Date 3: Frankie I's Bar and Grille....The Great Local Food Tour 2020

We were roaring and ready for our next restaurant, having scoped it out by driving by and checking info online beforehand. Frankie I's!

Frankie I's Bar and Grill is the next in our lineup along Rt 19 in Washington and is located at 1180 Mapleview Dr Washington, Pennsylvania 15301

So, how did our first experience here go? Read all about it! 

We were seated in a requested cozy booth to the left of the stage where it would be a little quieter, away from the bar. This is a hopping place for people to hang out, watch sports on the numerous tv's or catch a show later at night so we knew there would be some noise, but it was at a level that we could hear each other speak so I give that a thumbs up! 

The stage is a nice size and would definitely bring in a music loving crowd. We were here hours before the show so we just caught them setting up towards the tail end of our dinner. The bar area is large and sits nicely, just the right amount of space away from the tables and booths, even those along the side of it for those who don't prefer being seated near standers. 

Jessica B served us with a smile, had a friendly table side manner and was right on spot for drink refills and check-ins. 

In our "Great Local Food Tour" style, we ordered 3 dishes; an appetizer and 2 sandwiches to split. 

First Dish...Nachos. 

We do love a great nacho platter and Frank came through on this one! One person could easily fill up on this yummy appetizer. Freshly Made Tortilla Chips Topped with Three Cheeses, Lettuce and Jalapenos. Served with Homemade Pico De Gallo and Sour Cream. All of the tastes in all the right places of each and every bite! You can also add beef or chicken for an added fee, but we wanted to save room for our other dishes and were afraid of getting too filled.

Second Dish...Frankie I's Signature Sandwich

I have to admit that when I see the word "Signature" I want it! My curiosity gets me every time when finding out what specific food makes ones "signature" list. In this case, we have a sandwich that has a kick....in 2 different places! I can only describe this sandwich as being similar to a pork barbecue except with fresh shaved sirloin on a hoagie bun and a lot of yipe in the spice department! This is due to it being marinated in Frankie's Secret Marinade. It is stacked high on a Fresh Mancini Roll and then topped with yet "another" Secret Sauce Recipe. I am not a spice person at all so having the lettuce and tomato really toned it down where I needed which put a smile on my face :) There is also onion included with the garnish pieces. My husband was not a huge fan of the aftertaste of the sauces, but I actually did like it. We chose the fries instead of the homemade chips on this dish and really liked them a lot. The only complaint I have about this dish was that we were charged for that cup of ranch you see sitting next to the fries. A small gesture can go a long way and to see it charged on our bill afterward was a disappointment. 

Third Dish...Small Fish Sandwich

I was really surprised at the size of this sandwich for being a small...still a nice size (1/2 lb). I tasted the homemade tartar sauce on my fork before putting it on the sandwich and will say that the sauce is Amazing! The fish is hand battered cod, deep fried to a crisp golden brown. The fish had some crunch and flaked well, but had just a little bit of sog beyond my taste (maybe it sat a little longer in liquid when hand battering today) If I had put all of the tartar sauce on the sandwich, I think it may have had a better taste, but I wanted to try to taste evenly so I only put on a little. Have heard a lot of good reviews on this sandwich so maybe it was a fluke today. Since we did the fry choice with the Signature Sandwich, we went with the homemade chips on this dish. Oh-My-YUMMM....So good! 

Our sandwiches...dish 2 and 3, came out very close to our appetizer when we hadn't even made it halfway through which the server apologized for and we appreciated her saying so.

Being parents, we always look for a nice kid's menu which was provided. Each main dish choice comes with fries or chips and a soft drink for $4.99. I love any place where the drink is included! They also have a very nice happy hour menu. 

As for the restaurant atmosphere, I think it went right along with what they were aiming. Sports decor designs near large tv's, booths and tables suitable for small or large parties, bar, stage and patio seating in warm weather. 

Read all about them here: http://www.frankieis.com/about-us

Check out their menu options here: http://www.frankieis.com/menu.php

Like their FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/fibg26/

A few snags with us for our first time here, but overall...a good experience. We give it 4 out of 5 stars. 

See you on Date 4! 

Date 2: Bacon, Bourbon and Beer...The Great Local Food Tour 2020

So much for doing every other week on our tour. We were so excited about our next place that we decided to go on Date 2 one week after Date 1! Of course, spreading it out is the plan since we usually do date night every other week so you won't see 2 weeks in a row often.

The next restaurant in a row on Rt 19 falls in the same plaza as Napoli, which was the first stop on our tour. This one is nestled right in the middle, but is in no way hidden as it is a happening place! It is located at 1000 Park Place Dr. in Washington, PA.

If you go to this establishment on a Saturday night at dinner time, definitely plan on a wait, but well worth it. Since there was only 2 of us, we were given a 20-30 minute wait time, but it only ended up being about 10 minutes. Our table was just left of the bar and the pathway to the restroom so there was a lot of traffic near us throughout our dinner. We did stand and move our table over just a bit as there were some standers near the bar and it was hard for anyone trying to get to the restroom to squeeze past our table. 

The restaurant is loud so if noise is not your cup of tea, it may not be the best choice, but with noise comes a lot of conversation with your party (instead of staring at a phone) and happy faces. A great place to just kick back! 

We went just a little above our $30 budget to try 3 different dishes and were not disappointed. 

We ordered a salad, side and burger, but asked them to be brought out all at the same time. As we waited, we enjoyed a nice chilled bottle of water that was poured for us and placed on our table to refill. Very nice touch! We chose to drink water to keep under budget and just asked for lemon for some flavor. Our server Suzanne was very friendly. She was very busy as the restaurant was hopping, but made sure to check in on how our dinners tasted and how everything was. 

First dish: House Salad

Feta Cheese, Pecans, Tomatoes, Picked Red Onion and Bourbon Soaked Rendered Bacon. I was so excited about this dish!! Due to trying to remain on budget, we did not order an actual glass of bourbon, but were able to catch a taste of it in this crumbled bacon. This was a nice size salad. The house dressing was a vinaigrette which added a lovely sour note. The pickled onion had some mid-sour added to the sweetness of the pecans and voila! An amazing salad!  

Second Dish: B3 Macaroni & Cheese w/Bacon

I am not a fan of overly cheesy mac and cheese and this dish is spot on for what I like!!! Very subtle cheesy mac with some added cheese shreds on top along with bacon. So good! 

Third Dish: The B3

Ok. When I saw that they had a burger named after the establishment, I knew I had to have it! This burger is piled high (and I mean high) with Pulled Bacon, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Bacon Jam, Arugula, Tomatoes, Red Onion, White Cheddar, BBQ Sauce, Thick Onion Rings and topped with a Fried Pickle! We had the pickle on the side first. A nice garlic flavor and then munched on some fries....very good! When we were ready to tackle this beast, we tried the fried pickle first. Batter is amazing! Sliced the burger down the center and kept the skewers in as we ate as this is a BIG Bite! 

Can you say A-M-A-Z-I-N-G...well, we had to wait because our mouths were full of this goodness, but the word came shortly thereafter! 

As for the restaurant atmosphere...the design went right along with the name. Natural wood elements, concrete floors, skinny water glasses, bumpy metal design plates. Everything just flowed....

The bar area had a gorgeous lit bourbon bottle background and there were tv's in all areas to catch a game or 2. Bathrooms were clean and matched the restaurant design. 

Read their story here: https://observer-reporter.com/business/serving-up-the-b-s-washington-native-launches-bacon-bourbon/article_bc39b47b-daf2-532f-ae74-52710af48009.html

Check out their website for menu options: http://www.baconbourbonandbeer.com/

Be sure to like their FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/BaconBourbonBeer/

If you are a WV friend, there is also a location in Morgantown! 368 Suncrest Town Center Drive 

We recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves a really great burger! 5 stars! 

We will be back! 

See you on Date 3!