Frank's A Crowd Pleaser Cafe in Cheltenham

Written by David Hagger on 26 July 2017.

Frank's is one of the best cafes in Melbourne and The World Loves Melbourne was invited to sample dishes from the ever evolving menu. The cafe is called Franks partly because it offers frank and authentic honest food. It seeks to give the punters what they want, and we think it successfully does that. No pretension, just fine food in a chic modern environment, with owner Harry Butler at the helm.

Signature dishes still include the beyond-your-average cinnamon donuts and ramen fried chicken bao. New menu items include a selection of build-your-own style dishes, letting you take control over the most important meal of the day.

We were met by cheerful passionate staff and you can tell that this cafe is a labour of love, and loved by the locals. A better than expected fit out showing excellent style and design quality greets the diner. Great use of timber, art and lighting is impressive, including the neon Franks sign on the wall. The kitchen is a hive of activity with a larger than normal number of staff for a cafe.

Reuben Sandwich an example of what the punters want - corned beef, beetroot sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, mayo, pickle and toasted rye. Rewarding!

Check out the oozy cheese. Harry the owner doesn't like pretension and engages with the locals, getting around the tables and also getting feedback.

In a city of burgers the dish simply named "Burger" belies the impressiveness of this juicy Burger delight of grass fed Wagyu, American cheddar (actually the cheese from In n Out burgers - not sure how they do it), tomato, lettuce, BBQ sauce, Big Mac Sauce (chef's take on it), milk bun, pickle. A great burger with excellent char, perfectly cooked meat, tang of pickles and sauce and oozy cheese. The fresh milk bun is also a highlight.

The sheer amount of top notch fries that comes with the burger makes this a compelling menu option.

Up close and personal. Owner Harry remarked how he was taken by the freshness on In n Out burgers in California and this burger is in the same style.

Another popular item is the Fried Chicken Bao, a clever dish featuring Ramen Fried Chicken (crunchy ramen noodles are in the fried chicken batter), Bao, daikon kimchi and chilli kewpie mayo. This is a top notch dish that combines great texture and flavour combinations. The crunch of the fried chicken is enhanced by the noodles in the batter and the daikon kimchi. The heat and tang are also impressive. We enjoyed the presentation of 3 mini bao rather than one huge bao. A great modern dish.

What you want in a modern cafe. The highly impressive design is by Ewart Leaf Design, with a mix of functional attractive dining spaces.