Polliwogs Bar & Pub opened last August when George Lewis and his partner, Jonathan Jacobs, bought Good Times. With a big-screen TV, pool table and a bar, it would be an ideal place to eat and relax, but if the place was on a 20-minute time bomb, everyone could leave safely with a full stomach. “Our menu is a variation of a lot of different cuisines, but we try to keep it simple so that the ticket time never lasts more than 15 minutes,” Lewis said.
Fortunately, this is not the movie “Speed,” and Polliwogs is not wired to a bomb. Otherwise, customers would not enjoy the daily drink specials, but not everyone is content with living on a liquid diet. Although the menu is varied and comprehensive, a customer may need only to follow his nose to decide what entr?e to choose.
“If we sell one steak, we might sell 10 of them,” Lewis said. “It depends on what the people see and smell.”
Lewis said his most popular entr?es include rib-eye steaks, quesadillas and deli-style sandwiches. The appetizer menu includes buffalo wings, as well as spinach-artichoke dip served with tortilla chips. On the dessert menu, it is cheesecakes du jour.
“We serve cheesecakes with different toppings to pick from like blueberries and hot fudge,” Lewis said. “We have one called the Grand Slam of Snickers – it’s a cheesecake with all the Snickers ingredients in it.”
On Wednesday and Saturday, the food is served with some dinner music as bands like the Cash Country Survivors (performing Saturday) rock the house.
“Sometimes, we get Jason Paul (a Gulfport resident) to come up here and play acoustic for us,” Lewis said. “He always draws a good crowd. The kids really like him a lot.”
Polliwogs boasts a lively atmosphere. Even if loud bands play, Lewis insisted that customers can still conduct intimate conversations.
Despite the influx of other bars and restaurants, Polliwogs has its own formula for success.
“I think everybody just has to find a niche, and I think we’ve found ours,” Lewis said. Despite its lively atmosphere, Lewis is careful not to let his place become too crowded.
“I think we just pertain to people who prefer not to be elbow-to-elbow in a big dance club,” Lewis said.