The Franklin

First time patron, happy hour bloody. Mary’s were the best in Portsmouth for five dollars. The restaurant week menu was incomparable. The mushroom and leek soup had beautiful tender pieces of lobster throughout. The turkey schnitzel was right out of a five star restaurant in New York or Boston. The service was superb a beautiful lady named Ashlynne Took care of us and she was without a doubt, the nicest and most efficient server we have ever met

We ate here for restaurant week and everything was amazing. Every dish we had was delicious. The portions were good and the service (even with a full restaurant) was fast. Even if you don’t like seafood, you should still give this place a try. We can’t wait to go back.

I've been on an oyster kick for a year now. Scouring the NE region and even down to NOLA for the most flavorful bipeds. The Franklin is a total gem. $2 Happy hour oysters were limited to the 3 of their 9 available oyster options from the raw bar. Basically, it is a large, medium, and small offering, which is a fair way to do business. They included a blueberry habanero hot sauce, which was pure fire in the best way. The local cheese appetizer was blackberry goat cheese and made an excellent dip for the Franklin fries! Blueberry bread pudding rounded out the perfect evening. 10/10 would recommend. Don't leave Portsmouth without stopping here.

Excellent! We enjoyed the oyster happy hour, drinks, and fries. Very cute place and the service was excellent. A must stop!

Had to stop in on my quick trip down the coast. What an absolutely fantastic time. Sat at the bar and enjoyed chatting with the staff and sharing jokes and eating oysters. Who knows how the non-oyster items on the menu are. I mean, other people’s non oyster food looked amazing, but I couldn’t slip away from the salty briny goodness of these freshly shucked little suckers. Have the honeydew cucumber gimlet, it is a fantastic palette cleanser. Just make sure to upgrade the gin to Hendricks and ask them to put 2-3 cracks for FRESHLY cracked pepper on top. You won’t regret heading in for an enjoyable meal.

We ate at the bar and enjoyed happy hour oysters, which were delicious and I love the various sauces they came with. Be aware of Cocktail price. We paid $22 for one!

Sadly, The Franklin leaves much to be desired. Service was friendly enough and oysters, drinks were fine. The disappointment lies in the prepared food which was flavorless, unappetizing and exhibited zero creativity. The passion is simply not there. Sampled the fries, wings, fish tacos, salmon, burger, chocolate cake and bananas foster cheesecake. All dishes were bland and tasteless even the desserts. The salmon was presented on top a soupy, grocery store box like mush claiming to be tomato risotto. The banana fosters cheesecake was plain cheesecake with a little sauce and a few slices of banana. No amount of condiments could make the “famous” fries palatable. They are what I call “dirt” potatoes. As others have commented, fish tacos are not good. Please add more flavor to the condiments knowing the fish is quite bland alone. Even the burger is not solid. Come on Franklin, I know you can do better! Your menu screams we want to be a little southern to me. I highly suggest a food tour in Charleston, Birmingham and New Orleans to taste how it’s really done. Also, have you tried frying your French fries in duck fat? So good. With a little flavor experimentation and creativity, I think The Franklin could be great.

My husband and I have been going to The Franklin for almost a decade. We love to go when we have something to celebrate or after a movie to sit at the bar. We have always had great food and service. It's an intimate setting with only a few tables but we love that cozy vibe. We always do oysters, although sometimes they do run out but I get it, its a busy place and the oysters are great! The Franklin fries and the grilled oysters are great as well. The Franklin also has great cocktails!

I was in Portsmouth for a conference and decided to try this place for dinner since it was conveniently located just a 4-minute drive from the AC Hotel. It's a charming little restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and a great bar. Our waitress, Leah, was incredibly friendly and offered excellent recommendations. We started with the soup, fries and fired oysters - the fries were especially good, and I loved the quirky touch of a lighted fries sign that indicates when they run out. The oysters was just ok. The burger was delicious and really hit the spot. Overall, a great dining experience!

Great oyster happy hour - We sat at the bar for just half a dozen oysters, but we had to get another 6 because they were so good. $2 oysters for happy hour! Nice staff, good bar to sit at for drinks and bites.

I can't speak for the rest of the menu but the oysters were fabulous! Plus a great deal at happy hour only $2 each. Despite being busy the service was friendly and efficient. The environment is warm and inviting. I'm looking forward to dining here again and experiencing more of their menu

Do NOT miss The Franklin if you're in Portsmouth. Incredible food and drinks, the kindest staff you'll ever encounter, and just an incredible vibe. The oyster happy hour is one of the greatest deals in town. Sit at the bar and watch the shucker do his thing - the oysters will be in front of you seconds later with a great variety of sauces. And OMG the fries. It's no wonder that the menu says they're available "until sold out." On top of the food, everyone was incredibly friendly, both while I dined and especially after, when I realized I had left my credit card there. My boneheaded move, but when I called the following day, Brendan could not have been kinder in making arrangements to get it back to me. The Franklin is my new go-to place in Portsmouth for sure!

The Franklin restaurant gets a lot of love from the area and Yelp reviews especially regarding their famous fries that they run out of during dinner service. We stopped in to try them as we love oysters, the cocktails looked good online, and who doesn't want to try famous fries! Overall, this was a miss for me on our trip to Portsmouth. Service was nice and food came out quickly but nothing blew us away. The cocktails were okay. I didn't love the rum cocktail I got, it had a tangy after feel that kept me drinking my water after each sip. Not a great thing. Not every cocktail is a win and I kept an open mindset for our food. The fries- they are good, very good in fact. I preface this by saying I am not a fry person so they got high marks as far as how nicely fried they were, perfectly salted, and soft inside. The malt aioli was also great! We tried two of each of the three kinds of grilled oysters they had. I only liked one- it was a pesto one. The other two were not good. The bacon maple one had too much bacon and too much maple syrup making the oyster not really present. The corn relish one- just not good. Corn was a little hard and chewy and again took away from the star- the oyster. I wish we had gotten more of the pesto one which had a small amount of sauce and allowed the oyster to shine. Our dozen raw oysters were just okay as well. Quite a few had shell bits and grit still in them so not cleaned well and just overall okay. For a place that is known for oysters we left not impressed. Sorry Franklin, have to be honest in my review.

Came here for the oysters and happy hour (even on Saturday). We were able to get the end of it and snuck in some oysters and wine. Oysters were fantastic and the atmosphere was great, even for a rainy Saturday! .

While the menu is only one page, The Franklin offers something for everyone and encourages sharing of both their small and large plates. Oysters are fresh and plentiful, 'nduja Toast original, potato leek soup tasty and the highlight was the new cod dish (not even listed on their website) served over soup will have you licking the plate! Service was friends and attentive. The only con is the atmosphere - the restaurant doesn't feel warm - loved the tin ceiling but the decor is kind of all over the place. That won't deter us from going back as the food is what is important and it was the star!!!!

A cute little Oyster Bar in Portsmouth. We bellied up and had a Happy Hour selection of Oysters with different sauces. It was a learning experience for me, as I have never indulged in the Oyster scene before. I now know that there are several different varieties of oysters from all over the world. However if you ask me to pick out a favorite, I wouldn't have a clue. Nonetheless, it was a good experience for both of us.

Inattention to basics... Our steak fries were refrigerator cold, the Ceasar Salad very bland - think supermarket salad bar - and the fries while OK lacked salt. The appetizer was also clearly something that sat for a long time post preparation. Our server didn't know what was in it!

I can see why this restaurant got such rave reviews, but I'm not sure if I'd go again. The french fries that everyone raved about were a real disappointment. The salmon and green beans were very good. Things seems a little pricey, but that's to be expected especially in this vacation town. I'd try somewhere else next time we visit.

Came in just for the Oysters. I'm from Texas so couldn't help myself. Great service and atmosphere. Highly recommend for the delicious Oysters

We had a really nice meal here. The happy hour oysters were an amazing bargain. We had the fries which were the best thick cut fries I've had in a while, crispy on the outside and creamy inside. If you like the thin kind only, now you know. The server was friendly and efficient, a pleasant experience overall.

I love coming to The Franklin. A nice small space with attentive service. I regularly get the raw oysters. They have a $2 shuck happy hour from 4p-6p. Hot food is great, pricey for portions but commiserate with all the other "bougie" Portsmouth restaurants. Pictured in this review is the steak and the broccoli app. Very tasty very good. We also got the dessert special which was a peach pound cake and that was perfect.

This place is a hidden gem! Absolutely the best servers, phenomenal chef. The atmosphere is better than it should be. The bartender pours some me of the best drinks in New England. I will never not come here.

Made a RSVP for oysters before our dinner reservation and in hindsight we wish we stayed here for dinner instead! ---oysters: so fresh and they have happy hour oysters that were yummy! ---fish tacos: took a little time to come out but these were yummy! The hubby even enjoyed them even though he doesn't like corn tortillas If were back in town, we will have to come back and try their other dishes

I came here with my friend for happy hour oysters on a Sunday afternoon. Their HH oysters are $2 a piece and quality was decent. My only complaint (as well as my friend's) is that when they shucked the oysters, they didn't remove the bottom attachment of oyster itself. We also got the fries as they were highly recommended to me. Decent fries with dipping sauce! Definitely a nice spot and would be interested in trying their other menu selections in the future.

A little pricy for the dive bar vibe, but the staff was friendly and super helpful and the oysters and drinks were good. I'd skip the tacos though.

The service provided by everyone was superb! The three stars are for the servers who went out of their way to make me feel welcome. It's all about the food and I must say that I was disappointed in a few things. First the good points - the oysters. They were fresh and delicious, this is coming from a person who doesn't eat them raw. I wanted them fried or grilled, ordered them that way only to be told they were NOT serving them fried or grilled yet it's on the menu. Huge disappointment but trying them fresh was a total turn on to the raw experience! I ordered fish tacos and what I believed to be - crab cakes. Turns out they were arancini crab cakes. The menu said lump crabmeat with aioli. They were nothing but flavorless mushy rice, no lump crab I could find and the outer breading was so hard that I could literally scrap the rice out of them because I couldn't eat the hard outer breading. The fish tacos were flavorless and fried too hard as well. I also ordered home cut fries and yes they were too browned and not flavorful. I arrived at happy hour and enjoyed the $5 sparkling wine (server called it champagne), ok. I mentioned the concern regarding the crab cakes and the manager was kind enough to remove it from my check (I didn't ask, and would have paid), and he also explained that the menus description is in need of an upgrade. I was so excited to eat here and waited for them to open, arrived at exactly 4pm and didn't get the food experience I hoped for. The presentation was lovely, and I took a few pics. I might go back for drinks and oysters only.

They had good service... and the oysters were fresh and tasty. Unfortunately the positivity kind of ends there.. the bartender Danny was great, he was knowledgeable about the menu and drinks. I had an espresso martini first, it was very cinnamon forward. We ordered the monkfish stew, the broccoli, and mussels. The monkfish was overcooked.. and instead of being pieces in the stew it was like one large chunk of overcooked fish. The sausage was plentiful but overpowered the stew. Less sausage more fish. The broccoli was flavorful and cooked well but it had a TON of sauce. A white sauce all underneath and on the plate- it was overwhelming. The mussels were fine, not bad, just very average and forgettable. The oysters were the highlight they just had a lot of shell, so the shuck wasn't great but they still tasted extremely fresh.

Oysters were fantastic. Both are burgers were cooked perfectly and we were stuffed by the time we got halfway through them. Drinks were lovely and the service was definitely top notch.

Cool atmosphere. Nice vibe. Nice staff. I think the menu could use a little more imagination and more options. Shrimp lettuce cup was good, fresh and tasty. Fried oysters were too small and overwhelmed by what accompanies them. Drinks were also good.

I love the small plate options and great cocktails. We had great service and the food is delicious.

This spot is a must try when in Portsmouth. The staff is incredible, everyone I had an interaction with was welcoming and friendly. Waters were being filled up without asking by time you got to a half glass. Everyone was on point. Drinks- Tamarind Margarita was good but then I got a spicy margarita that hit the spot, made with homemade Ghost pepper tincture, just right. Zack was a great. The food was amazing. I've added pictures for an idea but it was very tasty. I had the Flat Iron steak with Purple potato Puree, fresh mushrooms sourced locally, broccoli, carrots. My buddy had the Chicken and waffles and they may have been the best chicken and waffles I've tried. The Franklin Fries were sooo good. If you don't stop by, you're missing out!

everything was absolutely amazing. Most delicious meal. Everything was perfect from the drink down to the french fries I can not recommend this place more!! staff was great too!!

Excellent place - amazing fries and great homemade aioli. Oysters delish on happy hour and nice local IPA. Would 10/10 recommend.

Wandering through Portsmouth and noticed the mellow and tasteful vibes of the Franklin, we stopped in for some "shuckers dozen" locally sourced oysters (fantastic) and their famous "Franklin Fries". These were incredible and makes sense why they caveat with "while supplies last" as I'd imagine they sell out quick- for good reason! Their restaurant week menu looked amazing- will definitely return (with an appetite beyond appetizers)!

Incredibly fresh & delicious food, good quality of service. Atmosphere was also nice.

From the minute you walk into The Franklin you feel the warmth of the space. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly. We ate everything and it was flippin amazing - I took my sister and her husband here and his eyes lit up when he caught site of the selection of oysters! He still talks about The Franklin and makes me take him there every time they are in town.

I was disappointed in The Franklin, a newish addition to Portsmouth's gastro pub scene. I ordered a margarita and a dozen oysters and though the service was good, the food was not. The margarita was terrible. Not only was it not in a margarita glass, but it was on the rocks, not served with crushed ice and it just tasted terrible. Were they using a mix or something? I don't know. It was light and completely off flavor. Their specialty is... french fries?! Not sure what that is about. I guess the idea is that they think oysters with french fries are cool somehow; not sure I agree with that. The oysters were all very small and tasteless, basically terrible and a total waste of money. The ambiance was ok, mostly middle aged tourists (since it is summer here). I could see this place being a bit of a pick up joint in the off season. Any girl here will jump at the chance to go out with you because it will give her an excuse to avoid the bad food.

Amazing place, great prompt service..delicious oysters and cocktails..nice casual place--sat at hi top

Came in with the family for $2 oysters happy hour. Bar was filling up but the dining room was empty. Host was unfriendly. But the server saved the day with outstanding service. We had oysters and fries and went on for dinner at Row 34. The ambiance is bar, not family. Think date night or guys night out.

Loved the happy hour here! $2 oysters and two drink options for $5. Friendly environment & fries were worth the hype. Will be back!

The place has really nice decor and felt very welcoming. The happy hour oysters were sweet and fresh. There was also $5 glasses of wine during happy hour. The fish tacos were off the charts. The piece of fish was very large and crispy. Overall, the flavors were amazing and I would highly recommend this place!

I sat at the bar, and the food was generally quiet good. The oysters were great. The Franklin fries are special. They are large cut and twice fried, coming out crisp and warm. The mussels had excellent flavor, but quite a few were overcooked. A mussell is as large as its shell. To cook them properly, you must remove each as it opens and not leave them all cooking while waiting for the last to open. If you do not believe me, open a dozen live mussells. Then, if not convinced, I can demonstrate. Like any other cooked food, appropriate attention is required.

Such a cute historical little restaurant. Definitely take advantage of their happy hour! 3 Rotating Oysters for $1.50 each, pair it with their $5 bubbly or featured cocktail. Always a good time and great selection at this place. My favorite oysters are the sunken meadow oysters from Eastham, MA!

This is the kind of place you're looking for. Fantastic service....fantastic. The food was excellent. Enough said.

Excellent food. Service varies from excellent to acceptable. Ambiance is pleasant. As stated the food is very good, but a bit overpriced for what you're getting. I mean, if hamburgers and French fries are on the menu, you should only be charging so much.

Best place ever! They talked to me when well I ate my food and my waiter was so content! Love it! Keep it up buddies!

Since living in Portsmouth, the Franklin has quickly become a regular spot that I love to go to. Mostly, I come here for the one of the best happy hours in Portsmouth! From 5-6pm, you can get $5 sparkling wine or bloody Maries, and they feature three of their oyster selections for half off ($1.50). The oysters are fresh and for the price, it's well worth it! I have tried a variety of other things on the menu. The fish tacos are terrific, their brussel sprouts are delicious, and the hush puppies are awesome. They also have a great beer list and cocktail offerings. One of the things that I particularly appreciate is that they offer mocktails...and they are not preset. You can indicate that you like sweet, sour, fruity, etc. and they will whip you up a mocktail to your liking. Why not 5 stars? For a place that I really love, service can be okay. There have been quite a few times where the service is slow or inattentive, even when the establishment is not very busy. If this evened itself out, this would definitely be a 5 star rating, however, I will certainly continue to come back.

Great service and oysters! More to come . Wish we had made reservations here. We will be back

Happy Hour oysters are great. Fish tacos meh. Tiny knob of nicely fried fish in a raw corn taco loaded with a ton of flavorless slaw...it was more like a slaw taco with a nugget of fried fish....and pricey for what it is, 2 small mediocre fish tacos. Drinks are pricey. Lovely service.

Excellent service and quality food! Reservation is a must. You can make reservations through their website https://franklinrestaurant.com. They do $1.25 oysters everyday from 4-6pm. I originally heard about this place from friends who said this place has amazing fries. I was skeptical at first. What could be so special about fries? Since I was going there for their oyster happy hour anyways, I decided to try it out and wow, I was impressed! The Franklin Fries were cut in thick long batons, crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They tasted great on their own but even better with the two sauces that they came with: sriracha aioli and malt vinegar aioli. This is a must get when you come here! As for the oysters, they had 3 selections for happy hour: Pirates Cove, Pleasure Bay, Wellfleet (I'm sure these selections would change depending on when you go). We ordered 8 of each and we liked Wellfleet the best. Everything was shucked and cleaned pretty well. They even offer horseradish with the oysters. Overall, I had an enjoyable experience. I would definitely go back to try some of their other dishes.

Super delicious and friendly. We are not the biggest fan of raw oysters but they are always willing to guide us in the right direction of what to try. The best news in they have so much more than just their raw offerings. Their food is always hot and fresh with great options. Oh and I have to say they have my favorite French fries if the Seacoast. Super crispy on the outside, super fluffy on the inside, and house made aïoli rounds it out. Do yourself a favor and try them! One of our favorite date night spots.

The Franklin seemed like the perfect place to have oysters while in New Hampshire. I came in for happy hour 4-6pm and was seated at the bar right away. My server was wonderful, very helpful and friendly. I had 2 kinds of oysters: the little bay beauties and the duxbury. The little bay beauties were delicious and local to NH. The duxbury oysters from Massachusetts were a little too salty for my taste. I also had the hush puppies, so good. Overall, a wonderful restaurant to try in Portsmouth.

Stopped in for happy hour on a Friday. There was a small line at opening but plenty of seating is available at the bar, in and outside. We chose to sit outside as the weather was beautiful. Three of us enjoyed 3 dozen oysters, 2 orders of fries and some drinks. I have to say the fries were the best thing eaten and are actually worth the $9 price tag. Oysters were on the whole, good, though the shucking could use some improvement. Too many shell bits, still connected oysters and a few that should have been discarded for being anemic and sad looking. Service was very friendly too.

We went during happy hour and got the "happy hour dozen". Best oysters we've ever had. The Franklin fries were also well worth the hype. Thick cut fries served with 2 dipping sauces. Overall really great experience at The Franklin and can't wait to visit again!

The best Bloody Mary's and Happy Hour oysters. They have a good selection of small plates and excellent cocktails

The only thing 'odd' about this restaurant is the hostess (this is consistent). Why do I feel like an unwanted guest everytime I enter this restaurant? Get by the hostess- and the food is superb. The waitstaff are smart and fun. Everything is delicious here. Except the troll who guards the door.?.

Excellent food. Attentive, but not intrusive service; very friendly staff. Best music and ambiance. Highly recommend.