Kay's Restaurant — Restaurant in Woonsocket

In my four decades or so of being a Woonsocket resident, I had never been to Kay's. When a friend offered to treat me to lunch while he was in the city, this fact was mentioned and certain insistances were made. I found myself on the way to Kay's, armed with the knowledge that the steak sandwich is good.

This, it seems, is a known fact in the city of Woonsocket.

"It isn't the greatest steak sandwich you will ever have, but it is consistently good."

The interior did not look as dated as I expected, much to my chagrin. I was hoping that it would feel like I walked into the 70s judging from the outside, but the interior was somewhat recently renovated, or so it seemed to me. However, it was clean and well lit, so I will say that it was nice, if not bland looking.

The waitstaff was professional and patient - they did not pretend to be your friend, nor were you ignored - to me, this is the ideal.

I ordered the steak sandwich with mushrooms and onions and provolone cheese.

It arrived swiftly, accompanied by chips, pickles, and pepperonchini.

The chips were bag chips - probably Lay's?

The pickles were passable. They were not house made from my judgement.

Pickled hot peppers? The same as you'd buy in the market.

The sides did not set my world on fire, but I was here for the sandwich.

It was good. Not great. Good.

The steak is not shaved thin, which makes eating it a bit of a chore - it doesn't take much to get a bite that takes out one of the little steak slabs. The bread stood up to the juiciness well enough - it did not disintegrate, and at the end, eating the last bites reminded me of French Onion Soup.

Would I go back?

For this sandwich? Nah. I like a thinner sliced steak like at a sub shop.

Do I regret trying it?

Not at all. It was good and well worth my time. If I liked the form factor of the steak, I'd probably be back again and again. I'd say that if I went again, I'd want to try a different sandwich, but within all likelihood, I'd go elsewhere for sandwiches if I were given a choice.

So in summation - glad that I tried it, not bad at all, but I found myself dreaming of...

I was not the most impressed with the sandwich that I had here. I had the steak sandwich, which apparently won an award, but I just couldn’t see it.

The sandwich was small, for the price that you pay. You get potato chips as a side, and the price was a lot more than I expected. When I was there with my wife, we both ordered a steak sandwich, did not have anything to drink other than water, and it came to over $25. For the amount we paid for our sandwiches, I would’ve expected double the size of the sandwich, or at least a bit bigger, with more than $0.25 worth of potato chips on the side.

The add ones apparently made the difference in price, as both sandwiches were not the same price on the bill. However, it’s not like I ordered double steak, or triple cheese, or anything. I just ordered what normally would be ordered on a steak sandwich, and it came out a lot more than the sandwich my wife ordered.

The steak itself, albeit tasty, was too tough to be served as it was. If it was shredded, or even cut up, it would’ve been a lot easier to eat, but I had to tear each bite from the sandwich.

The place is very cramped, tables so close together you have very little room to walk around. It seems they cater to regulars a lot, as it seemed everyone knew everyone in there, and everyone was drinking.

You seat yourself, if there are any seats available. I would recommend that if you’re in a larger party, say 4 or more, to call ahead, as it did seem they take reservations, as a few booths did have signs on them that...

I really enjoy the dining experience at Kay’s restaurant either solo and with family or friends. There are two dining experiences inside of Kay’s, one at the friendly inside bar which includes a a couple of TV screens, and the other adjacent to it in the dining room with two levels. Included in the dining room are tables which can be joined together upon request for larger groups and booths for size guests from 2 two 6 people. That staff is friendly and very hospitable to all with prompt efficient service in both areas of the restaurant. To be noted especaillly outside of their previous original “cocktail napkin” menu of custom made sandwhiches that there is also an enhanced menu and daily specials boards as well. My favorite meal is a Howler Head Old Fashioned, with the Ahi Tuna appetizer followed by the Fish Taco’s though I also enjoy their tender Roast Beef and Cheese sandwiches as well. It’s a definite must to experience their outdoor cafe dining across the street as well and was one of the initial restaurants in Woonsocket to include this venue during COVID for social distancing where the staff is just as prompt and friendly serving fresh food and beverages made freshly from the restaurant...