The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company

Don’t let the rude door man deter you from entering this fantastic bar! The decor is simply stunning and the waitstaff and mixologists are fabulous! Definitely a stop before heading to dinner or a night on the town!

Came here after dinner for a late night drink. The atmosphere was very cool and the moody lighting makes it feel very cozy. The drinks were good and the staff was very nice.

The drinks are excellent, the service is excellent, and the atmosphere is pleasant. This location is great for hosting visitors on special occasions.

Hilarious. I write the below review and mention that blue cheese olives aren't used for the over priced/hyped dirty martinis and the owner replies with a laughing emoji- as if to say “who uses blue cheese olives for martinis”. If this is the response- it’s pretty obvious where not to go in Phila for cocktails.

Way over hyped. From the guy at the door pretending that he barely has any seats to the overpriced cocktails that weren’t special. You can’t call yourself a great cocktail bar and not put fresh blue cheese olives in a dirty martini. And I don’t even drink martinis. Save your $$$.

The host was dismissive and insulting. Please ignore such a low class institution, there are plenty down to earth bars around. Sad that such an indifferent and over-smart man is fore-fronting such a classy place. There were senior elders in our group but this arrogant and too full of himself man didn’t care about anything. Not sure why such oversmart hosts are even kept.

Best craft cocktail bar in the city. Great speak easy looking atmosphere. Well knowledged bartenders.

My friend and I visited on a Saturday around 7 pm. I really wish I had gotten the name of the individual at the front manning the door. He was probably the rudest service worker I have encountered in a very long time.
We didn’t have a reservation, which seems to be the trigger from what I’m reading from other reviews. Sue me. Didn’t know you couldn’t just walk up to bars and restaurants and request a table anymore without getting attitude.

We told him we didn’t have a reservation and he sneered at us and said “of course not. ” I informed him that we would only stay for 45 minutes before our dinner reservation if that helped, and he sarcastically gave me a thumbs up and wouldn’t even look at me. Later when we were finally seated we asked him if we could move to the bar, and again, a huffy sigh and a simple point at the bar with “just go” was what we got. The man was acting like we had asked for his left kidney. He was being so condescending, rude, and really damped our experience at the bar. This man should not be your first point of contact with guests if this is how he is going to react. He made us feel like we were in trouble for even coming.

The bartenders were really nice and our drinks were good. That’s what made this three stars. Otherwise I’d have given a 1 star review. I also plan to email Franklin about this staff member.

Have been a few times since they moved to the new spot and love it. Would recommend any of their Mezcal based drinks, particularly the “Per my last email”. One of the best cocktails I’ve ever had!

Edit: Tiki night (usually last Tuesday of the month) is the best!

My friends and I had high expectations and were very excited to try this place. The hype died down pretty quickly when we got to the entrance and asked if there was any tables available. It turns out if you don’t place a reservation, the host treats you like absolute garbage and does his best to make the place seem as unwelcoming as possible. When we asked if we could place our name on the waitlist he scoffed and begrudgingly put our name down. Once inside the service was much better and our server was very nice. The atmosphere was great and cocktails were good however I would say it’s not worth the price and the pretentious attitude we were greeted with.

What an absolute disaster. We weren't planning to visit Franklin until a bartender recommended the place and suggested we head over. I knew ahead of time what the entrance looked like, so we opened the door and stepped inside. We stopped at the front door and looked around to see where the host was, but he spotted us first and began yelling at us to leave. We turned right around and headed back into the alley, followed by another patron. The host asked if we had reservations, to which we said no. He replied, "of course you don't" and told us to wait in the alley. In the meantime, he walked over to speak with a couple of inspectors who were there based on a report they received about there being live entertainment on-site. The other patron also informed us that he was also treated harshly the last time he visited without a reservation. He said he felt like they put him in a seat far away and made him wait to be served as punishment. Eventually, we were taken inside and deposited in a back room. We ordered a couple drinks, which were the best part of our visit. They aren't the best in the city, but they were more well-balanced than expected given the treatment we'd already received. Meanwhile, service continued to be terrible, as we were left to feel like we'd also been abandoned as punishment because we didn't make reservations. Moral of the story - do not go here on a whim because they will treat you incredibly poorly in return.

Great little place, you now need to enter through the hotel. The cocktails are worth the money.

I went here for the first time in years. I was really disappointed. All the things I used to love about it (venue, menu) were gone. I doubt I'll return. So sad!

The drinks were incredible, I'venever had a drink taste like the one I got! The atmosphere was great, and I enjoyed every moment there!
Kevin is the best waiter, ask for Kevin!

Fancy drinks with fancy prices. We had the tropical fxxk storm served in a coconut and it was really boozy and tasted really good.

Best negroni I've had and old fashioned was def top 5 for me. Good service, good vibes, good ice. Would def go again

Good cocktails, definitely on the pricier range, but attentive service and a chill environment.

3.5. Exclusive atmosphere, pricey drinks. We did not make a reservation and got in right away, however, this was 10pm on a rainy Friday night. It started getting crowded as the night went on and I imagine reservations are needed when the weather is nice. The doorman/hostess was so overprotective of people coming in that it ruined the vibe. For example, if you came in on your own, the bar tended kicked you back outside until the doorman could let you in. This did not happen to us as the doorman was by the door when we first came in, but we watched it happen to multiple parties after, as the doorman was also responsible for seating parties. It made the place feel snobby, even if this wasn’t the goal.

Drinks were honestly too expensive for me to return. It’s cool, yes, but nothing worth the price, even with complimentary shots. Cocktail menu was rather traditional and nothing was super innovative. Two decent cocktails (manhattan and a bramble) plus alright ice cream for $50 pre- tip. Ice cream was a small scoop and tasted like store brand vanilla mixed with passion fruit puree. Overall, cool place to stumble upon, not necessarily a negative experience, but definitely not worth the price for me to return.