The history of the classic American diner started right here in Rhode Island. It began as something called a Night Lunch Wagon. But over time the diner grew and changed, following trends in the workforce, the American family, and food culture to become the uniquely American restaurant we know and love today. And one of my favorite diners around is Modern Diner–which also happens to be the first diner ever listed on the National Register of Historic places. 

To Visit: 364 East Ave, Pawtucket, RI 02860

Episode Source Material: 

If you really enjoy diners, read anything by Richard Gutman: American Diner Then and Now: Gutman, Richard JS: 9780801865367: Amazon.com: BooksA Life Devoted to the American Diner | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian MagazineNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM NAME LOCATION tq.Modern Diner – Pawtucket, Rhode Island - Gastro ObscuraRestaurateur sues, wants shirt off Disney's rackRHODE ISLAND DINER SETTLES TRADEMARK SUIT WITH DISNEY – Orlando SentinelWhy So Many Diners Look Like Train Cars - Gastro ObscuraStreamline Moderne - Wikipedia.Hidden for more than 75 years, the origins of a Chepachet diner are being revealed | WJARHistory of Purple Cat Restaurant to be preserved by new owners | News | valleybreeze.comDrive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and TriviaFrom Hash House to Family Restaurant: The Transformation of the Diner and Post-World War II Consumer CultureDINER HISTORYWalter Scott – Rhode Island Heritage Hall of FameModern DinerHOW THE DINER GOT ITS START – Daily PressDiner - WikipediaWhere No-Frills Fast Food (the Real Thing) Was Born - The New York TimesRhode Island Diners – Where to Eat – Vacation Travel InfoFrom Chuck Wagons to Pushcarts: The History of the Food TruckFood truck - WikipediaTH Buckley- Come Get Your American DreamThe Transition from Horse-Drawn to StationaryThe Classic American EntrepreneurshipThe Original Lunch WagonsThe Masters of the Booming Lunch Car IndustryAppealing to the customersDiners of New England | Randy GarbinBluefield Daily Telegraph | April 1, 1987Clovis News Journal | June 22, 1986Today's specialHaven Brothers: Legacy of the American Diner – Food on a truck, man! - MotifPROVIDENCE DINER, 97, VS. CITY HALL, '87 - The New York TimesNews in Antebellum AmericaLong Live the Lunch Wagon King! Worcester's Diners Prove Resilient | Mass Food & WineWhence Came the Rhode Island Food Truck? | Edible RhodyHistory of the American Diner - Legendary Route 66