Excellent food, and yet north of Atlanta. Chef long knows what he is doing, love the food here.

Recommended by the front desk at the hotel where we stayed. Surprssed by advanced menu choices for smaller town restaurant. Excellent shrimp and grits recommended when I asked about gluten free options. Was too salty at first but server happily exchanged it with the same dish that was perfect. Hubby had Philly cheese sandwich and liked it too. Server Raychonne was friendly and professional. Will come back next time in the area. read more

Always good with a wide range of choices, plus the prices are very affordable for what you get. Lunch or Dinner here is a requirement when passing through Franklin, and I am often disappointed when I end up around Franklin on a day he is not open. read more

Simply amazing!! Weird location but the food is fabulous and reasonably priced. They only take cash so make sure you have the cost of the food and a tip in the form of cold hard cash. read more

Pricing but REALLY good food. The bruschetta that they give you with your dinner is to die for! The service was slow and they only take cash or check. That being said, I would go again and highly suggest it. read more

I guess I missed the sign that cash or check. Lucky I had cash! Excellent meal, quick, friendly service, no reservations, waited on front porch for 30 minutes, no big deal, worth the short wait. Would have rated a 5, but they refuse plastic which is inconvenient. Imagine, eating that great meal and trying to find an ATM (or do dishes?). Will eat here again and have a wad of cash. read more

Great food Great Service. I met the owner who was a complete jerk. My waitress apologized twice for his words, things must be great for a business owner to yell at a patron. I asked for a detailed receipt because I was there on a business trip. He told me that his waitress couldn't waste her time filling out a receipt. Again great food, horrible owner read more

This restaurant is connected to the "Hot Spot" gas station. Don't let that throw you off. I started off lunch with a cup of Blue Crab Bisque and immediately wished I had a bowl instead of the cup. For lunch I had Shrimp and Grits. The grits were creamy and the shrimp plentiful. It had ribbons of fried bacon and tomatoes in it. I would have prefered it a little spicier but it was still good. My spouse got an italian sub called the John Gotti. The sub was tasty and served with home made potato chips that were thin, crispy and flavorful. We returned two days later after the disaster at Cajun Connection in Franklin, NC and had coffee and a slice of key lime pie. Service was good. The owner is a hoot. The food was worth the money and we'll be back again. read more

We arrived around noon on a Friday and only two tables were open. The restaurant is very popular. The snails and tails appetizer is awesome. The soft shell crab sandwich is very good but just a bit heavy with olive oil. Not the best choice for delicate crab, but still very good. Pesto stuffed chicken over bow tie pasta was mighty fine. You can't go wrong with anything served here. We will be back and we rode from Knoxville just to have lunch. We will do it again soon. read more

Amazing place! Perfect combination of fine dining and cafe. I got the Riesling wine with crawfish and something over linguine. So so good. Service was great with happy fun servers. Excellent dinner. read more

Has been better. Salmon w/ raspberry & peach "chutney" was very sweet. Salmon overcooked, sauce sickly sweet, no chutney to be found.

My husband & I very happy with our separate meal, Osso bucco and steak & shrimp. The tirimisu was outstanding! Can I come back tomorrow?

This is literally the best restaurant. We had a delicious meal with our family, great bread, mussels, steak and shrimp, amazing desserts. Can't say enough good things and we will make it a regular for us! read more

Unbelievable food and service. Even though this restaurant is attached to a Gas Station this is by far the best food experience you will get in Franklin. read more

Caffe Rel - Sea scallops, sun dried tomatoes and pasta. YUM!! - American Near Me - Franklin, North Carolina

I was in town for business and told the best French restaurant around was in a gas station down the street. Well I had to check it out. I got the last table at 530 and there were people waiting behind me. The blue crab bisque is amazing. I got the osso bucco pork and it was perfect, way too much meat for one person. I was told the Belgian chocolate cake was the way to go and it was. Gobs of dark chocolate were just the thing to top off dinner. Definitely eat here if you're in town. read more

Caffe Rel - Osso bucco - American Near Me - Franklin, North Carolina

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Amazing place and wonderful service. A little bit pricey, Fine dining with friends and family for lunch or dinner.Highly recommended

I am a local their food is great and so delicious. It isn't very child friendly, meaning no highchairs and kids menu but plenty of kids are there. my mom and I went with our two boys 4 and 8 and everything was fine. We just ordered them a sandwich meal that the waiter gladly split onto two plates for the boys. They enjoyed their food and there are pasta dishes too that kids might enjoy. I got a plate of food that had different meats on it and I loved it! Their mashed potatoes are soooo yummy too. It is on the expensive side but it is worth trying at least once and going to on special occasions. The place is always busy and it's not unusual to see a line out the door, that should tell you how great the place is. read more

Outstanding meal every time. I always tell people that when you visit Franklin, you should eat at REL. I try something new every time and it's always great. read more

Located in the rear of a gas station but don't let that fool you. The food is EXCELLENT!! This is a Gourmet restaurant that we highly recommend. read more

This place was very good. Nice people, good service and good food. The only thing is they don't take cards but they do take checks. I had the scallops in a cream sauce. I can't remember what it was called but it was awesome. read more

Great service, start with fresh fresh bread, I went with the gyro everything was fresh and seasoned perfectly. Hubby had the Cuban it too had everything spot on. The fresh potato chips rounded out our meal. Our super star server kept our tea glass full. read more

10/10 best place to eat! Everyone should eat here. The wait wasn't terribly long and the service was great! The bread was amazing and our lunches were delicious. Tons of options! They only take cash or check. read more

My parents, husband, toddler & I ended up at Caffe Rel today after my father did a quick search for local food as we passed through Franklin after hiking. We were expecting more of a very casual diner/cafe ambience, esp since it's attached to a gas station, so we were surprised to see the wait staff wearing crisp white shirts & ties. Unfortunately, they are not exactly accommodating for those with young children. We had our 22 month old with us, the man that greeted us at the door didn't even know if they had highchairs or not. Ends up they don't have high chairs or boosters, but we decided to stay anyways & let out daughter sit on a regular chair. They don't have kids menus either, but she usually just shares our food anyways. Our toddler is well behaved & no one seemed to mind her being there, it was just harder to keep her in her chair than if she had a kid seat. I understand more upscale restaurants not having seats for children, but didn't expect that from a restaurant connected to a gas station. 1 star off for that. The menu offered a variety of food at reasonable prices. We just wanted a simple lunch. My parents had the crab bisque which was excellent. I had the Italian classic sandwich which was very good but huge. My husband had the Reuben, he said it was very good too. Everything came out very fast, always a plus with a toddler. We were seated near all the desserts on display which looked wonderful, so we decided to get dessert to go. The Belgium chocolate cake was huge, took up a large to go container, & was delicious. We also got the blackberry cheesecake (my favorite from there), carrot cake & pecan pie. Definitely worth it! read more

Our waitress Kristen was amazing! The great staff also complemented the great food. Would definitely eat here again!

Ate there tonight. Seated right away, drinks and bread, and the meals came quickly. It was my birthday and the dinner was my gift. It was well worth it. I had the eggplant (enough to take home for a second meal) and my wife had the shrimp and grits (rated it on a scale of 0-10 to a 12). We were both very pleased with the atmosphere, food, and service and will go back again. read more

The food here is ok, but being from Raleigh I don't feel like it's anything special. The owner, however, is extremely rude. There was a long line when we showed up and the hostess put our name on the list but was unable to tell us the wait time. I went inside to ask how long they thought it would be because we had to go to a concert in two hours and couldn't wait too long. The owner informed me that he could not give me a time because they make everything from scratch and that we should have gotten here earlier if we wanted to eat there. I told him that I had asked a polite question inquiring about the wait time and it was a perfectly reasonable question for a restaurant to receive. I said that we needed to know because if we didn't have enough time then we would need to go somewhere else. He responded sarcastically "where else would you go?" The food is fine for the area but I will not return because of the owners rudeness. read more

The food was very good. However, they are not family friendly. They have no high chairs! Also, the restaurant is small with no hostess do waiting is an issue. read more

Best Continental French cuisine in the area. Sure, the bathrooms are in the Hot Spot next door---but its all about the food!

Such an Amazing "Hole in the Wall", every time I have ate here the food and service is beyond amazing. . . The Dinner Chicken Cordon Bleu is the best thing ever, I've ate many things from the vegetable medley pasta to the Steak & Shrimp Scampi but the Chicken Cordon is the BEST read more

There are very few times I walk away from a place....but I travel all over the world and never use cash or checks....anywhere.....maybe they need to re-assess their policy on payment......even the host followed me into the parking lot saying I needed to come back in for the best food in Franklin but there was no way he could accept anything but cash or check.....sad that the staff is having to put up with this unfortunate policy. read more

Tried to eat dinner with our son and was told that they don't have high chairs because they don't serve children. Uhhh, what??

Unbelievable food and service. The location threw us but overall experience was well worth the visit. Osso Buco was the most amazing food I have ever eaten! read more

We ordered the Buffalo Moz for starters and it was bland at best. I had the beef medallions in puff pastry and my wife had the chicken francisco...mine was good but hers had three tiny strips of chicken and a bowl full of noodles and was bland. we also ordered a piece of Carmel cake and it was very dry. The service is not very friendly but is fast. read more

Great food, service, and ambiance. Enjoyed the crab soup and shrimp curry. It was well worth the wait. Highly recommended.

Caffe Rel always has good food and good service. One can tell the kitchen and service staff are well trained to give diners a great eating-out experience. No reservations or credit cards --Mild inconveniences for a great meal at a good price with attentive and timely service. read more

Although this French Caffe is attached to the Hot Spot filling station, the atmosphere is still incredibly charming. The food is made fresh, so it's really good. I had a chicken cordon Swiss sandwich, and loved it! read more

Wow! What a hidden gem. My wife and I were visiting the area and decided to try Caffe' Rel. At first we were hesitant about it being attached to a gas station, but once I opened the door and the collective smell of all the dishes hit me, you couldn't have pulled me away. I had the seared duck breast special and couldn't have been happier. The pomegranate glaze and the roasted parsnips, carrots, and potatoes complemented the perfectly seared duck breast so well. The skin was crispy and the center nice and medium. My wife got the curry with scallops and was pleased as well. We both split a salad and enjoyed the complimentary French bread and stewed tomatoes with capers and lemon. What a great meal! read more

We were referred to this restaurant by a proprietor in a shop in Franklin and boy were they right. I only wish they were open every day as it is that good. We drove by many times and didn't think it would be anything decent due to its gas station location but walk in and you feel like you are in France. Ok, maybe that is a little stretch but work with me. Every dish has been exceptional and the wait staff knows the entrees. And the deserts are to die for. I really believe it deserves a five star rating and you will definitely not be disappointed. Just check the times of operation so you don't make a wasted trip although Franklin is a great place to visit. While you are in the restaurant check out the stained glass Jim created which really lends to the ambiance. A nice French phrase would be appropriate here but in lieu thereof ....enjoy! read more

I was introduced to this fantastic restaurant by a local about five years ago. On a recent drive through Franklin, I had the pleasure to try it again. Food was as fresh and delicious as I remembered and the prices are reasonable. The interior is very quaint and clean with a French bistro decor. Service is also great. read more

This was a real find! Attached to a gas station, but don't let that fool you. Everything we ate was excellent. We arrived around 4:30 and didn't have to wait, but there were only a couple tables available. When we left, there were about 25 people standing outside waiting to be seated. Make sure to save room for dessert. read more