There's no point in hiding it—Frankie Z's is your typical American bar. The food here isn't "fabulous." It won't make your mouth water or your stomach beg for more. It will, on the other hand, do its job to completion and stuff your stomach 'til you're full. If indeed that is the mission, then your best bet for starvation-reduction is 1/3rd ($5.25) or 1/2 of a pound ($5.95) of hamburger on your choice of bread or roll with fries or beans and coleslaw. Next on the list is the steak sandwich ($6.95), the Italian sausage ($5.50) or the buffalo wings, small ($5.25) or large ($6.25). Typical bar food, yes, but pretty darn good nonetheless.
Don't forget, though—Frankie Z's is a bar. You didn't come here to eat, you came here to drink. And with that in mind, every Wednesday imports are $3, including Heineken, Bass, Corona, Amstel Light, Negra Modelo, Stella Artois, Becks and Cider.
Like any good bar and restaurant, Frankie Z's has a bar side and a dining side, and for some unknown reason, there's a game of "bags" set up on the dining side. All throughout, from one side to the other, the walls are painted faint orange and speckled brown, and decorations are seasonal. For example, come Halloween and Thanksgiving, you'll see cornstalks, pumpkins, skeletons and even bubbling cauldrons full of God-knows-what covering every wall and all available shelf space. All-year-round you'll notice a vintage touch with classic antiques on display, like the 1920s cash register and the 19th-century wood stove, as well as the hanging stained-glass lamps, offset by the brand new, hi-def, widescreen televisions on either side of the bar. But hands down, our favorite thing about Frankie Z's was the music. Remember that song Butch (Bruce Willis) sings along to in Pulp Fiction after he kills Vincent Vega? You know the one—"Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain—Kaaang-a-roo." "Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers. Well, they've got it, and the rest of the soundtrack, too. It's almost enough for you to forget that there's only one person working there. Her name's Megan. Tell her hi.
Centerstage Reviewer: Benjamin Andrew Moore
