kind of weird as most places at least include toast. Then again, I ordered off the specials menu, so that may have been the reason for that. Joe ordered his burger medium, and sadly it came well done. He did say that it was “dressed well,” however, with lettuce, tomato, and red onion. The burger arrived with some sad-looking chips on the side, but prior to the meal he ate a basic yet tasty-looking side salad with raspberry vinaigrette and homemade-style croutons.

As for some more nitpicky details, we did have a few gripes with the place. With the door open on an 85+ degree day, we appreciated the waitstaff refilling our water regularly. I noticed later on, however, that the ceiling fans were off. I think the place definitely could have benefited from having fans on to move the air around. Joe said the booth was comfortable despite a rip in it. Our table, though in an interesting half-egg shape, wobbled slightly, and I had to keep my feet on the table legs to keep it from bouncing while we ate. Both of these issues probably could have been resolved by requesting fans on or a new table, but we didn’t bother to do so. There were a couple of flies around the restaurant, which happens when you have the doors open. You can also see the kitchen if you’re inside the restaurant, which I almost never think is particularly attractive, even in some fancier restaurants.

Overall, this is probably good hangover food. There’s definitely something for everyone on the menu (unless you’re a vegan—sorry!). I started my day hungry and left sated, so I can’t complain too much. For now, though, I will agree with the aforementioned Yelp reviewer and say that if you have an extra couple of bucks and the wait isn’t too long, head over to Jine’s for a hearty breakfast and a much more extensive menu selection.

Rating: 2/5 stars