07/08/09

Must have gone on a bad day

by newreviews

With all the glowing reviews, I had high hopes for finding this a top-notch Mexican restaurant. It was not to be. From beginning to end, this was a bad experience. The sign said "Wait to Be Seated," but no one showed up to seat us, so we had to go into the bar to ask. There were only two other tables of diners when we sat down, yet a simple lunch took forever to show up. The beans were dry and tasteless; the guacamole was the strangest, most unpleasant taste we've ever encountered for this usually exquisite blend of avocado, tomato, onion and chili pepper or powder -- no need to ruin it with sour cream. The taco was fine; the chili relleno just soggily mediocre. Obviously, there must be better things on the menu, but these are standard Mexican fare and frequently indicative of the quality of a restaurant's food. What a shame.

• Pros: good chips; good spicy ground beef
• Cons: very slow service; really bad food

03/29/09

Go for the wings!

by MFCB

The Franklin Inn is good if you know what to get - and that is the wings. They are grilled hot wings. They take 20+ minutes to prepare, so don't be in too much of a hurry. But, they are worth the wait. The wings are split - you get a combination of the drumettes and the wings. They are moist but crispy on the outside (you can order them extra crispy or extra charred), and are fairly spicy. They are charred from the grill, and are coated with a trace of tobasco-based sauce. Skip the Mexican, but definitely try the wings!

• Pros: cozy, great wings
• Cons: mediocre Mexican

10/26/08

Fun place to hang out

by talltexan7

My wife and I are recent transplants from Texas, and we have been on a quest for good Mexican food (largely unsuccessful) since we got here. We found Franklin Inn online and decided to try it out with another couple after reading the reviews. I'd say I agree with the majority of the posts here as far as the margaritas go; they are quite tasty and they don't short you on the tequila. They sell them by the masonry jar which is fun. As far as the food goes, I'd say it's well above average for what we've had in the Pittsburgh area although it's still not quite what we've been looking for since leaving Texas. I ordered seafood enchiladas that were quite good once I got over the fact that it came with a dill cream sauce that I would've expected on stroganoff or some German beef dish instead. The chile con carne is good with chorizo added, although we wished it was a little thicker. All in all the food was very good if you aren't sticklers about how authentic it is (it's a Mexican restaurant that features Ben Franklin as its namesake and proudly recommends hot wings as a customer favorite, so what do you expect?).

My wife and I will come here again for the cozy ambience and good food, but our quest for Northern TexMex continues! So far this would be our choice for taking friends/family out, and El Campesino would be our pick for the most authentic - and affordable - fare.

• Pros: cozy ambience, plenty of parking, good margaritas
• Cons: Not all that authentic

06/08/08

Great Mexican Food

by Krystrina

This cozy little place has great mexican food, margarita's, and chips. You might have to wait a little to be seated, but, it is way worth it!!

• Pros: great homemade chips and salsa
• Cons: You might have to wait on a table if you get there after 6pm

06/02/08

oldest & Best Mexican Restaurant in Pittsburgh

by torriegirl

I'm not sure where to start! Everything is awesome starting from the service, to the drinks, down to dessert! Have a designated driver handy because once you have one margarita you have to have two. Everything is made from fresh from scratch and served so beautifully you almost hate to put your fork in and disrupt the colors...of course your mouth watering quickly prompts you to! Once you do bite into the food you can taste those colors bursting in flavor. Make sure to save room for the homemade ice cream, my favorite being the banana or chocolate chile'. Anyone who doesn't like the Franklin Inn abviously doesn't know mexican or has had their taste buds burnt off!!!!

• Pros: great food, service and Ambience
• Cons: I can't get there nearly enough!

09/26/07

Worst Food in town

by big_chuckie

If this is Mexican, I'm a water frog, I have never seen the likes of this before,everything in the place comes from the MICROWAVE. I know this from inside info people don't be fooled .This is no more Mexican than our POPE. Save your money guy's this place is the worst.

• Pros: Leaving the place
• Cons: Is them coning you into thinking their food is Mexican

04/14/07

Best Margaritas on the planet

by tjhughes

The Franklin Inn is a warm, cozy place with a friendly atmoshere.

Although the mexican food is only average, they make the best

margaritas on the planet. After a few margaritas, who cares about

the food (average mind you, not bad). Have been there a dozen times

and will go back another dozen. Always have a great time!

• Pros: Everything is great but the food is average
• Cons: Average food

09/23/06

Worst Food I've tried in Pittsburgh

by rkanevsk

Although the staff is friendly, the chicken in the fajita was not fresh. The onions were deep-fried. And the chips tasted worse than out of a grocery store.

Do not waste your money on this.

03/22/06

BEST WINGS/MARGARITAS IN PITTSBURGH

by POSWO2

The food is pretty good. It can be bland at times, but you can tell they use the freshest of ingredients. Their chips & salsa are very good, and they have the best wings & margaritas I've ever had! Overall a great place to go to, I live right down the street so I frequent the place often. They are very consistent with their food. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

• Pros: WINGS, MARGARITAS, SALSA
• Cons: NONE

05/07/04

One of the area's oldest Mexican restaurants.

by Contributor

The Scene
The location's unusual but for over 20 years, the Franklin Inn has been serving Mexican fare to a steady and loyal clientele. There is a large oblong bar, as well as two interconnected dining rooms with about 20 red vinyl-covered tables. Service is friendly and the feeling is relaxed comfort, though the place seems a little dark.

The Food
This is traditional Mexican-American food with a couple of surprises thrown in. The spicy Aztec chili is an eye-opening starter. Exceptional appetizers include a unique black bean appetizer, with chipotle pepper sauce and feta cheese. The char-grilled chorizo (Mexican sausage) is also delicious, served with flour tortillas and grilled fresh onions and salsa. Main courses of merit include chicken enchiladas with Colorado green chile sauce and a wide range of burritos. Portions are large and are served with a choice of two sides.

• Pros: good service