Haven Bros. is the oldest food truck in America and still satisfies

Every night of the year, the iconic Haven Bros. Diner takes its place next to Providence City Hall at 5 p.m. It was back in 1893 that the mobile diner began serving food from a horse-drawn wagon, staking its claim as the oldest, continually operating food truck in America.

In the 1950s, a 1946 silver Worcester lunch wagon was converted into the diner trailer still in use today. It was outfitted with all of the latest amenities, including a grill, fryer and soda fountain. It sits in a driveway on Federal Hill until it is moved downtown for service that runs as late as 3:30 a.m.

The food and drink menu continues to evolve to satisfy hungry customers. But the mission has never changed. That is to feed the working people of Providence.

The Giusti family has run Haven Bros. Diner in Providence for 40 years. Inside the iconic food truck are Sal Giusti and daughter Patty Prew, co-owners of the business that began in 1893.

How it became Haven Bros.

Widowed immigrant Anne Philomena Haven started Haven's with the proceeds from her husband, Patrick’s, life insurance policy. Her horse-drawn lunch wagon served the factory workers in Providence.

Haven's two sons, Tom and Henry, took over the business and changed the name to Haven Bros.

In 1927, they sold it to a Haven relative, Catherine Haven Gannon, and her husband, Dennis, according to Journal archives. They added a fleet of carts to serve more of the city.

The Gannons sold it in 1953 to Albert Mollicone, whose family ran it until 1986.

Today, Saverio "Sal" Giusti, who immigrated from Naples, Italy, and his daughter Patrizia "Patty" Prew are the second non-Haven family owners of the 133-year-old business. This is Sal's 40th year. His son Ivan Giusti retired after putting in 35 years.

Prew joined after leaving a 20-year career as a Providence police detective. She launched the mobile Haven Bros. food trucks in 2016. Catering weddings, graduations and house parties supports the financial viability of the merged businesses.

While Prew runs day-to-day operations, Sal continues to be there when the trailer is moved from its home base on Federal Hill downtown to its 12 Dorrance St. location each night. There is always something to fix, and that is where his expertise is still needed, Prew said.

The diner's diners

Prew explained why the diner serves 365 days a year.

"It's a privilege for us to be open," she said. On Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays, it is a tradition for customers who work in hospitals, hotels, with the police and fire departments and who drive cabs to come in for their after-work meal.

"People appreciate that we are open," she said. "They can always count on us being there when they get out of work at 2:30 or 3 o'clock in the morning, and they are very thankful." 

It was by serving the city's police officers, when she worked at Haven Bros. as a teen, that Prew decided a career in law enforcement was for her.

What to order?

The Haven Bros. Diner Murder Burger has three patties, as well as bacon, mayo, onion, lettuce and tomato.

There are always going to be burgers, hot dogs and fries on the menu.

"You have to keep everything the same, because that is what people are looking for when they are here," Prew said. There are generations of memories at Haven Bros.  

But that doesn't stop them from putting on additions. The "Murder Burger" has become the Giusti family signature. The triple burger comes with bacon, fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. You can add a fried egg on top.

"It makes you feel like you died and went to heaven," she said. 

The Garbage Plate is also a popular choice, with large fries topped with chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and nacho cheese.

The Haven Dog sounds like it's Chicago-style, with mustard, relish, onions and celery salt. But you can also get a plain Nathan's dog or a dog with sauerkraut or New York System wiener sauce.

Chicken tender baskets and grilled cheese sandwiches are also on the menu.  

Sweet tooth

College students make up a strong customer base, Prew said. They are the ones who drive menu changes, she said.

"We listen to our customers, and we always welcome new faces," said Prew. "The college kids wanted more sweet stuff."

So the menu now includes fried dough, churros and deep-fried Oreos.

To drink, they have 50 flavors that can be added to their milkshakes, which are made with vanilla ice cream. Diners can order two to four flavors in one milkshake. Some notable ones are tiramisu, snickerdoodle, toasted marshmallow, cake batter, Fruity Pebbles and hot honey.

What would Mrs. Haven have to say?

This classic photo was taken in 2005 and features 1888 prominently. Though Haven Bros. started in 1893, Patrick Haven died in 1888, and that is when his widow decided to open up a lunch wagon. The date is a homage to her.

Details: Haven Bros. Diner, 12 Dorrance St., Providence, (401) 862-6703, havenbrosdiner.com, open Sunday to Thursday 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.