Heritage Coffee Shoppe and Restaurant

66 Main Street, Woonsocket
(401) 765-7639

We hesitated to include the Heritage here because, although they offer hot weiners and coffee milk, the former are prepared in the back, out of sight of patrons, and the latter comes in a plastic bottle like you can buy at any local convenience store. Both these factors detract from any claim to authenticity, in our opinion, even if the weiners and coffee milk are just as good as can be had anywhere else. The saving grace of the Heritage, though, is that they occasionally offer dynamites and doughboys as specials.

Heritage's dynamite is pretty mild for an item with such a name, but you can spice it up yourself with proffered red pepper flakes, or dress it up with grated Parmesan cheese. The sandwich isn't so overflowing that half the contents will end up splatted on your plate, as long as you exercise care while eating. You can always use a fork if the task proves too daunting. A couple of good dynamite-eating tips: don't wear white, don't have a big mustache.

Fun fact: The exterior of the Heritage was shown in an episode from the second season of Showtime's Brotherhood, when Freddy Cork meets his dirty banker to discuss business. The interior scenes were shot elsewhere.

Oh, and you may be wondering what "yellow balls" have to do with anything. Well, there's a gumball machine inside the entrance of the shop with a hand-lettered sign on it saying that recipients of yellow "winner" balls can get a free weiner. See? It's nothing dirty. That's just where your filthy mind goes.

If you're looking for an alternative to Heritage Coffee Shoppe's or the Castle Luncheonette's versions of the dynamite, keep an eye out in Woonsocket for fairs, festivals, and bazaars. At least one of these events takes place every weekend in the summer, somewhere in town, and dynamites are almost always served at them.