  When is the last time you have traveled to downtown Franklin?! Situated in the lovely and historic Southampton County, Franklin is filled with all the charms of a Southern City. This downtown features edgy industrial buildings and the tales of its once bustling railroad station, the pristine Blackwater River, beautifully large and ornate homes that you know have been passed down through many generations of local families and, of course, a main street filled with locally owned and operated shops and restaurants! Whatever charming aspect of this community attracts you, while visiting, you must have something local and delicious to eat! As usual, The Salty Southern Route knows just the place! Situated on Main Street, right in the middle of town, is Fred’s! This restaurant and watering hole has been a Franklin/Southampton staple since 1945 when Fred came down to help his uncle run his bakery. Only five years later Fred took over the business and turned it into The Franklin Arcade, a convenience store that sold beer and sandwiches at the bar! Over the years the business has been remodeled into a cafeteria style lunch restaurant, it has featured a pool room and expanded its main dining room and kitchen. Fred’s has even continued to serve the community after a fire in 1984 and the infamous Hurricane Floyd that flooded downtown Franklin in 1999. Now a days Fred’s has kept all the charm and sense of community of its past and features a large dining room, full bar, comfy booths, a full scale menu featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner and even an all you can eat breakfast buffet and fish fry on the weekends! Need we say more? Put traveling to Franklin/Southampton County on your list of fun things to do this winter and while you are there be sure to dine at Fred’s! P.S. Since you are traveling on The Salty Southern Route, your pork and peanut thematic driving trail, be sure to try The Eggs Frederick, a split biscuit topped with country ham over medium eggs and/or the VA Ham Steak for dinner! 107 South Main Street Franklin, Va 23851 Check out these links to their website and Facebook for hours and more information! https://www.partyatfreds.com https://www.facebook.com/whereinthehellisfranklinva/ Hey! Be sure to check out the bar top when you stop in! When the restaurant re-opened in 2000 after the flood, the original Fred's sign was made into the bar top and customers were allowed to autograph it! Pretty cool, huh?! (Featured in the picture below) 
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The Salty Southern Routeis a joint tourism effort of the towns of Franklin and Smithfield, Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry and Sussex Counties, and the city of Suffolk, Virginia. Archives
September 2021
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