When you step in the Franks, you step back in time. It's amazing. Everyone there is very kind and welcoming. The food is absolutely delicious. They're homemade bread is worth the wait. The decorations around every spot in the building has a story. I highly recommend coming. If you don't like to wait, which you will, I recommend getting there at 7 AM when they open lol. We were here on a visit from California on our way to see the Green Bay Packer game and this was recommended by a friend and so glad we went. read more

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Love the people, food and atmosphere! Always a joy when I can make time to make it to Franks

What's not to love? Fresh, delicious diner food. Friendly service. Loud, fun atmosphere. Prices seem too good to be true. The garbage plates are exactly what I want in a diner breakfast/brunch. Free jalapeños? Yes please! The homemade chicken tenders and tavern fries hit the spot. My kids LOVE the Mickey Mouse pancakes. And I love Franks! Haven't had a cinnamon roll yet but it's on the top of my to try list. ;) read more

TV lied. I rarely go to any place tv shows advertised but our guests wanted to try it so we did. And it'll be the first and last time we do. The place is t.i.n.y.! If you're claustrophobic, enjoy personal space or need it for any reason, stay away. You will have to suck in yourself to squeeze through the aisle to get to your seat, especially if you're wearing a coat. Once you manage to get to your seat, be prepared for a raunchy and rude experience surrounded by college students. The servers are rude, but you will be able to tell this from all the signage in the place. If this was any other place of employment, toxic would be the best way to describe it. Once you're rushed or ignored to place your order, you'll have to wait a bit longer for your food. While you wait for the cook to get cooking, you may find the yelling, making fun of and disagreements entertaining. And if you're lucky, you may be a part of it, or be included in the tequila shot fest that can take place on the job amongst the staff and patrons. We, for some reason were excluded and yes, not happy because that might have helped the food taste like something. Our food came 15-20 minutes after ordering, looked great but tasted like nothing. It was so bland our table of 4 used 1/3 of salt from the shaker for the hash browns alone. It was short of edible but we paid a pretty penny for eggs and potatoes and we're hungry so had to have some. No one was able to finish their plate and we left disappointed with everything, never to return again. read more

Enjoyed sitting at the counter watching the cook. Had a tuna melt on their homemade bread and it was delicious! I had to wait about 10-15 minutes for someone to take my order, which seemed odd. I finally asked someone if I had to order somewhere else, and that apparently prompted a waitress to come over. She never appeared again, and other people sort of picked up on the service here and there. Kind of crowded and noisy but I liked the ambience and I enjoyed the food a lot. Most people were getting the "garbage plate" which looked like a mix of eggs, hashbrowns and other good stuff. Just not for me. I do recommend it but the wait staff is a little odd and hard to get service from. They apparently just added the use of credit cards, and it took about 7-8 minutes for one transaction at the register. (??!!) I paid cash just to avoid that. read more

Franks Dinner has some great food but it does take a little bit of time to get to you and it's not the biggest spot

Okay. The cinnamon rolls might be enough on their own to make this a must-stop. We had to order a second one because the first went so fast. Fun vibe, sassy-punk-crabby-uncle attitude, and killer diner food come together to make a memorable experience for all. It's cramped and dirty, but it adds character. read more

Great food, wonderful service, the ambiance is amazing, I love going there because not only are the people great I'm in and out in orderly fashion. read more

Franks Diner (had to double check there was no apostrophe...hmmm) is a diner in a train car--definitely worth visiting for the experience and the food! My friends and I visited Franks on a Saturday morning around 11am. The line was at the door and we waited about 30 minutes to get seated. It was fun to watch the woman at the grill make so many orders on the griddle at once. Because it's a train car, the space, walkways, and seating is pretty tight. If you don't mind someone's booty, bag, or body brushing against you, the bar stools are the fastest seats available. We definitely wanted to enjoy our food in peace, so we opted for a booth. It was 100% a calculated decision...weighing our hunger against our comfort. Our server, Mike, was a bit abrasive at first glance--commenting on all of us being on our phones (millennials, amirite?) But, he definitely warmed up to us; he was funny and an attentive server! I ordered the half garbage plate with spam, peppers, onion, tomato, jalapeño, American cheese, and eggs over medium. Our table shared a chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancake. I only got through half of the half portion before calling it quits! Huge portion sizes for affordable prices. The fact that they offer spam was an added bonus! Pancakes were soft and fluffy, but a bit bland. read more

Franks Diner - Chocolate chip Mickey Mouse Pancake - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Totally love the idea of this place, the funkiness, diner, homemade bread, etc but I stopped eating here as a vegetarian because my food kept tasting like greasy bacon and it grossed me out. read more

I personally don't understand the hype of this place. It's very cramped, there's often a long wait, hours are short. The place is very messy and unclean. The food is good, but not particularly remarkable. I honestly prefer IHOP. There is a bit of a diner charm to this location. Worth trying at least once for the experience. read more

Love! Love ! This place. Came down here years ago when I saw it on diner's,drive ins, and dives. The garbage plate is to die for!! It's an old train car they built extra rooms on. It's a dive but you have to enter and just let the smells of great food hit you in the face! Staff is great and a little sassy but that's the fun part. read more

Food is excellent. Garbage plate is the best. Best breakfast around. Plenty of options but everyone needs to try the garbage plate at least once read more

Honestly am never disappointed here. Except for one time when I didn't order potatoes, that wasn't bad! Always get the potatoes and the house bread with butter! Will be back, like we usually are! read more

If I could choose one place to eat breakfast for the rest of my life, it would be Franks without a doubt. The staff is amazing, the food is perfection, and the atmosphere is so unique. Definitely get a mimosa while you're there! read more

Franks Diner - Giant mimosas!!! - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

I've heard so much about their garbage plates. So I definitely had to see it for myself. I loved it. Went back the next day for another one. Lol. Only the second time, I wasn't as pleased. The man taking the orders over the phone and cooking the food was extremely extremely rude. Most certainly not the personality to have while handling food. When I went in to retrieve my order. What do you know ... the guy who I spoke with over the phone was inside yelling. Perhaps he was having a bad day. Yet again, not a pleasant experience at all. read more

I found out about this play based off of the Food Challenge people post on YouTube. We were staying about an hour away, but the food looked so good on Youtube, that I figured it was worth the drive. I knew the freshly made bread would be a hit for my wife, and I was right! When we arrived my wife was confused by how small it was, but little did she know this place packed a whole lot of flavor and delicious food. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive. We sat at the counter due to it being so packed. We both ordered half garbage plates and I decided to get one pancake. The food was very filling and tasty, unfortunately, we didn't save any room for one of their cinnamon rolls. My wife took down 4 pieces of their freshly made bread because she didn't want it to go to waste. The pancakes are huge and think, so I do not think I'd be able to conquer their 45 min food challenge. The next time we are in the area we will make a special trip to Franks' to get some more great food! Half Garbage plate 1-5=5. Bread 1-5=4. Pancake 1-5=4. read more

Franks Diner - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

Small hole in the wall with huge portions and flavor. We had breakfast twice at Franks while on vacation in Kenosha. Staff is friendly and they keep the coffee coming. Two people can eat from one full garbage plate. We will be back next year! read more

Franks Diner - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

This is a Kenosha staple and for good reason! Sometimes you have to wait awhile but IT IS WORTH IT! The atmosphere is super fun and the food is amazing. We always take enough home for at LEAST one more meal. Don't miss out on this diner! read more

It was great everything I wanted! Hole in the wall restaurant quick and delicious . Got Internet real quick. read more

This was our first visit to Franks' Diner and what an experience it is. The experience along with the food is what earns this restaurant a 5-star rating. This is one of the last original railroad car diners left in the US and if you want the full experience you have to sit at the counter. A big part of the experience is the banter between the staff and the customers. The motto of the restaurant kind of sets the tone, the motto is "ORDER WHAT YOU WANT, EAT WHAT YOU GET". Now for the food, I ordered their signature dish FRANKS' GARBAGE PLATE. It comes in two sizes a half plate and a full plate. I, of course, ordered the full plate which consisted of: ham, bacon, sausage, chorizo, Spam, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, jalapenos, and 5 eggs mixed into a combination of hashbrowns, green peppers and onions. What you get is a 12" plate full of the "Garbage" (the best garbage you ever eat) and it comes with a side of freshly made ¾" homemade toast. I added a side of floppy bacon (They cooked it perfectly.). My wife ordered their pancakes. It consisted of three pancakes that were 6" in diameter and about 1/2" thick at the edges, a biscuit and 2 cups of Smucker's Breakfast Syrup. She also ordered a side of crispy bacon and it was also cooked to her liking. For hearty eaters, they have a challenge, it's called the "Carthage Red Man Challenge" and this is how they describe it: "One person must eat the following food within 45 minutes! No Bathroom breaks allowed! Full Garbage Plate: 5 meats, 5 cheeses, 5 veggies, tall stack of pancakes, And an order of homemade toast. No substitutions Anyone completing the challenge receives a diner t-shirt, their name on our famous Plaque, and of course bragging rights! $30.00 If you complete the challenge...it's half price! If you use the bucket...you are disqualified!" My Garbage Plate provided me with four breakfasts, just a warning. If I lived in Kenosha, I would be a Sunday morning regular. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants and if I could give it 6 stars I would. read more

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I defeated the "Red Men Challenge" at Franks Diner in Kenosha, WI. For the challenge, contestants have 45 minutes to finish a fully loaded garbage plate- hash brown potatoes, five meats, five cheeses, five veggies, & five eggs! In addition, there are 2 huge pieces of toast, and 3 pancakes. This challenge is a pay to play. However, if you finish in 45 minutes, the restaurant gives you a wonderful tshirt! Going into this challenge right away in the morning wasn't the brightest idea, as I had just done a burger challenge the night prior. However, I managed to get the "W" right as the time expired. Franks Diner has been in business since 1926! The place was packed when I arrived to do the challenge. I'm thankful the restaurant allowed me to take on the challenge! I was seated at the counter, right behind the grill. This restaurant was featured on Triple D for a reason. It was easily the most delicious breakfast food challenge that I've ever done. read more

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Really unique and fun place. Don't be in a hurry and expect a wait at any time of the day. Food is pretty good for a little diner. I don't think it's amazing but if you try a few things you'll find a favorite. read more

Food was great. Long wait for food. Went on a Saturday so it was quite busy. Fun and unique place.

A local icon that should t be missed. Think old school vibe diner. It can get crazy busy so planning might be a good thing (and patience). Typical breakfast and lunch menu all cooked in an incredibly small open kitchen. Not sure how she does it but she does. Cool place. read more

Great food, crappy service. On a Wednesday morning in December, we were told to wait outside for a table. It wasn't even crowded like their weekend traffic, and it didn't make any sense. They took my phone number and sent us out into the cold. We decided to go to the nearby Coffee Pot, which also makes excellent breakfasts. When Frank's called, we had driven, parked, ordered, been served, and eaten our breakfast already. No place is so good that it can afford to send away good customers. Unlikely I'll ever return. read more

I really enjoyed eating here. The atmosphere was great, the food was ridiculously awesome and the portions were huge. I ordered the half garbage plate with 3 meats and 3 cheeses, it was a lot of food but I enjoyed every bit of it. My wife ordered the biscuits and gravy. She is very picky when it comes to biscuits and gravy and she enjoyed them. The toast was very well cooked not to soft, but not to crispy and had the right amount of butter on it. The place could use a real good cleaning though. I think it might do them some good since they only are open until 1pm to take advantage of the afternoon and conduct a deep deep cleaning of the place. It doesn't have to be absolutely spotless but there are areas that have a noticeable buildup of dirt that could easily be cleaned if some effort was out into it. read more

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This is a really cool place in an up cycled train car! Definitely worth your visit! Small and intimate with great "garbage plate" style breakfast. Kitchen is clean...you can watch them cook from the bar. Laura the friendly grill master has quite the system to cook all those custom garbage plates quickly and correctly.... Full bar offering...big mimosas :) Only drawback is that the bar seats are pretty uncomfortable. Cash only! Come prepared Adding on...they gave us coffee to go! read more

Franks Diner - Garbage plates on the grill - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

I was born and raised in Kenosha and have NEVER been to Frank's. My sister could not believe it so we stopped in mid-week since weekends can promise a long wait. I was excited for it's local iconic reputation. The history can be felt in this old train car. My sister used to go here back in high school and also the . mornings after nights out. But my eyes and expectations were fresh. I loved the vintage look and feel. The girl behind the counter was snippy and unfriendly. Whoa take it easy lady! A guy server stepped in and seated us immediately since there was an open booth. Sorry you were having a bad day but you really gave the place a bad look. The server was amazing. I was taking off my coat and he came right over to assist. Nice touch! He offered sweet and attentive service during our meal as well. The vintage look really adds to it's kitsch - I can appreciate that. It was like dining in a little Kenosha museum. My sister and I talked about how many memories must have been made there. The basement bathroom was waaay creepy... We had the famous Garbage Plates. My sister loved her Sausage Garbage Plate. I loved the homemade bread but my Veggie Garbage Plate tasted like a ton of strong onions and some kind of strong spice. I wasn't a fan. We ordered the 1/2 size and it was a huge portion so they offer a good value. Overall, I enjoyed my visit to this tiny piece of history in Kenosha. I would return but I would give a sandwich a try next time. read more

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One of the few little dinners that are out there busting their butts to provide awesome service and good old fashioned diner food! Love the bustle and attention of the servers and the constant undertones of conversations at the tables. ! read more

Franks Diner - Counter view where all the action happens - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Amazing food and everything is homemade the bread is amazing I would love to come back but I live very far away

Amazing little place. LEGENDARY place and experience. BEST EVER: Garbage plate and homemade French Toast. Tip: get here early. Or you're gonna be waiting. It's totally worth the wait. read more

Franks Diner - The Legend. - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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It's in a rr diner car!!!! So amazing. If u like history, typography, architecture, old schtuff, quaint, old movies, etc., look no further. This is the real deal and they have garbage plates. Get a half. Never had a whole, but I can't imagine what one would look like. Get their homemade bread if you're a breaddie. Pancakes r also delish. Great place to take visitors. Check hours and be prepared for a little bit of a wait (outside or in your car). Plenty of street and free lot parking. Stop over at the craziest, most ginormous men's clothing store around the corner. Great service and u can watch them make the food. SLIDE the door, u r in a train car! read more

We want to be regulars at Frank's. Our experience started with a literal bang when I went to slide open the train car door and it was much easier than I anticipated so I literally slammed it open. Everyone looked up at me and one of the waitresses made some smart ass hilarious comment and I opened my arms wide and said something to the effect of "I'm here! The party can start now!" She came back with something about knowing how to party and tequila and right away we knew these were our people. :) So we ordered drinks (I got a bloody Mary and hubby got an Irish coffee) and shortly after they deliver them she came back with two shots of tequila for us. Okay, we're in. So we cheered each other and drank them and then the waitress came back in a few minutes and chastised us for not waiting to drink with them. So...she gave us each another shot so we could all drink together...and we did. :) (By the way, the bloody Mary was really very delicious.) So we were sitting at the counter directly across from the cooktop so we watched everything. I saw the cook pulling bacon out of a...greenish liquid...so of course I asked. Jalapeño juice. So...jalapeño bacon. Let that sink in. She said they used to buy it but making their own was better. So as I'm thinking about that, she hands us OUR VERY OWN SAMPLE and OMFG IT WAS AMAZING. I said it would be awesome in the bloody Mary...so when we ordered another---SURPRISE!!---they gave us more bacon. (Don't expect it if you go, though. They said it was a lot of work to offer it. But if you ask, tell them Jennifer Hudson sent you. ) The whole time we were there they all just had the most amazing fun happy attitudes amongst themselves and the customers. You could tell that most of the people in there were regulars. We would be regulars too if we lived closer. Five stars for atmosphere and service. Oh, the food? I had the biscuits and gravy and it wasn't as good as I make but hubby's garbage plate was pretty damn good and the homemade bread was amazing. And of course the drinks were great. So I give the food four stars. So overall I'd say 4.5 but I'll err on the lower side until we go back again. read more

Franks Diner - Jalapeno bacon sample for my bloody Mary! - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Finally managed to try another of Triple D's suggestions, and once again I was more than pleasantly surprised! Having grown up in K town am surprised that this was my first time at Frank's but it certainly won't be the last! For a "greasy spoon" diner, all of the food we sampled was fresh, delicious, homemade goodness with attention to detail that just can't be beat. Getting close to closing time and the staff is a big part of what really took the experience over the top! Super friendly and personable with just enough snark that I wished I lived closer so this could be my neighborhood joint and these people my new friends! Really can't recommend this little diner from 1926 enough! Get to Frank's ASAP! read more

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My brother and I took a 2 hour drive on our vacation day July 3rd from northeastern Wisconsin to Franks diner and Mars Cheese Castle and headed back thru Milwaukee for a day road trip. Saw Franks diner on a food show so thought a great place to have breakfast on our work day off. Got there and really unique, neat homey place. I would say not handicap accessible due to age of building. Very short stairs with restroom in basement and not real accessible for handicapped. If I was a local it would be a great place to walk to often and reasonable prices. Saw the history in building with pictures etc. Our waitress came by and we ordered 1 garbage plate and decided to share it and I asked for a coffee. Wasn't overly busy on a Wednesday at 10:45 am. We waited and no coffee. I flagged down a waiter and no problem got my coffee. We waited and waited. I took a pic of building on the outside at time was 10:46. After 30+ minutes and booth behind us that arrived about 20 minutes later got their breakfast I went to counter. She was busy talking/socializing to a customer and waited to acknowledge me and I asked about our breakfast. She said ours was next in line but saw it was precooked on grill cut in sections. Another waitress brought our food and we also noticed a family at counter staring at her also waiting for service. No apology from our waitress. Food was good and really a neat place but employees should take pride to work in a nice historic diner like this. read more

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A local gem to say the least. Good food, great quantity for the price, kind staff, best homemade cinnamon roll I've ever had on this side of eternity. read more

Franks Diner - Homemade cinnamon roll (smothered in icing) - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Ok, This is an experience that everyone should have! An authentic diner from days past. We sat at the counter crowded in with others while the staff hustled their butts off making sure that everyone was being served. We sat right in front of the grill and watched the chef cook enormous amounts of food! Watching her crack the eggs one handed then dropping the shells in one motion was quite entertaining. I had the bacon and cheese omelette and my wife had the eggs Benedict. Far too much to eat but very tasty. A tip would be go early as the line was out the door when we left and standing room only inside. Go to this slice of Americana, support places like this and keep the traditions alive for those who follow us! read more

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Frank's diner and can't wait to come back. The staff was awesome. We started with a cinnamon roll to share. Probably one of the best cinnamon rolls I have had, and if you had Ann Sather's Cinnamon rolls in Chicago, you know good cinnamon rolls! We loved our garbage plates, we both got the half size. Their homemade bread was delicious. I ate about half of mine and my husband who is a 6'2" former college athlete had a hard time finishing his full plate but he did. The restaurant is tight, we opted for the first available seating so we sat at the bar which was great and we had fun laughing and talking about the old school pictures, jokes on the walls and the variety of bobble heads on display. To top it off, they served tequila shots to everyone at 11:30. I'm not sure if that is typical or special occasion but that was fun! Get there early and get your name on the list, our wait was only about 30 minutes but being downtown Kenosha and right by the lake you can get in a nice walk while you wait. read more

There's very little I can say about this place that just requires you to experience it yourself. It's quite the time! Attentive-hilarious staff, great food and drinks, and the ambience is out of the world adding so much to the over all experience. We had a garbage plate and pancakes -- out of this world and on another level than just your typical diner. Be prepared as the diner is cash only but there's an ATM available. Would love to go back and highly recommend. read more

Franks Diner - Diners Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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