241 replies to this topic

[Recchia]

Okay, here's my ratings for Pawtucket food places and bars:

-Kip's, the breakfast place on Armistice, sucks!  I heard it was amazing, but I went there last week and got the Texas French Toast, and it was plain as hell.  Oh, and the eggs were all watery.  

-The Central Ave Bakery (Central Ave), is incredible.  Tons and tons of pastries, mostly Portuguese, and groceries, and extremely inexpensive.  They have amazing cannoli's, zeppole and Portuguese sweet bread too.  I think I've been there every day this week.  

-Toti's Pizza (Central Ave), very good pizza and buffalo chicken calzones.  Too bad the waitress is a miserable beotch though...

-Extreme Donuts:  This was a huge disapointment. When I see a place called "Extreme Donuts", I think of massive donuts the size of Allie's donut cakes, with tons of frosting piled high, or oozing with fillings.  Instead, I walk inside and see a menu of sandwiches and pizza, and then a couple donuts behind the counter that look EXACTLY like Dunkin Donuts.  I...don't....get...it.....   But anyway, I got a slice of Sicilian pizza, and it was pretty good, nice and greasy and good gravy.  

-The JK Club:  This is a bar right down the street from me, so I figured I'd check it out since I'd be able to get sloshed and then just walk back home.  Big mistake.  I was the only person there under 40, and the only thin person there, and the only one there not wearing cut off T-shirts, and the only one there who probably wasn't affiliated with the KKK...

-Carousel Sports Lounge (Armistice): Nice atmosphere, nice pool tables and games, young people, good overall mix in the crowd.  Kind of pricey though.  

-Vet's Bar (Central):  See description for JK Club above...

[brick]

Recchia, on Feb 24 2006, 02:01 PM, said:

Okay, here's my ratings for Pawtucket food places and bars:

I'll add.

The Madhouse Cafe is basically Crazy Burger north.  If you like the food down at Crazy Burger, you will like this.  They offer a ton of veggie/vegan options which is good, although my vegetarian friend has been disappointed with her choices so far.  Both times I have gone for food have been off hours (Saturday afternoon around 3ish) so it's hard to get a good read on the service from that.  I also went for wine and appetizer the other night and it was very good.  Although it's not even trying to be a brasserie, I would put the food/service/atmosphere on a par with places like The Bravo Cafe and Red Stripe.

The East Ave Cafe.  As mentioned recently changed ownership, much for the worse.  Too bad.  Not much more I am going to say.  They used to be completely great wholesome food for a good price.  Perhaps they alienated a chef or two who will eventually come back.  I don't know.  I miss when it was good.

The Newport Deck on Newport Ave used to be a happy hour favorite back when I worked in the bucket.  Pub food, better crowd in the summer, probably too old for Recchia.

The best breakfast place in Pawtucket and maybe in Rhode Island is the Modern Diner.  It has gotten pretty expensive over the years but everything I've ever had there I've wanted to have again, which is going to be a hard thing to accomplish since they have so many specials all the time.

Technically, the Garden Grille, Barney's, LJ's are all in Pawtucket but I think they're generally considered as part of the East side.

People say Brothers Pub is good.  Never been myself.

The Celtic Pub on Broadway right near the Attleboro line is a cool place once in a while.  

As for clubs, there really are none in Pawtucket proper.  Cabana Club in Lincoln but right on the border is kind of fun, if you like to shake your ass Latin style.  (seriously, if you go on a Friday night you will see some excellent Salsa dancing)

[bloodyrocker]

I love all the Pawtucket talk.  I'll add my 2 cents.

Kips Diner.  I feel somewhat responsible for giving the place a thumbs up.. I just love that there is still an independent old school diner in the area and that i can get a perfectly passable 2eggs, toast, homefries and sausage with coffee for around 3.50.   ( and btw,  I'm a regular at the Modern and I agree that they are WAY better in terms of quality)

Madhouse Cafe.  I went the other nite and the place was packed!  the waitress recognized us from the one in south county (I guess we look a little scruffy compared to the mover-shakers that were there that nite) and informed us that it was busy because they just got a big write up in the projo.  good for them.  I like the food just fine but its a tad expensive for what you get in my opinion.  However, they have a big ol' deck for drinking on spring and summer nites and its within walking (stumbling) distance of my house so I'll be trying that out with a couple of other hip folk that live in our neighborhood (Pleasant View)

East Ave.  ditto on what Brick said. After 15 or so years of regular patronage I'm sick and tired of getting my heart broke and i will never set foot in that place again.  about a year ago i even talked to the manager (might of been the old manager before the sale) about all the changes (quality of chicken,  menu items being dropped left and right) and he pretty much gave me a bullcrap line and lied to my face.  I went to culinary school,  was a cook in the army and have worked in dozens of restaurants so I think I know the difference between a friggen frozen chicken-part patty and a fresh one!  ahh well..

Heres a couple others:

China Inn.   I go to thai places like aspara and thai star alot but when I'm in the mood for chinese I head here.   Pretty great  even though they are a little sauce heavy.  the steamed dumplings are made to order and are excellent.  a downtown Pawtucket institution.

House of Pizza   206 division st.    This place looks a little rough but I was taken there by a friend that grew up in Central Falls and now owns Nice Slice on thayer st and is a pizza genius.  That being said I'm not recommending the pizza here.  its the meatball sub that I stop in for every once in awhile.  homemade and pretty damn good.  ask for roasted peppers and extra sauce.  Not the kind of place you want to bring a date but for takout meatball subs its great.

[Frankie811]

bloodyrocker, on Feb 24 2006, 05:19 PM, said:

Madhouse Cafe.  I went the other nite and the place was packed!

http://beeradvocate....06/?view=events

[Recchia]

I heard good stuff about Cabana Club.  I'm going to bring my brother there when he visits, he's got the Goya fever, as do I.  I'll definitley be checking out Madhouse soon, it's a little far to walk but it's always easier when your loaded!

How's Liberty Lunch?  I heard they have great weiners.  

Oh, and one more thing, Boulevard Meats, on Armistice almost to Slater Park, a very cool old fashioned meat market.  I went in there and felt as though I was in Satriale's from the Sopranos.

[Garris]

Any good pizza in Pawtucket?

- Garris

[frymasterspeck]

My take on the Madhouse is more socio-political than gastronomic. No doubt, the food is great. The atmosphere, tunage, etc, does nothing for me. I'm kinda down market. All of that said, I've spent plenty there on clients. Plenty.

Modern Diner = wait on line. I live two blocks from there and almost never go. Chow is fair to good, IMO.

Best chow in the area, and my #1 go to is Sun and Moon on Warren Ave in EP. This is true and authentic Mom & Pop homestyle Korean. Stone pot-style is my thing. If you've never been, Korean is all about the condiments: kimchi, pickled diako, etc.

I reiterate: El Paisa in CF positively destroys! Gi-normous portions of fresh, homestyle Colombian chow. Nice, clean place and, now, a full bar. I speak ZERO Spanish and I get by.

Pizza? I've never had a good one here.

On the nightlife tip, there's a place called Cats/KC Tap on Broadway which is really a little diamond in the rough. The owner doesn't book shows per se. He let's locals approach him with a show and cut a deal. It's pretty weird, with a punk rock crowd drifting in and overtaking the baseball-cap-wearin' local sty-lee. Given critical mass, it could become a defacto hot spot.

That is, given critical mass...

[Recchia]

The only pizza I've had is Toti's.  It's decent, but the calzones are realllllly good.  I heard House of Pizza is really good, haven't tried it yet though.  I doubt there's much compared to Providence though.

[Frankie811]

There's a place on Smithfield Ave just up from Mineral Spring that's suppose to be good. And Twin's Pizza is just up the road a piece in N. Prov.

[Dan]

Toti's you're talking about is in Seekonk, no?

Ramone's has the best calzones anywhere, and House of Pizza on Division St has the best pizza and grinders in the bucket by far.  You gotta get a small though... I think the large is made with the same ball of dough stretched out tight.  

How about the best Chinese?  That's a mystery.  I can't find any place that makes good General Tso's Chicken anywhere in Prov./Pawt.  They all do that spongey orange shiite which has no texture, flavor, or plate appeal.  And authentic fried rice is supposed to come out brown, not pale yellow.  
That's my rant for the day!

[Recchia]

No, Toti's on Central Ave in Darlington.

[Jenks]

Garris, on Mar 10 2006, 06:34 PM, said:

Any good pizza in Pawtucket?

- Garris

Broadway Pizza.

[bloodyrocker]

Jenks, on Mar 11 2006, 11:06 PM, said:

Broadway Pizza.

Is it really any good?  I live right down the street and have yet to try it  (been about 1 and a half years).

[MikeR]

I'll add my personal favorite:
Lisboa a Noite in downtown Pawtucket.  Excellent Portuguese food...and I should know being Portuguese!  

Edited by MikeR, 13 March 2006 - 09:04 AM.

[Recchia]

MikeR, on Mar 13 2006, 10:04 AM, said:

I'll add my personal favorite:
Lisboa a Noite in downtown Pawtucket.  Excellent Portuguese food...and I should know being Portuguese!  

Ohh, where is it exactly?  I'm planning a Bucket food tour this Friday for myself.

[PCGrad02]

Garris, on Mar 10 2006, 06:34 PM, said:

Any good pizza in Pawtucket?

- Garris

Archie's Pizza on Newport Ave

[frymasterspeck]

Recchia, on Mar 13 2006, 10:33 AM, said:

Ohh, where is it exactly?  I'm planning a Bucket food tour this Friday for myself.

Better get a time machine to go to Lisboa. It is a thing in the past.
I believe it was in the location on Exchange Street currently housing Tabu strip club.
Ah, The Bucket. How I love thee.

[Recchia]

That's too bad.  

Where's Cup and Saucer by the way?  I swear I was walking down Main St. on Friday and didn't even see it at all, it must be hidden among all those abandoned storefronts.

[frymasterspeck]

Recchia, on Mar 13 2006, 12:20 PM, said:

That's too bad.  

Where's Cup and Saucer by the way?  I swear I was walking down Main St. on Friday and didn't even see it at all, it must be hidden among all those abandoned storefronts.

Opposite the VIN Station, next to Off Tha Hook

[MikeR]

frymasterspeck, on Mar 13 2006, 12:19 PM, said:

Better get a time machine to go to Lisboa. It is a thing in the past.
I believe it was in the location on Exchange Street currently housing Tabu strip club.
Ah, The Bucket. How I love thee.

Lisboa always had good food - although its' been a few years since I've gone.  There'a always Estrela do Mar in E. Prov., though.