The food and the service here are incredible. I would highly recommend the crab bisque- it's so delicious! The menu was a reduced tonight but the classic Italian sandwich and the filet mignon sandwich were both very good. We also had a slice of caramel cake which I would also recommend. Can't ever go wrong when dining here! read more

I have been here numerous times for lunch and the food here is delicious! I had the Greek salad today and it was fresh and amazing. The only downside is they don't have high chairs for children and there is always a wait but the food is worth it! read more

My husband and I are here visiting friends. They told us we were going to the gas station for dinner. Well to my surprise this was a first class restaurant. Decor was a little eclectic kind of like the idea of restaurant next to gas station. Food was wonderful and presented very nicely and desserts were great. Some of the cakes I swear were 7-8 inches high. Beautiful looking. I had Key Lime Pie because that's all I had room far. Next time will try the cake also. read more

Caffe Rel never disappoints. Ordered takeout lastnight and curbside service was flawless. Food was super fresh and delicious. We ordered the filet sandwich, the Cuban and the blue crab soup - NEVER miss out on the soup! Will definitely make it a point to visit Caffe' Rel frequently. read more

One of the best spots in town! Don't let the fact it's in a gas station fool you! The atmosphere and the food is amazing!!

Horrible and way over rated. When you have a restaurant next to a Hot-Spot gas station, that should be your first clue. Second, when the owner parks his white Porsche (he financed for 30 years) directly in front of the door, then, all the food tis either wastes the same and desperately tries to be called a Chef: you have been warned. I will allow you to render your own opinion. I formed mine following 3 visits thinking it has to get better, it doesn't. Go to Subway by a gas station: cheaper and perhaps better read more

Omg! The reviews do not do this place justice. Here on business and "yelped" for food places, the first couple left me aghast after patronizing their establishments. But, this place is by far one of the best dining experiences of my meager existence. The prices will astound for the quality. Richard, the owner, was personable and very attentive throughout the meal. Everything about this restaurant screams quality. In my hometown I would pay double for the experience. If you don't eat here while in the area, well you're just stupid. read more

Caffe Rel - Filet medallions in a puff pastry. - American Near Me - Franklin, North Carolina

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Visited for the first time and ordered a salmon sandwich for lunch. I expected something slightly different, but it was a salmon filet sitting on a bun with lettuce and a slice of tomato. It came with chips and tartar sauce on the side. It was marked on the menu as a house special, so I was expecting something unique. Salmon was seasoned and cooked perfectly, and I enjoyed it, but it seemed too simple. The tartar sauce could have used a bit more acid or zest to make it more interesting. Service was good, and the place is small, but comfortable. I'll return the next time I'm in town. read more

Excellent! Hard to find Lamb on a menu, however this place has it. It was some of the best I have eaten. So good I ordered one to go! read more

Great food and amazing portions. I can always eat twice when we go here. I love this place!!!

My friends and I have been coming to this area on our annual motorcycle trip for a decade. And we always make sure we reserve a meal or two on our agenda for Caffe Rel. The food is exceptional. So is the service. If you ever find yourself near Franklin, NC, you would be missing out on a true hidden gem if you didn't eat here. read more

We ate there 3 years ago and still talk about how delicious the food was. One of our best meals anywhere. Always recommend it to people up that way read more

Okay, so first off I went to this place just under a year ago and got a gyro, which was terrible...tasted like it was cooked in the same pan as they cooked seafood ( I don't eat seafood), okay so I'll give it a pass since it is a supposed Italian restaurant. Figured I'd give it another try so me and a friend went last night at 8:30 pm had two workers outside sitting on the bench smoking a cigarette who could of told us they were closed but didn't. The place was still open (at least according to the sign) went in and were saw the sign that said wait to be seated, waited almost 10 minutes before someone came up and said "we're closed". I'm sorry, but what is typical of Yelp, is you have a lot of positive from friends and family, when it's actually way overrated! read more

An extremely good surprise. Do not judge this place from the outside appearance. Went here with family and everyone's meal was delicious. I went simple with the classic fettuccine alfredo. Such a good portion and so amazing. The best I've had in a long time. Very thick and creamy. The cheese is too die for. The bread they bring out before the meal is almost as good as the entree round. Served fresh and warm with a delicious dipping sauce. I sampled a family member's house made chips and they were like no other. So fresh and delicious, you can tell tell know what they're doing. On top of the food, I adore the decor! read more

Excellent food and service. Exceded expectations. Highly recommend for anyone passing through Franklin, NC.

Love love love Caffé Rel. they're food is top notch. It is definitely worth paying a little bit more for the food. Their deserts are AMAZING and I would recommend this Resturant to anyone who is looking for a good and fancy meal without paying a fortune. They're chocolate cake and their grilled chicken is my suggestion to anyone eating there for the first time. read more

Wonderfully strange! We had wonderful Italian food in a French restaurant, located in a gas station in North Carolina. The bread is fantastic!! We had the spaghetti and meatballs and the carbonara and they were both out of this world. read more

We go to Caffe Rel every time we come to town. The food is excellent and the staff is friendly and good. You will likely have to wait but we love this place. read more

Great hidden gem.... better then average for the mountains. Yes next to gas station but honestly food is really good.

Owner came out personally the check on everyone's order. I got the vegetable aoili (gluten, dairy, meat free) and it was fantastic. This place is right next to a has station. You can but type own beer and bring it in. Really amazing 8 experience! read more

This was the first time hubs and I have been back since 2020 shutdown. Menu unchanged since then, but with very tacky presentation on plain paper stapled together that has passed through many hands. Bread with olive oil and tomato/capers was presented as usual upon first approach by server, but this is a plate of nothing special. Bread is of the "brown and serve" variety, but not even warm and essentially raw The tomato/caper concoction appears to be a glob of diced tomatoes straight from the can with a few capers and glugs of oil poured over it. Basically inedible, borderline disgusting. Hey Rel, save yourself some money and stop your stupid tradition of serving this awful "starter" OR at least bake the bread first and provide a flavorful olive oil blend for dipping minus the canned crap. House Cabernet was served in noticeably smaller glasses, and the anonymous wine was of noticeably lower quality than prior years. I get that, but would rather pay more for a decent wine than be served junk. Diners should save their bucks and stick with water here. Husband's Reuben was a nice big sandwich, no complaints there. My Asian chicken salad was Ok but no showstopper. The little joint got busier and busier while we were there (12:30-1:30) to the point that we were shouting at each other by the time we left and the place was packed. I am not sure how or why this mediocre little restaurant is so highly esteemed except for it's quirky location in a gas station. On our next rare restaurant outing we will go elsewhere. There are many neat places in Dillard and Clayton waiting to be explored (sorry Franklin). read more

French food ....... IN A GAS STATION. No, seriously. And it's pretty good gas station food, I might add. When my mom told me that they wanted to meet at this cute little place in Franklin, but that "it was in a gas station", I thought "oh, well, that's all they're used to up in the mountains." So we drive up to the gas station - a Hot Spot in the front - French bistro in the back. This place was interesting, to say the least. Aside from the gas station thing (OK, everyone here already knows it's a gas station, and that's part of the deal, so I won't dwell, we all have our own little story of the gas station experience - see mine above), the place is rather eclectic - maybe "sensory overload" is a good description. Homey decorations, mis-matched chairs and tables, a counter of beautiful fresh cakes, wait staff in quirky ties and white shirts, the owner / chef in the back in his tam, french food, creole food, american food, and pasta. I didn't know where to start, but since my parents had been a few times, I got some hints and had the blue crab bisque ($2.50/cup) which was very fresh, with garlic and shallots, rich and creamy, and finished with butter and a touch of thyme. I knew that I didn't want to drive the hour back to Bryson City in a food coma so I chose the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad ($6.95) for lunch. Good portion, tender chicken, almonds, and crispy won tons with a nice asian sesame dressing. The menu straddles NOLA (Creole) and true French cuisine with things like Snails & Tails (crawfish), chicken livers and frog legs. The French batards (house speciality) also caught my eye - french bread with a number of things on it, baked and served over a bed of greens (usually spinach). There was one with blue crab, one with brei, and one with olives. I saw a couple come out and I think I'll have to try that next time. I saw the pasta and my mom raves about it, but nobody at the table ordered it. The service was absolutely perfect. Even though they were super busy, our waiter took the time to appropriately welcome the newbie (me), explaining the menu, the chalkboard, and things I shouldn't miss, he was genuinely interested in our party, chatting it up with my mom, and didn't rush our meal. The only downside to this restaurant is that they only take cash and checks. No CCs - which shouldn't be a deal killer for you - just consider yourself fore-warned. So, if you find yourself needing an internal fill-up while you're filling up your vehicle at the Hot Spot in Franklin, step on over to the other side and grab yourself a great meal that you won't forget. read more

From service to food, everything was bad to worse. About 12:30pm we sat down with friends and we were enjoying talking, laughing and we ordered drinks. We got caught up in our conversation and enjoying each other and weren't ready to order appetizers right away. The server told us we had to order because they would get busy soon and have a line out the door. There were 6 empty tables in the restaurant and not even a hint of a line. I explained we hadn't seen each other for a very long time and that we would order as soon as we looked at the menu. After telling us again that it was about to get busy, I asked her if she preferred us leaving. She said "I don't care". There were four of us at the table. 2 own a customer service training company, I'm in sales and the fourth has retired from a c.s.based business. We sat there in utter disbelief. We ordered our appetizers and none were finished, as they were mediocre at best. We ordered entrees and we didn't eat those either. I had fried calamari for a starter and the caprese salad for lunch. Ordered a bottle of wine, it was decent.... Nothing exciting to choose from The front door guy then came to our table and told us we had to leave because they were changing stations. Made sure we tipped the waitress well, as she needs to learn the value of customer service, words smithing and how to freaking smile This is not a French restaurant. The food is mediocre. No surprise it's in a Hot Spot gas station. The waitstaff and front door guy need major training. The owners should be embarrassed. Do not recommend. Will never return. read more

A real French bistro located in a gas station. Yeah, I know! I wouldn't believe it also. But the food is the best I have ever had. I think I blacked out when I first tasted their Shrimp and Grits, it was that good. I still tell people about it to this day. This restaurant is moderately price but I have paid twice to three times the amount for cuisine this good. You can get out of there for a dinner for two for $50 to $60 which is not bad considering this is cuisine on par with some of the best restaurants out there. Shoot, I dropped $100 at the Cheesecake Factory for food half this good. This is a must stop if you are in the Franklin area. Get there early since it gets crowded. read more

Franklin is nobody's idea of a dining paradise BUT there is one place worth going out of the way for. The menu is very extensive, so extensive in fact that the menu has some especially popular or recommended items marked with fleurs de lis to help newcomers. For those who complain about the gas station location, give me a break! Auntie Mame said "Life is a banquet and most poor bastards are starving to death". ( In the movie she said "suckers".) The oddity of the location is part of the appeal. It's an adventure. Anyway, the "gas station" is one of those huge self-service places that are more giant snack shops than anything else. This is hands down the best place in Franklin. The reviewer who wrote of walking by the methheads must have toked up on the way to dine. read more

They try to be a refined dining experience but fail miserably. High prices and low taste. Combine that with the fact that you cannot use a credit card and have to go into the gas station and use the ATM to pay for your meal...that equals a never visit again for me. It would be a one star review, but the bread you receive before your meal was fantastic and by far the best part of the whole experience. read more

A trip here is a culinary treat!! The lobster bisque is wonderful and you can't go wrong with the scallops. I've never been disappointed and always been amazed at the delicious cuisine!! read more

Despite the good reviews, we almost passed because it was attached to a gas station. That would have been a mistake, amazing food and great atmosphere! read more

Great menu options and service. Servers are friendly and helpful. Desserts are to die for! Yummiest cakes.

Best dinner I've had in a while! It was busy, but we didn't have to wait for a table. And the service was so fast. We finished all the bread. The entire dinner. And split a dessert! We didn't want to miss a morsel! No credit cards. Cash only. And if you have to wait - wait! Don't leave. I promise - it will be worth it! read more

Food is incredible. Service is spectacular. Ate here three different times for our short stay in Franklin. Their Italian Cream Cake was delicious. Everything we had was great. The owner of this restaurant (who is also the chef), has created a menu that in my opinion rivals some of the finest restaurants in the country. The food is incredible and for the quality and flavor of the food, the prices are a bargain. read more

Amazing food, very good prices, and friendly service. You can't ask for more when you visit beautiful Franklin, NC. You begin your meal with Caffe' Rel's bruschetta. I normally try not to eat too much bread before a meal, but I couldn't stop. The French Blue Batard is a delicious appetizer and the Blue Crab Bisque was very nice as well. Three of us at the table ordered the Filet Mignon Sandwich and loved it! Cooked to perfection on very soft french bread. Other items ordered were the Rainbow Trout and Salmon Sandwich. This bistro made our first day in Franklin, NC even better and we are even considering a second visit before our vacation is over. read more

This is the lunch portion on the Linguine Alfredo. Such amazing flavor and great size for the price. Honestly better than Olive Garden! I would recommend this dish to any pasta lovers out there! read more

Caffe Rel - American Near Me - Franklin, North Carolina

Fantastic! Quick service, 4 in our party all of us were extremely pleased. Don't let the fact that it's connected to a gas station detour you. Best thing we've eaten in the area. read more

While I thought this place was decent, I believe the overall ratings are a result of lack of options in Franklin versus a testament to the amazingness of this place. The bread and tomato oil free starter was quite good. I would personally have preferred less oil, but overall it was really nice. The MACARONI AND CHEESE with smoked Gouda was interesting, but needed a lot of salt and pepper. One side of the dish had a little bit of extra sauce, which made it really good, but the rest of the dish was dry from baking. I did appreciate that they were clearly making their own cheese sauce /roux. (Pasta is not made in house.) The CRAB BISQUE was too bland for us. It was rich and creamy, but lacking any real flavor. There was a hint of some herb in the smell of the soup, but not enough to taste it. No crab flavor at all. Overall this was disappointing. SHRIMP AND GRITS were good. My husband does it better, but this was quite adequate. A few complaints: The green onions were a bit too raw and therefore tough to chew, the bacon was added to the sauce and was pretty soggy and the grits had no cheese flavor. The sauce itself was very garlicky and good. The dessert bar looked amazing so I asked which ones were made in house. The only house made desserts were the chocolate cake, the caramel cake, and the crème brûlée. I tried the CHOCOLATE CAKE, and while it looked super impressive because of it's incredible height, it lacked flavor. It was moist, so I'll give it stars for that. But the chocolate had no depth of flavor and the frosting was just strange. It looked like it would be a nice thick fudge or ganache, but it was light and whipped and airy without much flavor. If I were just to judge this restaurant based on the food and service, I would likely have given it less stars. I upped my rating because of something that happened while we were there. A homeless man who was a bit befuddled approached our table to ask for money for something to eat. My husband went next door to buy him some food, but before he had even left the table it appeared that management was kicking the guy out. While that wouldn't be a completely unreasonable move on the part of the restaurant, considering that the guy was basically harassing the restaurant patrons, I'm glad to say that that's not actually what happened. An older gentleman who appeared to be the owner motioned for the homeless man to sit down for a minute. Once seated, he was brought a plate of bread and tomato oil as well as a large glass of milk. I thought that might be the end of it, but a few minutes later a bag of food was brought out to the homeless man. It included at least two large to go containers. A restaurant with a heart for less fortunate people = winner in my book. read more

This place is so busy, so you should bring a snack while you're outside waiting to be seated because if you don't, you will have to wait for awhile to get your meal. We decide to leave because we never got out meal. I was really looking forward to eating here since I heard that's the food it great. I went to the front counter and had the bad service opportunity to speak to the main manager. At first he was understandable because of how busy they were and I totally understood , but than he started to fire up and even told me to go to the back of the kitchen and help out so that I could really understand I how busy they were. All I said to him was that it's taking almost an hour for us to get our food and that other guest that came after us had already got their food and we're finishing up. We left the restaurant and never had the chance to eat. Service = Revenue, simple has that. If you can't provide that at 100% , than you need to close the restaurant and turn people away, and once the place starts to clear, than you open the doors again. Also, please tell your coming customers that you don't take credit cards but only cash and checks. It written on the menu somewhere... I believe in my heart that this place is awesome but to bad I never got a chance to experience it. I am just visiting this town for the first time. read more

Great restaurant in the middle of nowhere and in a gas station. BUT CASH ONLY BE PREPARED read more

What a great surprise to have friends take us to eat at the gas station. This is the real deal if you want top shelf food at a reasonable price. We will return and tell all of our friends about this place read more

We were in town for a gem and mineral show and decided to stop for lunch before returning home. Friends of ours suggested we stop and we are so glad that we did! The restaurant is attached to a Hot Spot gas station - please don't let that influence your decision. The restaurants is warm and cozy. The menu is quite large and varied. I had the Trout sandwich and my husband enjoyed a Reuben. The service and the food were great! Try and save room for dessert - we had the chocolate cake and could only eat half of it. We took the rest home and enjoyed the rest the next evening. read more

It's attached to the corner I a gas station, but there's no gas from the food. Try any blue crab dish. The best restaurant in Franklin. Make thr time to eat here, but get there early. There was a 15 m. Wait at 3pm. Well worth it. Wait staff is superbly trained. Tripadvisor has it rated as #1 with over 250 positive reviews read more