I work close-by and there are many choices to grab lunch (including namesake Franklin Square Park which is a food truck hub) but I find myself coming to Franklin Grill more than many other places. I cannot comment on breakfast, but here are some notes about lunch:
= there are few item + fries combos. Fries is an additional $1.99 (worth it), onion rings an additional $2.89 or something like that (NOT worth it), and most chips are $1.49 (standard pricing)
= the combos I know of are wings platter (at ~$8.49, meh), and chicken fingers ($7.49, good value). the chicken finger combo is four lightly (and I do mean lightly) breaded strips of chicken and a dessert-plate-sized portion of fries. It's no lie that just two chicken fingers will fill you up.
= I order from the hot lunch counter, not the salad/cold sandwich counter at the way back
= the hot sandwiches are really good - my go to sandwich is the BLT ($4.59) and they put a lot of bacon on it. Other good sandwiches of note are the cheese steak and the New York style sandwiches (reuben etc). I'm not crazy about the burger, so I go down the street to to a diff deli for that hankering.
= You will not be disappointed by their mexican food dishes. After the BLT, I go for the chicken quesadilla ($5.99). Excellent value for rice, mini salad, and a generous quesadilla (avocado extra $). Their burritos are good too, and they pack tortillas chipotle style (i.e. you get a heavy brick of goodness)
= specials. they'll have a fish/seafood special but the only one i've ever gotten was their shrimp/skrimp basket (8-10 pieces of fried shrimp and fries - good value at $7.49). They also have a salmon sandwich from time to time, but never had.
= large chip selection - you will find something you like here unless they've sold out of everything; they also have a cooler with side fruit and small salads but I pass on those.
= lots of seating for groups, and perimeter counter with stools for solos or for people-watching (low-to-medium foot traffic though)
= drinks: they have a small selection of bottles and cans, a 5-6 spout soda fountain, and actually a decent coffee selection. i get the free tap water that's in a dispenser near the registers... the taste of the water varies day-to-day, but my main gripe is the use of styrofoam cups =(
= condiments. they have squirt ketchup into really small to-go cups (with lids), other condiments in packets, but also HOT SAUCE in a squirt bottle. they know their clientele
= large cabinet of plastic ware and napkins.
= $5 minimum credit card charge
= staff are great and care about getting your order right.
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Now, I understand that "good value" is a relative term, but take-out lunch here in DC (pre-drink and sides) pretty much starts at $5.00, and that's before the 10% DC food tax. For comparison - a close-by place that used to sell five-dollar-footlongs now starts at $5.75 footlongs. Even a hot dog combo at a sidewalk cart (2 dogs, chips, can) is $5.00 - if you find the right cart. You really have to hunt for (non-fastfood chain) places that offer good food at good prices, and Franklin Grill deserves to be on that list. read more