Frankie & Benny’s UK

F & Bs are, I believe all over the shop. I’ve been to the Blackpool one many times over the years after visiting the Odeon cinema across the road. The space is quite nice-​old b & w photos of various «baddabing» Italians, Sinatra etc. The kitchen is open range style which can be seen by the diners. We arrived after a very, very loud viewing of «Spectre» (absolute rubbish in comparison with «Skyfall, but I digress) and the place was very busy. There was a slight griminess to the place-​the menu’s had slime and food bits on them and near the bar was a smell of the dishwasher. Some tables hadn’t been cleared away. Hmnn, I thought. Anyway, we ordered the American Hot, minus the hot (my Mum can’t eat chilli) and I had an Arabiata. The crust on the pizza wasn’t done properly-​it was too soft (this not being sour dough). However, it really didn’t taste too bad at all and Mum liked it. My pasta was A-​ok for a place opposite a cinema. I left nothing which is testament to it being pretty reasonable. This branch has a captive audience in that there is only a couple of dining options so you takes your choice. I don’t honestly think it is a bad one at all. A shout out for the server also who was excellent.

First, the area. This particular franchise, due to its location, provides easy access to those ‘less than savoury’ characters similar areas spawn. As a result, depending on the evening, you may find that being smartly dressed makes you the odd-​one-​out. If it’s a Friday or Saturday night, however, you should be good. Just be aware that wearing a t-​shit, hoodie and tracksuit bottoms won’t be looked upon with a frown here — it’s just that sort of area.
Food wise, it’s okay. Above average pub food, but VERY expensive. £16 for a rack of ribs that aren’t particularly great — they’re alright. The waiters and waitresses are in short supply so expect to be here 1h 30m even if the restaurant is only half full. I had to ask twice and wait ten minutes for a drink with my meal.
The place should be much cheaper than it is. For date night, it’s not too bad, and there aren’t really any places close-​by to compete with it (except the pub literally across the road — but I haven’t tried that in years). The waiters and waitresses are particularly inattentive, but the music (a mixture of swing and 60s music) provides a good atmosphere and the milkshakes are great!
Don’t make it a regular thing, maybe once every so often. And if you can travel further, I suggest it unless you’re going to watch a film at the cinema also across the road (and so also invited those previously described less than savoury characters).
Bring a tracksuit!

I hadn’t been to this restaurant for a few years and took my 2 daughters & my Mum for lunch. I called earlier to make a reservation but on arrival obvious didn’t need one and was treated like an idiot for actually booking a table. On arrival we waited at the door for a while, once an employee turned up I informed him I had made a reservation, he lead us to a table then said we couldn’t sit on it and took us to another one next to a very long table laid out for a 10^th birthday. As we sat we were immediately asked what we want to drink, luckily due to the wait at the door we all knew. We sat and waited and waited and waited and eventually our drinks arrived, the waiter then walked off! We waited and waited (you probably get the picture by now). 3 staff were chatting close by so I asked one of them if we could order, we did and then waited a least 20 mins for our meal. My mother even commented that the would have a problem if they were busy. Eventually the food arrived my Cannelloni was burnt, my daughters had a club sandwich and mum had soup.
In summary the service was awful, the food worse and the bill ludicrousness.
Avoid at all costs.

Frankie & Benny’s in Blackpool used to be good. A group of us used to go there a lot for food and cocktails. Since January 2013 (or there about) they have put the prices up while the portion size and quality has gone down considerably! The waiting staff are good but very rushed (it seems like they have cut down on staff too). Rather than improve their business they have started to cut corners at the expense of the customer. They have taken the best dishes off of their lunch menu, I really enjoyed their Garlic bread as a starter but now you have to order it separately and it costs about £4. The pasta dishes now resemble packet pasta that you make in a cup, it’s very watery and flavourless and you now get half as much for about £1 more! The cocktails now have less alcohol in them too.
On the upside I have found a fantastic Italian Restaurant in St Annes (just outside Blackpool) called Margherita’s, it’s top quality food (better than F&B’s ever was) and they have some really cheap offers with the slogan small prices, not small portions or something like that.

A wonderful place, for a chain owned place it really is a nice change. The food is fantastic, the menu is varied (mainly italian and american dishes, but the odd change is always there), the staff are friendly, the music is great fun, the toilets are always clean, the prices are fair, and the atmosphere is always wonderful. A nice change from the pub across the road if you want to go a little upmarket, without paying a boatload. The cocktails are nice too, and the desserts are to die for. American diner style resturaunt, so you can feel comfortable in a cocktail dress or your scabbiest jeans.

great food deals. the menu and food is exceptional. staff very friendly and willing to please. the flatbread with goats cheese was out of this world. the negative was resturant busy and small so you need to leave ample time. Mondays is a special offer day and this carries on even when bank holidays. very clean and authentic pictures on the wall of boxing hereos from the 40’s and 50’s era.

We have only visited this restaurant once and keep meaning to go back. We really enjoyed our meal, the restaurant has a lovely warm cosy atmosphere. We went as a couple but there were lots of families there and birthdays — as with TGI Fridays (which Frankie & Bennys definitely has the feel of) they make a big deal of birthdays and get a real buzz going in the restaurant. We didn’t feel encroached by the families as we had a lot of room, it is not as crammed in as places like pizza hut.
The food was really nice, lots of choice and piping hot. It was good value for money and we will definitely go back as a family as I feel it is a versatile restaurant and my young children will enjoy it.

Great food with a nice atmosphere. Well priced lunch time deals. It can get very busy so booking in advance is recommended. The service is excellent. Handy for a meal when visiting the cinema. Free parking.

Great food that is filling with good size portions, cooked to perfection in a lovely relaxed informal restaurant with the best table service i have had at a very good price,£42 for 2 people 3 course meal. The only thing i could fault was the wait for a table around 40 minutes so it is best to pre book.