Lil' Frankie's Reviews Summary

Atmosphere & Ambiance

Pros:

• "The atmosphere is also so cool because it's such an old building with a lot of character."
• "The atmosphere has a casual, fun NY vibe and the food is wonderful!"
• "Always a youthful, vibrant East Village dining scene."
• "Atmosphere here was super friendly and overall felt like a big family gathering."
• "It’s a true old school Italian vibe with a backyard greenhouse perfect for big parties."
• "A hip vibe."
• "The atmosphere was relaxing and elegantly put together, a MUST GO when visiting the Lower East Side!"

Cons:

• "It’s very loud in here though."
• "Place is very cramped. plates come out and there's nowhere to put them."
• "The tables are so tight that my back and the persons behind me were kissing all night."
• "The ambiance was nice but it was too crowded and little room to move around."
• "The atmosphere was loud and dark."
• "The ambience is too loud and talkative."
• "The space is pretty cramped and loud."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The pizzas were perfectly cooked."
• "The gnocchi was the best I have ever had in my life! Pillowy, almost melted in my mouth."
• "The pastas were all very delicious."
• "Their pizza is the BEST."
• "Pizza was delicious and exactly what you want from a New York restaurant."
• "Absolutely loved their pizzas, very flavourful."
• "The food here is excellent."

Cons:

• "The seasonal ravioli was ok nothing crazy but the spaghetti limone was a total sour pounch."
• "The texture of the chicken parm breading was mushy and just not enjoyable."
• "The pasta limone was not what I was expecting. It was a bland, naked noodle."
• "The squash al forno side dish had zero flavor."
• "The eggplant was an interesting presentation but tasted like nothing."
• "Mine tasted great, but it was just noodles and meatballs with sauce that tasted canned."
• "The pizza was BURNT."

Service

Pros:

• "The staff was attentive and kind."
• "The service was fast and attentive."
• "The staff is super friendly."
• "The staff was friendly and attentive."
• "The staff was very courteous."
• "Our server was amazing."
• "The staff was very friendly and accommodating."

Cons:

• "The server was worthless."
• "Service lacked."
• "The service was also lacking."
• "Service- it was kind of slow and lackluster."
• "Hard to say anything bad about the food but the service was truly horrendous."
• "Service is ok but had an attitude."
• "The waiter was not in the mood at all. Maybe even a bit rude."

Value

Pros:

• "A meal for 2 might run you $75. Not cheap but worth the first time visit."
• "Considering it's in New York City, the prices were quite reasonable, especially given the high standards of food and atmosphere."
• "Our bill was VERY affordable."
• "Great food at affordable East Village prices."
• "If you are looking for a ‘value for the money’ restaurant with authentic Italian food in NYC, this is it."
• "The drinks are relatively cheap."
• "They have a great wine program, where if it sucks, they only charge for what you drank."

Cons:

• "They raised the prices of their 3-for-1 brunch drink special."
• "They have no business charging that kinda price for below average food."
• "It’s quite pricey but worth it."
• "Honestly this place was so overpriced for very simple, unsatisfactory dishes."
• "It’s expensive and they only take cash which was inconvenient."
• "Be prepared to plunk down a fair bit for a bit of fare."
• "Ridiculously high prices for mediocre food, save your money and just go to Olive Garden."

Payment Options

Pros:

• "Cash only but totally worth it!"

Cons:

• "They only accept cash, and one of our five different 'servers' took the money."
• "Lastly, for a restaurant that I estimate brings in 10-15k after expenses on a nightly basis, they do 'cash only.'"
• "Also only having 50’s in the atm is pointless."
• "Also it was cash only which luckily my friend had plenty of cash, but just another inconvenience."
• "A sit-down restaurant serving $20-30 plates that only accepts cash should clearly say so on their website."
• "They didn’t tell us it’s cash only until the bill has arrived which we found to be a bit odd."
• "Also cash only so make sure to have cash on hand before trying out the place."