Uncle Franky’s is located in a hole-in-the-wall standalone square building close to the corner of Monroe & Broadway in Northeast. After years of experiencing hot dog cravings after driving by it at night when they were already closed, I am happy to report that I finally made it there with my co-pilot Mikayla, and that it was phenomenal.

Food:

something to be said about the nostalgia that cheap comfort foods like malts, hotdogs, fries, burgers, etc, bring back. Uncle Franky’s charm is that they are essentially the original Northeast Minneapolis hipster; a 1950’s food themed diner that has stayed true to itself in a neighborhood that thrives on taking food throwbacks and turning them into overcomplicated, pretentious gourmet.

There is nothing pretentious about Uncle Franky’s and the simple menu is delicious, value-driven, and filling.

Our meal of 2 hotdogs, 2 sodas, french fries, and a bag of chips came out to around $10. I went with the Unkle Franky Dog, which is a simple mustard, ketchup, onion, and relish dog. Mikayla ordered the Chicago Dog, mustard first, pickle, tomato, onion, relish, peppers, and a dash of celery salt.  I also had my eye on the Coney Island Chili Dog, which I’m sure I’ll be demolishing during my next visit.

 

 

Service:

The staff was young, friendly, and happy to patient with us while we kept going back and forth between hotdogs or brats.

Our food came out quick, hot, and was cooked to perfection. I do wish that we would have ordered a malt, but honestly, we were too full and since we both had things we wanted to get done, midday naps were not in our future.

Because the building is small there did get to be a line that was out the door, but the staff wasn’t flustered and they continued to provide patient service to everyone who came through.

Atmosphere:

This is definitely a don’t judge the book by it’s cover situation. There is actually a second Uncle Franky’s location right next to my work in a small strip mall, which, being honest, does seem cleaner on the outside, but there’s just something to be said about the adventure of going to the location that feels more “authentic” (i.e questionable).

Inside there are a variety of small diner tables and hightops and, i assure you, it is the epitomy of hygenic. You can also hit up their location in Fridley or in their Home Depot stands in Bloomington, Plymouth, and Minneapolis.

I’d give Uncle Franky’s 4 stars and I will be visiting the Plymouth location ASAP, because how can you beat this lunch menu?

Uncle Franky’s
728 Broadway St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Sunday – Thursday: 11AM – 8PM
Friday – Saturday: 11AM – 9PM