‘We gotta stop at Frank’s’: How this simple hot dog diner became a SLO institution

Inside and out, from the service to the menu, Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs in San Luis Obispo is a culinary flashback to 1977, when the eatery opened.

It’s been a well-known local institution at the corner of Monterey Street and California Boulevard for decades, feeding local residents and generations of high school and Cal Poly students alike.

Today, the classic diner is still turning out at least 100 hot dogs a day, plus burgers, breakfasts and more, according to manager Hector “Frank” Martinez who has worked at Frank’s for a dozen years.

The consistency on all levels at Frank’s is just one reason why loyal customers keep coming back, Martinez said. “This place is an icon. I feel honored to work here and run this (restaurant).”

He mentioned one of his regulars who came in daily for coffee and the crossword puzzle, always sitting in the same booth.

“He didn’t say much,” Martinez said, “until he found out I’m a Chicago Cubs fan, too.”

From then on, they were “BBB,” best baseball buddies, until the man died in 2015. “I still miss him,” Martinez said of the man whose photo is mounted above his regular booth.

History of longtime San Luis Obispo restaurant

Frank’s still evokes the vibe of the restaurant launched in 1977 in Avila Beach by founders Frank Gimbel and Don Krall, according to current owner Toney Breault.

“When Frank Gimbel moved up north, Don became the sole owner,” Breault told The Tribune.

The Ferrinis wanted to develop their property on Foothill, he said, so “my dad and Felton Ferrini bought a former Arctic Circle location for Frank’s, and Felton gave it to Don Krall,” saying of the gentlemen’s agreement, “when you do well, you’ll pay us back.”

After a brief stint kitty corner across Monterey Street at what was then called “Ed’s 19¢ Hamburgers,” the hot-doggery moved to its current home at 950 California Blvd. in 1988.

It’s still there in a location that straddles the area between the core of downtown San Luis Obispo, upper Monterey Street and easy access to Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo High School. It’s a neighborhood that’s seen a lot of changes during the past few decades, with taquerias, pizza places and breweries coming and going around it.

In a related back story from the 1970s, Toney Breault’s dad, Bruce Breault, and Tunny Ortali launched the McLintocks Saloon and Dining House in Shell Beach.

It eventually became a San Luis Obispo County culinary empire, adding restaurant/saloons in San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande.

The partners died within less than a year of each other in 2020 and 2021, and ownership shifted to Toney Breault, who’d been managing McLintocks and Frank’s since about 2007.

More than just hot dogs are on the menu

Frank’s red-and-white color scheme has remained a standard for decades, Martinez said, adding that the eatery does get a paint job every year.

Two off-street parking lots flank outdoor dining areas set with benches and round tables, which are, of course, red.

Inside, Frank’s red vinyl booths, red burger baskets and walk-up order counter evoke a nostalgia for the diners from days gone by.

A quick glance at Frank’s wall-mounted menu board, however, provides a reality check.

In 2013, as reflected in a photograph from The Tribune’s archives, a basic hot dog at Frank’s cost $1.99.

A decade later, that same dog served with mustard, tomato, onion and relish on a steamed bun will set you back $5.99.

There are a dozen different hot dog entrees on the 2023 menu, and specialty dogs can be as pricey as $10.50 for the Double Dare. It’s two hot dogs wrapped in bacon and deep fried, topped with condiments that mimic and mingle some on the Chicago-style and Bajaha dogs. The former has celery salt, sport peppers, pickle spear, mustard, tomato, onion and relish, while the latter is wrapped in bacon, deep fried, with jack cheese, pico de gallo and four fried japapeno coins.

The menu also includes nine burger varieties, seven sandwiches, three salads and two wraps.

And there are the breakfasts — which often come as a surprise to newcomers considering the name of the business.

That menu includes the big burritos, breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, pancakes and French toast (both available as full breakfasts), and the classic egg meal with protein and choice of home fries, hash brown wedges or tomatoes. The meal’s protein offerings include ham, bacon, sausage, linguica or chorizo.

What longtime customers love about Frank’s

Frank’s longtime presence in San Luis Obispo has led it to develop a devoted fan following.

Betty O’Connor and Yvonne Hampton of Santa Margarita said Saturday that they’ve been eating at Frank’s regularly since soon after the cafe opened.

They keep returning, Hampton said, because “it’s fast, good, easy, reasonable and friendly.”

The women’s favorite meal at Frank’s? Breakfast, they said, especially the full pancake plate with bacon.

Anthony Reis said that he first came to Frank’s as a high school student in 1985, then from 1991 to 1996 as a Cal Poly student, then from 2001 through 2004 as a Cal Poly employee.

Reis, who now lives in Turlock, was in town with a coworker en route to a conference in Pismo Beach. “Everybody else is already there,” Reis said about 11:30 a.m., “but I told him we gotta stop at Frank’s for the best burger in town. I love this place.”

Jerry Schwoerer said he’s been a Frank’s customer for about a decade, and comes in once or twice a week for the breakfast sandwich, mini burgers or hot dogs.

“It’s nice, convenient, local,” he said. “I like the menu, the food, the down-home environment. For a nearly 80-year-old like me, Frank’s makes me feel almost young again.”

Recent converts also were enthusiastic about Frank’s.

On Friday, Jordan McNealley of Shandon and Lorelei Rains were there for breakfast early, each digging into their half of a big, well-stuffed breakfast burrito.

They proclaimed their meal to be “really good,” before gearing up for their busy weekend — they were getting married the next day at the Loading Chute Restaurant and Barn in Creston.

To learn more about Frank’s Famous Hotdogs

Frank’s is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with breakfast served until 11 a.m. weekdays and 11:30 a.m. on weekends. The breakfast burrito and breakfast sandwich are available all day, as is everything else on the menu.

Call Frank’s at 805-541-3488, email to bigweeniesarebetter@gmail.com, or log onto www.franksfamousslo.net/menus. Customers can call ahead to order items for takeout.