First of all, it's the Freakin' Frog. Note the apostrophe, the most important punctuation in Las Vegas ever since Caesars Palace opened in 1966 without one. (Since then, Fitzgeralds and Hooters did the same, while Arizona Charlie's, Bally's, Binion's, Harrah's, and Terrible's opted for the singular possessive. But we digress.)
Yes, the Freakin' Frog is unique, not only to Las Vegas, but also to the world. It's definitely a funky bar in an out-of-the-way location (at 4700 S. Maryland Parkway across from UNLV). The exterior might remind you of an adult bookstore, tucked back as it is from the street in an old strip mall, next to a big bar called Moose's, and all the windows are covered with green paint and advertising -- as one local wag put it, "A big-ass neon-green eyesore."
The interior is also a bit rough, with a stripped-down warehouse-style ambience: concrete floors, brewery mirrors on the walls, and a projection-screen TV above the bar. Since it opened four years ago, the Frog’s been an almost perpetual work in progress, having expanded three times and going on a fourth, so it usually looks like it hasn’t quite settled into itself.
But as you say, the beer's the thing here. The Frog boasts upwards of 700 bottled beers, available in two big coolers you’re welcome to walk into. And the list is continually growing; it's already the most extensive selection in the country, we're told, with plans to double in size over the next year or so. In addition, 10 constantly rotating beers are on tap. You can check out the entire beer selection, the current beers on tap, and the food menu online at FreakinFrog.com.
The Frog is also known hereabouts for having good-looking bartenders, excellent service, and no gambling. You can eat here too. And the Whisky Attic upstairs is a sort of Irish pub-meets-rare-bookstore with a selection -- "largest outside of Scotland" -- of 350 whiskys ("members," who pay a nomimal fee, can read, play chess or backgammon, and attend two whisky tastings and one whisky dinner a month).
Many of the top imports go for $4-$6, though some aficionados claim that the prices are a bit over the top, $25 and up for some, especially compared to buying bottled imports at the discount liquor stores around town. But everyone compliments the food (we liked it too): fries, poppers, wings, nachos, chili, and fried clams all in the $3-$6 range; burgers, brats, BLTs, chicken tenders, and corn dogs $5-$7; ice cream and apple pie $3.
Bottom line: Though you probably can't have great sex here, you can have a good time.
