Jiggers’ “new” diner opened in 1950.
Thursday, 14 August
The wind being what it is today, the itinerary will be brief, a short 8-mile reach back down the Bay to Wickford. Tucked up in Wickford Cove, Steadfast will be sheltered from the westerly forecast to gust into the 20s. If it lays down some overnight, as predicted, there’d still be plenty for a nice sail over to Block Island tomorrow.
Today, though, there was time for a leisurely cup o’ Joe and—for some—a vigorous run up and down the hills of East “G” before strolling up Main for a hearty breakfast at Jiggers Hill & Harbor Diner. “Hearty” ‘cause that’s the only way they serve it at Jiggers.
Once upon a time, there were diners like this all over New England and some elsewhere on the East Coast. The Worcester Lunch Car and Carriage Manufacturing Company built more than 600 over a span of 51 years.
There’s a flat-screen TV but not much else has changed in sixty-four years. Jiggers remains the classic “Worcester Diner” all the way.
Walk up three brick stairs from the sidewalk and step back to 1950. That’s the year Worcester delivered #826 to this spot on Main Street, replacing the diner the family first opened in 1919.
Johnny Cakes: gotta have ’em!
As with so many Worcester Diners, the formica-topped counter runs the length of the right side fronted by chrome stools upholstered in red leatherette. Four-inch ceramic tile wraps the counter base and covers the wall behind the grill and ice chests. Wood booths finished in cherry stand down the left side. There’s “Worcester Diner” clock on the wall that still keeps the time.
Jiggers’ menu features local products so breakfast was full-on Ro-Dye-Lan-style. A cuppla Kenyon’s Johnny Cakes, two-ovah-reezy, a side a swee-pa-tay-ta hash and Calise Bakery raisin bread toast. A certain Kentucky native you may know couldn’t resist getting a bottle of Yacht Club (the “official RI soda”) Birch Beer for later.
Gulls never miss an opportunity for a free meal.
The sail was good, too. Leaving East G shortly after noon, a flock of gulls was seen swarming behind a seine netter for a late lunch. Good for them.
Aboard Steadfast, it would be a while before anyone thought about eating. Jiggers is not so much a diner as a living museum. Whatever you call it, it definitely is an experience.
Signs in East G make maw sense if ya speke Ro-Dye-Lan-dees.
And to think: if the wind hadn’t piped up, it might’ve been missed.
Steadfast out.
At Sea with Steadfast 
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