Frank and Beanz. A hotdog review

My first outing to F&B was with high hopes, primarily due to the nice graphic design and presentation of the store as well as the enticing sounding menu items; I continued on despite the outrageously high prices outlined in the menu. Boy was I mistaken – you are paying $9+ for what are essentially frankfurts bought from the woolworths next door on a plain old hot dog bun and covered with fairly average ingredients. Unlike the Costco hotdogs next door which are quite large and long, these hot dogs are regular frankfurt size with a little extra girth. I opted for the most expensive hot dog as it was the only hot dog whose ingredients seemed in any way “gourmet”, and by gourmet I mean onion, avocado, cheese, cream, beans and some chilli sauce or something.. yeah. Anyway, my memory is hazy as it was a while ago now, probably a few weeks after they opened.

My conclusions were that it was a) massively overpriced, b) a poor hotdog, c) small, d) lukewarm and e) failing to compete with Costco who are less than a 30 seconds’ walk away for a much larger and tastier hot dog with tomato, mustard, chutney and onion AND a refillable drink for $2.50.

My next visit to this sad by-product of the current generation of café/”street food” eateries which seems to have exploded anywhere that idealism has trumped business sense and where looks and style outweigh substance was marked with yet further disappointment. Despite my steeling myself not to spend another dollar at this place after the overpromising of the menu and underwhelming delivery of my last foray there, I made the sad mistake of paying (again) $8-10+ for an item, this time opting for a burrito (“if they can’t make hot dogs, maybe they can make sloppy mexican food”). I use the term burrito loosely – this was a tortilla with some store-bought bagged shredded cheese, bland mincemeat and a sprinkling of lettuce. I don’t believe there was anything else on it except there’s a 1% chance there was also rice on it (correct me if I’m wrong) and it was not a full size tortilla but the smaller version reserved for children, women and arts students by the far superior Zambreros.

Needless to say it was actually worse than a burrito I could’ve made just by walking into Woolworths next door and buying barebones basic ingredients. I recommend you steer well clear of this place, my hope is that their coffee sales cannot prop them up forever and that soon Canberra Airport Group will replace them with a store that makes decent food at prices that line up with reality. The sooner you stop providing them publicity, the sooner that can happen.

Forgot to mention – the service was less than memorable.

Although I too work in the precinct, I haven’t eaten at Frank’n’Beanz yet. I’ve been told the Mexican offerings aren’t bad (bet they’re tex-mex though). And I don’t care too much about uninterested staff (that’s uninterested… disinterested means without a vested interest in ie impartial) as most fast food places employ kiddies.

Best thing at Frank’n Beans is the Pulled Pork roll. Or you can put your pulled pork in a taco if you’d like.

I couldn’t type that with a straight face, I’ll admit (yep, juvenile at heart) but I’m being completely serious.

That was the 2nd best part about shopping on a Saturday morning at Majura Wollies (the first being the SPACE, much less trolley dodging than out in Gungahlin).

People get mad at me because I can’t microwave them a bit of soup or make them a sammich after cheffy goes home but there are accountability issues and it can come down to simply not having the right uniform or shoes.

But what cook/chef hasn’t arrived by 11 for lunch and what’s the point of a hotdog stand being open but not serving food?

shirty_bear said :

I’m as mad for a hot doggie as the next bloke. No, significantly madder. But I sacked Frank’n’Beanz ages ago. Food not nearly as good as it ought to be based on the descriptions given. Maddeningly slow-moving, disinterested staff. Maybe they’ve turned things around, but I’ll not darken their doorstep again.

Their $8 – $10 “gourmet” efforts should blow CostCo’s $2.50 dog-n-drink out of the water, but they just don’t.

I went there at 11am thought the same as Johnboy. ‘No, sorry the person who makes the hotdogs isn’t here yet.’ And this was an adult male not a teenager minding the shop until the grown-ups arrive

It’s not molecular cuisine people.

I work at Majura and I have been to Frank and Beans a few times each time hoping it is better than the last. Unfortunately it has rarely been so. The hot dogs are just ok, the Mexican food is little better and you are right the service is never particularly friendly.

I like the muffins and banana bread though. So get one of those and a coffee and you will be a happy person.

Madam Cholet said :

shirty_bear said :

I’m as mad for a hot doggie as the next bloke. No, significantly madder. But I sacked Frank’n’Beanz ages ago. Food not nearly as good as it ought to be based on the descriptions given. Maddeningly slow-moving, disinterested staff. Maybe they’ve turned things around, but I’ll not darken their doorstep again.

Their $8 – $10 “gourmet” efforts should blow CostCo’s $2.50 dog-n-drink out of the water, but they just don’t.

+1

I went there not long after it opened. Small person and I both had the kid sized meals. Thought it looked alright but turned out to be tasteless. Service was basic, but again, agree that it was as you said, disinterested. I think I went there one more time but seem to have all but erased it from my memory.

Have desperately wanted to try a Costco hotdog but never been there at a time that is respectable enough to tuck in to one – even though there are plenty of people already seated and tucking in to huge plates of pizza and the like, washed down with a super sized fizzy brown sugar. Costco can be a frightening place when it’s in full swing.

If Costco served beer or vodka w/hotdogs, then any time of day would be ok.

I have not tried anything besides the frozen yogurt, wich is pretty good.

Snag stand and frank n beans are both terribly disappoint.

I don’t think there is any good hot dogs in town since Marty disappeared.

The only way to get good ones now is make your own. The little deli that’s at mawson markets every second week is great. Kransky or viennas are awesome, plus add their bacon or bacon from Griffith butchers, them get awesome rolls from fyshwick markets, mustard from costco and master foods hot chilli. Good cheese, white onion.

Win.

shirty_bear said :

I’m as mad for a hot doggie as the next bloke. No, significantly madder. But I sacked Frank’n’Beanz ages ago. Food not nearly as good as it ought to be based on the descriptions given. Maddeningly slow-moving, disinterested staff. Maybe they’ve turned things around, but I’ll not darken their doorstep again.

Their $8 – $10 “gourmet” efforts should blow CostCo’s $2.50 dog-n-drink out of the water, but they just don’t.

+1

I went there not long after it opened. Small person and I both had the kid sized meals. Thought it looked alright but turned out to be tasteless. Service was basic, but again, agree that it was as you said, disinterested. I think I went there one more time but seem to have all but erased it from my memory.

Have desperately wanted to try a Costco hotdog but never been there at a time that is respectable enough to tuck in to one – even though there are plenty of people already seated and tucking in to huge plates of pizza and the like, washed down with a super sized fizzy brown sugar. Costco can be a frightening place when it’s in full swing.

Crave a good hotdog once in a while. Bluey’s (Dickson Tradies) does a good one from memory.