Julie Barnes-Ward finds she is a converted hamburger fan I REMEMBER when a new steak restaurant opened on Wellingborough Road back in 2011 and I enjoyed a number of visits to Franks Steakhouse, not only because of the food, but because it offered Northampton something a little bit different. It was a trend that continued throughout the Franks brand. Four years later, with another two restaurants, a butchers, a pub and a number of outside catering facilities and contracts under his belt, owner Tom Hewer has just opened a fourth restaurant, this time in the market town of Towcester.
Julie Barnes-Ward finds she is a converted hamburger fan I REMEMBER when a new steak restaurant opened on Wellingborough Road back in 2011 and I enjoyed a number of visits to Franks Steakhouse, not only because of the food, but because it offered Northampton something a little bit different. It was a trend that continued throughout the Franks brand. Four years later, with another two restaurants, a butchers, a pub and a number of outside catering facilities and contracts under his belt, owner Tom Hewer has just opened a fourth restaurant, this time in the market town of Towcester. Not being a great lover of fast food, I can count the number of times on one hand that I took my son to fast food restaurants as he was growing up. However, now he’s a teenager, and with a taste for a variety of foods I agreed to visit Franks Hamburger House in Billing when it opened a couple of years ago. Well, I may not have been a hamburger lover before I walked in the door but I certainly was when I walked out. I can’t enthuse enough about the food. Needless to say, Franks became a firm family favourite. Unfortunately, my new-found discovery of Franks and my favourite Commonn burger, with Swiss cheese and smoked bacon with salsa, came to abrupt end when my son started working at Franks’ Billing branch and informed me it wasn’t cool to eat in the restaurant where you work and it was even less cool to eat in the restaurant where you work – with your Mum! So, having become a Franks fan I was delighted when asked to visit the new restaurant, which opened two months ago on Watling Street in Towcester. We were welcomed to the new restaurant by manager Paul, who, along with his attentive staff, looked after us throughout our visit. From the original steakhouse to the latest hamburger house, Franks has perfected the brand over the years, which was reflected in the well-run operation. My dining partner George commented on how well the branding, interior and exterior, works, describing it as having a modern rustic feel, with its bench seats and wooden tables. For me, although you obviously want to enjoy the food, the surroundings are really important and the ambiance created is one which is relaxing and conducive to a good evening out. When I booked the table for seven o’clock Paul explained they had quite a few bookings and it was likely to be busy, so we decided to arrive a little early. It’s a very welcoming feel as you enter the restaurant, with the staff are behind a rather impressive bar. We were welcomed immediately and didn’t have to go searching for someone (how irritating that can be) Although there were other diners, the restaurant wasn’t overly busy and Paul offered us the choice of a table in the main area of the restaurant or a table sited on its own with a view of Towcester High Street and the Town Hall. We opted for the latter, a good opportunity to watch the world go by. Despite it being relatively quiet when we arrived within the following hour it became very busy and soon, unless bookings had been made, people were being turned away or asked to call back a little later. So, down to the menu, not an easy choice! There were 10 starters, of which I could have chosen any, very unusual for me as anyone who has dined out with me will know, I can be a little picky at times. My work colleague, Ben, who regularly eats with his family at the Billing restaurant, highly recommended the eggs-traordinary – homemade scotch egg and red onion chutney priced at £4.50, so we were tempted, but decided to chose a starter to share – Campbellbert, baked Camembert with red onion chutney and ciabatta, priced at £9. We both said we could have sat and ate it all night, we loved it. The only downside was it then prompted a discussion about the time we discovered and became obsessed with eating Camembert on holiday, our memories did not serve us well, we couldn’t remember the holiday, but we did spend a fair proportion of the evening trying to, so at least our Camembert prompted a little holiday reminiscing! Franks offers a comprehensive menu, admittedly the majority of dishes available are a wide selection of hamburgers, but there are other dishes to choose from, which include vegetarian options. One of the important points to note is that Franks believes in keeping business local and wherever possible buys produce from local suppliers within Northamptonshire, including its meat, vegetable, ice cream and even beverages, some of which are sourced from local breweries. Being a creature of habit, I do tend to have my favourites and don’t like to deviate from them. However, I made an executive decision, I took a brave step and decided to order something I had not had before – so no onion rings or Commonn burger for me. For the main course, George opted for the Commonn and I ventured into new territory – how very daring – and chose the Middletons burger with Stilton, bacon and onion rings and it paid to try something new, it really was delicious. Having been unable to finish my meal the first couple of times I visited Franks I now opt for a Little Frank – a smaller burger and bun, which costs £2 less. If you have a particularly healthy appetite, however, you can order a double-decker which costs £4 extra. Hamburgers start at £6.50 for the plain 6 oz Franks burger through to the Express Lift Tower at £14, which is a double burger with cheddar and bacon. There is a real local feel to the menu, which includes the following burgers – the Carlsburger, Steelback, Middleton, Express Lift Tower, the Guildhall Fundamental and the Commonn (named after a footwear and clothing store in Northampton). Although we were certainly tempted by the desserts we decided to give it a miss, I think we had over done it slightly on the Camembert, so we rounded off what was a lovely evening with a latte.