Our first stop of the tour '11 was on a very chilly and rainy day, so no Harley ride. Miss Priss was our mode of transportation for the trip. We found ourselves in Franklin, Indiana, on a little side trip to see my aunt. After our visit, we were both hungry and had our minds on what else…tenderloin and onion rings. (Tenderloin and onion rings were last year's chosen foods and we do, after all, keep our research pure.)We ended up at a neat little spot on Monroe Street, just off of the square. Ann’s Restaurant (www.annsrestaurant.com), serving the good folks of Franklin since 1952, was our research stop for the day. The restaurant is usually closed at 2 on Saturdays, but we lucked out and they were open until 3:00. We were told by our server, however, that if we were in need of a burger or gravy, that we were out of luck. Whew…tenderloins and onion rings were still available.
The size of the place has been expanded from the original 13 seats to seating for 100 now. It’s easy to see that it caters to the nearby Franklin College crowd with free wifi and, on the menu, such items as sausage burgers (1/2 hamburger and ½ sausage), and breakfast served all day. Who couldn’t love that?
As we took in the people watching aspect (always a must) while waiting on our food, the cook came out and asked if we wanted our tenderloin cut in half and assured us it was almost ready. Nice touch..always welcomed.
When the tenderloin and onion rings arrived, the sandwich was fried to a nice dark golden shade. It was “loaded” as ordered with pickle, onion, mayo, and lettuce. There was one tiny slice of tomato, but it had that “not a good time to order a tomato in Indiana” look to it. The rest of the condiments were very fresh. The taste of the pork was rich and just like a tenderloin should taste—lightly crunchy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside. They did the pig proud.
The onion rings were okay, but didn’t have the equally good taste of the tenderloin. As they cooled, however, more of the good onion flavor came out. They did have that good thin coating and there was a complete onion slice inside; none of that minced stuff.
The waitress was attentive without being bothersome—always a plus. She also put that crowning touch on the event by offering a “to go” glass of iced tea without us needed to request it—score!
All in all, Ann’s Restaurant is a place to stop when in Franklin. It’s extremely clean, friendly, and has good and reasonably priced food ($10.78 for lots of good tea for two and a loaded breaded tenderloin and order of onion rings). A hometown restaurant/diner with the atmosphere as it should be.
The rating: Tenderloin—4 of 5
Onion rings—3 of 5
Restaurant—4.5 of 5 (would've received a 5, but the
wifi wasn't working)
wifi wasn't working)
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