Historic downtown Georgetown is immersed in an exciting season of growth. And one of the latest new businesses to grace Front Street is 631, a restaurant also known as Frank’s on Front.

It’s the newest addition born into the Frank’s family, following in the footsteps of Frank’s and Frank’s Outback in Pawleys Island, owned by Salters and Elizabeth McClary. Their daughter, Leldon, and her husband, Sam Elmer, are now continuing the family tradition at 631—and I think they’ve taken good notes over years of growing up in the restaurant industry and have made the family proud.

The restaurant’s red brick front façade is the first glimpse of the building’s good bones and its past life as an art gallery. Grand, pink “It’s a girl” bows hang on the old, double front doors to announce the birth of the owners’ baby girl.

Inside, the décor is flawless, with exposed brick walls flanking the shotgun-style layout, a tin punch ceiling, and a long bar on the left lined with green velvet stools and vintage globe lights hanging overhead. Cozy booths line the right, extending past the length of the bar. We continue walking toward the back, past the open galley kitchen and onto the lovely back patio that overlooks Georgetown’s Harborwalk and the Sampit River.

Fresh air and alfresco dining was just the dose of what we needed on the afternoon of our visit. Oversized table umbrellas give plenty of shade. A nearby table of eight older ladies in Lily Pulitzer holding flutes of champagne are singing, “Happy Birthday.” Business is abuzz, inside and out, at Frank’s on Front.

Lunch and dinner menus offer small plates, shareables, and entrée options, as well as an extensive wine, cocktail, and craft beer list. I started with a Blue Moon beer poured into an ice-cold glass, and then hubby and I dug into the food menu.

We kicked things off with an appetizer of Southern Pimento Deviled Eggs stuffed with Frank’s homemade pimento cheese, paprika, and a green olive garnish. Each half was the perfect little bite of delicious creaminess. More tempting appetizers include the house-made cheese biscuits served with butter; crispy fried oysters with sriracha aioli and house pickles; Parmesan-baked artichoke hearts; roasted brussels sprouts with Dijon cream, pickled red onion, and smoked bacon; made-to-order steak tartare with house-made potato chips, and more.

For my main course, I went with one of 631’s small plates, the paneed chicken breast paired with a small mix of arugula, grape tomatoes, lemon beurre blanc, and Parmesan. The chicken was exceptional: crispy breading and tender inside. Hubby chose the tuna poke stack, a refreshing, artistic tower of ahi tuna, soy, sesame, cucumber, avocado, and Jasmine rice, which he described as excellent, layer by layer. We also split a side of truffled Parmesan fries that were to-die-for.

More menu standouts are the salad creations, like the grilled romaine hearts with shaved Parmesan, croutons, and roasted garlic olive oil; the Niçoise salad with capers, hard-boiled egg, olives, tomato, and Dijon mustard vinaigrette; and the lump crab and roasted beet salad with red and golden beet tartare, pickled red onion, arugula, and horseradish aioli.

Small plates we’ll try next time are the Wagyu beef sliders topped with bacon jam, arugula, charred onion, and cheddar cheese; mussels frites with roasted garlic, tomatoes, white wine, lemon, and Parmesan fries; or the garlic shrimp with artichoke hearts, capers, garlic, olive oil, and toast points.

Entrée interests include the Mediterranean fresh catch with Adluh Mills grits; the pan-roasted bone-in chicken breast with asparagus, fresh herb pan sauce, and grits; and Aleppo chilli and honey-roasted salmon with wilted baby spinach, lemon Beurre Blanc, and Carolina Gold Rice.

If you plan to take a seat at the 631 bar, grab a cocktail and order one of the Bar Bites offered Wednesday through Saturday, 3 to 5 p.m. There’s the Marinated Olive Medley, Goat Cheese and Tapenade with toast points, Chilled Shrimp Cocktail, and more.

The darling of Georgetown locals, 631 Frank’s on Front restaurant is off to a roaring start.

It’s a successful trifecta of ambiance, food, and service – and let’s not forget the industry savviness of that Frank’s powerhouse dynasty that have been in place for decades. 

Frank’s on Front 
631 Front St., Georgetown
Phone: (843) 436-1631
Web: 631front.com
Hours: Lunch: Wednesday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: Wednesday-Saturday, 
5-8:30 p.m.