Frankie's Story
If you want to know the history of Frankie's Downtown, home of the Underground, you must meet Bill & Johnnie Katz.
Bill was a U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot and retired after 20 years of service in 2001. He and his wife, Johnnie, have been married since 1982. Johnnie was in banking for 20 years. They had spent 20 years traveling the globe spending 9 of those years overseas in Europe and Asia. After retiring from the military, they settled in the metroplex and got regular jobs; Bill as an engineer, Johnnie as a bank manager. Johnnie wanted her own business. Since she had supported Bill in his endeavors for two decades, he knew it was his turn to support her so she started looking for her niche.
When the opportunity to purchase the original Frankie’s on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas was presented they knew it was a fit. Within four years of taking over in December of 2003, they turned Frankie’s into the number one sports bar in DFW; tripling sales and becoming a staple on the Uptown scene.
Bill & Johnnie set out to build the biggest and best Frankie’s ever and, in August 2015, Frankie’s Downtown was opened in the Heart of the Dallas Business District on Main Street. Since that time, Frankie’s Downtown has been hailed as the number one sports bar in Dallas by both D Magazine and The Dallas Observer.
The Underground Speak-Easy below is an outstanding event venue for corporate and special events/shows during the week and on weekends. The all-scratch kitchen serves everything from Ahi Tuna Salad to late night pizza with dough and sauce made in house daily. And in 2021 Dallas voted Frankie's Best Sports, Best Cocktail Bar, Best Happy Hour & Best Wings in Dallas.
Frankie’s Downtown is THE premiere sports bar in Dallas. Some are bigger, some are older, some have more TV’s, but NONE have the atmosphere and ability to show as many games to as many people in an intimate setting. From humble beginnings, Bill & Johnnie have created what D Magazine has called, “…that rare thing in Dallas: a real neighborhood bar.” Not a high-end gastropub. Not a dive bar. Frankie’s has become a place to meet with old friends and make new ones. It has become Downtown’s Best Spot to taste Texas through Food, Drink & Fun!