Lil' Frankie's Pizza
New York, NY 10003-9431
Phone: (212) 420-4900
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Between 1st Street and 2nd Street
- Directions:
- F, V at 2nd Ave
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 10:30am-2am, Fri-Sat 10:30am-4am
Editorial Review for Lil' Frankie's Pizza – by Katie Heffernan
The Scene
It's all in the family, and this second-born spot turned out much like its established older brother, Frank. Candlelight flickers across three spacious rooms filled with the flea market charm of framed Italian prints and yellowing photographs. Crowds of locals mull over late-evening dinners--slowed by hip service that's more fun than fine-tuned--and take in the warmth of open kitchens, or cool beneath vine-tangled ceilings in the garden room, where curtain-draped doors unlock in the summertime.
The Food
Any in-the-know East Villager will tell you it's all about the pizza. The genuine 12-inchers--cooked in a handcrafted brick oven with lava from Vesuvio--are dense and crisp, topped with gobs of mozzarella, curled-edged pepperoni and specialties like smoked ham. Fresh ingredients mark the other homemade recipes, from broad raviolis du jour to the sage-seasoned wood-roasted chicken with nicely browned but basic mashed potatoes. Conclude with a perfect tiramisu.
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Insider Tips
When to GoIf you're looking for more of a scene, try the original, Frank, just a few blocks away.
On the MenuThe long wine list has won awards, but a special Rick's Recommendations page helps anyone who's intimidated.
Save TimeDelivery reaches all of the East Village and on into the Lower East Side, until 1:45am on Sundays through Thursdays and until 3:45am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The ExtrasStay a while during slow midday hours and surf the free wireless Internet in cozy quarters.
User Reviews for Lil' Frankie's Pizza
04/07/2008 Posted by anexwaitress
I went to this restaurant this past weekend. I sat outside, it was beautiful on Saturday. I waited a good 15-20 minutes w/no service. No water, nothing. I got up to leave. A really nice bartender said I should stay because the food was really good & I thought the outside porch was just really quaint. She even came & checked on me later. Well, let's just say, I should have followed my instincts. When a waiter did finally come, I found out that someone didn't show up. I understand that it was a stressful situation for them--when someone calls out, it makes a mess of everything. In short, I arrived there before 1:30. I didn't see a waiter until almost 2:00 at that point, I had to rush thru my meal to get to my next engagement at 2:30. I wish the experience had been better, it's a cool spot. Oh, the food. The food was decent & it would have tasted better, with better service.
Pros: Nice quaint feel to the restaurant. Great outside area with heater.
Cons: Service
03/31/2008 Posted by mereditheats
Went to Lil frankies this weekend for dinner for a b-day party. We did get a good table and did not have to sit in the front which looked pretty bad since people were everywhere and it felt very crowded. The waiter was kind of rude but decent. The salads were not good. it seemed as tho there was no dressing on any of them. The spinach was great as was the pizza. The entrees were so so. We did have to ask 4 times to get water refilled for the table and it also took at least 20 minutes to get a check. All in all it was a good time, but not the best. Luckily it isnt all that expensive. Just be prepared to wait a bit on the service.
Pros: Pizza was great
Cons: service was spotty
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