Never miss what is happening in Sussex County
Events, new openings and weekend plans from Newton to Vernon, Sparta to Stanhope. Straight to your inbox, free.
Looking for the best restaurants in Franklin, NJ? Our team rounded up nine open places to eat in Franklin, the Sussex County mining town on Route 23, from fresh smash burgers and deep-fried hot dogs to Southern Italian brick oven cooking, Peruvian fusion and barbecue, a colorful Mexican cantina, an Irish pub with four dining rooms, a family pizzeria, a classic pancake diner and an Italian and Greek deli. Addresses, phone numbers and hours below come from each restaurant’s own website or Google Business Profile.
Most of these spots sit along a few miles of Route 23, so it is easy to pair a meal with a visit to the Franklin Mineral Museum. See our guide to things to do in Franklin for the museum and rock collecting, or head a few minutes north for our picks for the best restaurants in Hamburg.
The Quarry Grill
Photo: The Quarry Grill via Google Business Profile.
The Quarry Grill at 107 Route 23 opened in June 2022 as a modern take on the classic American grill, built to honor Franklin’s mining history under the motto “Life is better smashed.” The kitchen uses fresh, locally sourced beef that is never frozen and says its menu is seed-oil free. Order the Dirty Burger, two patties with the house Taylor Ham Jam, American cheese and Rock Sauce, or a deep-fried Thumann’s hot dog like the Jalapeño Cheddar Dog. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Call 973-287-7475.
Brick & Brew
Photo: Brick & Brew via Google Business Profile.
Brick & Brew at 27 Route 23 is the all-purpose pick on this list, good for a weekday lunch, a date night or a group dinner. The menu covers American classics, Italian dishes and gastropub favorites, and the restaurant is known for its oven dishes and an unusual tap list at the bar. It also hosts monthly events that range from sports nights to live music and stand-up comedy. The kitchen is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and the bar stays open later. Call 973-864-2120.
Apulia Risto-Pizza
Photo: Apulia Risto-Pizza via Google Business Profile.
Apulia Risto-Pizza at 398-400 Route 23 serves Southern Italian food from a family that sources many of its ingredients from its hometown of Corato, Italy. Pizzas come out of a brick oven imported from Italy with a rotating brick base, and the restaurant says it was voted Best New Restaurant in Sussex County. Apulia also offers catering, private events and a food truck. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Tuesday. Call 862-364-4071.
Olluco Bistro
Photo: Olluco Bistro via Google Business Profile.
Olluco Bistro at 535 Route 23 opened in March 2024 as the first restaurant from Chef Brian Morales, who runs it with his wife, Maggie, and their four kids. The menu mixes breakfast, smoked barbecue and Peruvian fusion. Look for Peruvian steak anticucho skewers with huancaÃna aioli, smoked pork ribs and brisket with Jersey BBQ sauce, a Cuban sandwich made with smoked pork shoulder, and a Peruvian roasted half chicken with vegetable chaufa fried rice. Call 862-364-4318.
Coyote Cocina Mexicana
Photo: Coyote Cocina Mexicana via Google Business Profile.
Coyote Cocina Mexicana at 120 Route 23 is a family owned and operated Mexican restaurant with a bright, artsy dining room and a full-service bar. The recipes have been passed down through generations, and the chef brings more than 20 years of cooking experience to a menu that runs from steak and seafood to traditional Mexican plates and house specialties. Doors open at 11 a.m. Call 862-364-4022.
Irish Cottage Inn
Photo: Irish Cottage Inn via Google Business Profile.
Irish Cottage Inn at 602 Route 23 is a cozy pub serving American and Irish comfort food, with a kids’ menu and event space. Seating spreads across four dining rooms, with outdoor dining in warmer months and live music every Friday. Takeout is available, and delivery runs through DoorDash and Uber Eats. The pub is open seven days a week, from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 973-827-2090.
Franklin Dominick’s
Photo: Franklin Dominick’s via Google Business Profile.
Franklin Dominick’s at 190 Munsonhurst Road is a family owned and operated pizzeria, Italian restaurant and caterer just off Route 23. It offers dine-in seating, takeout, local delivery and space for private parties of up to 50 guests, and you can order online through its website or the Slice app. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Call 973-209-1007.
Angelo’s Franklin Diner
Photo: Angelo’s Franklin Diner via Google Business Profile.
Angelo’s Franklin Diner at 428 Route 23 is the early bird pick, in a red barn-style building with a stone front and a sign that promises famous pancakes. It is a classic diner for omelets, pancakes and sandwiches, with dine-in seating, curbside pickup and no-contact delivery. According to its Google Business Profile, it opens at 7 a.m. every day and closes at 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. Call 973-823-6385.
Savioli’s Ravioli
Photo: Savioli’s Ravioli via Google Business Profile.
Savioli’s Ravioli in the ShopRite Plaza at 276 Route 23 North is an Italian and Greek deli that was voted one of the Top 20 Subs in New Jersey by NJ.com in 2018. Every sandwich is built on fresh semolina bread in half or whole sizes, with names like the Paisano (ham, prosciutto, capicola and fresh mozzarella) and the Sinatra (prosciutto, hot capicola, sopressata and imported provolone). The deli also sells imported Greek spinach and cheese pies, desserts and ravioli, and it caters. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Monday. Call 973-827-1404.
How to Plan a Franklin Food Stop
Start early at Angelo’s Franklin Diner, which opens at 7 a.m. daily, or grab weekend breakfast at The Quarry Grill from 7 to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Pick up subs at Savioli’s Ravioli for a picnic, but go early on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and skip Monday when it is closed. Apulia Risto-Pizza is closed Tuesday. For a later night out, Brick & Brew serves food until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and Irish Cottage Inn has live music every Friday. Coyote Cocina Mexicana, Brick & Brew and The Quarry Grill all sit within a short drive of each other on the same stretch of Route 23.
More Sussex County Restaurant Guides
Eating your way around the county? Start with our town-by-town map of the best restaurants in Sussex County, NJ, or jump straight to a town:
- 13 best restaurants in Newton
- 11 best restaurants in Vernon
- 9 best restaurants in Hopatcong
- 9 best restaurants in Stanhope
- 9 best restaurants in Sussex
- 9 best restaurants in Hamburg
- Where to eat and drink in Sparta
Featured photo: smash burgers, deep-fried hot dogs and sides at The Quarry Grill in Franklin. Photo: The Quarry Grill via Google Business Profile.
Have a Sussex County event coming up?
Share it with Sussex County.
Festivals, fundraisers, 5Ks, school nights, grand openings. Send us the date, time, place and a flyer, and our team will reach out about getting it in front of Sussex County.
Enjoying our Sussex County coverage?
Add us as a preferred source and our stories show up higher in your Google results.
Add as a preferred source
