DonDe Franco — Restaurant in Oaxaca

Donde Franco Café Restaurante

📍 Playa Zipolite 70902, Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca

Located in the shores of Zipolite, Donde Franco Café Restaurante offers a tranquil setting for a casual morning bite or a light afternoon meal. The menu leans toward healthy, beach-appropriate fare, with a few classic breakfast staples and fresh juices to match the coastal climate.

Food & Beverage

Huevos con Tocino The plate features two sunny-side-up eggs served alongside crispy bacon, a light vegetable salad, and your choice of bread or tortillas. The eggs were decently cooked, though they lacked adequate seasoning, which left the dish somewhat flat. The salad, while fresh, was minimally dressed and could have benefitted from a touch of acidity to lift the flavors. Overall, it’s a serviceable but unremarkable breakfast option.

Smoothie Bowl A generous serving of mango smoothie topped with granola, banana, and mixed berries. This was easily the standout dish—vibrant, well-balanced, and thoughtfully assembled. The combination of textures and natural sweetness made it both refreshing and satisfying. Rating: 8/10

Beet El Yes (Juice) A cold-pressed blend of beetroot, orange, lemon, and carrot. The juice was fresh and invigorating, with the earthiness of the beet mellowed by the citrus elements. It’s a well-composed drink that delivers both nutrition and refreshment without being overly sweet. Rating: 7/10

Iced Coffee Unfortunately, the iced coffee did little to impress. While served cold, it lacked depth and richness, and was marred by the long wait time. It arrived well after the food had been served, detracting from the overall experience.

Service

Service at Donde Franco was notably slow, even during off-peak hours. While the staff were courteous, the lack of attentiveness and delayed drink orders suggest a need for better front-of-house coordination. This is an area that significantly hinders what could otherwise be a charming dining experience.

6/10

Ambiance

The café has a relaxed, beachy vibe with both indoor and open-air seating. The upper level, which appears to open only during the evening, offers elevated views that likely enhance the ambiance after sunset. During the day, the space feels simple and unpretentious—well-suited to its surroundings, though not particularly memorable in design.

7/10

Pricing

Pricing is fair and appropriate for the area. Portions are modest but satisfying, and the menu reflects a good balance of value and quality.

Verdict

Donde Franco Café Restaurante delivers fresh, honest food in a laid-back beach setting. The smoothie bowl is a standout, and the fresh juices are worth trying. However, inconsistent seasoning, lackluster coffee, and sluggish service keep the experience from reaching its full potential. With modest improvements in kitchen execution and service efficiency, this café could become a dependable favorite for visitors...

Do yourself a favour and don’t waste a cent here. Everyone in our party felt like the waitress just hated us for some reason, right from the beginning. We’re just two quiet couples who were trying to enjoy one last night out before we went home and decided to splurge on this place. We usually like to eat at smaller local family run places. But we were let down big time by this place. We all ordered the fish and drinks and waited 30 mins just for the coke and water to arrive. There was only one other table there being served with 4 people. We asked for glasses of ice multiple times but they never arrived. Then another 30 mins for our main entree! They kept telling us it would be there shortly. When the waitress came and she just slammed the plates on the table and walked away. All our plates were wrong. It was so weird. The bread basket was brought out after our meal. I didn’t know there was bread but it might’ve been nice to have it while we waited (except it was stale). My husband talked to the owner just to let him know about what happened with the service but he was dismissive. He just didn’t care. We were all blown away by the bad service. In short, there are so many great places to eat in Zipolite, with good vibes, great Italian food and fish, so do yourself a favour and avoid this depressing place! As for the food, it was mediocre. The salad had...

Great food, I had dinner there twice and the first time it was an amazing experience that made me came back. However, the second time was a HORRIBLE experience. Not sure what was the name of the waitress but she’s a young woman with a very unfriendly face and treating you as she was doing a favor, slow, she was more concern about waiting for some guy that was not having dinner there and passed by several times to talk to her. The thing that made me most mad is that she treated the dogs AWFUL, her and the cashier lady. She basically hit a dog with the menu. I got really upset and did not give her any tip at all, she got mad and put my card on the table very aggressively and then I told her that if she wanted to get a tip, she should do her job properly. She laughed and screamed something offensive at the that I did not understand. Anyway, that’s the reason I would not recommend going there, not planning on ever coming back and I will give this bad review to...