On the way down to Providence on Wednesday after work to attend the event at the Culinary Arts Museum, I planned on stopping at a diner I have only eaten at once or twice. It is called Tex Barry’s Coney Island Hot Dogs in Attleboro, Mass. It was once part of a chain of 14 outlets in the southeast part of the Bay State (and into Rhode Island, I believe) of which only 2 survive. The other one is in Taunton, Mass. The Attleboro location is housed in a late 1920’s vintage Worcester Lunch Car.
In my early days of documenting diners with my photographs, Tex Barry’s was at a different location in Attleboro. It was 1981 when I first checked out downtown Attleboro and at that time there were 4 old diners still there. Tex Barry’s was on Union Street behind the old Post Office in a Worcester diner of similar vintage. Around the corner was the old Franklin Diner which at that time was closed, (eventually to be torn down) another late 1920’s Worcester. Over on Bank Street (if I remember correctly) was the former Barney’s Diner operating as the Cable Car Diner, a 1940’s vintage Worcester, and over at Tex Barry’s current location on County Street there was Desi’s Diner. This diner has gone under many names over the years and Arthur Bombadier, the current owner has a list of almost a dozen names.
Within a year or two, Desi’s actually was operated under another name and then Tex Barry’s moved in when their old place was demolished. They serve mainly hot dogs and hamburgers as well as french fries. I had a couple of chili dogs and some fries (I should have had a third dog) with some spring water. In my opinion this place is always worth a stop when you are in the area and check out their old Hot Dog neon sign!
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