What: The Franklin is a new Italian restaurant in Jersey City Heights. The cozy BYOB spot is great for just about any occasion, from dates to a solo meal.
Interior: Although the entire restaurant consists of one big room, everything at The Franklin Jersey City is nicely spaced out. The lighting is dim and tables are all candle lit. But despite its dimly lit interior — The Franklin has a friendly, relaxed vibe.
The Menu: The menu at The Franklin is pretty straightforward: you have your appetizers ($10.95 to $25), entrees ($14.95 to $26), and pastas ($19 to $26). There are four dessert options, which range from $6 to $9. The restaurant is BYOB, so make sure to bring your beverage of choice.
We Loved: All of the main dishes we tried at The Franklin were executed perfectly. The Warm Goat Cheese Salad comes with a generous chunk of creamy goat cheese that’s drizzled with a balsamic reduction. The oven-dried tomatoes give the salad an intense sweet/tart taste. The Wild Mushroom Risotto is another hit. It’s creamy and tender, but offers just a little resistance with each bite. The Bananas Foster is a solid dessert option, but we wouldn’t mind an extra ingredient to make it more enticing. Likewise, we’d love to see a dessert collab between The Franklin and nearby Milk Sugar Love Jersey City Heights.
Could Be Better: The Franklin’s prices are on the high side. Of the 10 pastas and entrees on the current dinner menu, only two of them are below $20. Portions are also small for the price you’re paying. In the photo below, you can see that we were given strips of bread crust instead of bread slices. By comparison, Corto — which is just a few blocks away — offers a lot of sub-$20 entrees (menu). However, The Franklin recently debuted a rotating $28/pp prix fixe menu (available Sundays through Tuesday), which includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It sounds like an excellent bargain.
Final Take: Food, ambiance, and service are spot-on at The Franklin. But it’s hard to justify those prices even for a BYOB, especially when the portions are small. Their brunch menu — which we’re eager to try next — seems to offer a better variety of prices. And we do recommend you try their prix fixe special, which appears to be the best bet for diners on a budget.
The Franklin | 159 New York Avenue
