Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

Name: Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn
Address: 51 Avenue C, Apalachicola, FL, United States, 32320
Telephone: (850) 270-2150
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 3.8

3.8

258 Reviews

$31 to $50

Regional American (Southern)

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 24, 2024

9:30 p.m.

Booked 12 times today

Experiences are available.

Charming
Great for outdoor dining
Good for special occasions

Briny catches from surrounding waters, craft cocktails, and OCBC brews from our hometown brewery. At the Franklin Café and Parlor Bar, we source fresh and serve simply—honoring the spirit and traditions of the Gibson Inn’s original Franklin Café, which opened in 1907. We invite you to drop in for a Southern-style breakfast, lunch or dinner on the porch, or a Happy Hour toast, as we turn the tide on all-day dining in Apalachicola.

Open Daily for Breakfast 8am-11am, Lunch 11am-5pm, and Dinner 5pm-9pm. Weekend Brunch every Saturday and Sunday! Daily Happy Hour from 3pm-5pm.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Regional American (Southern), Oyster Bar, American
Hours of Operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 8:00 am–11:00 am Brunch Sat, Sun 8:00 am–3:00 pm Bar Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–5:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(850) 270-2150
Website
http://thefranklincafe.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Chef Edward Reese
Private party facilities
The Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers an unparalleled setting for private events. We cater to both small parties and large groups who wish to take over the dining room, parlor bar and/or hotel.Whether your plans include a private dinner, wedding reception or family reunion, email Events@GibsonInn.com for more information.

Location
51 Avenue C, Apalachicola, FL 32320
Neighbourhood
Apalachicola
Cross Street
Avenue C and Market Street
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Christmas at the Franklin Cafe
US$34.00 - US$50.00 per person
Prepaid
Dec 25, 2024 only
Join us for an unforgettable Christmas dinner on the coast at the historic Gibson Inn. Gather with friends and family for a three-course prix fixe menu. Our menu starts off with a house made soup or salad. Followed by your choice of slowed roasted prime, honey glazed ham, traditional roasted turkey, or pan roasted red snapper. Finish off the night with your choice of our holiday inspired decadent desserts. Price ranges from $34 - $50 Christmas Dinner Hours: 12PM - 6PM
Christmas Eve Diner at The Franklin
US$44.00 - US$50.00 per person
Dec 24, 2024 only
Join us for Christmas Eve dinner at the historic Gibson Inn. A three-course prix fix menu that is started with a choice of soup or salad. Followed by your choice of slow roasted prime rib, veal osso buco, braised duck, or pan roasted red snapper paired with our Chef's pairing of sides. Finished up with a choice of decadent holiday desserts. Christmas Eve Dinner Hours: 5PM - 8PM Reservations Required.
Pearl Drop Party at The Parlor Bar
US$125.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Join us this New Year's Eve at the historic Franklin Cafe and Parlor Bar to kick off the New Year right! We welcome you to celebrate with a three-course prix fixe menu that our chef has selected and three glasses of wine paired with each course. First course is a choice of house made soup or salad paired with a champagne, followed by an entree choice of filet of beef, veal osso buco, slow roasted duck, or crab stuffed flounder paired with a glass of red or white wine. Finish off with your night with a choice of an indulgent dessert paired with a sweet dessert wine. New Year's Eve Dinner Hours: 5PM - 8PM Price per person: $125

What 258 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.8

3.8 based on recent ratings

3.8Food
3.9Service
4.3Ambience
3.4Value

Noise • Energetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers a mix of culinary delights and attentive service. Guests praise "delicious food" and a "wonderful" waitstaff. While some mention delays and pricing discrepancies, highlights include fresh oysters, well-prepared dishes, and a charming ambiance. Manager Patrick is credited with enhancing the overall dining experience.

258 Reviews

K
Kristen
Atlanta Metro
14 reviews
2.0
14 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This meal was on Christmas Eve and a pre-fix menu. Our server Cassidy was very charming and attentive. She was the best part of the experience. The specialty drinks were good. The appetizer was either soup or salad. The salad was fresh and good. The soup was delicious but the cup was only halfway filled. The entrees prime rib was grossly overcooked and tough. The sides were very small and lackluster. The desserts were ok, the plating was very sloppy. For the amount that we paid per person, the was the most expensive and disappointing meal we’ve ever had. I would not eat a meal here for a special occasion again.
Is this helpful?
P
Patricia
Indiana
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Our first experience was on Christmas Eve so a limited menu was available which was fine except all three courses were rushed. The servers were friendly and attentive. I felt the price of the meal was too high for the quality of food provided. I was not expecting the automatic 20% gratuity to be added for 4 people and then an additional fee to use a credit card.
Is this helpful?
M
Michael
VIP
Atlanta Metro
19 reviews
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on October 18, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We had two great dining experiences. Our server, Danitza, was wonderful.
Is this helpful?
S
Stacia
Nashville
3 reviews
2.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 11, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 5
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
We’ve been dining here annually for years, and the experience is always the same; good food but sorely lacking in service. They are always understaffed; 2-3 servers trying to manage the dining room & porch seating. Make a reservation, they’ll greet you 4x & seat you 15 mins late. 30 mins later, everyone will finally have their drinks. Food trickles out; missing items; overcharging on a corrected bill… we usually spend $400 with tip for 4 people; you simply can’t charge that much & continue to leave your guests waiting on everything, every year.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tallahassee
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 21, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
Decor is depressing. Food is dull and very overpriced. Will not eat here again.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Fayetteville
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 21, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The downer was after reading about the FABULOUS FRANKLIN online AND making sure they were open Sundays - WOW we see YES they are open and will serve brunch ! We were excited especially when we saw BLOODY MARYS were $10 and BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS $25. I made reservations and we looked forward! When the day arrived we made our way over from our AIRBNB and ordered. My husband enjoyed his breakfast very much. I liked my LOX but wished it came with onions and capers RIGHT?! But ok outside of the bagel being slightly burned I enjoyed the salmon and creamed cheese. Then the check arrived… BLOODY MARY DEFINITELY NOT $10 and no such luck on the ‘BOTTOMLESS’ mimosas! I had run nearly $40 in orange juice with a splash of champagne. We called our sweet waitress over and she went to ask a manager. She returned to inform us that they no longer offer those specials. Even though they still proudly advertise these prices. Not the best experience. We had planned on seeing a little more of the historic hotel and parlor bar but left after brunch (?) feeling a bit down. We had seen a spot about the GIBSON on the TODAY SHOW a couple years earlier. Two years of anticipation shouldn’t be ruined over a few dollars but it just wasn’t good …
Is this helpful?
VF
VickiF
Little Rock
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 13, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Service was really good. Food was good but some of our parties food was only luke warm which was sad cause it’s pretty pricey.
Is this helpful?
EC
ElaineC
E. Tennessee
16 reviews
4.0
16 reviews
Dined on July 10, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
The waitress was wonderful and very attentive. The food was delicious and servings were generous.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tallahassee
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 5, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Overall a very good experience. Had raw oysters…fresh tasting and served with the correct sides. Caesar salad was crisp and dressing had the correct balance. Hanger steak (Steak Frittes) was lean and cooked to correct temp (mid rare). Samantha was our server and she admitted it was her first shift at this restaurant. She did a wonderful job, attentive and engaging.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Atlanta Metro
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 4, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Arrived at 7pm sharp for my 7pm reservation and was told reservations were running behind and it would be 20 mins. We were finally seated at 8pm. They obviously cared more about the walk-ins than the people with reservations because another family experienced the same delay and shared their frustration. We ordered our food at 8:15 and it didn’t arrive till 9pm. Our waitress was nice enough, and although she is not in charge of food preparations, she could have been a better communicator about the kitchen delay. It was an exhausting experience. We were compensated a few drink vouchers for the inconvenience.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (850) 270-2150.

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn is rated 3.8 stars by 258 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 24, 2024

9:30 p.m.

Booked 12 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

51 Avenue C, Apalachicola, FL 32320

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
Avenue C and Market Street
Neighbourhood
Apalachicola
Hours of Operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 8:00 am–11:00 am Brunch Sat, Sun 8:00 am–3:00 pm Bar Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–5:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Regional American (Southern), Oyster Bar, American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Chef Edward Reese
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://thefranklincafe.com/
Phone number
(850) 270-2150
Private party facilities
The Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers an unparalleled setting for private events. We cater to both small parties and large groups who wish to take over the dining room, parlor bar and/or hotel.Whether your plans include a private dinner, wedding reception or family reunion, email Events@GibsonInn.com for more information.

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Christmas at the Franklin Cafe

Christmas Eve Diner at The Franklin

Pearl Drop Party at The Parlor Bar

Menu

What 258 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn restaurant rated?

Is Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information