Review of Franky Bradley’s
North Third has long been one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The decor combined with the Peter Dunmire menu was always a standout. So, I was stoked when I heard that North Third owner, Mark Bee, bought the old Sisters building (Juniper & Chancellor) with the intention of turning it into the restaurant/bar Franky Bradleys.
I went with some friends to check out Franky Bradleys this week after the Auto Show. I liked it so much I went back again over the weekend.
The building is completely nondescript on the outside. There no signage on the actual building. The only indication that you are at the right spot is a sandwich board sign in front of the doors on Chancellor Street.
As the sign says, the place opens at 5:00 and serves food until 1:00 a.m.
The contrast from the plain exterior to the eclectic inside is visually magical. I really like the decor of this spot. It’s dark. It’s red. The walls and ceiling are adorned with a magical assortment of paintings and kitschy items that might be found in the basements of the coolest grandparents ever. This spot is instantly comfortable in a medieval lodge kind of way.
One of the biggest struggles in my dining out activities was going vegetarian because North Third doesn’t have a ton of veggie options. The same is true of Franky Bradleys. My carnivore friends were salivating at the descriptions of brisket, duck, and burgers. Meanwhile, I settled in with french fries and salad. I try to avoid dairy as much as possible so those were really my only options.
My friends couldn’t stop raving about the burger and brisket sandwich. The guy with the brisket sandwich was in complete bliss showing us the juice covering his hands after devouring it. The burger was passed around for bites and no one was disappointed.
I returned a couple of days later with Mrs. Violations and another friend. Again, the ambience was perfect. I’m expecting as the place get more crowded, it could lose some of its low-key charm. This time, I gave it and decided I’d have some cheese off the menu. For vegetarians, it’s good to know they can make their mac-and-cheese without the ham and the Cubano sandwich can be made in the style of a grilled cheese. The mac-and-cheese was ridiculously good. I also had the beet salad, which was spot on.
Franky Bradley’s has a nice drink list and solid beer selection. I stuck with beers on both visits, Lagunitas I.P.A. and a Left Hand Pilsner. My friends seriously enjoyed the cocktail list. The Scorpio was a popular choice. That contains Cazadores Reposado, Mezcal, lime, ginger, and agave. Mrs. Violations was geeked up about their sparkling wine, which comes in a can with an adjustable straw.
The acoustics were perfect both night. Saturday was more crowded than Thursday night, but you could still have a conversation without screaming. There’s an upstairs room, again with beautiful decor and pretty amazing lighting, which they say will host dancing and live shows.
This place is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots east of Broad Street. I’ll be back, often.
The only two things that weren’t perfect while there were minor. The hand dryer in the men’s room is too close to the door. When someone enters, they kind of bump into you while you’re drying your hands.
The other thing was the music. The vibe of the music was good. Nice, chill background music. However, it must be a very limited playlist. I was there twice for a couple of hours both nights and ended up hearing the same songs. The two that stuck out were Kansas’ Carry on Wayward Son and an Eddie Vedder song from the film Into the Wild.
Other than that, I couldn’t like a place more. Check it out if you can. It’ll work for hanging with your friends or for a date night.
Scott Johnston sometimes works the door. He’s a local theater legend and is a pleasure to interact with. That’s an added bonus that’s hard to equate.
Check out some photos:
www.frankybradleys.com
1320 Chancellor Street