Croak, ribbit, scoopity, splash!

 I’ll be your Croak Monsieur

I’ll be your Croak Madame

I find you absolutely ribbiting!

Blue Frog Bar and Grill🐸

 Multiple locations across China

It's been far too long since I posted, so I am rectifying that with a review of a restaurant chain that I've had waiting in the wings for a while now- Blue Frog, Bar and Grill!

 Location and layout 

Blue Frog is a Western-style restaurant and has around 30 locations scattered across the major cities of China, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. I've visited a Blue Frog in both Beijing and Tianjin, the two I visited were both located as part of a mall, making them easily accessible and not hard to find.  In terms of layout, there is a nice distance between tables, with a prominent bar as a focal point. There was a sort of patio outside area in the Tianjin Blue Frog, which was a very pleasant experience, overall nothing to complain about here!

The patio area

5 Nik Knacks

Menu

So? What are my options? well, a Bevy of burgers for one! Gourmet Burger, Fried Chicken Thigh burger, Classic BBQ Beef burger, Brie Burger, Mile High Burger, the burger options seemed to extend as long as que on Ticketmaster. Of course, it's not just burgers, there are other options, indeed I indulged in my favourite bar snack, some good old Nachos, some other options include Chicken wings, hummus, steaks, and a selection of desserts. However, it's clear that the jewel in the crown of Blue Frogs' menu is their extensive burger range.

It should be noted that it's a bar and Grill, so the menu for drinks was also something to consider, offering several selections of beer, soft drinks, and cocktails. Its pride and joy in the alcoholic department though, is it's 100-shot challenge, with a Ten shot special for 200 Yuan (£20), it challenges you to tackle 100 different shots over the course of several visits, to win a secret gift.  Of course, you could always try it in one visit, although I would assume the gift at that point would be a one-way ticket to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. 

Some menu pics below:

But how does it rate, well, there is a burger for every occasion, which is great, the other options are nice, but there aren't a lot, so you aren't feeling a burger, you may struggle to find something to satiate you.

The drinks menu is fine, no issues here with the special promotion a nice touch. 

It's a very respectable 4 Nik-Knacks here.

Price

What's the damage, Guvnor? In other words, how much is one of those tantalising burgers going to set you back? Well, The four Cheese beef burger meal weighs in at 98 Yuan (A ten spot in UK terms) which is roughly what you would pay for the same kind of meal in a UK Bar and grill, the nachos I had, as an appetizer were 88 yuan, which is perhaps a little pricey for a starter, and certainly pricey for what I've become accustomed to in China. But not entirely unreasonable, and certainly not as overpriced as my previously reviewed 'Cheesecake Factory' (shameless plug- read that review here: Cheesecake Factory review)

Drinks-wise, I already mentioned the 10 Shot deal, but of course, *Sings* you only get one shot to make your choice (Are any Eminem fans reading?) A pint of the finest beer Belgium can provide (Stella) came in at a Lady Godiva (Fiver) around 50 Yuan, once again, the price I would expect to pay in the UK, but perhaps a little pricey here.

The price of Blue Frog is difficult to rate, considering the price of certainly other restaurants in the various malls will be substantially cheaper, however, it's a 'Western restaurant' and if you received this food for these prices in a Western country, you wouldn't bat an eyelid, and would probably consider it quite reasonable.

So overall, I'm going once again, for 4 Nik-Knacks.

Summary

We have come to the final destination on our whistle-stop tour of Blue Frog, so we need to sum this up. I've been twice, to two different Blue Frogs, in two different cities. Both times I had a burger (of course, albeit different burgers), and I have to say, it was utterly delicious, the burgers were succulent, melt-in-your-mouth affairs.  The nachos were very good, blowing The Cheesecake Factory’s nachos out of the water, which, as you might recall, was a huge disappointment.  Some pics of the food we enjoyed: 

Also, the chips/fries were very tasty! Just needed some salt!

If you are looking for a nice Western restaurant, and don't need a huge menu, with a nice atmosphere, and a good range of drinks, Blue Frog is the place for you. I previously reviewed the Smokehouse in Hong Kong, which is a particular favourite of mine, and although the Smokehouse has a wider variety of food options, I dare say Blue Frogs Burgers are a tad nicer (and certainly cheaper)

Overall, it's a very impressive 4.5 Nik Knacks. Lots of Froggy love!

So, what are you waiting for? Go Grab a burger already

Pssst, The next blog won't take so long to appear!

Terminology:

Waiting in the wings: A phrase meaning something is ready and waiting to be used or activated at the right moment, like actors waiting to go on stage.

Jewel in the crown: Refers to the most valuable or treasured part of something, often used to describe the best feature of a place or product.

Extensive: Something that is large in scope, amount, or variety.

What's the damage, Guvnor?: A colloquial British expression asking, "How much does it cost?"

Set you back: Another way of asking how much something costs, implying that the price might be significant.

Shameless plug: A light-hearted or humorous way of promoting something, often one's own work or products.

Lady Godiva (Fiver): Slang for a five-pound note in British currency.

You wouldn't bat an eyelid: Means you wouldn’t be surprised or concerned; it’s so ordinary you wouldn’t even blink.

Whistle-stop tour: A quick, brief visit to multiple places, often used in the context of a rapid tour or review.