Funky Frogs Food Experience
Fort Worth is an amazing city with so many awesome locations and opportunities – from the Stockyards to Magnolia Street, there truly is something for everyone. As an out-of-state student at Texas Christian University, I have had a lot of fun over the past three years discovering new places with my friends. And so, when I started interning at Funky Picnic, I knew I had to take them. I mean, what could be better than getting to show off the neat place you get to work and do it all while sharing some of the best food and drinks you can find in Fort Worth?
The Planning:
I reached out to my friends who were still in town and decided to meet on an upcoming Thursday evening. My next step was to decide which menu items we would try. I talked with my boss Sam about what we thought the best menu items were and decided that we would have them try two appetizers, two sandwiches, and a desert. The plan would be to start with the loaded fries and the beer cheese fondue, followed by a portion of the TABC and the Cluck Norris sandwiches, and finish it up with a Warm Brownie for the table. That way, my friends could get a nice variety of options from some of the tastiest options on the menu. As for drinks, we decided we would let them order whatever they wanted, since they all had different preferences. From there it was a matter of getting my friends Davis, Julie, Theron, and Blakley there to give FP a try.
The Main Event:
My friends and I arrived around 6:30pm – the perfect time for a weekday dinner out. Everyone liked the modern and industrial look of the restaurant, and the girls thought the décor was cute. After eyeing the mountain of card games in the lobby for a few minutes, my friend Theron grabbed the Cards Against Humanity deck so that we could start playing while our appetizers were being made. We played a few rounds and, soon enough, the appetizers arrived.
The loaded fries are just filling enough for an appetizer, and the jalapeños in it taste spicy while not overpowering the overall flavor. Meanwhile, the beer cheese fondue has delicious pretzels and two great dip options in a rich beer cheese and a complex stone-ground mustard. Alongside them we ordered some tasty drinks. Theron had the Texas Trill (a smooth malt liquor), Julie had the Funny Accent (a malty English ale), and I had the La Raza (a light Mexican-style lager).
As we finished scarfing down the appetizers we were quickly greeted with our sandwiches. The TABC is a tasty and healthy combination of turkey, avocado, bacon, and cheddar cheese, with the pickled onions and peppercorn-dill aioli adding a unique blend of flavor to the mix. The Cluck Norris (My personal favorite item on the menu), is a wonderful mix of fried chicken and avocado, alongside Swiss cheese, lettuce, and tomato. However, it gets even better with a certain little trick: adding wing sauce. Funky Picnic gives the option to top your Cluck Norris with a wing sauce, with my topping of choice being their buffalo sauce. It takes the savory flavor of the sandwich and adds a spicy twang into the mix which, when my friends tried, agreed it was an amazing addition to an already incredible meal.
After we had finished eating, we were presented with the Warm Brownie, which we made short work of, and ordered some more drinks. We weren’t done just yet. We stayed and played many more rounds of Cards Against Humanity and ERS (Egyptian Rat Screw) until we finally remembered it was a weekday and we all had work in the morning. It was a night to remember and definitely one of the highlights of our summer.
Final Thoughts:
Before we all headed home, I asked my friends what they thought of Funky Picnic. Here is what each of them said:
Blakley said that she had a ball, and especially enjoyed the atmosphere and how she could play cards at the table while waiting for her food
Davis thought the food was very good and was a big fan of the loaded fries
Theron enjoyed everything on the menu, saying that the sandwiches were “more nuanced than other restaurants”, and that the popular beers on the menu were especially good
Julie – though not typically a fan of beer – absolutely loved her Funny Accent and would have taken a case home if she could’ve; She also said she loved the community atmosphere (and that the staff, especially the interns were super nice!)
I’m happy I could share my job with my friends. I’ve loved my time working here, and I wanted to spread the word about Funky Picnic because I know that, if more TCU students knew about it, they would love to come here just as much as I do. It was an incredibly fun night and I can’t wait to come back with more of my friends!
Author: Hugh Londrey
Hugh is an Indiana local and one of our marketing interns. He likes rowing and has a proficiency in "bad" puns. He loves to travel, and was recently studying abroad in Rome! He also likes local businesses and a good beer. Hugh is a rising senior at Texas Christian University, and is an active member of the Club Rowing Team and the Ad Association.