11 Reasons To Spend A Day On Crown Heights' Franklin Avenue

When you live in New York, there’s usually some new restaurant, bar, burger or brunch item that everyone wants to make you feel guilty for not having tried. The thrill of discovery is hard to come by when you're driven primarily by food FOMO — at worst, you’re disappointed, and at best, you got yourself some $16 eggs you already knew you’d like.

Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights - full of unpretentious, fun, and interesting restaurants and bars - has overwhelming potential for actually-new experiences. It’s an excellent place to go after a day at Prospect Park or the Brooklyn Museum. Still largely undiscovered by the masses, Franklin Ave. is a self-­contained restaurant oasis — just get there before everyone else turns it into the next Bedford Avenue. Ready to go? Here are the spots you should check out.

The Spots

This Tex-­Mex joint puts its overly-­hyped Manhattan peers to shame with serious tacos, great margaritas, and outdoor seating. We love this relaxed, tiny spot for any time of day, but the breakfast tacos need to be on your order if you're here for brunch.

The solution to your pizza craving in Crown Heights is Barboncino, serving very solid Neapolitan pies in a warm, cozy space. It's a great spot for group dinners and parents alike, and as long as you don't go in expecting Roberta's or Paulie Gee's, you'll be very pleased.

We get tired of hearing ourselves complain about NYC’s lack of reasonably-priced, quality sushi (hence this guide), but Silver Rice does it extremely well. They've got chirashi bowls and rolls, plus their signature “cups” filled with sashimi and rice (aka a “sushi snack on the go”). Yep, they just invented a new genre and it's delicious.

A half block off Franklin is Berg’n, a food/beer crawl unto itself from the crew behind Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg. Choose from Mighty Quinn’s, Ed and Bev's, or Samesa. Or, you know, don't choose. It’s a great place to eat and drink away an afternoon with a large crew.

A charming, airy, kitschy-in-all-the-right-ways space with a menu that sticks to what it knows best: crab and other crustaceans. The crab roll's garnered a cult following thanks to its hefty helping of crab meat on a perfectly-squishy roll finished with garlic butter. Get it.

This place is always a good time - another fantastic place to bring a big group of friends. You will most likely stay longer and drink more than you intended, and leave wishing you had this place in your neighborhood.

The diner your childhood was missing. Burgers, hot dogs, and shakes you can get spiked. Extra points for being connected (literally, through its back door) to Franklin Park, an awesome bar/outdoor hangout spot. Head straight there after you’ve had your burger fix.

Since opening a few years ago, Mayfield has become a beloved mainstay for its genuinely great food (loosely Southern-inspired, with a bit of an upscale edge). This place is a date-night winner, but its $1 oyster happy hour and brunch are also great moves.

A fantastic neighborhood bar with a bazillion (or like 40) bourbons, plus wines on tap and plenty of craft beer. The food is limited to charcuterie and other snacks, but the back patio situation easily makes up for it.