A Polish Immigrant Opened This Rhode Island Burger Joint During the Depression. The Recipe Is Unchanged.

In 1932, at the depth of the Great Depression, Stanley F. Kryla opened a small restaurant in Central Falls, Rhode Island. His promise was simple: honest, affordable, home-cooked burgers for the working families of the Blackstone Valley.

More than 90 years later, the Stanleyburger, made from top-quality beef with griddled onions and pickles, is still made the same way.

For the smallest and most densely populated city in Rhode Island, Stanley's has served as one of Central Falls' anchors for nearly a century. It made America's top burger joints, one per state.

Current owner Louie Augusta, who managed the restaurant for a decade before buying it from Gregory Raheb in 2016, describes his philosophy the same way the founder did: maintain the standard, serve the community, keep the recipe honest.

What to Order

A Stanley Burger: griddled onions, pickles, and the fresh beef that's made the restaurant famous. Ketchup and mustard were forbidden in the original recipe. The walls are still red and yellow anyway.

Cheese, bacon, and condiments are available for those who want them. The menu has expanded to include a full range of burgers, sandwiches, fresh-cut fries, and housemade chili.

Coffee milkshakes and coffee milk (the official Rhode Island state drink) are the regional highlights. Summer Friday lobster salad rolls appear seasonally. For more on the food scene nearby, see the best burger in Rhode Island.

Three Owners, One Recipe, 90-Plus Years

Kryla's original restaurant became what the neighborhood needed during the Depression and never stopped being relevant. The business changed hands twice without the recipe changing once.

Gregory Raheb bought it in 1987 and maintained every recipe. Augusta, who managed it for ten years before purchasing it in 2016, has maintained the same standard.

The Stanley Burger's assembly, griddled onions and fresh pickles before condiments, reflects a technique developed over decades of making the same sandwich. The sequence matters. The onions go on first because they need the heat of the patty to finish softening.

Central Falls has a Portuguese and Cape Verdean community that has been part of Stanley's customer base for generations. The restaurant's longevity reflects its ability to serve multiple communities over multiple decades without changing what makes it worth returning to.

The Stanley Burger assembly sequence reflects a technique developed across decades of making the same sandwich. The griddled onions go on first because they need the residual heat of the patty to finish softening.

Central Falls has a Portuguese and Cape Verdean community that has been part of Stanley's customer base for generations. The restaurant's longevity reflects its ability to serve multiple communities across multiple decades. For more of the state's dining history, see one of Rhode Island's most iconic restaurants.

Plan Your Visit

Stanley's Famous Hamburgers is in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Hours run Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Check stanleyshamburgers.com or Facebook for current hours and seasonal specials. While you're planning the trip, check out hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Rhode Island.