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8/13/98: Zacharie Maloney was appalled at
the scantness of this review, and added the following.
Dragged nightly to the edge of Kennedy Plaza next to City
Hall, this classic stainless-steel diner serves up simple food all night
long to weary clubgoers, bikers on the prowl, Providence police, and a
host of assorted insomniacs. Sure, you can eat inside -- there are two
barstool-style seats at a short counter, if you don't mind being jostled
by people coming in to order. Accepted fashion involves sitting on the
City Hall steps and talking with the bikers while eating. The food is
greasy, basic, and a bit pricey, but it's the last best chance most
nights, unless you've got the stamina to hit the Silver Top. Grilled
cheese and tomato sandwiches are de rigeur; the coffee is watery, though
-- stick with the hot chocolate. Haven Bros. traces its lineage to the
first-ever diner (the night 'lunch-wagon' which sold sandwiches and
coffee to journalists working late at the Providence Journal building),
and though the food's nothing to write home about, they're always in the
right place at the right time.
Re-review: Louis (the "diner", although it does not call itself that) is in Providence, Rhode Island on Brook Street (on the East Side) and is quite possibly the best diner I have ever had the pleasure of dining at. It is a family-owned establishment with a collage of family pictures on the walls. It has a small counter and many tables and although the diner is small (thus somewhat cramped) it is a very happy experience. The coffee is continually filled to the brim and I highly reccommend the American cheese omlette, which is always perfectly cooked, never runny in the middle. The homefries are yummy with or without katsup (the true test of good potatoes) and the price for this gastronomic pleasure is cheap, cheap, cheap. The food, while somewhat greasy, certainly sticks to your ribs can fill you up for days. Totally unpretentious, the diner boasts a corner of video games and the owner Louis, a true character, waits tables when the place is busy. I have eaten there a million times and never had bad service. I have been told that the Italian lunch specials are to die for.
Although it is not open 24 hours, it is certainly worth a trip for breakfast, but you may have a bit of a wait on weekend mornings. The fabulous food, homey atmosphere and cheap prices make it a haven for the Brown and RISD students in the area. I give it five stars!
I too am a diner lover and am hoping to write a book about the diner experience, hence I stumbled onto your page while doing some net research. I am a former diner waitress originally from Providence now living in New York City. As time permits, I will send more reviews of some of my favorite (and not so favorite) spots!-- Addendum by 'Karen'
After recovering from the initial beauty of it all, we settled down with what can only be called a lilliputian menu. It was a single double-sided card, which contained many of the standards, but nevertheless was shocking in its brevity. Tania pointed out that it did contain basically anything that she _would_ order in a diner ("they've got, like, the diner fare"). The prices were equally petite, which I think is somewhat more important. As it turns out, there are many hidden surprises and nuances in their offerings. Many of the dishes include sides and extras which cannot be anticipated by actually reading the menu. I had some very tasty fish cakes, which I got with mashed potatoes (decidedly powdered), and green beans. Tania had eggs (scrambled) and toast ($1.77). Her potatoes glistened with grease, I was actually able to fix my hair in their reflection. They were greasy, but spicy, which she liked.
The service was terrific. Our waitress called us "hon", "sweety", etc. It was one of the best relationships I've ever been in.