Austin
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Frank
Great Atmosphere, Great Austin Place. My co-workers and I went to Frank to celebrate a birthday and we all had so much fun! The menu is very different and even though the food wasn't what you would call amazing, I'd go back just to try a different dog. I really like that they use a local supplier for their sausages (Hudson's on Congress). We had great service and the atmosphere was very 'Austin-y'. I would definitely recommend Frank and am sure to bring my family here!…
One dollar 16oz Lone Star. After you get plastered off that one dollar lone star special and forget you don't have money, the specialty drinks are great.
Old Timey Weirdness. All I had was a bacon flavored cocktail made with bacon-infused vodka, bloody mary mix, a real piece of bacon, pepper on the rim (instead of salt), and skewered cheese, jalapeno, and olive. I'm a man. I'm not soft. I can take most things. I drop a 15 lb bowling ball on my foot every morning just to get in the mood to go to work. I could not take 2 sips of this drink. It was called the Red Headed Stranger and it could not have been any stranger. Well maybe with a little Caster Oil. They have hot dogs too.…
Sunday Brunch, meh.. The facade and decor set you up for something run-of-the-mill, but there were a few hidden jewels on the menu. We were there for brunch and tried the a couple of three things and shared. The Chicken and Waffles were well above average. The breast was hacked into pieces (I imagine to quicken cook time) and was unrecognizable. But it was crispy, flavorful if not a little on the cold side. The waffles were actually one waffle cut into quarters. I would order it again. The Cheese Souffle Omeltte was huge but a little heavy with the chili. Ditto on the Texas Benedict. The clientele were all in skinny jeans with too much product in their hair. Service was below average, but it was busy. The drink menu looked really interesting, but we were a little too hungover to imbibe in the hair of the dog.…
good food but I expected more.
Update 2.27.10 I went back and gave Frank another shot. I was let down. I ordered the Jalapeno Cheese Dog which is supposed to be a jalapeno and cheese stuffed vienna beef dog. I was served a
regular dog with cheap shredded cheese and jalapenos on top. The dog was barely warm and the cheese seemed closer to cold. A real let down. I have honestly had a better hot dog at Costco. Frank is a great place for coffee or a good selection of beer with friendlly service. The servers go out of their way to take care of you but the kitchen is dropping the ball.
original review:
I found out about Frank from a friend and was very excited to check this place out. I sent the link to a buddy and we both couldn't wait until the end of the week to check this place out. I thought I had an idea where it was and when we turned the corner my heart sank a little. It's in one of those locations where the restaurants before failed with quick turnover. I expected something different based on the website...look and feel.
Anyway, I wasn't going to let that get in the way. We paid the $7 for parking and went in. Despite the on-line menu I didn't know what I was going to have. The beer was fresh. I say that because a lot of bars have old lines and the beer gets a stale taste. My beer was great! Everyone there is super friendly and we had several people come by to make sure we were taken care of.
My buddy got two Chicago dogs and I ordered the Notorious P.I.G. We shared an order of Poutine (Canadian cheese curds and brown gravy.) The poutine isn't like what I have been served by Canadians in for SXSW. The cheese was melted instead of the curds covered in gravy. My buddy liked his dogs. My P.I.G. was good but the Mac n Cheese that comes with it was not good. The sauce had broken as I suspect they zapped it in the mircowave. It is a beast to eat and comes in a tiny basket which serves to keep it together but it was tough to work with until I could pick it up. It was good but again it was heated up not freshly cooked.
I expected this place to be more Haute Dog based on the menu descriptions. When I see Artisan Sausage I expect a well crafted dish. More care is given to come up with the plates than actually is given to prepare and serve them. I was a little let down by this. And for $9 I should have gotten more. They have choclate covered bacon for desert so we had to try it. Again, pre cooked and not all that good. I don't know if there was too much chocolate or if it was too sweet as the balance was off. 2 Chicago dogs, 1 P.I.G., 4 beers and dessert came to $50 bucks. It's not cheap.
I am going back to try again. It's good but not great. I hope that I came at an off time and it's closer to the 5 star reviews that are out there.…
