| Louisianna smoked BBQ & southern food located in the Francesca's dive bar |
Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 9/22/2005
Rating: 9
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After hearing so much about Uncle Frank's BBQ, it was time to make the visit. Terry was in his UNIX class which is possibly the longest ongoing computer class known to man. I suspect he eats at his guilty pleasure Bagel Street Cafe. He doesn't eat BBQ anyways so I got the the new guy Mark to go with me. I remember looking for this place 2 weeks ago and had no such luck finding it. I didn't know it was located in the Francescas bar right next door to Los Altos Taqueria.
We walk right in and I immediately feel at home. I used to be a dive bar aficionado. Back in college I could have started jason dive bar review. The only thing missing from this bar were the townies and stale smell of beer. It was rather clean which I find disappointing for a dive bar. The main eating area is in the back of the bar along with the kitchen, music stage, and some scattered tvs.
Our server today was Sammy? and promptly took our order, lunch pork ribs and Mark got the beef brisket. I hate cole slaw and he offered to exchange it for the cajun corn....sccooorree. There were a lot of people today and it looked like no one had their food yet. We must have just arrived in time. Seeing that we had a couple of minutes to kill, we played a 75 cent game of pool. Dammm....we suck...it's embarrassing when it takes you 3-4 turns just to sink 1 ball in.
Food is served.
white bread - I'm not too keen on just plain wonder bread but if you go to real bbq houses, it's the norm.
cajun corn - I might get hate mail for this but I think this was probably my favorite part of the meal. It was so dang spicy and tasty, I loved it. It was 2x as hot as my bbq sauce.
beef brisket - I was able to try a piece or two and I don't think Ive ever had a more smokey piece of meat. Meat had a distinct smoke ring on the brisket and when you mix the mild bbq sauce with the meat, it's quite the experience. The meat was somewhat lean yet full of flavor and tenderness. Great stuff, a must order.
pork ribs - these ribs were pink pink pink, they weren't raw, it's just the color you get when you smoke these suckers for that long. The ribs were practically falling off the bone but having enough texture to maintin its form. These ribs were excellent in flavor and portion size. For $8 bucks, it was money well spent.
Uncle Franks serves some of the smokiest and tastiest bbq in the bay area. If you aren't into bbq, they also serve fried shrimp, fish, and chicken. Lunch is served between 11:30-2:30PM and 5-9PM Mon-Fri, Noon-9PM. Plenty of parking but you might want to show up before 12 to land a table, it was fairly busy when we went.
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RETURN VISIT for Jason! 3/29/2007 - 9.5 Rating: Arrived around 11:40 and thankfully missed the lunch rush. We were able to grab a table and receive our food in minutes. Ordered the lunch special brisket and cajun corn. The brisket was incredible and even better than my last visits. Meat was tender, sweet, spicy, smoke ring, and portion size enough to trigger an insta-nap. My previous score was a solid 9 but this visit confirms it's one of the best in the area. |
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Reviewer: ne00
Total Reviews: 187
Reviewed: 9/23/2005
Rating: 9
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To celebrate review number 46, I decided to have a Friday night dinner at Uncle Franks BBQ. When we initially walked in all we saw were people sitting at the bar. Uncle Franks is actually in the back corner. The place doesnt look like much with a few tables but it does add to the effect of a Louisiana BBQ shack. There were only a few senior citizen patrons seated and eating there meal with several more people waiting for take out. You know what they say about restaurants full of old people. It usually means the food, the value, and the service is good.
We seated ourselves and scanned through the menu. We wanted to try everything on the menu and opted for their Tailgate combo, which includes choice of two sides, two corn breads, and choice of 4 meats or seafood. This was Uncle Franks version of the belly buster. The menu said this option was enough to feed two people. For the sides we went with the Cajun corn and the potato salad. Since Jason commented on the spiciness of the Cajun corn I asked the water how spicy the corn was and he said “its 2x less spicier this week than last week.” I wasnt into the coleslaw so we went with the corn. For our main course we chose the brisket, pork ribs, chicken and cat fish. I requested that the mild version of the BBQ sauce with our meal. We were offered ice water, if we wanted drinks we would have to order it from the bar.
When our food came we were shocked at how much we got for $31.95. Thats a lot of money but its also a lot of food and it could have fed four people easily. At first they forgot the corn bread but later when we asked for it they served it to us. Also I just realize now that they forgot the chicken. But there was so much food anyways we didnt even realize that the chicken was missing. Now for a breakdown of the food:
Pork Ribs: we received about 8 slabs and these ribs were tender. Some of the ribs the meat wasnt falling of the ribs but came off the ribs easy. Some other parts of the ribs werent as tender and seemed a bit over smoked but still very good. The pork ribs had enough flavor to hold up on its own but the BBQ sauce added a nice touch to the ribs. (8.5/10)
Beef Brisket: We asked for extra beef brisket as our waiter asked us which meat we wanted more of. There was so much beef brisket on the plate we were only able to polish off a few pieces at the time. For most part the beef brisket was tender. The ones that had a bit of fat in it melted in my mouth but there were some that were smoked for too long and not as tender. (8.5/10)
Fried Catfish: We were not expecting much but were impressed that we were served 5 large pieces of fried catfish in a basket with steak cut fried. The catfish was crispy on the outside and still very hot on the inside when we initially bite into it. The fish was so tender, juicy and flakey. The catfish doesnt work too well with the BBQ sauce as I wished they served some tarter sauce as it would have added more flavor. (9/10)
BBQ Sauce: We requested mild but they also brought us a sample of the spicy to try. My friend tried the spicy and he said his mouth was burning so I didnt bother even trying it. The BBQ sauce is very thick and has a good smoky flavor to it. It looks homemade as there are small chunks of smoked tomatoes within the BBQ sauce.
Cajun Corn: I made my friend be the guinea pig again for this side dish. I warned him that it might be spicy but he went for the corn anyways. Initially he said it tasted fine but the more he ate the spicier it was. He said “its spicy and sweet.” Once again I didnt bother trying.
Potato Salad: Very standard as it taste like deli style potato salad; the ones that can be purchased from any major grocery chain.
Corn bread: Pretty much on the dry side. Nothing special here as it just crumbled apart on my plate.
Final bill came out to be around $40 after tax and tips and plenty of food to split and take home. This plate could easily feed three hungry people. Our waiter knew we couldnt finish our meal so he brought us to go boxes half way through.
Not sure if they take credit card here as we paid in cash, so bring some cash to be on the safe side. This is a great place to order to go or for a large party. They have a $91.00 tailgate party item on the menu that will feed a lot of people at your next super bowl party.
A good BBQ place is hard to find in the bay area and Uncle Franks BBQ has filled the void!
Pluses: A lot of take out orders, friendly service, laid back environment, great BBQ, good value, plenty of parking, food is cooked fresh to order, large portions.
Minuses: Missed a few items from ordering the large combo plates. Standard side dishes not really worth filling up on.
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Reviewer: Phuc
Total Reviews: 13
Reviewed: 10/19/2005
Rating: 9
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I heard a lot of good things about this place, so it was one of my choices to go to on my birthday. I ended up choosing another place. But at work one day, my coworker showed me a local newspaper and Uncle Franks was on the cover. So we decided to all go.
We got there and since it was in a bar and we ordered beer, we got our id's checked. A little ghetto, but that's cool with us. We got there kind of late too, about 2:15 in the afternoon, and they closed at 2:30 for lunch. The waitress was kind and sat us and took our orders anyway. The only thing was that they only had ribs and brisket left at that time, and fried foods, but we weren't here for that.
We ended up getting two orders of the tailgate combo, which gives you four choices of meat and some sides each. Also ordered another two meat combo. Since they only had ribs and brisket, that's what we got. For the sides, we got the cajun cream corn chowder, collard greens, cole slaw, potato salad and french fries.
cajun cream corn chowder - spicy and very good.
collard greens - good, but a little too spicy
cole slaw - good, but it's just cole slaw
potato salad - good, but it's just potato salad
french fries - crispy seasoned steak fries, went well with all the meat.
brisket - smoked for 30 hours, some part were very very good and tender, other parts were smoky, but not so tender.
pork ribs - juicy, tender, falls off the bone, melts in your mouth, smokey, delicious. Can't say enough about it.
bbq sauce - you can tell they make it from scratch, get the spicy one, it's a little spicy and sweet.
For $90 we fed six people with a lot of leftovers, probably could have fed 2-3 more people. We all weigh at least 165 to 200+ pounds, so that says something about how much food there was.
This is definitely the spot for bbq. |
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Reviewer: DoctorJZ
Total Reviews: 32
Reviewed: 5/26/2006
Rating: 9
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at long last, i convinced my best friend and his wife, who live quite near here to try this place. they are regulars at armadillo willy's and usually go for baby-backs. of course here, the ribs are spare-ribs. which are much fattier than baby-backs, usually more tender and flavorful.
the two of them went for a two-for combo, mild sauce. i was feeling hungry and eager to try this place i had read so much about. i went with the two-for combo also, but the spicy suace. i think it was $17 which was more than i was thinking of paying, but i knew i had to try the brisket, and at least one other meat. you get two sides. i chose BBQ baked beans and the cajun corn. we also split an order of seasoned fries.
the orders came with icewater and cornbread.
the ambience was ideal. dive bar. sports on tv. i forget our waitress' name, but when i asked her, she asked me mine and offered a handshake. that was unusual, but cool. she definatley added to the charm of the place. as did all the employees. she had to interupt one of my frinds during their order and used the term 'nah-uh' cool if you ask me.
you could smell the smoke and my mouth was watering.
they brought out the cornbread and sides first. the cornbread was the only disappointment in the meal. it was dry and there was no butter to be found. but it didn't really matter. the fries came late, and we could have skipped them because when it was said and done, we had enought to feed us three, and probably three more. but the fires were very good. steak fires seasoned well and crispy like they ought to be.
at first taste, the corn seemed like plain creamed corn, but with more solid kernals mixed in it. the spiciness krept up. this stuff was really good. the BBQ beans were really pretty good, too. smoky and sweet. they helped keep my mouth cool from all the spicy stuff i had.
Our sever, when i asked her what sides she recommended thought a while, and listed the corn, beans, and potato salad. i think i chose the right two.
now on to the meat.
they know what they are doing here. My buddies' wife was grossed out by the fattiness of her ribs, i think she thought ribs meant baby-backs. she is jewish but doesn't keep kosher, as she eats baby-backs, and bacon, but not too much else pork related. while i felt a little sorry for her, as her appetite was ruined, and she needed to walk outside the building for fresh air, it seemed like a good sign to me. this food is not for the sqeumish.
back to the meat. holy #@%*, this is a ton of food. the suace was thick, globbed on generously, and extremely spicy. i would have tried the mild for comparison's sake, but i doubt it would even register on my tastebuds after trying the spicy. i scooped much of it off. mixing some in my beans. and dipping occasionaly.
the ribs. were quite good and smoky. the meat was very moist. the brisket was outstanding. it was served in cubes of beefy goodness instead of sliced. tender for the most part, but some of the thicker cubes were a tougher texture, but still deliciosly smoky. boy, that ice water comes in handy.
this meal was so large that i had it for breakfast the next day, and lunch, too. so the high price was actually not quite as high, considering it worked for three meals instead of one. the cornbread was even better the next day, as i re-heated it while it was sitting in my leftover beans.
we got there close to seven PM. and shortly afterward, they started running out of food. so maybe call ahead or go early or for lunch.
this is definately the smokiest BBQ house that i have tried around here. so if you are after smoked meats, not grilled, this should definately be a top choice. after washing my hands twice post-meal, i could still smell smoke on my fingers.
although friendly, do not expect red carpet treatment here. this is a dive bar attatched to a BBQ shack. really kind of ideal.
a funny thing happened. we ordered some beer from the bar, and my friends came in a raiders pint glass. we hate the raiders, so it was funny to tease him about that one!!
i also had some sweet potatoe pie. it was pretty good. like a spicer version of pumpkin pie, with a less-creamy texture.
next time i think i'll go for the mild sauce, or at least suace on the side instead of globbed on.
i saw the hotlinks on another plate. and they looked pretty darn good, maybe worth a try.
i'll definately be back, but probably only when i have someone to split the meal with.
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Reviewer: Vikram
Total Reviews: 19
Reviewed: 4/19/2006
Rating: 8
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I was craving for some bbq and I wanted to try something new and not a chain like Armadillo Willy's. Jason recommended Uncle Frank's and that's how I ended up here.
I thought I was going for an early dinner at 7:15, but when I got there I was told that they close at 8pm. It took a bit for the hostess to actually come over and take our order. I had Jason's recommendation to try the Cajun Corn and I wanted to eat some ribs. My buddy wanted brisket. We got the combo platter where you can choose 4 kinds of meat and we got Louisiana Links, 2 orders of Brisket and Ribs.
We got Cajun Corn and Baked Beans. I asked for the hot sauce on the side in addition to the mild sauce that my friend wanted (for which I paid 1.50 and you really dont get much. I would have expected them to just put a bottle of the sauce on the table for me to use lavishly, especially when you order a huge combination platter).
The food arrived in not too long a while. I would have liked the ribs to be smothered in bbq sauce but I had to put sauce on it myself from the measely quantity supplied. The ribs were cooked well and the meat just fell off which was good.
The brisket was decent. The links were really spicy and I enjoyed them the most.
Of the sides, I actually found the Cajun Corn to be mild. The Baked Beans on the other hand were super tasty with a nice zing to them. It wasnt super hot, but just enough to get the taste buds tingling.
The cornbread was avg. Very dry as Jason already mentioned.
We couldnt finish the food, so it really is a lot for 2 people. But I ate to my heart's content and after a long time.
I've had way better bbq in Texas. I know I cant compare with Texas. Uncle Frank's is good but not excellent. Considering that there isnt much in the bay area at all, I would go go Uncle Frank's again and again when that BBQ urge gets me.
I wouldnt go so far as to rate this a 9, but 8 is a good rating for this place.
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Reviewer: Dan
Total Reviews: 84
Reviewed: 1/25/2008
Rating: 7.5
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So if a place is a dive, it get more points automatically, right? Hmmmm.
And because it's a dive, we can excuse all usual shortcomings that might count against higher end places, right? Because bad service gives it "character." Right?
Wrong. Based on my two visits here, these are my ponderings as I try to figure out why the %^&* Uncle Franks has such an astronomically high rating. Don’t get me wrong, I love dives, but just like everyplace else, they have to hit all the wickets to get a good score. And dives should be relatively cheap too. But Uncle Franks charges standard bay area prices for what it dishes out.
Based on my two trips here, I can see that Uncle Franks does an excellent job with one thing: meat. If you want to go to get some killer brisket or delicious ribs, this is one place you have to check out. But if you want this rounded out with friendly, prompt service and well-prepared, delicious side dishes, you may be disappointed.
I went to Uncle Franks way back when I first joined Jatbar as an agent. I wrote down the following impressions: "Good parking. Restaurant in back of bar is small and divey, but clean. Ordered brisket lunch special which consisted of a good-sized platter of tender, delcious, smoky meat smothered in BBQ sauce. Ordered cornbread side, which was awesome! Service was surly and abysmal even though place was not crowded. Waitress forgot my water, then my silverware, then my cornbread, then ignored me so completely that I had to stand up, walk over, get in her face and asked for my check. Total was $12 incl. tip which was reasonable for what I got. Rating 7.5
The surly service on my first visit kinda soured me on this place and I lost interest. But I realized if I was ever going to write a review I would need to go back. (Besides, I had probably caught them on a bad day). So on a rainy Friday I headed back. I barely made it in time to snag a small table before the crowds descended. A couple of tables were seated at the same time and they all got water. I didn't. The waitress seemed overwhelmed, even though there were three people working the room. She came over in about 5 minutes, unsmiling, said "ready?" and I ordered the BBQ ribs full lunch including two sides and cornbread. I asked for water. Then I waited. 20 minutes later my waitress told me the side dish of "greens" I ordered wasn't available any more. So I asked for the only other veggie-like item, cole slaw. Damn. I asked for water again, since I had never received it. My huge pile of food arrived 5 minutes after that. Here's the breakdown:
Ribs - smoky, huge and delicious, melting off the bone. A finger-licking, messy meal Wow. 9.0 for these. I would rate higher, but I have had better on a few occasions.
Baked Beans side item – room temp, these could have come from a can. Nothing special. 6.5
Cole slaw – fresh but seriously boring; equivalent to close slaw from Safeway deli section. (Wish they had those greens I ordered). 7.0
Corn bread – the biggest disappointment of all. Cold with no butter. The top had a sticky film on top. What the hell? Flavor was OK but texture was too dry. 6.5
Halfway through my meal I got pretty thirsty. Still no water. I asked again, and 10 minutes later I finally received it. Praise Allah. With all the food, it took me a while to finish my meal. Then I began the long wait for the check. It took me a good long while to catch my waitresses eye, and another long period to catch it again (to remind her), and in another 10 mins I got the check. The moment she placed the check on the table I asked her, "pay here or up front?" and she turned on her heel and walked away, ignoring me. So much for southern style hospitality. Total was $19 incl. tip, but I paid twenty since I didn't want to wait another 15 minutes for my buck change.
It seems the best was to visit Uncle Franks is A) in a group, and B) when you have some time on your hands. This place is not set up for lone diners, and when you are in a group, at least you can sit and make fun of the terrible service while you wait, and wait, and wait
Pros: Great smokey BBQ; large portions
Cons: Poor, slow (and sometimes surly) service; Inconsistent, so-so side dishes; prices on the high side for a dive |
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Reviewer: wchane
Total Reviews: 148
Reviewed: 9/7/2006
Rating: 9.5
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Uncle Frank's is the type of joint that legends are made out of.
I've been visiting Uncle Frank's since they were located in that tiny shack in East Palo Alto. Many say it is the best bbq in the bay area, although I do not consider myself a bbq affectionado I have to say it's pretty damn good, and if I was willing to risk my hide in East Palo Alto for some BBQ brisket it better be up in the stratosphere. I assure you, it is.
The Mountain View location has actually lost some of Uncle Frank's appeal in my opinion, you have to crawl through a pool lounge and a bar to find this hidden treasure, but once you're in you forget who you are and where you came from, you're transported into a era where time doesn't matter and strangers still smile and chat, yes I'm talking about the wait staff. They've been there for years and have treated me the same as the first day I stepped in those doors, taking their time even though I tell them I'm in a huge rush, suggesting items on the menu, telling me to hurry up, and asking if I'm sure I could finish all that. The cooks are great too, and since making this point I don't recommend it if you're constrained to an hour for lunch, if you have 2-3 then by all means.
I have never had anything here that my taste buds flat out rejected, Uncle Franks has taught me a lot about BBQ and how things are supposed to taste, feel, look, and smell. Presentation is just a lump of cooked flesh slathered in sauce in a wax paper lined plastic basket. The sides are served in styrofoam containers but the serviceware is stainless and the cups are re-usable plastic.
This place is the definition of grass roots and good southern hospitality and what I imagine to be southern cooking. For the moment I'm not going to take anyone without an open mind here, but for those who love meat I'm going to drag them by the ankles screaming.
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