The Classic Café

I stopped in on a morning after a wonderful evening in Providence. And as I didn’t have time for the inevitable 45 – 60 minute wait at the incomparable KITCHEN, I opted to try The Classic Café. And it didn’t disappoint. I had the hash and eggs, and they were superb and plentiful. Nowadays, enormous portions aren’t always a good thing for me, but you will not leave this place hungry. If you want a classic diner-​style breakfast, this is the place. Very good!

Came here with friends for a late breakfast. Portions were huge. The staff is friendly and service was quick. Great local vibe. Fresh Blueberries on the French Toast. Yum!

Classic what has happened to you?
You used to be my gluten-​loaded, carbo packed, soaked up the alcohol breakfast spot.
But now? Now I think you’ve been in one too many movies and you’re more a stop on the «PVD places that have been in a movie… you, know that one with that guy…»
Your home fries used to have their own food group… they used to have a little pep. Now they’re just red and I find myself thinking «what herb or spice makes something so red yet adds so little flavor»
Your eggs… that’s right a diner whose grill master delivers time and time again eggs that are supposed to be over medium but apparently have been «fried» over a medium wattage light bulb. Uncooked and inedible.
I’m sorry Classic, your super fast and super friendly service will not make up for charging me $ 13 for an omelette that tastes like a warm whisked egg and very little else.
GOOD NEWS! Providence is home to this place that takes in young whipper snappers and 4 years later voilà! Chef! Good ones. And I’m certain that one of those graduates loved to cook brunch and could restore you to your former glory as the quintessential greasy spoon diner.
Eat well Providence and remember there are plenty of places fighting for your love don’t settle for flavorless home fries.

I really liked this place. Everyone was friendly and the food was delicious. They weren’t shy with the seasoning (in a good way!)
I got the steak and cheese with some very tasty fried potatoes. Wife got pancakes, yummy!
The portions were also extremely generous. Recommend it to everyone!

Sigh… I really wanted to like this place. It has a busy diner feel but sadly the food did not live up to the character of the actual restaurant. The biscuits were dense and cold and not flaky at all. The gravy was also kind of cold. The home fries tasted better on the second day. The only reason their food got 3 stars and not lower was because of the potato pancakes which were actually pretty good. Service is ok.

This has a hipster Brooklyn like vibe going on, which we could appreciate. We were pleasantly surprised when we got promptly seated for brunch on a Saturday afternoon. Service was great, and the food came out promptly. Everything was fresh and tasted great, large portions and very filling!

Originally wanted to go to Nick’s but with a 45 min for a table of 3 — sorry if it’s more than 15 mins — I’m going elsewhere! We chose to come to Classic Café instead, which is only a few mins drive away — extremely busy but we got seated right away. Parking can be tricky as it’s street parking only but def easier than trying to find parking on Broadway! With graduation season in tow, we knew it was going to be busy no matter where we went.
We started off with coffee, wasn’t terrible but wasn’t the best I’ve had — it was sufficient enough for a morning joe. I had the florentine benny (came with home fries and side of fruit — nice touch!), my gf’s had the veggie omelette and an egg/​bacon/​hash brown combo plate. I loved the freshness of the veggies of my benedict. I thought that hollandaise was just a tad bit bland but overall, I still enjoyed my meal. My friends seem to enjoy theirs as well.
Food portions were huge! I ended up taking half of my meal home. They def don’t skimp on the plating. As busy as it was, we got our food pretty quickly and our waitress was very friendly. Our coffees got filled pretty frequently and our waitress checked in on us enough. Overall, def a great option for weekend brunch — I’ll be back! More of a diner feel vs a hip trendy spot and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Good place. Food was good. The waitress seems busy so I had to wait awhile or when she passed by to get any service. Not bad.

Coffee. Carbs. Eggs any way I want them. When these things are done well, with attention to detail, fresh ingredients, and in a pleasant manner, I’m a happy camper… and The Classic Café makes my heart (and belly) very happy!
I love that the food truly reflects that mid-​century diner vibe: simple and un-​fussed-​with classics, made well. Juicy, cheesy burgers can be ordered alongside fluffy pancakes and mountains of eggs, and there are plenty of specials and fresh/​local faves (I’m thinking real maple syrup here) to please a variety of palates. I’ve taken my friends, my fam, and on several occasions, myself, out for a meal here and have never left hungry or disappointed.
The atmosphere is funky: not outright, train-​car diner, not full-​on Granny’s country-​kitchen, not total neighborhood dive. It’s a cool mix of these elements, and it works, with the exception of the open dishwashing/​prep station at the end of the line. If you aren’t seated past the counter, you don’t see the mess, but once you do dine from that perspective, you can’t shake it. It’s not a deal-​breaker, but it is a star-​stealer for me. All in all, a great meal, at a good price, in a pleasant environment — I’ll be back!

Love this place for breakfast on weekday (the only time I can seem to get a table!) Street parking is a little tough but if you can hit it in the later morning you should be able to avoid school traffic. Big fan of their ever changing seasonal specials and their Heuvos Rancheros.

The Classic Café had a very fun 80s vibe with a lot of antique decorations. The French toast, bacon, homefries, and fruit bowl were all delicious! The serving portions were huge compared to the price! Definitely a good deal. The service was very considerate although they were extremely busy and took a bit longer than expected to bring our food.

Solid diner food! It’s now open later — until 9 I think — which I don’t totally get but hey if it’s your thing, it’s now open later! I do wish their ketchup bottles were different. The crust on the top is gross. But other than that: definitely worth a trip!

Easy and quick spot downtown Providence. Typical diner menu. My lunch date and I started with the chilli bowl. It was ok but didn’t have any chilli in it. The waitress (who was simply fabulous) noted that they just hired new cooks. Also had the Buffalo chicken salad. I loved it in the moment but my stomach got mad at me about 30 minutes later. Overall a great place to stop by and grab a quick meal. Don’t expect gourmet food.

Brought my Grandma here for breakfast a couple weeks ago and it was literally STUFFED with people. I mean there was a crowd outside in the freezing cold just waiting to come in to eat here. Breakfast was good, but I don’t know if it was that good to wait in the cold…
I bought the Unilocal deal, which was amazing btw. I had the hashita (?), which was basically eggs and a whole bunch of breakfast goodness you roll into a breakfast fajita yourself. My grandma’s omelet wasn’t anything special and the coffee wasn’t hot.
My recommendation is to stop in when its not too busy and I bet things can be much better.

Love it! The Cab omelette is my favorite! Waitresses are very friendly! Nice calm friendly atmosphere, I come here every other Sunday. I feel sorry for your breakfast if you’ve never been! 5 Stars

I’m a fan. Definitely affordable tasty food though I loved it more about 4 or 5 years ago. The atmosphere and culture seems have changed from a local neighborhood, funky place to more of an ihop or Denny’s type place on the weekends, which is a little disappointing. Have been going since it opened ages ago when there used to be a classic car parked outside and old vinyl records on the walls. Still fun, still enjoyable and still tasty.

I love Classic. The food is always delicious and fresh and the portions are ginormous. The service is always good, even though they often get really busy. I don’t know what coffee they use but it is phenomenal. Classic has helped me nurse many a hangover and they never disappoint.
My only gripe with them was the 2pm closing time. Now they’re open until 9! They also usually a groupon or living social deal around.

This place is really awesome, I have driven by many times and never had the chance to go, while looking around for a breakfast/​diner that was open on a weekend at 3pm (you would think this is not a problem, apparently on the west side it is)
We were happy to find the classic café was open for business and I am glad they were.
Eggs Benedict and eggs florentine were great, the eggs were perfectly cooked, the ham was nice cut and thick and the home fries rocked as did the signature potato pancakes.
It was an abundance of food and we each could not finish our portion.
The eggs Benedict could have had more hollidase sauce but the eggs florentine had plenty so I just assume either they were low and didn’t have enough for both portions or the laddle pour was a bit weak on that plate.
I will come here again for breakfast or lunch and look forward to explore the menu further.

Beware! Place was dingy and dirty, food was not hot. Three out of four of us wound up with food poisoning after our meal (we all came from different places and parted ways after lunch, it was the only meal we shared, and only the three of us who tried the homemade hash wound up ill, including a pregnant woman who had to be hospitalized). Needless to say we’re horrified, and will never go back. I’m not big on leaving negative reviews but going to this restaurant could actually be hazardous to your health, so please be careful.

Delicious we are coming back! Great staff great food coming from a foodie. We had breakfast here

Came here for brunch with my girlfriends. Ambience was a fun 80s vibe. It reminded me a lot of diners back in New Jersey. Service was super friendly. Within 5 minutes, my waitress was there to take my order. After looking at all the reviews, I decided on the hashita.
Portion size was ginormous! Definitely could feed me for three meals. The hashita had basically everything you can imagine on a plate. Potatoes. Meat. Poached eggs. Tomatoes. Raw onions (which were chopped too coarsely for my liking). brown sauce (all I can say about it was that it was sweet with no distinct flavor).
I’m not sure if I would order this dish again given that it was a whole lot of stuff but it did not have a distinct taste.
My friends got omelettes which they said were amazing. So maybe I’ll try that next time.

Great breakfast! Somewhat pricey I think.
Corned beef hash is excellent. Sour dough toast, etc.
By the time your done with breakfast and tip you can be looking at $ 15 per person.

I love breakfast. Looove it. There was a short wait for this little café on a Sunday lunch time. The service was quick and friendly. Nothing fancy on the menu BUT what they do thet do well. Perfectly seasoned hash browns, good sized breads for for french toast, and turkey bacon. Not Nick’s favorite french toast «but decent», and out of gluten free bread. Good call if you want good food fast with great service.

Emily & Adam’s Ranking: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Classic Café is easily the best brunch experience to have in Providence. After stumbling upon the restaurant about a year ago, a weekend brunch at Classic has become more or less a ritual for us. The old-​time diner atmosphere with the 50’s style booths and vintage mementos lining the walls presents a cozy, comforting brunch unlike any other. Even on a Sunday morning, the wait is at most 15 minutes – and many times, less. Service is always incredibly fast and friendly. Now, for the most important part, the food – in a word, incredible. We would highly recommend the «MSS» (i.e. Mushroom, Spinach and Swiss) Omelette. It is cooked to perfection, oozes gooey Swiss cheese, and coupled with some classic veggies, it is not to be missed. Then, the hash browns. Usually, home fries are a brunch staple, but if you’re a hash browns kind of person, this is the place to find them. They’re cooked to a crisp golden-​brown and are the perfect starch to go with your MSS. Also, make sure to try one of the delicious breakfast sandwiches and don’t forget to check out some of the weekend specials. The Buffalo Chicken omelette, a rare mix of buffalo sauce and blue cheese wrapped in a classic breakfast special, is easily a can’t-miss opportunity. Prices are very reasonable and portions will leave you filled up for the rest of the day. We’ve taken several of our friends on their weekend visits to Providence and, like clockwork, each comes out with an outstanding review. Without a doubt, Classic receives a 10 and is the best that brunch has to offer.

Awesome breakfast. Had the pumpkin pancakes which were incredible. Service was great. There was a little bit of a wait for a table so get there early…

We live just around the corner, so when we need a quick lunch this diner has become a no-​brainer for us.
The menu is huge… plenty of breakfast and lunch options. French toast to steak, omelets to club sandwiches. Prices are fair and portion sizes are huge. So far my favorite thing has been their pumpkin pancakes. They’re not huge and doughy like most places, just manageable with a nice pat of butter and powdered sugar on top. Yum! I got their homemade hash last time and it was really good, except I thought it was weird that there was a potato filler in it… especially if you get to pick homefries/​potato hashbrowns/​potato cakes to have on the side. That’s a lot of potatoes on one plate. I wish it was just straight-​up meat. But still tasty. And everything is always seasoned well.
We always come on off hours (2 or 3 pm) so I don’t know how they are during the peak diner times, but service is always friendly and efficient. The food takes about the right amount of time considering it’s all cooked to order. I like their idea of keeping the entire back-​of-​house exposed… from the line to the dishwasher… so you can see how they operate. Definitely builds trust. That being said, they could do a better job of wiping the tables down before they reset and I’ve had several dirty water glasses. But whatever. It’s not fine dining, just a solid diner with good food.

Food was delicious! I think about their breakfast everyday. I wanna go back and live there!

Awesome food, fast service, friendly staff.
The corn beef hash is like nothing we have ever had before. You must try it.
The fact that they offer REAL maple syrup is awesome.
They have kids options like Dino and Micky mouse pancakes which make my little guy really happy.
No matter what you order it’s going to be good and fresh. I have a food allergy and they are completely accommodating.
The only downfall are the highschool kids that come from across the street who take up every seat in the place and stay for hours just texting on their phones not even eating. Very annoying that customers can’t get a seat.
Other than that this place is fantastic!

Really good diner coffee. I ordered the veggie sandwich on rye with a side of potato pancakes. The potato pancakes were the star of the show. Loved them. They were like little fried mashed potato patties. Delicious. The sandwich was a little bland and I think they forgot the cheese on one side, but the ingredients were fresh and tasty. I’ll definitely come back to try the blueberry pancakes. I didn’t like the fact that the waitress dropped off our check while we were still eating without asking if we needed anything else but otherwise the service was friendly and attentive. For now, it’s a solid 3 for me.

As a gluten free vegan I often find it hard to eat at restaurants. But not here!!! Wonderful staff made suggestions that were delicious and crazy filling!

The Classic Café has an amazing vibe to it. It combines the classic American diner with industrial feels. The servers have always been super friendly the several times I’ve been here.
I usually get The Cab omelette (avocado, chicken, and blue cheese) with their potato cakes. The omelettes are all great, but I’m a big fan of blue cheese so I lean towards The Cab. They pile plenty of blue cheese in it, but I do wish they’d crumble the cheese a bit more, as often times you’ll hit a huge chunk of the pungent cheese, overpowering the rest of the omelette. The potato cakes are fantastic– I love the garlic flavor and the crisp outside.
Overall a great place with tons of options and I would definitely recommend this place for breakfast.

A great place for breakfast. Be prepared to take home food if you are not a big eater. Best value item is the 2−3−4 combo. 2 eggs, 3 bacon or sausage links and 4 pancakes (and they can be blueberries). The plate is so big, it spans my two hands with fingers spread out. We were there for two days in a row. Both times we got lucky. Found parking in front of the store. Parking is limited but did not stop people from coming in. It got crowded very quickly by 9am.
The home made hash browns were good. The potato pancakes were good too but both can be greasy if you don’t like that. They are very generous with the food so unless you pay attention to what you are ordering you also get two sets of toast with your hash browns, potato pancakes, eggs and meat :-) Will return.

Had a Groupon so decided to check this place out. It is very deceiving on the the outside as the inside actually has a lot more tables than I would have expected. They have an extensive breakfast and lunch menu with a lot of grilled classics. We chose the tuna melt with buffalo fries and the turkey club with a side salad. The portions were huge which may explain the price, each sandwich was $ 11.99 which I thought was a little high but you get a lot. The tuna melt was cooked perfectly and the fries were very crispy but could have been spicier. The turkey club was your typical club but did have a significant amount of turkey.
The server was great and was respectful of this being a lunch break so she came back frequently to ensure we had everything we needed. Overall, nice place to check out, you can park right in the Citizens parking lot across the street and just walk over so parking isn’t a problem. I really want to try them for breakfast as their selection looked amazing!

My boyfriend and I came across this place on Unilocal.It had wonderful reviews and we were in the area for vacation so we decided to give it a try. The place was packed on a Sunday afternoon. We were able to find parking right in front of the place and waited for about 10 minutes to be seated.
We sat right next to the kitchen which is pretty much in the middle of the restaurant. We heard the conversations and commands made by the manager which I must say some were kind of mean but honestly he took charge of his team encouraging them to have team work and work together which helped get as much food out of the kitchen and onto the floor. We didn’t wait too long for our food which was great since we were starved and taken the place was packed we were surprised.
We ordered the mushroom and swiss burger with onion rings, grilled cheese and fries, and tenders. The tenders and onion rings were on POINT! and our server even gave us a sauce she recommended would go well with the tenders. I made a tender sandwich and put one in my grilled cheese sandwich. Best idea ever!
Overall service, management, and food get 5 stars from me!

Decently styled diner with a large menu and reasonable prices. I visited here for breakfast as it was highly rated on Unilocal and within 10 minutes walk of my accommodation. Unfortunately this walk involved trekking across the highway to the dodgier end of town.
I was happy with my server (she provided perfectly adequate service) and the drip coffee. The huevos rancheros were another story though — their take on them is just strange. It was more like a cheese and refried bean quesadilla with fried eggs and tinned beans and corn and spicy sauce on top. Not the best — I might have enjoyed this place a little more if I had ordered something else.
Tip: If you check in on Unilocal you get 10% off your bill.