Franklin’s

Franklins is a great local go-​to destination for good food, good beer and a wonderful store filled with all kinds of fun tchotchkes. The menu is reassuringly standard with a few seasonal additions. That said, I am devastated that they have removed the out of control great meatloaf (wrapped in bacon… Yum!!) from the menu. If you’re looking for quiet, this is not the place for you. Evening crowds seem to be a combination of young families, group dinners and enthusiastic sports fans at the small (ish) bar. The only issue seems to be with the waitstaff, which is inconsistent. Some are friendly, some are somewhat surly and some seem to be in over their head. Should Franklins ever sort out this issue (and bring back the meatloaf!), I would happily change my review to 5 stars.

Franklin’s has been a favorite of mine all my life.
Consistently delicious beers, fantastic home fries, and great vegetarian/​pescatarian options for me! I wish they didn’t take the Vegetarian Flat-​Bread Thing off the menu cause that was a go-​to but the Holy Frijoles v3.0 is killer. If you like onion rings, they have the best — topped with Old Bay!

We have had a love-​dislike relationship w/Franklin’s every since moving to H-​ville in 2008. We love the beer, we love the staff, and we mostly love the food. But, there is definitely a consistent inconsistency with their food: we’ll go six months and get great meals, then we’ll get one meal that is literally horrible (spoiled food, poor quality, under/​over cooked, served cold when supposed to be warms, something in the dish missing, etc.) that we’ll have to have it sent back. As a consequence, we decide not to eat meals here for about six months (we’ll simply grab some beers and a bar snack, no dinner all other times and get a meal elsewhere). No lie, my loyal Unilocal readers, we have had this experience since 2008. I want to give Franklin’s five stars, but simply cannot do so based on our years of this bizarre dining experience. We like Mike and what he does for the community, but the inconsistency keeps us from taking our dollar votes to Franklin’s more often then we do.

The electric Franklin’s sign beckons, but it’s not worth it for the food. Pretty disappointing vegan options. Our waitress recommended their roasted vegetable cassoulet, which tasted like oversalted refried beans with hardened onions on top. My boyfriend ordered their veggie burger without cheese or mayo, but the burger had both when he got it. It ended up being all right because the cheese was so unmelted and solid that he could pick it right up — pretty gross even if he did eat cheese! The veggie burger was dry and unremarkable. Our non-​veg friends said their food was just all right. Flavors overall were one-​note.
I do really like the beers they sell on tap, however, and they sell a good selection of craft beers and tchotchkes in a little store attached to the restaurant. I’ll return for the beer but definitely not the food.

A nice two-​storey restaurant/​bar. Great place to just catch up with friends for drinks, they have an extensive list of beers and wines on offer. Can’t go wrong with a Malbec! I can’t comment on the food as we didn’t have any but the atmosphere is really casual and our waiter was full of jokes and banter.
There is also a cool little shop downstairs where you can get cute knick knacks, boardgames — gifts for people in general. Worth a visit!

My husband and I were riding down route one looking for a place to eat on New Year’s Day. Most of the grocery stores we frequent were closed so we settled on eating out for lunch.
When we walked into franklins at about noon we were among a few patrons. Some of the staff seemed displaced and they were milling around or standing around while waiting for more customers. As we ate our meal, business picked up. We ordered the pizza and the cowboy burger. I enjoyed the experience.
Bottom line:
the food was decent
you must visit the little shop attached to the restaurant (my favorite part)
waitress was friendly and efficient
husband loved the gooeyness (sp?) of the pizza
will most likely return

This is a cozy and very down home restaurant with good service and atmosphere. We would have our staff Christmas Party every year and the food keeps getting better and better. The last time I had a mini date and I had the chicken salad with peppers and OMG it was so much food. Very tasty and the waitress was very hospitable. You must check out the candy store next door which is a treat for the kids in all of us.

I’ve lived about a mile from this place for 6 years and have never gone. What the heck is wrong with me? Parking wasn’t awful, even though I had to pay for it. Had about a half hour wait to get seated, but wandered the wonderful attached shop. I was really impressed by some of the more rare brands of cider and hot sauce. We are huge board game geeks and this place’s collection was pretty damn good.
Food was awesome. Definitely try the onion rings. Gigantic beer-​batter rings with Old Bay. We couldn’t finish them. I tried the pulled pork. The portion was too much. I ended up eating half of it the next day! Bacon-​wrapped meatloaf was also fantastic.
One thing I really liked about this place was the bread. It wasn’t the normal stock bread most places serve. Everything was different. It really was a nice assortment.
Our server was very professional and knowledgeable about the menu. It is nice to see something really good in this cesspool of a neighborhood.

Great place to sit back, catch up with friend, eat some good food, and get your beer on. Definitely stop by the store next door and check-​out the wild and funny items on sale. The whole place combined is a cool and different experience. And like me ya might find yourself walking away with take-​home beer and wine. Try the fish plates. I had a whitefish plate recently and my parents started taking bites from my plate. I also heard the Vesuvius cake is out-​of-​control.

I’ve been meaning to stop in this spot for quite a long time. Always driving past it to go somewhere «else», not knowing what I was missing!
This was my first visit and absolutely loved it! Franklin’s is in the artsy area of Hyattsville, just 10 short minutes from my home in DC. It’s a very charming, warm, and welcoming atmosphere that offers casual dining with great service.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with wedges and coleslaw. It was delicious! The pork was very tender and juicy and the bbq sauce was just right! I opted for the sweeter sauce :) And the coleslaw went perfectly with the sandwich! YUM!
The wedges were tasty too. I cleaned my plate lol
Oooh how could I forget? I ordered the Blonde Bombshell (couldn’t resist because of the name alone) and LOVED it too! I’m definitely going to make this my go to spot for good eats, good service and great beer!

I’ve always loved this place! Been coming here for years, never thought to write a review on it because its been a quiet back drop in the community you kind of take it for granted. This place is amazing because you would never know that so much was tucked into this restaurant by the railroad tracks. The treat is the wine and novelty shop attached to the restaurant with the cool little eclectic finds of a general store all the way to European imported bath and spa products. And it’s also a brewery!!!
First of all they have the best beer battered onion rings known to man! The food is consistently good. The waiters are great. I have always wanted to try a chicken schnitzel, a German chicken dish where the chicken is pounded out fried (many times with panko), Franklin’s rendition is a sandwich packed with real bacon and flooded with a honey Dijon mustard on a warm toasty bun. I don’t eat bacon often, but this particular occasion was one of the best ways to do it!
Franklin’s echoes the spirit of a small working class city, now turned arts district. They started off as a deli, when the Franklin’s family initially purchased this Hardware store. You can see some of the original design and brick from Hyattsville Hardware Company. They buy their produce and diary local and they support artists in the neighborhood by showcasing artwork that can be bought. Some of the wait staff are the actual featured artists. Nothing says community like this place, and kids like it because its casual, the toy store with classic candies is enough to send any mother and father creeping out the side door to avoid all begging and whining.
Franklin’s I love you!

Again we hit the jackpot! This was a totally delicious and purely satisfying meal. From the drinks, lemon drop, ocktoberfest beer, Long Island ice tea and blue motorcycle (?) to the four layer carrot cake! We shared the mussels which were roasted with butter and salt, only! Sizzling on the flat grill with sweet hot butter for dipping. We also had the crab dip, rich and creamy topped with green onions and cheese. The pulled pork (NC style of course) tangy with a hint of vinegar was amazing and filling. He had the short ribs grilled cheese with a side Caesar salad. The buttery toasted bread, pepper jack and arugula, along with the moist tender beef rib and onion, O-​M-​G! (I asked for a bite, I had to!). This is a must try to anyone who loves great food, lively atmosphere and great service (Hey Mary Eliza Great job) Franklin’s is a Gem! Good Eats

I was so excited to try this place and while what I ate was decent I just wasn’t overwhelmed by the place. My burger while juicy was on the menu as a black and bleu burger it was served on a bun with bacon and two sides of bleu cheese dressing. No onions, no crumbles, no cheese. I asked for a slice of cheese and the server was nice and melt one on my burger. Additionally we were a large party and we felt very rushed so hurried to order. We went to add something and the server was like «that will come after your dinner.» This felt like a strange way of putting in order and deterred us from ordering more.
The beer sampler was cool and came out on a artist palette! Sadly it was dirty and made the experience eh. This was my graduation dinner and was overall disappointing and I don’t plan to return.

Very cute spot, especially for lunch. I had a great spinach salad and enjoyed a crab drip app with friends. Our server was nice enough, but not super knowledgeable about the menu, which was mildly annoying when asking for clarification about some items. The good news was that when the food came, none of us were disappointed. And don’t get me started about the sundae dessert. Oh man! Don’t you dare try to eat it alone. That dessert is a team sport right there!
If you get time, head to the general store before or after your meal. I didn’t even realize it was there until on my way out and I swear, if I wasn’t in a rush, you might still find me there. There are an assortment of gourmet candies, toys for kids, and other random awesomeness to be found. Great for a thoughtful last minute gift for someone special.
I hate that you have to pay for parking, but a) it’s not that expensive and b) it’s convenient as street parking in this area is difficult. All in all, a great place for lunch if you are in the area.

A very fun, unique, eccentric place to eat. If there’s ever a wait, is not bad at all because you get to browse through their shop, which is filled with a variety of things that range from old school toys and new gadgets.
Food wise, my dishes were very yummy.
Ordered the pulled pork platter with Franklins sauce. Tasted great, good blend of sweet and spices. Wish it came with more sauce mixed into it though. Come slaw and garlic mashed potatoes were great too. ⁴⁄₅.
Onion rings. A must have appetizer here. ⁵⁄₅

If hipster foodie craft brew localvores ever took over Cracker Barrel, it would morph into Franklin’s. Seriously.
Having occasion to be in College Park for one of the Young ‘Un’s competitions, we ventured just south of the UMD area, meeting The Birthday Twin and her family for dinner. This establishment is housed in an old hardware store, lovingly preserved on the exterior. The interior has two parts — a two-​level dining space with open kitchen and upstairs bar, and an adjacent ‘general store’ full of the fun, funky and fabulous ephemera of coolness and pop art.
We were seated promptly as we arrived an angel’s hair ahead of the dinner rush. Drinks were brought promptly and orders taken. The onion rings are indeed fabulous, lightly seasoned with Old Bay, good batter, not greasy, all kinds of yum. Entrees were a bit more of a mixed bag: Enthusiastic joyous thumbs up for the lamb merguez burgers, which are what happens when you mix a lamb gyro with a slider. Also commendable was the burger, which was huge and delicious. Pasta with broccoli was very good. The soft spots were the pulled pork, which should be a sandwich, not an entrée, and was disappointingly dry. In the ‘sounds better than it was’ category was the bacon wrapped meatloaf. The meatloaf had an odd, purée texture to it, the spicy ketchup overwhelmed everything such that there was almost no bacon flavor despite there being a substantial portion of bacon involved. I think it would have been OK except for that texture, though. Like a cross between baby food and pâté. Not pleasing. Dessert was a very good as hoped brownie sundae.
The general store was lots of fun for young ‘us and adults both. Found: One Minecraft book. Found: One Illuminati Air Freshener («smells like hegemony»). Found: Pac Man «ghost» salt & pepper shakers. You get the idea. Staff were fun and funky throughout our place. One young hipster dude encouraged the Young ‘Un to kiss mommy (me) because even he does that, and he’s 20, because «Moms are truly awesome, dude.»
We enjoyed Franklin’s very much, and would definitely go there again the next time we’re in the area. Parking in a public lot next door was easy and the municipal rate reasonable.

Only one star deduction for kinda absent service, but I do go through water like crazy when I’m out to eat. I bet if it wasn’t lunch and I was having beer it wouldn’t have been an issue. Otherwise this is a great option for food and drink in Hyattsville.
Started with the mussels, sooooo good definitely a must. Smoky and rich and served scalding hot to your table. Loved the veggie sandwich — Holy Frijoles v2.0. I felt so full and satisfied and don’t regret skipping the burger one bit! I have my eye on the Vulcan Mind Meld and onion rings for next time.
The gift shop next door has a lot of fun stuff for your drinker friends. Happily scooped up some 21^st birthday goodies for my sisters!
I really like it here. You can tell the food is fresh, and I hope to come back for beer next time.

BEST grilled mussels I have ever had!
I came here for lunch today with my best friend and had an amazing experience. Megan is an amazing waitress who is down to earth and total pro. She’s so awesome and knows the menu like the back of her hand. The crab dip was delicious but I was looking for lumps of crab instead of shreds. It’s awesome how you can sample the beers before you buy and its a generous sample let me tell you!

Attached to a pretty sweet gift store, I was excited to try the restaurant. There’s a weird vibe up in this place, lots of colors, rubber chickens, weird art. And they make some funky beers! I tried an IPA that was a bit too pale, or maybe too Indian, DEFINITELY too hoppy for my taste.
The star of the day was a sandwich called the Vulcan Mind Meld (don’t ask me what that means, blame the weird vibe). Luckily there was a description: fries and slaw in a rueben. Great Idea! Just put the whole meal between bread! It wasn’t too bad, a little pickly, but a pretty solid meal.
Lots of cutesy/​clever things in the gift store that would make good stocking-​stuffers. Overall, a little too weird for my taste.

I really value establishments like Franklin’s. The environment has an eclectic, down home feel. Kinda like the feeling you get when you walk into Cracker Barrel, Dutch Market, etc. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside because you know that there’ll be a special on the menu with your name on it, and an item in the general store that makes you feel nostalgic (days past of running to the ice cream truck for $.05 candy and poppers). One that reminds you of family laughter and grandma making sweet potato pies at Thanksgiving dinner and falling asleep, allowing the pairs to caramelize on top– I thought that was how everyone made them (well not exactly, but you get the picture).
Mmmmm. Warm bread in a basket, fried green tomatoes, meatloaf! This what my grandparent’s…I mean Franklin’s smells when I visit. I’ve never had anything I didn’t like here and I think that speaks to the simplicity of the menu in terms of all American fare.
I typically order the mentioned items above. The meatloaf, that is championed with ring of bacon, sided with mashed potatoes and a seasonal veggie. The meatloaf is on the softer side, but the ketchup mixture that its topped with is baked on, giving it a nice sweetened crust. The fried tomatoes are lightly battered in a cornmeal mixture. The dresses nah they use is tangy and topped with the potency of green onions.
I also indulge in the bread pudding, which reminds me I never should take a second glance at the dessert menu. It’s rich and smooth and sweet with a buttery pecan topping. Mmmmmm. Large enough for two or three to share, the bread pudding comes warm and bubbly in its bourbon concoction.
I’m a big fan of Franklins, although I frequently forget about it because of its awkward positioning in middle of the street. Easily passed by if you’re coming from the split side of Baltimore Ave. would I recommend Franklins? Absolutely! 4 stars for overall consistently good food and service.