I have gone to this restaurant since they opened. Always enjoyed the food and the service was passable, especially considering the low level of service in most Springfield restaurants. However, recently the service has become horrible. Wrong drink orders, wrong food orders, meals brought before the dinner salads were served, side dishes left off of orders. Every visit for the last few months has been an adventure. Ready to give up. read more

We are in the over 65 crowd and this is even old school for us. The bread was fabulous and that is where it ends. The chicken parm was tasteless. There is too much food, I suppose to justify the price. Ate the leftover chicken parm at home and found each component individually tastless-sauce, chicken, cheese. Literally no chicken taste. Probably frozen food service. Then there were the garlic chunks in the potato chip dressing. Many better options on the west side. read more

My Pasta Con Broccoli was disappointing. If they are going to charge an $1.00 for mushrooms, I would have expected something other than tasteless canned mushrooms. The waitress said they made their own sauces everyday but if the thick floury paste they served as Alfredo sauce was made in house, I'm surprised they would admit it. The waitress was efficient and kept drinks refilled and the anchovy appetizer was very good. But those aren't enough to want to go back. If you are thinking of trying Papa Frank's, don't expect anything resembling good Italian food. read more

I went here with my family on a Saturday afternoon around 3pm. The place was not busy, but it was not empty either. If you like their other restaurant (Saputo's) downtown, then you will like this place as well. It had a lot of the same offerings. I personally was not impressed as I thought since it had a different name, it would have had some different takes on Italian food. I had a house salad which was just iceberg lettuce and a few tomatoes, not worth the price. Then I got 4 meatballs baked with cheese on top. Again, they were just average meatballs and the cheese on top was not brown or crispy, another bummer for me. The service however, was very good. Our waitress kept our drinks full and the bread basket was never empty either. The service was the best part of the experience. Overall, I will not be running back anytime soon. I would go if others wanted to go and try something different. read more

Play by play experience tonight: Boyfriend and I walk in, no hostess in sight. 3 servers and the bartender made eye contact with us, or walked passed us, and said nothing. 3 minutes later we were greeted. We chose to sit outside, which I was very pleased with -the atmosphere and overall decor was amazing. Our waitress brought our drinks and I ordered the bruschetta with no olives. She says, "ok, it'll be right up". 2 minutes goes by and another waitress brings us a plate of butter slices on a plate. 2 minutes after that, our waitress comes out with another plate of butter and a basket of fresh bread. When she came to take our order we had to ask for silverware and napkins, not because we used ours, but because we were never given any. I ordered the chicken and peppers with spaghetti, the boyfriend orders the meatball shoe. She comes out 5 minutes later with the bruschetta, sets it down in front of me and says "It has olives in it cuz it's made ahead of time", at this time a different waiter comes behind her and says, "oh no, he said he can make it without olives". My waitress says ok, picks up the bruschetta, and walks back in the restaurant. She returns approximately 10 minutes later with our meal and as she sets it down says, "he said the bruschetta is made ahead of time and they can't make it fresh". I tell her not to worry about it, just to forget it. My chicken was so over cooked, it tasted LIKE A PORK CHOP!!!!! The bottom of my plate was filled with oil, filled. The onions and peppers were cooked perfectly. The meatball shoe had chunky cheese sauce, but overall good. We were not asked how our meals were, maybe because when she cleared our table she saw the chicken had not been eaten. Overall, THIS EXPERIENCE WAS HORRIBLE!!! From the moment we walked in to the moment we walked out we were extremely disappointed. And to top it off, THE OWNER AND HIS FAMILY WERE AT THE TABLE NEXT TO US AND WITNESSED EVERYTHING, BUT SAID NOTHING!!! I will never return here, I will spread the word to every person I can that this "restaurant" is not worth the $. The funny thing is, we read the reviews about this place before we went (and they were ALL bad, except for one) and still chose to go! Lesson learned, trust yelp! read more

We went on a Friday night and had to wait a full hour with nowhere to sit. The restaurant is RIDICULOUSLY loud - everything echoes off the hard surfaces and conversation is impossible. The food was great, service was good, but for me the whole experience was ruined by the noise and chaos. I will not return unless I learn that they do something about it. read more

Overpriced, and I was extremely underwhelmed. If you are going to charge $20 for spaghetti with meat sauce, there should be meat in the sauce. Also, using canned mushrooms is generally frowned upon. Just terrible. read more

Went on June 1st for dinner before a movie. Didn't want to miss the show so we ate at the bar. Food was okay. Had the chicken parmesan. A tiny side of spaghetti. Never received bread though we asked for it twice. Very loud. Staff all seemed very confused, but it had just opened. Hope it improves. I won't be in any hurry to return. Bartenders were very nice. read more

Have to agree with most of the other reviews. Generally speaking, it's just not quite as good as its sister Saputos downtown and significantly overpriced. Food is 15% worse and 30-40% more expensive. read more

This restaurant definitely doesn't match up to its counterpart on service or food. This is the only place in town that doesn't have a kids menu. I paid almost $10 for my daughter to eat noodles with cheese and butter. The waitress wasn't friendly, the atmosphere wasn't welcoming and we had to return 2 orders back to the kitchen because they were wrong. We definitely won't be returning. read more

I had one of the worst dining experiences ever. Let me start off by saying our waitress was GREAT and the food was MEH. But being from the Saputos family, I expected a nice sit down and semi fancy dining experience. For some reason, the owner of this restaurant thought it would be a good idea to have a 50+ year old man in a disco ball looking jacket singing the loudest/highest pitch/awful beach boys style karaoke. The "music" was so bad and loud I could not hear my significant other. Then the singer would go table to table harassing people by shoving the mic in their face expecting them to sing along. For $15 a plate, I feel robbed. I don't know if it was the music that made the food suck, but compared to Saputos, it seemed like a cheap knock off of Italian food. The sauces seemed bland and dry. I will not return to this place, with or without the karaoke. I recommend you skip Papa Frank's and just go to Saputos if you're in the mood for Italian... read more

Very disappointed, terribly overpriced. Original Saputos downtown has such an incredible atmosphere, fine dining, great food, very intimate romantic place to eat. Papa Frank's was "fast food Saputos", with atmosphere like a loud bar. So loud you can't even hear the person across from your table and could barely hear the background music. The waiters look like inexperienced high school kids. Our server didn't ask if we needed anything or drink refills. Didn't ask if we wanted dessert or coffee. Laid dirty dishes from someone else's table on our table while she gathered up our dishes while we were sitting there. Food was not the quality of downtown Saputos. We will not be back - we should have went to Bella Milanos. Manager - your servers need training on how guests should be treated! read more

Just returned home after dining there for the first time. It was a Sunday night and the place was jammed with several large Christmas parties. In fairness, tonight was probably not a good night to make a judgment since they were so busy. Our service was excellent which surprised me given the crowd. I've never been impressed with Saputos but I thought I'd give the new place a try it was very noisy with nothing to muffle the sound. My chicken was overdone and my friend's cod Parmesan was covered with cheese and tomato sauce. I should have realized that that would be the case as that's what they do downtown. Silly me, I expected something lightly breaded with a tomato sauce topping. My friend commented that it could easily have been a frozen cod filet from McDonalds smothered with cheese and tomato sauce. Like Saputos it was overpriced. If given the choice i prefer the downtown restaurant even though you're jammed in like sardines. I'm of the Lime street generation so that is probably why I prefer the parent location, but at least you can talk with others at the table there. If you stick with the pasta at Papa Frank's you'll probably be okay just like Saputos but don't expect light Italian fare read more

Finally decided to try it out. The food was average. Some decent dishes. The wait staff could use a little help on service level. Not sure we will be back just because there are other options that are much better for around the same price range. read more

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this place, but I have dined here many times (party size ranging from 2 to 20) and have always had a good experience. I think the quality of food is a bit cheaper than that of Saputo's downtown, however I enjoy the open concept and west side location of this venue. My favorite is the baked lasagna, as I am not a fan of traditional lasagna with ricotta. You can't go wrong with their pizzas, salads, and wine selection. Great for dining in for dinner or even take out on the way home. read more

Waitress was good but very disappointed with food. Very overpriced for what you get!! I'll take Olive Garden over this restaurant anytime.

3 Strikes You're Out Strike 1 at Saputos downtown - bought a gift card for a wedding present and when the recipients tried to use it it was blank. Spoke to Mike Coffey and I had to jump through hoops trying to prove the purchase. When they finally found it in their records, because whoever rang it up did so incorrectly, there was not an I'm sorry this happened, I'm sorry for your inconvenience or even how about a free soda! Strike 2 - 3 friends and I had dinner at Papa Frank's and deviated from our regular to try the fried chicken. It was dry as the desert and when we spoke to the manager on duty (happened to be Mike Coffey again) he could not have cared less. Strike 3 - ordered Baked mostaccioli for dinner last night. When I got it home it looked completely different than the many previous times I have ordered it. The container did not have the usual cardboard top on it, it was not real hot like it usually is, there was no cheese on top (a little piece of cheese under the noodles, and the container held no where what it usually does. I started wondering if there was any way I got someone's leftovers so I took the container back tonight. I asked for the manager and the bar tender who I asked then came back over and asked what I wanted. Explained the whole think to her and she said, oh they prob just gave you regular mostaccioli. No apology, no offer of a refund of the difference, which is minimal but it is the principal. And then she turned to help someone else. Apparently the employees have learned their lack of customer service from the boss! read more

We had a very nice family Christmas party here. The food was good. The server was really helpful. They didn't try to rush us out the door the minute our plates were off the table. We'd come back next year. read more

Similar menu to Saputo's (which I believe is the best Italian in town), but without the eclectic feel. I enjoyed our pasta (my wife too), but it was noisy and the ambiance lacked any charm. You should make reservations at Saputo's and go there instead. read more

House salad dressing is great & cheese bread appetizer is addictive. I get fried chicken frequently.

I go here frequently, the service is outstanding.. very clean.. we have had company parties here.. very accommodating.. service is always good.. read more

Fantastic food and great service! For those who love Saputos, this is the same menu. Gotta go for the baked lasagna every time! A cheese lovers dream! It's exactly what I hoped it would be! read more

Wish I had checked the reviews before we visited tonight. My wife had the shrimp scampi. Same complaint as others... $17.00 for 6 shrimp. She had the side of spaghetti that was a runny sauce.We ordered the garlic bread. looked like a hoagie bun split in two and covered in garlic sauce and heated up. Very soggy and not crisp at all. I had the chicken parm that was edible but not what I expected. I got a baked potato with butter and sour cream. Got the bill and found I was charged $1.00 for the sour cream. Used to go there a lot when the Tilted Kilt. Wonder what will go in there next cause this place cannot last. read more

Attended a party on the patio. Great atmosphere on a beautiful night. The service was excellent our drink glasses were never empty. We had pizza and appetizers. Pizza was excellent!! I would highly recommend Papa Franks!! read more

Best steak and pizza in Springfield. Great wine and beer selection I am guessing they have 30 beers on tap in frosty glasses. Unbelievable bloody Mary's on the weekend. A definite can't miss in Springfield read more

Not enough close to being a Saputo's restaurant. Chicken Alfredo that was over $12.00 a plate was cold with no flavor. Tasted like something out of a jar that I could have made at home. Place was very loud, making it impossible to have a relaxing dinner or any conversation. Definitely won't be going back. read more

Omg!! The most fabulous patio in town. Tonight I had the salmon and peppers and it was totally delightful. What an awesome addition to the west side! read more

The only reason I gave this place 1 star is because giving it none is not an option. This is the worst food I have ever eaten out. I got spinach fettuccine with meat sauce. The meat sauce had almost no meat in it and was sweet, definitely the worst spaghetti sauce I have ever had. Go ahead and try the place if you want to pay way too much for crappy food. I recommend saving yourself the disappointment and money. Instead go buy yourself a jar of Prego and some noodles from the grocery store I'm sure it will be a million times better. Needless to say I will not be going back. read more

Absolutely fantastic!!!! Great addition to Springfield and the west side! This is a place I will attend a couple times a week!! Can't wait for warm weather to sit on the wonderful patio read more

Bread was good, pasta was ok, two glasses of wine were served with the dregs from the bottom of the bottle we told the waitress. She came back saying that indeed it was the debris from the end of the wine. We asked to speak to the person she spoke to which turned out to be the owner. He made some sad excuses and then told us he told the waitress to offer another glass of wine. We told him by the time we saw the stuff in the bottom of our glass we were finished with dinner. He had nothing more to say and walked away. No offer to take the wine off the bill which we were paying as he talked with us. As we walked out I went to the owner and told him we were never offered another glass of wine by the waitress. He sorted of apologized. We visit family and friends in Jacksonville and often look for new places to eat. This will not be one of them. Will not go back nor give a good review for others to eat there. read more

Just got done getting carry-out from Papa Franks and let me tell you it was not impressive at all. We both got the chicken parmesean sandwich. It had barely any sauce or cheese and literally had no taste. Thankfully we had gotten a giftcard or I would have returned to get my money back. $10 for a bun with a frozen piece of chicken, little to no sauce, maybe one sprinkle of cheese and a handful of fries. I would not recommend to anyone. They should be ashamed to call themselves an "Italian restaurant." I would have given zero stars if it were an option. read more

Had bad service. The servers seemed very bitter, no smiles. You can't scoot your chairs up to your table as the table bottoms are too big, very uncomfortable. read more

I am from Litchfield and my wife and I have dined many times downtown when our daughter has been in St. John's hospital. She loves the pizza we have brought to her. I was doing some business on the west side and decided to have an evening meal at Papa Frank's. I had the lasagna with house salad and Schlafly's pale ale on draft. It was delicious as I watched my Cardinals beat Cincy 10-2. The waitstaff is great and attentive, Kendra was great, the background music wasn't too loud, and love the old time pix of Springfield on the walls. Get the house dressing on your salad and you won't be disappointed. Next trip to take my wife for the nice outside dining and a great fillet with garlic dressing. When our daughter is home from the U of I , we will go there because there is lots of room for a wheelchair to move around the restaurant. I am buying a gift certificate for our son and his wife. The only thing better is a World Series in STL, this year. read more

real italian? antipasto looks like it comes from a "who can slice stuff the thinnest" competition. "house salad" is lettuce, about one wedge worth of tomatoes chopped up and italian dressing. lasagna consists of noodles, noodles, noodles, noodles, noodles, some cheese and sauce - runny and not much flavor. wine list is ok but extremely overpriced. no cannoli? and you claim to be "real italian"? go to grocery store and get ragu and cheap wine for 5% of the cost!! read more

Have been here four times. Long wait, does not matter if it was weekday or weekend and very loud. Pasta is not great, everyone we have eaten with has said the same thing, and we have all tried different dishes. The lasagna especially, its watery! Everyone we know who has had it also says its watery, you would think they could figure out that out just by looking at it. If your expecting it to be like downtown, your going to be disappointed. This restaurant was brought up at work recently and co-workers who have been there all said the same thing, the food it not great. Do like their pizza, but when they first opened, was first told they aren't ready for carry out, we had to order inside, eat a few pieces at the bar then ask for a container...really! So we called today for carry out puzza, now we're told we can only get take out pizza if we come in to order at the bar and wait for it to be made, then can take it to go, its just not worth finding parking and fighting the crowds at the door and bar. I wish they would hurry up and get things worked out soon, otherwise we won't be going back. read more

My wife and I had in laws to pick up at the airport 1/29/16 at 8:30 PM so we decided to stop by Papa Franks before heading to the airport. We have lived in Springfield for over 30 years. We ordered a shared appetizer - toasted ravioli and split a salad. We ate at the bar. Service was marginal. The bar had seating for probably 40 with only about 10 people seated. There were 4 people behind the bar with only one working with the public. The rest of the restaurant was only 1/2 full. Salad came in about 10 minutes another 8 for the ravioli. It came with a red marinara sauce. Bread for the salad showed up after we had finished eating so we used it to dip in the rest of the marinara. At this point a problem arrive with the we discovered a problem with the marinara cup. When I brought it to the the bartenders attention. He whisked the marinara cup away and left the bar area. We waited expecting a manager and a apology for our experience. We waited awhile and no bartender. I excused my self to see where he had gone - no luck so I returned to the bar and my wife. She said the bartender came back and told her that there was no charge for our meal and offered no apology. It was getting late for our airport pick up so we left. Ravioli tasted like it was out of a freezer box- not fresh. Salad was OK. Bread was fresh and actually tasted home made. Service was lousy. We will not return read more