Cafe Frank - Charlottesville

We’ve had some good experiences in the past, however, the last few times we’ve been there the service and the food has been sub par to say the least. The cocktails were more simple syrup than alcohol. The entree’s were disappointing. We wanted duck but 6pmOn Friday they were cold out of 1/5 entrees they served! We ordered wagyu short rib, which was dry! Given how much fat there is in wagyu it should not have been dry even if it was slow cooked!! When I called today to let them know the owner dismissed me and started mansplaning wagyu beef and connective tissue to me. The bar was also understaffed. The menu recommendation to let the staff know if we aren’t satisfied is merely a suggestion. Do not recommend for people who know what good food tastes like. Also, while the restaurant boasts French food the entrees were polenta with wagyu, bolognese, other pasta dishes and similar continental food (mostly Italian) other than French! Even the bread service was focaccia ?

We were disappointed with our dishes. One plate had overcooked pasta, that bordered on being mush; and the other was really undercooked and slightly hard. The salmon smelled fishy, suggesting that it wasn't fresh.

We went for Restaurant Week and had wonderful food and service. I followed the recommendations of our server and tried the burrata appetizer, short rib and olive oil cake. They were all beautifully plated and delicious.

They made our experience incredibly amazing. We were there for a make up Valentines and it was jusg stellar. I wish I had gotten our server's name if the restaurant is reading this, she was a blonde woman she exemplified incredible service. We were very happy that they had options that were gluten free and could be prepared for someone with celiac disease. The one thing is that to make certain things gluten free they omit certain ingredients (e.g. crackers) and it would be nice to have them replaced with something else.

Perfect bistro experience. Not over the top, high dining, service. The wine pairing excelled and the bustling crowd included several acquaintances and friends all having their own dining experience.