Franklin's Public House is such a solid spot in Palos. Parking was super easy, which is always a win, and the atmosphere is cozy while still feeling a little elevated, perfect for a relaxed dinner that still feels special. The food was excellent across the board. The standout for me was the short rib entrée, so tender, rich, and full of flavor. My brother ordered the kids' sliders with mashed potatoes and absolutely loved them, which is always a good sign. My boyfriend got the Great American burger melt on a pretzel bun, and it was also delicious--super satisfying and cooked perfectly. Service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing, and everything came out on time. Drinks were well-made, and the menu does a great job of balancing comfort food with elevated pub classics. Overall, an easy go-to spot that we'll definitely be back to. read more

Franklins Public House - Short rib entree - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

The restaurant was nice but it was loud. We went on a night they had someone singing too. The food was ok. The best part of the dinner was the apricot brussel sprouts. The presentation of the pork chops was nice with the flower. The only thing I would go back for is to try more of the pies. read more

See all

We went for the first time to Franklins Public House. Our waitress was friendly and very helpful. I ordered the Chicken Nachos with several items on the side. It came out exactly how I wanted it. I told our waitress that these may be the BEST Chicken Nachos I have ever had and I've had a lot. There was plenty of chicken and the other toppings, cheese, beans, sour cream were plentiful. My only problem was they were huge and I couldn't finish them. However I took the left overs home and had them the next day. We will definitely be back. I'll be thinking (dreaming) about those chicken nachos for a while!! I took this picture when I was half way done. read more

Franklins Public House - Chicken Nachos - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

See all

First time here and I truly loved the food. Our waitress was wonderful my issue was the temperature. Today it's 30 degrees outside rainy and windy. I noticed several people wearing coats while dinning. It was absolutely freezing not sure who is being cheap there but totally unacceptable to create an uncomfortable environment for diners. I walked past the thermostat and it read 60 degrees. I told our waitress it was extremely cold and she said I'll try to turn the heat up. Sadly that never happened, I don't blame her but I blame management for creating an unpleasant environment. Not sure we will be back. read more

The food is always delicious! Cheese curds, Ruben sandwich with a house salad. The service was fast, the restaurant was busy , getting ready to watch the 2026 Super Bowl! The ambiance was amazing, too bad it wasn't the Chicago bears! read more

Great vibe, live music, fresh/hot food with rotating menu. This is one of our favorite local restaurants to patronize.

My in-laws took my husband and me to Franklin's for dinner last night. The restaurant design is really nice! It's like taking a trip back in time to the 18th century, which makes sense considering the restaurant used to be called Ben Franklin Store. For an appetizer, we ordered the Wisconsin cheese curds. They were perfectly fried and, from a foodie nerd side, had great cheese pull. The chipotle ranch sauce was very creamy and smoky. Unfortunately, my entree left much to be desired. I had the grown up grilled cheese without bacon with a subbed side of macaroni and cheese. The grilled cheese consisted of the following: American, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Swiss cheeses, avocado, tomato, and garlic aioli sandwiched between grilled rustic bread. The bread definitely needed some butter on it as it was dry. The sandwich itself was pretty bland. The macaroni and cheese was also bland and the cheese sauce was a mix of watery and processed cheese sauce like the kind you get at sports games. My husband had the supper club whitefish which, upon my tasting it, was better than my entree, but not by much. The fish, although well-cooked and covered in a lemony caper sauce, was bland. The side of garlic mashed potatoes were very good. My husband said he thought the fish was bland. My mother-in-law had the broccoli cheese soup, which enjoyed, but also had the supper club whitefish, which she did not like. My father-in-law had the Cajun linguine, which he really enjoyed. I will give this place another go, but definitely avoid the grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese from now on. read more

See all

Service was a bit slow however the kitchen was pretty good on service time for food delivery. The portions were ok. They add a service charge on the bill which isn't cool. When it was during Covid I understood as I'm sure it was very difficult for restaurants. read more

Always a great meal here at Franklin. I LOVE the Cajun pasta, the Ruben is always good and lean. Flatbread is another plus on the menu and my wife loves the salad with the raspberry vinaigrette. read more

See all

Comfortable and cozy. We need the Domaine DuPage back Two Brothers. The nachos were good. The place was warm and inviting. The other patrons were enjoying themselves as well. It was the right place for a drink and a snack. Next time we are walking next door to try the pie. read more

Food is usually good but service was even better this particular night as we hosted a retirement party with over 50 people. They did a great job read more

Nice atmospher and good amount of parking. The food was great! Best looking Avocado Toast ever! They are offering some summer entrees too. I had the summer cobb salad witb peaches, blueberries and strawberries. Everything was fresh and the ice tea was flowing! The draft beers were many! Some nice looming cocktails too. The waitress was delightful! The restaurant was close to Lake Katherine. Good for a nice lunch after a walk or kayaking. read more

See all

Excellent - Great - WINNER!! Started out with the Spicy Margarita and the Mamacita Margarita. Both were delish. For appetizer, we had the Reuben eggrolls which we really enjoyed. Corned beef was tender and tasty and the wrappers were fried to perfection, crunchy and light! Entrees were Franklins Brisket - tender and a nice smokey flavor. Grilled Shrimp Avocado Toast was super yummy. Shrimp grilled masterfully. Presentation is delightful. Overall, the place is clean, service was great and staff is friendly. read more

See all

I tried to place an order for the beef sliders. I asked for Medium. However, the waitress let me know that they don't serve Medium...only Medium Well!!! I let her know that I have been coming for years to Franklins. So, she said "okay, I'll put down medium". But, guess what? My burgers arrived Well Done! I did not complain because I know in some restaurants, food can be tampered with. I have had no previous bad experiences with any other server. This server was a young lady. read more

My wife and I had lunch there yesterday. My wife had the red wine and blue burger and I enjoyed the Reuben. Both meals were very good, so we decided to give the pie a try for dessert. The pie was outstanding! Our waitress was all over us with great service. The ambience is very nice as an old English pub decor. We will definitely return. read more

Way overpriced and corner cutting everywhere! The burger patty is cost cut down to 10 for a dollar imitation beef jerky meat with an initial normal flavor but terrible aftertaste don't know what's in there! read more

Franklins Public House - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

See all

Fast service. Nice place to eat. Food was great. I had pot roast I tell my friends It was a little loud they move the party table into another room. If that was great calm down all the noise, I was only there one time and I will be back. read more

This place is awesome...the only problem is finding parking...at least they have a big lot across the alley! Love the unusual food offerings and they're delicious! I've had the short ribs and the turkey/apple sliders so far. They've gone to the top of m "go to" list. Cathy E. read more

Ordered the Turkey Apple Sliders. Expected something great for $15. There was a single piece of turkey folded on each mini bun that seemed to be the same turkey you might buy pre-packaged in any grocery store. The brioche bun was dry. The garnishments described on the menu were either absent or tasteless. Then there was the credit card upcharge. read more

Posting this a little late, but had a girlfriends get-together here and even though it was busy and we took too long to decide on our order and stayed a little longer to have a few more drinks together, the service was excellent! We never felt rushed and she was so attentive to us group of gals who hadn't seen each other in a long while. The food and drinks were all great and definitely recommend coming here for your next group outing or just to get some food food and drinks. read more

Franklins Public House - Entrance/parking from back of restaurant - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

Our first time at Franklin's Public House and boy oh boy it was absolutely delicious. We love the location right on Harlem on a busy street with plenty of parking. We went during Christmas and the ambiance was so festive and welcoming. We sat right by the performer on a Friday evening and it was so fun! Food was absolutely awesome. We got the turkey cranberry sandwich and a shrimp risotto and crab cakes and a couple of beers. I highly recommend this place for delicious food, wonderful atmosphere and a wonderful evening with friends and family! read more

See all

Avacodo toast is great I order it every time I go there. The service is fast and friendly

I was meeting a coworker for dinner, and he suggested this establishment. I was quite excited to try it out based on the reviews, and it certainly did not disappoint. The service was top notch with every request that I had and the food was superb. I was very excited that the salmon was wild caught, and the berries were large and juicy, the salad was excellent and the salmon was cooked perfectly. It was nice and crunchy and not over done. For dessert I asked for a scoop of ice cream. read more

Franklins Public House - Summer salad with summer salmon. - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

Lovely spot. A good location. Friendly staff and the menu is good. The food was very good and the atmosphere lovely. I have some great memories here. read more

Service was great, warm greeting upon entry and our waitress was attentive. The decor is solid and facilities are clean. However, the libation selection was limited and some of the menu pairings were interesting. We played it safe and ordered the California Grilled Chicken, the Supper Club Whitefish and apple pie. read more

Franklins Public House - California grilled chicken sandwich w/pretzel bun - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

See all

I ordered the Chicken Pecan Salad ($17) on Saturday afternoon. Very small and unimpressive green salad for the price. Barely no chicken, just some diced chicken cubes here and there. Pecans were just a few bits and pieces, no pecan halves or anything nice. No bread or anything else, just a small, wet crappy salad. MOst expensive lettuce I have had in a while. read more

Was our very first visit and probably our last. I would describe the place as cute! Beautiful bar and atmosphere was clean and nice! Service was fine. No issues there at all. Now the food is where the issue is. I ordered a turkey sandwich with some fixings and it was fine. Not inedible but super bland and the turkey was like cheap luncheon meat deli. The fries were inedible to me. Limp, greasy and truly gross. My hungry hubby ordered the steak tacos and what he got was an appetizer sized portion of 3 tiny little tacos with next to nothing on top of them and while they were fine they were nothing noteworthy. We can be a bit on the snobby side with eating out as we travel a lot and my husband was a chef and I am a great home cook so our standards are pretty high when we go out to eat. For the prices that were charged and how small his meal was I was super underwhelmed with our meals. I would rather spend my money at a place that truly delivers great food than pay $17 for something I could have made at home that tasted a million times better. If you have an easy to please pallet and are looking to maybe grab a beer and an app I would think it would suffice. But what we ate was really nothing worth spending money on. Not awful but the epitome of bland read more

Worst Reuben Sandwich ever. We haven't been to Franklins for a long time because the food went downhill. Gave it one more try. Tough corned beef. I told the waiter to inform the chef. No one came to the table. No one asked if I'd like to order something else. Poor way to treat a customer. Will not return. read more

It's decent. Drinks are good. Food was very good when they first opened. It seems to have lost its luster a bit. Tell them to hold the fries. They put three pounds of fries on your plate which get thrown away. Long wait times on weekends. They hire attractive servers. Always a plus. read more

Franklins Public House - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

First visit. Larger group so I phoned several weeks ahead for bar seating. Wasn't sure if our group would be eating since arrival times were scattered. Staff were very accommodating. Waitress was great! There were numerous groups and a large party in the private room. Way overcrowded and in an odd spot so overflow and attendees had to traipse thru the bar. I guess it's easier to serve drinks for larger groups. Live music was too loud for my demeanor especially when the whole place inside and outside was full. Ended up shouting over the tables. Ordered numerous appetizers and all were good. Nachos, pretzels, ahi tuna and tacos. All tasty. Slammed on a summer Friday night of 3 day weekend. Staff handled it well! Recommend highly! read more

Hosted a family gathering in your private room. Everything was perfect. Gianna was amazing and did an awesome job waiting on the party.The kitchen was efficient. Thank you for a perfect celebration. read more

Went with a friend after telling everyone to go there. Ordered a sandwich with fries and got some hard pasta thrown in there almost broke my friend and myself teeth. I showed the waitress and she took it to the owner and she came back out with the check. No nothing explanation. No return for me. The food has been good in the past, I felt real bad just didn't want someone else to experience that. Oh well! read more

Sat outside and enjoyed it. The Mac and cheese was okay it definitely could be better. All the other food was great. Drinks were great too. Service was good. read more

See all

I ordered franklins Brisket and asked for extra garlic and I've got to say was so delicious. My cousin ordered a Mac and also liked it. Service was great and restaurant was super clean overall a great experience & highly recommend read more

See all

Great place to gather with friends for food and drinks. Menu leans towards sandwiches and appetizers but has a decent selection for everyone's taste. Prices on the average. Good variety of beer and wine and also specialty cocktails. Ordered the brisket burger with the 1000 island dressing. Quite good. Comes with fries. Fries I would substitute for a different side. Draft beer I prefer my beer ice cold. This was cold. Service was good. Server checked on us and refilled water without being asked. Chocolate martini was a little strong for my taste. Only real negative is the noise level. They could use something to filter it. Restaurant was not full yet it was difficult to have a conversation and be heard. Will be going back to try other menu items. read more

Very normal place decent atmosphere decent food not so good customer service. This is my rating. It's very fair. This is what I think about it from my perspective. read more

Scallops were not good dry and not tasty. Manager did replace it with pot roast which was not as tasty as in the past the staff really tried to make it right. Not as good as our past dinners read more

Franklins Public House - Gastropubs Near Me - Palos Heights, Illinois

This place was packed. There were tons of customers coming in and out. The service was excellent and the food was great. The fries were nice and crispy and the sandwiches were great. I personally did not like the Mac and cheese but either way still love this place. read more

See all

First, they took my order and came back ten minutes later, telling me they ran out of steak. Never been to a restaurant before that ran out of food, especially on a weekend. Changed my order to a $25 beef brisket. Was shocked that you didn't get soup or salad for that price. Hell, you didn't even get salt and pepper on the table. Anyway, two slices of meat which was 75% fat and ice cold mashed potatoes. I live 15 minutes away and barely made it to the bathroom, which is where I have spent the majority of the last 12 hours or so and I don't have the guts to try to go to work today because the drive is too long without bathroom access. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

This was my first time here. I want to start out by saying the food is absolutely amazing. I got the cauliflower and garlic soup and could eat that every day. I am a keto dieter and I was able to switch out my mashed Potatoes for something that was keto friendly for no charge! Our server was very nice and helpful making suggestions of what we should try. Will definitely come back again and highly recommend! Social distancing was followed Ans they did provide hand sanitizer. read more

See all