We stopped in on a Saturday night, sat at the bar, place was busy Inside was nice, pretty cool Bar tender was helpful and great service -Started w bread, which was lackluster - not warm, fair quality, with garlic butter I found lacking -Then we started w their basic salad, which had fresh ingredients, but not much of them and wasn't that big: okay -I had the cod on top of spinach and potatoes: the cod was on the dry side (I'm okay w that - tends to happen when crispy) but on its own was bland. When mixed w the sauces of both the potatoes and spinach, quite good. Potatoes were chunky and spinach was saturated but good -My wife had the salmon roll. It was busy, but I thought a bit bland. She liked it. -We finished w the brookie, which was pecan pie in a manageable size, like a cookie. From my desserting knowledge, a brookie is a brownie cookie mix. This was not. I don't know why they call it that. Regardless, it was good. Sweet and went great w the vanilla ice cream read more

I love this place I eat dinner here as often as possible it doesn't have any outdoor seating that's fine it's all about the food and then be honest and the food and the ambience of the customer service is on point really happy to be here and have dinner here whenever I am available to do so and the wine list and the cocktails are craft and they're delicious and the beer of course is it's a gastropub so you get it Brady was the bartender this evening and what a pleasurable experience really great to have dinner and feel welcome by Brady and her and her crew always go for the dumplings and the specials the sea food is fresh and everything else that's prepared is local it's really delicious honestly I love the food there. The risotto was delicious tonight I had the cod and subbed out the potato for the risotto.. The oysters were petite and perfectly shucked, no shards of shell, tasted like the ocean. I have nothing but compliments for this restaurant. Thank you for a gastronomical experience. Brady says she is a bartender, I feel she is mixologist. Thank you for your passion. read more

Fantastic place! Great food and friendly, hard working staff! Been many thanks me and never had a bad thing!

Excellent variety and food. The fish entrees were all top notch except the tuna which was okay. The atmosphere is nice. Staff friendly. Right on Main St. Can be tricky to find parking in a weekend night but hopefully you'll get lucky. read more

Wonderful atmosphere, ambiance, service & spectacular food!! It was a difficult task to decide which of the tantalizing offerings from the menu to choose, however the attentive & friendly bartender (we dined at the bar) was quick to make stellar suggestions! We took his advice & we can NOT wait to go back!!! We had had a day full of sun, ocean & we were looking for a place to bring our perfect day to a perfect close and the Franklin Cafe Cape Ann did that and more! The restaurant has an instant welcoming feel when you enter, there is a 'speak-easy' ness to it. We went on a Thursday night & was pleasantly surprised to find live music, Jazz in nature. Everyone was courteous & friendly even though we arrived near 9pm (another Gloucester restaurant had made it clear that even though we would arrived well before their kitchen closed, we should not come, I could tell on the phone that staff wanted to go home early, but thank goodness because I don't think any restaurant could have equaled our delight & satisfaction that we got from our evening at the Franklin Cafe!! All of our food was spectacular but I wish to comment on their calamari. We had calamari to start which was out of this world & not like any calamari that we had experienced before, in fact I thought it is almost a disservice to call what we had calamari. Calamari makes me think fried, battered & somewhat filling & what we had was NONE of this. This calamari was grilled, no batter so not too filling & it was divine. In fact divine describes our total experience at the Franklin Cape Ann and we are counting the days until we can return!!! read more

It kind of bums me out to give a bad review, since I loved this place for many years, but my last visit was so surprisingly terrible I had to write a review. I have had many great meals at the Franklin, and looked forward to bringing my husband there during our winter visit home. As usual, the cocktails were great and we were excited about having a meal there. Unfortunately, I'm experiencing a short-term health issue, where I have some dietary restrictions--I basically have to eat like I have an ulcer: No garlic, no onions, no major spice, and keep black pepper to a minimum. When I looked at the menu, I was pretty excited--the Franklin has a lot of simply prepared entrees that looked like the could be easily tweaked for me. When I went to place my first order I first tried consulting with the waitress about which items she felt could be the most easily modified. My assumption is that she hadn't been working there very long since she had nothing to recommend, but said she could check with the kitchen. No problem, that's cool. I decided to get the ball rolling by ordering the Butternut Squash Ravioli--omitting the offending ingredients--and letting her know that if there was an issue, I could order something else. 20 minutes later, she came back letting me know that there was garlic in the sauce and that was already pre-made. Since I make my own butter-sage sauce pretty often, I know how easy it would be to whip up a small batch for one person, so I was a little surprised that the kitchen couldn't accommodate me. Still, I didn't want to make a fuss, so I asked her if the kitchen recommended anything else. She admitted she didn't think to ask. Since I was holding up dinner for the rest of our table, I sent her back with a couple of different orders and told her to have the kitchen just pick whatever one was easiest to modify for my diet. Another 20 minutes later, she comes back and tells me that neither one of the other meals would work. What this says to me is one of two things: A) Everything in the kitchen is pre-made, which is kind of gross. I've been to Sizzler, and they are more accommodating. Or B) the staff just doesn't give a shit--I don't know if it was the waitress or the kitchen that didn't want to throw something together for me, but there was obviously something amiss. I asked her again if there was anything the kitchen COULD serve me that would work. She said she forgot to ask again. So, finally, I just went with the cod and told her to hold all side dishes--since they all appeared to be pre-made and couldn't be tweaked. When we were finally served our food, an hour and 45 mins after arriving, she brought me the cod... covered in cracked black pepper. I had to send it back, and I left without eating anything save for a few slices of bread and a few glasses of water. Inmates at Alcatraz ate better than I did. This was a major bummer, because I've eaten at the Franklin at least 50 times, and it's a place I always crave when I come home for a visit. This ONE visit has completely changed my tune. I've never been to a restaurant that couldn't help me find at least a couple of choices for something I could eat. A few days later, at Passports they told me I could have anything on the menu except the soups--that EVERYTHING is completely fresh and made to order. As much as I loved you, Franklin, I think I've found a new spot for my visits home. read more

If I could give this place 6 stars, I would. Whenever we are visiting Cape Ann, we always try to make it here for a special meal. Hanger steak is too good and large enough to share. The catfish is wonderful and always perfectly cooked. We've had many delicious appetizers, fantastic desserts and fun cocktails on our visits too. read more

I walked in looking like a hot piece of ass and walked out appx. 12 seconds later. I immediately said, "No." to the bf and out we went. This place looks like it could be on Dawson's Creek (it would be the cool place to go and see your locals) boy, it was lame! I couldn't give it a chance due to the fact that this seemed like a big time townie bar and it was tiny. I had to leave and go elsewhere and I had a much better time. read more

Had not been to FC for a few years. We went and had an outstanding meal. Fish specials are outstanding. I had pepper crusted tuna and my partner had crusted scallops. Both excellent. Best part of meal are desserts--apple tart was great. Friendly service. Best restaurant in downtown Gloucester. we hope to return soon read more

Four for 6:30 reservations last night. Ahi Tuna was excellent Hanger steak was tasty but tough, fries thin tasty, Would not recommend Drinks on the small portion but well prepared. Limited selection of gin Service: outstanding, waiter name Joe attentive great job. Noise: made mistake of requesting window first floor, Other side of band, headache when left. Overall, will not rush back! read more

LOVE AT FIRST BITE - - ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE Franklin Cafe opens at five o'clock so we went to Halibut Point State Park to build up and appetite. I'm glad we did. I called to make a reservation but I was told if we are there when they open, I would be seated. So, sure enough...seated with no problem. I noticed the customers that came in after us sat at the bar. I was happy with our seats. They brought bread with Hummus and it was terrific. The Raw Oysters were nice and cold and delicious! We like crackers with our Raw Oysters so they brought some crust-ini's and they were perfect. I read on Yelp about the Marinated Grilled Calamari and the reviews were right...different, delicious and ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! We shared a Pan Seared Cod dinner so we could try their Brussel Sprouts, Chive Mash, and a side order of Mushroom Risotto (comes with the Filet). They were very accommodating. Everything we had was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!! Thank you Franklin Cafe staff for a ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE evening! read more

...Okay, i have loved the atmoisphere here, and fund it a great place to stop in for snacks and a drink. we held it in pretty high esteem. the other night we brought my visiting family there ( and they know food). they didn't complain, but the booth was too tight ( and we're not fat ) my s.o. did not care for his pizza crust at all and i have to say, the salad ( field greens with goat cheese, walnuts, cranberry ) was the worst of its type i've ever had . i sent it back for more walnuts topping ( there were like, 3) but still, it was a huge pile of limp old greens, no distinguishable dressing, all mush, no textural contrasts... i do like the nice big delicate wine glasses for the red wine but this does not a meal make. i'm very dissapointed and i hope they will raise the bar a bit again ! read more

I have been coming here for 10 years. The last 2 meals here have been so poor I promise not to return. Under new ownership over the last couple years the food has really lacked and the service is kind of a joke. I used to live next to the one in South End and eaten there hundreds of times. I have been to the Gloucester spot about 50ish times and it made me sad last night where the restaurant has gone. Drinks were great though and bartender was really personable and great to talk to. What seemed to be the head waiter made me feel like i was in the Jersey Shore!!! read more

We had a 50+ person dinner event in the upstairs room at Franklin Cafe this past weekend. The servers did a great job all night, and really kept the wine flowing. The jicama salad was tasty and had a great citrus dressing. The hangar steak entrees were high quality dishes. All the steak was cooked at a perfect medium, a job well done considering they served en masse. All the food came out in a timely manner. Nice execution by the chefs; they also had a full dining room to serve downstairs. read more

I've been here twice. The first time was some time ago (1.5 years, maybe?) and remembered it being pretty good so a group of 8 of us went back after a day in Gloucester. The atmosphere is small but nice and interesting. The service was also good but nothing spectacular. The main issue I had on this night was the food. I ordered the Pan Seared Cod. The portion size was good but it lacked real seasoning and was pretty mediocre. I tried the Salmon and the 'twice fried rice'. Altogether pretty gross. The twice fried rice is a bad version of 3 day old rice that has been microwaved. Maybe it's just me... Maybe I don't get it, but I certainly don't know who does. Salmon was cooked well but really sweet with no heat to be found. I don't know if I'd go back... The Franklin Cafe in the South End was much better from what I remember. I'll probably try that one again. read more

Scale 1 = poor, 5 = outstanding CUSTOMER SERVICE: 3. We ate at the bar - bartendress was very nice but did spend some time chatting with co-workers instead of checking to see that we had empty wine glasses. However they made requested substitution with no problem at all. FOOD: 2. Really disappointing -- especially because the South End location has unbelievable food. My gnocci app was nothing but salt and butter. My wife's calamari was rubbery and her cod entree was way too salty. AMBIANCE: 4. Especially for downtown Gloucestor, this is a nice cozy barroom/restaurant feel. The upstairs actually has even more tables and its own big bar as well, plus a small outdoor patio. They had live music (it was a Friday) which is good - although it was kind of cheesy cocktail jazz/vocals. VALUE: 3. The price is always good at any of their locations. But paying anything for lackluster food immediately decreases the value. read more

This was my first time at this restaurant and I went with a good friend of mine. I cannot wait to return! The food was outstanding and I loved the atmosphere. Low key, cool with amazing food. Great date place with friends or sig. other. We started with the house made buffalo mozzarella with sliced tomatoes and olive tapenade, a burst of flavor and so fresh. The matchstick zucchini was to die for, the calamari was grilled and not fried and perfect, the cod was seasoned and cooked to perfection and dessert was delicious. The upstairs is a bit more casual than the downstairs but I think this place is truly a Cape Ann gem. read more

I really enjoyed this place. The food was good. Nice clean flavors, with no "throw-in" ingredients, huge portions, and comfort food which was exactly what I was looking for on this particular night (It was 3 degrees outside. I do not miss that at all.) The drinks were quite tasty and strong, and the atmosphere was good. (I really liked how the servers wore jeans and black tops-sweaters, t-shirts, etc. It didn't seem to matter as long as it was black-yet the food it self was a little more upscale. Will definitely come back here again. read more

I love the atmosphere here. It's rich with deep, dark colors and sophisticated lighting. The music is usually tasteful and eclectic. They do have a TV located in the bar areas for sports. Love the waitress Grace who's been there for years. The waitstaff tend to be professional and unpretentious. It's neither a hipster hangout or a local dump. It's understated and classy without being bland. Drinks are delicious and food is usually superb. If you order a salad, however ask for your dressing on the side as sometimes they can be heavy handed. Other than that, it's my go-to place for date night or girls night. read more

We went for dinner on Friday night, without a reservation, and were promptly seated in their upstairs dining room. I ordered the baked haddock special and my companion had the chicken with apple cider reduction and butternut squash risotto. This was by far the best baked haddock that I have ever had - the breading was crunchy, the fish cooked perfectly, and the spicing divine. The haddock was served on a bed of heavenly chive mashed potatoes along with green beans. The only slight negative about my meal was that the green beans could have been cooked another minute longer - they were squeaky. The service was very good and the upstairs diningroom is comfortable and stylish. On our way out in the downstairs diningroom the jazz trio was playing. While the music was very good, I am glad that we ate upstairs where it was quieter. If one were at the downstairs bar, the music would have been most enjoyable. Great place! I will be back. read more

I have always wanted to go this place after reading positive reviews in magazines. I have been to many restaurants in the Gloucester are (Lat 43, Passports, etc.). I invited two couples to go (7/28/12) with us because of the reputation. What a letdown! The service was nonexistent. It was very busy which is ok with us but trying to get her attention for drinks, water and coming back to the table to see if everything was ok did not happen. We had to pay 20% service charge because of the size of out party. Ouch! The food was ok. We had the salmon and haddock entrees. The haddock portion was so small and the sides were bland. My salmon was prepared properly but the sides were nothing to brag about. The six of us all agreed we would not consider coming back again. Very disappointing to say the least. read more

This place, a cousin of the two Franklins downtown, is always good. Unlike many restaurants in Cape Ann, it has an adult feel, darker interior on the main floor, no TV, a small bar. The menu changes frequently, the staff is friendly and professional and you can order until midnight or 12:30 on Friday and Saturdays. You're welcomed with bread and a nice spread of some sort. There's a decent sized menu, lots of fish (duh) and seafood (the calamari is always good) but enough meat choices to satisfy. They have live jazz some nights downstairs and an upstairs patio scene in the summer. A very cool place. read more

Went for dinner last night and, for the first time, sat upstairs. Much less noise -- which we loved-- and more space among the tables so generally a more pleasant experience. Only complaint: chairs need to be re-cushioned for comfort. Food and drink as good as always. Service was good. Big surprise: there's a great second bar upstairs! Who knew?! read more

We came in 5 min before closing with a huge appetite! All I can say is that they've done a great job !!!!

Franklin has been one of our favorite restaurants for years. Not sure what's happening, but lately the food and service has declined. Even last night's coffee was cold and tasteless. Twice recently the wait staff has disappeared at end of the meal. Had to go to bar to pay the bill. Food is now just ok and plating presentations are non-existent. Please bring the quality food and service back. read more

Such a great experience! They had a small live instrumental band, which was fantastic, and the service was great. All of our meals were outstanding! Everything came out hot and cooked to perfection. The standouts were certainly the lemon chicken on the bone and short ribs - both excellent! Will be returning soon. read more

WOW!! I came into the Franklin on Friday night sat downstairs with the live music. This was my first time at the Franklin. I loved the location because it was right in heart of the Gloucester. I had followed the Facebook Page and saw some of their specials as well as their new sushi menu that they added, So I thought I would try it out. And am I HAPPY that I did!!! My waiters name was Joe. He completely knew what he was talking about he was right on with all his recommendations. He was fast and made sure we had everything we needed. The Franklin is very lucky to have someone who cares so much! The food was amazing and probably the best sushi I have ever had! The atmosphere is fun and upbeat. Overall a well needed night out! Franklin I will be back!!! 5 stars!!! See you soon! read more

We went here on Friday night to have dinner and meet a co-worker of mine for a drink. I was worried about finding space at the bar because it's so darn tiny, but I was alerted to the fact that there is a very secret dining room and bar on a very secret second floor. We were able to score 2 seats at the upstairs bar, but it quickly began to fill in and I felt like I had to work hard to hold onto a seat for my co-worker who would be arriving a bit later. I don't care for the upstairs ambiance as much as I do for the downstairs. While the downstairs feels like a classy little restaurant, the upstairs felt more like a townie bar. I have nothing against townie bars (see my review of The Willow Tree in Peabody), but I think of the Franklin as an upscale place. For dinner, I had the chicken (natch), and my companion had the cod. I was more impressed with my dinner, but the drinks were excellent. The bartender irritated me and lost this place it's 2 stars when I asked if I could have fries with my meal instead of potatoes. The line she gave me was that on weekends, the kitchen is firm about there being no substitutions. Really? In a place that's charging what the Franklin charges, they can't sub-out fries for potatoes? That gets a big thumbs down. I'm not done with the Franklin by any means. Everything I ate and drank was marvelous, I just would rather have had the fries. read more

My bf and I chose to go here last minute and we called and asked if there was a wait. The girl on the phone was really nice and asked how many people. I told her just 2 and she said she would have the table ready for us. When we got there it was packed but there was a table waiting for us with bread and hummus and ice water. We ordered and they served us super quick and everything was really good. The restaurant is def at least three ($$$) though not two ($$) like Yelp says. The appetizers are around $15ish so I just got one of those and a salad. It's a nice place to go if you just want to get drinks and have a small bite to eat! read more

Place was okay. Location used to be an ice cream parlor from what a 90 year old Gloucester resident told me. The bar looks to be original. Old wainscoting and a dimly lit kind of atmosphere are nice touches. The food was okay. The menu seems to be a bit limited and portions are on the small side for what you'll pay. read more

This was my first experience. I'm sick of holding my tongue on restaurants. Says they offer takeout. I called asked to place a takeout order and she told me that she couldn't do it because they're too busy. So I guess you just pick and choose when you want to do take out. I've been cooking in restaurants for 8 years and never once have I ever said we can't do take out because we're too busy. If you offer something you should be consistent with it no matter how busy you are. read more

I love the Franklin. They serve food late and have a great vegan/vegetarian/gluten free menus. Friendly staff Andy nice atmosphere. Two thumbs up! read more

Tried for dinner for the first time last week and was excellent. The beef tacos app is huge and was very good. The haddock special was also very good. Cute little spot read more

we really enjoyed the franklin cafe! the manager and service were extremely nice and accommodating, and were very nice about our changing reservation time. for appetizers we started with the lobster ravioli, fish quesadilla, and wedge salad. the lobster ravioli was very crispy, but not greasy, and came with a very nice soy dipping sauce. i really liked the quesadilla, the fish was grilled and it was filled with black beans, creme fraiche, and guacomole. the wedge salad had a bit too much dressing, but my fiance's parents really liked it. the appetizers were a great start, but the real hit were the two dinner specials. we ordered the tuna special, which was a pepper crusted seared tuna with mashed potatoes and greens. the tuna was cooked perfectly - very rare, with a beautiful crispy crust. i got the fluke, and it was extremely flaky, moist, and paired nicely with a lightly oiled spinach and a bit of mashed potato. both of my martinis were strong without being overpowering, and reasonably priced at $9. we also got the blondie brownie sundae for dessert, which came with an amazing toasted coconut topping and vanilla ice cream. i enjoyed every dish, and would look forward to returning to franklin cafe. read more

Outstanding food and atmosphere!! I had the short ribs are they were so delicious...had a spicy sauce accompanied with tomato risotto. An added benefit is the live entertainment on Friday nights ... The Amero Jazz Trio was very good. read more

I'm always looking for those secret local restaurants with creative fresh food. Hands down this is it! Look no further. Great atmosphere to come with friends or date night. So many unique amazing, delicious food combinations. Plus the staff is super friendly and just plain wonderful. I love this place and will come back to Gloucester just to come eat here! read more

I thought this was a pretty nice place, but not too expensive. Me and my boyfriend got martinis and steaks. The martinis were so-so, but the steaks were fabulous. They give you bread and hummus before your meal-I love when places do that (and it's actually good stuff), but I wasn't feeling the hummus with the bread; I say, just stick to butter or maybe flavored butter. read more

Went here for dinner last night. Lobster bisque, steak frites, and short rib were all superb. Good service at the bar. I appreciated that they offer some different options for wines by the glass or half bottle. read more

This is a GREAT restaurant for pleasing many type of palates. My family has people on diets, people who don't eat meat, people who can't eat spicy food, people who try to go low-cal, etc. So it is often hard to find a restaurant that pleases everyone. BUT THIS IS THE PLACE. Excellent food and great variety. As a vegetarian, I was ever so happy to see a FULL vegetarian menu (I had the vegetable ragu which was delicious) and lots of tasty salads (I had the baby arugula salad, also very good). My mom had the semi-boneless chicken, which she said was very tender. My dad had fish, which he seemed to enjoy. We had some awesome drinks and shared a very tasty dessert. Service was prompt, courteous, and attentive as well. All in all, a great restaurant! I highly recommend it. read more

We've been eating here quite a bit, the Franklin is an oasis in Gloucester, open year round with a high quality semi casual dinning experience. Great food, we love the Tomato soup with the mini grilled cheese and my fiancée likes the arugula salad with the fried cheese. The Salmon is always great wild vs farm raised makes the difference. I've pretty much tried most things on the menu and not been disappointed. The service is always spot on either at the bar or table. read more