Franklin Cape Ann

My wife and I dropped in early for dinner on a Tuesday night, and were lucky to get a table. (Make reservations.) The main room is smallish, but even when it was busy, it wasn't super noisy. In fact, there was live music - a jazz duo of string bass and clarinet - that was amazing. I had their special Manhattan, which was good but not to my liking. We split the arugula salad, which was tasty. I loved the morsel of fried goat cheese. We also split a bowl if the fish chowder, which was delicious. The fish chunks were substantial, and the over all flavor was subtle, with a touch of heat (maybe white pepper?). I would order this. For dinner, my wife ordered the pan seared cod, which was concealed between a generous portion of mashed potatoes and a pile of oyster mushrooms on top. The mushrooms were especially good, and basically stole the show (over the cod). I had the hanger steak and truffle fries. Id probably swap the fries for a different side, but the steak itself was delicious. It had substantial bark/sear and was still very tender. All in all, we had a great meal. The food was delicious ans the vibe was awesome.

My wife and I dropped in early for dinner on a Tuesday night, and were lucky to get a table. (Make reservations.) The main room is smallish, but even when it was busy, it wasn't super noisy. In fact, there was live music - a jazz duo of string bass and clarinet - that was amazing. I had their special Manhattan, which was good but not to my liking. We split the arugula salad, which was tasty. I loved the morsel of fried goat cheese. We also split a bowl if the fish chowder, which was delicious. The fish chunks were substantial, and the over all flavor was subtle, with a touch of heat (maybe white pepper?). I would order this. For dinner, my wife ordered the pan seared cod, which was concealed between a generous portion of mashed potatoes and a pile of oyster mushrooms on top. The mushrooms were especially good, and basically stole the show (over the cod). I had the hanger steak and truffle fries. Id probably swap the fries for a different side, but the steak itself was delicious. It had substantial bark/sear and was still very tender. All in all, we had a great meal. The food was delicious ans the vibe was awesome.

We arrived in Gloucester after a long drive from nyc on a friday evening, absolutely starving and looking for dinner around 9pm. Most restaurants had already closed for the night, and we were about ready to give up when we thankfully found Franklin Cape Ann. This small, cozy restaurant welcomed us even at that late hour. At first they brought out fresh bread before our appetizer, which was very nice. The grilled octopus was excellent. I had the pasta of the day with perfectly cooked shrimp. My dad got the sautéed mussels, and my brother went for the fresh ground sirloin burger with fries. Everything was perfect and delicious. So happy we found this place - it really saved the night!

We arrived in Gloucester after a long drive from nyc on a friday evening, absolutely starving and looking for dinner around 9pm. Most restaurants had already closed for the night, and we were about ready to give up when we thankfully found Franklin Cape Ann. This small, cozy restaurant welcomed us even at that late hour. At first they brought out fresh bread before our appetizer, which was very nice. The grilled octopus was excellent. I had the pasta of the day with perfectly cooked shrimp. My dad got the sautéed mussels, and my brother went for the fresh ground sirloin burger with fries. Everything was perfect and delicious. So happy we found this place - it really saved the night!

We hosted our company Christmas dinner at Franklin Cape Ann in Gloucester, and it was absolutely outstanding. Our group of 21 arrived at different times, yet the staff handled everything with such grace and professionalism that the evening felt effortless. We pre-ordered several appetizers to be on the table right at 6, and they were not only perfectly timed but incredibly delicious—an ideal start to the night. Everyone was able to order their own drinks, entrées, and desserts from the menu, and every dish that came out was exceptional. From the first bite of the appetizers to the last spoonful of dessert, the food was consistently flavorful, beautifully prepared, and generously portioned. Our waitress deserves special praise. She was attentive without ever feeling intrusive, quick with refills and requests, and impressively organized given the size of our group. Her warm, upbeat energy added so much to the experience. Franklin Cape Ann delivered a seamless, memorable evening for our entire team. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to celebrate the holidays, and we’ll absolutely be back. Highly recommended!