Franky&#x27;s Tacos

This place is amazing. Seriously I could hang out here all day. When you walk in it feels like an…read moreItalian place on the east coast (but with much nicer ppl). I'm very impressed at the selection of fresh pasta, sauces and desserts. I had a chicken pesto panini which was huge and delicious. I could only eat half of it. But that's ok because I saved room for cannoli which was amazing. There's a lovely spot for outdoor dining as well. I've been on the hunt for a good pesto sandwich and this place lives up to the hype! I placed a to go order online and it was ready in 15 mins. My only suggestion is wrap the Togo sandwiches in foil so they stay warm.

Stopped by on a Saturday morning to grab a little sweet treat for the family and the selection did…read morenot disappoint. The staff was very attentive and answered all our questions about what each thing was. There were so many items to choose from! We chose a variety of donuts and pastries to let the family try a little bit of it all. Loved the pie squares and the light glaze on them, not too sweet. As we were leaving the crowd was getting bigger and you could smell the delicious food which makes me think we need to come back for a panini soon!

Pastries, Baked Goods, Cakes, Coffee and more!

Pastas for every dish

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Dining area

Chips & Doodles

5.0(3 reviews)

2.4 mi

We wanted to send something from out of state to our nephew who had surgery. Pam was SO awesome to…read morework with. She communicated clearly and often, clarifying when needed. She did a beautiful job on the goodies, and made the delivery personal and warm. She made a hard day a little easier with her kindness and excellent customer service. We would recommend Chips & Doodles to anyone in (or out) of the area!! Thanks again, Pam!!

I had no idea what we were missing until we tried these Chips & Doodles cupcakes at a rehearsal…read moredinner. My oldest friend asked in a conspiratorial whisper at the dinner if I had tried the cupcakes - I hadn't because I figured they were grocery-store level cupcakes. Oh, no. They are on a level astronomically higher than a grocery store. They're Michelin three-star cupcakes, Ambrosia, nectar of the gods, heaven on a plate. Everyone discovered this and they disappeared in minutes. I thought that finding out about the deliciousness of Chips & Doodles after my kid graduated was going to be just one more thing to be sad about - with the end of the years having a Notre Dame student. The amazing thing is that Chips & Doodles will ship the cupcakes - sent with a box of icing and piping bags. They are amazing - the customer service is second to none!

Caramel Puffcorn

Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

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Mixed varieties with printed sugar cookie

Jenny's Bakery

4.5(11 reviews)

3.2 mi

I came here looking for tres leches. I asked them if it was plain or if it had any specific flavor…read moreand they said no. It turned out to be coconut. It should be labeled as such and is not what I wanted. Mexican pastries were just ok. All Mexican pastries tend to be dry.

Good conchas. Great Angel Wings. I was driving through South Bend on a recent road trip, and my…read morehusband asked me to check to see if there were any Mexican Bakeries on my route. Jenny's turned out to be the one I could get to most easily. And I was pleasantly surprised. Prices and reasonable, and the staff was pleasant.

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Los Tres Mangos De Michoacan

4.2(5 reviews)

3.8 mi

So I was looking forward to the mangonada and once I finally got it, I tried it and it tasted like…read moreplastic. then I proceeded to tell the lady that it tasted funny and was rude about it and gave me a dirty look. So I left the dissatisfied.

Go there!!! I need to come here every day and easy my way through the menu. Lots of fresh fruit,…read moreand unique (to me) ice cream and fruit combos. We didn't try anything savory, but I can't wait to go back for the frozen bananas , yummy pallettas and good fruit mixes.

Diablito

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Torta de pierna y salchicha.

Insomnia Cookies

3.2(53 reviews)

2.4 mi

I don't know why anyone's reading it less than a five star. It's literally a cookie place. It's…read morequick. The service is good and the cookies are never bad.

Nicholas A. Was awesome, had some good jokes and showed us some cool magic tricks with the insomnia…read morecards. 10/10 experience and he was a pleasure to have serving us. Give this guy a raise! Gave us great recommendations as well. We will be back for more cookies. SO GOOD

Outside, with an employee smoking directing next to the door and talking loudly on her cellphone.

A beautiful box filled with chocolatey goodness

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Ice Cream in a Cup

Murphy's

5.0(25 reviews)

2.4 mi

Such a cute spot to stop for a cold sweet treat. If there's a line, don't worry, it seems to move…read morefast. We stopped here while visiting Notre Dame. The line was out the door, but we had our scoops in less than 10 minutes. It's a great spot! Reasonably priced and the ice cream was delish! They seem to cater to dietary restrictions. Everything is labeled and they even have "safe" scoops which are prescooped to avoid any cross contamination allergens. If you have the time and desire for a sweet treat, check them out.

Just a quick review of my experience - Murphy's is a popular ice cream shop near the Notre Dame…read morecampus in South Bend and there is a reason it is so popular! The ice cream and the vibes are so cool! The vibes are very cozy and the staff are hard workers. You can also sample some of their ice cream, many of which have very creative names! (See my picture of the bourbon ice cream, "Exhausted Parent"). There are three sizes you can get, generally 1, 2, or 3 scoops. The "small" is 2 scoops and cost a little over $5. I got myself the small as a post dinner dessert with my boyfriend and some of our friends on a crisp April day in 2026. One scoop was the oatmeal cookie chocolate chip, one of the best ice creams I have had in a while, and the other scoop was called Fat Elvis, also pretty good, although it could have had more texture. They rotate their flavors sort of regularly so maybe next time I visit, I'll find a new favorite! As for now, the oatmeal cookie chocolate chip is my favorite flavor here. Yum!

Iced latte java

Oreo ice cream with sugar cone.

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Exhausted parent

Ciao’s Catering and Cakes

4.5(36 reviews)

2.3 mi

First time here for my family and myself. I couldn't help but watch as the staff reset the tables…read morelike it was nothing all linens, glass plates, etc. the food I ordered the pasta was a rich sauce and crab which was done very well compliments to Adele and her BOH crew. My family got the bolignese and were also happy with theirs Would go again.

Okay, first of all, my boyfriend and I had a wonderful, authentic Italian dinner at Ciao's,…read morecelebrating his mom's birthday in July 2026. Second of all, how is it possible that Ciao's doesn't have more reviews on here? It has been a South Bend staple since the 1990s! This is a LEGIT Italian restaurant and caterer, owned and operated by an actual Italian "nonna," Adele Ciao! Go on the website and read the About Us section - she is the real deal! We were waited on pretty quickly, despite it being very busy with other diners, and given our waters and a basket of delicious, hot bread to dip in olive oil/basalmic vinegar and eat while we looked at the menu. We were here during the Summer Restaurant Week 2026 where they offered a 3 course meal for $39. I did not order off of that and instead, stuck to the regular menu EXCEPT for the discounted Aperol spritz ($8) that was on the special restaurant week menu. It was tasty and bubbly! For my main, I wanted to get something unique, so I ordered the lobster linguine pasta in a heavy cream sauce ($28). It was a great sized portion with a real lobster still in the shell on top! Obviously, I ate the whole thing. My lovely boyfriend got pheasant stuffed tortellini ($27) in a heavy mushroom sauce. The tortellinis were handmade and were thicccccc! He was happy he also got a unique protein. His dad, who is not an adventurous eater, stuck to the spaghetti bolognese ($21) and an aperol spritz ($8). He also ate nd enjoyed the whole dish so that's a major compliment. Lastly, his mom got the restaurant week 3 course special for $39. She got the parmesean crusted scallop in the shell, the eggplant cheesy rigatoni, and the hazelnut delicia cookie. She isn't a big eater and the eggplant dish was super filling so she took about 2/3 of it home to eat later. Since it was her birthday, we were surprised with a large slice of lemon cake with a lit candle on top for her to make a wish! It was a lovely and kind gesture and I loved my quarter (okay, more like half) of the cake! It was a few minutes after closing time but the lovely staff here didn't rush us. But we couldn't leave without putting in a quick order at the dessert counter as well. My bf and I ordered an assortment of 10 Italian cookies ($15) and a pistachio cream puff ($3.50) and another hazelnut delicia cookie ($3.75). We gave the assortment as a gift the next day to our realtor and ate the other two later that night. Adele also offers cooking classes and I made sure to tell my boyfriend at least 100 times I want to take a cooking class with her! I'd be down for any kind of class but I especially want to take the pasta making class! Did I mention most, if not all, the pasta served at Ciao's is homemade? Ciao's was a real treat and South Bend is truly lucky to have a restaurant like it. I can't wait to come back and eat another meal here soon!

Interior

Carbonara finished off in a Parmesan Wheel

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Exterior

South Bend Chocolate Cafe

3.2(187 reviews)

2.3 mi

Locally owned & operated

Family-owned & operated

Great ambience. Nice spot to chill. Friendly staff. And overall good location…read more This app is making me type more. So I'm doing that.

South Bend Chocolate Factory is big business in South Bend. They sell their chocolate all over the…read morecountry and have a big store/restaurant in downtown South Bend. This review is in regards to my visit in March 2026. This was my second visit to the SB Chocolate Cafe - my boyfriend and I shared a slice of chocolate cheesecake nearly a year ago. I remember it being very expensive but pretty good and indulgent. I'm a very kind food reviewer, looking past lots of mistakes. But my god, I hated my chicken salad sandwich. The goop inside was so so bad. Everything felt a little too Gordon food service-y. I swear our chicken salad, coleslaw, and mustard potato salad are all from large vats. The overhead must be huge here. For lunch, my bf paid $35 for tax and tip, which is honestly a little expensive for two sandwiches. Don't order lunch here but do check out their actual chocolate store. They make great gifts! And their discounted section is full of cheap treats!

Chocolate Chip Cookie at South Bend Chocolate Cafe

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Rise' n Roll Bakery

4.5(150 reviews)

4.3 mi

Stopped in here on a late afternoon, so much of the selection was gone. That said, I was able to…read moreget a cinnamon donut and I loved it. There's also nice gluten-free options here, which is one of the reasons I stopped in. Service was super kind and the person had a vast knowledge of all the products in the store. I was passing through from a hockey tournament so it was just a quick stop. I would definitely stop by next time and try to get here early morning.

We recently came here twice during a weekend trip. When we came on a Froday afternoon almost…read moreeverything was sold out including our favorite "Amish Crack" donut holes, still we bought 6 donuts to share with family. On a Saturday morning we came at around 10am and bought the last large apple pie and our favorite donut holes. Both totaled to $28.99. If you plan to come here definitely come in the morning.

Picture menu

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My favorite donuts are the Crunch Delight Bismark and the Cinnamon Caramel Donut!

Whistle Stop Ice Cream

3.7(18 reviews)

1.8 mi

Fantastic local ice cream shop. Right across from Howard park, my kids couldn't be happier to stop…read moreby on our walk home after getting heated up from running around. The ice cream was very good and seemed to be made in house. Those working there were young, polite, and professional. Very good, and I'll be back. In the area? Stop by and try it out.

Good portion of ice cream, gives spoon samples before you order flavor. 8 to 10 at times choices to…read morepick from. They also serve food there. We went for ice cream, but was surprised to see a few other food dishes. The patio is in need of a major renovation. Too many weeds, unkept area where patrons sit. This could be a very nice area , but instead it is an eye sore. If you do read this Whistle Stop owners. Do something about this outside patio area. It could be so much more and a draw for your business.

Solid wood tables at the Whistle Stop ice creamery.

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4 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Brenda M.

5 years ago

I love, love, love Franky's Taco's - the Mexican Taco's are so delicious and filling! I get the Tuesday special, but have made the trip on other days!! The only other thing I have tried is the Taco salad special, which needed a bit of improvement, but they are my favorite place to go! read more

Robby H.

5 years ago

Had the Chimichanga special and a Mexican taco and both were excellent. The asada was incredible in both. After the manager brought a piece of pina colada cake that was also delicious. This will definitely be my go-to Mexican restaurant going forward. read more

Benjamin M.

1 year ago

Hands down the best authentic Mexican food in Indiana! The service is excellent, the food is consistently amazing, and everything just hits the mark. Highly recommend, whether you're local or visiting from out of town. read more

Madison H.

102

6 years ago

I just went here for the first time and really enjoyed it! The service was great, the people were very friendly and the food was delicious. We'll definitely be going back. Everything we had was wonderful. read more

Franky's Tacos - mexican - Updated September 2026

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Puerto Vallarta

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I spent most of my birthday this year on a plane. We did eat a late dinner at Huck Finn in Oak…read moreLawn, Illinois, but my parents wanted to celebrate my (and Marlene's) belated birthday(s) with, well, Tom and Marlene, so my parents asked me to pick a spot. I love finding good places that Tom and Marlene haven't been. At first, I thought this was the Mexican restaurant on the south side of McKinley Street, but that one is long gone. I believe it was was called Cancun--or was it Acapulco? In any case, we drove separately because Tom and Marlene had some of their typical do-gooding to do, and I was a little surprised at how late they were. Well, they had gone to a takeout version of Puerto Vallarta (the same business?) located near where that other old closed Mexican restaurant was, but on the north side of McKinley. In any case, Puerto Vallarta--the real one tucked way behind a secret strip mall with this weird fire lane between the first line of parking spots and the storefront curb itself--is a great place. The menu is pretty vast for a sit-down Mexican restaurant in South Bend, and it's not just different versions and combinations of the same items, although you can seemingly get anything as part of a combination plate. The service is excellent and attentive. It was very busy when we came, and we were seated right when a lot of other people were seated, so our food did take a long time, but it wasn't ridiculously long, and our server continually stopped by to let us know what was happening and to refill water and complimentary chips. There are two or three dining rooms total, and we were seated in the one to the right as you walk in the door. I'm glad we weren't seated in the main (?) central room, because that's where they had a speaker on one of the tables playing music very loudly. I thought this would annoy me, but when you're in one of the other rooms, the music is at a reasonable volume. I guess their method is cheaper than actually installing a sound system throughout the restaurant, but I don't know who actually sits in that main room, because it was empty when we entered and had only two parties dining when we left. There was basketball on the TV when we were here, but the volume was turned off, and they have what looks like an antenna service without an actual antenna, so the broadcast was constantly dropping out for long periods during the entirety of our dinner. I wasn't interested in watching, so I didn't care, but if you're coming here to watch a game, you will be torturing yourself. Our dining room was festive and fun. It was also reassuring to see so many Latino families eating here and to hear them speaking Mexican-accented Spanish. I grew up in Southern California and have lived in the Golden State most of my life; I never judge a Mexican restaurant by who's eating inside it at home, but in the Midwest? Yup, Mexican restaurants get the same treatment as Chinese restaurants everywhere: The more Chinese people you see eating at the restaurant, the better the restaurant. It's also nice to see how many more Latinos there are in Michiana than when I lived there.

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Good food, amazing service! Sonya is super nice friendly, and does a great job taking care of her…read morecustomers.

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My Taco Express