Casey's Diner

The front of Casey's Diner: risked life at the wheels of a suburban to capture this.

           Casey’s Diner is situated in a converted old train car in Natick Massachusetts.  It is the kind of place that radiates a sense of history and boasts the best hotdogs in the area.  “I drive forty-five miles for these dogs,” says an old man standing in the line that stretches to the right of the structure.  Peeking around the corner I see a small window where a man with a beard and baseball cap hands out hotdogs and hamburgers to the eagerly waiting customers.  On a Sunday afternoon the place is packed, too crowded to commandeer a seat at the ten-barstool counter.  I take some pictures and decide to come back another day.

Today Boston was rocked by a huge snowstorm; visibility was poor, temperatures plummeting, a perfect day to try my luck again at Casey’s.  Marvin (my minivan) managed to get me and a friend there in one piece.  Sliding the front door aside I stooped to fit through the door, “What can I get for ya?” asked the same man I had seen handing dogs out through the window on Sunday.  “Two dogs, everything on them.” I say, sitting down at the counter.  I believe the proper expression is an ‘all round’ (don’t hold me to that) but being a rookie I was too shy to give it a go.   

While I waited I looked around.  The intimate space is warmed from the grill and smells of caramelized beef.  The walls are covered in black and white photos, the eroded metal of the walls exposed between the frames.  The pictures depict the likeness of the original owners, and to my delight there is a small image of the original cart.  

The original horse-drawn wagon

The diner has only been in its current location since 1925, before that it was a horse drawn cart.  Legend has it that the horse used to bring the lunch wagon to Natick Common, leave it, and then come back for it at the end of the day.  I cannot verify this story but I find it terribly romantic, I want to believe it is true. 

The dogs are boiled so their skins have a wonderfully firm texture.

What is true is that this diner has been in the family for generations and the business has never moved away from its original aim: unpretentious food cooked simply and to perfection. 

The burgers and buns are both grilled on a small flattop.

Unpretentious food cooked to perfection.

They do not try to do anything fancy, the hotdogs come nestled in a bed of chopped onion, relish, mustard and ketchup.  The meat smells sweet and is still covered with a glossy sheen, fresh from the pot.  The buns are kept warm in a tin steamer and feel soft and airy beneath my fingers.  The dough envelops the dog, soaking up the juices from the condiments.  Closing my eyes I take a bit.  It is glorious.  The skin resists your teeth for a moment, just for a moment, before it gives, filling your mouth with a symphony of flavor.  Yes, the relish is wonderfully tangy and compliments the mustard and ketchup perfectly.  Yes, the onions have a wonderfully crisp texture, bringing dimension to the gastronomic experience, but the meat.  Oh, the meat! These dogs are made of beef, pork, and veal.  They are wonderfully rich, hearty, and warming.  I feel like I must be sitting at a Sox game, or standing outside the dog shack by the beach.  That is the wonderful thing about this place; it elicits memories of comfort.  It takes you back in time and for a moment you imagine yourself in a different time eating the same good food, on the same barstool, a part of the history of the diner. 

Fully satisfied and bundled up against the elements I take pictures of the outside of the diner.  One of the employees, a middle aged man with piercingly blue eyes and a warm and rosy face peeks his head out the window: “Don’t be strangers!” he calls.  I think one would be hard pressed to stay away.  

Plaque on the outside of the diner.

A slightly obscured picture of the menu.  Bonus points if you can find me!

Casey's Diner

36 South Ave

Natick, MA 01760

Phone: (508) 655-3761

Hours:

Mon-Fri 10:30 am - 8 pm

Sat 10:30 am - 4 pm

Sun 11:00 am - 3 pm

Cash Only