Franks Deli & Restaurant

Sometimes, classic is best. And when it comes to deli sandwiches in New Jersey, Frank’s is an icon that has stood the test of time for more than 60 years. Consider fasting the day you go to Frank’s so you can have a fighting chance at finishing the overstuffed club sandwiches they’re known for. And if you go for breakfast, expect to see a whole lot of pork roll on the menu.

Frank’s feels as if it sprung to life from the lines of a Springsteen song. This is quintessential pork roll, vinegary Italian-mix sub, cup of coffee, and local ads on the place mat in front of your counter-stool New Jersey. But don’t mistake this longtime (cash-only!) Asbury Park staple’s no-frills atmosphere for inattention: they bake their own breads, make their own magnificent donuts, and their warming pasta fagioli tastes like your nonna’s. If you don’t feel like ordering a more wieldy lunch for a beach picnic, sit down to a massive plate of house-made corn beef hash, a gooey open-face Ruben, a stack of pancakes, or the simple perfection that is a salty pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich on a house-baked onion roll.