We had planned on going to lunch atop the Graduate Hotel after our tour of the African American Museum. We love the views from their roof. From up there you can see all four mountain ranges surrounding Tucson and most of the U of A.
Unfortunately, we found out, the Graduate is only open for lunch at the bar on their roof Thursday – Sunday. On our way out the valet/bellhop (the guy out front) noted that if we were looking for a place to eat on 4th Avenue or thereabouts, his favorite place was the Frog and Firkin. Okay, so off we went. On the way, our British counterpart suggested that the Union Jack, the British pub we went to a couple of weeks ago, might be a good alternative, Ms. Karen piped in that she loved chips with malt vinegar. So, off we went. On the next block we saw the Frog & Firkin. It had outdoor seating available, so we settled for the Frog & Firkin since we had not been there or reviewed it yet.
Jim ordered a Guinness and Fish and Chips. It came with a lovely salad, but the fish resembled frozen fish sticks. Lots of beer batter, but not much fish. Not nearly as good as Union Jack just down the street.
I did ask Richard, who was born in the UK, the meaning of “firkin”. He said it was a small cask for beer mostly.
I’ll let Elaine tell you about her experience.
“This was our first visit to the Frog and Firkin. We were seated promptly and had excellent service from two young ladies, our dual waitstaff, whom Ms. Karen dubbed the Fionas, due to their different personalities. Ron ordered the Impossible Burger with tots and a Diet Coke; I had the Henhouse sandwich (grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar and apple), tots and a Diet Coke.
Ron reported that his burger was quite good in spite of being overly charred on one edge. My sandwich, which looked good on paper, was only so-so. A slightly different preparation would have created a tastier sandwich, but this was just three bland layers: chicken strips, a thick layer of cheese, and two strips of bacon, decorated with three small apple slices which did nothing to contribute to the overall flavor. The toasted roll was nice though. I give the sandwich two saguaros but award four for the service. Ron gives his sandwich three saguaros and also says the service was worth four.”
Richard added his input.
“Wendy had the “King’s Revenge”, which was “medium rare roast beef in a bun with onion, mushroom, aioli, smothered with mozzarella and served with au jus”. Very tasty indeed she announced.
I had the “Shakespeare”. An Italian-style sandwich. Lovely, large crusty bun with spicy capicola, salami, ham, and a tasty tomato sauce. We are not sure why it’s called a “Shakespeare”, but it was really good. Opted for the salad as a side, fresh and crispy and lots of it.’
Ms. Karen also put in her two cents worth.
“I had the Mediterranean salad. Something about a Mediterranean salad without olives, did not do the trick. I am not even sure if it had feta cheese either. Humph. or perhaps the server forgot what I ordered since she took all the order to memory. I may have gotten something different. ”
Most of us found lunch acceptable, however not our favorite of the University lunch circuit.”
The ratings of Frog and Firkin were all over the Saguaro map. I’d give my Fish and Chips a two and a half Saguaros. Ms. Karen was not too keen on her salad either. Elaine gave her sandwich 2-Saguaros. But four-Saguaros for service. I think we all agreed with her assessment of the service. Excellent.
But Richard would give his sandwich a four-Saguaro rating, maybe higher. Same for Wendy. Ron rated his Impossible Burger three-Saguaros. If you go to Frog and Firkin, let us know your experience. I think we will settle on a 3 saguaro rating.. “just okay”.
Frog and Firkin
874 E University Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85719
(520)-623-7507
