Pride and Caring

     Judging by the twenty minute wait to be seated for lunch at 1 PM on a Friday afternoon, Flancer’s Cafe in Gilbert (there’s one in Mesa, too), doesn’t need any publicity from me. There’s also more than 50 mostly four and five star reviews on Yelp. And  the Arizona Republic gave it a glowing review in September. After our lunch, I can tell you that Ken and I heartily agree with all the praise.

     Flancer’s is a small, unpretentious place. The menu is basically bar food - wings, salads, sandwiches, pizza, and some pasta. What made it worth our 30 minute drive is the care and thought that goes into the preparation. Jeff Flancer, the owner, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. When he gives you a steak sandwich, its a 

filet mignon sandwich ($10.75), tender and cooked to order - and served on a freshly baked homemade roll. With caramelized onions and house made chipotle mayo that has the perfect amount of kick. Oh, and gorgonzola cheese, too. Accompanied with an interesting choice of sides, like jalapeno & cheddar mashed potato pie or sweet potato fries. Ken says that Jeff knows what people like to eat, then he thinks of a way to improve on it. Like the onion soup ($3/5) that has a ton of cheese on top, not the thin slice that lots of places try to get away with these days. The pastrami in Ken’s “Cure Heaven” sandwich (every item on the menu has a name) was very flavorful, served hot with provolone and mustard ($8). Portions are large, but not overwhelming. The only disappointment was the pickle - not bad, but not up to the level of the rest of the meal.

     For nine years, Jeff had a restaurant in Santa Fe. There are a number of dishes using a variety of chilis, like the Santa Fe BLT ($8) that comes with New Mexican green chili mayonnaise. Or the Baked Chipotle Fettuccini (Jeff’s spelling) ($11): “Baked fettuccini with sausage, pepperoni & ground beef with chipotle cream marinara sauce & melted mozzarella cheese”. An appetizer I have to try is Flancer’s Green Chile Mushroom Phyllos ($7.50).

     Something that shines through at Flancer’s is pride in the staff (our waiter was excellent), and caring for the community. On the website there are pictures and bios of many of the staff members. If you order a particular dessert, proceeds are donated to a youngster from the community who needs a heart transplant. There are raffles and a yearly pizza eating contest with proceeds also going to charity. The vibe here is really good. 

     Flancer’s is open daily from 10:30 to 9 PM, with Happy Hour from 3 - 7 (they serve a Prickly Pear Lemonade spiked with vodka that sounds really good). There’s free wi-fi, and on some nights there’s music. Check out the menu on their website.

Flancer’s

in Gilbert at 610 N. Gilbert Rd      480-926-9077

in Mesa  at 1902 N. Gigley Rd.    480-396-0077

flancers.com