A sign hanging on the wall of Froggy’s Tavern in Eastwood reads “Enter as strangers, leave as friends.” According to owners Jeff and Debbie Burgess, it is the slogan upon which they have built their extended Froggy’s family—a family that includes both patrons and employees. “You are only a stranger here once,” explains Debbie. “After that, you are friends and patrons for life.”

Jeff and Debbie opened Froggy’s in January of 2000 with nearly thirty years of experience in the bar and restaurant industry. At that time, Jeff also owned two other bars in the area. Jeff used his considerable experience to set Froggy’s apart from other neighborhood hangouts. “[Froggy’s] is a small tavern where we serve lunch Monday through Friday,” he says, “in a friendly neighborhood atmosphere.” But the food and friendly faces are the elements that motivate both long-standing regular patrons and new guests to return again and again. “We have one of the best burgers in town,” says Jeff. They offer frog legs during weekly Friday afternoon fish fries, a menu item that can be very difficult to find at other venues around the city. The menu also boasts an outstanding boneless chicken wing, available in both barbecue and Buffalo flavors, which is an excellent option for guests looking to enjoy a tasty treat while watching the game on one of the four tavern televisions.

“Whenever there’s a game on, we try to air it,” says Jeff, “especially Syracuse University games.” They also broadcast Nascar races on Sundays during the race season, and have several in-house options for guests interested in getting involved in a little friendly competition of their own. The tavern features a pool table and dartboards, and supports pool and dart leagues that meet at Froggy’s once a week. The dart league begins at around seven-thirty or eight p.m. on Monday nights, and the pool league meets at the same time on Thursdays. Any guest interested in joining can visit Froggy’s and speak to Jeff or Debbie for more information.

Sports-related activities are not the only options at Froggy’s. The tavern holds an open-mic night, hosted by Marc Caselle, every Wednesday from seven to eleven p.m. The open-mic attracts a diversity of local talent. “Sometimes full bands have been known to set up and play for a little while,” says Jeff. Live music is also on the agenda every Friday night. Guests looking to unwind after a long week come to enjoy classic rock favorites performed by their favorite Syracuse musicians, including the Chameleons and TJ Sacco. The music starts at nine p.m. and continues well past midnight. The lineup can be found in the Weekend section of the Post Standard newspaper. Froggy’s wraps up its weekend music schedule with Karaoke Night on Saturdays, hosted by DJ Dave Cornell Music.

Debbie has a unique talent for attracting hungry guests to return regularly to Froggy’s for weeknight happy hour. In addition to the drink specials offered, Debbie prepares traditional comfort-food favorites and surprise dishes to fill the buffet. “I’d say at least ninety-nine percent of it is homemade,” says Debbie. Different nights feature fare such as lasagna, baked ziti, taco dip, specialty pizza, soups, and of course, burgers and sandwiches. “If you’re ever in the area, you’ve got to just come in to see what’s here,” she adds.

Winter gives the Burgesses ample opportunity to invite guests to forget the cold weather and celebrate the holidays. The holiday season at Froggy’s begins in October with Halloween and doesn’t wrap up until Easter. “Every holiday we decorate to beat the bands,” says Debbie. Curious guests shuffle through the door to sneak a peek at the extreme decorations that cover almost every inch of the place. “We go all out.” Froggy’s offers a “wicked party and a huge buffet” for every winter holiday. The festivities cease during the summer months, when many city dwellers retreat to nearby lakes and mountains to enjoy the weather at outdoor cookouts, but Froggy’s guests are still invited to enjoy their lunch on one of the picnic tables located outside the tavern. Bikers are also encouraged to come in to enjoy a cold beer and a bite to eat. The tavern has an area reserved for motorcycle parking, to ensure guests that Froggy’s is always biker-friendly.

Froggy’s Tavern is as comfortable and inviting as the couple who own it and the dedicated employees who help to keep the tavern running smoothly. “The staff is happy and they keep us happy,” says Debbie. “They wouldn’t miss a day here because they like what they do. It’s a dream.” The owners and employees work hard to maintain consistency, and most of the workers are long-term Froggy’s employees. The tavern is also consistent in staying open until two a.m. every night except Sunday, so that guests never have to worry about arriving for a late night drink to find the doors locked.

Jeff named the bar in honor of his wife. “Froggy happens to be my nickname,” says Debbie. “Jeff surprised me totally when he told me that’s what the name of the place was going to be. Here all this time I’ve been trying to live the nickname down!” she adds with a laugh.