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Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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I gotta say.. YUM YUM YUM!~!
I wouldn't say the dishes are cheap but they are very reasonable. Especially for the taste that you get. We ordered both ribs and brisket to try them out. I normally prefer ribs but in here, I liked the brisket better. There's just something about Uncle Frank's briskets that just melts in your mouth.
I was eager to meet the 'real' Uncle Frank but the ladies told me that he's back in South opening another Uncle Frank's restaurant. If I ever do come across him, I definitely will be giving him a thumb up!
Pretty good, not amazing. I found this play to be a little over-rated, as I'd heard really good things about it from a number of people. The ribs are good, but I was disappointed in the sides and corn bread. I got candied yams and french fries, and both were very meh.
With better sides, I might rate this place higher. As is, I prefer Famous Dave's in Gilroy or Memphis Minnie's in SF.
It's da Beef No' Guy again!
O - wasaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!
\-|-/
/ \
OK so at Uncle Frank's there's no noodles, no broth.
But prep a fine a$$ piece of bovine that makes a man (or a woman) go mooooooooooooooooo (at the table that is), and tha' Beef No' Guy is sooooooooo there.
Got the brisket off the lunch menu and I think it was close to $9.99. Good portion of smokey succulent juicy melt in your hands (and mouth) quality cuts that required very little tooth pressure for the most part to separate the strands, with the hot sauce (spicy max) providing a much needed BAM! and luckily not causing any problems with
O
(POOOF!) { }_ /|\
{ } / \
or
O - how bout a courtesy O
/|\ flush man?! Peeeeeew! /|\ | TOILET
/ \ || ----
later, made this a real winner.
Good solid 3 star work, but in order for a four star to happen....
- the cole slaw dressing seemed a little bit too watery for my liking
- for starch you only get two pieces of untoasted wheat bread (with the crust trimmed). This makes for a real sloppy sandwich if you try to do it. A thicker loaf (like a dutch crunch, country, or sourdough) would have been better.
- an option to say add or upgrade side for a small fee (say $2) that includes Uncle Frank's signature sides (whether it be beans or collard greens, or a little bit of corn), even if a miniscule portion, would have enhanced the lunch combo experience and value.
A decent taste of Suthun BBQ in Mountain View otherwise.
Uncle Franks: delicious smoked barbecue, informal atmosphere, very friendly service. A must-visit spot for fans of real smoked - style barbecue, no question about it. It just doesn't get any better. 5 enthusiastic stars.
The hole in the wall! Great place to stop for some BBQ. The brisket with the spicy sauce is great. Been here twice and would go again.
Friendly family joint. Good people good food.
Great barbeque take out. Wish they were open during the day so I stop and pickup on the way home from work.
Traditional southern barbeque in a bar, nothing more to be said.
Mama T (head cook) will help you choose your meat if you are having issues making a decision or simply need company. Choosing your cut isnt an easy task when you have the delicious choice between smoked brisket, ribs, sausage and more. Mama T says she smokes her meat for more than 20 hours! I finally decided on the combo plate of brisket and ribs with spicy BBQ sauce and a side of Lousianna style beans and Cajun corn!! I do believe the food here would be Sam Merlott approved! (All of you True Blood fans know what I'm talking about ) :P
The brisket! Unlike any other protein I've experienced. The smokiness and chewiness dipped in there spicy BBQ sauce took me straight to the bayou on a perfectly humid Baton Rouge night. And I've never been to the South!
The restaurant is a little run down with a dusty performance stage that needs to be risen from the dead a la bluegrass banjo or an open mike night. I asked Mama T about the performances and she stated they hadn't had a performance in months and she has no one to do the planning for her. :(
There is a bar adjacent to the restaurant so after you get your meat on buy a corona for 3 bux and hustle some old man at pool in the billiards room.
I finally made it.
From Yelp's earliest moments, some of the most boisterous food reviews from these parts have come from the kindred neices and nephews of Uncle Frank. So, to come here today, for the very first time is equally satisfiying as it is humiliating for knowing that I am *that* out of the loop.
Like the default order of lumpia at a philipino restaurant, I tend to order the briskit when I step into a bbq place for the first time (although Texans I've found may steer me toward the beef ribs - get it?).
Despite having come of age during college in a land where vinegar and pig flesh equate to the word barbeque, I've admittedly evolved into quite the briskit rut. (and, hook me up with a toothpick, while you're at it)
Like meat? Come see Uncle Frank.
Awesome 3 way vibe (eating, bar, pool hall) that makes anyone feel at home.
Minus points for no iced tea. Huh? Also, what is up with faux, synthetic, squishy, roll it up as a ball *WHEAT* bread with the meat? What, did Wonder go out of business. Hello?
Two things have been hard for me to find in this area Great Cajun / Creole food and Great Barbecue. I went out to Mountain View to the back of the bar ( don't expect anything fancy)...and I found a place with great barbecue with southern influence and this was it!
In the spirit of full disclosure, here is my very recent email exchange with Will the founder of "Uncle Franks". Will seems to be someone who is trying to make his business better. I give him credit for being responsive to my negative review. I do think he is sincere about turning things around and I wish him luck.
Hello Art. Thank you for visiting our business and I apologize for the unpleasant experience. The server that waited on you was not experienced on taking orders but he was put in the difficult position of trying to fill in for one of our regular waitresses. Your timely visit was inexcusable on our behalf and I can assure you we are taking steps to minimize these type of occurrences. If you do change your mind about coming back I can assure you we will make sure you visit is pleasant. Thanks for helping us better our business.
Sincerely,
Will Griffin
Founder
-------------------------------------------------- --------
Hi Will,
Thank you for taking the time to write to me. Unfortunately, the last three times I have been to your establishment over the last three months the service has been extremely lacking. I work hard for my money so when I spend it at a restaurant I expect reasonable service. If I were you I would take a close look at your servers and the skills they bring to your establishment. As you are aware, for every person who complains, 10 people leave without saying anything. There were 5 people at my table and every person said they won't be coming back. The silent majority votes with their feet! Good luck and I hope you turn around things. But as I mentioned...I will not be coming back.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me.
-------------------------------------------------- ---------------
Greetings Art,
Your decision is quite understandable and I appreciate you taking the time to express your feelings. I made the decision a while back to convert our service to "TO GO" and the last few months of reviews have confirmed my decision. Thank you for your input; it is truly valuable.
OUCH!! Uncle Frank's has jumped the shark. Someone has to tell the King he has no clothes on! Sad to… Read more »
Frank!!
Don't be like Google.
Don't create a dominant brand and then just rest on your laurels and give up.
And while I am at it, what the hell are laurels? And who the hell rests on them?
Anyways, I have been to Frank's twice recently and they have slipped. The first time I got the obviously leftover "let's get rid of these" ribs and the second time the service was horrible.
They didn't even acknowledge us for at least 15 minutes and messed up the order many, many times over.
I loved Franks but having moved to SF and experienced a few other places, it saddens me to say that Franks is no longer my BBQ fix provider.
Damn.
Shame.
The ribs here are so good that I now:
- Belong to the baptist church
- Own a gun
- Think George Bush is…
Read more »
Hickory smoked burps in the club all-night-long. SO SEXY. I don't care, it was worth it.
I've eaten dinner here a few times and it has been SO TASTY. Our most recent adventure involved an epic battle between our party of 9 and the Super Tailgater. It is a massive platter of Ribs, Chicken and Sausage meant for 10-12. The Tailgater is a great deal ($/person), just make sure you order at least 3 other sides, you'll definitely be wanting something non-meat. In order of preference, cajun corn, beans, potato salad, cole slaw.
They serve the bbq sauce on the side so each person can smother and match their own food. The 'hot bbq' sauce is not that hot. Unfortunately, we were unable to defeat the Tailgater and had to take our shame home to-go to for a later meal.
Score: Super Tailgater 1, Not-so-super Eaters 0
Rematch coming up soon.
Spongebob Awesomeness: Service is great, the servers may seem intimidating, but they love ya, don't be shy!
Came here again recently and it was SO good! The same waitress was there, and she was so sweet. We couldn't decide between potato salad and coleslaw. Despite her recommendation to get cole slaw, the bf picked potato salad instead. While we were waiting for our food, she gave us a cup of the slaw to try and...well, let's just say we should have listened to her recommendation!
We got ribs, hot links, and chicken with the hot bbq sauce on the side. All good :)
I have never had a bad dining experience at Uncle Frank's. I usually go on the weekdays after work… Read more »
ORIGINAL:
Uncle Frank's is closed indefinitely? Came here today for lunch, walked into the bar side with signs pointing to the doorway that leads to Franks and the bartender told us it was closed forever.
I checked their website, they say its closed on Mondays through out July, but today is a Wednesday.
I had my hopes up for some bbq....guess not...Can anyone else confirm?
EDIT: 3 stars for the quick response/message from the owner explaining the situation at hand w/out even eating there.
Here is the message directly from the owner:
"My apology for the inconvenience. We had a kitchen fire that caused our restaurant to close until we bring everything back up to code. This is not going to take forever. As a matter of fact, please check our website at: http://www.unclefranks... for updates. I will also be leaving messages on our voicemail: (650) 964-4476. Hopefully, we will be back up and running by the end of August 2009. Thank you for your concern."
+1 for the information from William (the owner) and customer service
Wish you the best for speedy repairs so I can try you guys out!
I don't understand what the fuss is about. It was my friend's choice for dinner. I thought the food was mushy and unappealing. My friend said it was Southern and guess she should know being from Mississippi. She was told, by her friends, that if you get their early that you can get the catfish. We were there early and there was no catfish. I couldn't eat the food. I left hungry.
The one thing that was pleasant was our server. I didn't mind the decor. It was a dive and I do enjoy that about this place as well.
However, I won't be dining here again.
If Uncle Frank were there, I would've given him a hug! There's nothing like southern food. Sometimes I just ccrraavvee this stuff!
Hole in the wall place connected to a bar. You can only get your drinks (this includes soda & water) @ the bar. Grab a menu, take a seat and get ready to order! We shared the 3 combo plate which came with 2 sides and cornbread.
Chicken - tender & juicy. My fave meat!
Brisket - good
Ribs - dry
Collared greens - loved it! Fresh w/no bacon fat
Candied yams - sweet & delish!
Cajun corn - had a little kick from the spices, not overly sweet
Cornbread - a little dry but great w/butter
Mild/hot sauce - perfect dipping sauce for our food
We came around 7pm as they close at 8. Disappointed when I was told that they ran out of food and there was no more peach cobbler....booo
Service was friendly and fast. Coming back for more @ an earlier time. :p
Had dinner here last night and man, where do I begin? Yes, it's a dive, it's ghetto, it's not the nicest looking restaurant and it shares the space with a bar but, if you totally look past all that and pay attention to the food, you'll realize why people keep coming back!
The s/o and I both ordered a combination dinner, which were two meats, two sides and Cornbread. I got the Pork Ribs and Chicken, with Potato Salad and Cole Slaw. The s/o got the Brisket and Pork Ribs, with Potato Salad and Cole Slaw. We also ordered Hush Puppies.
The HPs came out and man were the hot! They were served with a little side of honey but the HPs were sweet as is and tasted like no other HPs I've had before, way delish!
Our dinners came out and at first glance, I knew I wasn't able to finish it. The Chicken was good, it was fall of the bone tender. The Pork Ribs, well, they weren't so fall of the bone tender and some outer parts of my ribs were a little overcooked/dry, which I didn't bother eating because it was..."tough like pig skin?" THAT'S where that term came from!!!! The BBQ was okay, a little too drenched in sauce for my liking. Also, it had too much of that smoky flavor infused into the meat that it overpowered the natural taste of the meat. The Potato Salad was wayyyyy good!! I liked how it had pieces of hard boiled egg in it, just like Mom used to make! The Cole Slaw was okay, but will look into trying something else as my second side, possibly the mac and cheese!!
The only drawback was the beverage service. Kind of an incon to get up, go to the bar, pay for your bevs and head back to your table. Not that it was a long walk or anything but, I guess it was just having to pay two separate tabs, ya know?
The lady that served us was a hoot! I got around to talking to her, probably a little too much that I distracted her a bit. But towards the end, I guess we used up too many paper towels that she grabbed the empty paper towel core and hit me on the shoulder with it, I was being scolded for not having room for dessert. lol! Major good laughs!!!
All in all, I'd come back here again to satisfy my BBQ fix!
Been coming back a lot... bringing friends and families at different times... been wanting to do this... yes, this place deserve 5 stars. So what it's a hole in a wall. I think the atmosphere is great.
For one, you will forget that you are in Mountain View when you're in there. It's actually quite a cozy place, I feel like I'm eating at my aunt's place. :)
Briskets... yes, please!
Hot links with mild sauce... yes, please!
Hush puppies... yes, please!!!…
Read more »
Finally had the pleasure of going to Uncle Frank's and let me tell you... the brisket and candied yams.... SECOND TO NONE.
So great!
Service is hysterical and prompt, and the digs are even more authentic. You leave here smelling like a smokehouse, so be prepared.
Luckily I only live a city away from Uncle Frank's, but I would easily drive 30 minutes plus to get my BBQ fix from here!
All I got to say is... Thank you Uncle Frank!
Best Pulled Pork! Outside of say Memphis this place was great! And I'm not one to use a lot of emphasis without meaning. I can list a couple other places in the bay that are really good, but Uncle Frank's has it hands down.
An interesting place. Went here for lunch and was impressed. It's kind of a dive, situated at the back of a bar. It even smells like a bar in here and the waitstaff seem like your typical midday weekday bar staff. If you can get past all that, the BBQ itself was tasty. I had the beef brisket lunch special, and while the brisket wasn't the most tender I've ever had, it was very tasty, with a nice texture and a great smoked taste. I tried a bit of my friend's chicken and that was good as well, tender and tasty. I also dug the baked beans and the corn, but the potato salad was a bit creamy for my tastes. Be prepared to run your own drinks from the bar.
I shall return to try the pork ribs sometime.
Sooo good, so tasty. I got brisket with cajun corn and greens, friend got ribs with black eyed peas and candied yams. The meat was incredibly delicious. Tender, smoky flavor, but not too smoky. Spicy sauce wasn't that bad on the ribs but something about the brisket made it seem spicier. A nice slow burn instead of immediate blaze of heat. Cajun corn was tasty as always, greens were pretty good. The yams were too sweet for me, almost like dessert.
Watch out for the lunch crowd, the place gets packed. However I think the lunch deals are better than the dinner prices. Even though there's a little more food at dinner, lunch is almost half the price of dinner. Fast, helpful service. Walk through the bar to get to the restaurant. Large booths and movable tables inside.
Here's a few scenarios....
1. You want to take your boss out to a nice dinner to try for a raise.. even though you've been caught sleeping at work 3 days a week, failed your last two drug tests... and had a "situation" with the boss' daughter. Don't go here!
2. You're taking out your girlfriend's parents out for a nice dinner to break the news that you want to marry their daughter... even though you had a "situation" with her sister, and have changed lawyers three times for you pending felonies. Don't go here.
3. You're looking to put on an old t and some beat up jeans... head out for a glass of maker's on the rocks, and some kick-ass ribs... definitely head here!
It's a very quirky little spot... but I would take quirky over their old spot in EPA, which was a little frightening at times.
Frank really takes pride in his BBQ... as he should. He smokes his brisket for something like 18 hours, uses a unique mix of woods for his smoke which give a flavor I haven't had anywhere else.
They do have a couple of problems though... thus the 4 stars. Some would say the ambience leaves a bit to be desired... I personally love it. And occasionally they run out of certain main dishes or side dishes pretty early, oh well... it's good, people will eat the damn food and there won't be much left.
The bar, francesca's, is a pretty funny place.. cheap drinks, and the bartender keep it entertaining, although I probably wouldn't hang out there if it wasn't for frank's.
This is the best BBQ we've found in the valley, it's reasonably priced at about $15 to $18 a person for dinner (ok, upper bound of reasonable) and the lunch specials are all under $10 a person. The meat is smoked and tender, they are known for the house special beef brisket, their sauce is homemade and you can even buy a bottle to take home.
No ham here! One of the frustrating things about ordering BBQ in the valley or turkey legs in Santa Cruz is that everything ends up tasting like ham!! Nothing at Uncle Frank's is like that -- this is good southern BBQ.
As great as we rate their meal, please be warned their sides are often lacking. There is nothing special about their coleslaw -- which was a HUGE disappointment to me! I love a good homemade southern side of coleslaw whether oil/vinegar is used or mayo -- but at uncle frank's it tastes like it's out of a can and old. I'm not penalizing them for their sides, but I hope they get their act together here.
The corn bread is excellent, but I wish there was honey and butter (hmmm... whipped honey/sugar butter spread??) available -- but we always take it home and add our own later. And by the way, you'll probably be taking home a good portion of your meal, we can never finish two sides, corn bread and a huge serving of beef brisket!
If you're bringing anyone under 21, call ahead and they'll setup the back patio area with the heaters -- it's very nice back there and secluded. Those under 21 are not allowed inside the restaurant (because it's actually a bar). Do consider bringing the kids, the wait staff, especially Tanya (the manager) LOVES kids -- she's definitely got grandma written all over her and has lots of love to share!
My co-workers took me here for my bday lunch yesterday and we just laughed when we walked to the front of the resaturant.
I totally wasn't expecting this kind of hole in the wall place. As you walk in there's a bar and you have to walk further in the back to get to the normal seating area. It has a "you're in the middle of nowhere" kind of feel. haha
But ignoring the setting, the food was really good. We all ordered the BRISKET!!! mmmmmm
I think this place is great for take-out. Everything smells smoked and mesquite in here!!!
I went to Uncle Frank's for lunch on a Friday a week ago. My friend and I split the Tailgate combination for 2. The quality of all the meat was very good. My favorite was the mild Louisiana Style Links. I'd never had that before and I really liked the sausage flavor. All the meat had a very smoky flavor which is a different BBQ flavor than I'm used to. I think I prefer Texas BBQ flavor but I thought the quality at Uncle Frank's was very good. The cornbread was good but not as moist as I would have liked. The coleslaw was sloppy and boring but we enjoyed the baked beans. The BBQ sauce is served warm, unfortunately it wasn't too warm or cooled off and it started to congeal a little bit which was strange. There was plenty of food and we had leftovers to take home.
This place is really a "joint". As other posters have stated you have to walk through a bar to get to the restaurant. There are about 10-12 tables and booths. The booth upholstery is old and torn and the tables/chairs are cafeteria style but I thought it all adds to the character of the place!
Ok, definitely felt a bit out of place in the bar. But damn, that was the best brisket I've ever had. A rich, smoky aftertaste.
Sides were limited (coleslaw and potato salad) for lunch that day, but have since gone back for dinner and more great sides are available (although dinner is significantly more expensive than lunch).
At the moment of this writing this place is still closed from the kitchen fire from god knows how long ago. Talked to the waiter and he didn't know when it would be open again. Only reason for 2 stars is because I really want to try it.
Went back to Uncle Frank's last Friday night for my girlfriend's birthday and it pains me to say that Uncle Frank's appears to have fallen off BIG TIME. I read on the Chow message boards that Uncle Frank is no longer in town. He's down south somewhere running another restaurant, and boy does it show.
The friendly service we had last time was gone. Our waitress was curt with us, seemed like she generally didn't want to be there, and looked straight up unhappy to see us when we walked in. None of the hospitality and enthusiasm we got last time.
Between the two of us we ordered brisket, pork ribs, collard greens, yams, baked beans, and french fries.
The brisket was really fatty and had a really weird texture. I'm from Texas, the land of brisket, i know there's supposed to be fat, but its supposed to cook so long that the fat renders and is absorbed by the meat. That wasn't going on here, it was just gross.
The ribs may have been fall-off-the bone tender, but suffered from the same problem as the brisket. When the basket showed up it wasn't like 6 well defined ribs, it was just like a heap of mystery meat covered with sauce and a few rib bones thrown in that still had some meat attached to them. The same thing was going on as with the brisket though: way too much fat.
The collard greens were great on our last visit, but this time were almost inedible. The greens were super bitter and the cooking liquid had no flavor.
The pineapple yams and baked beans were delicious, just as good as last time.
The french fries were total afterthought, clearly a pre cut and frozen item purchased in bags that just get thrown into the fryer. Pretty disappointing.
The corn bread was okay, but not great, though the half melted honey butter that comes with it was fantastic.
I can't communicate how much i want this experience to be catching them on an off night, but from what i've read over the past few months, this experience is more the rule than the exception. Ever since Uncle Frank took off, it looks like this place has been going down hill.
It really is a shame. This was my go to spot in the Bay Area for BBQ when i was feeling homesick and was looking for a piece of home. Walking into Uncle Frank's transported me back to my east Texas roots going to tiny BBQ joints in small towns with my Dad. It look's like i'm going to start looking for another BBQ spot. All of the other places i've found in the Bay Area have been really disappointing.
I can't put into words how bummed i am. I'll have to go a few more times before i pronounce Uncle Frank's dead, but i fear the worst.
My girlfriend, Rachel, and i, being southerners, have been talking a little bit lately about how… Read more »
Now this is really a food find/hole in the wall. Franks occupies small back room inside a Bar. Great BBQ!
Pros
- Tasty Brisket & Ribs. Incredible smoke flavor in the brisket
- Friendly service. We went at nearly closing & they were almost out of stuff & ready to close - but they accommodated us, and let us do take out.
- Super large servings ($15+ per order)
Cons
- interesting location
Return visit
- have told friends about the place & they really like it
- Would definitely return
Okay so Unlce Franks is in a weird location; it's essentially in the back of a bar. The bar used to be frequented by Pacific Islander rough necks until the cops ran em out.
Why am I talking about the bar. The brisket is so FREAKING delicious. Also the sides are really good. The portions used to be really huge; one time I tried finishing a plate of brisket and sides to myself. I did it but spent the next half-hour walking around the parking lot, thinking of how I was going to tell my mom I died from eating too much barbeque.
Anyways, last time I went the portions were a bit smaller, they were...how shall I say...humanely-sized meals. The staff are really friendly too. Also check out the catfish, that fried cornmeal is amazing. Oh yea, the links are really great too. Did I mention the cobbler...SO GOOD.
Hmmm....what isn't good? I don't know. I've never tried the shrimp because I am at a place where the brisket is divine.
This place has become legendary! Everytime I mention the word BBQ, someone would blurt out... "Have you tried Uncle Frank's? It's sooo good!"
And I would politely answer... "No, I haven't.. but I would love to... you're the 1940279309th person who's told me about Uncle Frank's"
Legend no more. I tried this place for myself.
Since everyone else at my table ordered some sort of beef, I ordered the chicken.... yeah.. I know I know.. what was I thinking... The chicken was dry along with the other meats but the BBQ sauce is what makes up for that dryness. Let's talk more about that BBQ sauce. The "spicy" version of the BBQ sauce definitely has a kick to it and will leave a tingle on your tongue. The sauce has a good combo of smokey, sweet and tangy goodness.
The sides were pretty good. Had the candied yams and fries. Both delicious. My big qualm about this place are the prices. My meal ended up coming out to about $20 with tax/tip. A bit pricey. However, they do give you a TON of meat if you order the beef dishes - left overs galore.
UPDATED 1/2009:
William, the owner of Uncle Frank's, wrote me a personal note "...I can assure you that we have taken additional measures to ensure our off days are minimum and that our service is consistently friendly, prompt and honest. Thank you for helping us address these issues and please feel free to make any further comments our suggestions in the future. We value your business."
Bottom line: I do appreciate the personal note and their attention to customer feedback. For now I'll move them to 3-STARS from 1-STAR and will give the Uncle another chance. Then I may reconsider welcoming him back to the family...
***************
1 STAR OVERALL. Uncle Frank used to me my favorite uncle. But his food has gone so downhill and has adopted shady selling practices that I may have to disown him from the family.
In the past Uncle Frank used to deliver the most juicy and smoky beef brisket and ribs. He was also a very generous uncle giving huge portions. Now it seems like prices have increased, the food quality has definitely gone down, his portions are skimpier, and all the side items seem store bought.
Beef brisket - 3 stars - still decent with a nice smokey flavor. However, you now get slices of beef brisket that are rather dry instead of nice big juicy chunks that they used to serve. And I used to love the very smokey flavor - now it's barely there.
Smoked chicken - 2 stars - was dry chicken that didn't have much taste beyond the smokey skin.
Sides - 2 stars - most definitely taste store bought. Saw them take the potato salad out of a huge Costco sized plastic tub and it tasted just like it (I buy the Costco stuff every so often). Cornbread was stale and didn't taste homemade. Only the cajun corn wasn't bad actually.
The Caucasian waitress there was friendly but I felt like she was being to aggressive trying to push me from a lunch size meal to a full dinner meal (it was only lunch time!) and kept pushing the peach cobbler on me. And when I asked her if the peach cobbler was baked daily, she hesitated and played it off by saying "virtually everyday but you know we keep it fresh". If you're peach cobbler ain't fresh, don't go peddling old peach cobbler on me then! I don't know if it's just a sign of the times, but it really seemed like she wanted us to desperately order more and increase her tip. (There was no one else there for lunch on this weekend day.)
ONE THING THAT REALLY PISSED ME OFF was the same waitress nicely offered us both medium and hot sauce on the side when we couldn't decide. However, she DIDN'T TELL US both that an extra little tiny cup of BBQ sauce cost an EXTRA $1.50 each! Talk about misleading your customers. I was going to raise a big stink about it but these guys looked like they needed the money and business so I just let it go.
Bottom line: Uncle Frank - you've really disappointed me with your now average BBQ and pissed us off with your shady selling practices. You used to be my #1 BBQ place ever but are nowhere even close anymore. I may give you another chance but you are on Santa's crap list this Christmas.
BEST FRIGGIN BBQ IN SF BAY AREA. Can't believe that I haven't written a review for this place yet… Read more »
Yum YUM 42 miles 1 way
and I look forward to going back every time
8/3/09 - Kitchen is closed, but they still cater!
Two important bits of information for those who have never been here:
1. Uncle Frank's is the back area of a dive bar called FRANCESCA'S! So, if you are driving around on Old Middlefiled at night, you will not be able to find Uncle Frank's because the lit up sign says "Francesca's instead of "Uncle Frank's!" Just FYI, since plenty of our party got lost both times we went there.
2. Uncle Frank's is closed on Mondays!!! Their hours on this Yelp page and on their website is wrong. We came on a Monday once, and their dinner area was closed. I called to check another week, and they confirmed that they are only open Tuesdays-Saturdays.
Now that we've got that settled, let's talk food. Their brisket comes in a very large serving, which was tender and drizzled in BBQ sauce (choice of mild or spicy). Their spicy actually has a little kick to it, so if you are wary of the spice, might want to order mild. The ribs were overly blackened, so we weren't impressed. The hush puppies however, were yummy! They had a house-made tartar sauce then went perfectly with it.
They have a large variety of sides -- we ordered the collared greens, cajun corn, cole slaw, and baked beans. I found the baked beans to be the best, and the cajun corn was actually REALLY good after I added some of my spicy BBQ sauce to it. The cole slaw is a little weird because it had pineapples in it, and the collard greens were just okay too.
A little weird also that all drinks come from the bar area, which the waitress says is a "separate business." Even if you want water, you have to pour it from the pitchers by the bar. The service is also slow, as there is only two people in the kitchen and one waitress serving all ~10 tables.
Yum, yum, yum. I recently ordered the brisket dinner meal with an additional side of hush puppies and peach cobbler to top it off. As other reviewers have mentioned, this restaurant lies in the back of a dive bar, but do not be afraid. Every bite into the brisket released a bit of smoky flavor that was unlike any other BBQ that I have had in the Bay Area. Absolutely delicious with the hot BBQ sauce. I did not care too much for the cajun corn or the peach cobbler for that matter, but loved the hush puppies and the brisket and rest assured, I will be making many more visits.
Just about the best southern barbeque I've found on the Peninsula. The brisket is as tender and flavorful as any I've ever tasted. Thank you Uncle Frank.
The rumors are true, Uncle Frank's has hit the wall running. Had I not experienced the awesomeness that is Uncle Frank's in it's EPA and early Middlefield heyday, I would probably think it was good BBQ . . . but I've been tainted, and I can't wipe the slate clean. Prices went up, quality and quantity went down. In this recession, that's enough to send me packing. Will I return? If I'm hungry enough and someone else picks up the bill. Will I hype it up to everyone I meet the way I once did? No way, I have some street cred to preserve.
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Barbeque
Mountain View, CA
Category: American (New)
Sunnyvale, CA
Category: Barbeque
Santa Clara, CA
Category: Barbeque
San Jose, CA
Category: Barbeque
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