The Franklin restaurant gets a lot of love from the area and Yelp reviews especially regarding their famous fries that they run out of during dinner service. We stopped in to try them as we love oysters, the cocktails looked good online, and who doesn't want to try famous fries! Overall, this was a miss for me on our trip to Portsmouth. Service was nice and food came out quickly but nothing blew us away. The cocktails were okay. I didn't love the rum cocktail I got, it had a tangy after feel that kept me drinking my water after each sip. Not a great thing. Not every cocktail is a win and I kept an open mindset for our food. The fries- they are good, very good in fact. I preface this by saying I am not a fry person so they got high marks as far as how nicely fried they were, perfectly salted, and soft inside. The malt aioli was also great! We tried two of each of the three kinds of grilled oysters they had. I only liked one- it was a pesto one. The other two were not good. The bacon maple one had too much bacon and too much maple syrup making the oyster not really present. The corn relish one- just not good. Corn was a little hard and chewy and again took away from the star- the oyster. I wish we had gotten more of the pesto one which had a small amount of sauce and allowed the oyster to shine. Our dozen raw oysters were just okay as well. Quite a few had shell bits and grit still in them so not cleaned well and just overall okay. For a place that is known for oysters we left not impressed. Sorry Franklin, have to be honest in my review. read more

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Came here for the oysters and happy hour (even on Saturday). We were able to get the end of it and snuck in some oysters and wine. Oysters were fantastic and the atmosphere was great, even for a rainy Saturday! . read more

The Franklin - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I can't speak for the rest of the menu but the oysters were fabulous! Plus a great deal at happy hour only $2 each. Despite being busy the service was friendly and efficient. The environment is warm and inviting. I'm looking forward to dining here again and experiencing more of their menu read more

The Franklin - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Great oyster happy hour - We sat at the bar for just half a dozen oysters, but we had to get another 6 because they were so good. $2 oysters for happy hour! Nice staff, good bar to sit at for drinks and bites. read more

We had a really nice meal here. The happy hour oysters were an amazing bargain. We had the fries which were the best thick cut fries I've had in a while, crispy on the outside and creamy inside. If you like the thin kind only, now you know. The server was friendly and efficient, a pleasant experience overall. read more

Made a RSVP for oysters before our dinner reservation and in hindsight we wish we stayed here for dinner instead! ---oysters: so fresh and they have happy hour oysters that were yummy! ---fish tacos: took a little time to come out but these were yummy! The hubby even enjoyed them even though he doesn't like corn tortillas If were back in town, we will have to come back and try their other dishes read more

The Franklin - Fresh oysters - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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I came here with my friend for happy hour oysters on a Sunday afternoon. Their HH oysters are $2 a piece and quality was decent. My only complaint (as well as my friend's) is that when they shucked the oysters, they didn't remove the bottom attachment of oyster itself. We also got the fries as they were highly recommended to me. Decent fries with dipping sauce! Definitely a nice spot and would be interested in trying their other menu selections in the future. read more

The Franklin - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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A cute little Oyster Bar in Portsmouth. We bellied up and had a Happy Hour selection of Oysters with different sauces. It was a learning experience for me, as I have never indulged in the Oyster scene before. I now know that there are several different varieties of oysters from all over the world. However if you ask me to pick out a favorite, I wouldn't have a clue. Nonetheless, it was a good experience for both of us. read more

I love coming to The Franklin. A nice small space with attentive service. I regularly get the raw oysters. They have a $2 shuck happy hour from 4p-6p. Hot food is great, pricey for portions but commiserate with all the other "bougie" Portsmouth restaurants. Pictured in this review is the steak and the broccoli app. Very tasty very good. We also got the dessert special which was a peach pound cake and that was perfect. read more

The Franklin - Peach Pound Cake Dessert - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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This spot is a must try when in Portsmouth. The staff is incredible, everyone I had an interaction with was welcoming and friendly. Waters were being filled up without asking by time you got to a half glass. Everyone was on point. Drinks- Tamarind Margarita was good but then I got a spicy margarita that hit the spot, made with homemade Ghost pepper tincture, just right. Zack was a great. The food was amazing. I've added pictures for an idea but it was very tasty. I had the Flat Iron steak with Purple potato Puree, fresh mushrooms sourced locally, broccoli, carrots. My buddy had the Chicken and waffles and they may have been the best chicken and waffles I've tried. The Franklin Fries were sooo good. If you don't stop by, you're missing out! read more

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Came in just for the Oysters. I'm from Texas so couldn't help myself. Great service and atmosphere. Highly recommend for the delicious Oysters read more

The Franklin - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Do NOT miss The Franklin if you're in Portsmouth. Incredible food and drinks, the kindest staff you'll ever encounter, and just an incredible vibe. The oyster happy hour is one of the greatest deals in town. Sit at the bar and watch the shucker do his thing - the oysters will be in front of you seconds later with a great variety of sauces. And OMG the fries. It's no wonder that the menu says they're available "until sold out." On top of the food, everyone was incredibly friendly, both while I dined and especially after, when I realized I had left my credit card there. My boneheaded move, but when I called the following day, Brendan could not have been kinder in making arrangements to get it back to me. The Franklin is my new go-to place in Portsmouth for sure! read more

While the menu is only one page, The Franklin offers something for everyone and encourages sharing of both their small and large plates. Oysters are fresh and plentiful, 'nduja Toast original, potato leek soup tasty and the highlight was the new cod dish (not even listed on their website) served over soup will have you licking the plate! Service was friends and attentive. The only con is the atmosphere - the restaurant doesn't feel warm - loved the tin ceiling but the decor is kind of all over the place. That won't deter us from going back as the food is what is important and it was the star!!!! read more

Wandering through Portsmouth and noticed the mellow and tasteful vibes of the Franklin, we stopped in for some "shuckers dozen" locally sourced oysters (fantastic) and their famous "Franklin Fries". These were incredible and makes sense why they caveat with "while supplies last" as I'd imagine they sell out quick- for good reason! Their restaurant week menu looked amazing- will definitely return (with an appetite beyond appetizers)! read more

The Franklin - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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This place is a hidden gem! Absolutely the best servers, phenomenal chef. The atmosphere is better than it should be. The bartender pours some me of the best drinks in New England. I will never not come here. read more

I can see why this restaurant got such rave reviews, but I'm not sure if I'd go again. The french fries that everyone raved about were a real disappointment. The salmon and green beans were very good. Things seems a little pricey, but that's to be expected especially in this vacation town. I'd try somewhere else next time we visit. read more

Excellent service and quality food! Reservation is a must. You can make reservations through their website https://franklinrestaurant.com. They do $1.25 oysters everyday from 4-6pm. I originally heard about this place from friends who said this place has amazing fries. I was skeptical at first. What could be so special about fries? Since I was going there for their oyster happy hour anyways, I decided to try it out and wow, I was impressed! The Franklin Fries were cut in thick long batons, crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They tasted great on their own but even better with the two sauces that they came with: sriracha aioli and malt vinegar aioli. This is a must get when you come here! As for the oysters, they had 3 selections for happy hour: Pirates Cove, Pleasure Bay, Wellfleet (I'm sure these selections would change depending on when you go). We ordered 8 of each and we liked Wellfleet the best. Everything was shucked and cleaned pretty well. They even offer horseradish with the oysters. Overall, I had an enjoyable experience. I would definitely go back to try some of their other dishes. read more

The Franklin - Happy Hour Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Inattention to basics... Our steak fries were refrigerator cold, the Ceasar Salad very bland - think supermarket salad bar - and the fries while OK lacked salt. The appetizer was also clearly something that sat for a long time post preparation. Our server didn't know what was in it! read more

Such a cute historical little restaurant. Definitely take advantage of their happy hour! 3 Rotating Oysters for $1.50 each, pair it with their $5 bubbly or featured cocktail. Always a good time and great selection at this place. My favorite oysters are the sunken meadow oysters from Eastham, MA! read more

The Franklin - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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A little pricy for the dive bar vibe, but the staff was friendly and super helpful and the oysters and drinks were good. I'd skip the tacos though. read more

Came in with the family for $2 oysters happy hour. Bar was filling up but the dining room was empty. Host was unfriendly. But the server saved the day with outstanding service. We had oysters and fries and went on for dinner at Row 34. The ambiance is bar, not family. Think date night or guys night out. read more

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I was disappointed in The Franklin, a newish addition to Portsmouth's gastro pub scene. I ordered a margarita and a dozen oysters and though the service was good, the food was not. The margarita was terrible. Not only was it not in a margarita glass, but it was on the rocks, not served with crushed ice and it just tasted terrible. Were they using a mix or something? I don't know. It was light and completely off flavor. Their specialty is... french fries?! Not sure what that is about. I guess the idea is that they think oysters with french fries are cool somehow; not sure I agree with that. The oysters were all very small and tasteless, basically terrible and a total waste of money. The ambiance was ok, mostly middle aged tourists (since it is summer here). I could see this place being a bit of a pick up joint in the off season. Any girl here will jump at the chance to go out with you because it will give her an excuse to avoid the bad food. read more

The Franklin seemed like the perfect place to have oysters while in New Hampshire. I came in for happy hour 4-6pm and was seated at the bar right away. My server was wonderful, very helpful and friendly. I had 2 kinds of oysters: the little bay beauties and the duxbury. The little bay beauties were delicious and local to NH. The duxbury oysters from Massachusetts were a little too salty for my taste. I also had the hush puppies, so good. Overall, a wonderful restaurant to try in Portsmouth. read more

The Franklin - Hushpuppies - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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I sat at the bar, and the food was generally quiet good. The oysters were great. The Franklin fries are special. They are large cut and twice fried, coming out crisp and warm. The mussels had excellent flavor, but quite a few were overcooked. A mussell is as large as its shell. To cook them properly, you must remove each as it opens and not leave them all cooking while waiting for the last to open. If you do not believe me, open a dozen live mussells. Then, if not convinced, I can demonstrate. Like any other cooked food, appropriate attention is required. read more

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This is the kind of place you're looking for. Fantastic service....fantastic. The food was excellent. Enough said. read more

The Franklin - Hand cut fries - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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The service provided by everyone was superb! The three stars are for the servers who went out of their way to make me feel welcome. It's all about the food and I must say that I was disappointed in a few things. First the good points - the oysters. They were fresh and delicious, this is coming from a person who doesn't eat them raw. I wanted them fried or grilled, ordered them that way only to be told they were NOT serving them fried or grilled yet it's on the menu. Huge disappointment but trying them fresh was a total turn on to the raw experience! I ordered fish tacos and what I believed to be - crab cakes. Turns out they were arancini crab cakes. The menu said lump crabmeat with aioli. They were nothing but flavorless mushy rice, no lump crab I could find and the outer breading was so hard that I could literally scrap the rice out of them because I couldn't eat the hard outer breading. The fish tacos were flavorless and fried too hard as well. I also ordered home cut fries and yes they were too browned and not flavorful. I arrived at happy hour and enjoyed the $5 sparkling wine (server called it champagne), ok. I mentioned the concern regarding the crab cakes and the manager was kind enough to remove it from my check (I didn't ask, and would have paid), and he also explained that the menus description is in need of an upgrade. I was so excited to eat here and waited for them to open, arrived at exactly 4pm and didn't get the food experience I hoped for. The presentation was lovely, and I took a few pics. I might go back for drinks and oysters only. read more

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Oysters were fantastic. Both are burgers were cooked perfectly and we were stuffed by the time we got halfway through them. Drinks were lovely and the service was definitely top notch. read more

Great service and oysters! More to come . Wish we had made reservations here. We will be back read more

The Franklin - Bar - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Since living in Portsmouth, the Franklin has quickly become a regular spot that I love to go to. Mostly, I come here for the one of the best happy hours in Portsmouth! From 5-6pm, you can get $5 sparkling wine or bloody Maries, and they feature three of their oyster selections for half off ($1.50). The oysters are fresh and for the price, it's well worth it! I have tried a variety of other things on the menu. The fish tacos are terrific, their brussel sprouts are delicious, and the hush puppies are awesome. They also have a great beer list and cocktail offerings. One of the things that I particularly appreciate is that they offer mocktails...and they are not preset. You can indicate that you like sweet, sour, fruity, etc. and they will whip you up a mocktail to your liking. Why not 5 stars? For a place that I really love, service can be okay. There have been quite a few times where the service is slow or inattentive, even when the establishment is not very busy. If this evened itself out, this would definitely be a 5 star rating, however, I will certainly continue to come back. read more

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Super delicious and friendly. We are not the biggest fan of raw oysters but they are always willing to guide us in the right direction of what to try. The best news in they have so much more than just their raw offerings. Their food is always hot and fresh with great options. Oh and I have to say they have my favorite French fries if the Seacoast. Super crispy on the outside, super fluffy on the inside, and house made aïoli rounds it out. Do yourself a favor and try them! One of our favorite date night spots. read more

I love the small plate options and great cocktails. We had great service and the food is delicious. read more

The Franklin - I finished up with a local brew! - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Meh... service at the bar was slooooowww! And the restaurant and bar were not even busy. Believe me, I have waited tables many places. I understand that service can be questionable when you're hopping. However, for the restaurant to be dead and to not even be greeted within 5-10 minutes is unacceptable. Steer clear! read more

The Franklin - Menu 10/6/18 - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Stopped in for happy hour on a Friday. There was a small line at opening but plenty of seating is available at the bar, in and outside. We chose to sit outside as the weather was beautiful. Three of us enjoyed 3 dozen oysters, 2 orders of fries and some drinks. I have to say the fries were the best thing eaten and are actually worth the $9 price tag. Oysters were on the whole, good, though the shucking could use some improvement. Too many shell bits, still connected oysters and a few that should have been discarded for being anemic and sad looking. Service was very friendly too. read more

They had good service... and the oysters were fresh and tasty. Unfortunately the positivity kind of ends there.. the bartender Danny was great, he was knowledgeable about the menu and drinks. I had an espresso martini first, it was very cinnamon forward. We ordered the monkfish stew, the broccoli, and mussels. The monkfish was overcooked.. and instead of being pieces in the stew it was like one large chunk of overcooked fish. The sausage was plentiful but overpowered the stew. Less sausage more fish. The broccoli was flavorful and cooked well but it had a TON of sauce. A white sauce all underneath and on the plate- it was overwhelming. The mussels were fine, not bad, just very average and forgettable. The oysters were the highlight they just had a lot of shell, so the shuck wasn't great but they still tasted extremely fresh. read more

From the minute you walk into The Franklin you feel the warmth of the space. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly. We ate everything and it was flippin amazing - I took my sister and her husband here and his eyes lit up when he caught site of the selection of oysters! He still talks about The Franklin and makes me take him there every time they are in town. read more

everything was absolutely amazing. Most delicious meal. Everything was perfect from the drink down to the french fries I can not recommend this place more!! staff was great too!! read more

The Franklin - Half eaten shishito peppers - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Incredibly fresh & delicious food, good quality of service. Atmosphere was also nice.

The only thing 'odd' about this restaurant is the hostess (this is consistent). Why do I feel like an unwanted guest everytime I enter this restaurant? Get by the hostess- and the food is superb. The waitstaff are smart and fun. Everything is delicious here. Except the troll who guards the door.?. read more

The best Bloody Mary's and Happy Hour oysters. They have a good selection of small plates and excellent cocktails read more

The Franklin - Happy hour oysters - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Best Bloody Mary in the world!!! The Franklin is "wicked awesome"!!! The food and drinks are fantastic! The service is top notch too!! read more

The Franklin - Empty glass from Bloody Mary - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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