Good Eats-Show Us Your Vintage Diners

[DaveProc]

The Modern Miner is located about 15 minutes from me in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It is a 1941 Sterling Streamliner. When I was a kid, there were still an abundance of vintage diners in the greater Providence metropolitan area, most are now gone. Any cool diners still out here that you all frequent?
https://www.americandinermuseum.org/

 

[2jakes]

The Pig Stand is still standing but no longer in use.

Sometimes I’ll drop by on the current one but it's been a while.

 

[Bamaboots]

I've eaten at this one several times.

 

[2jakes]

Favorite is the one on the Road to Perdition.

Although...

"The Englewood Diner, shown here ready to start on a journey from Holden, Massachusetts to Chicago, was built in 1941 and originally stood on a corner in Dorchester, near the Ashmont "T" station. It changed hands and locations a number of times before DreamWorks producers purchased it on Ebay for a reported $35,000.
DreamWorks contacted a Boston rigger about moving the diner from its last home in Holden to Chicago, but the Boston company turned to the overdimensional shipment specialists at Rushco. Rushco moved the vintage eatery West, where it appeared in the Tom Hanks film "Road to Perdition."

 

[Fading Fast]

About 10 blocks from us is this gem: named "The Lexington Candy Shop / Luncheonette" it is very diner like and opened and has been in the same location since 1925.

 

[DaveProc]

About 10 blocks from us is this gem: named "The Lexington Candy Shop / Luncheonette" it is very diner like and opened and has been in the same location since 1925.

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Very cool! Thank you for sharing.

 

[GHT]

There's a place in Cornwall, and although I've never visited, I would strongly recommend it, because I love a David & Goliath story:
By the way, in Britspeak, baps are a type of bread roll, baps are also a tongue in cheek reference to ladies breasts, it depends how it's said.
The owner of a roadside cafe called 'Nice Baps' says he has turned down Costa Coffee's offer to buy him out three times.
Kevin Baker, runs the venue in Wadebridge, Cornwall, with his wife, Laura, from a decorated shipping container made to look like a log cabin in a layby. The business has developed a huge following and has become the highest rated eatery in Cornwall - the top spot out of 2,218 places to eat across the county. The business has been granted a permanent trading licence.
Kevin has now revealed they have been approached by the coffee giant on three separate occasions - but he keeps turning them away.
Costa was recently bought out by Coca-Cola - for £3.9billion. Kevin said: 'Costa Coffee wanted to buy us out. They came to us three times and on the third time they offered us £120,000 to move but I refused.

 

[DaveProc]

Liberty Elm diner on Elmwood Ave in the Historic Elwood section of Providence Rhode Island

 

[David Conwill]

How odd! I'd never heard of the Modern Diner until this morning when it showed up on my Instagram feed--now here it is on TFL.

Up here in Bennington we have The Blue Benn, which has been here since 1948. There are a couple other places within striking distance that I've been intending to try, including the Miss Bellows Falls diner in Bellows Falls, Vermont, and the West Taghkanic Diner in Ancram, New York.

I'm going to try to get the Barnstormers to do an early-morning road trip that culminates in breakfast at the Modern at some point!

 

[DaveProc]

How odd! I'd never heard of the Modern Diner until this morning when it showed up on my Instagram feed--now here it is on TFL.

Up here in Bennington we have The Blue Benn, which has been here since 1948. There are a couple other places within striking distance that I've been intending to try, including the Miss Bellows Falls diner in Bellows Falls, Vermont, and the West Taghkanic Diner in Ancram, New York.

I'm going to try to get the Barnstormers to do an early-morning road trip that culminates in breakfast at the Modern at some point!

David, in 2019 the association that owns the 1770 National Historic Landmark house museum that I run will be celebrating it's centennial, having been founded in 1919 to save and preserve the 1770 house. Maybe you and the Barnstormers might be interested in swinging by the museum which is about 35 minutes south of the Modern Diner to help us celebrate our centennial.

 

[David Conwill]

That sounds like our cup of tea indeed!

 

[DaveProc]

That sounds like our cup of tea indeed!

Please visit our woefully outdated website for more info at www.nathanaelgreenehomestead.org and click the contact us link, it goes to me

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Favorite is the one on the Road to Perdition.
View attachment 138098

Although...
View attachment 138099
"The Englewood Diner, shown here ready to start on a journey from Holden, Massachusetts to Chicago, was built in 1941 and originally stood on a corner in Dorchester, near the Ashmont "T" station. It changed hands and locations a number of times before DreamWorks producers purchased it on Ebay for a reported $35,000.
DreamWorks contacted a Boston rigger about moving the diner from its last home in Holden to Chicago, but the Boston company turned to the overdimensional shipment specialists at Rushco. Rushco moved the vintage eatery West, where it appeared in the Tom Hanks film "Road to Perdition."

DreamWorks sold this diner back to a private owner after "Road to Perdition" in 2002, and it's now back in Massachusetts, being used on a regular basis.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Red Line Diner, Brighton, MA (a section of Boston). Photo from October 26, 2013. This diner is a film star. The diner started out life in Dorchester (another section of Boston) back in the 1940s. It was originally the Englewood Diner that was closed and moved in 1979. Then it was kept in storage for several years before being moved again circa 1985 to a new location in Dorchester. Quite a few moves followed and it almost got set up in at least 2 other locations. It even made a trip out toward Chicago to be used in a cameo appearance in the movie, “Road To Perdition.” New Balance Shoes Footwear now owns the diner. They renamed it the Red Line Diner and set it up near their corporate headquarters to be used for private functions. A 1941 vintage Sterling diner built by J.B. Judkins Company.

Rob

 

[DaveProc]

Haven Brothers Diner outside Providence City Hall, Providence, Rhode Island. Originally founded as a horse-drawn lunch wagon in 1893

 

[Zombie_61]

The Pantry:

Despite what it says on the side of the building, everyone I know calls it "The Pantry". Opened in 1924 on the northwest corner of 9th and Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles, they claim to have never closed or been without a customer since. Originally a one-room 15-stool counter (which still exists), they now have a number of booths and tables as well. Relatively simple fare, they still make their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners as they did in 1924 (the prices have gone up, of course), and the staff still wears white shirts and black bow ties. And until 2011, the coffee was free. It's one of Los Angeles' oldest restaurants still operating in it's original location, and the line of customers you see in the photo was not staged. I waited for an hour in a line longer than that once just to get in the front door, and waited another 20 minutes inside for a table to become available. Don't even think of using a credit card or check to pay for your meal; cash only. It's definitely a favorite, and I've never had a bad meal or received bad service there.

 

[DaveProc]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Lost Ronin]

The Modern Miner is located about 15 minutes from me in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It is a 1941 Sterling Streamliner. When I was a kid, there were still an abundance of vintage diners in the greater Providence metropolitan area, most are now gone. Any cool diners still out here that you all frequent?
https://www.americandinermuseum.org/
View attachment 138093

I remember this place so well ! Is it still open for business?

My mother worked in a diner when I was about 5 years old, and this might have well been the one. What a trip down memory lane. I was raised in South Boston, but was born in Providence and lived there when I was small, and returned later before moving back to Boston and finally to Florida.

Sadly mom passed away in 2007 so I can't be completely sure. But seeing that diner pic was a kick in the guts in a good way.

That is amazing, thank you for sharing.

 

[DaveProc]

I remember this place so well ! Is it still open for business?

My mother worked in a diner when I was about 5 years old, and this might have well been the one. What a trip down memory lane. I was raised in South Boston, but was born in Providence and lived there when I was small, and returned later before moving back to Boston and finally to Florida.

Sadly mom passed away in 2007 so I can't be completely sure. But seeing that diner pic was a kick in the guts in a good way.

That is amazing, thank you for sharing.

Yes, it is still open

 

[Lost Ronin]

Yes, it is still open

Wow thank you. Might be time for a trip back home!