Trattoria Da Franco

Only true italians would appreciate this gem. With family from Italy and New York, I’ve had the luxury of knowing what true good Italian cuisine tastes like (and its not Carrabba’s or Olive Garden). The place is very intimate and perfect for a date night. I love the ambiance and especially love that the owner, Franco, is always there to make sure that his customers are enjoying their food.
As for the customers with the negative comments, go back to the pretentious, overpriced and over hyped restaurants you’re used to going to downtown.
Grazie!

My husband and I ate here on New Year’s Eve, despite the negative reviews. We were hoping that the restaurant really was a true representation of the Italian dining experience, and that all of the negative reviewers were so desensitized by awful places like Olive Garden, that they didn’t understand the slow pace of a real Italian meal. Having been to Italy several times, most recently this past November, yes, the Trattoria does offer a more laid back and authentic experience. Yes, the dishes are authentic Italian and more of a standard European size serving, but the overall experience was awful — horrible service, and mediocre, overpriced food. When we arrived for our reservation, which no one asked for and when I offered the information, I was ignored, we were seated at a small table with two water glasses on it — one half full with ice and one full to the brim with no ice, and no silverware. We were given a prix fixe menu with no pricing, which surprised us as the website mentioned nothing about a prix fixe NYE dinner. When we asked if they were offering another menu, the waitress acted offended and tried to push the prix fixe. When we apologized and said we’d have to go elsewhere, as nothing on the prix fixe interested us, she was able to produce a second a la carte NYE menu that indicated there was a minimum $ 25 purchase per person, and a mandatory 20% tip would be added, which was fine as we aren’t cheap about dinner. We were not offered bread or a wine menu at any point, so I just ordered a house red, knowing that in Italy, the house wine is usually very good. Big mistake. The chianti was not that good and when we got the bill, we saw that they charged $ 11! For house wine! I ended up getting two glasses anyway to help wash down the food. We started with a spinach and mushroom salad and a calamari salad — $ 10 and $ 15. The spinach and mushroom salad was nothing to write home about as it was literally spinach with 6 mushrooms on top and a drizzle of dressing. The calamari salad was like eating flavorless rubber with pepper on it. We had to ask our waitress for silverware, which she brought out in her hands, not wrapped in cloth napkins. We then had to ask for napkins, which she never brought. It took us 55 minutes to get napkins, and we had to ask a busboy to finally get them. One hour after ordering, our dinner arrived. Ravioli and Cappellini Napoli, both $ 20. My husband said his ravioli was fine, and my cappellini was just that. Fine. It was a little bland, and didn’t have any of the wonderful flavor that you get in Italy when food is truly fresh and home made. At no point during our meal, did our waitress or any other staff member check on us. At no point during our meal, were we offered water refills. Halfway through our dinner, a table in the front of the restaurant, which I believe was full of the owner’s friends and family, started singing along to the lady playing piano. Loudly. Then the owner came out, grabbed a microphone, and started singing. I don’t want to be mean, but the guy sounded like someone’s drunk uncle doing karaōke. Totally killed the romantic dinner we were hoping to have. Upon finishing dinner, it took about 15 minutes for our plates to be cleared by a random woman who wasn’t our waitress. We immediately asked for the check and it took another 15 minutes to get it, and when we did, it was like all the other reviews have described — a handwritten list of what we had ordered, with a cash register tape stapled to it. The register tape listed prices, but no descriptions of what price went with what meal. Luckily I had read the reviews and had made a point to know what everything should cost. Our bill that should have been close to $ 90 was $ 212! The listing of prices had about 8 dishes on it, which, come on. 2 people eating 8 dishes? One that cost $ 88?! We immediately pointed out the mistake and our waitress acted confused, rolled her eyes, and walked off. About 10 minutes later we received a correct bill that had a 20% tip added to it. That really pissed me off, because had I not been forced to tip 20%, I may have tipped less as we received zero service. Our waitress was only at our table to take our order, and then to drop off the incorrect check. And I hate to lowball on tips, but for a meal to take almost 2 hours, and never get any water refills, never have anyone stop by the table… ridiculous. We paid with a card, and that took at least 10 to 15 minutes, and I am now watching my account like a hawk to make sure they don’t try to skim some off the top. This was a truly disappointing experience from start to finish.

***UPDATE — after my card was run, found out that the owner ran the card TWICE and added an additional $ 50 charge after the initial charge that had included gratuity. There was NO receipt provided for that charge so I filed a fraud complaint. Absolutely shady, do not take your money here, the owner is a thief.
AVOID this place at all costs. Probably the shadiest and worst restaurant experience I have had. They will try to rip you off. And, as an Italian, I assure you you can get better Italian food at a lower price and with better service somewhere else.
I came here in a party of 9 to wrap up a day of wedding dress shopping with a friend and we were immediately unimpressed. The place was dingy and poorly designed and we had three different servers within minutes of sitting down. We started by asking for the wine list (a binder with some cut outs and Internet printouts) and garlic bread (might as well have been Texas Toast). We ended up with the owner as our server and we order a bottle of Chardonnay. Initially, he brought a bottle of red to the table and without asking anything starts pouring some in my boyfriends glass before realizing it wasn’t even the right color. When he brought the right wine he merely slammed it on the table in front of us and walked off. For an Italian place, we got no wine service and no actual wine glasses. Classy… and service continues to be bad.
The food we ordered was mediocre at best but the real treat came when it was time to pay. First, we were given the wrong bill. We had a long, unitemized receipt with «food» next to the total. That sure tells you a lot. We told another server we needed to split the bill up and she had to go get the owner who immediately started screaming at us that he can’t give us an itemized receipt or split up the bill. He stated our only option was to divide it 9 ways, despite the fact that not everyone ordered the same thing. Some quick math also showed us he had charged over $ 100 more than what we had actually purchased (after factoring in gratuity and tax). By this time the owner had walled up in his office and refused to come out. We got a menu and did all the calculations ourselves, which confirmed that we had been severely overcharged and demanded to know what for. Come to find out the «order» of garlic bread was two slices of bread. They had brought us a plate of 6 pieces but then accounted for 3 orders on the bill. Still, at $ 2 an order, that doesn’t equal $ 36. We spoke to a server who took some money off because even she couldn’t explain where it was coming from but still insisted we owed $ 36 for garlic bread, which is absurd considering what we were given when asking for an order. Complete ripoff and if you do make the poor choice of coming here, I’d make sure you note the cost of your food before and check your receipt.

Went with a group of 7 on Saturday night and we all thought the food was great. The atmosphere was fun with live piano. They were busy and seemed a bit frazzled but all the staff were very friendly.
As other reviewers have mentioned take caution with the bill situation! Our bill was not itemized and came in almost $ 100 over what it should have been. It took 3 tries to get it right. A huge hassle! If you’re with a party greater than 2 I would insist on separate bills.

I have eaten here a few times, each time was a disappointment. The appetizers are good, otherwise the food is «meh.» One time I brought a large group from work (12 people), and getting the bill sorted out was a hassle. Instead of charging each person according to what they ordered, they charged everyone a standard $XX fee. The problem was that some people only ordered wine and others had less expensive food with no wine. Had the bill not been significantly higher than we’d expected, we never would have noticed. Make sure you check your bill.
Additionally, recently we noticed they have an upside-​down American Flag outside their building. It is screwed in, so it is unlikely it was someone in the middle of the night who thought it was a funny joke, but certainly possible. I hope this is the case, because otherwise if this is a political statement, it’s a poor choice.

This is an adorable neighborhood spot. The owner Franco makes the whole place twinkle with Italian wonder. If you’re lucky, he may share some of his story with you! There is limited seating but come on the weekend and you will likely be treated with live singing & piano. They have most staple Italian dishes and create everything with care.

I am completely surprised by the negative reviews. I’m a full blooded Italian from New York and by far, this is the closet thing to authentic Italian food I have found in this area. I guess if your idea of good Italian food is «endless salad bowl and breadsticks» your best bet is to stick with the Olive Garden. I however loved the atmosphere as well as the food. Franco was so sweet and mingled with all diners. Even sang with the piano player. It felt like I was dining with family or hanging out on Mulberry Street.
This will definitely be our go-​to Italian restaurant. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars out of 5 is because it IS on the pricier side. If it was a bit cheaper, I’d be dining there more often.
To note: I had the Veal Saltimbocca and DH had the Pasta Carbonara. We had the Mozzarella en Carozza for an appetizer and it was the best I’ve had in years!

NOTE: The food was actually OK, portion size was slightly smaller that average, luckily we had ordered an appetizer and had some bread. Nicely located on S. Washington Street in Old Town… they had nice seating outside that we would have used if it wasn’t nearly 100 degrees out. Wait staff was friendly.
My biggest problem with this restaurant is that they automatically included a 20% gratuity (party of 2); and according to the restaurant it was: «because we had a coupon». So just note that if you have any type of coupon (
, Groupon, etc.) they will automatically include 20%. I would have given that anyway, on the full bill prior to the discounted price but it just didn’t set well with me. I wont go back… and… they should at least tell you in advance if that is their plan…

I never had a bad meal in five years. The food is absolutely extraordinary. Very quaint and very traditional Italian food. Food is made fresh. The best pasts in my life. I would never go back to Olive Garden after eating in Da Franco’s I am now a regular.

Mediocre (at best) food at high prices with surprisingly inattentive service given the size of the place. The bill doesn’t itemize, so I’m pretty sure we were overcharged.
Two stars, since as far as I know, no one got food poisoning.

I was honestly shocked and a bit offended by some of the negative and low reviews.
I have been a customer of Trattoria Da Franco for 6 years and I have never experienced anything close to what those people are saying.
I know Franco’s heart is to ensure customers are satisfied with the food and service.
None of those people mentioned speaking to Chef/​Owner (Franco) regarding the supposive «bad service and food» they just trashed talked the place like it was just some dump.
Well it certainly is not, walking into Franco’s feels like stepping into a familiar place you have been before in Italy. It is truly rare to feel that authentic vibe and tradition most restaurants fail to provide.
My favorite time to go is on Opera Night! He has different sopranos and tenors from Kennedy Center. Truly a blessing.
My favorites dishes include Linguine Carbonara, Tortellini alla panna, Pollo alla Parmigiana, Scaloppine Di Vitello con Crema e Funghi, Piccata Al Limone, Pasta Ida, Ravioli alla Bella napoli, Mamma’s favorite pizza, Pizza Primavera, Pizza Margerita, and Ham & Cheese Calzone.
Table Chianti is always smooth and great to share with a friend or loved one.

Went on a quiet late afternoon. The service was great. We ordered a Caesar salad. The server recommended adding avocado and shrimp which we did. It was delicious. Got sole with capers and white wine and pasta Primavera. Both also very nice. Vegetables are not overcooked and the fish was moist and tender. In all, we had a relaxed and delicious early dinner.

Wow, I’m shocked that the rating on Unilocal is so low. We went to dinner last night for our anniversary and it was great. I had the agnolotti and my wife had the carbonara. We were both so enamored with our meals that half-​way through we switched plates.
I will definitely go again and we’ve added this to our list of places to bring friends and family that come to visit.

I’ve been to this restaurant at least 4 times and I have never been disappointed with the service or the food. My favorite thing is the house red wine — it takes like the real Italian wine my great grandfather used to make when he first moved to the States from Italy. I just love it.
As for the food, I have tried to Chicken Piccata, the Eggplant Parmigiana, and Fruit del Mar. Each was delicious. I also tried the Canneloni, but it was not my favorite dish because of the unique spices that almost sweetened the meat. The garlic bread is fantastic and I always order the Antipasto that includes a wide selection of meats. Natalie is normally my server and she is attentive and helpful, filling my water glass whenever it empties and offering recommendations when I can’t decide between items on the menu. Although the price is expensive for a full meal with wine, it is comparable to other restaurants in Old Town. Whenever I have family come to visit, I bring them here because I can count on great wine, great service and great food.

The menu is plentiful. The owner will serenade you. Service personal and quaint. Be prepared to sit and take your time with your meal. It’s a personal experience with family/​friends.

4.5 stars! Great atmosphere, great food. We got the calamari for appetizer, veal with pasta, and fruite de mare. Great taste, good service, highly recommended.

Horrible experience! I decided to give this place a try and it was the worst culinary and monetary decision ever. At first glance it looks like a great mom and pops joint it reminded me of my time in Europe however once you sit down and begin looking around you will notice how filthy the place actually is.
Please save yourself the pain and just listen. The menu they will show you is not current with their prices and specials so be prepared to be surprised. We ordered the veal and the frutti do Mare with 2 glasses of wine and our bill was $ 120… Because they charge for the bread, water and service fee. You will not get and itemized bill as their cash register is outdated and they do everything by hand so good look making sense of it.
The food (sea food and veal) was bland and chewy as if it was old the sauce however was pretty decent but it was to overpower the low quality ingredients. Their house wine is 7.99 a glass but save yourself the pain it is the worst tasting wine in the world; I would much rather drink Franzia than the overpriced garbage they serve.
Olive Garden is a five star establishment compare to this place, you can take what I just told and ignore it but don’t say you weren’t warned…

In general, I like Trattoria. But, the New Year’s Eve experience they put on was an amazing rip off. It came out to $ 300 for three people. It was to include a salad, an entrée and a dessert with bottomless champagne or house wine. That would be acceptable if we had any kind of service. We only saw our waiter once. We never received our salads, and when we at least asked for our dessert, we were told «Hey, I brought you some wine. You should be happy. We are busy.» That comment alone will keep me from coming back. Happy New Year.

We’re full and pleased! I would say if you’re vegetarian — give it a go. Vegan — well hey u got spaghetti or Zpizza! I think coming here for appetizers and a glass of wine would be divine. I took photos of those! The meals weren’t anything to write home about. The garlic bread was drenched in butter and bread I don’t think is baked fresh as it came out sliced. The marinara was good but not something that made it stand out from the rest. So the appetizers and possibly desserts (just ordered). I didn’t get a coffee with my tiramisu because I haven’t oddly enough found an Italian place with a good latte. Parking is on the street. I really can’t knock the stars for that since this is common in Old Town, AX
The dessert: Presentation looks great (uploading pic after review). A little small but I suppose this is old town! Ok so mouth orgasm! That will conclude this review folks ^_​^
The groupon was $ 49 plus we added a dessert and appetizers taking us to $ 99 (gratuity automatically added). It was delish! Will come back for apps or even better, dessert! :)

Came here bc we bought a groupon: $ 49 for one appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 glasses of house wine and a dessert, only to find out that they run a special Mon-​thur for
2 entrees and wine for $ 29.99. Also
Found out that the groupon did not include any seafood or veal entrees. When we ordered the proscuitto and melon appetizer we were informed that wasn’t included either. Garlic bread was an up charge even. Potion size was small and it was the detest carbonara I’ve ever had.
My fiancé, who was a cook at Olive Garden said, «I’ve even had better Italian at Olive Garden.»
The kicker was that they charged us regular price for our extra wine that should’ve been charge at happy hour prices and they included a 20% gratuity on a party of 2.

Mot d’ordre: toujours regardé sur Unilocal avant de choisir un resto !
Il faisait nuit, il était tard et nous avions faim. Cherchant désespérément où manger, on est tombé sur la Trattoria Da Franco.
Le cadre nous semble un peu kitch mais on tente quand même.
Quand les cartes arrivent, aie, on se dit que c’est un peu cher (environ 20 $ le plat), mais bon c’était mon anniversaire, alors hop on s’installe.
Lorsque l’on commande, on nous propose du pain à l’ail (que l’on accepte), c’était bon mais facturé 8 $ sans nous l’avoir dit. Passons !
Nos plats arrivent et c’est la déception: des pâtes carbonara avec du bacon (pas très italien) pour 17 $, des lasagnes trop cuites (et l’al dente dans tout ça ?) pour 17 $ également, une salade tomate/​mozzarella avec seulement trois rondelles de tomate et de mozarella dans l’assiette et le basilic promis n’est en fait que du pesto en boîte.
Seule une salade sur les 4 plats était bonne MAIS elle était au départ à 14 $, mais à la commande on nous a demandé si nous voulions des crevettes et de l’avocat, faisant ainsi passé la salade au prix de 22 $.
Dans l’ensemble tout était à la limite du mangeable et surtout n’était pas digne du prix. Aller au SweetGreen dans la Pennsylvania Avenue SE et pour une dizaine de dollars vous aurez une délicieuse salade faite devant vous, fraîche et surtout très copieuse.
Mais ce n’est pas la fin du supplice, c’est quand l’addition arrive que l’on apprend pour la salade à 22 $ et le pain à 8 $, mais on se rend compte aussi que la salade tomate/​mozzarella est passée de 8 $ à 14 $. Pourquoi? On nous répond que c’est parce que l’on a pris une salade en plat alors que normalement c’est une entrée (or elle n’était pas du tout copieuse et personne né nous a prévenu à la commande).
Et pour finir, la Trattoria Da Franco né vous laisse pas choisir vos tips, imposés à 18 $ …
Je déconseille fortement cette Trattoria (nom prétentieux pour ce foutage de … !). Le plus dommage dans tout ça c’est que le serveur était très gentil, il nous a même aidé à aller sur internet avec nos portables (car la wi-​fi est gratuite).