I was pleasantly surprised. We used to frequent the Franco's off Ocean View Ave years ago so a co-worker and I decided to come here to give it a try in hopes it was the same. It was! It doesn't look like much from the outside and the small strip mall it's located in is in the midst of some heavy renovations... so that is also off-putting when parking. But, inside is charming and full service. Delicious! Great prices and portions. Inside is cute and charming. Reminds me of an old school Italian establishment from small-towns in Italy. Seems very local's gem and family friendly. He chose the Franco's Special hoagie full size and I had the grilled chicken half, which was still huge. Mine had grilled peppers, onions and mushrooms add lettuce and tomato. SOOOO good! Huge portion. We added one side fries to split and they were crispy and fresh and easily enough for two people. We ended the meal with tiramisu (too strong on the liquor) and light lemon cake. Service was extremely friendly and we had a great meal. Absolutely we'll come back! read more

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We started with fried zucchini and that was super yummy--very light breading and it comes with marinara on the side. We ordered spaghetti with mushroom sauce--the mushrooms were amazing. We also ordered the ziti, which was my favorite thing of the night. This is someone's grammas kitchen. You could almost imagine Nona back there stirring and adding love to every dish. That's the kind of Italian this is. We will be back. Parking is great, it's in a strip mall. Portions are HUGE!! Very family friendly. I'd call head for a group bigger than 4 so they can move tables for you. read more

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Omg best food! Chicken Marcella with Angel hair pasta. I would get this dish if you like mushrooms. We have been to this restaurant a lot of times I get did dishes each time. I can not say enough good things about this restaurant. If you have never been there you should go. read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - Chicken Marcella with Angel hair pasta - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Always and will be my Italian go to! Taste just as it was in the 80s!! We always stop here to eat and take back home, 3 hrs away, as long as there's a Franco's, we'll be there! read more

We went out to dinner at this restaurant in a relatively large group of 12. If you call ahead, they are happy to arrange the tables to accommodate larger groups, though be aware of standard gratuities for large groups. The portion sizes for most of the entrees were larger than expected - many of us left with ample leftovers. The meatballs pictured are true to size - two massive, tasty meaty pieces of meatball that hit the spot! The only thing that wasn't exceptional was the waiting time for the food to come out. If you're not in a rush to eat, then you'll have an excellent time here. read more

Exactly what you would expect from a small family owned restaurant. They've been in business since 1985 and I can see why. There were only about four tables occupied when we arrived shortly after 7 which was surprising however a nice change of pace from the packed mainstream chain dining in the area. The decor gives that old school feel. I had the Italian sub and the house dressing was fantastic and my girlfriend had the chicken parm which was plenty for two meals. Both of us left with lunch for the next day. Our server Emily was friendly and attentive! Will certainly be returning. read more

Wow, had to pick up family at the Norfolk airport and needed dinner. Stumbled in here and what a find! Live piano, outstanding service and great tasting specials. This is a hidden gem and we will return. read more

Atmosphere is nice Greeted upon entry and was told to sit any where Our waitress was excellent This pizza place is one of my son's favorite we usually go once a month after school to grab something to eat and talk read more

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The food here was pretty good I had the cheese ravioli and a side of meatballs the meatballs were incredible and the ravioli was alright. The service was incredible everyone was so friendly and fast. This a good family friendly spot and it wasn't too busy. read more

We usually frequent Oceanview and were told about the "original location". Cannot tell you how much better the "original" location was in food quality and taste, Atmosphere, and friendliness! Even the cooks were eager to great and welcome you! read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - So delicious - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Old-school neighborhood Italian eatery that honestly feels like stepping back into the 1980s. On a summer Friday night, I had a fine experience, first time trying Franco's. Decor is decidedly dated, with ancient plastic tablecloths and tables/chairs/booths that are past their prime. But what counts are food and service, and both were exceptional. I had Angel Hair pasta with sausage and a house salad. Fresh bread was brought out, hot with oil. There was a piano player tickling the keys in the corner of the restaurant and the perfect volume; kitsch but cute. Pricey overall ($32), but a solid B performance for Franco's. read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Unfortunately, the Philly steak & provolone cheese was not as delicious as in the past. The sub roll was not fresh and there was less meat.

Hands down the best and most authentic Italian food in the 757. My dad first took me here about 10-15 years ago and I fell in love. I've eaten cannoli's at so many restaurants throughout the years and nothing compares to the chocolate chip cannoli here. The meatballs are 100% beef and I think the biggest secret is how they are so moist! Everything is fresh and incredible and I continue to come here over and over again. read more

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Our server was nice. BUT, we ordered mozzarella salad, and a Stromboli Combo. The mozzarella cheese was very dry. The Stromboli was awful. It had a hard, overcooked crust. it Wasn't good. We asked to see a manager. She came and was snooty from the first. There was no "customer is right" attitude. ...called my boyfriend a liar. There was no compensation for the poor quality. We won't be back. read more

Excellent taste, service and overall value! We will go back although it's a 30 minute drive from our house. It's well worth it! read more

By FAR! the best italian food and most authentic in the 757 area. I have been going here for about 15 years and it has always been the same! The waitresses are knowledgeable of all the menu items. On the weekends, there is someone who is at the restaurant and plays the piano during dinner service, how wonderful is that! Couldn't have had a better ambiance than this! We ordered the chicken marsala, and the franco trio. WONDERFUL veal! everything was an A+. Included is a delicious homemade cannoli to end the night, please take a chance and go here!!! Wonderful place! read more

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Food at Franco's is consistently Wonderful! Bread- Salads- Chicken Marsala- Lasagna are always fabulous! My only suggestion would be the booths- tables are in need of a refresh/ repair. The booths are not all the same size- some have more room- seats are ripped in many booths. I've seen older customers struggle with getting their walkers in and into a table. Consider removing a few table and chairs for easier access for many of your aging and I bet very loyal customers. Same for booths- take a few out for easy access and replace the ripped booth seating. If you did that you would be in great shape for another 25+ years because your food is fantastic. read more

This place is great. Never had a bad meal. The staff is friendly and efficient. We go to Franco's often.

We were immediately greeted and told to choose a seat. Service was quick. Dining area and restrooms were clean. Music was lively. Food was delicious. Overall an enjoyable experience. I would return. Be warned, they serve big, so bring your appetite. read more

Food was great, our server was great, and the atmosphere was nice until one of the other servers,kitchen staff, or management (what ever he was) decided to start telling crude jokes at the tables that were next to us with our 3 year old listening. One person can ruin a whole meal from feet away. Will not be returning. read more

I'm giving it 2 stars because customer service comes before anything!!! I was delivering food and landed an order here. I came in spoke and informed them of the order. they were rude and did not speak back. the food smelt amazing and I was willing to try it out. But I do not believe in paying for rude service. hopefully they better their service. read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem! Right by the airport- super convenient and the portions are HUGEEEEEE a small calzone could be split between the entire table of 3. The service was great and super quick! I'll be back soon! read more

The biggest problem I have with Franco's is I never know which of my favorites to order. I will start with my husbands favorite, The Cheesesteak Sub. This isn't your average cheesesteak. Franco's uses actual Steak, very thinly sliced. Great flavor, with the perfect amount of cheese. If you are like me your first thought may be "chewability" of the real steak; meaning, does it have tough Fatty spots? No, not at all. The lasagne is one of my favorites. If you want homemade lasagne, but do not feel like cooking, look no further. Guys, this is good lasagne. I highly recommend Franco's. Oh, their portion sizes are big, so save room. If you are a big eater, you will not leave hungry. If you are not a big eater, you will have enough for two meals. I included a pic of my ToGo lasagne. (Note that it got jostled around some in my car so the presentation is mine and not Franco's) read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - Lasagne - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

The combo calzone it's awesome! The servers were super nice and the service was good. read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - Calzone - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

If you are looking for some of the best authentic Italian food. Franco's is a must. The pasta, pizza and cheese steaks are all amazing. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The bread is made fresh for the cheese steaks and My God it is a blessing to your tastebuds!!' read more

Excellent Italian cuisine, service, ambience. Also, delighted with piano player on beautiful baby grand.

Amazing food and a great piano player. The veal plates are wonderful. Spaghetti and meatballs is my go to for a test of every Italian restaurant. If it's bad, the restaurant is bad. Franco's was super! read more

Food was OK. I ordered chicken marsala and expected more than plain boiled looking chicken and canned mushrooms but everyone else in my party enjoyed their food. Very disappointed in the staff - there was a couple who sat right behind us and looked sick. Coughing constantly. The waitress came to them and asked if they were "doing better" (so obviously regulars) and the woman started talking about how she was recovering from COVID. I was very uncomfortable and got my family up and went to the register to pay before we finished eating. The waitress asked if we liked our food and I said it was fine but we were uncomfortable with the couple who admitted to having COVID behind us. She just shrugged her shoulders and said there wasn't anything she could do about it. So I guess if you're looking to pay high prices for mediocre food and potentially get sick from other patrons because no one has any respect for others, this is the restaurant to go to! read more

Wow! I have never had a better eggplant Parmesan and instead of noodles you can get a house salad. Get a house salad. It's wonderful too. Great service. I'll definitely be back. read more

I really wanted to love this place since it's not a chain, is locally owned and has gotten some great reviews lately. Unfortunately, our visit doesn't merit any more than 2 stars. It's super cramped. You walk in the door right on top of tables. No one greeted us, so we weren't sure if we had to wait to be seated or should seat ourselves. The servers behind the "bar" just glanced up at us. Luckily, there was no one sitting at the tables near the door, or it would have been really awkward. Finally a server yelled out "anywhere" so we figured we'd seat ourselves. So much for any welcoming warm fuzzies. We chose a booth in the back, so we wouldn't be sitting on top of our neighbors. It was SO cramped. You can barely get in and out of them and the table is right up against your midsection - and we are not big people! But enough about claustrophobia. A server came up to take our drink order and when my Hubby ordered sweet tea, we were told they only have unsweetened. Um wow. We're in the south. I can't name one other place in the area that doesn't serve sweet tea. Maybe they are out there, but we've never run across one. We ordered entrees- rigatoni with meat sauce for him, stuffed shells for me. Guess what? Entrees don't come with a salad. How about mozzarella salad (it was even on their chalkboard as an appetizer and on the printed menu)? Nope. Didn't have any yesterday and still out. Ok, no worries, we ordered a side salad....and were charged $4.45 a pop for a house salad that was nothing more than romaine lettuce, huge chunks of raw onion, one slice of a Roma tomato and 3 slices of black olive. The slice of provolone and salami was a nice touch though, but the dressing tasted like it came out of one of those industrial size jugs. The shells were good, but pretty standard. Nothing to write home about. The meat sauce in Hubby's rigatoni tasted homemade, though he would have liked to have had some more sauce to go with the meat. The bread that comes with the entrees was yummy though! Warm and crusty on the outside and soft in the middle. Unfortunately, that's not enough to make us come back. read more

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This is a longtime favorite of my husband and I. The food is good and the friendliness is outstanding. This is the place we can be sure to get a good meal, no matter what we order. read more

I ordered the scallops,meatball sub, and spaghetti. The scallops was burnt. The meatball sub was terrible,horrible,and, not edible, The spaghetti has a lack of sauce taste like you can make it from a garage. I'll call back to tell them that the scallops was Burnt they say they don't care, so I won't be going back there no more and I wouldn't recommend nobody else to go back read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - Burnt Scallops - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

There Marsala chicken is sooo amazing. I'm about to order it again. They are so worth the money.

Had an early dinner with my brother yesterday at Franco's. The food was excellent and the service was outstanding. The restaurant is very clean, the atmosphere is relaxed and there was a piano player taking requests. It was a Saturday, not sure the piano player is there every night. My brother ordered Valentino with the zucchini appetizer which he proclaimed as the best he has ever had. Our waitress, Melony, was very attentive and went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed our dinner. Prices are very reasonable. read more

I grew up not too far from this establishment and as a kid this was the standard for what Italian food should taste like. I've grown up and have since tasted Italian food from other restaurants and locales that have done an even better job than Franco's. But obviously this place set my standard and I don't think that will change. Service has always been good and I've never had any problems with anyone. Considering the environment (read below), they have to be good since it's usually so crowded. There are many regulars who frequent the place, but regardless the staff does a great job of making you feel at home. That being said, there are always drawbacks. Franco's is a great environment and in spite of that the place is pretty tight. So tight that there will be times when you'll have to shift and adjust to make room for other patrons at other tables. It takes a little getting used to - I grew up used to this, so it's not a big deal for me. But anyone venturing here for the first time looking to kick back may come away upset. The tight quarters may be the only drawback, in my opinion, but I love the staff there and I'm pretty good with the owner, John, and his family. JV read more

Amazing pizza tonight!! Never had a pizza with ricotta cheese on it. Dave Portnoy needs to come to Franco's. Unbelievable undercarriage, awesome crisp! read more

Franco's is delicious and open during COVID times for take out only! Highly recommend - they were fast and grateful! love this place and love supporting local businesses! read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - Cheese Pizza! - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Not gonna lie Francos does not look like much as you walk up and even as you walk in, its very small with too many tables very close together, the booths are old and the lighting is horrible. The service is just okay my waitress had moments where she was friendly and moments where she was just kinda cold. The menu is simple very to the point but I will say the food is delicious. I got the chicken parm and it was absolutely fantastic. They make the breadcrumbs in house as well as the sauce. It was delicious so good I had to use the bread to soak up the leftover sauce. I will be back for more food, plus I wanna try their pizza. read more

Franco's is an amazing Italian restaurant, their meatballs are insanely good (but don't go here expecting to get any kind of white sauce). They always start you off with fresh hot bread that you could eat the whole loaf of! I've eaten everything from there salads, to calamari to chicken dishes. I haven't had anything bad there except their wine list. I really hope in the future they will look at expanding their wines especially with Italian food and wine pairing so well. read more

Franco's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I have adored Franco's Italian Restaurant for several decades. The food is always fabulous. The veal marsala is the dish by which I judge all other versions. I've ordered it all over the US and never had a better version than Franco's. Everything is always fresh and I've never been disappointed with a meal at Franco's, be it lunch or dinner. However, I was very disappointed with my last visit, as the restaurant just looks and feels tired. The food is great and the service was wonderful, but the restaurant itself is just fallen into a depression. It is definitely time for the ownership to invest in a refresh so that the atmosphere will be on par with the food and service. Dining is an overall experience and this one fell a little short for me. read more