Franks Famous Hotdogs

Open daily 7am - 9pm

Franks is a great place to go when you've got a craving for a burger or a hot dog. The smell upon entering is wonderful, the way a burger joint should be. The dining area has white tables with red benches and there are equally colorful tables with umbrellas outside. Orders are placed at the counter and brought to your table when ready.

I think my order surprised everyone, including the server. When he brought our food out, he instinctively handed the Chili Cheese Burger to my husband who quickly corrected him and, pointing to me said, "That's hers." Ah yes, Franks' famous chili. My husband was pleased with his tasty burger, but I was too busy with my little piece of heaven to notice.

The Chili Cheese Burger is Franks regular burger (tasty meat patty, onions, lettuce, tomato and sauce) but with a generous serving of chili and cheese beneath the top bun. It's best eaten with a knife and fork. The chili was flavorful but not so spicy that it overpowered the burger (or ruined the rest of the evening).

Regular menu items range in price from $1.50 for a mini burger to $6 for fish & chips. Franks regular burger is $3.50 and the chili cheese burger is $4.50. Besides offering a variety of burgers and dogs, Franks also has available a selection of salads, sandwiches and sides. We ordered a side of fries which were quite tasty. I was tempted by the fried zucchini and chili cheese fries, but opted to put the chili directly on my burger and let the rest of my family enjoy the fries. Dessert options include ice cream cones and sundaes.

Franks is open for breakfast from 7-11am and offers three options: Franks Famous Pancake Breakfast (3 "BIG" pancakes, 2 eggs and choice of bacon, sausage or linguisa - $4.66), Franks Famous Breakfast Burrito (2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, cheddar cheese, home fries, tomato, onion, mayo and salsa in a "BIG" tortilla - $4.99), and the World Famous Breakfast Sandwich (like the burrito but with lettuce on a "BIG" wheat bun instead of a tortilla - $3.50). Pancakes are available alone, as well as hash browns, home fries and toast.

Franks does not have kid's meals, but the menu is flexible enough to accomodate most kid's tastes. Our kids enjoyed a mini burger with cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich while our family shared an order of fries making the cost (and consumption) reasonable. Franks also has weeknight specials like "Hot dog happy hour" on Tuesdays, and "Monster burger days" on Wednesdays.

Kids' Opinion: "Franks has extremely cheesy grilled cheese sandwiches. They use wheat bread and mine was really dark on the outside, but it was still good. The fries are delicious. They're wavy or crinkle cut and they are really hot at first, but after they cool down, they're wonderful. They are seasoned very well."

Franks is located at 950 California Blvd. on the corner of California and Monterey, kitty-corner from the Splash Cafe.