Guidebook for Charlestown
Food Scene
This lively, friendly, very popular restaurant is only 4 minutes from our house. There is a huge rectangular sports bar where you can also order diner. We love to go there and have chowder and clam cakes or share nachos. They have daily specials and on holidays offer special brunches or dinners in the beautiful, welcoming special events building. We have enjoyed going to the Easter Brunch, and Thanksgiving dinner several times. They have a wonderful buffet, lovely table settings, linens, and flowers. You can also sit outside in the summer on the terrace. The entire property is is beautifully landscaped.
26 locals recommend
The Haversham
336 Post RdThis lively, friendly, very popular restaurant is only 4 minutes from our house. There is a huge rectangular sports bar where you can also order diner. We love to go there and have chowder and clam cakes or share nachos. They have daily specials and on holidays offer special brunches or dinners in the beautiful, welcoming special events building. We have enjoyed going to the Easter Brunch, and Thanksgiving dinner several times. They have a wonderful buffet, lovely table settings, linens, and flowers. You can also sit outside in the summer on the terrace. The entire property is is beautifully landscaped.
This is a really great and very cute place for breakfast , 5 minutes away to the south. They have the best eggs Florentine ever! It's a small place but has a large menu of yummy breakfast dishes, great lunch menu and amazing little bakery. You can order custom cakes here too. It's open from 8-2
6 locals recommend
Sunny Side Up
253 Post RdThis is a really great and very cute place for breakfast , 5 minutes away to the south. They have the best eggs Florentine ever! It's a small place but has a large menu of yummy breakfast dishes, great lunch menu and amazing little bakery. You can order custom cakes here too. It's open from 8-2
Traditional RI Clam cakes and Chowder. Take out and small dinning room, picnic tables outside. Pretty perennial garden and right down the road going north.
Hitching Post
5400 Post RdTraditional RI Clam cakes and Chowder. Take out and small dinning room, picnic tables outside. Pretty perennial garden and right down the road going north.
This is one of the best and most popular restaurants in RI. and is 15 minutes away ( north) The seafood is amazing and fresh. The oysters are grown right in the pond and they have their own farm for their vegetables. There is a wonderful outdoor patio on the water, that is covered so you can sit outside even if it's raining or cold. It's one of my favorite places. However, it is a lot of people's favorite place and is super busy with long waits and they don't take reservations. The best time to go is about 11:30 to get in before the crowds at lunch time. It's worth the wait.
228 locals recommend
Matunuck Oyster Bar
629 Succotash RdThis is one of the best and most popular restaurants in RI. and is 15 minutes away ( north) The seafood is amazing and fresh. The oysters are grown right in the pond and they have their own farm for their vegetables. There is a wonderful outdoor patio on the water, that is covered so you can sit outside even if it's raining or cold. It's one of my favorite places. However, it is a lot of people's favorite place and is super busy with long waits and they don't take reservations. The best time to go is about 11:30 to get in before the crowds at lunch time. It's worth the wait.
Another favorite place for dinner. We like to go here, put in our name, and have a drink before dinner on their outside deck/ dock and watch the sunset over the water and marina.
Wonderful food, very lively and popular. That also can translate to a very long wait and it's pretty loud in some parts of the restaurant. They also have a nice outdoor waiting area with comfy chairs and a fire pit.
73 locals recommend
Dog Watch Cafe
194 Water StAnother favorite place for dinner. We like to go here, put in our name, and have a drink before dinner on their outside deck/ dock and watch the sunset over the water and marina.
Wonderful food, very lively and popular. That also can translate to a very long wait and it's pretty loud in some parts of the restaurant. They also have a nice outdoor waiting area with comfy chairs and a fire pit.
Beautiful , historic building at a great location on the water in Narragansett. Great food and you can sit outside while waiting for dinner. For a nice walk before or after your meal , it is located on the sea wall near Narragansett Beach.
181 locals recommend
Coast Guard House
40 Ocean RdBeautiful , historic building at a great location on the water in Narragansett. Great food and you can sit outside while waiting for dinner. For a nice walk before or after your meal , it is located on the sea wall near Narragansett Beach.
Fun and funky with a huge menu. Great for breakfast, actually for all meals. Lots of vegan and vegetarian choices.
120 locals recommend
Crazy Burger Cafe and Juice Bar
144 Boon StFun and funky with a huge menu. Great for breakfast, actually for all meals. Lots of vegan and vegetarian choices.
Another favorite place because it's cozy and casual with great pizza, calamari, and some Greek and Italian influenced food. Also nightly specials. Large and lively sports bar too.
18 locals recommend
PJ's Pub
135 Boon StAnother favorite place because it's cozy and casual with great pizza, calamari, and some Greek and Italian influenced food. Also nightly specials. Large and lively sports bar too.
Elegant and quiet restaurant in a quaint old inn. Lovely garden and more traditional style of food. Very close to our house (south)
9 locals recommend
Shelter Harbor Inn
10 Wagner RdElegant and quiet restaurant in a quaint old inn. Lovely garden and more traditional style of food. Very close to our house (south)
White tablecloths, waiters with ties, fabulous Spanish influenced food, super seafood ( lobster served many ways), lots of wonderful meat entrees,and it's beautiful inside. We love this place and have been going there for years.
60 locals recommend
Spain of Narragansett
1144 Ocean RdWhite tablecloths, waiters with ties, fabulous Spanish influenced food, super seafood ( lobster served many ways), lots of wonderful meat entrees,and it's beautiful inside. We love this place and have been going there for years.
You'll go back in time when you go to this 100 year old bistro in historic Watch Hill. Simple but elegant with a large wine list. Before or after your meal , walk around the beautiful village of Watch Hill. Take a drive around the ares to see the amazing architecture and historic homes. Beautiful beach and antique Carousel ( listed as a historic site)
26 locals recommend
Olympia Tea Room
74 Bay StYou'll go back in time when you go to this 100 year old bistro in historic Watch Hill. Simple but elegant with a large wine list. Before or after your meal , walk around the beautiful village of Watch Hill. Take a drive around the ares to see the amazing architecture and historic homes. Beautiful beach and antique Carousel ( listed as a historic site)
Elegant and very pricey, There are several restaurants in this gorgeous hotel. High tea served in the afternoon. Prix fixe dinner at night in the dining room and more casual fare outside on the veranda. Reservations needed.
64 locals recommend
Ocean House
1 Bluff AveElegant and very pricey, There are several restaurants in this gorgeous hotel. High tea served in the afternoon. Prix fixe dinner at night in the dining room and more casual fare outside on the veranda. Reservations needed.
Venice Restaurant
165 Shore RdFantastic Italian food in a lovely surrounding.
This is the place to go for traditional RI summer fare. Great chowder and clam cakes, ( comes with a little slice of watermelon) Boiled lobster dinners with little necks , corn, etc. and fried clams. This is a very casual place where you order at the counter and they call your number. You can take out or eat inside or outside at picnic tables They have a pirate playground with a big ship.
Shore dinner hall
227 Post RdThis is the place to go for traditional RI summer fare. Great chowder and clam cakes, ( comes with a little slice of watermelon) Boiled lobster dinners with little necks , corn, etc. and fried clams. This is a very casual place where you order at the counter and they call your number. You can take out or eat inside or outside at picnic tables They have a pirate playground with a big ship.
Basic takeout donut and coffee shop 5 minutes south on route 1. They have great coffee and nice staff. Just past the light after Benny's and Walmart. Dunkin' Donuts is a little farther down Route 1 on the right. Near Applebees.
Honey Dew Donuts
240 Post RdBasic takeout donut and coffee shop 5 minutes south on route 1. They have great coffee and nice staff. Just past the light after Benny's and Walmart. Dunkin' Donuts is a little farther down Route 1 on the right. Near Applebees.
Shopping
This charming shop is only 2 minutes away going south. It is a unique gift and upscale clothing store that also sells Dave's coffee. Great place to get your morning coffee with lots of outdoor seating.
7 locals recommend
Galapagos Collection Inc
5193 Old Post RdThis charming shop is only 2 minutes away going south. It is a unique gift and upscale clothing store that also sells Dave's coffee. Great place to get your morning coffee with lots of outdoor seating.
Sightseeing
This is about 25 minutes away and a wonderful recreated 19th century seaport village. Lots of history and great for families. Our kids always loved going here. It is also near the Mystic Aquarium which is also fantastic. The town of Mystic is a great destination on it's own, with beautiful shops and great restaurants. Mystic has so much to offer and is a super day trip.
276 locals recommend
Mystic Seaport Museum
75 Greenmanville AveThis is about 25 minutes away and a wonderful recreated 19th century seaport village. Lots of history and great for families. Our kids always loved going here. It is also near the Mystic Aquarium which is also fantastic. The town of Mystic is a great destination on it's own, with beautiful shops and great restaurants. Mystic has so much to offer and is a super day trip.
Entertainment & Activities
Really great aquarium located near The Mystic Seaport, the great town of Mystic and Stonington Village.
341 locals recommend
Mystic Aquarium
Really great aquarium located near The Mystic Seaport, the great town of Mystic and Stonington Village.
Just a few minutes down the road going south. Have not played there, but it looks cute and it's really close.
Breezy Acres Mini-Golf
5677 Post RdJust a few minutes down the road going south. Have not played there, but it looks cute and it's really close.
Alley Katz Bowling Center
116 Granite StHave not been here but it's a good rainy day activity.
This is a fantastic South County Institution. Every summer they have wonderful musicals and a cabaret after the show.. The grounds are beautiful ( one of our sons got married here). There is a bistro for dinner before the show, and a bar outside at the gazebo. We have season tickets because it's a perfect thing to do in the summer.
56 locals recommend
Theatre By The Sea
364 Cards Pond RdThis is a fantastic South County Institution. Every summer they have wonderful musicals and a cabaret after the show.. The grounds are beautiful ( one of our sons got married here). There is a bistro for dinner before the show, and a bar outside at the gazebo. We have season tickets because it's a perfect thing to do in the summer.
Weekapaug Golf Course
265 Shore RdBeautiful 9 hole course, open to the public and only 7 minutes away.
Arts & Culture
The Newport Mansions are not to be missed. They are the over-the-top "summer cottages" of the very rich (before income -tax was invented!) They are extravagant palaces used just for the summer and were built to impress. So interesting and really fun to tour. Three of them are decorated to the nines at Christmas. Combine this with a day wandering around Newport, a charming and very busy town in the summer. Really great in the fall too.
112 locals recommend
Newport Mansions Preservation Society
424 Bellevue AveThe Newport Mansions are not to be missed. They are the over-the-top "summer cottages" of the very rich (before income -tax was invented!) They are extravagant palaces used just for the summer and were built to impress. So interesting and really fun to tour. Three of them are decorated to the nines at Christmas. Combine this with a day wandering around Newport, a charming and very busy town in the summer. Really great in the fall too.