Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

The service was exemplary, the Presentation was beautiful, the food was mediocre…the vibe was wonderful. The live music by Cory Hall was fun. We liked the porch with the rockers.

Great atmosphere-the cafe is located in an historic guesthouse in downtown Apalachicola and the interior is very nostalgic and inviting. I had the mini tacos with blackened shrimp and sweet potato fries and my daughter had a fried shrimp po’ boy. We also had skillet cookies a la mode and I had a parasol cocktail. All of it was excellent and I absolutely recommend this place.

Very refreshing to sit outside and enjoy their brunch this time of the year. We also enjoyed dinner at the bar and just sipping drinks on their cozy foyer. The menu and food was good and so was the bloody mary, we will definitely be back.

This place is a gem. I’m not sure why this place wasn’t packed but maybe the dinner gods were smiling down on the families with hungry toddlers. I wish I had taken pictures- it’s a lovely restaurant that has an upscale feel but we felt at home and welcome in our shorts and t-shirts. The drinks menu is delicious- fabulous cocktails. The food is reasonably priced and offers a variety of yummy eats that satisfied all eight of us. The waitstaff was super friendly and offered great suggestions on what to order.

Best fried oysters my partner ever ate in his life! Wedge salad was terrific and my red fish was flaky and yummy...service was friendly and impeccable..very professional! What a treat!

Fish tacos were good but surprisingly the steak fries were the star of the plate. Drinks were justifiably proud of themselves. Summer salad with spicy chicken was a hit with the dressing being the leading lady.

We ate at the Franklin Cafe on 10/24/2025. The best thing about our breakfast was our server Austin! He was knowledgeable, polite, and engaging. Did everything he could to make us feel welcome and to make sure we had a nice meal. Just an amazing server. Oh…the food was good too!

The new chef, Chris is fantastic! My wife and I had the pleasure of attending the chefs dinner with wine pairing and it was in incredible. Thanks you for making the change and making The Franklin Cafe wonderful again.

I guess my review is a little biased because we have only eaten here once and it was for their AYCE oysters. The staff was incredible, fun, and kind. Oysters were FRESH!

We had a wonderful dinner, the ribs eye steak was great! New chef, Chris Creamer and the staff took really good care of us! Go to check it out.

Beautiful and easily located as soon as you enter Appalachiacola is the Franklin Café. We went on the weekend between lunch and dinner, and the service was fast and thefood was pretty good. My husband said it was some of the best baked oysters he's had. The decor was slightly dated but stylish, though there was a bucket on the floor for a leak.

Definitely enjoyed The Franklin for food, drinks, service, and atmosphere. Inside the historic Gibson Inn, it is a unique, historic place and the food is good. It’s a little more lively, of course, on Fri and Sat nights.

The Creole Eggs Benedict was a delicate balance of bold flavors while maintaining a light freshness. Exactly what I needed before a long day of travel. I wish they would open before 8 am. I was waiting from 7:45 and was the first in line. After being sat, I was the last of 4 other tables to have my order taken. That is the only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5. From that point on, the service was great. Just a bit clumsy of an opening, and I wish they would open sooner.

Fries could have been a little crispier. Crabcake was thin and not much flavor when on a sandwich. Sweet potato fries were amazing

The biggest thing was that the prices and menu were not what Google posted!! There was a BIG difference in the price range!! It's no longer a 10-20 per person menu..... But, the manager on duty was AMAZING!!! She let us order an item from the Google menu (hamburger and French fries) for the price listed online!! We would have gone somewhere else had it not been for her going above and beyond like that!! They're new menu needs to be posted online soon because another couple said the same thing as us!!

I want to give this place 5 stars so badly but I cant. The ambience is absolutely beautiful, the workers there are amazing. It’s the food, for me. I’ve ordered fried shrimp (for my toddler) and chicken and waffles and tacos, I cant even remember what kind or tacos and each time I was left underwhelmed. The waffles were too hard, they hurt my gums to eat. The way the shrimp and chicken were seasoned -it was a bit too much for my toddler and the chicken was seasoned too heavily to go with the waffles for breakfast/brunch time. As for the tacos, I just remember them being these flimsy little things that when I looked at them I was like ok…. I could’ve made that. I reeeeally don’t wanna talk crap about their food. This was just my personal experience with what I’ve ordered. Maybe the rest of their menu is phenomenal. I always see large groups come here and have their little drinks outside and stuff. Truly, beautiful place and very lovely staff. I had a great time each time I’ve gone here, just didn’t enjoy my meals very much.

My husband and I stayed at The Gibson and ate at The Franklin on 9/12/25, so not during peak busy season. Despite the restaurant being practically empty, the service was slow. The waitress was slow to refill drinks and at one point a kitchen staff member brought us food that wasn’t ours. My husband asked for his steak cooked medium-rare and it was well done. The brussels sprouts were undercooked and underseasoned. My crab cakes were okay. Overall, we paid $100 for a meal that wasn’t worth $100. The next night, we visited The Owl and paid $75 for a meal that was DELICIOUS. Skip The Franklin and visit The Owl instead!!

I would rate this place as a 3.5. I got a 3 egg omlette and put smoked gouda, Applewood smoked bacon, and country ham in the omlette. I switched out the existing side for bacon. Then I ordered a Belgian Waffle a la carte. Overall I think it is worth your while to get the Breakfast Package if you are staying at the Gibson Inn.

The poboy and ceasar salad was good. The chicken sandwich was overcooked. Fun place to eat. The waitress was great! I would go back. The hotel looks fun to stay at.

3 stars is for the hostess and the ambiance… the rest was a sh@tshow. The hostess was gracious & attentive. Our food was okay. In a pinch ( Monday ) Our waitress was one of the worst I’ve ever had. And I’ve been a lot of places. She could not answer, or present menu items when asked basic questions. There were 2 of us. She ordered and served our food wrong. So,we had to wait additional time for our food. Had to ask her for refills! She never bussed a single thing off our table.Never asked if we wanted dessert. Just brought our bill. There was a male middle aged gentleman also serving. He was very good. I think this girl needs to pay attention to his skill set!! She was socializing behind the bar when we left. (not her serving area) This was 2pm The check was $41. I have owned restaurants in 2 states. She was tipped $4… never have I ever done that! Servers work hard. Not “Grace,” she needs to rethink her profession choice and her manager needs to pay attention. He was also in there. Never once paid attention to how long 1 table of 2 sat there. Normally I would have complained & addressed it then and there.But, she was so bad, I’d have been there another hour.

We walked in to the restaurant for brunch and waited about five to ten minutes to be seated. Waited another 15 and finally asked if we could get someone to take our order. (Maybe a shift change was going on from breakfast to lunch?) the waitress was pleasant and apologized for the delay and took our order. The food came out quickly and was delicious. We had to ask for the drinks from the food runner and they arrived 1/2 through the meal. The atmosphere on the deck was amazing. More supervision on the staff would make this place great. I would recommend because the food and atmosphere was great. Some of the items on the menu are not available and they need to upgrade the list. Don’t get high expectations on the service.

The food could be much better. My husband ordered the seafood pot pie, which was supposed to have fish, shrimp, scallops, and oysters. The fish and shrimp in the dish were well- cooked, but there were no oysters or scallops. Instead of a pot pie, it looked like a soup: no crust, no peas,no potatoes, no onions visible, just some shredded carrots added to what was, basically, a cream of chicken soup. The waitress had pity on my husband and brought some grilled bread to compensate for the crustless pie. My dish was more successful: The fish (snapper, maybe?) was nicely grilled on a bed of brown rice and sautéed vegetables. With one glass of house wine and the credit card surcharge, the meal was $60 (tip extra). I know prices have increased, but a pot pie should still be a pot pie. Potatoes, onion, and peas are not that expensive and should be included in anything billed as pot pie.

First, we are experienced travelers. This is our 2nd recent visit to the Frankin Café. We sat at the bar. Second, we are not hard to please. All it takes is some knowledge about what you serve, some preparation before your shift, & a bit of enthusiasm. We wanted this to be a nice cocktail hour. My wife ordered a dirty martini. Out of olives/olive juice. Bartender was not familiar with her draft beer selection & didn't know her inventory of liquor. She had 8 people at the bar & couldn't remember who ordered what. We ordered the pimento cheese app. Cheese was good. Bread was stale. As a chef, I would have been embarrassed to serve it. As the upscale bar in the area, they really need to step it up. Our first visit last fall was not much better. It's a beautiful bar in a beautiful setting. We want it to be good. Do better Gibson.

It’s a hotel restaurant and acts like it - slow/sloppy service, overly high prices, and failed attempts at serving gourmet dishes. I got oysters here and at the owl cafe and the difference in quality and experience was huge. *EDIT since I cannot reply to the 'response from owner': - I spent nearly 10 minutes sitting at the bar, waving at two different staff members who just stared at me blankly.. finally the bartender comes. No huge stress... - They were out of olive juice for martinis (multiple people asked while I was there), and lettuce for a couple of the salads. No big deal.. - The raw oysters and the oyster rockafeller were gritty. Always a disappointment. - The mignonette sauce tasted unlike any i've had before - bad. It comes with a bunch of whole peppercorns, which I guess I have to point out, cannot be eaten. Very little liquid 'sauce', which tasted bad anyway. So - slow service, mediocre food. 3 stars is reasonable for this place. I dont really care about the slow service and out of stock items - but if you're going to serve oysters in a town famous for oysters, have some standards.

Went for brunch on a Sunday afternoon. Waitress was kind and attentive. But the prices for what you got on the plate was unbelievable. $18 for two pieces of French toast (Texas toast) no sides with it at all. Didn’t even fill the plate. $19 for one waffle and two chicken strips. The atmosphere in the building is great but will definitely not be returning for the food.

30 plus minutes for our meal to be served. Over easy eggs were hard, grits were luke warm. The online menu is completely different from the restaurant. Very disappointing. Not worth $17. Or even $7.

We ate at this restaurant because we were staying at the Gibson inn. The atmosphere looked appealing and the online menu had some good options. However, the menu in person was very limited. The food was subpar at best and very overpriced for what is served. There wasn’t even a side of bacon or sausage which is a stable for a breakfast. They ran out of coffee which is a wild concept for a place that serves breakfast. Staff was kind and attentive, however the overall experience would not bring me back.

We thought it was the perfect place to take my sister for her 40th birthday…. Wow were we wrong . We had 9 women in our party and wanted it to be a night to remember. The food was good all except one steak came out raw . We nicely asked our waitress to please cook it to medium well. Long after we had finished dinner and waiting on our checks she brings back a completely burnt inedible steak. We nicely asked to speak to the manager and she refused to comp our one meal and was very rude saying we should pay for the mashed potatoes. It was completely ridiculous and caused a scene in front of everyone in the restaurant. It doesn’t matter how good the food is when your staff treats others the way this staff did, no one will remember the food . We will never go back and we will never recommend this restaurant to anyone. The owners should be more aware of their staff.

Comically bad experience! Inexperienced staff with no assistance from management or other staff members. The bar staff was not knowledgeable and rude. Once the food finally arrived, we were missing one persons meal, and several others were wrong. What was described on the menu was not what was on our plates. The fresh catch was described as served with Beurre Blanc Sauce, lemon Thyme Basmati Rice, we were served plain white rice. The tenderloin came in a sauce and Demi glaze, it was served plain. And to top it off we were served French fries as the “chefs choice vegetable.” The list could go on but there is a lot of work that needs to be done to bring this restaurant into a desirable place to eat. The atmosphere was the only positive we had.

My husband, friend and I just had “brunch” at the Franklin Cafe. It was horrible!!!! Took 40 minutes to get our cold/luke warm food. The sausage gravy did not even cover our biscuits. My husband ordered eggs over easy and they were fried so long the yellow was not runny at all. They were out of bacon!!!! Out of pimento cheese poppers. The room was not overly crowded. The hostess/manager would not even make eye contact with us. Our waitress did the best she could. I spoke with other patrons in the main lobby and they all felt the same way. I was very much looking forward to my Sunday morning breakfast but we will mark the Franklin Cafe off our list!!!! Pam Walton

We have enjoyed our visits to the Gibson Inn and meals at the Franklin Cafe for a decade now. Unfortunately we stopped by for lunch the other day and were very disappointed. No one was in the cafe besides my husband and myself, and five staff members wandering around. It took thirty minutes plus to get half a dozen oysters and a burger. Good thing they were raw oysters, the medium rare burger was shoe leather. The waitress offered nothing. Very sad. We will not be coming back. 😢💔

I don’t know what happened to Franklin Cafe, but this place has completely fallen apart. It used to be a neighborhood gem — warm atmosphere, good food, and a spot you could count on. Now it’s just a sad shell of what it once was. The servers are consistently rude, dismissive, and act like you’re bothering them by simply being there. The chef clearly doesn’t care anymore — dishes come out bland, overcooked, and sometimes even cold, which is honestly comical for a place that once prided itself on quality. And the management? Nonexistent. It’s like nobody is steering the ship, and the staff just do whatever they want. What was once one of my favorite go-to places has become a frustrating, disappointing mess. Save yourself the time and money — Franklin Cafe is no longer worth it.

After a long day on the road, we went downstairs to eat at the hotel restaurant. At a historic inn with $300,- rooms, one would expect excellent dishes and service. Our experience was with a reluctant server, who had to return telling us that they didn't have both wines we picked (out of only 8 whites they offer). Then they weren't any help as we tried to cobble together a vegetarian meal as none was offered. We first tried the Flounder's side dishes, but, alas, she came back with the same message, they didn't have it. Then I ordered the sides: lemon thyme rice, roasted asparagus and brussels sprouts - and asked if the chef could maybe tie it together with an egg or something. Poor naive me, of course there was no chef, just a microwave. So the dish was plain dry rice topped with asparagus and broccoli (not sure what happened to the sprouts). My friends wasn't impressed either with her crab cakes. Not sure why we ordered a key lime pie for dessert. The saddest, frostbitten, sideways sagging lump of a pie came out. It tasted soggy and sugery. What a horrible experience. The locals know, as we saw the place utterly deserted on a elsewhere bustling Friday night and on Saturday.

Breakfast took 40 minutes to make, my husband ordered 2 eggs over easy and the were over hard, with cold grits. I had toast that wasn't toasted, cold rosemary potatoes, my eggs were as ordered. Our server never checked on us and another server filled out coffee. There was two tables inside and two outside including us and everyone who came in after us was served quickly. So disappointed!! They need to step it up

Very pretty building, but we won’t be returning based on the food and management. Food was overpriced for the quality and quantity. For example, the crab stuffed Flounder dinner had less than 4 bites of Flounder, and the crab had a very odd taste. They were also out of many things and didn’t tell us until after we ordered and waited for it. We also got conflicting information about the specials and sides.

The Service we got was not very good. It was for my birthday. There were nine of us all ordered off the menu. She did not know the food or what was in the food when it came to us. My food was delicious. I got the crabcakes but we had bad experience with the fillet that came out burnt and chard and management would not even take care of our bill for that one steak. They said they would only give us 20% off and we also waited over an hour to get our checks and to check out, we were already done eating by the time they brought out my nieces fillet. I will also be emailing the hotel. I have been a server for over 10 years and I have never been treated that way nor would I treat any guest the way we were treated.. we will not be back..

The food was pretty decent, but we had to yell for the waiter to order our drinks after he walked past us for 15 mins. We tried giving the benefit of doubt, but he waited on one table hand and foot. Once we ordered, the food took forever (not complaining about that really though). The waiter never came back to check on our empty drinks. My boyfriend then went inside to get our check since the guy continued to ignore us.. After 15 more mins the waiter had not come back. I had to go inside and tell the manager that we had waited 30 mins for our bill and not received it yet. The manager was nice and handled it. We finally were able to pay and leave after waiting 30+ minutes to get our check. The waiter was terrible and we would have to yell across the porch to get his attention since he literally forgot about us our entire time there. I would not recommend. This was the worst service I ever had.

I was shocked at the poor meal I was served for their Brunch on Saturday. I ordered the "Classic" Eggs Benedict which was far from classic. The eggs came hard boiled and had a thin slice of deli ham pretending to be Canadian Bacon with a English muffin hardly toasted, the menu said Rosemary Potatoes (which I have had before 👍) and instead I was served some kind of frozen Tater Tots from a 5 gal bag)... no garnish, no strawberry, not even a slice of... orange! What ever management did in the kitchen, there should very quickly undo because it is ruining your reputation. This is only about the 4th or 5th review I have ever submitted ever, but my $20 meal was that bad I had to let someone know. I would have let the wait person know but she never asked nor did I see her during the meal...when she brought the bill our water glasses were empty.

Don't ignore the bad reviews like we did. We're in the service industry ourselves, so we understand how nit picky customers can be when writing reviews, which is why we chose to ignore them and come here anyway. This was a mistake. Everything about this place is awful. I'm not posting this to be ugly, I'm posting it as a service to others so that they don't waste their time/money and can choose a decent place instead. Edit in response to the director's response to the original review: As stated, my purpose for posting the review was to help potential customers and new visitors to the area who are choosing a place to eat. Not to help the business improve. But I can provide a few specifics since you have asked. For one, even though the cups were disposable (which is perfectly fine), they were still somehow really dirty. Took forever to even get a water even though the place was dead. Food came out cold and tasted like cafeteria food. The service was the worst part. But despite it being the worst service I've probably ever had, like I said I'm a hospitality worker so I don't feel right sharing those details to their boss or on google. My goal is not to have anyone reprimanded. Just to leave a review that is helpful to the public.

Very disappointing experience… My husband, daughter, son-in-law, and our two year old grandson decided to try The Franklin Cafe. We were the only guests and after we were brought our coffee and soda and she took our order, we were never checked on again. We never received any coffee or soda refills and after 45 minutes waiting, we were ready to pay for our drinks and leave. During that time, two other couples walked in and they also did not get any attention. When our food arrived almost an hour later, she left without giving us any silverware or napkins. My son in law took them from another table. My husband also did not receive his toast. Our waitress came back once and he asked for his toast. The sausages looked like hockey pucks and the caesar wrap had no caesar dressing on it. Our bills totaled over $100 which I would have been happy to pay if we had good food or service- we had neither of the two. We paid our bill but did not leave a tip which we have never done. Will not be returning.