Francois Frankie Reviews

My wife and I went here for dinner during a recent visit to Chicago. Service (Carlos T) was fast and friendly. The food was hot, fresh and tasty. I had the mussels and fries and my wife had steak and fries. We had the crab cakes to start; we got 3 and they were awesome. Both entrees were delicious. Cost with a beer and a glass of wine was $148 with taxes, not including the tip.

Our waiter was amazing! We went a few days before all of the restaurants had to close for COVID-19 and even though the bar was essentially empty, he made jokes and was in high spirits the entire night. I would come back again just for the great service. The bar spins so slowly I had to convince my boyfriend it was even moving.

The manager was so kind to me… a lone hungry business person, looking for food at 9ish on a Friday night. Kitchen was just closed but these guys took pity on me and rustled up a delicious cheeseburger and wonderful caeser salad. I felt so welcome and looked after. Food was delicious. Thank you.

Good food! Good service! Very friendly staff. Reasonable price. Good experience! What was remarkable was that we were almost alone in the restaurant for a while.

Although my wife just had some fries, my spicy vodka rigatoni were divine! I highly recommend them. To top it all we were looked after by Ariel, who deserves a shoutout for her kind and gracious manner as well as her efficient service. Thank you, Ariel! You are an asset to the brand.

In spite of the name, the food in this very casual small restaurant seems more American than French, sort of an American brasserie, Drinks were well made and wines were a good pour. Service from Jeremy was outstanding and our salmon dishes were cooked rare, as we requested. Prices are modest and the location is just west of the theaters on Randolph.

Great ambiance and beautiful French restaurant. Drinks, food and service were good. Our table got oysters, calamari, steak frites, and the steak sandwich. Wouldn’t get the calamari again. But everything else was good.

Overall a unique place with three separate sections; the actual carousel bar, tables in the same section, then a dining area. Service was very prompt and respectful. Food was outstanding; I highly recommend focusing on the French style dishes. The meat is low fat; top quality. I got a steak. The vegetables were fresh. Our waiter stopped by regularly - but didn't push. Always checking to see how we were doing and if we needed anything. Excellent desserts.

We visited on Wednesday afternoon…too early for dinner, too late for lunch, so cocktails and appetizers it is!. Service at the bar was attentive, but not intrusive, drinks were good—-what’s to say about gin/tonic and vodka/tonic? Tenderloin sliders were excellent, cooked medium rare just as ordered. Good horseradish sauce, not too overwhelming, and not too much on each of three sandwiches. The burrata salad/appetizer was GREAT! Served with crisp crackers, tomato and greens, with a yummy light vinaigrette dressing. But the absolute best part of the evening was the live music. A WONDERFUL saxophonist and keyboarder played continuously….and I mean continuously—-as in non-stop….not even a break to receive their applause. Although they were seated right near the bar, their music was loud enough to be heard, but not so loud we couldn’t carry a conversation. A very enjoyable evening, intended to be 1-2 drinks and go home…became 3 drinks, appetizers, and just making the late train home.

We were three adults out for a birthday dinner prior to seeing a show in the theater district. Pros-- the restaurant itself is beautiful and comfortable and service was excellent. Cons-- the food was just "ok" , especially at this price point. Appetizers seemed to have been pre-made (frozen?) and just reheated (but not hot.) Salad was mostly bland dressing and lettuce ribs. French onion soup was salty and had a slightly burnt taste. Nothing was bad, but also not fresh-tasting or particularly special. We spent $225 before tip, including three cocktails and one bottle of wine. I will choose a different option next time.

We stopped in here on a whim being hungry and on our way to the Skydeck. The lunch was great! We tried a variety of items: the hamburger, shrimp cocktail, the Brussel sprout fries were especially good - omg - and the Buffalo chicken sandwich was super good. The staff was so responsive and friendly. Loved this place!! If I wasn’t with kids I would have loved to take a spin on the carousel bar. I can’t imagine a better experience for our lunch today!

We had early reservations on a Friday night before our show at the opera. It was perfect since it was not busy yet. Service was prompt and the food was great. Ordered French onion soup which my husband said was one of the best he’s had. Also had the prime steak burger and the filet mignon with frites. For dessert the crème brûlée. All was cooked as requested and perfect. The bar is a carousel which turns very slow which is something we’ve never seen before. Very unique. Everyone was very friendly and we would definitely go back.