Banh mi and much more at Frank's Kitchen
Faint internal alarms usually sound when a restaurant offers a too-eclectic menu. Somehow, though, Frank’s Kitchen makes its scattershot menu seem endearing and appealing, from barbecued beef brisket to banh mi.
Frank’s hides on a long, mostly residential stretch of 26th Avenue that runs between Colorado Boulevard and Five Points. It’s easy to roll right past it, especially when coming from the east—the building is set back a bit from the street, so a big coffee-cup sign is the landmark to spot.
Frank’s parking lot is probably larger than the actual restaurant. The dining room is neatly compact, with only a handful of tables. Ordering is done at a window, like in an old-school carryout joint. This is the fun part: Frank’s menu zigzags crazily around the Western hemisphere, from California to Jamaica to Italy to Chicago. Just for grins, there’s an extra-long zag to the East for the banh mi sandwich. Sure! If you’re already offering jerk chicken and spaghetti, a detour to Vietnam isn’t such a big deal.
It’s hard to find banh mi in Central Denver, so the urge to order one is nearly irresistible. Frank offers two filling choices: grilled rib-eye steak for $8.50 and grilled chicken for $7.50. Hold back that spit-take, fans of Vietnamese food—yes, for banh mi, these prices are outrageous. (Most go for about $3 on Federal Boulevard.) Frank’s banh mi are a bit more substantial than the typical Vietnamese bakery sandwich, however, and the prices are in line with the rest of the menu.
Frank bulks up his banh mi with a load of toppings, including the usual pickled radish, carrot, and a fistful of juicy meat. In the chicken sandwich, the bird is lightly marinated in spices, tasting softly of pho. The bread isn’t the crusty baguette to which banh mi fans are accustomed. Instead, it’s a denser, chewier roll, more like a hoagie bun. No, it’s not quite authentic, but it’s quality bread that adds more bang for the buck. Fresh cilantro, herb of the gods, is plentiful, and hidden slivers of jalapeno leap out occasionally to zap the tongue.
With the banh mi down, it’s open season on the rest of the menu. What to try next? A trio of street tacos? How about a chili dog? It’s like a miniature Shopsin’s, the legendary New York restaurant with more than 900 menu items.
Frank’s is totally weird and eclectic, but it’s magically nonthreatening. The Kitchen pulls it off with a humble, homey setting and a few basic foundation ingredients that can be used to create a wide variety of dishes. The Frank’s Kitchen blog is enticingly charming as well.
Oh, yeah—and the restaurant delivers, too. Sure, why not?
