Food is delish. And our server, Colleen is the blueprint, exactly what everyone is looking for. Great night out. Enjoy

The whole evening was wonderful! A rehearsal dinner for 40. Planning with the owner, Maria, was stress-free and personalized. The passed apps and raw bar were yummy. Meal options of butternut squash ravioli, filet mignon with risotto, and pan seared cod with garlic mashed arrived to the table hot amidst rave reviews. Servers were attentive, polite, and accommodating. The venue affords intimate private dining and space to mingle over cocktails. I would choose the Franklin again for any memorable occasion!! read more

We have been going to the Franklin for a number of years and the food is always good and the servers friendly. The only complaint we have is that the menu never changes. read more

Fantastic food, ambiance and service! We recently attended a rehearsal dinner for my daughter hosted by the grooms family who are from out of state and did not know where to go in Gloucester. I gave them a list of possible options with a strong recommendation for the Franklin. Maria and her staff did a fantastic job! The food was excellent along with the service. We used the upstairs room which provided a big space with plenty of privacy and easy access to amenities. We highly recommend the Franklin of any events or just a great night out. read more

While this restaurant is pricy, it's not the kind that has forgettable food. I can still taste the short rib, sauce and veggies that came with it. While it seems like the menu changes very frequently, if you happen to catch the short rib, I recommend you take it. It was melt in your mouth delicious and accompanied by these crunchy root vegetables and an amazing sauce. We also got lobster bisque and lobster dumplings as appetizers, which seem to be permanent items, and both did not disappoint. The lobster dumplings were good while a bit overpriced for such a small portion, but the bisque was amazing. I personally don't love seafood, but the bisque was so good I couldn't resist. I also tasted some of the cod with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, which was good but nothing special. We ended with orange flan which was just tart enough. Overall great experience and homely staff. read more

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Surprising nice dinner here when we couldn't get seated at Passport nearby. I wanted that popover! As a person who can't eat meat often they were accommodating with allowing me to have the risotto with the filet mignon as my main course. It was excellent with asparagus. My 3 companions all enjoyed their fish meals. It's a busy place and I can see why. read more

This place is real nice inside. The waitress we had was amazing and couldn't do enough for us. Great wine list....That's where the goodness ended. The wines were expensive and they were very stingy with the pour. The appetizers and dinner plates were good but so small that even Smurfette would be hungry. read more

not pretentious anymore, good waitress although paid much more attention to my companion because he paid good eggplant but not great so breadcrumby and crunchy not amazing flavor maybe less breading? cauliflower was ok in that eggplant dish but not great too much balsamic grapefruit juice was way too sour maybe a fresher bottle?? bathroom was good parked a fair bit away read more

We stumbled upon this restaurant our first evening in Gloucester. The food is was terrific - great clams and octopus appetizers and the sweat corn ravioli was delicious. Kudos to Grace our waitress- she and the rest of the staff were very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend! read more

The food is perfect!!!! Service is exceptional. Our server was the best by far, polite, very entertaining and made the atmosphere perfect. A+++++++ Coleen is exceptional at her career. Will be back! read more

This is a review of clientele. Last night I sat near a group of 5 that had made a reservation and never stopped complaining from the waiter greeting them til the owner having to appease their every complaint. All which were unwarranted. The owner showed tremendous restraint over and over again. The restaurant was full and everyone-seemed to be enjoying there dinners. Except for the 5 curmudgeons with an obvious agenda. Next time they think about dining out dont. read more

Franklin's surprised us... we just weren't expecting it to be this good... the reviews are good, but the restaurant is worthy of better reviews in our humble opinion. There was actually nothing we didn't like... the service was attentive, the food was fabulous and we were never without drinks :-) Really great place to eat and would most definitely recommend - we will be coming back! read more

I love this place. Perfect date night restaurant. The filet mignon is my favorite. Always cooked to perfection. I can't wait for them to reopen. read more

This is a Mr. Chang favorite! You don't have to drive in to Boston to get an excellent meal. While it caters to a clientle that enjoys top notch food it offers a twist with the two different dining atmospheres provided by the two floors in the restaurant. The first level is more of a classic setting. It can be a bit dark but I do typically enjoy that type of atmosphere. It's the main dining area and the level you walk into when entering the restaurant. The second level offers a more modern dining atmosphere. The music on the second level is perfect for the setting and isn't loud enough to drown out conversation. They have a large flat screen in the middle of the bar which is always showing a local sporting event. It allows patrons to enjoy a game without detracting from the atmosphere. The Manager, Maria, is the nicest person around and goes out of her way to accommodate you. Ricardo and Elizabeth know how to make a drink and offer up great conversation. The food is 5 star and the atmosphere is something you'd find in Boston. The kitchen is open until midnight! Can't beat that... I tend to eat after 10pm. One of my favorite meals ais the hanger steak which is called Steak Frites. I had the Cod dinner the other night (March 8, 08) and it was out of this world. Iceberg Lettuce is a good light starter. I've had just about everything on the menu and have yet to find something I don't like. They put a lot of effort into their menu which changes seasonally. The wait staff does a tasting before the new menu comes out so you always get an honest opinion on the food and know they've actually had it. TIP: John and Matt are at the bar upstairs on Fri/Sat nights. Head up there for a drink or two and you won't be sorry. They also have entertainment through out the week. read more

I cannot return here quickly enough... Nice place, nice downtown setting, great full bar, interesting and varied menu, and very good service. We arrived Friday to find a 1.5 hour wait but the host offered their last reservation for the following evening (which we took). Nice touch. Window table was ready for us when we arrived (no "go have a seat at the bar" routine). Server was always at the ready, patient when we were hesitant and got the timing right. Nice drinks at a reasonable price (up drinks under $10.00), nice lamb appetizer, fresh bread and hummus to every table and the two entees (cod off the menu and halibut off the specials) were outstanding. Great, taste, great presentation. Would have been better had the server told us the halibut costs more than the filet mignon, but I have to get past that and with therapy and time I will. Do it up right and this can run to $150.00 for two... but it is worth every penny. read more

The food was alright but the service was terrible beyond belief. Our waiter didn't stop by our table very often and we shelled out for apps, drinks, and a dessert... I have even been a waitress at one point so I completely understand the struggle. But he never checked in on us and my husband who has issues with swallowing (dysphasia) needs to have his drink refilled pretty regularly. Unfortunately it never got refilled even when we tried waving our waiter down. At the end of the night we left a 20% tip which we feel was deserved since we didn't get very good service. But the waiter ran after us into the street and demanded to know why a bigger tip wasn't given. It was appalling and honestly made me wonder why they allow their servers to do this to their customers. Never again franklin cafe. Never again. The entitlement of this kid was unbelievable. No food is worth this service. read more

I have been here with my DC at least half a dozen times and last night she commented, "this is the best overall restaurant in Gloucester" and she may be right. I wish I could give it half a star more than "4" because while not perfect, the Franklin Cape Ann is damned near close. First, they don't over-reach. The menu is progressive American cooking without being pretentious and they make something simple like a salad vibrate with authenticity and creativity. The 2011 Spring menu is actually hard to choose from because everything sounds so good. And from seeing the plates of nearby diners, everything is finely presented and the room buzzes with happy eaters being served great food. You all know that kind of place when you are there - and this is one of them. I opted though for the bistro style hangar steak and frites, which are just right and crisped with a waft of truffle oil. Nice touch. Its what makes going out extra special when something is executed perfectly like steak and frites - big plus too when your order comes out medium rare just as asked. This dish seems to be a standard that 'regulars' order and often come in for just this steak, and I can see why. I totally dig it and do every time. The service even on a busy but sodden Saturday night on Cape Ann...wine glasses stayed full, silver was changed out quickly and they even asked if I wanted ketchup but I will take the 5th on my reply : )... My delicious DC had the salmon and it was tender and moist with a beautiful herbed pan sauce and roasted baby veggies...sweetly presented on the plate as are all the dishes. We even had a slight * problem * with our bold and spot-on tuna tartar appy - a small shard of cello plastic made its way into the dish. We were immediately comped it and the waitress thanked us and also sent an apology directly from the chef. Classy, straight-up and we moved on to the rest of our meal. We were too stuffed for dessert but they sounded amazing....maybe someday we will stop back in around 11 PM and just have dessert at the bar with an aperitif. Its that kind of place, you want to go back be it upstairs in the 'soft cool' dining room (which has an adjacent bar which was hopping but our of earshot - a well designed loft-style hang-out - duly noted) or downstairs in the more 'classic' downtown bistro. Oh what the hell, I will give it 5 stars. I love you, Franklin / Cape Ann. Just don't let a top-grade stop you from always getting better as you always do with a fresh menu, great stand-byes and specials. Thank you. See you again, and soon. read more

If you like drinking in a closet, take a walk to the upstairs 'bar' and squeeze yourself in. If you are a local and want to know where all the 'supermodels' in high school went, you can find them there. They tried to bring a Boston atmosphere to Gloucester, along with Boston prices. Save your money! read more

We went there because I'd been to the one in the South End and had the Pumpkin Ravi's (they were spectacular). As we were walking in I noticed that the sign on the door was no longer the Franklin St Cafe but just "The Franklin" so I suspected new ownership. I was right. The menu was limited. I don't mean that in a bad way, I actually give it points for that. The chef can make only so many things in one night and even less to perfection so when faced with a one page small menu you know you're getting something meticulously prepared (you yelper-foodies know this) . Jessie had the Short Ribs and I had the Tuna Shashimi Special. Both were outstanding. Although I did not get a chance to try the Short Ribs as Jessie inhaled them in 8 seconds, that's why I'm saying they're good. The Staff was great and the customers were mainly locals who were friendly and engaging in conversation. ***To Note: We were out without a res on Saturday night at about 7:30, our first place (Alchemy, another great place) was an hour wait, The Franklin was packed, but we got seats at the upstairs bar and even with that our hostess found us within 20 minutes with a table. We declined to stay at the bar. But i love noting places you can get into during prime time.. We're going to be spending a lot more time in Gloucester so we'll be back here, they had Chicken Thigh Tacos that I need to try ASAP and the App/Small plate menu is all under 10 bucks.. P.S. They had great drinks, just like the old place... read more

We stayed in Gloucester for a week and this was by far the best place we ate. The good: - good drinks - nice atmosphere - gastropub - good menu selection - after a week in Gloucester/rockport, there's only so much fried seafood and lobster rolls one could take. This was a nice change up. - I had the clam chowder which was very tasty - for my entree I had the cod with oyster mushrooms in a tasty sauce (almost like a light teriyaki)- delicious! The bad: - nothing I can recall Thumbs up. A must-stop in Gloucester if you want the whole package - food, atmosphere, service read more

One of the best restaurants in Gloucester. The food is just consistently outstanding. The service, like family.

I'd only ever been here once before for drinks and I was craving the tangerine gimlet I remember loving so much, so when it came time to decide where to head out on Friday night, I suggested trekking up to Gloucester for the Franklin. We arrived to a packed restaurant, but were lucky enough to find two seats at the secret bar upstairs. The upstairs dining/bar area were a new discovery for me. When you walk into the restaurant, there's a doorway to the right with stairs leading up to the second floor. They really need to do something with that stairway, as it kind of felt like I was walking up an emergency exit only stairway, and not climbing up to more swanky lounge-y goodness. Thrown some art up on the walls and put some better lighting in or something. I ordered a tangerine gimlets and it was just as magical as I had remembered. So magical I had to have two of them. I had the cod for dinner, which came with oyster mushrooms and some sort of sauce on a bed of mashed potatoes. I was a little weirded out by the concept of fish and mushrooms for some reason, but it was quite good. In fact, my only complaint is that there wasn't more of it! I was a little peeved at one point when one of my dining companions asked to substitute fries for the mashed potatoes and was told that they do not do substitutions on the weekends. What? I'm sorry, this isn't some Chinese takeout joint. You should be able to make substitutions within reason. It's not like we asked them to make something that's not on the menu. Other than the strict menu rules imposed by the kitchen, I really enjoyed this place and will definitely go back when I'm up in Gloucester again. This place teeters on the brink between $$ and $$$ in price range, so it's good for a casual evening or when you feel like being a little fancy. read more

Wish I could give more stars!! Always good but most importantly consistent!! My spot for anniversaries and special occasions- my only complaint is that it isn't closer to where I live otherwise I would go twice a week- please open a location in Stoneham!!! read more

We stayed in Gloucester for the weekend and could not find any place with the kitchen open past 10pm that doesn't involve a fryer... Besides Franklin! They have an entire vegetarian menu! Everything we ordered was great! Came here on two different nights, both nights the servers were awesome! I had the vegetarian tacos, tried the lobster ravioli and my boyfriend said the salmon is the best he's ever had! They give you bread with hummus to start, complimentary, and it's amazing!! Highly recommend for some late night quality food and drinks! read more

Mussels - Yum Arugula salad -Yum Salmon w blood orange Burre blanc - YUM Lamb stew -Yum Service was excellent We will be back soon! read more

First visit in two years and happily the service, food and experience were still terrific. We had hummus, a shrimp appetizer, steak, Mahi Mahi and a salad, plus wine. The service was excellent and the food was good...outstanding sauces and flavors. My wife thinks the Franklin has the best steaks that she's ever had, including years living in Texas! read more

Great cosy date night venue. We swung in there after a drive to the beach, ordered delicious oysters and listened to live string music.

Three of us had a few cocktails here on a Monday night to kill some time. The atmosphere is not at all what I would expect to find in Gloucester, but I can imagine that if you are a local with some money to spare, you'd welcome the change of pace. Didn't get our bartender's name, but he made 3 very well crafted cocktails and was friendly enough. It was dead, and servers tend to hang together in the service areas during these time... Understood... But he would come over from time to time to answer stupid questions about Port and entertain the bored tourists. The menu looked tasty, and was reasonably priced considering the ingredients and atmosphere. The bar is very dark. Kinda like you are eating in an old French nunnery's library chamber. But I love that! We did order some "handcut fries" which came surprisingly with cheese, parsley?, and truffle oil. Yummy. Ate them all. Even the parsley. I would venture to say that this is a fabulous, albeit trendy and a bit pretentious, bar. My girlfriend, roommate and I liked it, and will definitely return!! read more

We showed up at 6 p.m. on a summer Thursday night with five people and no reservation. Five is an awkward number for this small space, but the hostess shuffled their seating plan a bit and graciously accommodated us. The room quickly filled up and the noise level increased, but we had a wonderful dinner. Our party of five started out with two orders of the tuna tartare and one of the warm matchsticks of zucchini. The tartare was delicious, but it was the zucchini that blew us all away. Delicious! Perfectly tender-crisp matchsticks sauteed with sliced almonds and topped with thin slices of pecorino and a balsamic gastrique. Not a pairing I had ever considered, but I'm definitely going to try to recreate it. I had the hanger steak with frites. The steak was perfectly medium-rare and tender with a luscious slab of gorgonzola melting on top and delicious pan sauce. The serving of crisply delicious frites was HUGE! All five of us munched on them and I still couldn't finish them. Two of our party had the filet. Both reported that they were cooked slightly more than ordered, but the filet was so tender and flavorful that they didn't care. The other two diners ordered the baked salmon and the tuna sashimi special. Our party ordered three desserts: the blondie sundae, the chocolate lava cake, and the fresh blueberries with brown sugar and whipped cream. I only tasted the blondie sundae (which was very good), but all three desserts disappeared in no time. One diner requested the blueberries without brown sugar and we were pleased to see that the kitchen happily complied. Our overall assessment was that this was a WAY better dinner than we were expecting to find in Gloucester! read more

Hits the spot! The Franklin Cafe is located on Main Street in Gloucester. It's a great spot to grab dinner when visiting Gloucester or Rockport. Main St. in Gloucester is full of fun stores and restaurants. The Franklin definitely adds to the fun atmosphere. The ambiance of the Franklin is dark wood and fun for groups or a date night. The last time my wife and I visited the Franklin, we had Duxbury Bay oysters that were excellent. Fresh, fullbodied, and served with delicious cocktail sauce and mignonette. For her meal, my wife had delicious halibut that was fresh and generously portioned. I had the hanger steak which was well-seasoned with herbed butter and a heaping portion of perfected cooked french fries. The steak was flavorful and lean. For dessert we had fantastic bread pudding. Prices at the Franklin Cafe are reasonable. The bar stocks most anything you can think of and their cocktails are terrific. There's a reason we stop by the Franklin every time we visit Rockport! read more

Came in on a Tuesday with my husband and daughter. My daughter can be picky, but there were enough things for her to choose from on the menu. Her appetizer of mozzarella and sliced tomatoes, with olive tapenade was delicious and the portion was very generous. She had trouble eating her entree, a creamy fettuccini primavera. I had the veggie burger with a mountain of crispy, nicely seasoned french fries, and my husband had mushroom ravioli. Service was friendly, atmosphere was cozy, live music was a nice touch. read more

Solid food: oysters are fresh and tasty (nothing -say, assortment-, that blows your mind), tuna tartar is delicious, clams were ok, asian cole slaw hit the spot. Wine selection was nothing to brag about but a good and decent variety. If my Sauvignon Blanc was any indication, then their limited menu might be enough to cover plenty palates. Place has a nice romantic ambiance. Yes, of course, it is pricey, but nothing you'll regret if you order well. read more

Nice atmosphere save for the TV. My zucchini appetizer was perfect. Seafood mac n cheese was loaded with seafood and the pasta was perfectly cooked but the cheese sauce was a little to milky than creamy. Good service. read more

The last time I ate here I was at the upstairs bar, it's a really loud crowded inhospitable space. A waitresses dumped a salad all over the back of my brand new imported designer leather jacket. This was a $3000 jacket, mind you. Well, they wiped it down with a dirty dishrag and offered to pay for my dry cleaning. I had to take it to a specialist cleaner which cost over $100 and the jacket was never the same, unfortunately for me. It took me forever to get reimbursed and they didn't even offer me a free appetizer. I'd never go back, as it was clear they really didn't care. I also noticed they treat the musicians who play there pretty rudely. Gloucester's got better places to eat, plenty. This place is foo-foo to the max. read more

One of my favorite restaurants to go to in Gloucester. Friendly servers and amazing food. I love the hanger steak and the eggplant salad! They are my favorites. I highly recommend the Franklin. Very clean restaurant with great atmosphere. read more

The Franklin is one of the Big Three on Cape Ann (the others being Tonno and Duckworth's Bistrot). It's warm and welcoming, the vibe is trendy but unpretentious, and the food is amazingly consistent. It's also open late - the kitchen is open until 10:30 on weeknights, which makes it just about the only fine dining restaurant still open after you see a show at Gloucester Stage Company. Always good, always a step above! Highly recommended! read more

Very nice place with good ambiance. The place is fairly small with dimmed lighting, dominated by the bar with only a dusin tables or so. We waited only 5-10 mins for a table, but that might have been because it was Monday. The menu is fairly simple. We ordered calamari and scallops wrapped in Bacon. The scallops were great (how can you go wrong with a scallops/bacon combo...), while I'd put the calamari above average. It was slightly chewy but not too bad compared to what you sometimes get. My main was the mixed grill and I'd say everything was pretty juicy and tasted pretty good. Nothing spectacular, but definitely solid. The only real disappointment was the wine. I randomly picked one of the few Pinot Noirs on the menu as I didn't know any of them. It wasn't the cheapest, but it definitely didn't taste that good. It was too young and unbalanced. All in all, I would be back again if I lived in town. But I don't go to Boston that often and next time, I'll probably want to try something new. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for reasonably priced, good food in this part of Boston and want to avoid all the big and better-known places. But I don't know the area well, so there might very well be something better right around the corner... read more

My fiance and I are big fans of this restaurant. The bartenders are always so friendly and accommodating! My fiance loves the tuna tar tar - which is often an appetizer special most weekend nights. It is truly fabulous!! The best that either of us have ever had. As for me, I LOVE the duck. This restaurant takes duck to new heights. It is always succulent and so creatively prepared. I have had it many ways over time at this establishment. Duck egg rolls (to die for), duck quesadilla (so, so delectable), and duck breast as it is on the entree menu. It is always so juicy and tender and melt in your mouth good!! The duck is a feast for your taste buds - truly! This chef knows his/her way around a duck. As for the bar, the Mo Cocktail is my favorite one on the list! Yum - and strong!! For some lighter fare to share - the fries are shoestring fries and so salty and crispy!! The atmosphere is great. There is a bar upstairs and downstairs. You can usually find a couple of seats at one or the other. If you care to dine, I recommend the upstairs dining area - the paint color and furniture in the upstairs dining room make for a very passionate and sensual in a sexy way environment. Great place for a romantic meal!! read more

We walked up to the hostess stand and they were able to accommodate us (with a short wait) even on a busy Saturday night during the town's "block party" weekend, which was an unexpected plus. Zucchini app was the superstar - they really elevated the humble veggie. Corn ravioli was rich, tasty. Others in our party got the shrimp scampi and steak frites and took home their leftovers. Loved the bread and hummus. Drinks were fine - red wine and sangria. Charming waitress who was able to give advice on menu items. Would definitely return. read more

Love it! Great food, friendly service. Our go to place for a nice meal. $$$ ...we did wish that they changed the menu more often. There are limited dishes available & with frequent visits this left us eating the same meal several times. Our favorite is the haddock & often would get 1 meal to split which they accommodate. Good wine selection. read more