Frankie’s Other Place

We were very disappointed in Frankie’s. The service was absolutely terrible. Our water was never refilled, the table was never bussed. We had our dirty dinner plates and appetizer plates still on the table while we were eating dessert. There were only 6 pieces of bread for our 6 person table and there were $ 3 refills on the bread. The soup served was served cold and the salads were overdressed. We also were not given drink menus. The food was just ok and overpriced for what was given. The bartender doubled as the waiter for two tables on a Saturday night. Poor guy!
The live music was good. The Christmas decorations were nice as well.
On a Saturday night, only one other table was occupied other than our own. There are other great restaurants in New Buffalo and I would recommend looking elsewhere for dinner.

My wife and I went to Frankie’s tonight for about the third time since it’s been open. We arrived about 5:50, which was apparently 10 minutes before they were officially open. The server/​hostess didn’t know what to do with us, so we suggested we sit down at a table and just wait 10 minutes. The waiter arrived in about 10 minutes and his service was excellent throughout the meal.
My wife ordered salmon and I ordered the T-​bone steak. The salmon was just OK. My steak was a relatively thin cut and, although cooked medium rare as ordered, was a little chewy and especially tough around the edges.
When we left it was very noisy in the bar, even though there were just a few people there. Since the prices were on the high side for this area, I believe it merited only two stars.

Ate there on the recommendations of a friend’s cousin. Very up scale looking restaurant. The food was very good and prices are what I expected. Only a three rating because of the workers. They were very nice but not what I normally see at a up scale restaurant. To young for one and to matter of fact for our waiter. Just going about his job. Maybe a little training would help in this area. Need to realize that when spending this kind on money we are there for more than just the food. Might give them a try again somtime.

To be fair, it was Labor Day Sunday. But still. Upside – they held my table when I was late. Downside. Everything else except the food. Person answering phone couldn’t give directions to the location. Hostess missing from her post for ten minutes. Did I mention it was Labor Day? Restaurant freezing cold. Bad and loud live music. The service was the most unfortunate thing about the experience. Waitress thought a ginger beer was alcoholic. Forgot to take the menu away. Didn’t bring bread til I asked. Got the soup/​salad selection wrong. Had to ask three times to be moved to patio; they said there was a waiting list, but there were four empty tables the entire time I was there once I moved out. Server abandoned me once I was out on the patio. The food was excellent – I had the baked Walleye Pike, and it was terrific. But I had to wait for it and endure bad service to get it.

If you love fried chicken, the honey fried at Frankies is so delicious. I had the leftovers for lunch today and what a treat that it was just as good. The ambience is nice. they had a live entertainer who was great. The service was extraordinary but we ate early. Kid friendly.

This is only my second Unilocal review ever. It takes a lot for me to put the pen to paper, as it were.
My husband and I came out to New Buffalo on the train. We didnt have a car and after our third meal at the stray dog– love the rooftop deck– started to look through Unilocal a bit. When i saw this place, I suggested we walk. Its only 3.7 miles, but we had plenty of time and the sun was out
We’re used to walking, but we were a bit, well, moist when we arrived. The staff, especially our waiter Tony, couldnt have been more attentive and friendly from the moment we walked in.
Still, you don’t get five stars for just being nice to sweaty people. I had the cajun mahi mahi and it was superb. Fantastic flavor! My husband had the steak which was also excellent. The wine recommendations were spot on. And top it off, really good machinaw island fudge ice cream. We were very happy we’d made the trek!
Then, at the end of the meal, torrential rain started out of nowhere. Tony was so great– he helped us arrange a ride and even offered to drive us himself if it didn’t work out. It was so above and beyond! We will definitely be coming back.

Its got the supper club vibe going. They were piping in ‘rat pack’ music in the dining room, but still had some live music in the bar and the two sounds were competing — that was annoying. Our meals were quite good — I had the apple-​gorgonzola salad and bison meatloaf (came with mashed tates and green beans). Our waiter was rather clueless — biggest downside to the experience. He did not explain anything about the menu or sides or what comes with the entrée and we had to call him back to give him the temp of my husband’s steak. We thought it was all ala carte but it does include soup or salad and the salads we ordered were an upcharge — of which we were not informed.
The majority of clientele were senior citizen’s on a summer Saturday night. Was rather funny as one waiter had to shout at a table of elders to be understood. We were staying in New Buffalo and were tired of the overcrowded, loud eateries there and was happy to get a few miles away from the bustle and be able to hear one another over a meal. Definitely not a ‘hip’ place, but has tasty food.

Excellent fresh fish on the menu but was out of halibut on a Sunday evening when I stopped in for the first time. Opted for baked walleye instead and it was prepared perfectly. Nice chopped salad very fresh ingredients and it comes as a salad or entrée portion. Steaks menu was outstanding selection but will save that for another visit. PS — live keyboard music started around 6 pm for a nice ambience touch.

We’ve been to almost all the restaurants that are trending or have become institutions but tonight I just wanted something familiar but good and I didn’t wasn’t to wait 20 – 30 minutes. That’s how we found Frankie’s, there was no line, and I’m surprised. Maybe it’s because the prices are a little higher than restaurant/​bars but Frankie’s offers quality food and outstanding service. We did have to wait a bit but there was plenty of seating at the bar and our table outside was ready before we finished our drinks. We started with roasted garlic/​cheese plate and crab cakes. Garlic/​cheese appetizer was a great combinations/​apple jelly. Crab cakes were better than most. T-​Bone Special was perfectly done medium rare. I asked for mushrooms and onions and they piled it on. My wife had shrimp scampi and they were generous with shrimp as well and all ingredients were fresh! Desserts were crazy good. Our bill for 2 was $ 88 but I think we both ordered 4 courses plus dessert/​drinks/​wine. Skip cocktails & wine, and dessert and this place would be quite affordable. Tremendous value here.

Excellent atmosphere, excellent meal, excellent wine, and excellent server! Our server Loren started working here yesterday, but you can tell he brings a lifetime of experience with him. He was very attentive and personable, as were the rest of the staff who interacted with us!

THE MOST incredible place to eat. You will not be disappointed. I gautentee it. Everything he makes is a delight to your senses. All of them. The service is beyond your expectations. They really know how to do it. Again, the food!!! Incredible. Don’t pass this up.

Stopped in after closing on my cottage just a few blocks away and had a wonderful raspberry martini and Gorgonzola Mac and cheese with steak tips. Service and food fabulous. Also live guitar music a plus

Wow so delicious! Thanks for a great late night dinner! The perch was great, the jalapeño cheddar soup and the strawberry salad all delicious. Thank you! So much better than fast food.

We enjoy the food and atmosphere at Frankie’s. We’ve never been disappointed great food nice wine selection specialty martinis and music on weekends. Highly recommend

The food and ambience are pretty fabulous. Their liquor selection is excellent — and includes some of the best burbons and vodkas. We had the chicken picatta and seared ahi tuna — both were great. The only thing keeping me from rating five stars is the betch hostess assumed we were a couple because we were two men and sat us next to the kitchen when the dining room was less than 25% filled… not sure if the establishment is homophobic or just her… in either case, not acceptable even if we were.

My party of 4 came for dinner around 5:00 on a weekend. We were one the early side, so we had the bar area almost to ourselves. The service was friendly and we each enjoyed our meals. I had some kind of fish, there was a steak and a couple salads. The portions were nice and nobody complained.
As we were leaving there was a musician beginning to set up. The atmosphere would be fun with live music if you are so inclined.

Ambiance, friendly service, food to die for – what more can I say! My sister and I had the shrimp scampi, never had 12 huge shrimp before at other restaurants, asparagus was nicely prepared. Three course meals for $ 20 was nice!
Gail A
Stevensville

I should should say, to start, that the hostess and the ONLY black person working in the restaurant — the bus boy, were very nice and went out of their way for us more than once.
THAT BEING SAID, probably the worst table service I have experienced from a restaurant with three dollar signs, Ever. We weren’t greeted by our server for over 15 minutes after being seated. And only after we brought it to the attention of our bus boy.
When our hostess, not our server, brought us drinks, the cut fruit was slimy and very old. It was gross. Our appetizer came out incomplete, as though they ran out of it half way through the creation process, so they offered to only charge us half the price. Which was weird.
While we waited for a Pretty Long Time for our entrees, we witnessed some interesting stuff: all of the servers were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. None of them had more than 4 tables, and yet, nobody had the time to clear any of the dish-​wear from the table, and one of the servers actually took a seat at one of his tables while taking down an order — an act that I’d find totally acceptable in a more casual and relaxed environment, but not when people are paying $ 30 for an entrée.
Our food came late and was super mediocre. Only one of the three of us was given the promised small ramican of cole slaw. The sandwiches came with two nickel sized tomatoes and a two inch square of lettuce. They came with some kind of frozen potato paste sticks that were falsely advertised as French fries. And the plastic plates were splattered w/​some kind of sauce garnish that fell very short in the category of acceptable presentation.
At the end of the meal it took us three attempts to get the servers attention to ask for the check, actually going so far as to look at us and walk away at one point. Then she asked us if we wanted dessert. No. No thank you. We’re good.
The only way that Gordon Ramsey could actually help that place is if he personally padlocked the front door and boarded up the windows.
As a resident of the north side of Chicago, I whole-​heartedly disagree with the comment in one of these reviews saying that this place would hold its own. Honestly, I can’t see this place holding up anywhere but a place with conveniently no competition at all. Boo, Frankie’s place. Boo.

I hate to say this but don’t come to Frankie’s for the food. It’s terrible and the chef has no business being there. It would take too long to break down the mess that was dinner. This place needs Gordon Ramsey. I mean how do manage to even make a salad taste bad. However, DO come to Frankie’s for the service and the night life. The bar area has awesome bartenders and live music on certain nights. We had so much fun that I even forgot about the pitiful meal (no, not really).

Pretty good experience, more issues with service than the food.
I did the prix-​fixe. Salad was good, but too much dressing. Perch was good, no complaints or raves. Desert was a cookie with ice cream, not very impressive.
Person I was with had a salad… oops, you guys forgot to put the dressing on it! So, she asks if there’s dressing on when it arrived because it didn’t look like it, the waiter gave a very confident «Yes, there is definitely dressing on your salad». Well, turns out he was wrong. When we told him this, there was no apology, and the dressing came out after I had finished my meal almost 20 minutes later. Not sure how this kid plans to keep his job, maybe he was just insanely hung-​over. Either way, if I did go back, I’d request another waiter.
I dunno if the waiter was an idiot, stoned, or all of the above. He’d take 20 minutes to make a drink sometimes, and it wasn’t busy.
Also, how about not telling your customer that you’re sure there’s dressing on the salad when there isn’t? The kitchen already looks bad, and the waiter looks like he’s brainless (you know who you are).
So, food is average, and be careful if you get the pudgy-​stoner boy for your waiter. He’s very confident when he’s wrong, very slow, and probably was dropped a few times as a baby.