The deal is on!
Buying a hot dog is like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, only every choice ends in a delectable slather of condiments instead of a rampaging dinosaur or a chute of deadly whitewater anteaters. Today's Groupon takes you on a journey into the heart of flavor: $10 for $20 worth of artisan sausage and creative drinks at Frank.
Frank's professional sausage stylists enliven the casual downtown restaurant with gourmet makeovers for the humble and plainspoken hot dog. The Jackalope, with antelope, rabbit, and pork smothered in huckleberry compote, sriracha aioli, and applewood-smoked cheddar ($7) shares the culinary salon with the Carolina Pork It, a Vienna dog stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, deep fried, and topped with grilled coleslaw and green-chile pimento cheese ($6). Meataphobes can switch out any standard dog for a veggie dog ($0.25 extra) and top their soy delight with veggie chili ($1 extra). Traditional bar-food sides round out the quirk of curry and sage sausages. Waffle-fry nachos come pinned down to the plate with cheese, refried beans, sour cream, and salsa ($7), while a cup of baked beans ($2.50) closes the savory, pork-based circle.
A dozen-odd whimisical cocktails and some 30 beers from Texas, Colorado, Washington, Mexico, and Europe complement the creativity of Frank's cuisine. Start your day off right with the Red-Headed Stranger, a mix of bacon, cheddar cheese, Bloody Mary mix, and bacon-infused vodka ($8), or cap a summer's eve with the rummy root beer, punched up with Charbay vanilla rum, Mexican vanilla ice cream, and draught root beer (also $8). Frank even carries gluten-free beer ($5 a bottle) for those seeking a softer slap.
Frank serves up brunchtime treats such as the Texas benedict, a cheddar biscuit with eggs and jalapeno hollandaise buried in a mound of pulled pork ($9.75), and its own version of bierock, a German pocket pastry stuffed with combinations like cherry and mascarpone cheese or Elvis-style with banana, peanut butter, and bacon ($2.50 each). It also offers lunchtime delivery and a limited late-night menu for moonlit escapades.
Breakfast is from 8 a.m.–11 a.m. every day; brunch is Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Lunch and dinner are served 11 a.m.–10 p.m., then the late-night menu takes over until 2 a.m. (Thursday–Saturday only). If you're looking to hone your encased-meat trivia skills, Frank and friends blog and tweet philosophic about the meaning of the hot dog and the finer nuances of sausage.
Valid in Frank's restaurant only; cannot be used toward grocery items.
Reviews
The Austin Food Journal focuses on Frank's execution of perfectly fine-tuned hot doggers, the Downtown Austin Blog says it's delightful, and the Austin Budget Recreation Examiner and American-Statesman admit their love:
- Granted, the menu pretty much only consists of hot dogs, fries, and beer, but I have to say the specificity doesn’t turn me off one bit. Pick what you do and do it well. I ordered a veggie dog with slaw and my friend Zeke had the Jackelope [sic] and we shared a side of corn and fries and were just as happy as can be. – Amber Gugino, Downtown Austin Blog
More than 160 Yelpers give Frank four stars, five Citysearchers give 4.5, and 86% of Urbanspooners like it:
- I always get the Vienna Beef and "Pork-It" which means wrap it in bacon and deep fry it. Good stuff. – iEatAtTheBar, Urbanspoon
- Frank is fabulous. Had the waffle fry poutine appetizer. Canadian style brown gravy and cheese curds over waffle fries. Sounds gross. Tastes yummy. Tried their signature Jackalope sausage. That's antelope and rabbit sausage with huckleberry compote and sriracha aoli [sic]. It was delicious… – Coyote, Urbanspoon
- The atmosphere is cool without trying to be overly hip or precious. I always say I'm going to branch out but the beer soaked brat keeps calling me back. – atxsmith12, Citysearch
Groupon Says
Dating Tips for First Daters
Frank is a great spot for a casual first date. It's natural to be nervous when sharing a romantic evening with someone new, so to help you play it cool, here are some first-date tips:
Ask Him/Her on the Date: Yes, it would be much easier to simply trick your potential new love into showing up at the right spot by spinning a tantalizing yarn about free record contracts, but it's much classier to forgo chicanery. Remember, when asking for a date, be bold and have a confidence-boosting seagull on your shoulder to make you look taller.
Have Some Exciting Stories Ready: What's even more interesting than your story about surviving a bear attack? A fake story about fighting two bears. Don't be afraid to embellish your real stories with some adventure, president appearances, or singlehanded scientific breakthroughs.
Show Genuine Interest: Don't just talk about yourself. Ask your date questions that will lead to more conversation, such as: "How old do I look," "Do you want to bet that I can eat this entire ham," and "Didn't you have hooks for hands when we last met?"
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