Franklin Fountain Reviews?

[mehesoft]

Hey all, I saw this place on Man v Food and was wondering if it was worth the trek to the east side for? Any recommendations for sundaes? The ones they showcased on the show looked really good.

[Laura D.]

I live in the neighborhood and appreciate good ice cream, but have to agree that sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by just how expensive it is (think $12 for 2 single cones with sprinkles) and underwhelmed by the flavor of seemingly homemade ice cream. Given that this stuff is made locally and not mass produced, I wonder why it doesn't taste a bit "better." I've never found it to be less than good but I've also never found it to be great. Regarding the prices, though, I will say that another ice cream parlor in Chestnut Hill used to have comparably priced ice cream that was hand-dipped Bassetts, i.e. it was not ice cream that they made and thus should have been less expensive in comparison to Franklin Fountain. Thanks!

[phillyjules]

I went to FF last night and the place was absolutely packed. My husband and I got 2 cones of icecream for close to $11. Definitely expensive but worth supporting a small business. I'm not going back anytime soon but it's fun once in while. I couldn't imagine having kids and them wanting to go there every week... It would break the bank.

I prefer getting reasonably priced cones of Bassett icecream from the cute candy shop in Liberties Walk in Northern Liberties.

[bluehensfan]

FF's ice cream never did it for me, personally. I think it's all about nostalgia and atmosphere. If I were going to pay big bucks I'd head to Capogiro for my bacio fix or do the pumpkin and cinnamon combination at Bassett's.

[joluvscards]

Its just OK. I was very underwhelmed with the quality of the ice cream.

[AgentRed]

Meh, I'm a huge fan of ice cream, and am more than happy to pay more for higher quality, but still every time I walk out from Franklin I walk out feeling ripped off. I think the tipping point was the ~$8 regular-size milkshake!

It's good, sure, but just not that good. And the non-ice cream desserts are even worse. Definitely check it out if you're interested, but I doubt your mind will be blown.

They should just be lucky they have that "old timey" aesthetic and no competition in that area. Or the rest of Philly in fact, it's a pretty quiet city on the ice cream front.

P.S. Off topic: I think Capogiro is over rated too. On the other hand, Dave and Carmen's Creamery in Lancaster? That's good ice cream.

[ramenbound]

Completely agree on Capogiro, although for me it's at least a tier below FF. There's something about the texture of the gelato that's very flat and lacking compared to the offerings in Italy.

[AgentRed]

Agreed, I think at both places you're paying for the atmosphere first and the ice cream second.

And before someone says "oh it's unfair to compare gelato in Italy to Philadelphia", that's just not the case, I think the best gelato I've ever had was actually in Paris! It just tasted and felt consistently better than the places in Italy. And Zahav does better Middle Eastern food than 90% of the places I've been to in the ME. And if you're ever in Edinburgh there's a place which does American toffee muffins better than anywhere in the States.

Anyway, just saying that neither FF nor Capogiro have an excuse for charging such high prices and not providing a comparable level of quality. But in fairness, they do have a cute waitress, so I end up there anyway.

[barryg]

Haha about the waitress. I've never eaten gelato ouside the US but what I love about Capogiro are the awesome flavors. Sea salt gelato is just amazing, and so is avocado sorbetto.

[micreynolds]

IMO, Franklin is worth the trip. from wherever you are coming from....prices are high, but that's what you pay for quality.

[ramenbound]

Not sure about the sundaes but I've always loved the mint chocolate chip ice cream. I'd recommend making the trek, and doing so at an off-peak hour - the line can get absurdly long.

[Prettypoodle]

the 2 times i was there it was enjoyable
once we made the trip from the wacovia, once we were near there
it is a bit pricey - but it is a fun place and the icecream was yummy

[Velvet Elvis]

Their ice cream is ok, but I wouldn't travel far for it. My wife and I enjoy going there if we are in the area for the old-fashioned charm of the place, but their prices are a bit high. The last time we were there we had the Franklin Mint sundae. It was pretty to look at, but all the sauces made it overly sweet and the excess mint syrup gave it kind of a chemical flavor. All that said, I did find some Dublin Dr. Pepper mixed in with their classic sodas. It is definitely worth a try if you like Dr. Pepper.