Only one star deduction for kinda absent service, but I do go through water like crazy when I'm out to eat. I bet if it wasn't lunch and I was having beer it wouldn't have been an issue. Otherwise this is a great option for food and drink in Hyattsville. Started with the mussels, sooooo good definitely a must. Smoky and rich and served scalding hot to your table. Loved the veggie sandwich -- Holy Frijoles v2.0. I felt so full and satisfied and don't regret skipping the burger one bit! I have my eye on the Vulcan Mind Meld and onion rings for next time. The gift shop next door has a lot of fun stuff for your drinker friends. Happily scooped up some 21st birthday goodies for my sisters! I really like it here. You can tell the food is fresh, and I hope to come back for beer next time. read more

Franklins General Store - Holy Frijoles and a Cuban across the table. Delicious! - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

If hipster foodie craft brew localvores ever took over Cracker Barrel, it would morph into Franklin's. Seriously. Having occasion to be in College Park for one of the Young 'Un's competitions, we ventured just south of the UMD area, meeting The Birthday Twin and her family for dinner. This establishment is housed in an old hardware store, lovingly preserved on the exterior. The interior has two parts - a two-level dining space with open kitchen and upstairs bar, and an adjacent 'general store' full of the fun, funky and fabulous ephemera of coolness and pop art. We were seated promptly as we arrived an angel's hair ahead of the dinner rush. Drinks were brought promptly and orders taken. The onion rings are indeed fabulous, lightly seasoned with Old Bay, good batter, not greasy, all kinds of yum. Entrees were a bit more of a mixed bag: Enthusiastic joyous thumbs up for the lamb merguez burgers, which are what happens when you mix a lamb gyro with a slider. Also commendable was the burger, which was huge and delicious. Pasta with broccoli was very good. The soft spots were the pulled pork, which should be a sandwich, not an entree, and was disappointingly dry. In the 'sounds better than it was' category was the bacon wrapped meatloaf. The meatloaf had an odd, puree texture to it, the spicy ketchup overwhelmed everything such that there was almost no bacon flavor despite there being a substantial portion of bacon involved. I think it would have been OK except for that texture, though. Like a cross between baby food and pate. Not pleasing. Dessert was a very good as hoped brownie sundae. The general store was lots of fun for young 'us and adults both. Found: One Minecraft book. Found: One Illuminati Air Freshener ("smells like hegemony"). Found: Pac Man "ghost" salt & pepper shakers. You get the idea. Staff were fun and funky throughout our place. One young hipster dude encouraged the Young 'Un to kiss mommy (me) because even he does that, and he's 20, because "Moms are truly awesome, dude." We enjoyed Franklin's very much, and would definitely go there again the next time we're in the area. Parking in a public lot next door was easy and the municipal rate reasonable. read more

Franklins General Store - Verycool local sourcing, recycling, art and fundraising support. - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

A very fun, unique, eccentric place to eat. If there's ever a wait, is not bad at all because you get to browse through their shop, which is filled with a variety of things that range from old school toys and new gadgets. Food wise, my dishes were very yummy. Ordered the pulled pork platter with Franklins sauce. Tasted great, good blend of sweet and spices. Wish it came with more sauce mixed into it though. Come slaw and garlic mashed potatoes were great too. 4/5. Onion rings. A must have appetizer here. 5/5 read more

Franklins General Store - Pulled pork platter - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

See all

I feel like Franklin's is the younger, hipper, trendier, version of Cracker Barrel. Why? There's a restaurant on one side and a store on the other side. The restaurant serves up a variety of food from pizzas to burgers to sandwiches to main courses. There's a pretty good selection of microbrews too. Tonight I felt like a burger so I had Franklin's Cheeseburger with Boursin cheese (yep, that spreadable cheese spread) and a Rubber Chicken Red (no, not a main dish, but their amber ale). Both hit the spot. Take some time to check out the store next door. If anything, you'll get a chuckle at a lot of quirky stuff for sale. 3.5 stars! read more

Franklins General Store - If you're trying to find Franklin's, here's a pic of the restaurant. You can't miss it. - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

BEST grilled mussels I have ever had! I came here for lunch today with my best friend and had an amazing experience. Megan is an amazing waitress who is down to earth and total pro. She's so awesome and knows the menu like the back of her hand. The crab dip was delicious but I was looking for lumps of crab instead of shreds. It's awesome how you can sample the beers before you buy and its a generous sample let me tell you! read more

Franklins General Store - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

The food was fantastic. Portions were perfect and priced well. I felt comfortable with the spacing and social distancing. General store was super cool, they have literally everything. I found a hot sauce that I've been looking for for like a year that I've only seen one time at a Firehouse Subs. read more

Since I'm a "regular" now that I've checked-in here TWO whole times, I figured a review was in order. I will try to keep it short and sweet although that's apparently impossible for me... Beer battered onion rings yes. North African nickel curves YES. Happy hour YES (half off apps and cheap beer). Blond Bombshell yes if you like light beers. Oyster Po Boy nooo...why did I think this was a good choice. It wasn't bad, but not worth the calories. Fries no...super bland. Also not worth the cals (I ate them anyways ugh) Summary: go for HH and get lots of beer and apps! read more

Franklins General Store - Couldn't wait to eat! - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

See all

Attached to a pretty sweet gift store, I was excited to try the restaurant. There's a weird vibe up in this place, lots of colors, rubber chickens, weird art. And they make some funky beers! I tried an IPA that was a bit too pale, or maybe too Indian, DEFINITELY too hoppy for my taste. The star of the day was a sandwich called the Vulcan Mind Meld (don't ask me what that means, blame the weird vibe). Luckily there was a description: fries and slaw in a rueben. Great Idea! Just put the whole meal between bread! It wasn't too bad, a little pickly, but a pretty solid meal. Lots of cutesy/clever things in the gift store that would make good stocking-stuffers. Overall, a little too weird for my taste. read more

Franklins General Store - Vulcan mind meld! Fries and slaw in the sandwich - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

A go to Sunday brunch or happy hour spot. Yes happy hour 7 days a week! Menu prices are reasonable and it's definitely kid friendly. The pizza alone is worth the visit, along with the brewery on the premises. If you're visiting he DMV this is a must visit! read more

These are some of the most creative taco selections I've had in a while. Not to mention, our server Alex was very attentive and made the experience much more enjoyable! I'd definitely ask for him to serve us again when we return. :) read more

Parking can be a hassle. However this is a great location for a work gathering. Prices were reasonable and the food was decent

Love their turkey club.. None better!

Great spot. The tiki room is fantastic! Love the sand on the ground. Pretzels are huge! Just one recommendation is to serve the bourbon slushy in an actual glass and not a plastic container or at least have the option. read more

Love the atmosphere and they are very diligent about COVID requirements when dining indoors. The food was amazing and they are filling carry out requests with as much care as they are their diners. read more

Looking for lunch? Paydoh for your nephew's birthday? Maybe a six pack of a beer you never heard of? If all of the above, Franklin's is the place to go. While you are waiting for a seat, check out the toystore, with an awesome selection for those young and old, along with a nice assortment of wine and beer. The restaurant itself has a large menu with plenty of good food, and many vegetarian options to go with the fun atmosphere and friendly wait staff . read more

Franklins General Store - The fancy new sign. - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

See all

Drawn in by the big bright neon sign and an adjacent parking lot I decided to give Franklins a try. The place was hopping for 7:45 on a Wednesday night, I had a 15 minuet wait so I walked through the general store. Lots of cool junk in there and a fantastic beer and wine store to boot. I got the booth right by the kitchen door but the seat wasn't that bad. My waiter was fabulous. He was fast precise and friendly. I had the sausage pretzel appetizer but didn't expect it to be like a hot dog. Well I ate it and it filled me up. I did make an effort to eat my way through the meatloaf entree. The host brought my entree literally 45 seconds after my appetizer was delivered but brought it back to the kitchen. I asked for a fresh plate but the first one was re-delivered, but it looked like the cook got ticked and beat the dish up. My waiter passed by and took that dish back and brought me a fresh one that came out beautiful and hot. Kudos to my waiter!!! Good looking out man! The food was hot and very good. The meatloaf was a little soft but surely delicious. Wrapped is tasty bacon and a sweet peppery catsup coating. I enjoyed my dinner but I'm not that psyched to return any time soon. read more

Franklins General Store - Pretzel sausage thingy. - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

See all

Loved this place! We stopped here for dinner on a Sunday. My husband had the carnivore pizza and I had a Greek salad with grilled salmon on top. The salad was fresh and the ranch dressing I had was delicious. There's nothing worse than a great salad with horrible bottled dressing. The lemon vinaigrette that I tasted was also delicious so I had that on some as well. My husband loved the honey beer as also. We will definitely be back read more

I've been here a handful of times, and they are consistently great. If you have to wait, and I don't think I ever have, either peruse the gift shop, or pop a squat at the bar upstairs. Their microbrews change pretty frequently, and if you really like what you're drinking, you can get a growler to take home! The food is very good there, and we've never had a problem with the service. They have a kid's menu in case you bring the little ones. And if you ask nicely, they might even make you a grilled cheese to go with the tomato soup that is on special there occasionally. if you want recommendations from me, I suggest the mussels for an appetizer and the bbq combination (half rack of ribs and half a chicken). You will likely have to take some food home. I honestly haven't had anything there that I didn't really like, so you're pretty safe getting anything. read more

Again we hit the jackpot! This was a totally delicious and purely satisfying meal. From the drinks, lemon drop, ocktoberfest beer, Long Island ice tea and blue motorcycle (?) to the four layer carrot cake! We shared the mussels which were roasted with butter and salt, only! Sizzling on the flat grill with sweet hot butter for dipping. We also had the crab dip, rich and creamy topped with green onions and cheese. The pulled pork (NC style of course) tangy with a hint of vinegar was amazing and filling. He had the short ribs grilled cheese with a side Caesar salad. The buttery toasted bread, pepper jack and arugula,along with the moist tender beef rib and onion, O-M-G! ( I asked for a bite, I had to!). This is a must try to anyone who loves great food, lively atmosphere and great service (Hey Mary Eliza Great job) Franklin's is a Gem! Good Eats read more

See all

OK, I'm a bit of a beer aficionado (snob, whatever), and I've heard about this Franklin's place. Upon entering, I'm greeted with the anonymous quote "Beer has food value, but food has no beer value." This is a step in the right direction... We were seated in the downstairs portion of the casual dining area (I did get a peek at the upstairs where there was more seating, television, and a full bar). Both areas were spacious and comfortable. On to the important stuff: While they may have been out of the double IPA I wanted, the Belgian style Tripel was amazing. I tried a few others and wound up going home with their Private IPA in a growler I just happened to have in my trunk. Doesn't everyone carry a spare growler in the trunk? Next: the food. We split a turkey Ruben and a Cuban sandwich, both of which were just amazing. They seem to use fresh ingredients, which goes a long way for taste. I look forward to heading back and trying other dishes. The service here was friendly, prompt, and very brew-knowledgeable. Abigail answered our questions, provided food and drink recommendations, and even knew of other awesome beer locals in the metro area. The gift shop had a lot of knick-knacks, but my favorite was the beer for sale section. Rows of IPAs, belgian styles, and other craft beers (some of which I haven't even heard of!). I was given a budget, else I may have gone overboard. All in all, I look forward to heading back to Franklin's for some food, brew, and a growler fill. read more

I placed a big order through the phone for curbside pick up and I was very pleased with my experience. Once I arrived, I called to let them know I was parked on the lot and within minutes someone came out to hand over my food. Before leaving I checked to make sure I had my complete order and everything was there. Everything I had was very delicious! My family and I were very satisfied with what we ordered. We definitely plan on making another visit soon! read more

2 words : Jam Jar Tip: Don't go in to their store...you will be broke as you exit. Consider this a fair warning. read more

Franklins General Store - Mmmmmm.....jam jar - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

See all

Having grown up in the city of Hyattsville in the 1960s I saw the downtown area in its prime and decline. Franklin's was the early pioneer to open a business in that area and when nobody else would. They helped revitalize the whole route one Corredor. In the early days of their business are used to patronize their original location with their unique Store where you can find just about anything and they had a small little restaurant in the back. It's been a pleasure to see them expand and become a local favorite. All their microbrews that they make are excellent. Their food has always been delicious. And during COVID-19 they were one of the first businesses to institute outdoor dining in that area. Another big factor to me is this restaurant is part of the community it's owners are very community oriented. If you've never been there it's definitely worth a stop read more

Few restaurants get better with age, but Franklin's has. Honestly the food and service are better than ever and I love taking friends and family here. I really appreciated the effort the owners made during the pandemic with the outdoor dining, it was awesome. This is a great place for families and just having fun. The spinach dip is so yummy and love the coconut curry on the entree menu. Also, lots of great desserts, especially the bread pudding. Just went the other night on 12/21/21 and our server was just fantastic. We also made some time to hit the general store for stocking stuffers and gifts and some root beer, which is so delicious. I can't say enough good things about this place and I hope it continues to be such an awesome restaurant and neighborhood place. read more

This place is a solid 3. Most of the dishes are nothing special. A couple of them stand out. I have been here many times and have tried at least ten different dishes, but I can only remember a few of them, which in itself says a lot. Of the few that I do remember I particularly liked the hanger steak and the mussels. The steak is a good cut of meat which is properly cooked to the doneness that you request. The mussels are grilled, have a salt crust and are served with clarified butter. Grilled mussels if done correctly are often better than steaming/boiling them since the liquor/juice stays inside and is not lost to the boiling liquid. I do keep returning to this place because it stands out as just above mediocre amongst a plethora of horrible eating establishments in College Park. read more

See all

We went to Franklin's for lunch because we wanted to enjoy their outdoor seating. However, their outdoor seating was closed, even though it was 65 degrees outside and even though the sign on their front door said that their outdoor seating area was open. In order to eat in their outdoor seating area we had to order carry out. read more

Franklins General Store - Don't believe the sign. They wouldn't seat us outside at 1PM on a beautiful Friday. - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

One of our favorites. Fun, quirky, delicious. Food is always a winner. Lots of homemade beers, a few real great finds but all are interesting. Everyone seems happy to be there, and you should be. General store is a blast if you have kids. Love this place. read more

Great service and decent brews. Had the lamb sliders and they were really freaking good. Good portion for a light-medium sized lunch and packed w/ flavor. You can't ask for more in a slider. Thai salad was sweet, crunchy, and fresh at the same time. Very filling as well. Overall we were surprised at the quality of this place. Definitely a nice place to grab a quick bite. Also, they have a super cool mural that lights up at night and the shop next door sells the coolest gadgets ever (dangerous for your wallet, but great place to pick up a gift) and beer&wine. Store's probably my favorite part! read more

Driving through the town and found this local eatery. The menu has so many options of food choices and what we ended up with was fantastic!!! Words do this place no justice, it's a must when in the area. We had pupusas as an appetizer and WOW is all I need to say. For dinner we had the fried chicken sandwich and the gaucho burger. Both were Tasty, and hearty. Our server Nathan was outstanding! Not only knowledgeable on all the menu choices but a pleasure to deal with. If I ever come back to Maryland, I'd definitely come here. read more

10000 out of 10 experience! We were quickly seated and served. I ordered the Salmon with mashed potatoes and my boyfriend ordered the House Burger. Both of our meals were delicious and filling. Our server was super sweet and ensured we had the best experience. We also had both the spinach dip and the crab dip which were both fantastic. Definitely will be returning! read more

One of the better bars in the area for adults. Solid Americana. Beers can be hit or miss but always some solid ones like twisted turtle. The misses are more a taste preference than a brewing execution issue. The mussels are a must have. The lamb nickel curves are tasty. Locally sourced steaks. Service is WAY better than Busboys. For lunch the Vulcan Mind Meld is always a go-to. Root beer floats with homemade root beer is a guilty pleasure. Loved the German menu for Oktoberfest and the Oktoberfest beer that was brewed. One of my top two favorite brewpubs in Maryland. If you like this but want more upscale the owner Mike Franklin opened up Old Maryland Grill a couple miles north on route one. Love that both restaurants are near the trolley trail. read more

Before experiencing it, I didn't really know what to make of Franklin's. From the appearance, I couldn't tell if it was a 40s, 50s, or 60s theme. Was it art deco or vintage or indie? Why does the menu feature coconut curry and smoked ribs and pizza? I did not understand. The adventurous menu was intriguing though and I was very excited to try my pulled pork dish with sides of buffalo fries and gorgonzola mashed potatoes (I really like potatoes, ok?). And then I got it. Like Hyattsville itself, Franklin's is a hodgepodge mix of quirky and eclectic tastes. Unfortunately, Franklin's (like Hyattsville itself) doesn't quite pull it off. The mashed potatoes were kind of in between a "meh" and a "huh?" and the buffalo fries were haphazardly assembled from pretty basic ingredients. The pulled pork was just fine and the Carolina bbq sauce was nice-ish. The heart is there and if everything were executed perfectly this would be a wow restaurant. But as it stands, I'd probably only come here if I had three friends that were adamant about eating curry, ribs, and pizza respectively. Also, the bread was really stale. And from what I hear, this is a reoccurring problem. This seems weird for a place that is so busy. I keep imagining this giant bread making machine that is perpetually one day ahead in making bread. Maybe they should turn off the machine for one day. read more

Love it! We went in at 10:00pm on a Friday and it was very quiet. I surmised that this was probably because UMD was on summer break. My hubs and I shared an onion ring appetizer. Which was fabulous (and I don't like onion rings normally). Hubs had a cheeseburger which he loved and I had the strawberry salad. That salad was the BEST strawberry salad that I have had EVER! read more

I've eaten here a half dozen times. We have a daughter at University of Maryland College Park, and this is our go-to place when we take her out (our choice, not hers). Also sometimes when I pick my wife up at BWI airport, we will stop here for a meal and to have some catch-up time. I like this place. The beers are quite good as is the food. There are many healthy options on the menu. I find the quality variable, sometimes truly excellent and sometimes mediocre. The last time I went, I took my daughter and her non-UMD sister, and they wondered why I like this place so much, as did I. The service was slow and unresponsive, the food was uninteresting. The beer is always good! I score it 4 stars because of good atmosphere, great beer, and sometimes good food and service. I will try this place again, and if they continue to underperform they will no longer be my go-to place. read more

Just went to Franklin's for my first time last night and have nothing but good things to say about it. The service was great and we were never rushed, they didn't scoot us along as we lingered for a while after we finished and were just drinking. I drank four of their house-brewed beers: 1) Sierra Madre (5.5% ABV): A pale ale that goes down smooth and isn't filling. It has a distinct citrus flavor which I didn't love, but overall I enjoyed it. 2) Stonehenge (3.8% ABV): An English brown ale; this was my favorite of the four, though it was the least alcoholic. Refreshing ale that was just the right thickness. 3) Imperial Stout (9% ABV): This intrigued me because it has about twice the alcohol by volume of standard beer. It looks like dark-chocolate milk, and didn't taste a whole lot different. It was extremely thick, almost like syrup. It was similar to jager in its style. Definitely tasted the worst of the four, but interesting none-the-less. 4) Hop Zen (7.2% ABV): A very strong ale that had a caramel flavor. It almost tasted like a light version of the Imperial Stout. Not bad for its concentration. For food I had: 1) Our Balls: Unbelievable. Like fried mac and cheese balls but with risotto. So good, definitely an individual order though. Only came with two balls. 2) The Roni: Your standard pepperoni pizza. Very good. Fantastic place overall. read more

Franklins General Store - Meatloaf with a purpose. - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

See all

OK, I'm now officially a convert (and have been for a while). I think the food has been improving. And there's always at least one beer that is yummy. Plus, I just love the vibe of the place. And the (recently expanded!) store. I'm happy to call Franklin's my neighborhood spot. read more

Franklin's is one of the nicer restaurants in the Hyattsville area. I got the Thai Pie pizza and it was really good -- it had bean sprouts, peanut sauce, cilantro and chicken. Another at the table got the Catfish Po' Boy and it was really good as well -- the fish was perfectly cooked and the spicy remoulade was a nice touch. Make sure you also try the mussels as an appetizer. I would eat them all day if I could. I tried the pulled pork platter and I must have misread the menu and thought it was a sandwich, but the meal is just a heap of pulled pork with two sides you choose. It was still good, just really heavy and not what I thought it would be. My friend also tried the beer sampler, which was 11 sample sized beers. He had fun trying it and definitely had a buzz afterwards :) The atmosphere of Franklin's is also pretty cool. They have art by local artists on the walls and they also have a little store inside. Also be prepared to pay for parking (but it's free on Sundays). read more

See all

I went to Franklin's with a friend for an early lunch on 6/5/16. I had been curious to try Franklin's after reading about it on Yelp. Franklin's has ample parking (and arriving during "off peak" hours, plenty of it). The vibe of the restaurant to me is a bit eclectic which is not necessarily a bad thing. They have a "gift shop" attached to the restaurant which summarizes Franklin's eclectic vibe. I " " gift shop because it is way more than gifts. You've got a toy and wine shop along with the traditional novelty gifts. One suggestion might be with all the items in the "gift shop", I did not see one Franklin's branded item (e.g. tee shirt, mug). The owners may want to consider adding some branded items. It was also a little overwhelming (and unfocused). If I was in the mood to buy something I wouldn't have known where to start. Franklin's menu is what I expected for a brew pub. They have pizza, burgers and salads. They also had a good amount of vegetarian options. However, the vegetarian options were very much geared towards popular not necessarily the tastiest ingredients like quinoa (in my opinion this ingredient is slightly overrated). I had a pizza and a crab quesadilla both good but somewhat forgettable. I have to say I also thought my pizza was a little on the salty side. Our server was very nice and checked in on us frequently. I really appreciated that she let my friend and sit for a while and catch up. I never felt rushed. In a nutshell, if you're expecting a wait Franklin's is a good choice because you can occupy yourself in their "gift shop". read more

Franklins General Store - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland

My husband and I were riding down route one looking for a place to eat on New Year's Day. Most of the grocery stores we frequent were closed so we settled on eating out for lunch. When we walked into franklins at about noon we were among a few patrons. Some of the staff seemed displaced and they were milling around or standing around while waiting for more customers. As we ate our meal, business picked up. We ordered the pizza and the cowboy burger. I enjoyed the experience. Bottom line: the food was decent you must visit the little shop attached to the restaurant ( my favorite part) waitress was friendly and efficient husband loved the gooeyness (sp?) of the pizza will most likely return read more

See all

We finally tried this place and I'm so glad that we did. Great service, cool atmosphere and good food. You have to pay to park in their parking lot but it's not expensive. read more

Franklins General Store - New American Near Me - Hyattsville, Maryland