You're Home at 'The Groggy Frogg'

Mike Montana is out to prove that The Groggy Frogg is more than just a downtown dive bar.

The Center Street establishment with an honest, “all are welcome” atmosphere and hometown feel is capturing the attention of local patrons with continued success through consistent service.

The bar and restaurant celebrated five years in the community this summer and on Wednesday, it was able to add the title of “best wings” to the menu after winning “best overall” at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Wing Fest – and that’s just a taste of what the business has to offer.

“I took a chance with this and I have no regrets,” said Montana, a local resident and Southington High School graduate. “I’d wanted to own a bar of my own for many years and to be able to do it in my own community was a dream come true.”

Montana purchased The Groggy Frogg from it’s previous owners, a group of three men who had invested in Hartford, just six months after he was tapped to manage its opening. With 18 years of experience as a bar and restaurant manager, he was excited to have the opportunity.

Since that time, the Center Street business has continued to evolve, producing a growing menu that include everything from burgers to quesadillas, wraps, salads, pastas – an of course, the award winning wings. One unique option offered on the menu is the Breakfast and Dinner Burger, a filling sandwich made with eight ounces of beef, three cheeses, fried eggs, bacon and peanut butter.

All the foods are made fresh and made to order, Montana said.

It’s not just about food either. The bar also features countless bottled beers and a constantly rotating selection of 14 domestic and microbrews on tap.

What has allowed the bar to succeed, however, is the straightforward yet friendly atmosphere that continues to draw back regulars like Bill Goodrow on a regular basis. Goodrow said Thursday that he stops in several times per week and has always been treated like a member of the family.

As Krissy Baxter, one of the staff members, was preparing the sauce for the Wing Fest Wednesday afternoon, she came out several times to test it with the customers. It took four batches before she was finally able to perfect the recipe, which not only helped gain “best overall” but placed as runner-up in the “hottest” category, and she sought input from those at The Groggy Frogg each step of the way.

“This is home. This is Southington,” Goodrow said.

This kind of involvement is what makes the staff seem like family to anyone who frequents the establishment, said Alicia Carson, and it’s what makes her come back day to day.

When the power was out earlier this month, including along Center Street, as a result of the rare and damaging October Nor’Easter, the bar remained open and provided a place for people to go to stay warm and get a hot bite to eat.

“(Mike’s) extensive knowledge of what it takes to make things work, his dedication – that’s what makes it great,” Carson said. “Those that work here have either bartended before or know the restaurant business. They understand the concepts behind it.”