Restaurant review: Frank and Margie’s hit target with new Round Rock spot by Michelin starred chef
You’ve gotta give it up to the chef duo of Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee. When it comes to empire building, they can’t be beat. Their flagship Sushi By Scratch has a Michelin star and the man has been on Top Chef among other cooking shows. He and his wife are rockstars of the restaurant industry without a doubt. If you’ve not had the decadence of their East Austin spot, NADC’s double Waygu cheeseburgers, you’re missing out. There’s nothing that these folks don’t do well.
At the recent soft opening for their new spot, Frank & Margie’s, the craft of making something you’ve had countless times feel like the best version of itself was on full display. A pepperoni pizza with hot honey. A plate of garlic bread that somehow felt elevated without losing the plot—still rich and indulgent, but dialed in just right. Simple things, done right, then pushed a little further. The Lees’ ethos was on full display, bite after bite, as we sat there talking about how incredible everything we ordered was.
Lee, a punk rock kid turned self-taught chef who’s made a name through Scratch Restaurants Group with boundary-pushing tasting menus, brings the creative edge. But the heartbeat here comes from Margarita, whose background in pastry and hospitality sharpens the experience into something warmer, more intentional. It’s not just his show, it feels like both of theirs.
The menu at Frank & Margie’s leans into the tried and true: chicken parm, lamb ragu, Caesar salad—but these aren’t throwaway staples. They’re the best versions you’ll find in Austin. The Caesar, especially, is a revelation: bright with lemon, balanced with fresh pepper, and just enough garlic to give it body. It’s a dish that’s everywhere, but here it’s done in a way that makes you want to order it again. And again.
Lee already has Michelin stars, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this place lands a Bib Gourmand just for how well it nails pizza—especially in a city where Italian food can be rough. What makes it even better is the location. It’s not tucked into some polished downtown corridor, but out in Round Rock, right off I-35. There’s something satisfying about that. It’s a reminder that not everything good has to live in an upscale neighborhood.
This is food for everyone, which has become part of the Lee identity. These are working-class chefs who’ve paid their dues, and people keep showing up because the product is consistently strong. Maybe it traces back to Lee’s punk rock roots?—the humility, the work ethic, the sense of controlled chaos in the kitchen. The whole thing can feel like a Dillinger Escape Plan song that, in the right hands, settles into something closer to Sonny Rollins.
And the pricing follows suit. This isn’t a special-occasion-only spot. It lands closer to somewhere like Jack Allen’s Kitchen than a higher-end Italian place—a genuinely accessible night out that doesn’t feel like a compromise. As Austin continues to gentrify, places like this feel less common. Frank & Margie’s delivers, no qualifiers needed. The fact that Fellini’s La Strada was playing on the TVs is just a little signal that the Lees are doing things their own way.
Featured photo and Lee’s portrait courtesy of Frank and Margie’s. All others by Robert Dean
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