Post Office Restaurants That Deliver First-Class Menus
We wrapped up our Winter 2016 issue of Preservation magazine with three examples of old post offices repackaged as restaurants. Today, we're sharing three more first-class eateries that get our stamp of approval.
photo by: cmh2315fl/Flickr/CC BY NC 2.0
Post Office Cafe in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
Post Office Cafe—East Greenwich, Rhode Island
11 Main Street
East Greenwich, RI 02818
401-885-4444
http://postofficecaferi.com/
$$ | Italian
For John Granata, the owner of Post Office Cafe, things have come full circle. Eighteen years ago, he became the executive chef of the restaurant previously in the renovated space (then called Camille’s Restaurant), but the establishment went bankrupt. For years, Granata wanted to buy the building and open it again as a restaurant.
His hopes were fulfilled when he opened the Post Office Cafe last September. Their seasonal menus and specials provide various options throughout the year. Try the roasted dates wrapped in bacon to start, then go for one of their entrees like the shrimp giovanni or the pan-seared sea bass.
Post Office Pies—Birmingham, Alabama
209 41st Street
Birmingham, AL 35242
205-599-9900
http://postofficepies.com/
$ | American
Brandon Cain and Mike Wilson co-owned Saw’s Soul Kitchen next door to the former Avondale post office. They teamed up with John Hall, a pizza expert who worked in New York City, to establish Post Office Pies in March 2014.
The renovation for the building was a combination of building and reusing. New brick ovens were built and installed, but the owners salvaged concrete blocks from around the neighborhood to add a bar.
After a successful year and a half, they are working to open a second location in Tuscaloosa. Come try the Swine pie, with mozzarella cheese covered with pepperoni, bacon, and house-made pork sausage.
photo by: Emily Jordan-Robertson
Postmasters Grill in Camden, Arkansas.
Postmasters Grill—Camden, Arkansas
133 Washington St.
Camden, AR 71701
870-836-5579
http://postmastersgrill.com
$$ | American
The Richardsonian Romanesque style of Camden’s Old Post Office was not common in Arkansas. It was built in 1896 and was later remodeled as an office space. Emily Jordan-Robertson bought the property in 2010, and her family's construction company restored the building to bring it as close to the original design as possible. (In fact, this was her third restoration project; she is now trying to buy the building next door to the restaurant.)
Jordan-Robertson thought that the historic post office lent itself to being a more upscale restaurant, serving American cuisine with a coastal influence from Louisiana. Begin with their spinach artichoke dip before you enjoy a plate of ribs, finishing off with their widely acclaimed bread pudding.
$ = Value, $10-19 per person
$$ = Moderate, $20-29 per person
$$$ = Expensive, $30-39 per person
$$$$ = Splurge, $40+ per person
