Chelsea Royal Diner - West Brattleboro, VT

Posted By Michael Stern on July 29, 2006 12:04 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.

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Posted By Stewart Mason on October 11, 2007 12:30 AM

Our family discovered the Chelsea Royal when a trip up Hogback Mountain to the steadily-declining Skyline Restaurant a few years ago found the place shuttered. The Chelsea Royal was the first open restaurant we came to on the way back down Route 9. Our breakfasts were enough to make it a regular stop on our way back from an annual pre-Thanksgiving weekend in north-central Vermont.

My wife swears by the oatmeal (steel-cut, naturally) and blueberry pancakes. My own preference: the corned beef hash (homemade, beefy, and with an excellent crust), served with two eggs (the over easy is consistently perfect) and your choice of toast, including the always-welcome option of pumpernickel. Or the nicely spicy skillet scramble, with fluffy scrambled eggs, spicy but not fiery chorizo-like sausage, perfectly-cooked fried potatoes and just enough cheese.

The service on a late Sunday morning can be just a trifle scattered (you won't get the wrong order, but you might have to ask twice for a coffee refill), and chances are very good that you'll have a 10-20 minute wait for a table. Totally worth it.

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Posted By Julie Kostas on October 22, 2003 3:17 PM

If you go to the Chelsea Royal Diner, go hungry! Their menu is so extensive, you'll want to try one of everything! We went on a Saturday night, and though it was crowded, we did not have to wait to be seated. Service was fast and friendly. We ordered Buffalo Wings for an appetizer. They came quickly and were tasty, but were pretty run of the mill. For meals, we both ordered macaroni and cheese, which was the best either of us had EVER tasted. (Secret: The waitress told me they make it with Cabot (local Vermont cheese) MILD cheddar). It was so creamy and rich. Though it was also VERY filling, I managed to finish the whole thing and have room (sort of!) for dessert. My friend had the Indian Pudding. It was her first time trying Indian Pudding and she did not care for it, but I think that was just her taste and no reflection on their pudding. I had the Maple Walnut pie and I wish I had taken some home with me. A rich, sweet pie, similar to pecan, but with a maple flavor and walnuts on top. Very rich, but very very good. I sure wish I lived closer to this fabulous restaurant!!

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