I don't like breakfast food but I genuinely enjoyed the breakfast I had here. The food is very cheap but the quality definitely isn't. There was also a waiter/line cook singing behind the counter and I would go here every day just to hear him. read more

Female cooks in kitchen have terrible attitudes. They should have a friendlier, more personable staff if they're going to be cooking in front of guests. Especially considering the first sign you see is "BE NICE OR LEAVE" I also had a front row seat to watching the girls handle raw bacon and sausage with the same gloves as bread and other food... Never changing the gloves once the whole time we sat there. I ordered the Stuffer omelette and hash browns. It was better on my first visit there. The whole dish didn't seem thoroughly cooked. This place doesn't live up to its hype if it's meant to have that local feel. read more

Blown away by the garbage plate. I always get a side of sausage gravy to pour over it (more heart attack on a platter, yes, thank you) and am in heaven. And I'm not a big breakfast fan. But it is to die for. I've also tried their homemade french toast and cinnamon rolls. WOw. Yummy. It's hard to keep myself away from that place. My 4 year old loves it too and gets a kick out of the wait staff. :) My hubby worships the place too. And if you want to talk economics, it's crazy reasonably priced, because... if you eat there, you are full for the rest of the day. It is stick to your ribs OMG good. :) read more

For the most part you can expect a wait when you come here. The guy at the door is super nice. Very much worth the wait! Tiny place. Looks a little bit like a train car when you go in because it's long and skinny. There is counter seating And tables. The restroom is downstairs. You need to be able to navigate steps to dine inside, and they have outdoor tables too. The portions are huge! The food is very yummy. I got what they are famous for which is potatoes and eggs mixed up with your choice of other ingredients. I highly recommend also getting their sausage gravy which amazingly is even better than mine which is delicious. One of the best things I ever had in my life is their pumpkin cinnamon roll. OMG! It's good that I live very far away otherwise I would be here every day just for that. The people who work here are delightful! The lady in the pirate costume was especially kind and one of the best people ever to take care of me at a restaurant. For sure, the best people work here. Outstanding experience! I look forward to bringing a friend here in the near future. read more

We found this place cause of Diners Driveins & Dives.. It was 2007 when we lived in Chicago we went a few times. It looks bigger on TV it's a small cramped place. The Garbage Plate is the way to go, be prepared they cook a lot on one flat top grill so it's not gonna be fast. They make Bloody Mary's they were a little to bracing/spicy for me, and Mimosas. They also do lunch but they are only open until 1:30-2 pm maybe... If you get coffee and want more get the pot yourself and pour yourself a cup but help your fellow diners out and serve them. The food comes to you hot & tasty, but if your in a rush this is not the place. It was a few years back CASH ONLY, but check the website or other reviews. Enjoy read more

Franks is the best place in town!! Amazing food and quick service. You might read some reviews on here that talk about the bad adutudes of the employees but that is apart of the character of franks. I love every thing on the menu! read more

Only in Wisconsin!! I remember my teen years when my aunt would bring me here. MAN has it changed in 7 years! I guess it was on the America's Drive Ins & Diners or some Food Network show. They must have fixed it up then. It used to be a bit smelly with flies zooming around and was just "unique." All has changed since except the uniqueness. I would recommend coming here for breakfast. Their homemade toast is yummy. If you're adventurous and really hungry, get the Garbage Plate (explanation under Julia W.'s thorough review). One of the best parts, other than being in a train car, is talking with the locals at the counter. It can be fun, awkward and interesting all at once. This is of course between them getting up to serve coffee to others around the car. For the kids, they have little dinosaurs that read "Frank's Diner." Again unique and cute. A few tips to keep in mind before your visit (some may already be mentioned in other reviews but are important): -The hours are a little strange so check them on here or their website (although us Kenosha residents are accustomed to this because it's not only at Frank's). -The front door SLIDES. -Seat yourself; it's a given with no signs. -If the place is full (which is the majority of the time), continue walking alllll the way to the north end of the counter and once the sufficient seating is available, they'll let you know. Otherwise you'll be in the way (and will be told). -CASH ONLY! (No worries though. There is an ATM on the lower floor---yes, it is a double storied train!). -Remember their two slogans: 1) Order what you want...eat what you get!; 2) Be nice or leave! -After eating, you pay at the counter register. If you don't know this, you may be waiting for a while. -They just added an outdoor seating area (well only 2 tables) but service won't be at good. If you want to sit outside, go elsewhere. -Have fun while you eat and don't let the bustling around you ruin your meal. Hope this helps and enjoy a Kenosha treasure! read more

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We stopped at Frank's for breakfast and within the first few minutes that we were there we felt like we had friends here. Both the staff and the other patrons were all so friendly. We pulled up to a couple of stools at the counter and ordered some bloody marys. They were delicious, and nicely topped with a few garnishes. We ordered different versions of the garbage plate and they were incredible. Of course, there was enough to take half home with us for another day. The restaurant is located in a train car and it is absolutely charming. Between checking out the vintage decor and watching the cook work the griddle we never felt like we were waiting for food. By the time we got our order the place was getting crazy busy so as we finished our breakfast we got the bill quickly so we could give up what was becoming prime real estate. It was a fun place and I'm glad we got there pretty early. read more

We love Franks!! Delicious food made fresh, and you can't beat the diner car atmosphere and sassy waitstaff.

My friend had suggesting going here because she saw it on the Food Network. I am so glad we went! The place is a tiny diner and seems to always be busy, so yes, there was a 15 minute wait on a random Wednesday morning at 10am. We ended up sitting outside. Service was very slow, but it was well worth it! We split a 2 meat garbage plate (sausage and bacon). It was delicious! I also ordered a side of their homemade toast. I can't remember what she said was in it, but it was delicious!! Oh, we also started off the meal with a homemade cinnamon roll! Definitely a good choice, because we had 2 little kids with us who were getting antsy from sitting for so long with no food. I would definitely come here again! There were other things on the menu that sounded good that I'd love to try as well! read more

Garbage plate is the best. We always get the giant Mimosa and ginormous loaf of bread.

Hands down one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. I saw this diner on an episode of DDD on the Food Network and figured a 30 minute drive was worth checking it out. If you like hole in the walls with cheap greasy diner food then head on up to Franks Diner. It seats about 20 people and the one cook there new everyone by name yet never turned around to chat because she was cooking food for everyone. For 7 bucks I got a 3 egg garbage plate (and that was a half order) with home made toast and hashbrowns. Unfortunately this place is only open till around 2:00 p.m. and the word on the street is there is always a wait so I doubt I'll get back there for quite some time. I had to take a day off from work so I could drive up in the middle of the week but don't tell my boss that. read more

AWESOME Spot, GREAT FOOD, GREAT Staff. And let me just say GARBAGE PLATE! UGH many many times have i woke up craving it. Just wish the hours were slightly better for me. read more

Wonderful food from a Kenosha staple! Gotta get the garbage plate always a must when I dine here!

Can't get enough of this place! Love the workers and owners. And the food. Ooooommmmmmgggeeeeee! The food is amazing the homemade toast is amazing! On the weekend sometimes they have captain crunch French toast. read more

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Frank's is to diners as Kleenex is to facial tissue - perfect in almost every way. The food is spot-on, the service is sassy (sometimes a bit sassier than one might care for) and the wait...hmmm...well...usually worth the trouble. First, the wait. Ready to talk about the wait? Well, there is a wait on weekends (sometimes as long as an hour) if you arrive after 8.30 in the morning. Weekdays; however, I have never waited for a booth or table, though I generally will sit at the counter and banter with the [extended] family owners (do avoid sitting right at the grill - the restaurant itself is a bit hot due to size and sitting at the counter at the grill makes you wonder if you are next to be served to other customers). While I usually go simple for food, everything that I have had at Frank's has been delicious and too much. There is a lot of value for the money and one can test it by getting the much-mentioned garbage plate (a half-plate will do most people proud and still leave them with a small snack for later). A mix of everything unholy, the eggs, meat, cheese and potato combination is downright crazy-delicious. Franks traditional sandwiches (in name only; not in size) are pleasing and prepared as one would expect. I had a taste of a fellow-customer's sandwich (yes, Frank's is that kind of place) and thought it was so super, I'd consider having sandwiches there. Finally, Frank's has a full liquor license, so there is no reason to stop the party from the night before (usually, the reason is to stop that party quickly with a beer or a bloody mary). Fair to say, most diners were drinking coffee during my visits; however, there were one or two that were clearly taking the hair of the dog. Hungry? In or close to Kenosha? Got some time? Frank's is a great place - well-priced, well-portioned and a worthwhile wait. read more

Franks is an institution. You have to make the pilgrimage. The food is great, well cooked...garbage plate is iconic But the experience as a whole, food + atmosphere + excellent servers...it seems like everyone including the customers are all connected If you're not a nice person, disregard this rating. It is awful ;) read more

Back when I was a little bit younger and just beginning to experience life outside of chain restaurants, I went a little bit out of my way to visit Franks because a TV personality did this one time. There was a line of people standing behind the counter - a peanut gallery that were making the most of their little sliver of personal space in an attempt to pass the time. I thought they were simply waiting for takeout as I grabbed the last empty seat at the end of the counter before being told that, no, that was the line for seating, and I just skipped it. Luckily, I was a party of one and they were not, so I got to keep the seat. Many diners offer some variation on a garbage plate, and though the novelty was still new to me when I visited Franks, I've since grown unimpressed with combining all of the my individual components into a big pile before shoving in my face. Like the KFC famous bowl, it seems like a low-class American thing to do. But then again, diners are inherently low-class and American, so it makes some sense. Regardless, I got the half garbage plate - which was more than enough - and I found no fault in neither the eggs nor hashbrowns, which are probably the defining items of a diner, anyway. There's also plenty of other things on the menu which aren't served in a huge pile, and it's the quality and consistency (along with a little bit of attitude) that has kept Franks in such good business for so long. read more

GARBAGE PLATE!!!!!! We made the drive down to Kenosha on a Monday morning, and managed to get lost. Stupid Mapquest. Cute place. Employees bantering with each other and the regulars. Typical diner. The garbage plate is FABULOUS, as is the homemade toast. The grill is extremely small relative to the number of seats...I cannot imagine how they can possibly keep up on weekends. Had I known they had a liquor license, I would've had a beer with my garbage plate. Worth the trip from Milwaukee or Chicago. read more

0lm.Good place for breakfast but come early on Saturdays, they can get jammed packed easily.

Love this place. I saw it a while ago on Food Network but never had the chance to get to Kenosha. Well, as luck would have it, my company has a location nearby and I have had to travel up there twice in the past week...guess where I went both times? You got it...Frank's! Delicious doesn't cut it...In-fracken-credible...The first visit I had half a Garbage Plate with bacon with a side of their homemade toast. Half of it filled me up, I don't know how the guys in the booth behind me each finished a full plate! =:-O Today I had french toast (again made with their homemade bread) which was also excellent. I also had perfectly cooked eggs and delicious THICK CUT bacon... Can't wait to get up there again.... read more

Amazing food and great service. Go early as they get busy fast. Worth the wait. Wait staff are very friendly and will keep you laughing

I've been to Frank's many times, my aunt even got married at Frank's about ten years ago (she was friends with the owners then, but it has since changed hands), and it was a good time. Obviously the coolest thing about Frank's is the atmosphere. It's a train! A train!!!!!!!! The garbage plates are tasty (I can only eat a half order), and I was once a local regular. The downside to Frank's is that since it has appeared on multiple shows on the food network it gets ridiculously crowded on the weekends. There will be a line running out the door, and let's face it gang, it's just breakfast food. Sure, it's good, an I'm glad they get so much business, but I stopped trying to go on weekends. Weekdays are much less crowded! read more

Great diner food if you are willing to wait. It's in a train car so it's pretty small but is definitely worth going to.

I ordered the Ave Maria sandwich and was not pleased. The hash browns are like eating straight butter and the sausage on the sandwich tasted more like grease than anything else. Tasted like they made food the night before and reheated it that morning. read more

Our favorite place to eat breakfast hands down. All other places are compared to Franks if we do decide to try somewhere else. If you're not in the mood for breakfast fare, the Blu Shoe burger is very tasty.... If you are in town give it a try, but not if you are in a hurry. Like everyone says, being on Triple D has made it very popular on weekends. read more

Sassy but competent staff, amazing food, and of course the garbage plate. Nothing to dislike about this place... except maybe the wait time. But it is most definitely not their fault that they're so amazing people line up. read more

Franks Diner - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

Solid breakfast in a historical cart. Get the garbage plate and go ahead and post it on your social network...I know you want too! Can get very busy on weekends. read more

Love Frank's! Garbage plate is fantastic as well as their biscuits & gravy. Coffee is good too. read more

I have been wanting to try Franks Diner for years and finally made the trip on the way from the Chicago area on my way to Milwaukee. Unfortunately overall it wasn't a great experience. We were seated after a short wait at one of the two tables in the back room. Walking back to the table, I noticed the French toast on people's plates and thought it looked amazing, and then when I saw on the menu it was the fact that it was made with homemade bread that cinched it for me. My dining companion wanted to try the pancake and the French toast so she ordered one piece of each. We decided to split a chocolate malt and an order of hash browns as well and she ordered a side of bacon. We waited a long time for the food by diner standards and pretty much the entire time we were waiting the adjacent door was wide open while a man was delivering a bunch of boxes. Since it was 9 degrees outside that made it really cold! My dining companion is in her 70s and was suffering, even after putting her coat back on. The food finally arrived - I really appreciated and didn't expect them to actually split the malt into two glasses, each with our own whipped cream and cute rainbow nonpareils and split the hashbrowns onto two plates for us. The malt was thin but still pretty good and the hashbrowns were good but got cold quickly. My dining companion loved the bacon. I was really surprised to see the French toast served with plastic containers of Smucker's syrup with peel off lids. The French toast didn't have much flavor and the bottom of each piece of bread was so burnt it was black. I could only eat half the order, not because I was full but because it was so boring tasting. My dining companion said her pancake was just OK and she didn't try the French toast and wanted to send it back because I didn't care for mine. I said I don't know about that because all the signs say "order what you want, eat what you get." However she is big on being totally satisfied with what she pays for at a restaurant. She tried to get the server's attention at least 5 times but she zipped past us every time. There was another lady hanging around the back and she asked her for help. After a few minutes a man came over (I'm assuming he was the owner) all defensive asking what the problem was. He reluctantly took it away but was clearly insulted that she didn't want it. He yelled that the crust wasn't burnt and that's just how it was. We waited a long time for our check and finally were able to get the attention of the server who said we needed to go to the end of the counter and give our table number to pay. We would have no way of knowing that since it was our first time there. We went to the end of the counter as instructed and all of the people behind the counter looked at us like we were stupid and said what are you doing here? We said we wanted to pay and they said oh, you need to go to the middle of the counter where the register is. No one could help for a while but finally the guy from before came over. All my dining companion said was did you take my French toast off the bill and he totally lost it. "YES, I KNOW YOU DID NOT LIKE THE BEST FRENCH TOAST IN AMERICA!" he yelled all over the restaurant. It was really embarrassing. We paid the bill and as we went to leave, my dining companion heard him say "Don't hurry back!" Now we both totally get sassy service and we both have a great sense of humor but the treatment we got from him was way past that and just plain rude. He won't have to worry, we won't hurry back! read more

I have been going to Frank's on a regular basis for over 10 years. The food is always delicious and served in generous portions. My personal favorites are the garbage plate and cinnamon rolls. This restaurant is cash only, but there is an atm in the basement that charges a $2 fee. Seating here is extremely limited which can lead to a but of a wait depending on when you plan to eat. The wait is WORTH IT, but can be tricky if you're in a rush. I can't reccomend Frank's Diner enough for a uniquely Kenosha experience. read more

The 1st two times we ate here, I would have written one of the rave reviews like most others here. We had the typical line-up-against-the-wall wait, and after being seated, another 20 minutes for food, but it was worth it. My wife said the Garbage Plate was the best breakfast she ever had. We enjoyed the unique diner and the cramped neighborhood feel. The last time we went, we did the usual line-up, were seated, then waited for like 20 minutes (I kid you not) before a waitress even came to the booth. We finaly ordered and then sat for about 50-60 minutes before thinking something was way wrong. We watched 3 or 4 entire groups sit down, order, eat and leave during this time. Since the waitress was non-existent, I walked over to the grill and asked if our food had been started yet-because if not, we'd have to leave because we had somewhere we had to be shortly. Wow, that really set them off! They practically screamed us out the door. It wasn't that sassy service stuff people seem to like, it was hard core nasty. It's too bad, because I did like the place but I will never, ever set foot in there again. If you made a mistake and lost our order, just say so, we would have come back another time. No big deal. But that reaction was just competly out of left field. If you go, good luck. Just don't say a word if something's not right. read more

Holy garbage plate! We met some friends here for breakfast and expected to have an insane wait...but I guess we beat the Sunday rush, because we were seated at the counter right away. Five minutes later, the line was almost out the door. I had the half garbage, including hashbrowns, jalapenos, onions, green peppers, 3 eggs (yes, 3 eggs in a half order), cheddar cheese, and bacon. Wow. I literally had to push my plate away after eating half, or I would have inhaled the whole thing. Their homemade bread was insane, and caked in butter. I love that they have french toast by the slice, so we could try just one piece. While it was a little on the thin side, it was so amazingly sugary cinammony good that I was a bit happy it was that small...or you would have seen me rolling out of there. A day of Frank's Diner and outlet mall shopping = heaven. read more

This place was seriously amazing. I couldn't speak highly enough about it. I was on a road trip in the chicago area and we drove up to wisconsin to check this place out after seeing it on diners, drive-ins, and dives. As soon as you walk in, you're hit in the face with a surreal tv-like experience where everyone seems to know each other and the staff are shouting funny things across the room. So much fun just being in there. Then there's the food. Homemade toast to go with my chorizo garbage plate - one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. Truly a unique experience and well worth the drive. read more

Garbage plates are on point! The staff is a bit rude and sassy. I had to sit next to Thor's obese brother at the bar and he hogged ALL the counter space. Other than that the food was delicious and the only reason I'll be back is for more garbage platos. read more

This place is awesome!! I have had both breakfast and lunch there. Everything is outstanding. This is not the place to come if you are in a hurry or expect to be treated like a queen. It is noisy and crowded and extremely laid back, if any of that offends you then go to IHOP. But if you truly appreciate homemade food, a great bang for your buck and an extremely unique atmosphere then this is the place for you!! read more

Franks Diner - Grilled cheese with tomatoes!! - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

Ok, first of all, this place deserves all the hype and THEN some! I can see now why it's been featured on soooo many shows. Frank's is the REAL DEAL! You can look at the menu all you want, but you know what you're getting....the 1/2 Garbage Plate!! It's what 75% of people order here (and let's be real....who the HELL can eat a FULL?!??!?!) All three of us in my party got the 1/2 garbage plate. Two of us took half of it home, and my boyfriend ate it all (like some sick manly accomplishment meter), and cried for two days. I got my garbage plate with the normal hashbrowns, 3 eggs and onions, plus bacon, sausage, ham, mushrooms, american cheese and swiss cheese. We got there on a weekday, at about 10:30, which was the perfect time, walked right in and sat down. The wait staff is quirky, down to earth, running around crazy. There was even one guy who was waiting on his tables with his baby in his arms. We sat at the bar right in front of the grill. I swear it was like dinner and a show! I've eaten at many a place, I've worked in the industry, and I've NEVER seen such a MACHINE in motion as the staff at Frank's. As my Mom said to the main chick on the grill, "whatever they're paying you honey, it's not enough!" That girl is INSANE! Sit and watch her go and it won't matter if it takes four hours to get your food! But...when the food comes....OH. MY. GOD. Such heaven! Best breakfast I've ever had (and I've joked that I've eaten my way around the country). HUGE! DELICIOUS! INSANE!!!! And get the homemade bread! I'm not a bread for the sake of bread kind of girl, but the homemade toast is AMAZING!!!! After going to Frank's for the first time two weeks ago, I've now developed quite a problem. Upon eating anywhere else, at some point in my meal, I've now taken to saying, "I mean, it's good, but it's not Frank's!" I may be ruined forever. read more

If you're looking for traditional diner charm, this is it. We made the drive up from Chicago and it was totally worth it. The place is tiny - the story on the back of the menu says the original restaurant was pulled into town by horses. We came close to closing time so we got a seat at the counter quickly. Everyone who works there is super nice and friendly. Plus they definitely work as a team so things so smoothly. The food was delicious. I got an omelette and decided to get a single pancake on the side. It was a GIANT stack of deliciousness. We'll definitely be back. read more

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If you are coming on the weekend, be prepared to wait (but it is worth it). If you are coming during the week, you can get in and out much quicker, but it still might not qualify as a quick breakfast. Everyone else has mentioned the garbage plates (which are fantastic), but the true stand out is the home-made toast. read more

What more can I say that hasn't already been shared? If you haven't been here, I suggest going on a weekday morning to get your feet wet. read more