I Oughta Be Ashamed. The Franklin In Secaucus Is A Delight!

SECAUCUS, NJ — In proof that you can't believe everything you hear (or read), I've ignored The Franklin at 5th and Front Street for the past two years since it opened.

Wrong decision!

You see, when it first opened, in the spring of 2022, someone told me they had a "mediocre" meal there. As such, for the past two years, I turned up my nose at the place. This was made more ridiculous by the fact that I live four blocks away from The Franklin, and have to drive or walk by it multiple times a day. When they launched weekend brunches, I scoffed. Outdoor seating in the summertime? Eyeroll.

I'm embarrassed to say I popped into The Franklin for the first time last Thursday night. What finally broke me down? It's the middle of winter. It's too cold in my house to cook. My son and I are tired of Plaza Pizza (well, I am; he never is).

"It can't be worse than Blackjacks," I thought.

On a Thursday night, it was just the right amount of dark and moody inside: Nicely lit, with some people laughing quietly over cocktails at the bar, and a family of four in the main dining room. The Supremes played at the exact perfect volume in the background.

Hmm, I thought, as I strolled to my table. So far, so good.

As any Secaucus local knows, it is criminally difficult to find a well-made martini in this town. You'd be surprised how easy it is to mess up a cosmopolitan until you've had a bad one. I was skeptical as I placed my drink order. But as the waitress brought it over, I saw it was perfect: Heavy on the lime, light on the cranberry, lots of ice.

Well, I thought, at least they can do drinks well.

But our food was also delicious: I ordered the veal meatballs, and they were outstanding: Juicy; the addition of pine nuts and currants was inspired. Fresh ricotta on the side and they served it with an excellent crusty sourdough to mop up tangy, homemade red sauce. Cacio e pepe pasta could have used more pepper and sharper cheese, less butter. But I was impressed their menu was somewhat ambitious: The Franklin is turning out grilled calamari as an appetizer. Pumpkin ravioli and lamb osso bucco are among the main dishes. Doughnuts to finish off the meal were soft, pillowy and with a chocolate dipping sauce.

It's rare, if not sometimes impossible, to find a place that does both good food and good drinks, and the Franklin does both. Someone behind the bar seriously knows what they are doing. The aforementioned cosmo was well made, but other cocktail highlights include their old fashioned (strong, not sweet at all) and a passion fruit margarita. Proper gin and tonics. Some may laugh, but a seriously excellent chocolate martini. Multiple beers on tap and interesting wine selection: Mostly French, Italian, German and European labels; very few American wines (a good sign), with some South American.

And the price point is excellent: Not as expensive as La Reggia, Bonefish or Bareli's, but the food is just as good. You can have a wonderful Friday night dinner and cocktails here for under $50 bucks, or dinner for two hovering about $100. For the quality of food, beverages and atmosphere, The Franklin could easily charge more. They know this.

I think they deliberately keep their prices on the low side so they can keep the 20- and 30-somethings coming in. The young crowd keeps the place hip and lively. This past Friday night, The Franklin was hopping with Secaucus locals, from town police officers to a bachelorette party. Their bar is becoming a place to see and be seen — how fun!

Menu high points: Veal meatballs. Braised short ribs. Short rib ravioli. Short rib sandwich. Their burger. Hanger steak. Broccoli rabe (often superb, but this time very superb). Burrata pesto chicken sandwich (according to their Yelp reviews). Doughnuts with a chocolate dipping sauce.

Menu low points: The cacio e pepe really needed sharper cheese and more pepper. Currently, it just tastes like Alfredo — creamy, buttery but that's about it.

In short: The Franklin is family owned, and their original location is in the Jersey City Heights. There, they've developed a well-deserved reputation as a neighborhood standby. We are lucky they chose Secaucus as their next outpost. Don't be like me, and avoid a place that I guarantee will become your new local favorite. Cozy, great cocktails and food, yet still manages to be affordable and retain a hip vibe. Lots of locals inside; be prepared to say 'hello' to someone you know.

The mediocre meal review came from a friend who's a yoga teacher in town. And a vegan. I can only guess The Franklin didn't serve enough vegan options.

My only few suggestions? Turn up the music on Friday and Saturday nights. Keep those bartenders. More pepper in the cacio e pepe. Secaucus is lucky to have The Franklin.

The Franklin Secaucus, at 780 5th Street at Front Street in Secaucus, NJ 07094 201-777-1188 https://www.instagram.com/thef...

* This is an opinion piece. The views expressed here are the author's own.