A Not-Too-Upscale Steakhouse with the Charm & Flavor the Mega-Chains Crave

Walking in, I thought to myself, “This is the kind of tavern whose local charm and style mega-chains like Applebee’s have tried to re-create.” And where Applebee’s and such replicas have failed, Franklin Steakhouse and Tavern succeeds beautifully.

When we entered at about 7:30 on Sunday night, it was crowded, but not packed, so we were quickly seated in one of their cozy wooden booths. Televisions in the bar area, where you first enter, were showing baseball and — I couldn’t believe it — a soccer match between Medellin’s team and Bogota’s Millonarios - and they were playing at the same stadium in Medellin, Colombia, where I had just been in April. Definitely a good sign for me. There were also televisions in the dining area where we were seated showing other sporting events (I was too entertained by the menu and the other patrons to pay attention to the TVs, but sports fan can be certain they’ll be sufficiently occupied.) There’s also another bar at the back.

Their menu is varied, and in a pub, even one that seems as well-put together as this one, it’s always hard to tell if they’re just over-stretching themselves and you really ought to stick to the burgers or not. So, my table ordered the filet mignon with baked potato, the 3-way Sampler which comes with baby back ribs, chicken tenderloins and shrimp in a whiskey BBQ sauce, as well as coleslaw and fries. We also had french onion soup and their fried calamari. I was tempted to try their steak quesadilla, but maybe next time.

The food really went far above my expectations. The french onion soup was a tad salty, which can be expected, but the cheese and still-crispy bread balanced that out. Actually quite delicious (and this is coming from someone who has eaten this soup at Artisan, where they use three different onions and sell more than 200 types of cheese). The filet mignon ($30) was tender and juicy - I had ordered it medium but it seemed to be closer to medium rare, but it was still quite tasty meat. The 3-Way Sampler ($22), though, really indicated that the kitchen knew what it was doing. The ribs were not sloppily over-sauced, and the whiskey BBQ sauce itself was quite bold and flavorful. It had almost a teriyaki flavor and didn’t overwhelm the different meats. And the fried calamari was tender and with just the right amount of batter.

You definitely don’t have to worry about “just sticking to the burgers” here. In fact, if you’re like me and your boyfriend/husband says, “let’s go out to eat”, and you know that means Outback or such, come here instead.

If you’re wondering about the service, our waitress was really friendly; she never seemed harried, and never patronizingly knelt down beside our table like they’re told to at chains. And she refilled our drinks with an attentive regularity.

Yes, it is a tavern, so the crowd it attracts can be a bit… “intriguing”. I use that word because one of the frat-boy-like patrons was wearing a shirt that read, “You’re ugly but I’m intrigued”. I kind of wonder if he knew what the word meant. He and his Gatti-boys-looking friends sat in a booth beside a family of four whose mother got incredibly upset when her pre-teen daughter spilled some ice cream on what I could only imagine was the mother’s “good” sweatshirt. The next booth housed a 40-something couple on, I imagine, their “one night out in forever”, drinking beers with their 4-year-old as company.

So, while it is more upscale than your typical tavern, don’t fret about what to wear or in what company you arrive. Come one, come all. The food is filling and worth it. And do try the Jersey burger, which comes with taylor ham.

Franklin Steakhouse & Tavern
522 Franklin Ave
Nutley
(973) 667-1755
www.franklinsteakhouse.com

— by Donna M.
Both a Jersey native and recent transplant from NYC, Donna M. is obsessed with both good food and grammar.

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