Absolutely horrible experience. I've never walked out of a reservation, but we walked out after 20 minutes. There was an undisclosed preset menu, horrible ambiance, and bad service. It took 15 minutes for the waitress to come and ask us what we wanted to drink, but we had not been given a drink menu. After we decided on a bottle, we didn't see our waitress again. When we walked out, the hostess didn't even realize she had just sat us and told us “thank you for dining with us” instead of asking why we were leaving. We had been to trattoria da Franco before, and had a much better experience; but after this awful time, we will never be returning. Also - to set the scene, we were brought upstairs where it looked like all the reservations were brought. All the lights were on and it felt like a hospital waiting room. It was very awkward and quiet, with the exception of cheesy love songs playing in the background. Additionally, there was a giant TV with a video of a fireplace on a loop on a wall next to us. Everything felt cheesy and cheap.
Alexa
e menu requirement was ever mentioned. The prix fixe was listed as two appetizer options, three entrée options, and one dessert. I wanted to come here because reviews stated the pasta was good but the prix fixe didn't list any pasta or chicken options at all. When we first received our appetizer, the waiter brought out a steak entree as well, which obviously wasn't ours. After we finished our appetizers, we waited a long time between courses. While waiting, I could overhear that many other people were also dissatisfied—receiving wrong menu items, not getting service quickly, not receiving drink refills—the same issues that we were experiencing. We then received our entrées; we both ordered the filet mignon. What was served was NOT a filet mignon. It resembled more of a brisket rather than a filet mignon steak. When our entrées were finally collected, we awaited the dessert. After 25 minutes and multiple attempts of trying to flag someone down, we still never got the dessert. When we finally flagged someone down, we just asked for the check. When we finally received the check we saw how expensive the prix fixe menu was: $110pp. This place was outrageously priced for subpar food. Would not recommend coming here ever.
Mizna
Valentine's Day prefixed menu- no announcement at the time of reservation. Asked to see a full menu and server said I've just been notified by the owner only v-day menu. Messed up our entrees. Steak was undercooked and lobster scallops were overcooked. Did not bring my meal the entirety of dinner service- only brought my husband's steak back out. Rude, charged full price for a wasted night and awful service. Food was bland, rubber like and would never return here!
Anna
Honestly the service here was really really bad... food wasn't bad but also wasn't great, so overall would definitely not recommend.
Alan
Always a friendly and warm place to dine. Last night was quite disappointing. I had their seafood pasta special, Cleopatra, which was way overpriced. The mussels were tiny and overcooked, there were only two shrimp, and aside from an okay sauce - not much more. This alone will not stop me from returning - but I will need to be far more careful in ordering any “specials”.
Pete
Trattoria Da Franco is our go to place for Italian food when we have guests in from out of town. The food is excellent and the service is top notch. A favorite appetizer is the Mozzarella in Carozza. Although the specials sounded fantastic, I went with my favorite, Bucatini Carbonara. My wife had the veal saltimbocca and our friend chose the Penne Quattro Formaggi. We capped it off with a cannoli for dessert. All in all, a fantastic experience.
Judy
We had tickets to a 7 pm concert so we actually had the restaurant to ourselves for a good hour. What made the experience disappointing was the total lack of heat - it was 18* outside and the table near the fireplace was " reserved" so we were seated at a table away from the source of heat and had to wear our coats even though we gently announced several times that we were cold. Strangely we also had a handful of gnats hovering around our faces - All 4 of us were frequently ( because of the flowers on the table in January?) trying to grab them in midair and no one said a word to us even though we were pretty vocal about our issues. Hence my low rating for ambience. Sadly there were no apologies forthcoming unlike other restaurateurs who would have noticed/ overheard our discomfort and quite a wait before a small heater was finally offered. Some effort to sweeten the evening would have softened this review. A nice restaurant like this could also use a review of table etiquette. Tom Sietsma would say not to take your table mates' empty plate while the other person is still eating- especially without asking. I know the server was very welcoming and meant well but it caught us off guard and made me self conscious. I hope the team can consider these issues to improve especially since their location to LTA and Saint Paul's concert series makes their location opportune. I hope to write a more positive review in the future for this longstanding fine Italian restaurant.
Akanksha
We didn't have a good experience. The food orders were messed up. We asked olives on a pizza, which they forgot, then gave a different size of pizza, mixed up a lot of orders. They tried to fix it by giving complimentary salad but we had to wait an hour for getting the food right - and it wasn't special. The sea bass was good, but pizzas were average.
Caroline
We loved Trattoria Da Franco! The food was outstanding. The carbonara was fantastic. It's a very old school, traditional Italian gem in Alexandria. The service at first was a bit slow, but it got better throughout the night. They had live music and everyone was so friendly. We will definitely be going back.
Marybeth
Excellent food. Sauce was perfect! Quaint Italian restaurant just as you would find in Italy. Service was stupendous!
Perfect restaurant for special celebrations, like a 60th birthday. Our party of six had a great dinner from beginning to end. Enjoyed each other's company, plus the piano player on Saturday night. The food is so good from appetizers to dessert, so take your time to enjoy everything. It's a bit dark inside the restaurant, but the service and food overcome that issue.
Laura
Unfortunately, our experience wasn't great. The table had a dirty crease across the cloth, and the AC vent above another guest looked like it might fall. Once food arrived, our server disappeared until it was time to pay. The drinks and water sat empty, and no one checked in when an untouched appetizer and pasta were cleared. Oddly, no bread was offered, and no cheese with the pasta, which I've always expected at an Italian restaurant. Between the lack of service and missed details, I couldn't wait to leave.
R
Bruschetta was interesting... But way too heavy on onion. Bread was homemade and delicious, but not really right for bruschetta. Wine menu was limited but adequate. Prosciutto y bufala was supposed to have arugula, but instread had soggy mixed greens. Butternut squash ravioli was excellent... Which was their chefs recommendation. Overpriced at $32 for what it was. Daniela was a thoughtful server... But working too many tables...so two appetizers and one entrée took three hours.  It was beautiful sitting outside, but of course the traffic from US one was a bit much during rush-hour.  Their Manhattan was excellent. 
Scott
Franco's is always a winning experience! Great food, cocktails and service in a comfortable atmosphere. Love a night out at Franco's!
Opentable Diner
The staff was so amazing and truly made the night awesome. I mentioned at the end of the night it was an early birthday present for my boyfriend and they surprised us with cake that also had a candle. The food was exceptional and the staff made it even better. Will definitely be back!!
Absolutely horrible experience. I've never walked out of a reservation, but we walked out after 20 minutes. There was an undisclosed preset menu, horrible ambiance, and bad service. It took 15 minutes for the waitress to come and ask us what we wanted to drink, but we had not been given a drink menu. After we decided on a bottle, we didn't see our waitress again. When we walked out, the hostess didn't even realize she had just sat us and told us “thank you for dining with us” instead of asking why we were leaving. We had been to trattoria da Franco before, and had a much better experience; but after this awful time, we will never be returning. Also - to set the scene, we were brought upstairs where it looked like all the reservations were brought. All the lights were on and it felt like a hospital waiting room. It was very awkward and quiet, with the exception of cheesy love songs playing in the background. Additionally, there was a giant TV with a video of a fireplace on a loop on a wall next to us. Everything felt cheesy and cheap.
e menu requirement was ever mentioned. The prix fixe was listed as two appetizer options, three entrée options, and one dessert. I wanted to come here because reviews stated the pasta was good but the prix fixe didn't list any pasta or chicken options at all. When we first received our appetizer, the waiter brought out a steak entree as well, which obviously wasn't ours. After we finished our appetizers, we waited a long time between courses. While waiting, I could overhear that many other people were also dissatisfied—receiving wrong menu items, not getting service quickly, not receiving drink refills—the same issues that we were experiencing. We then received our entrées; we both ordered the filet mignon. What was served was NOT a filet mignon. It resembled more of a brisket rather than a filet mignon steak. When our entrées were finally collected, we awaited the dessert. After 25 minutes and multiple attempts of trying to flag someone down, we still never got the dessert. When we finally flagged someone down, we just asked for the check. When we finally received the check we saw how expensive the prix fixe menu was: $110pp. This place was outrageously priced for subpar food. Would not recommend coming here ever.
Valentine's Day prefixed menu- no announcement at the time of reservation. Asked to see a full menu and server said I've just been notified by the owner only v-day menu. Messed up our entrees. Steak was undercooked and lobster scallops were overcooked. Did not bring my meal the entirety of dinner service- only brought my husband's steak back out. Rude, charged full price for a wasted night and awful service. Food was bland, rubber like and would never return here!
Honestly the service here was really really bad... food wasn't bad but also wasn't great, so overall would definitely not recommend.
Always a friendly and warm place to dine. Last night was quite disappointing. I had their seafood pasta special, Cleopatra, which was way overpriced. The mussels were tiny and overcooked, there were only two shrimp, and aside from an okay sauce - not much more. This alone will not stop me from returning - but I will need to be far more careful in ordering any “specials”.
Trattoria Da Franco is our go to place for Italian food when we have guests in from out of town. The food is excellent and the service is top notch. A favorite appetizer is the Mozzarella in Carozza. Although the specials sounded fantastic, I went with my favorite, Bucatini Carbonara. My wife had the veal saltimbocca and our friend chose the Penne Quattro Formaggi. We capped it off with a cannoli for dessert. All in all, a fantastic experience.
We had tickets to a 7 pm concert so we actually had the restaurant to ourselves for a good hour. What made the experience disappointing was the total lack of heat - it was 18* outside and the table near the fireplace was " reserved" so we were seated at a table away from the source of heat and had to wear our coats even though we gently announced several times that we were cold. Strangely we also had a handful of gnats hovering around our faces - All 4 of us were frequently ( because of the flowers on the table in January?) trying to grab them in midair and no one said a word to us even though we were pretty vocal about our issues. Hence my low rating for ambience. Sadly there were no apologies forthcoming unlike other restaurateurs who would have noticed/ overheard our discomfort and quite a wait before a small heater was finally offered. Some effort to sweeten the evening would have softened this review. A nice restaurant like this could also use a review of table etiquette. Tom Sietsma would say not to take your table mates' empty plate while the other person is still eating- especially without asking. I know the server was very welcoming and meant well but it caught us off guard and made me self conscious. I hope the team can consider these issues to improve especially since their location to LTA and Saint Paul's concert series makes their location opportune. I hope to write a more positive review in the future for this longstanding fine Italian restaurant.
We didn't have a good experience. The food orders were messed up. We asked olives on a pizza, which they forgot, then gave a different size of pizza, mixed up a lot of orders. They tried to fix it by giving complimentary salad but we had to wait an hour for getting the food right - and it wasn't special. The sea bass was good, but pizzas were average.
We loved Trattoria Da Franco! The food was outstanding. The carbonara was fantastic. It's a very old school, traditional Italian gem in Alexandria. The service at first was a bit slow, but it got better throughout the night. They had live music and everyone was so friendly. We will definitely be going back.
Excellent food. Sauce was perfect! Quaint Italian restaurant just as you would find in Italy. Service was stupendous!
Restaurantji Recommends
Perfect restaurant for special celebrations, like a 60th birthday. Our party of six had a great dinner from beginning to end. Enjoyed each other's company, plus the piano player on Saturday night. The food is so good from appetizers to dessert, so take your time to enjoy everything. It's a bit dark inside the restaurant, but the service and food overcome that issue.
Unfortunately, our experience wasn't great. The table had a dirty crease across the cloth, and the AC vent above another guest looked like it might fall. Once food arrived, our server disappeared until it was time to pay. The drinks and water sat empty, and no one checked in when an untouched appetizer and pasta were cleared. Oddly, no bread was offered, and no cheese with the pasta, which I've always expected at an Italian restaurant. Between the lack of service and missed details, I couldn't wait to leave.
Bruschetta was interesting... But way too heavy on onion. Bread was homemade and delicious, but not really right for bruschetta. Wine menu was limited but adequate. Prosciutto y bufala was supposed to have arugula, but instread had soggy mixed greens. Butternut squash ravioli was excellent... Which was their chefs recommendation. Overpriced at $32 for what it was. Daniela was a thoughtful server... But working too many tables...so two appetizers and one entrée took three hours.  It was beautiful sitting outside, but of course the traffic from US one was a bit much during rush-hour.  Their Manhattan was excellent. 
Franco's is always a winning experience! Great food, cocktails and service in a comfortable atmosphere. Love a night out at Franco's!
The staff was so amazing and truly made the night awesome. I mentioned at the end of the night it was an early birthday present for my boyfriend and they surprised us with cake that also had a candle. The food was exceptional and the staff made it even better. Will definitely be back!!
Loading...