Frankies — Restaurant in Waterbury

June 2023 - Who doesn't love a good hot dog? If you do, you must add Frankies to your list. Back in 2018 we visited the original outdoor food stand, but my partner and I somehow lost the photos of that meal as we were changing phones, providers, etc. and I was just starting to post reviews to GM. We do remember getting their famous hot dogs, a fried shrimp order and onion rings. All good.

Since then we've eaten at the Frankies restaurant next to the Brooklyn Bakery, but this was our first time back at the original stand in years. A Sunday evening, the line was long. We waited at least 20 minutes for someone to take our order after the cook said the grill was empty. All three hot dogs eaten on the spot were perfect, in terms of the crisp snap to the outer casing to the flavor and juiciness of the meat. The curly fries had a nice crunch.

The outdoor seating really needs to be maintained as the picnic tables were sticky and had crumbs on the surface. They could use some new paint and the cement floor could be redone. There is a long strip of grass on the other side of the structure not facing the parking lot. The trash barrels were overflowing with garbage. Not a nice view. We found a way to balance our plates on the top of one can kind of like the old pick up sticks game. {including a photo without the trash cans to show what it can look like} This explains why everyone was eating in their cars.

That said, this is food that health experts will tell you not to eat but is simply delicious. The meal options go beyond hot dogs. There is a variety of fried fish, chicken wings, hamburgers, wraps, grilled sandwiches, etc. and no shortage of customers for this publicly...

Wow ...what a bad experience ...It pain's me write this review.. I never drive thru Waterbury without thinking about making a Frankie's stop After 25+ years of great dogs...The best in CT until today... I watched 3 orders in front of me be delivered wrong.. the server had to be stoned! or just Bubba Gump Stupid! If you get the kid the "Princess Leah" hair buns...just get in your car and drive away fast! As all the other servers customers walked away happy with the right stuff .. my order didn't come out for 10 minutes...Then it arrived wrong ! Then that's when the health code offences started to happen... The kid with her bare hands ... took the dog off the bun and requested another set of rolls Connecticut is a glove state... bare hands on food is not allowed... Then... my order came back again wrong...after the 3rd try my order was close to being correct. the only problem was she dumped so much chili on the dog it made the toasted bun fall to mush. The owner watched as this happened......horror on his face...I feel bad...but this could not go undocumented I'm...

After years of swearing I'd never return, I should have stuck to my promise. I don't mind waiting for food. I have a problem when a person who ordered after me was served before me w/a larger order (as my food is sitting there) - yeah that was annoying. Then, as I'm watching my burger just sit there for a few minutes after, the girl who picked up my food only had one glove on. I saw her touching my food without the glove on. I saw her touching everything in that place, including cash while I waited. I didn't see her wash her hands. I refuse to eat somewhere that unsanitary. Last time I tried to go there I was straight up ignored at the counter while others who arrived after me got to place their order ahead of mine. I sworn then this place wasn't worth my money & today it just proved it all over again. Nasty hands with a side of disorganized? No,...