Modern Diner

"Modern Diner is the last known diner housed in a historic Sterling Streamliner car and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. "Modern" is right there in the name, though we love the retro vibes exuded by the booths, the dining counter with its vinyl-topped stools, and the throwback plates and mugs. Find the usual breakfast offerings and a few lunch-leaning offerings like club sandwiches on the menu, and be sure to check out the custard French toast. The real treat, though, may be the slew of brunch specials taped to the wall by the entrance. These change often, with beauties like a gouda, apple, and jalapeno bacon omelet and cranberry pecan pancakes in frequent rotation. Also check out the bites that hat-tip to Pawtucket’s status as a historic Portuguese community. The Mozambique lobster grits reference flavors in the famed shrimp Mozambique, and the linguica hash benedict is always a crowd-pleaser. It’s all dished out with friendly, lighting-quick service, and like any great diner, you probably won’t have a chance to drain your coffee cup before a server swoops in with a refill." - Nathan Tavares

"In 1986, Nick Demou and his late father bought an old, abandoned diner and moved it to its current location on East Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. But this was no ordinary diner. Built in 1941, it was one of only a handful of Sterling Streamliner diners still in existence, and is today one of only two such diners still in operation (a third apparently lies abandoned in Westport, Massachusetts). The Modern Diner, which Demou now runs with his brother-in-law, Frank Aguiar, has a few claims to fame. Its historic status is one. Even before Demou bought the joint, it had street cred: In 1978, it was the first ever diner to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another claim to fame is Demou’s custard French toast, which in 2015 was named the best diner dish in the country by the Food Network show Top 5 Restaurants. The dish—which comes topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, sliced kiwi, house-candied pecans, and raspberry syrup—came into existence pretty much by accident. Some 20 years ago, Demou made an excess of vanilla pudding. Not wanting to let it go to waste, he thinned it out and added it to the French toast. The rest is diner history. Apart from the French toast, the Modern Diner sells many of the classic breakfast and lunch dishes you’d expect from an eatery of its kind. There are pancakes, muffins, sandwiches, burgers, plenty of eggs in various styles, and weekend specials such as the linguica hash and lobster Benedict. You’ll also find at least 30 daily specials on the wall as you walk in the door. It’s all tasty comfort food, in an old-school diner atmosphere that hasn’t changed in years." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

"“Modern” is in the name, but this diner serves up pure nostalgia. Take a seat at the counter or a booth, soak up the old-timey atmosphere, and order up some custard French toast, a Western omelet, or one of the more than 20 specials offered each day. Rhode Islanders love diners because they are said to have invented them; the restaurant genre can be traced back to Walter Scott, who sold sandwiches out of a horse-drawn covered wagon outside of the Providence Journal offices in the 1870s. Modern Diner is equally noteworthy: the Sterling Streamliner-style building, first manufactured in the ’30s, was the first diner listed on the National Register of Historic Places." - Jenna Pelletier

"In 1986, Nick Demou and his late father bought an old, abandoned diner and moved it to its current location on East Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. But this was no ordinary diner. Built in 1941, it was one of only a handful of Sterling Streamliner diners still in existence, and is today one of only two such diners still in operation (a third apparently lies abandoned in Westport, Massachusetts). The Modern Diner, which Demou now runs with his brother-in-law, Frank Aguiar, has a few claims to fame. Its historic status is one. Even before Demou bought the joint, it had street cred: In 1978, it was the first ever diner to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another claim to fame is Demou’s custard French toast, which in 2015 was named the best diner dish in the country by the Food Network show Top 5 Restaurants. The dish—which comes topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, sliced kiwi, house-candied pecans, and raspberry syrup—came into existence pretty much by accident. Some 20 years ago, Demou made an excess of vanilla pudding. Not wanting to let it go to waste, he thinned it out and added it to the French toast. The rest is diner history. Apart from the French toast, the Modern Diner sells many of the classic breakfast and lunch dishes you’d expect from an eatery of its kind. There are pancakes, muffins, sandwiches, burgers, plenty of eggs in various styles, and weekend specials such as the linguica hash and lobster Benedict. You’ll also find at least 30 daily specials on the wall as you walk in the door. It’s all tasty comfort food, in an old-school diner atmosphere that hasn’t changed in years. Know Before You Go Modern Diner opens for breakfast and lunch daily (it closes at 2:00 p.m.). It only accepts cash." - Collector of Experiences, b blimpcaptain, Tony Dunnell, r rjsgutman, a adventuringshar, S SemiruralYeti, blimpcaptain, adventuringshar, Kerserker, rjsgutman, SemiruralYeti