Chelsea Royal Diner

487 Marlboro Rd., West Brattleboro, VT - (802) 254-8399

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Posted By Michael Stern on 7/29/2006 12:04:00 PM

The Chelsea Royal Diner has something for everyone, all the time. Open every day of the year, and serving breakfast all day long, it is a place to come for an omelet and hash browns in the morning and meat loaf at supper … or a Cajun skillet breakfast and Teriyaki chicken salad lunch. A full fountain offers real milk shakes, sundaes, floats, and splits as well as homemade root beer and black cherry soda. Chelsea Royal fans pack the place starting at dawn, when the air is thick with the smells of coffee, pancakes, and frying bacon. Corned beef hash, made here, is a special favorite; and pancakes are available with real Vermont syrup (for $1.25 extra).

In addition to diner classics, the kitchen specializes in Mexican food Tuesday through Saturday (including margaritas and Mexican beers), and prime rib with excellent mashed potatoes on weekend nights. April through October, an ice cream stand offers soft-serve and hard-pack as well as burgers and foot-long hot dogs.

Part of the diner is beautiful: a 1938-vintage Worcester dining car with curved roof, tile floor, and old high-back booths. To this piece of roadside Americana has been added a much larger dining area that is a sprawling hodgepodge of tables. While interior details of the old diner are intact and lovely to look at, the best view is of the old enamel exterior … as seen from the parking lot.

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

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"Breakfast in Vermont means pancakes, here covered with powdered sugar. Make sure you pay the extra charge for real maple syrup!"
Cliff Strutz

"Soft inside with a crunchy exterior, this is excellent corned beef hash!"
Cliff Strutz

"The baked beans are a very hearty side dish and are loaded with bits of bacon. "
Dale Fine

"Even though there is a newer dining room and a counter, the choice seats are in the old original dining car."
Cliff Strutz

"Behind the 1938 Worcester Dining Car is a larger restaurant added later. Despite the expanded seating, the Chelsea Royal Diner is usually crowded with both locals and travelers along Route 9."
Michael Stern