Fond Roadfood memory — our introduction to the Putney Diner:
“We’re ready for our pies,” we tell Ellie the waitress.
“No, you’re not!” she responds, noting that we haven’t totally cleaned our plates of foot-long hot dogs with baked beans, macaroni and (cheddar) cheese, a meat loaf sandwich with cheese and cranberry sauce, shepherd’s pie, and split pea soup with ham.
We implore her, and she relents, cutting big, unwieldy slices of apple pie, crumb-top berry pie, and maple walnut pie. The maple walnut is especially hefty. “You want ice cream or whipped cream with that?” Ellie asks. “You need one or the other because the pie is so sweet.”
Although the logic of her recommendation escapes us, we do as Ellie says and have our maple pie topped with whipped cream. She is the kind of foodservice person who makes you want to behave right. “Can’t you tell I used to be a mother?” she says. Then comes the punch line: “But I gave it up due to lack of interest.”
So it went when we first visited the Putney Diner, which remains a Roadfood treasure just minutes away from I-91 at Exit 4. A happy little town cafe that does not look like a traditional diner, it maintains a true diner spirit as well as a true diner menu. In the morning, plates of plain or buckwheat pancakes come with only-in-Vermont maple syrup. Eggs can be had with kielbasa or corned beef hash. Broad-topped muffins are split and toasted on the grill. At lunch, you can count on square meals of meat loaf or roast turkey and stuffing, and in cold weather, the arcane Yankee favorite, American chop suey.
At the end of a meal, everyone tops things off with pie, the day’s varieties of which are set out on a low counter to the right as you enter. They include apple, maple walnut, chocolate cream, banana cream, and crumb-top four berry. In the summer, look for strawberry rhubarb. These are chunky, sturdy pies, served in slices that tend to fall apart on the plate. Not beautiful, but eminently edible.
Sunday | 7am - 3pm |
Monday | 7am - 3pm |
Tuesday | 7am - 3pm |
Wednesday | 7am - 3pm |
Thursday | 7am - 3pm |
Friday | 7am - 3pm |
Saturday | 7am - 3pm |
Other Nearby Restaurants
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Up For Breakfast
Manchester Center, VermontPancakes glazed with maple syrup at Up For Breakfast are the best of Vermont, made from sunny buttermilk batter, dark buckwheat batter, or sourdough batter.
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Smiarowski Farmstand & Creamy
Sunderland, MassachusettsProduce, ice cream, and a short menu of hot dogs and Polish food make Smiarowski’s farm stand a Massachusetts roadside delight. Dine al fresco at picnic tables.
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Tilt’n Diner
Tilton, New HampshireA mid-20th century diner with a large new room and kitchen added on the back, Tilt’n is great for breakfast, especially when roast beef hash is on the menu.
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Four Aces Diner
Lebanon, New HampshireWorcester Diner #837 in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Four Aces serves hash house fare with a Yankee twist: big food, low prices and greasy-spoon ambiance to spare.
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White Cottage
Woodstock, VermontWhite Cottage’s breezy tables are right for made-to-order hamburgers and foot-long hot dogs longs served Yankee-style in grilled rolls. A summer-in-Vermont treat.
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Dot’s
Wilmington, VermontDot’s is a best-of-Vermont town cafe serving from-scratch square meals, great burgers, and memorably fruity berry pancakes at breakfast.