The service was amazing the young lady that took care of us was amazing. The food was great. Everything from being seated to walking out the door was excellent. read more

Bread and roll were excellent, not so much the rest. Got beef and sausage sandwich and the beef was less than tender and the sausage was more salt than flavor. Sandwich was smeared with a thick salty beef flavored sauce. Fries were good but the vinegar chips were terrible. I won't go back. read more

Skip Papa Franks. We waited an hour and a half for a salad. Stay home, you can boil pasta and meat sauce faster than Papa Franks can, and it will taste better. read more

Very nice outdoor dining patio. Gambling machines at an Italian restaurant?? Service at the bar is simply terrible. No manager on duty. Only manager apparently is the owner who is busy being some sort of elected official. A few really good dishes but most of them are terrible. But hey, if you like canned mushrooms, bland sauces, poor service and overpriced drinks then this is your place! read more

My family brought me here, and I'm so glad she did! The food was great (tons of cheese!) I enjoyed the veal parm, and others had the spinach Alfredo, the meat tortellini, and other items. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and the portions are HUGE! So you will be taking leftovers. Our server was so cool, and very attentive! The overall ambiance is very cool, calm, and inviting. Apologies for no pics! read more

I love their eggplant Parmesan. My wife likes the baked lasagna. Outdoor seating is available.

Food "taste" is sometimes inconsistent but that's with many restaurants these days. My biggest complaint about this establishment is the fact that carry out orders are usually not correct. The food is rarely ready at the stated pick up time - but don't be in a hurry to get out the door. Check the order before you leave the restaurant and don't be in a hurry when carrying out. read more

Stopped in over the weekend for lunch and sat at the bar. Service was attentive. Ordered a Papa Frank salad with anchovies, and a pizza. Salad was good but the lettuce could use some love. A lot of the ribbed pieces of the Romaine made up the salad, not much green. Pizza was spot on and delicious. Had a fruit fly land in my beer .. that wasn't cool. Sitting at the bar it leads me to believe that things might need to be wiped down better to keep fruit flys from hanging out. read more

Papa Frank's - Sausage, pepperoni and onion 12" pizza - A 12-inch cheese pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and onion toppings, sliced into pieces, served on a metal tray. - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

See all

Always a good meal! I enjoy every dish I've had here though my default go to choice is the baked lasagna. It's long no other (with the exception of Saputo's, of course.) family enjoys going here when visiting. Good service. read more

Great place! Has great beer and great food! I recommend Papa Franks as a resident of Springfield!

This is my third time coming to Papa Franks. Like they say, three strikes you're out. The previous two times, underwhelmed. This time took the cake. I though I would try the fried chicken. I know, Italian restaurant, why chicken. The first two times were pasta dishes, so I figured maybe something else. Frozen fried chicken. Really? Simply horrible. All breading, and the chicken was cool on the inside. My wife had a simple penne pasta dish. Extremely bland. Overall, a zero. I have heard people speak well of the restaurant. I just don't get it. There are a handful of other local establishments that produce a far better product. Just down the road for example is Bella Milano. Spend a few extra dollar and walk away with a much better experience. read more

we arrived to restaurant Saturday June 15 at 1:30. no one else seated at the restaurant was my first clue! i had baked mostaccioli . the sauce was tasteless and way too salty. other guest with me had tortellini. he didnt like taste of tortellini and also thought sauce was too salty and tastless. the papa franks salads were soupy with dressing and over powdered by way too much blue cheese. bread was OK but when asked for more waitress brought rolls which were awful. the waitress provided more of the original bread with our meal. this wasn't finished so she wrappped it to take home. when we got home discovered she had sent sent more of the awful rolls! i don't know whose table those come from! I won't be back!! read more

The weirdest eggplant parmesan ever. Never in my life have I seen eggplant parmesan that's not breaded and fried. This is just cooked eggplant in a bowl with sauce and cheese. The accompanying spaghetti was overcooked. My husband's sausage and peppers had good flavor but were overcooked. Drinks were large for the price. read more

Papa Frank's - Eggplant parmesan - Eggplant Parmesan with melted cheese and tomato sauce served in a white oval dish, with a side of spaghetti in the background. - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

The outdoor dining area is beautiful! They have two TVs outside also so we could watch the Cardinals game. However, the food and service was lacking. Took quite a while for the waitress to come get our drink and food order. The food presented looked amazing but when I took my first bit I was underwhelmed. The salad was drenched in the house salad dressing that made it impossible to eat. And the pork chop was very salty. I mean it was ok but not anything I would crave to have again. Again the meal was ok but notfantastic. I won't ever pick to go there read more

Papa Frank's - Salad drenched in house dressing. - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

See all

We had a fantastic time at Papa Frank's on a beautiful Saturday evening when we were able to snag a table outside under the covered patio. The service was great, our hostess and waitress were very friendly. The portions were huge, and the flavors were right on. We started with a salad, which was simple, but hit the spot. The pizza we shared actually had a great crust. It was super thin, crispy, and light reducing the guilt that came with indulging in pizza. We then ordered a bowl of the homemade pasta and sausage. That was killer. It was enough to stop you dead in your tracks. Warning, do not consume the entire dish or risk not being able to roll yourself home. It was a huge portion and we eventually admitted defeat and asked to box up at least half of it. If you're looking for Italian, definitely try Papa Frank's. It has a great homemade feel, with big flavors. read more

See all

First visit. Seated promptly, very good service. The meatball pizza is an absolute must! House salad was delicious. We will be back!

A few months ago after catching a mid-afternoon movie in Springfield, my fiancé and I hoped over here for dinner. We both thought it was some of the best Italian in central Illinois. She had a massive bowl of pasta (white sauce) and I had the Italian Poor Boy, both were outstanding! The service was perfect, we were sat away from a large party, it looked as if the usual suspects were up at the bar area and we both had a few drinks. I am shocked the reviews do not average out higher for this restaurant; we cannot wait to go back! read more

Food ? It's eats but not worth the money. Very basic with not enough flavor. The ambiance was nice and the service was fantastic. That's why I gave it 3 stars overall. read more

Always accommodating & great atmosphere! I called to verify they still carry my favorite steaks & I am in luck! Ignore the internet trolls, they probably think the only good Italian is on the hill in St. Louis or in Chicago. If you want authentic Italian you should come here. read more

Papa Frank's - Just had a great lunch at Papa Frank's. Try the Justin Cabernet! Pizza is awesome but the baked ravioli is my favorite!!! - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

We went for an early supper. Must have been happy hour, the place was so noisy we couldn't even enjoy our supper. My husband ordered a salad with his meal and it looked delicious. I ordered the chef salad. It had enormous amount of meat and cheese, tomatoes and a couple of big green olives and pepperoncinis . The lettuce was the missing. About the only lettuce there was, besides the big veins of the leaves, was I cut off of the veins. Very disappointing. I did not enjoy it and probably won't order it again. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. I have been supportive of local restaurants and very patient during Covid but this experience was so bad that I had to review. When your wife wants Papa Franks for her birthday dinner and they don't include any of my dinner and only 1/2 of her dinner, you call back and the manager wants me to drive back out for my food and says that he won't do anything about her dinner. I'm done with Papa Franks and Saputos Resturants. My thought is that when you cannot seat people inside, you need good customer service and not just good food to keep people coming back. Epic Fail Papa Franks. I should have taken a pic of her Eggplant parmesan as it may have had 2ounces of eggplant, but I didn't think of it in time. read more

I will give it a 2 because the staff is always great and friendly. But the food is simply not good. It is pseudo-Italian at best (cannot even get garlic on s pizza) and then when they try simple things like pizza, burger or wings it is a fail. But, they are in a great location and good people, so I hope it gets better! read more

I had a few friends in town from Chicago and since we weren't in the mood for the typical horseshoe, we decided on Italian. Saputos was packed, so we went to Papa Frank's instead. It was clear that they were understaffed as all of the servers were running around frantic. We were seated outside. When our server showed up, she basically said nobody else had time to take us so they had her take care of us. Ok. My husband asked her about the anchovy salad and her response was "My guess is that it's a salad with anchovies on top of it" Hm. I ordered the chicken with capers and tomatoes and it the chicken was so dry and tough that I ate maybe two bites. Everyone else was disappointed with their food as well. Not an authentic Italian experience by any means. Definitely won't be back. read more

We went to Papa Franks with another two couples as we have never been there before and one of the other couples is new to town. While I had baked moucoutouli w/one extra sausage which was ok, my wife ordered shrimp scampi w/fries. So when she got her food it was literally 6 cocktail size shrimp and a small bowl of fries. No pasta is included with this dish. I've never (ever) been to an Italian restaurant that when you ordered shrimp scampi it didn't come with some type of pasta. And this dish cost $17.....like I said for 6 cocktail size shrimp. This place is way over priced for both the amount and quality of food you get. Ur better off going to Olive Garden. save yourself the time and money and go to Mariahs down the street a couple blocks. read more

We came here when another Italian restaurant down the road was unexpectedly closed. It was a Thursday night around 6:30 and there were barely any cars in the parking lot. The dining room had 3 tables occupied, and most of the seating was available. We were immediately sat at the table closest to the front door, probably the 2nd worst table in the establishment. We tried to get the hostess's attention to get a new table, but she wasn't paying attention and walked away. After we sat down, we tried to scoot in our chairs but they were all blocked by an oversized base of the table. I tried to scooch forward multiple times throughout dinner and was quickly reminded that I couldn't. After some time, our waitress finally came by and asked what we would like to drink, offering no pleasantries, dialogue, or even a name. With our drinks came Italian bread with cold, sliced butter. If you prefer spreadable butter, they leave that on the table all day. My husbands knife had cheese on it, which the waitress was happy to replace with a less dirty one. If you like pasta, baked pasta, and general Italian food, this place is for you. Otherwise, good luck finding anything to eat. I thought I'd be safe with a salad, however none of their options seemed healthy. I ordered my salad with the dressing on the side thankfully because the dressing options were sparse and not good. My husband reluctantly ordered mostaccioli with marinara sauce, and after a few bites realized he received their house meat sauce which is a bit spicy and bland. He ate about 3 bites before asking for a to go box and pretending he was full. I even tried a few bites and it tasted funny, but I don't frequently eat pasta. The couple we were with seemed to enjoy their spaghetti and baked lasagna. They frequent this place, but we were not impressed. read more

I was expecting the good food I've gotten at saputos over the years. WRONG! I got shrimp scampi it cost $17. When I received my food I got six (I'm sure previously frozen) tiny, rubbery shrimp on a giant plate. I could have made this "meal" for a $1. My wife got a grilled chicken salad and the chicken was cold, I guess they grilled it in the refrigerator. Adding to my horrible experience, which cost me $150 by the way, was our servers unfriendly manner. We were never asked how our food was or thanked for eating there. I guarantee we will not return. read more

The staff is friendly. The food was good. It was fresh and had good flavor. The bread that came with the meal was hot and fresh. It was good Italian bread. Server was good and was quick to respond. I would and will visit again. read more

Food was below average. Our waitress was terrible. No masks and if they do have one on it's below the nose or not even on their mouth/nose, guests and workers. (keep in mind theres a mandate.) Waitress poured Pepsi in my doctor pepper, didn't ask if we wanted salads, gave 2 of us salads but not the original one who ordered it, gets a little too close for comfort too. The shrimp tasted too fishy than normal, mushrooms tasted like it was from a can, and the noodles don't taste fresh. The sign that says "a saputo's restaurant" is just telling you to go to saputo's. Which I'd recommend. read more

I don't know where you can find a worse place to get pasta with marina sauce. Surely came from the cheapest bulk canned sauce they can purchase. Overpriced on top of that. read more

Every time I have been for lunch the service has been great. Their baked lasagna and meatballs are amazing! On the weekend there is a loaded Bloody Mary with a meatball, sausage, and all the Bloody Mary goodies. I have always had a good experience at this restaurant. My only suggestion is to offer salads with the pasta choices, instead of having them be an add on. read more

Papa Frank's - Baked lasagna with meatballs - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

See all

Crap. Seriously this place is bad. There are plenty of other options in town brothers and sisters. Fair warning! Water logged pasta. Over priced "side" iceberg lettuce salads. Shrimpy shrimp and dry chicken. What more do you want in a local eatery? read more

Very disappointed in the food quality. I have heard so many wonderful things about the downtown Suputo's. I was excited to try Papa Franks out. I probably won't go back. read more

I went with some business associates and honestly based on the reviews my hopes were slim. I'm not from Springfield but my customers are and they have been here a few times as well as the sister restaurant downtown. Really I expected no one to be there but the parking lot was full and the place was hopping at 6pm on a Wednesday. They said a 30 minute wait but it was only 15. They don't take reservations. The beer selection isn't huge but I'm good with a Rebel IPA. I didn't get a chance to look at the wine list. We had the antipasta which was OK, some salami, one type of mild white cheese, peppers, olives, garlic bread, and some crispy ravioli which are pretty tasty with some of the marinara. We all got the same thing for dinner. The filet mignon with the garlic sauce. This is the specialty of the downtown place Saputo's where I've had it before. The filet was really tender and perfectly cooked but the real deal is the garlic sauce which comes on the side but just pour the whole thing on it. Its the same sauce that comes with the Italian fries which are really chips. I just never have a filet with garlic sauce anywhere else and you just have to try it. All of us were happy with it and I would definitely go back and get it again. Danielle was our server and no complaints, friendly and our drinks didn't go dry. I don't know if the place was just new and overwhelmed based on the other reviews but they were right on it for us. Empty plates and glasses were taken away quickly, food came promptly, normal stuff, but I never found myself looking for a server even when it came time for the check. I give it four stars because the antipasta was pretty average but the filet is 5 star. read more

I believe you have to be a Springfield native or a politician or some other pseudo-VIP to enjoy the downtown location known as Seputo's. I think that place is terrible all the way around. But Papa Franks has some atmosphere, despite the strip mall-postTiltedKilt-behindIHOP location. Especially the bar. The bar is why you should come to this place. It is well-stocked; the bartenders I deal with are highly skilled and very personable. They pour a solid drink with a smile and you won't find yourself dry. The bar is huge. I am not aware of any daily specials or any other reason to attract a regular bar clientele....a few TVs (they'll change the FoxNews if you ask). They have some comfortable lounge/couch seating. It is a solid bar and I recommend it. I'm always surprised it isn't much busier I've eaten here a few times. Yeah...come for the bar. read more

Stopped in on a Sunday Evening. We knew it must be good because the parking lot was busy and the outdoor seating was full. We ate inside. The staff were all working to help each other. The host brought us bread and water because our server was with a large group. We watched the bar tender take drinks to tables after he finished making them. Jade, our server, was very nice, friendly and helpful. I'm glad they are making the experience very positive with great staff in these times were effective is short staffed. Great service, wonderful food and a good price read more

We decided to try Papa Frank's last night after some holiday shopping. Keep in mind my SO never wants to try new places. We are vegetarian and ordered the baked cheese ravioli with marinara sauce. I clearly said "no meat" to the server as I always do. My SO ordered the spinach fettuccine with Alfredo. Ordering a baked cheese dish is always tricky if you're a vegetarian because you can't see what's inside until you dig in but I had success at Saputo's so I took a risk. Well, my food came out and it was meat ravioli. I flagged down our somewhat absent server who offered to get me another one. Please don't bring me another meat dish!! I ended up sharing the fettuccine which was fine. Nothing special. I'm sorry to say after the nonchalant treatment of the situation by the server we most likely won't be back. We do boycott chains and go local but this was a major disappointment. read more

We love eating here! We typically sit at the bar and get amazing service while we are here. The food always arrives in a very reasonable amount of time and tastes amazing! I'd definitely recommend the toasted ravioli as an app and baked mostaccioli with meatballs for the meal! read more

Behind the iHop. I frequented the same building when it was known as the Tilted Kilt. Making the transition from sports bar to an Italian dining experience creates some tension for me. There are fewer people in T-Shirts than before and more people who look like 1950 that played 18 holes of Golf or just stepped off a sailboat. For the locals, it's as if the Lime St Café crowd moved to Papa Franks. The music, Bobby Caldwell, Harry Connick jr, and occasional Dion is constant and it annoys constantly. The remake of the Big Band stuff sounds all the same and if nothing else the volume should be lowered, although I found my foot tapping once or twice. The music is "pleasant", in a charlie milque-toast way. Inside decor is too dark, so dining outside was a great option. Surprisingly, no one was smoking, despite the patio exits not being tagged as no-smoking within 15 feet of a door. I ordered the "Chicken Parm" which I thought was a sandwich, but I got two breasts and a bowl of FFries. The fries were a pleasant surprise, darker than McDonalds and nice thicker rectangular shape. Them and the complimentary bread were the best parts of the meal. The two breasts were presented covered in cheese, from one edge of the plate to the other, like a quilt of cheese. I don't know where it came from, but there was grease like the kind one gets around pepperoni circles on pizza. I tasted no seasoning on the chicken or the cheese or the sauce and thought of Chef Robert Irvine, no oregano, no pepper. The chicken looked to be the same thickness and shape and I wondered if they were pre-shaped and purchased frozen. The edge of my fork could not cut through some sections of the dish. Two stars is an accurate description. The food is mediocre, but the outside atmosphere is pleasant. My neighbors commented "the pizza was really good", but he was on a date....If you like Italian food, Olive Garden has them beat, if you like sitting outside with friends, this is a good place, but it appears they are marketing to the over 65 crowd. One other observation: they do not have Budweiser on tap. read more

Let me start by saying my wife and I are huge Saputo's fans. Junior did not learn much from his folks. My baked spaghetti was watery. My wife's shrimp tasted so bad she didn't eat it. This was our first and last visit there. Never had a bad meal downtown and it's a less expensive. I guess Junior has to charge more and serve bad food to cover his overhead. Can't wait to go back to Saputo's for good Italian food. read more

A Springpatch legend stakes a claim on the Westside melding their proven concept with a fresh twist. A must for classic American -Italian, the new location provides an ample bar vibe while staying honest to their roots. You can't go wrong with a pasta dish. If you want to do it right, start with their bountiful selection of beers or pair a Chianti with a Sausage, Meatball and Garlic Juice pizza- DON'T ASK QUESTIONS- just get it. Highly recommended. Couple the good food and the warm, inviting service from the waitstaff and owner with the delicious menu and you have a must stop. read more