O'Rourke's Diner

O'Rourke's Diner is a diner located in the Main Street Historic District in Middletown, Connecticut.

History

The diner was established in 1941 by John O'Rourke, who later brought the 1946 Mountain View diner car that anchored the diner's distinctive appearance into Middletown. His nephew Brian O'Rourke eventually became the establishment's cook and owner.

On August 31, 2006, O'Rourke's Diner suffered tremendous damage from a fire that broke out after a hamburger steamer was left on overnight. Because the diner did not have fire insurance, fundraising efforts were launched to cover the estimated $350,000 cost of repairs. By June 2007, $180,000 had been raised and preparations for reconstruction were underway. On February 11, 2008, following successful renovations which included assistance from the local community and Wesleyan University, O'Rourke's was reopened at 5:00 am.

Awards

• 2005: Best Diner, Best of Connecticut 2005, Connecticut Magazine

References

External links

• O'Rourke's Diner
• Rebuilding O'Rourkes documentary
• O'Rourke's reviews on RoadFood.com