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Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn, Apalachicola, FL

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

4.2
4.2
256 Reviews
$31 to $50
Regional American (Southern)

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 2 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Great for outdoor dining
Briny catches from surrounding waters, craft cocktails, and OCBC brews from our hometown brewery. At the Franklin Café and Parlor Bar, we source fresh and serve simply—honoring the spirit and traditions of the Gibson Inn’s original Franklin Café, which opened in 1907. We invite you to drop in for a Southern-style breakfast, lunch or dinner on the porch, or a Happy Hour toast, as we turn the tide on all-day dining in Apalachicola.

Open Daily for Breakfast 8am-11am, Lunch 11am-5pm, and Dinner 5pm-9pm. Weekend Brunch every Saturday and Sunday! Daily Happy Hour from 3pm-5pm.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Regional American (Southern), Oyster Bar, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 08:00–11:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 08:00–15:00 Bar Daily 11:00–21:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–17:00 Happy Hour Daily 15:00–17:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (850) 270-2150
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Edward Reese
  • Private party facilities
    The Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers an unparalleled setting for private events. We cater to both small parties and large groups who wish to take over the dining room, parlor bar and/or hotel.Whether your plans include a private dinner, wedding reception or family reunion, email Events@GibsonInn.com for more information.
  • Area
    Apalachicola
  • Cross Street
    Avenue C and Market Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Thanksgiving Buffet at the Franklin Café

    US$20.00 - US$65.00 per person

    28 Nov 2024 only
    Join us with friends and family to give thanks in a historic setting at the Gibson Inn. Enjoy all your classic Thanksgiving Mains & Sides, plus a local Seafood Display and Roast Beef Carving Station. Thanksgiving Buffet Hours: 11am-4:30pm Reservations Required. Pricing: $65 per adult / $20 per child
    Thanksgiving Buffet at the Franklin Café photo

What 256 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.6Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Northwest Florida

    Great for brunch

  • Northwest Florida

    Healthy

  • Northwest Florida

    Great for outdoor dining

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers a "delicious" culinary experience with a "historic and charming" atmosphere. Guests praise the "amazing" service and generous portions. Outdoor dining on the porch is a highlight, and it's a "must visit" in Apalachicola. Occasional service delays are noted, but the overall experience is worthwhile.

256 Reviews
  1. Michael

    Atlanta Metro

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on 18 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had two great dining experiences. Our server, Danitza, was wonderful.

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  2. Stacia

    Nashville

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 11 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    We’ve been dining here annually for years, and the experience is always the same; good food but sorely lacking in service. They are always understaffed; 2-3 servers trying to manage the dining room & porch seating. Make a reservation, they’ll greet you 4x & seat you 15 mins late. 30 mins later, everyone will finally have their drinks. Food trickles out; missing items; overcharging on a corrected bill… we usually spend $400 with tip for 4 people; you simply can’t charge that much & continue to leave your guests waiting on everything, every year.

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Tallahassee

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 21 July 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    Decor is depressing. Food is dull and very overpriced. Will not eat here again.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Fayetteville

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 21 July 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The downer was after reading about the FABULOUS FRANKLIN online AND making sure they were open Sundays - WOW we see YES they are open and will serve brunch ! We were excited especially when we saw BLOODY MARYS were $10 and BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS $25. I made reservations and we looked forward! When the day arrived we made our way over from our AIRBNB and ordered. My husband enjoyed his breakfast very much. I liked my LOX but wished it came with onions and capers RIGHT?! But ok outside of the bagel being slightly burned I enjoyed the salmon and creamed cheese. Then the check arrived… BLOODY MARY DEFINITELY NOT $10 and no such luck on the ‘BOTTOMLESS’ mimosas! I had run nearly $40 in orange juice with a splash of champagne. We called our sweet waitress over and she went to ask a manager. She returned to inform us that they no longer offer those specials. Even though they still proudly advertise these prices. Not the best experience. We had planned on seeing a little more of the historic hotel and parlor bar but left after brunch (?) feeling a bit down. We had seen a spot about the GIBSON on the TODAY SHOW a couple years earlier. Two years of anticipation shouldn’t be ruined over a few dollars but it just wasn’t good …

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  5. VickiF

    Little Rock

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 13 July 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was really good. Food was good but some of our parties food was only luke warm which was sad cause it’s pretty pricey.

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  6. ElaineC

    E. Tennessee

    16 reviews

    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on 10 July 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The waitress was wonderful and very attentive. The food was delicious and servings were generous.

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    Tallahassee

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 5 July 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Overall a very good experience. Had raw oysters…fresh tasting and served with the correct sides. Caesar salad was crisp and dressing had the correct balance. Hanger steak (Steak Frittes) was lean and cooked to correct temp (mid rare). Samantha was our server and she admitted it was her first shift at this restaurant. She did a wonderful job, attentive and engaging.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    Atlanta Metro

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 4 July 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Arrived at 7pm sharp for my 7pm reservation and was told reservations were running behind and it would be 20 mins. We were finally seated at 8pm. They obviously cared more about the walk-ins than the people with reservations because another family experienced the same delay and shared their frustration. We ordered our food at 8:15 and it didn’t arrive till 9pm. Our waitress was nice enough, and although she is not in charge of food preparations, she could have been a better communicator about the kitchen delay. It was an exhausting experience. We were compensated a few drink vouchers for the inconvenience.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Orlando

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 1 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best restaurant in Apalachicola. The food is very good, the people are so nice and the ambiance is quiet and friendly.

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  10. LenB

    Alabama

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 29 June 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Server had no knowledge of the oysters on the menu in a town called Oyster City. The catch of the day was not fresh or local. The server let the drinks sit on the bar until the ice melted. I heard that the owner wants to focus only on tourists since they are willing to pay tourist prices and have lower standards since tourists are one-time customers. Anyway, the poor service ruined my wife’s birthday celebration because we left after the melted drinks. Got pizza across the street.

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FAQs

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (850) 270-2150.

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn is rated 4.2 stars by 256 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 2 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

51 Avenue C, Apalachicola, FL 32320

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Avenue C and Market Street
  • Area
    Apalachicola
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 08:00–11:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 08:00–15:00 Bar Daily 11:00–21:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–17:00 Happy Hour Daily 15:00–17:00 Dinner Daily 17:00–21:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Regional American (Southern), Oyster Bar, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Edward Reese
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (850) 270-2150
  • Private party facilities
    The Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers an unparalleled setting for private events. We cater to both small parties and large groups who wish to take over the dining room, parlor bar and/or hotel.Whether your plans include a private dinner, wedding reception or family reunion, email Events@GibsonInn.com for more information.
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