The Rhody Hen: A Local Gem Serving Up Amazing Comfort Food in Providence Rhode Island
The Rhody Hen Cafe: A Providence Rhode Island Breakfast and Brunch Destination. Craving a hearty breakfast or a delicious brunch in Providence? The Rhody Hen Cafe offers up a mouthwatering menu of classic comfort foods combined with edgy entrees with a modern twist. From traditional eggs, fluffy pancakes and omelets to the Habanero Benny and Cuban Breakfast Sandwich, they are serving up terrific food at prices that are budget friendly.
Why The Rhody Hen Cafe?
While we’re not New England or Rhode Island natives, our son’s move there has turned us into frequent visitors. So why review this restaurant? Over the past 3 years, when visiting Providence The Rhody Hen Cafe has become our Sunday breakfast or brunch tradition. We love everything about it: delicious food including original creations, friendly and attentive service, and incredibly reasonable prices.
Craving a simple bacon and eggs breakfast? It’s a classic for a reason, and this place nails it every time. If you’re feeling adventurous, their Eggs Benedict with a habanero sauce is a standout. The dish possesses a perfect balance of flavors and the eggs Benedict are cooked to perfection. The breakfast quesadilla is another unique and delicious option. For lunch, the salads, sandwiches, and burgers consistently hit the spot. And the best part? Most menu items are under $15, making it an incredible value.
The Rhody Hen Background
This locally owned restaurant was born from a shared vision: to create an accessible eatery that celebrates farm-fresh ingredients and local products. Their endeavor began in 2018 with the opening of the Rhody Hen in Pawtucket. The restaurants popularity led to expansion with a second location in East Providence and most recently, North Providence in 2024. Their success story is a testament to their original concept.
This fast-casual spot has a cozy, no-frills atmosphere reminiscent of an old-fashioned luncheonette. Don’t expect fancy decor, but you will find a comfortable setting. They don’t accept reservations, tables are first-come, first-served. Be prepared for a wait during peak hours on weekends, despite their friendly and efficient service.
Our Restaurant Review of the Rhody Hen Cafe
Ambiance
We have visited two of the three locations around Providence and Pawtucket. No matter which location you visit, be prepared for a potential wait, especially on weekends, as both spots are popular. The East Providence location, housed in a small building, offers a homey, or cozy and bustling atmosphere. Its tile floors, wooden tables, and limited counter service create a lively urban feel during peak hours. Serving breakfast and lunch, this location is open Monday through Sunday from 7am to around 2pm. Note: While breakfast is served all day Sunday, lunch is not available. You can find them at 615 Waterman Ave, East Providence, Rhode Island.
The North Providence location, which recently opened this year in 2024, offers a slightly different ambiance compared to its sister restaurant. Situated in a shopping center with ample parking, this spot boasts a larger, airier feel thanks to its large plate glass windows. Inside, dark wooden floors and a mix of tables, booths and counter service create a similar lively atmosphere, especially on busy weekends. While the restaurant can accommodate most groups, larger parties might find it challenging during peak times. Despite the crowds, the staff consistently delivers friendly and efficient service.
This fast-casual spot serves up generous portions of delicious food in an efficient, upbeat environment. Seating is first come, first served, and the place always has a lively buzz. It’s amazing how they manage to turn tables quickly without making you feel rushed, reminiscent of a classic luncheonette but with far superior food.
Open for breakfast and brunch weekdays, the North Providence location extends its hours to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays for a fish fry and a limited but intriguing dinner menu. This restaurant is located at 1525 Smith St, North Providence, Rhode Island. Hours are Monday to Thursday from 7am to 2pm, Friday and Saturday from 7am to 8pm, and Sunday from 7am to 2pm. We recommend calling ahead to confirm dinner hours.
The Food
The Rhody Hen Cafe consistently impressed with its generous portion size, delicious food and diversity of the food that is provided, all at an extremely reasonable price point. As an example, we recently had a party of five for breakfast and left with a check of around $100. It should be noted this was not a bare bones meal, we all started with muffins, then had steak and eggs, eggs Benedict and breakfast quesadillas. This is a fraction of what we’d expect to pay for a similar meal back home on Long Island.
Let’s talk coffee first. The Rhody Hen Cafe features Downeast Coffee Roasters, a local Pawtucket roaster, and it’s a fantastic match for breakfast. We’re fans of it black! To kick off your meal, don’t miss their toasted muffins. The blueberry and corn varieties are both excellent, served warm with butter. Be warned: they’re large and so good, you might want to share to save room for your main course!
The rest of the menu is packed with great choices. If you prefer something simple, “The Basics” offer 2 or 3 eggs, meat, home fries, and toast for $11.50 to $12.50. For a meatless option, it’s $9. I’m a fan of their basics breakfast with over-easy eggs, turkey or chicken sausage, home fries, and rye toast. It’s always perfect! For a fun twist, add a side of fluffy pancakes to share for $11.
The Rhody Hen Cafe truly shines in its omelets, breakfast sandwich, Benedict and “Rhody” offerings. We highly recommend the Grilled Steak Tips and Eggs, featuring marinated hanger steak, two eggs cooked to your liking, home fries, and toast. The steak was perfectly medium, with a tender and flavorful marinade that complemented the eggs beautifully. The home fries were crispy on the outside and fluffy within, and the toast was lightly buttered. All this for just $14? It’s an incredible value!
For those with a bigger appetite, the Huevos Rancheros and Carne Asada is a fantastic option. This dish expands on the steak tips and eggs with marinated grilled hanger steak, two eggs your way, sautéed black beans with a flavorful pico de gallo, sour cream, fresh avocado, and corn tortillas. All of this for $17. You might want to skip the pre meal muffin to fully savor this hearty plate!
Craving something large, spicy and unique? Our son is obsessed with the Habanero Benny at Rhody Hen Cafe. This dish features a crispy fried chicken cutlet tossed with an addictive mango habanero sauce, all on top of a bacon-infused waffle. Atop this are two perfectly poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and cilantro to complete this amazingly delicious and spicy creation.
These unique plates are where you appreciate how wonderful this little cafe is. The waffles are wonderfully light and fluffy and the poached eggs are consistently perfect every time. The habanero sauce packs a serious punch, and possesses that unique smoky flavor of a true chili head. Many restaurants claim to use this amazing chili pepper, but a true chili head can tell that this habanero sauce is legit!
The Mini Breakfast Quesadillas are another standout menu item. These taco-style quesadillas feature scrambled eggs, seasoned onions and peppers, and your choice of sausage or bacon, all wrapped in a lightly crisped flour tortilla. The melted cheddar cheese holds them together. They are served with sour cream and a mild, chunky salsa. The accompanying home fries are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and finish off this amazing southwestern variant of a classic breakfast sandwich.
Lunch is served daily starting at 11am also offering a great value without sacrificing quality. Salads and sandwiches are priced under $14, while platters range from $15 to $17. Enjoy classic options like burgers, tuna melts, and chicken Caesar wraps,or venture out with the El Cubano or habanero chicken sandwiches. Don’t miss their fish fry, available Thursday through Saturday for under $14.
The Rhody Hen Cafe Overall Score:
Fast Casual category 4.2
- Cost (August 2024): Basic egg breakfast with 2-3 eggs, meat, toast and home fries $9-$11, the Rhody’s (higher end breakfast or brunch plate) $12.50-$17, omelletes $10.50-$12.50, Benedict’s $11.50-$15.50, Breakfast Sandwiches $5-$12.50, Salads $12.50-$15.50, burgers and sandwiches $9-$14, Platters $15-$17 and fish fry $13-&14.
- Sample dishes:Basic breakfast, habanero Benny, omelette, mini breakfast quesadilla, corn and blueberry muffin, Steak Tips and Eggs, Huevo Ranchero and Carne Asada, pancakes, El Cubano.
- Pro’s: Generous portions for an extremely reasonable price. Service is efficient and extremely friendly. Food is consistant, delicious and perfect!
- Con’s: No reservations, during peak weekend hours you will wait for a table. Space is a bit tight for larger parties.
- Bonus tips: Start with a toasted muffin, they are delicious. Don’t get discouraged if there is a wait. The wait on weekends usually goes quickly. Service is extremely efficient.
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