Where to eat in Wakefield: Phil’s Restaurant

09. August 2007 Rhode Island 0

We wanted to go to Surfin’ Tacos to cure our hangovers, but they were still preparing to open when we stopped by. When we saw the menu, we realized it wasn’t a tacqueria per se, but more like a Chipotle type of place. Across the street, the line of high school and college-age kids outside Phil’s Restaurant caught our eye.

The origin of diners can be traced back to the 1850s when a Walter Scott from Providence supplemented his income by selling coffee and sandwiches at night from a horse-drawn wagon parked outside the Providence Journal newspaper office. There really wasn’t a reason not to eat in one while I was already in the state.

Well, okay, there is one: how awful you feel after eating a plate of three eggs, corned beef hash, white toast with butter and a plateful of potatoes. Although at the time very satisfying, I felt I was going to get a stomachache after. Big breakfasts from diners can be excellent, you just have to have the stomach for them.

Phil’s Restaurant is at 323 Main Street in Wakefield, Rhode Island. You won’t miss the American flag. Just walk in and wait to be seated.