Governor Francis Inn Restaurant

First time here and was the best experience ever! Before even sitting down older gentlemen tells us how amazing it is, what he recommended and the history as well. Amazing staff and even more amazing food! Quality and presentation was perfect! Huge portions! Table turn over rate was top notch! The guys and girls cleaning the table was like a pit crew in NASCAR! In and out in less than 20 seconds! Will definitely be back soon!!

Staff is friendly my waitress Lynzy is so nice and knows the menu well ( I have food allergies) I love the pasta dishes like the lasagna along with a cup of corn chowder (on Wednesday) Huge portions of food on the plate-beats any of the chain restaurants. Good dessert menu and even a lighter appetite menu for those who don’t eat much.

Today I had the lasagna special. Lasagne with chicken Parm and pasta Alfredo. A lot of food! The Alfredo was rich and creamy. The lasagna had lots of meat and cheese. But the chicken Parm was the best of the three! Juicy tender chicken, lots of cheese and a thick flavorful sauce. Overall excellent. Huge menu! Really, a very large selection with a large variety including local seafood favorites. However, no vegetarian menu. Large portions. I ordered the turkey plate which included a choice between 3 different soups, 3 types of potatoes and 4 different veggies! The soup, an Italian variation on beef vegetable, was quite good with several types of veggies, enough small chunks of beef and enough small pasta. Turkey was ok, stuffing was quite good, garlic mashed potatoes (prepared with the skins on) were also quite good but the veggies were overcooked.

They were lovely. The food was decent. The prices were good. We'd definitely go back.

It was late in the evening we put an order in about 8:00 PM, there was only three of us having dinner went to go pick up my pick up order. By time I get home 15 minutes away I realize that the order was Mostly wrong. Check the receipt went back spoke to I believe his name is Remy in the interim my brother-in-law called this establishment spoke to someone in the kitchen he said they started yelling that the order was correct and it wasn't! I ordered a $17.99 salad which was worth about $7.00 I called the following day asking a refund of the total bill was $79 I spoke to Remy again he told me to come in and speak to him I will not be returning to this restaurant ever again the only reason why I'm posting this is just due to the fact that just be careful at this establishment. Ok update as of 11/13/25 I was on the phone with my family on who gave this Restaurant another opportunity and they miserably failed!

We haven't been in awhile and came last night for dinner. There was a 20 minute wait to be seated but worth it! The food was delicious and the portions are huge. We got appetizers of stuffed mushrooms and mozzarella sticks. The mushrooms were so good. For dinner, I ordered eggplant parm and my husband got the Italian dinner I believe, chicken parm, sausage, peppers with pasta. Our waitress was very attentive and checked in on us regularly, making sure we didn't need anything or was quick to get a refill of our drinks. We will definitely come back because the menu has many good options!

Usually a good experience but not tonight had an extremely rude waitress named Mae ( pretty sure that was her name) took our order with attitude and not to mention about 2 to 3 feet away from our table. Her attitude ruined the experience will not be back for a long time.

We ordered mozzarella sticks as an appetizer which were full size, hot, gooey cheese nicely coated, definitely cooked fresh with a side of marinara sauce for dipping I ordered the special the Thanksgiving meal. When my plate arrived, I felt like I had a half of a turkey on there, it was wonderful. Portions are large needless to say. Taste was out of this world. The meal was a full meal with a salad, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and vegetable. I took my leftovers home and had a full lunch to eat. My friend had a large sized lobster roll which he couldn’t stop eating once he took the first bite. He ordered fries with it and it came with plenty. The staff are extremely friendly,came by to give us more water and asked if we need anything else. It’s a very relaxing atmosphere. We didn’t feel like we were being pushed out the door. Family friendly, casual dress. Definitely recommend!! We will be back ASAP.

Good meal for the price Friendly service employees seemed happy Restaurant needs to be updated

Definitely a disappointment. I came here on the recommendation from somebody I work with and I heard a lot of good things about the restaurant even from other people. The restaurant itself was clean and the booths were comfortable. Lighting was good, although the temperature was a little too cool and the room we were in. Parking is plentiful. We we're impressed by the extensive menu, morning breakfast options and the fact that dinners come with a potato and vegetable or pasta and soup or salad. The service was average. Although we thought it was a little bit odd that the wait person was telling us certain things weren't recommended because maybe they didn't sell well or didn't look too good. That made me a little bit uneasy, but I appreciated the honesty. Then came the food. The chicken Soup was good, but it could have had a little bit more pasta. I had the chicken francaise although the chicken seems like it may have been undercooked in certain areas and had a crunchy texture, which was very unappealing. The sauce was okay, but it wasn't anything to write home about. The mashed potatoes were definitely from a mix and they were disgusting, as was the brown gravy. The beets were the only thing I finished. I had the spumoni for dessert and that was actually OK. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this place and we won't be back.

Still has great escarole soup, fresh Italian bread, butternut squash and apple compote. I Usually get the 3 baked stuffed shrimp, with soup and 2 sides. The stuffed shrimp are fine if you don't eat the stuffing, just dip in some butter . They are always a bit overcooked- they should put less dressing or get the next size up of shrimp. The tails are always too overcooked and hard and you can't eat them. Always lots of food and the Service is always great. I see many of the same faces whenever I go - crowd during lunch is 70 plus .

Great veal and salmon! Need to try the prime rib next! I'm hearing good things about the PR! Excellent friendly service!

Last time I was here 11 years ago I put in a great review about this place. When I came back to Rhode Island we were trying to find a place to eat and it's funny coz my review had come up. So we took a chance we were a little worried coz there were no updated reviews for this restaurant. I'm so glad we made it here again. Food still great , my husband had the chicken parm and I had the fried whole belly clams again which were meaty and perfectly done- melted in your mouth- better than some of the clam shacks we've been to during this trip.

Huge menu and super friendly wait staff and bartenders. Always love coming here. Feels like home.

Had the chicken Franchise, which was delicious . Portion was very large. Mashes were good, butternut squash with apple was scrumptious. Wish they put a little more effort into the salad that comes with the meal. All and all a very good dinner.

Lovely service friendly and very attentive! So many options to choose from there's definitely something for everyone. Loved the special corned beef soup. The chicken piccata was tender and flavorful. Was a great spot if in the area.

Home style atmosphere. Large portions, great food and service. Fast and friendly. Large seating area.

Mediocre food at best. My lobster bisque had hair in it and tasted mostly like half and half. The lobster ravioli was very good you get a good amount lobster in these raviolis and the serving size is much better than other places but the biggest disappointment was the Cajun tuna hardly any Cajun spice on it and the tuna was over cooked and dry given the price of the entree you get what you pay for. Overall the staff were friendly but as I said before the food was mediocre.

So this happened today at Governor francis Inn, warwick ave, Warwick RI. at lunch time to me and my husband, I never had this kind of experience in my life. Along with 2 of highlighted entrees we had asked for water with 2-3 lemon wedges and the waitress went on to fill our order. She came back with very small glass of water with 2 wedges and moved on, another waitress or greeter came up to me and stated that it wasn't the waitress' fault for only bring us 2 wedges but she was afraid to get yelled at by owner again, he stated to her only 1 wedge and that's it. So I told that women that was insane for him to state that and for her to have the nerve to let me know that. Well as lunch was being carried on i asked waitress for a taller fresh water with lemon and she brought us just a taller glass of water , guess what ? No lemons , are you kidding me. At this point I'm ready to get up and leave but she went on to tell me he will yell at her blah blah blah, and people have been stealing lemons and grated cheese, I said to her you have to be kidding me . I don't care about his losses all I want is 2 freaking lemon wedges. We'll I never got them, not her fault but a good waitress would of never had to explain that to a customer and she should of went to get the 2 wedges. I did not take it out on her, gave her a 20% tip for lunch that was not satisfying, it was not her fault. As I was leaving I did walk up to the kitchen asked for the owner/manager and they stated he was'nt there. So who was lying. What a real class act. Needless to say we will not be going back there and he most likely won't give a hoot, but he is so wrong. #badexperience #badmanagement

I think for the price they charge they should do a little remodeling stuck in 70s, It looks dirty. It's too bad because the food is good

Service was great. Big menu. Not the most delicious dinner food I have had, but definitely solid, especially for the price. And they give you a lot of food. Lemon square cake was awesome though. I'd go back just for that!

I should have taken a picture,..but I was so mad and disappointed and hungry..I paid $30.00 for the Ribeye steak with 2 sides..which would be ok if it was edible...my steak was disgusting..there was more fat on that steak then the meat itself, it was so bad., and I love their stuffed mushrooms, but they were god awful too,..tasted bad, and I mean like something in them went bad...looked almost curtailed.....never ever again, this was my 2nd time ordering food from them, and the first was not that great, but I decided to try again...anyway its too bad, they used to be fantastic..

This use to be one of our favorite spots but a year ago we were disappointed with a few visits so we stopped going. We decided to try it again and we felt they had gotten back in the game! Food quality was back and staff was friendly and not so grumpy as previous visits. We hope they continued to be great and not slide back into mediocrity. Keep the local favorite reputation alive!!

What a great place to eat to get a good idea of New England foods. wonderful meal included our favorite clam cakes and salmon. Good wine, great friendly service. defiantly a 5 star experience. Definrwoild recommend.

Food and service are always fantastic. It always feels like going home for a great meal and wonderful company. Totally recommend!!

Decided to stop for breakfast, haven't been here in awhile. Pleasantly surprised with the taste of the food and good coffee! The service was excellent!! We will be back!

I did not make it past a cup of coffee. The spoon the waitress place in the coffee was dirty with dried up food. The nonchalant attitude of the waitress was appalling. I got the feeling blacks were not welcome in this establishment. I left after less than 5 minutes in the place. The message coupled with the vibes was clearly received by us. I would have loved to try the food but the poor service and the ambiance were too bad for me.

The food was expensive but had a cheap presentation. The mac and cheese was penne with cheese dumped on top, the pasta was penne with sauce dumped on top and an undercooked meatball. The fries weren't crispy at all and were undercooked. I thought it would be good since it was a bit pricey. The bread was also just all purpose sandwich bread, and the garlic bread was the same bread cooked with garlic powder on top.

Always good food and wait servers. Basic good food. Great specials every day. Have a smaller appetite section! Corn chowder is to crave for.

Great place for seafood out in Rhode Island. The staff were welcoming. Would recommend it if you want seafood.

I've come here numerous times over the past few years, and have ordered the baked stuffed sole with the newburgh sauce on it. its legit divine. such an amazing seafood dish. puts such a smile on my face whenever i eat it. the butternut squash side also tastes more like a dessert.. its so sweet! i think they put apple in it too. mashed with gravy is solid too. really thankful to have a neighborhood restaurant like this be so delectable. very homey interior as well, u feel cozy there. just feels very down to earth. a great meal.

Daughter heard about this place so we thpught we'd check it out for dinner. When you walk in, you've stepped back into the 70's, decor, furniture, carpeting, etc. Menu is crazy big but luckily our waitress walked us through, American fare. Mediterranean calamari sounded interesting . . . It took a while but finally came & was ok. They forgot my drink. Ordered seafood platter jr size. Wow! Massive amount of oily fried food, it was average. Came with a little dish of coleslaw, not homemade, and rancid. Sent it back. One wsitress tried it & spit it out. Chef tried it & said it was fine. Hmmmmm. Yikes. Forgot my tea again. It was an ok experience. Ok food, ok ambience, ok service, nothing special, like going to my aunts house for pasta, average.

Ordered food to take out pot roast dinner with mashed potatoes and carrots and turnips what was in the package when it got home was pot roast, carrots and turnip, and squash NO potatoes when I called back they said that I have to go back all the way to the restaurant and pick it up. I suggested it would be nice if you could deliver it they said they don't do it they normally just give credit or whatever well someone should've checked that made a mistake. My family and I will never go back. They lost a good customer and shouldn't be so condescending on the phone either calling. I can see why the business has gone downhill ,

Governor Francis is about to be buried and nailed shut with the quality of food they're putting out lately. Okay, maybe a bit harsh judging by the size of their patronage who do enjoy it. But I had never been and treated two friends to lunch one Sunday. The minute we got out of the car and saw the paint peeling around the front door my immediate thought was "they don't care". We all ordered the turkey dinner as it was recommended by a friend who said it was great. Not this turkey. We were served processed turkey loaf. I paid $16.99 x 3 for Processed Turkey Loaf! The gravy had a canned, metallic taste so we knew that wasn't made on the premises, well if you call opening with a can opener and heating it up "made". Everything else was just below "okay". I've heard other items are good. But really? A turkey dinner in New England should be the epitome of great! I'll go to Lindy's Tavern, Greenwood Inn or even Gregg's before I venture back. The server seemed preoccupied with a larger party and was just adequate. Oh. The Server's Area with the wood surround was filthy from YEARS of people's dirty fingers on the side of it. Frankly, maybe it would be best to close down for a week and scour and paint a bit. I work hard for my money and wasting it on owner's that sit on their past glories and don't care about quality of their restaurant doesn't deserve a second chance when Rhode Island has so many great restaurants.

Had pot roast. it tasted like it came out of the freezer and potato tasted like it came from a microwave. The waitress was excellent though. Will not go here soon again that's for sure.

Went there for soup and salad, specifically the lobster bisque. Being from Maryland we don't get lobster bisque on the menus much. But boy...lemme tell you the lobster bisque with that garlic bread was a missile. Slap your Momma good! You

We eat here frequently. Food is always good and big portions. Service is always good too. Sometimes we sit at the bar and eat. Bartenders are great too Unfortunately, like every other restaurant, prices are going up regularly. Thankfully the portions are still great. Two large dining rooms and the bar is spacious too. Definitely worth the trip.

Took my father there for the seafood platter as he has been going there for decades. I agree the place could use a decor update but the food was excellent we both had the seafood platter and could not finish it. Excellent seafood and a lot of it. I see some people have mentioned the service but our waitress was friendly and did an excellent job. We plan to go back this week.

Sad Let me start by saying that I truly wanted to love this place. It is right up my alley, older clientele, old school menu, affordable, strong drinks, and friendly atmosphere. Now the problem, the food was sadly terrible. Here was the order: Prime Rib and a Ribeye - two of the worst steaks my wife and I have ever ordered. My steak was grey with fat knots and my wife's prime rib was 2 thin slices of garbage roast beef aligned together to look like a 12 ounce cut. I e never seen anything like it. We barely ate them and seeing that these steaks were 25 dollars each it was pretty sickening. Even the mashed potatoes were terrible with bad gravy. One of the worst 65 dollars I've ever spent. Needless to say, we will not be back. Thanks

Read the reviews before coming back, but like one guy said, the nostalgia got me! My mother would get my brother and me takeout cheeseburgers when she didn't feel like cooking ..... 60 years ago. I skipped the cheeseburger this time and ordered the 1/2 lobster roll off the "lighter fare" menu. It came with three clam cakes and a cup of chowder. The chowder and clam cakes were superb, the lobster roll just ok. The menu is extensive and maybe after I have an Awful Awful at the Newport Creamery across the street who knows.....maybe back for dinner

Great service and the portions were huge. The portion of fish in the fish in chips platter was the largest portion of fish I have ever received. The batter was perfectly fried. The problem is that the food was just really bland. Tour of Warwick Rankings: (1) De Vine (2) Sophia's (3) Top of the Bay (4) Governor Francis Inn

Whenever I'm looking for a quick spot that has good seafood I come here. I bring my grandmother and She loves it. Only thing I wish they had was outside seating in the summer.

Good food but rather slow service. We had the combo appetizer (chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, potato skins) and I had the Delmonico steak sandwich for dinner. Comes with a soup/salad and a side, I got mashed potatoes. They have a zinfandel vinaigrette dressing which was interesting! Tasted like raspberry vinaigrette but more tart. We've been going here for years when in town, though, and usually the food and service is good.

Went there once last year. -- Yes the building is old and the inside is dated but we should call that character. The place is very clean and the servers are really helpful and ready to please your every need. I had the fish and chips which was very good. My husband had the baked fish plate, it was good- but my husband liked my dish better. We shared apple pie and ice cream, the pie could have been warmer. Overall this was a good experience and very reasonably priced - 4 people for just under $50.00, you can't beat that. I recommend that you give them a try!

Stopped in w a sib, this past Monday....30 min wait, for table for 2 seating, at this legacy dining spot, that serves standard American & Italian fare. Ordered a Reuben & was advised, not available, due to volume of corned beef dinners sold, previous Thursday...okay...(was not referenced in dining menu that they also offered pastrami Reuben, but see, after the fact, it is referenced in an online menu as an option...don't know if it is an avail option. It was not mentioned by the server. Would have accepted, if it were)... ...played it safe, ordered Bleu Cheeseburger, which comes w/ bacon & bleu cheese. Burger was cooked to order, perfectly (med-rare) . "Bacon" seemed a single skinny strip, cut in half, and draped over the burger, & very hard to find bleu cheese... ...onions rings subbed for french fries, were very ordinary, thin cut frozen rings, where you've more breading than onion... ---the soup side ordered - New England style chowder - was good & not lacking clams... ...service was excellent & attentive; however, whoever was walking the floor as manager or perhaps owner, that day - I'm NEVER a fan when staff gets questioned publicly, in front of patrons, and, especially not when the object of the manager's attention, is a young 14 yo young man, who I had been observing, always in motion, and taking care of his tables - manager should have taken up whatever his issue was, privately. First time dining in, anywhere, post CVD, and, "okay", but, if you can not execute a simple burger properly, I'm not taking chance on anything more involved.

I had the chicken ceased salad for lunch.......delicious........The inside is outdated.....The staff is very friendly and attentive.......Definitely will come back........

I've been coming here as a kid. When I'm home to visit I make sure I get in an order of lobster bisque and, to be honest, just call into the land line to hear the orders and specials for the day. My parents and I would usually order the fried scrod and fried clams, whole bellies! Governor Francis Inn is etched in time for me. I'm glad it's still in business and hasn't changed much. Great location, spot and crowd. Loved being able to place big pick up orders. A classic neighborhood restaurant in Warwick!

I'm teetering between a 3 and 4 stars. Our waitress was fantastic, but my sandwich with fries came out basically cold. The rest of my party said their food was good, so it was just my food that tasted like leftovers.

I would like to share my experience eating at Governor Francis Inn Restaurant on Easter Sunday. I ordered the Governor Francis Inn Special: Salmon, with red bliss potatoes, asparagus, spinach and white beans in a garlic butter wine sauce. Excellent choice! The salmon was fresh and cooked perfect, not dry or mushy. And I always have the white chowder for an appetizer. I highly recommend Governor Francis Inn Restaurant. My friends and I have dined a number of times at your restaurant and always enjoy the food. Rosanne N.

Awesome place!! Great menu with lots of choices so there is something for everyone. Food is always fresh and tasty and good quality. Fresh not canned veggies!! Nice warm bread and butter. The servers have always been pleasant and efficient and the prices are very reasonable for what you get. The atmosphere is warm and cozy so you get that hone cooked feeling. Great place for family get together or couples.

They staff was friendly but sadly the food was terrible and expensive. Garlic bread tasted like moth balls pasta was hard and sauce was nasty sour taste to it didn't even eat. Fish and chips was nasty no flavor and my husband his brother said it was like rubber gross maybe a hand full of fries crazy. The bread was great and so soft. They had a coloring placemate for the baby so that was good. My father got the burger with mush and onions it was nasty grey meat tasted like it was frozen and had a odd sour taste no one eat we went to pay and found it odd that the bill was 80.00 bucks for 4 meals a burger ,pasta , 2 fish and chips no drinks. I look over the bull some how there is a philly cheese steak on the bill call the waitress over come to find out it was her lunch that she added on our bill hahah nice try. We will never ever return to this place it's crap. We all were sick that hole night throwing up. Place is dingy and needs a remodel. If they tried to screw us im sure they rob all the old ppl that go there blind

Food and history This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. A pleasant looking place named after a former governor of the state. I asked one of the waitresses if the building was really once an inn and she just gave me a blank stare. Well, we were there for the food and not a history lesson. The food is great. I love all the pasta dishes, especially the chicken marsala over pasta. The orange basil salmon is also extremely good. They have plenty of different seafood including some huge fishermen platter type things that will fill even me up. Lots of cool appetizers like glazed calamari and various soups. They frequently have different items on there lunch time specials so you can usually find something that is different but very tasty. The atmosphere and decor of the inn is rather plain but if you look more carefully you will see that they have some nice pictures of the Rhode Island area. Especially old ones of Providence. The service is always quick, competent and pleasant. Just don't ask any history questions.

Good food, good pricing, good staff. I've eaten here many times throughout the years and I have always enjoyed the experience!

Yikes. I was not impressed. A local go-to it would seem based off the number of people inside. Don't be fooled by the humongous portions that you will received. The food is bland and not interesting. You'll certainly have leftovers (brother-in-law order a rack of ribs and I swear it was laughable at over a foot long). The waitress was lackluster at best. Took forever for her to come around and not once did we get a water refill, even after asking. When we said we wanted to take leftovers home, she took plates one at a time into the back and stayed back there for a solid 5 minutes per. Got to be we were expecting each leftover to come out in origami! With 8 people in our group, this was quite the process. The drinks were....mediocre. Overpriced Barefoot wine which I should have known better about but it was all that was offered. Mother-in-law ordered sangria and it was decidedly non-alcoholic. And finally, my niece got seltzer water instead of Sprite. Whoops. Luckily everyone in our group had a good humor about it, but we all walked away severely disappointed.

Love the food and service here except the host. Debating rating 3 or 4. Dont want 1 person ruining for the rest, will give a 4 star. Went there on Friday 2/11 for dinner, there was a party of 4 in front of us then 3 parties came afterwards. (1 party of 4 & 2 parties of 2). It was just the 2 of us. Somehow everyone else were seated before we were, no reservations were made by either parties. The young hostess called the 2 guests who came right after me, as I looked over to see, the hostess avoided eye contact. 1 more party was called to be seated before us, as we were deciding to leave, the older hostess called my name. As we walked up, I can see the hostess cross off my name on the notebook, the 3 names underneath mines were already crossed off, nothing about "sorry for the wait". I felt a little discriminated since all the other guests were white and I wasn't. I've never had this experience before, the services were always nice and food is great. The server did make up for this experience as she was very friendly. This experience with the host made me feel very uncomfortable, not sure if I want to go back. I was contemplating writing a review. Besides the hostess, food is great, large portions and servers are wonderful!

i went to Governor Francis Inn last week to get a Fish & Chip, they asked me which one, the small one or the large one, i said the small one, i could not believe the price of it, it was $15.00, i wonder how much the large one is, anyway when i took it home, i could not believe how small the piece of fish was, it looked like child size, how can they justify that. ,not worth it.

Governor Francis Inn... Wowzerz!!! it doesn't get any more rhode island than this place! From the wait staff's wonderful rhode island/boston accent to their lab-stah (lobster). I love this place! I come here to show off how inexpensive lobster really is in rhode island. Keep in mind that i'm coming from chicago where it's 26 dollars per pound. But with 26 dollars at Gov,ernor Francis Inn, you can get a good size 2-3lbs lab-stah, pasta, potatoes and some white clam-chaow-tah (clam chowder)... I feel like i'm at golden nugget dinner, but with lab-stah. AMAZING!!!!