Restaurants in Rhode Island
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Geoff’s Superlative Sandwiches
A longtime favorite with students and junior faculty, Geoff’s offers a massive menu of creative sandwiches, including meatless reuben (melted swiss, spinach, carrots, sauerkraut), pastrami, kosher meat and lots of things with celery salt. Find scant seating, checked linoleum floor, and a big barrel of pickles.
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George’s of Galilee
Rhode Island's port for car ferries to Block Island is at Galilee State Pier, at the southern end of RI 108 in the village of Galilee, near Point Judith. George’s of Galilee has a takeout window at the port where hordes of sandy people line up for clam cakes that are crisp on the outside, doughy on the inside and studded with bits of clam. On some summer evenings, a bad two-piece band plays cheesy covers (actually, to answer your question, we do not like piña coladas) out of amps that should be turned down.
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Al Forno
Our most recent visit featured scallops with blackened bacon so perfect that they were celestial – without doubt a constellation out there bears a resemblance. Also enjoy boar loin with cranberry potatoes and green beans, fare from local farms, and incredible desserts (limoncello cake with candied citrus peel). Budget-minded folks can order wood-fired pizzas ($20) big enough for two to split. While people tend to dress up a bit, the room and garden terrace are somewhat casual. Make a reservation.
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Evelyn’s
The town of Tiverton stretches alongside the wide Sakonnet river, with views of distant sailing vessels and Aquidneck Island. On the north stretch of Rte 77, you’ll find gray-shingled Evelyn’s a traditional roadside eatery from another era. Park on the crushed shell driveway and eat amazing lobster rolls (cool, mildly spiced claw and tail meat on a hotdog bun). The place sits next to a blue inlet with a handful of bobbing dinghies.
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Champlin’s Seafood
Rhode Island's port for car ferries to Block Island is at Galilee State Pier, at the southern end of RI 108 in the village of Galilee, near Point Judith. At Champlin’s Seafood, order a lobster roll, stuffed clams, scallops or one of many sea critters breaded and fried, and hang out on its 2nd-floor deck, which sits inches from the harbor’s channel. The swaying masts of rusty fishing vessels keep you company.
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White Horse Tavern
If you’d like to eat at a tavern opened by a 17th-century pirate that once served as an annual meeting place for the colonial Rhode Island General Assembly, try this historic, gambrel-roofed beauty. It opened in 1687, and is one of America’s oldest taverns. Menus for dinner (at which men should wear a jacket) might include baked escargot, truffle-crusted Atlantic halibut or beef Wellington.
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Black Pearl
For a bowl of superb clam chowder seasoned with lots of dill, enter the good-looking black-beamed tavern of this old reliable, covered in old maps and nautical charts. They’ve also got hearty corned beef sandwiches, fish and pot pie. Attached to the tavern is the more formal Commodore’s Room, where you can eat oysters, steaks and racks of lamb. A Hot Dog Annex supplies cheap snacks.
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La Forge Casino Restaurant
This joint stands out for one reason only: seats in the back are not only inside the famed Newport Casino, some of them practically sit on an enclosed grass court. If you eat here (Irish-themed decor), avoid the front room. Passable food ranges from burgers and calamari to more expensive entrees. Some forego solids and stick to booze – the bar’s open till midnight.
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Salas’
Above Percy’s Bistro but with a separate entrance, this Newport institution for the hearty, hungry and thrifty serves simple and tasty Italian and seafood dishes, plus a children’s menu. Huge plates of pasta in red-clam sauce are sold by weight, and you’re likely to be a little sentimental for the place after eating their fantastic clam boil.
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Top of the Dock Restaurant
Rhode Island's port for car ferries to Block Island is at Galilee State Pier, at the southern end of RI 108 in the village of Galilee, near Point Judith. The Portside Restaurant & Chowder House, the Top of the Dock Restaurant and other eateries are good for a drink or snack while you’re waiting for the boat.
reviewed
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Portside Restaurant & Chowder House
Rhode Island's port for car ferries to Block Island is at Galilee State Pier, at the southern end of RI 108 in the village of Galilee, near Point Judith. The Portside Restaurant & Chowder House, the Top of the Dock Restaurant and other eateries are good for a drink or snack while you’re waiting for the boat.
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Haven Brothers Diner
Parked next to City Hall, this diner sits on the back of a truck that has rolled into the same spot every evening for decades. Climb up a rickety ladder to get hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, cabinets (milkshake with ice-cream), lobster salad and little else. Everyone who has lived in Providence for a year or more is likely to have eaten here at least once.
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New Rivers
The seasonal menu of this New America bistro features dishes such as rabbit loin with sweet pea sauce, roasted sole or beef tenderloin with mushrooms and pearl onions. The good-looking room combines soft lighting with rich red walls, making it a fine place to peruse a well-conceived wine list. Monday to Thursday there’s a $26 prix fixe.
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Scales & Shells
Enter this half-casual, broad, noisy room for small linen-clad tables set with grated parmesan and Tabasco sauce tended by waitresses in T-shirts. The decor is marked by an open kitchen and a blackboard menu. Have your squid, swordfish or lobster mesquite grilled for a change. In summer, a swamped U-shaped bar serves a huge waiting crowd.
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Julian’s
A messy combination of neon, exposed brick and ductwork, come here for tattooed cooks preparing a stellar brunch (served until 5pm) with changing blackboard specials (goat cheese, caper, tomato and mushroom hash) along with several benedicts and lots of vegan options. The dinner menu offers seared yellowfin, small sides and alcohol.
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Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant
This centrally located, ever-popular place has a huge menu of snacks, sandwiches, bar food, Mexican specialties and a salad bar, as well as Newport’s most elaborate drinks list. A large patio holds many yellow umbrellas and brightly colored Adirondack chairs. The pub is not a chain, but it feels like one.
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Louis’ Restaurant
Wake up early to watch bleary-eyed students and carpenters eat strawberry banana pancakes and drink drip coffee at their favorite greasy spoon long before the rest of College Hill shows signs of life. The place is loaded with bad art (crayon on paper menus) and the faded pictures of numerous regulars.
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Aloha Café
Inside the old brick Seaman’s Church Institute, locals and fishermen sit at one of a few tables or at the bar to enjoy dirt cheap coffee, eggs, meatball sandwiches, BLTs and soup. The wood-paneled room has a map mural of Narragansett Bay from the 1930s with iconographic rabbits and whales.
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Mooring
A harborfront setting and a menu brimming with fresh seafood make this an unbeatable combination for seaside dining. Tip: if it's packed, take the side entrance to the bar, grab a stool and order the meaty clam chowder and a 'bag of doughnuts' (tangy lobster fritters).
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Cafe Zelda
This bistro’s wainscoting, lit by dim, frosted lamps, rises above the unfortunately carpeted floor. Enjoy a seasonal menu, which might offer hanger steak, pork chops with littlenecks, lamb or wild mushroom risotto. A cozy and popular bar is in a separate space next door.
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Coffee Exchange
Drink very strong coffee at one of many small tables covering a scratched wooden floor. Nearby, thick layers of flyers are tacked onto boards and a large roaster lurks behind cases displaying the 40 kinds of beans available. In warm weather, take your brew on an open-air deck.
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Casa Christine
Locals in the know find their way to this family-run dining room on a drab backstreet to fill up on heaps of home-cooked veal, chicken and fish. Enjoy the hearty Italian fare in a small room covered with an odd pastel mural of a not-that-intense Bacchanalia. BYOB.
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Cafe Yuni
Serving substantial pieces of fish, Cafe Yuni draws a loyal following with its fresh sushi and polite, charming service. The small restaurant also serves udon noodles, stir-fries and japachae (stir-fried potato noodles with vegetables).
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Coffee Grinders
Enjoy espresso and a pastry on some benches at this small shingled shack at the end of Banisters Wharf. You’ll be surrounded by water, with great views over yacht activity and crustaceans being unloaded at the Aquidneck Lobster Company.
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Taste of India
The bustling lunch crowd at this Indian joint comes for a tasty buffet ($7), curries and a top-notch mango lassi (yoghurt drink) made with strong rose water. The room contains cheap carpets, plastic plants and nooks for privacy.
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