Service was a little off, first choice was not available, although food was still excellent
Preston Fowler
My wife and I recently visited J Frank after hearing great things and having it on our list for a while. We made the short trip to Bristol with high expectations, and while there were certainly highlights, the overall experience was a bit underwhelming.
We started with the trout dip, which was delicious and easily the standout dish of the evening for me. The cocktails were decent—not exceptional, but still enjoyable.
For my entrée, I ordered the 14 oz. New York strip, which came with a Caesar salad and duck fat roasted potatoes. Unfortunately, the Caesar salad was surprisingly basic, lacking the depth of flavor I typically expect from a fine dining establishment. The steak itself was overcooked and didn’t carry the richness or seasoning I had hoped for. On a more positive note, the potatoes were excellent—crispy, flavorful, and well-prepared.
My wife chose the sirloin and crab cake entrée with creamed corn. Her sirloin was cooked beautifully and packed with flavor—she considered it the highlight of her meal. However, the creamed corn had an overpowering nutmeg flavor that didn’t quite work for her palate.
For dessert, I ordered the crème brûlée. It was good, though at a $10 price point, it didn’t quite stand out in the way we hoped.
Overall, our experience was good but fell short of the elevated expectations we had going in. That said, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was charming and well-executed. While it may not become a regular spot for us, we wouldn’t rule out giving J Frank another try in the future.
James Knipper
As others have stated, the food isn't what it should be for the cost. We went for our anniversary. We waited over an hour for our entree to come out. Our server kept telling us that it was coming out soon. What's strange is that we were one of three tables at the restaurant. My wife and I both ordered the filet and crab. When the food finally came out, it wasn't even hot. Honestly, my wife cooks better steaks at home. We could have gone to Texas Roadhouse and had a better meal for 1/4 the cost. We won't be back.
Sherrie Long
Went for Father's day brunch. It was a buffet, and the food was fantastic!
April Lauren
We love J. Franks, amazing atmosphere & food.
Laura Tester
We came for our anniversary. I asked about specials he said he didn’t think there where any specials , come to find out there where specials but our server Jarrod said there where none . I have eaten here a lot but worse service ever .
Cody LaMountain
Peacefulness
Jennifer Etheridge
My steak was overcooked. Six of us ate there and the four of us who ate the salad were sick for 2 days. I'm talking violently ill. I won't be back.
L. Lewis
Perfect service Haley!
Traci Stillwagon
so it’s nice in here and they’re nice but we got here at 6:20 and we made a reservation we sat down and we are still here at 7:57 and still don’t have our food. we came here before prom and we are going to be late because they messed up our order and waited to tell us. they are also very rough with their tables and chairs it sounded like a earthquake when they took apart a table
We dined here this evening for my mother's birthday while shes in town visiting. The cocktails were excellent, our server was wonderful, crab hush puppies were very good though the dipping sauce was very spicy. The steaks were cooked properly but lacked flavor. The sides left much to be desired, mashed potatoes had a strange aftertaste and my cake and steak Oscar was delivered not in the nicely stacked way it was supposed to be, the waiter explained "it wouldn't stay stacked". There was some unidentifiable crumbly stuff that i think was supposed to be my crab cake but did not have any resemblance of a crab cake and was so spicy I could barely eat it. The sprouts were very hard but had a nice flavor. Everything was overall just ok, nothing to be wowed about. I had much higher expectations for this place, kind of disappointed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Hush Puppies
William Pate
Celebrated a special night out, and dinner more than met our expectations. The food and service was top notch!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cesar Salad, Cake and Steak Oscar, Smashed Potatoes
Brad Smith
Great experience! Best crab cakes I’ve had. Steaks were all cooked perfectly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mandy B
Me and my wife were attending a comedy show at Paramount Theatre on Sept 28th at 9:30pm and wanted to enjoy a nice romantic dinner beforehand. I looked at many different restaurant options in and around Bristol when I stumbled upon J Frank. Based on the reviews, both good and bad, and the menu options, I decided I’d give them a chance and make us reservations for 7pm.
Upon arriving 5 minutes early for our reservation, we were greeted at the host stand by Chris who sat us at a table in the first room to your right just as you walk in. At that point, we were unsure of Chris’ primary role in the restaurant. The other servers were dressed in all black, while Chris was wearing a white shirt and black pants. Maybe he was the host, maybe the Manager or possibly part of the kitchen staff. Either way, it didn’t matter at that point. As we took our seats, the atmosphere seemed nice and there were a couple of other tables also seated in this room. We were seated without menus, but Chris fetched us dinner and drink menus and said he’d give us a couple of minutes to look things over. So, turns out Chris is our server! Within the “couple of minutes” we were left to look over the menus, 3 other tables came in, were seated and had drinks on the table. We still hadn’t seen Chris again or been given the opportunity to order drinks, alcoholic or not. Chris finally returned, we each ordered a drink from the drink menu, an Old Fashioned and a Grapefruit Crush. We also went ahead and put in an order for a couple of appetizers, the Baked Brie and the Oysters Rockefeller. Chris returned with our drinks and let us know that our appetizer order was placed. The Grapefruit Crush was delicious, but the Old Fashioned was a little strong for my taste (could have just been a cheap bourbon). A few minutes pass and Chris returns with our Baked Brie, but no Oysters Rockefeller. He tells us that the Oysters Rockefeller typically comes with 6 oysters, but they only had 4 in house. So, they were going to give us the Oysters Rockefeller with only 4 and not charge us, a nice gesture. We enjoyed the Baked Brie, which was delicious, and once finished the Oysters Rockefeller were delivered to the table. They were extremely hot and we enjoyed them as well. We went ahead and placed our entree orders, The Jumbo Crab Cakes with Pimento Grits as the side and The 18oz Ribeye Steak, rare, with Brussels, Roasted Potatoes and the House Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette dressing. The salad came out first and was a bit bland, even with the dressing. After adding some lemon juice (from the lemon on the Oyster Rockefeller), salt and pepper it was enjoyable. Our entrees were delivered to the table and looked good…not overly gorgeous plates, but ok. The Crab Cakes were spicy! And, when I say spicy, I mean nearly inedible. I like a good spice, but I don’t feel it belongs in a Crab Cake. The Pimento Grits were cold (refrigerator cold) when arriving at the table. Chris got us a fresh side of grits which were hot, but lacked the flavor I’d hoped for in the Pimento Grits. As for the Ribeye, it was cooked beautifully, but it could have done without the Chimichurri on top. It had a sour flavor that added nothing to enhance the flavor of the steak. The roasted potatoes were more like breakfast potatoes and the Brussels, although a little greasy, were tasty.
Long story short, our dining experience wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had, but it was far from what I had expected when making the reservation. I really wanted to enjoy the atmosphere, the service and the food, but I think there are far better places to eat at this price point and don’t plan to return for another visit.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Sara Morelock
Delicious food, great atmosphere, close to downtown Bristol, and exceptional service! Thank you, Haley, for taking great care of us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cake and Steak Oscar, Crab Hush Puppies
Service was a little off, first choice was not available, although food was still excellent
My wife and I recently visited J Frank after hearing great things and having it on our list for a while. We made the short trip to Bristol with high expectations, and while there were certainly highlights, the overall experience was a bit underwhelming.
We started with the trout dip, which was delicious and easily the standout dish of the evening for me. The cocktails were decent—not exceptional, but still enjoyable.
For my entrée, I ordered the 14 oz. New York strip, which came with a Caesar salad and duck fat roasted potatoes. Unfortunately, the Caesar salad was surprisingly basic, lacking the depth of flavor I typically expect from a fine dining establishment. The steak itself was overcooked and didn’t carry the richness or seasoning I had hoped for. On a more positive note, the potatoes were excellent—crispy, flavorful, and well-prepared.
My wife chose the sirloin and crab cake entrée with creamed corn. Her sirloin was cooked beautifully and packed with flavor—she considered it the highlight of her meal. However, the creamed corn had an overpowering nutmeg flavor that didn’t quite work for her palate.
For dessert, I ordered the crème brûlée. It was good, though at a $10 price point, it didn’t quite stand out in the way we hoped.
Overall, our experience was good but fell short of the elevated expectations we had going in. That said, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was charming and well-executed. While it may not become a regular spot for us, we wouldn’t rule out giving J Frank another try in the future.
As others have stated, the food isn't what it should be for the cost. We went for our anniversary. We waited over an hour for our entree to come out. Our server kept telling us that it was coming out soon. What's strange is that we were one of three tables at the restaurant. My wife and I both ordered the filet and crab. When the food finally came out, it wasn't even hot. Honestly, my wife cooks better steaks at home. We could have gone to Texas Roadhouse and had a better meal for 1/4 the cost. We won't be back.
Went for Father's day brunch. It was a buffet, and the food was fantastic!
We love J. Franks, amazing atmosphere & food.
We came for our anniversary. I asked about specials he said he didn’t think there where any specials , come to find out there where specials but our server Jarrod said there where none . I have eaten here a lot but worse service ever .
Peacefulness
My steak was overcooked. Six of us ate there and the four of us who ate the salad were sick for 2 days. I'm talking violently ill. I won't be back.
Perfect service Haley!
so it’s nice in here and they’re nice but we got here at 6:20 and we made a reservation we sat down and we are still here at 7:57 and still don’t have our food. we came here before prom and we are going to be late because they messed up our order and waited to tell us. they are also very rough with their tables and chairs it sounded like a earthquake when they took apart a table
Restaurantji Recommends
We dined here this evening for my mother's birthday while shes in town visiting. The cocktails were excellent, our server was wonderful, crab hush puppies were very good though the dipping sauce was very spicy. The steaks were cooked properly but lacked flavor. The sides left much to be desired, mashed potatoes had a strange aftertaste and my cake and steak Oscar was delivered not in the nicely stacked way it was supposed to be, the waiter explained "it wouldn't stay stacked". There was some unidentifiable crumbly stuff that i think was supposed to be my crab cake but did not have any resemblance of a crab cake and was so spicy I could barely eat it. The sprouts were very hard but had a nice flavor. Everything was overall just ok, nothing to be wowed about. I had much higher expectations for this place, kind of disappointed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Hush Puppies
Celebrated a special night out, and dinner more than met our expectations. The food and service was top notch!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cesar Salad, Cake and Steak Oscar, Smashed Potatoes
Great experience! Best crab cakes I’ve had. Steaks were all cooked perfectly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Me and my wife were attending a comedy show at Paramount Theatre on Sept 28th at 9:30pm and wanted to enjoy a nice romantic dinner beforehand. I looked at many different restaurant options in and around Bristol when I stumbled upon J Frank. Based on the reviews, both good and bad, and the menu options, I decided I’d give them a chance and make us reservations for 7pm.
Upon arriving 5 minutes early for our reservation, we were greeted at the host stand by Chris who sat us at a table in the first room to your right just as you walk in. At that point, we were unsure of Chris’ primary role in the restaurant. The other servers were dressed in all black, while Chris was wearing a white shirt and black pants. Maybe he was the host, maybe the Manager or possibly part of the kitchen staff. Either way, it didn’t matter at that point. As we took our seats, the atmosphere seemed nice and there were a couple of other tables also seated in this room. We were seated without menus, but Chris fetched us dinner and drink menus and said he’d give us a couple of minutes to look things over. So, turns out Chris is our server! Within the “couple of minutes” we were left to look over the menus, 3 other tables came in, were seated and had drinks on the table. We still hadn’t seen Chris again or been given the opportunity to order drinks, alcoholic or not. Chris finally returned, we each ordered a drink from the drink menu, an Old Fashioned and a Grapefruit Crush. We also went ahead and put in an order for a couple of appetizers, the Baked Brie and the Oysters Rockefeller. Chris returned with our drinks and let us know that our appetizer order was placed. The Grapefruit Crush was delicious, but the Old Fashioned was a little strong for my taste (could have just been a cheap bourbon). A few minutes pass and Chris returns with our Baked Brie, but no Oysters Rockefeller. He tells us that the Oysters Rockefeller typically comes with 6 oysters, but they only had 4 in house. So, they were going to give us the Oysters Rockefeller with only 4 and not charge us, a nice gesture. We enjoyed the Baked Brie, which was delicious, and once finished the Oysters Rockefeller were delivered to the table. They were extremely hot and we enjoyed them as well. We went ahead and placed our entree orders, The Jumbo Crab Cakes with Pimento Grits as the side and The 18oz Ribeye Steak, rare, with Brussels, Roasted Potatoes and the House Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette dressing. The salad came out first and was a bit bland, even with the dressing. After adding some lemon juice (from the lemon on the Oyster Rockefeller), salt and pepper it was enjoyable. Our entrees were delivered to the table and looked good…not overly gorgeous plates, but ok. The Crab Cakes were spicy! And, when I say spicy, I mean nearly inedible. I like a good spice, but I don’t feel it belongs in a Crab Cake. The Pimento Grits were cold (refrigerator cold) when arriving at the table. Chris got us a fresh side of grits which were hot, but lacked the flavor I’d hoped for in the Pimento Grits. As for the Ribeye, it was cooked beautifully, but it could have done without the Chimichurri on top. It had a sour flavor that added nothing to enhance the flavor of the steak. The roasted potatoes were more like breakfast potatoes and the Brussels, although a little greasy, were tasty.
Long story short, our dining experience wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had, but it was far from what I had expected when making the reservation. I really wanted to enjoy the atmosphere, the service and the food, but I think there are far better places to eat at this price point and don’t plan to return for another visit.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Delicious food, great atmosphere, close to downtown Bristol, and exceptional service! Thank you, Haley, for taking great care of us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cake and Steak Oscar, Crab Hush Puppies
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