FRANK'S PERMENANTLY CLOSED ON NOVEMBER 19, 2016

I remember the first time I walked by Frank’s – it was during the summer of 2012. I flew in from Portland and my dad from Indiana, and we’d planned a little father-daughter vacation to Bozeman. We didn’t go inside of the tiny restaurant/catering company because I believe we’d already filled our bellies with some Ale Work’s appetizers or Over the Tapas lamb sliders found closer to the main drag, as most everyone else who lives here does. Boy, what a mistake we made! It’s kind of funny too, even to this day, that my dad still asks, “Have you been to Frank’s yet?” And until recently, I would always tell him, “No, we still haven’t tried that place out!” Well let’s just say that my dad won’t need to bother with that question anymore, and I can finally tell him that I made it to Frank’s for lunch and that both my husband and I’s expectations were surpassed by a long shot.

It was the perfect day: Jeremy and I had arrived at Bridger Bowl for a little morning skiing and we were getting really anxious for the arrival of his parents later that day.  We were eager to find some good grub after being at the mountain all morning, and so when the topic of lunch came up we’d agreed on swinging into Frank’s…finally. We’d both heard some really positive feedback, especially regarding the burgers and sandwiches and were hoping for a hot, satisfying lunch. So after nearly two years from my first, initial “walk-by,” we’d ventured into the tiny, house-like sandwich haven and our noses were immediately filled with pleasant aromas of grilled peppers, onions and warm French bread.

Let me get one thing straight: Frank’s doesn’t only serve burgers and sandwiches. They also serve salads and a few sides such as onion rings and cheese fries, in addition to wood-fired pizzas served only during the summer months. Even so, I wasn’t ordering a salad today; I was ordering a sandwich, and I was particularly eyeballing the Reuben. Now keep in mind, between the burger options and hot and cold sandwiches available, there are more than two dozen choices, and damn near all of them sound interesting and delicious, but even with all the unique menu items, we were able to come up with our order rather quickly – maybe that was because we were a bit famished. I was determined to try the Reuben, and Jeremy said he wanted the “Steve Harper.” I asked him if he’d even looked at anything else the menu offered, and he said that the Steve Harper was the first thing that he seen and that the coconut curry peanut sauce was the selling point for him. I willingly agreed that it sounded amazing, and so we decided to do “halfsies” and share half of our own with one another.

The young guys working the grill and the kitchen immediately started cooking our order, and our sandwiches came out piping hot, I thought for a second that we might have trouble finishing them because they were unbelievably huge – this ended up being a foolish thought. Jeremy gave me half of his Steve Harper and I half of my Reuben, and we were off to chow-town. I tried the Reuben first and almost didn’t want to put it down. Loaded with shaved corn beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island and melted Swiss cheese and served on toasted marble Rye, I’m certain I’ve found the best Reuben in Bozeman. Jeremy tried the Steve Harper first, and all I could get from him were noises; it was almost like another “When Harry Met Sally” movie, only with the roles reversed.  Ok, so he really wasn’t even close to sounding like Meg Ryan, but I could tell that he was thoroughly happy with his order. After experiencing a tough separation from the rest of my uneaten Reuben, I tried the Steve Harper and was completely blown away. This sandwich is loaded with Philly chicken, coconut curry peanut sauce, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and pepper jack cheese, and yes it is as mind-blowing as it sounds. You have a choice of Ciabatta, which is from On the Rise bakery, or the French bread, which Frank’s bakes in-house everyday, but the Ciabatta bread was the perfect choice for this sandwich. It was slightly crusty on the outside but soft and fresh in the middle, and all the ingredients melded together perfectly in an almost harmonious sort of way.

As we were finishing up with our amazing lunch, we met the manager, Chris, who seemed like an easy-going and happy guy, and we asked him what a couple of his favorite sandwiches were. He said that the “Mongul,” which isn’t listed on the menu but is always available for those customers who know of it, is a wonderful sandwich filled with teriyaki beef and other delicious, fresh ingredients - I’m failing to remember all the other ingredients off the top of my head at this moment. Another favorite of his is the “Free Bird,” which is listed under their cold sandwich menu items and is loaded with smoked turkey, bacon, bleu cheese crumbles, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes and garlic aioli. Gosh, how can one go wrong with any of these delightful concoctions I ask myself?!? So with full and satisfied tummies, my husband and I wished all the staff at Frank’s a great day and reassured them that we would be back sooner rather than later, because we believe we’ve found the best sandwiches, along with some of the most exceptional customer service, in Bozeman.

Food Style: Burgers, Sandwiches, & Salads (Wood-fired Pizzas during summer months)
Drinks: Bottled & Draft Beer, Fountain Drinks
Hours: 11am – 6pm, Daily
Prices: $ - $$
Vibe: Typical Sandwich Shop w/ Open Kitchen

Overall Rating:
Food – 5
Prices – 4
Atmosphere – 3
Service – 5

Ashlee Yerrick is a Chiropractic Physician at Pro Chiropractic who also enjoys food and blogging on her two personal food blogs at: apronsandapricots.blogspot.com and chefandthecarpenter.com