Great Italian Food Outside of Natick's Hustle & Bustle - Franco's Ristorante & Pizzeria
Written: Mar 28 '08
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Pros: Easy to get to, Free parking, Great food, Good service, Lots of choices
Cons: Coffee wasn't too great.
The Bottom Line: I was pleasantly surprised by Franco’s Ristorante & Pizzeria - it was really nice, had a large menu and had some really tasty food
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| jps246's Full Review: Franco's Ristorante & Pizzeria |
A pleasant surprise just outside of the hustle and bustle of the Natick and Framingham area, Franco’s Ristorante and Pizzeria is a great place for a meal. It’s nothing fancy, but with a menu that includes Italian American favorites along with a ton of different kinds of pizza, there is something for everyone here.
Backing up that extensive menu is the tasty food that Franco's offers with good service.
Where is Franco’s?
I have to admit I’ve driven by Franco’s lots of times and never though too much of it. It’s located on Speen Street in Natick, right before it reaches Route 9 and all the development surrounding the Natick Collection. It’s located adjacent to a golf course and driving range.
There’s plenty of free parking available.
The only real problem with the location is that it can be practically impossible to take a left onto Speen Street from the parking lot during busier times.
What is Franco’s like?
I didn’t really know what to expect as we approached, however once we were inside we were nicely greeted and told to choose whatever table we’d like to sit at. The restaurant seems to be an old deli or something similar – whereas there’s a counter area along with refrigerated cases taking up a portion of the room. Behind that’s the kitchen and surrounding counter and case area are the tables.
We were there on a Tuesday night and when we arrived around 5:30 there were only a few other occupied tables, but by the time we left, probably about 2/3 of the tables were taken.
The lighting and table set up is pretty basic.
At the time we were there only one waitress was taking care of all the tables, but she was very well organized and even though it did get busier, she kept on top of all of the tables. I had nothing to complain about.
We neither felt rushed or like we had to wait throughout our meal. It was a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
What can I eat?
Think of an Italian American dish and you’ll probably find it on Franco’s menu. There are a number of pasta dishes along with chicken, fish and veal entrees. They also have nightly specials that include a mix of entrees and pasta dishes.
If you’re not in the mood for pasta, then you might consider one of their pizzas. They have your standard cheese pizza along with almost every other kind of pizza that you can imagine. Next time I go back, I’m going to get the BBQ chicken pizza, it sounded really good.
Our meals started with bread and garlic oil that’s provided with all of the meals. Then we had small garden salads with their house Italian dressing that came with the entrees. That was followed up with a mix of entrees, the Shrimp Scampi, chicken with broccoli in garlic sauce and chicken parmigiana.
We were all very pleased with our meals. They were hot and well presented and they tasted great. Additionally, they were all really big. Big enough that we all brought some home and I had a good-sized lunch the next day with mine.
Beyond what we had, the menu features a number of different appetizers, most of which are what you’ll find at other restaurants (cheese sticks, buffalo wings and the like). For those who like salads in addition to the side garden salads, an antipasto salad is available, as is a caesar salad. The Caesar salad can be made as a side, or they can add grilled chicken and make it a meal.
We made sure to save some room for dessert as they advertised home-made desserts and they sure did look good in the refrigerated case. I ended up having a slice of the chocolate cake while my partner had a slice of cannoli cake. We both really enjoyed it, though the coffee we had wasn’t that great.
For a restaurant of this size, I was surprised at the extensive menu that they offered. I would think that anyone who likes Italian American food will be able to find something that they like, even if it’s just a pizza or a calzone. I know we’re going to go back to continue sampling the menu.
Prices
Another great aspect of Franco’s beyond the good food and expansive menu is the fact that they have very reasonable prices. Most of the entrees and pasta dishes were less than $15 and the pizza’s where around $12 on average for the larger size depending on what you got on them.
For the three of us with the salads, the entrees, drinks and then dessert we had a roughly $60 bill.
Final Thoughts
I was pleasantly surprised by Franco’s Ristorante and Pizzeria. For a place that doesn’t look like much from the outside, it was really nice, had a large menu and had some really tasty food. Not only that, the service was good and when we left, we wanted to go back to try more on the menu.
All that makes me really like this restaurant, especially since all I could find to not like was the cup of coffee at the end of my meal.
I liked the fact that we didn’t have to go all the way into the Natick and Framingham area to reach Franco’s. You didn’t have to try to find a parking spot in the mall or fight traffic along Route 9.
I’m glad I finally took the time to stop in at Franco’s and experience it. I know I’ll be going back for more.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
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