Locale Profile: Ogie’s Trailer Park

Ogie’s Trailer Park: Anything but Trashy

by: Jenny Currier

The last time I visited Ogie’s Trailer Park, the patio seating was deserted except for the crackling of fire in the outdoor pit, and by 6pm the restaurant — and the entire city of Providence — was swathed in all-consuming darkness. Such were the joys of winter.

The bleakness of that time contributed to my initial misperception of Ogie’s, namely that there was something cold or impersonal about this place. Quite contrary: It’s full of bright colors and happy faces, and it truly shines in the peak of summer.

The floor is teal! There are urchin-shaped lights hanging from the ceiling! Cat art decorates the walls! I felt like my universe expanded, and for the first time since moving to New England, a slice of the Southwest had followed me here.

Our bartender, Neal, greeted us with an enthusiasm only sunshine can produce, and he answered my most pressing question: “Is it true that the owners of The Duck & Bunny own this place?” It’s true, he confirmed, which surprises me only because this trailer park décor is the exact opposite of the tea-time cupcake snuggery in the Fox Point neighborhood.

The versatility of the Beckers (the owners) is admirable because Ogie’s is made for the West Side — eclectic to the core, but with a vibe that’s relaxed and welcoming. After sipping (gulping) my Hurricane, my friend and I made executive menu decisions: three sandwiches for two people, plus a side of tots, because how could we not?

It was too difficult to narrow it down further; the menu is full of comfort foods that may fool one into thinking they’re just vehicles for grease, since they come in baskets lined with red and white checkered paper, but actually they’re handcrafted gourmet twists on the classics. To place our order, we headed over to the kitchen window, designed to look like the side of a food truck trailer or a house on The Truman Show, and were given a license plate to let us know when our order was ready (“Montana! You’re up!”).

We took the advice of friends (and strangers) and ordered one of the most popular dishes, the Southern Fried Rhody Chicken Sandwich (with “slab bacon”), along with the Sloppy J’Ogie (a vegan choice), French Canadian style tater tots (hello gravy, cheese, bacon, and a fried egg!), and a Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly with Nutella and Flambéed Bananas.

Do yourself a favor before you die and get that grilled PB&J. Consider it dessert or heaven in a basket, but you won’t be disappointed. In fact, nothing about an evening at Ogie’s will disappoint. It’s the perfect kick-off to a hard-earned weekend, whether you remain inside with the festive lighting and bright colors, or go outside where more silhouettes of trailers adorn each side of the fenced-in area. Much like over at The Duck & Bunny, the back patio at Ogie’s is optimal for small- to medium-sized groups to congregate, whether it’s around the fire pit or not. It’ll feel just like you’re picnicking at an actual trailer park.

Step Back in Time to Ogie’s

by Jake Bisaro

At Ogie’s Trailer Park, the West Side’s newest bar / restaurant, you can relive the zoot suit glory days of the ’50s.

First impression: I was pretty floored by the interior decoration. I’m really not a stickler for décor; bars with puke from the ’80s staining the walls usually do just fine for me. But it’s clear that every detail, right down to the lava lamps and the fake flower pots, has been carefully curated. The walls are lined with some of the great American cat rip-offs, like an American Gothic and a Warhol. Weird, spiky light fixtures that look like some kind of underwater mine hover over a spacious room with plenty of tables, bright retro stools and a pretty sizeable crowd for a Thursday night.

The drink selection was as eclectic as the décor. You can sit back and slam three dollar ‘Gansett tall boys all night or treat yourself to a weirdly classy bottle of champagne, like the Dom Peringnon. In addition to a huge collection of bottles, they offered eight draft beers (three of which were kicked) including a few Dogfish Heads and a Foolproof, at a pretty steep price. They don’t let down cocktail enthusiasts, with options like the Moscow Mule, the Bloody Mary or the Juan Collins.

The guys in the trailer-shaped kitchen are doing a lot with a little, slinging old-fashioned  favorites like sloppy j’ogie and Granny’s Boos’ Badass Bacon Burger, and fancy French-sounding stuff like mac and cheese croquettes and string bean casserole with béchamel sauce. But the zenith of the menu seemed to be the tots, so I chose the “Canadian Style,” figuring they would just be poutine-style with curds and gravy. What I got was some kind of bizarre alchemy that seemed to defy the laws of tots themselves. There was a fried egg on top, a cream cheese elixir, some kind of gravy and bacon.

Ogie’s Trailer Park has something for everybody; if you can’t have at least a mildly good time, there may be something deeply wrong with you. Even the soundtrack, with the Pixies to gangsta rap to dubstep attempts to appease every taste. The best part is that this place has come nowhere near its potential because of the frigid conditions. A sweet beer garden with chairs and a fire in the back and a few tables near the entrance means that Ogie’s will turn this mostly dead strip of Westminster into a ragin’ good time in the summer. The fact that it closes at 2am on weekends is huge, as nearby bars (not mentioning any names, E&O and Avery) shutter at a paltry midnight! So swing yourself on over to wig out to this hip new scene. Or something.

Ogie’s Trailer Park is located at 1155 Westminster St in PVD.

For a complete look at Motif’s neighborhood profile of the West End, click here.