Guatelmalan for the Rest of Us (Frankye's Restaurante)
Frankye’s Restaurante, 1500 S. Clinton Avenue, Trenton (609) 777-5337
(Directions)
Frankye’s is a clean, nearly-charming restaurant on the edge of Chambersburg with first rate Guatemalan food. The dining room tables are covered by white table cloths, and the floor sparkles. Yes, there is a large screen TV in the dining room, but the day I was there, the sound was mercifully off.
The food I sampled was excellent, and the menu is extensive with a broad range of both meat and seafood dishes. I loved my Carne Adobada, grilled pork prepared with a dry spice rub. The meat was perfectly cooked – spicy, tender, and still moist. It came with hand made tortillas, a small scoop of black bean paste, rice, and chimol, a smoky-tasting salsa made from tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. My dish originally came with a tiny plastic cup of the chimol. When I finished this, and asked for more, my waitress brought a much larger bowl, which I proceeded to devour.
Prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food and service, though a little more expensive than some of Trenton’s legendary Guatemalan dives (e.g. Taqueria El Mariachi). There’s a full bar, so you don’t need to (or can’t, depending on your perspective) byob.
Frankye’s has a lot of competition in Trenton, so why does it rate inclusion here?
- Food quality is definitely a cut above even the better Guatemalan restaurants in town. By pricing their food slightly higher, Frankye’s can afford to serve better cuts of meat, and this translates to a better meal.
- The dining room is much more pleasant than most. It’s clean, comfortable, and nicely decorated. You can take your mom there without worrying about it.
- The menu is much more extensive than most, with dishes you won’t find elsewhere, including an extensive seafood selection.
Also, apparently, late-night on Saturdays, there’s quite a dance scene.
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Guatelinda is also a great Guatemalan place – 1234 S. Clinton. Terrific food, byob and inexpensive.
Update – we’ve now been to Frankye’s with a group of friends. Frankye’s food was good overall, but a bit pricey. Their flan is good though. And they have one appetizer that is really killer – some dumpling like thing with pork.
But we greatly prefer Guatelinda – which is only 2-3 blocks away. The food is better and prices are substantially less. The Cerdo Carne Adobada (marinated pork) is wonderful … mmmmm. It’s served (like all their dishes) with a huge portion of rice, beans, and some salad.