frankie and bennys reminded me of the catherine tate show!!! (Frankie & Benny's)

Member Name: bishopview

Product:	Frankie & Benny's
Date:	01/11/09 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fast efficient service.

Disadvantages: lights get swiched off every two minutes with happy birthday blasting through the speakers

A few weeks ago me and some girl friends decided to go out for a bite to eat on a sturday evening, before hitting the local town for a few drinks. We decided to try frankie and bennys as this is a fairly new restaurant to our town. Some of the other girls had been to other frankie and benny restaurants before but i was new to this whole restaurant experience.
The decor
As soon as i walked in i thought it looked really cool it is in the style of an american diner and has booths rather than tables and chairs it reminded me of the american restaurant in pulp fiction. All the walls were decorated with american memrobilia. continuing to create the american dining experience. Another thing i liked was the soft lighting it encourages a more relaxing atmosphere. The restaurant itself was very clean and tidy. I noticed that tables were cleared quickly and efficiently after use. Also When i went to use the ladies room i was struck by how spotless and smartly decorated the toilet area was, with huge mirrors so you can easily check your lipstick has not smeared all over your face whilst eating!!
The atmosphere
If you are looking for a romantic meal with the love of your life then i dont think that this is right at all. It was very noisy and busy when we were there. Although we could hear each other without shouting. you did have to talk quite loudly in order for the person opposite to hear you, due to the loud sixties music being played out of the wall speakers. However i have to say that the music was very cool and had me tapping my foot on more than one occasion. One thing that really made me giggle was every five minutes we would be mid conversation when the lights would all go off and happy birthday would start blasting whilst the waitress would push out a cake to a birthday customerThe first time this happened i thought it was great but by the tenth time the novelty was wearing a bit thin and it reminded me of the diner in the catherine tate show.
The service
As soon as we entered the diner we were shown to a table. then we were allowed to settle for a couple of minutes before our young waiter came to our table. He was really polite took time to tell us about the specials and also had a bit of a chat with us too. After we had ordered our food it came to the table fairly quickly and was piping hot and to the exact specifications we had requested. The waiter would often come to the table to check that everything was ok and if we needed drinks. But he didnt make a nuisance of himself.
The food
As you would expect from an american diner the menu consists of steak and chicken or ribs and burgers. there is also a few pasta dishes on the menu as well. I would say that there is average choice on the menu. but if you are looking for homemade rustic food then you will be disappointed.
I ordered the chicken with a bbq sauce. when it came to the table i was suprised at how large the meals were. The chicken breast was large with lashings of bbq sauce which i have to say was delicious. Both my friends had steak and it was cooked to perfection and again ample in portion. all our meals came with onion rings, chips and peas and all tasted fresh and were piping hot. The desert menu was very limited and the cheesecake i had was very disappointing and i felt a bit cheated out of a desert.
Frankie and bennys is not by any means cheap in price. infact i think for what it is, it is quite expensive. I paid about 13 quid for my chicken and my friends paid about 15 quid for the steaks. I know this is not sky high but i did think it was a bit steep, compared to if you went for a pub meal. One other tip is dont drink alot with your meal, as the drinks are really expensive. Better to have your meal and go on to a nice pub!!
In conclusion i think frankie and bennys is fine for a quick bite out with friends. I dont know if i would choose to go there again though as i personally would rather a country pub with a roaring fire and an exciting menu. Saying that i had a nice meal and the service was friendly and efficient.

Summary: nice meal fun ambience. Bit too in your face for me tho