This A&W Root Beer in Smithfield, R.I. Stand Has Some Pop
A&W Root Beer Stand in
Smithfield, R.I.
Article, photos by Eric Hurwitz created
for VisitingNewEngland.com on
5/3/2021 @newenglandinfo
The A&W Root Beer stand in
Smithfield, R.I. evokes a feeling of nostalgia as a classic American
drive-in specializing in, of course, made fresh root beer, as well as
burgers, hot dogs, fries and ice cream. The carhop concept is as
wonderfully
simple as the root beer itself: Turn your automobile lights on, have a
waitress take your order at the car window and wait for the meal(s) to
be delivered.
The root beer tastes as good as back in the day while the fast food
holds its own again the
very best chains. Fortunately, A&W dropped the
high fructose corn syrup nonsense a few years ago and returned its
signature drink
to a more natural form.
It is more than just the delicious root beer in different forms (plain,
floats,
freezes, etc.), however, that makes this A&W
Root Beer stand so special. Tradition goes a long way, also, in adding
to the overall experience. First, the Smithfield location stands as the
oldest
carhop-type restaurant in Rhode Island. What's more, the A&W
restaurant chain just reached its 100-year anniversary. In
addition, many of the A&W restaurants do not offer carhop service
instead opting for order-at-the-building-window establishments. Add
this all up and the Smithfield A&W remains a unique local treasure.
It
especially looks like a thing of beauty today as this part of Route 44
comprises many chains and big box stores, thus making A&W look like
a true survivor. The stand might look tiny and dated but its
back-in-the-day personality shines stronger than others within this
21st-century stretch of retail and food stop familiarity.
Enjoying a root beer in the car.
The food and drink specials also bring back a sense of nostalgia. Here
are the offerings, at this writing...
Monday: 99 cent hamburger with root beer purchase
Wednesday: 99 cent small root beer float
Thursday: 2 cheeseburgers for $4
Saturday & Sunday: Three wieners for $4.75 with purchase of medium
root beer
Thank goodness this local root beer destination has remained popular in
Rhode Island as the A&W chain peaked at around 2,000 outlets in the
1960s and fizzled to, today, around 600 nationwide as time revealed
ownership changes
and stiff fast food competition. Only three A&W Root Beer
restaurants remain in New England: the Smithfield location, Harwich
Port (Cape Cod), Mass. and Middlebury, Vt.
Enjoy the A&W in Smithfield while it lasts -- hopefully, forever!
A&W is located at 460 Putnam Pike
(Route 44), Smithfield, RI. For more information,
click here.
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