Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

Name: Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn
Address: 51 Avenue C, Apalachicola, FL, United States, 32320
Telephone: (850) 270-2150
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 3.5

3.5 (300)

$31 to $50

Southern

51 Avenue C, Apalachicola, FL 32320

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 6 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Neighborhood gem
Gluten-free-friendly

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.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Southern, Oyster Bar, American
Hours of operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 8:00 am–11:00 am Brunch Sat, Sun 8:00 am–3:00 pm Bar Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–5:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(850) 270-2150
Website
http://thefranklincafe.com/
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.

Location
51 Avenue C, Apalachicola, FL 32320
Neighborhood
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, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 300 people are saying

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

3.5

3.5 based on recent ratings

3.5Food
3.8Service
3.9Ambience
3.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offers a charming dining atmosphere with "very friendly and helpful" staff. Guests appreciate the "delicious food" and the convenience of dining options like traditional eggs Benedict and shrimp & grits. Despite some mixed reviews, it's a "great option for the area" with unique menu offerings.

300 Reviews

C
Cathy Carr
Key West / Florida Keys2 reviews
4.0
Dined on July 12, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
This was a lovely experience for my 25th wedding anniversary. Celebrating with my family. The only problem is that I had reserved a table for 10 and they sat us at a table for 14 and I did not want to be spread all out. I asked them to remove a table And that fixed the problem. Since this reservation had been made several weeks ago I feel the table should’ve been set up correctly to begin with. Other than that, everything was excellent.
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J
Joseph
Northwest Florida2 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our Server was excellent. She was very attentive and engaging.
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S
Steven
Northwest Florida4 reviews
4.0
Dined on July 10, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Honestly we expected a better food experience at Franklin Café, especially since it was highly recommended by friends. I ordered the filet, with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. The asparagus had little flavor and seemed like it was boiled vs grilled. My wife had the red fish dish. She had a similar meal the night before elsewhere and her previous dish was way better than the one at Franklin. Afterwards she realized that they forgot to add the sauce that was supposed to come on the fish, which probably accounted for why the fish was unimpressive. I think we would give Franklin Café another shot someday, but we definitely left a bit disappointed.
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w
winnie VIP
Las Vegas2 reviews
2.0
Dined on July 4, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
We went into this experience knowing there were mixed reviews, but it was the only restaurant in Apalachicola that took OpenTable reservations on July 4th. The service at the Franklin didn’t seem to be the issue, but the speed of the kitchen. We waited ages for our meal, as did the tables around us. After waiting around a half hour, the waitress told us a key piece of my husband’s meal was out, and would he like a substitute. He ordered broccoli. When our meal came another 10 minutes later, he’d received Brussels sprouts, not broccoli. It was another 10 minutes before he got his broccoli. We were already done. I ordered the fresh catch blackened. It was a piece of redfish on a plate of rice with five small Brussels sprouts. The cost was $36. This isn’t a fine dining experience, it’s just the most expensive dining in town. We had much better food at the local dives, for much less money.
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E
Ervin
Northwest Florida5 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was great, wait staff was very friendly and helpful. Look forward to our next visit
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M
Matthew VIP
Central Kentucky21 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful breakfast at Franklin Cafe at the Gibson!
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E
Edward VIP
New York City6 reviews
1.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
We never got seated despite having a reservation. Patrons did not appear to be pleased with service so we left.
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D
Dennis
Unspecified1 review
1.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
We were a group of 12, only 4 other people in place. 2/12 liked their meal (crab cakes) No one finished their meal. My steak was half well done, half medium rare, ordered medium. 100% bland other than char.
1 person found this helpful
M
Michaela
Memphis / West Tennessee7 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 30, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The food was very tasty, though they haven't changed their menu since last year and we were hoping for some variety. We enjoyed the shrimp and grits and steak. The specialty cocktails were delicious.
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N
N
Greater Boston2 reviews
3.0
Dined on May 20, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
We had stayed and dined here 3 years ago and it was a pleasant experience. We were excited to return. Our excitement turned to disappointment almost immediately. We had to push our tables together to make enough seat for 5 people. We waited 15 minutes for someone to take our drinks order. When asked which beer was on tap, our server had to go find out. We were later told, light, medium or dark. I had remembered there being a Bar Menu but this was not on offer, therefore there was nothing on the menu that appealed. I ended up with a wedge salad swimming in dressing. Others had forgettable shrimp and grits. The food was overpriced and not enjoyable. All in all it was an experience I’ll not repeat. We had planned to go for breakfast but decided against it. This is such a shame because The Gibson had held a special place in my memory.
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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 3.5 stars by 300 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 6 times today

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
Neighborhood
Apalachicola
Hours of operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 8:00 am–11:00 am Brunch Sat, Sun 8:00 am–3:00 pm Bar Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–5:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
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, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://thefranklincafe.com/
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.

Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

What 300 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn restaurant rated?

Is Franklin Café at the Gibson Inn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information