The food was cooked perfectly. The service was excellent. A great evening. Thanks
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rick Beyer
My wife and I dropped in early for dinner on a Tuesday night, and were lucky to get a table. (Make reservations.) The main room is smallish, but even when it was busy, it wasn't super noisy. In fact, there was live music - a jazz duo of string bass and clarinet - that was amazing.
I had their special Manhattan, which was good but not to my liking. We split the arugula salad, which was tasty. I loved the morsel of fried goat cheese.
We also split a bowl if the fish chowder, which was delicious. The fish chunks were substantial, and the over all flavor was subtle, with a touch of heat (maybe white pepper?). I would order this.
For dinner, my wife ordered the pan seared cod, which was concealed between a generous portion of mashed potatoes and a pile of oyster mushrooms on top. The mushrooms were especially good, and basically stole the show (over the cod).
I had the hanger steak and truffle fries. Id probably swap the fries for a different side, but the steak itself was delicious. It had substantial bark/sear and was still very tender.
All in all, we had a great meal. The food was delicious ans the vibe was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jessica Grant
The food overall was delicious, especially the fish chowder. Service was very friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was disappointing and not what we were expecting. The restaurant is tiny and tables are very close together (especially in the middle where we were seated). In addition to feeling cramped, it was really loud. It wasn't the relaxing dining experience we were hoping for, especially for the price.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 5
Doug Lewis
Very good food, especially the appetizers, and good service. Very nice atmosphere.
Valentina Doren
Went to dinner here and got their tuna tartar special and the pasta special which was linguini and white clam sauce. The tuna tartar was way too salty to the point I couldn’t finish it and had to just have the waitress take it back which she was very nice about it. For the linguini in white clam sauce. The pasta itself was good and obviously homemade. But the sauce was very bland. Couldn’t taste the white wine or the garlic. Just very eh. My boyfriend had their shrimp, rise, and tropical salsa special and he loved it and I tried some and it was very good. So I would say this place seems like you could have very good food or very eh/bad food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Craig Shames
We always loved the South End location of Franklin. The Gloucester spot was actually our first meal out after the pandemic, I’ve always appreciated how beautifully designed and built it is.
Unfortunately, this visit was a rough outing.
Service was inconsistent. While our main server was kind and tried her best, there were a number of issues. We had our kids with us, which can be challenging, so we specifically asked for everything to come out ASAP, no coursing. They don’t have a kids’ menu, which was surprising, but we made do with custom orders. Still, food came out late and disorganized. Identical dishes were served more than five minutes apart—twice. One child’s meal came out first, as it should, but the second never arrived until we pressed for it, and by then we were already done. We had to take it to go, leaving our three-year-old hungry at the table.
When we asked about the staggered entrées and the missing child’s meal, we were told the kitchen thought some were meant as appetizers and others as mains—directly contradicting our request not to be coursed.
The food runners also had a trainee with them. While training is expected, the trainer loudly pointed out each seat and person as they passed, which disrupted the meal. It would have been better to quietly let the table know someone was in training and show more discretion. To make matters worse, the trainee came across as rude.
The food, was fine overall. The steamed dumplings were under-seasoned, but otherwise there were no major complaints, though nothing really stood out either.
All in all, this visit was disappointing. Between the kitchen delays, the miscommunication, and the service issues, it felt like a miss from a place we usually enjoy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Dr. Angelique Barbara
We stopped in and sat at the bar for drinks and an appetizer. We had the zucchini appetizer and it was healthy, tasty and unique. We’re looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carol Oconnell
Waited a long time for waitress to come over and even longer wait after we put our order in to get our food. Was not the best experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Michael Colby
Our food was cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. We tried 5 other dinner places in town and none of them came close to the Franklin.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Salih Bicerr
My girlfriend ordered sushi but it wasn't fresh I ordered a burger and asked for it to be well cooked but they brought it burnt and the frise was not very fresh but the decoration and interior design is very nice and the waiters inside are friendly
We hit all the top restaurants in Gloucester. Franklins is the best!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kornelia
We arrived in Gloucester after a long drive from nyc on a friday evening, absolutely starving and looking for dinner around 9pm. Most restaurants had already closed for the night, and we were about ready to give up when we thankfully found Franklin Cape Ann. This small, cozy restaurant welcomed us even at that late hour.
At first they brought out fresh bread before our appetizer, which was very nice. The grilled octopus was excellent. I had the pasta of the day with perfectly cooked shrimp. My dad got the sautéed mussels, and my brother went for the fresh ground sirloin burger with fries. Everything was perfect and delicious. So happy we found this place - it really saved the night!
Sneha Patel Campanella
Amazing, fresh, must try!
Josh Eastburn
Great food and atmosphere. They did an excellent job of accommodating our milk, egg, and nut allergies with plenty of options to choose from, including dessert.
Tracy Silveira
Not impressed. First off they serve cold bread to the table. Drinks were okay. My meal came out on the cold side, asked to have it warmed up. The people I was with were almost done with their meals by the time my meal came out from being heated in the microwave. My steak was dry and couldn't eat it. Don't waste your money, totally not worth it!
The food was cooked perfectly. The service was excellent. A great evening.
Thanks
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife and I dropped in early for dinner on a Tuesday night, and were lucky to get a table. (Make reservations.) The main room is smallish, but even when it was busy, it wasn't super noisy. In fact, there was live music - a jazz duo of string bass and clarinet - that was amazing.
I had their special Manhattan, which was good but not to my liking. We split the arugula salad, which was tasty. I loved the morsel of fried goat cheese.
We also split a bowl if the fish chowder, which was delicious. The fish chunks were substantial, and the over all flavor was subtle, with a touch of heat (maybe white pepper?). I would order this.
For dinner, my wife ordered the pan seared cod, which was concealed between a generous portion of mashed potatoes and a pile of oyster mushrooms on top. The mushrooms were especially good, and basically stole the show (over the cod).
I had the hanger steak and truffle fries. Id probably swap the fries for a different side, but the steak itself was delicious. It had substantial bark/sear and was still very tender.
All in all, we had a great meal. The food was delicious ans the vibe was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food overall was delicious, especially the fish chowder. Service was very friendly and attentive.
The atmosphere was disappointing and not what we were expecting. The restaurant is tiny and tables are very close together (especially in the middle where we were seated). In addition to feeling cramped, it was really loud. It wasn't the relaxing dining experience we were hoping for, especially for the price.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 5
Very good food, especially the appetizers, and good service. Very nice atmosphere.
Went to dinner here and got their tuna tartar special and the pasta special which was linguini and white clam sauce. The tuna tartar was way too salty to the point I couldn’t finish it and had to just have the waitress take it back which she was very nice about it. For the linguini in white clam sauce. The pasta itself was good and obviously homemade. But the sauce was very bland. Couldn’t taste the white wine or the garlic. Just very eh. My boyfriend had their shrimp, rise, and tropical salsa special and he loved it and I tried some and it was very good. So I would say this place seems like you could have very good food or very eh/bad food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
We always loved the South End location of Franklin. The Gloucester spot was actually our first meal out after the pandemic, I’ve always appreciated how beautifully designed and built it is.
Unfortunately, this visit was a rough outing.
Service was inconsistent. While our main server was kind and tried her best, there were a number of issues. We had our kids with us, which can be challenging, so we specifically asked for everything to come out ASAP, no coursing. They don’t have a kids’ menu, which was surprising, but we made do with custom orders. Still, food came out late and disorganized. Identical dishes were served more than five minutes apart—twice. One child’s meal came out first, as it should, but the second never arrived until we pressed for it, and by then we were already done. We had to take it to go, leaving our three-year-old hungry at the table.
When we asked about the staggered entrées and the missing child’s meal, we were told the kitchen thought some were meant as appetizers and others as mains—directly contradicting our request not to be coursed.
The food runners also had a trainee with them. While training is expected, the trainer loudly pointed out each seat and person as they passed, which disrupted the meal. It would have been better to quietly let the table know someone was in training and show more discretion. To make matters worse, the trainee came across as rude.
The food, was fine overall. The steamed dumplings were under-seasoned, but otherwise there were no major complaints, though nothing really stood out either.
All in all, this visit was disappointing. Between the kitchen delays, the miscommunication, and the service issues, it felt like a miss from a place we usually enjoy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
We stopped in and sat at the bar for drinks and an appetizer. We had the zucchini appetizer and it was healthy, tasty and unique. We’re looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Waited a long time for waitress to come over and even longer wait after we put our order in to get our food. Was not the best experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Our food was cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. We tried 5 other dinner places in town and none of them came close to the Franklin.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My girlfriend ordered sushi but it wasn't fresh I ordered a burger and asked for it to be well cooked but they brought it burnt and the frise was not very fresh but the decoration and interior design is very nice and the waiters inside are friendly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We hit all the top restaurants in Gloucester.
Franklins is the best!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We arrived in Gloucester after a long drive from nyc on a friday evening, absolutely starving and looking for dinner around 9pm. Most restaurants had already closed for the night, and we were about ready to give up when we thankfully found Franklin Cape Ann. This small, cozy restaurant welcomed us even at that late hour.
At first they brought out fresh bread before our appetizer, which was very nice. The grilled octopus was excellent. I had the pasta of the day with perfectly cooked shrimp. My dad got the sautéed mussels, and my brother went for the fresh ground sirloin burger with fries. Everything was perfect and delicious. So happy we found this place - it really saved the night!
Amazing, fresh, must try!
Great food and atmosphere. They did an excellent job of accommodating our milk, egg, and nut allergies with plenty of options to choose from, including dessert.
Not impressed. First off they serve cold bread to the table. Drinks were okay. My meal came out on the cold side, asked to have it warmed up. The people I was with were almost done with their meals by the time my meal came out from being heated in the microwave. My steak was dry and couldn't eat it. Don't waste your money, totally not worth it!
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