Modern Diner — Restaurant in Pawtucket

I have been coming to Modern Diner for over 20 years and it's always a special experience, now more than ever because I get to bring my kids who love the atmosphere and architecture of the diner. I have brought every single one of my relatives to the diner when they visit because of the delicious grits, French toast and the crepes!!-- full of fruit, flavor and topped with an orchid flower.

NOW the reason for the two star

As I said, the crepes were (used to be) so good, presentation and taste! This time the presentation was nothing short of disgusting. Three lumps swimming in a plate of brown watery liquid with a scattering of fresh berries. Yuck. When I took my first bite, it was cold! Like it was just taken out of the fridge cold. I told the waitress and she took it back to the kitchen where they reheated it (microwave?) and brought it back to me. The crepe itself was hard and dried out, the marscepone was over-flavored with lemon--I couldn't eat it and what I did eat made my stomach upset.

When did the crepes drop so low on the list that they are prepared and refrigerated then reheated... on a Saturday morning?

A crepe should be made and eaten fresh, Immediately! It was gross. I didn't even take the leftovers.

Two more things.

Did they change ownership? I hate that I have to leave this review!

My waitress was completely indifferent and made no eye contact with me. Sure, I get it, she's just doing her job. But absolutely nothing more. The waitstaff is the face of the establishment and have some responsibility for making a good impression.

And now, if you use your card to pay, you are charged 4% on top of overpriced food, tax and tip. For myself and my 7 year old, with no beverages the meal cost $30. Is this a sign of the times? Yes, I believe so. It's also a management issue that should be addressed because it would be a sad day for Modern Diner if they fizzled out because of subpar food, cost and service.

Come on Modern Diner! Get it together! This establishment is a Rhode Island...

Is it possible to be nostalgic for something before your time? I’ve always had an affinity for diners and everything from that time in America. Real, authentic, original, diners like these are becoming harder to find... this is a completely worthwhile experience, especially for children and young people. We stopped here for breakfast, and ordered the “Jimmy Gimmie” and a western omelette. So, a Jimmy Gimmie is their house special; 2 poached eggs on toasted English muffin halves, a tomato slice and melted American cheese, with homefries. It reminded me of some sort of take on eggs Benedict. It was really good, and unique. The western omelette was also flavorful and satisfying... the contents were cut to a larger size than the usual small diced ham/onion which was fine...just something I noticed. I chose rye toast with the omelette, which was excellent. Two hot coffees completed our breakfast. The coffee was just right in the diner environment, hot, and good. The perfect complement. Our server was really personable and attentive. The only thing that was slightly disappointing were the portion sizes. Usually diner portions tend to be really generous, but the amounts here were a little more conservative; especially for the price. That wasn’t enough to cast any dark cloud over the experience though. It was a good breakfast, and we’ll most likely...

Ehhhh. Don't really get the appeal and other raving reviews. Long wait but friendly staff. The place is cute but it's super cramped. We were sat in a middle table and there were two families in booths on either side and it just felt so cramped, the space between us was very narrow.

Onto the food, the eggs benedict was pretty good, also large portion. Coffee milk was fine but a little sweet. Endless refills though.

Fresh fruit crepe was a disaster. It smelled super good but was entirely too sweet, felt like the syrup poured all over it was liquid sugar or something. Also all soggy from the syrup just absolutely dousing it. The cheese was also not a good fit with the dish. It almost tasted like cottage cheese or something, even though the menu said mascarpone. Had a very strong and off-putting taste. Definitely not a dessert quality.

They also only accept cash, which became problematic because their ATM only withdraws 20s (also a hefty service fee for withdrawals). Our bill was just short of a multiple of 20 and we didn't want to leave such a small tip so we had to withdraw another 20 and leave that

Oh and prices aren't good. They're actually real expensive for breakfast items. The redeeming quality is that the portions are typically big enough so you aren't totally ripped off.

Food: 2/5 Atmosphere: 2/5 Service: 4/5 Prices:...