Wilson’s Diner serves up history with its comfort fare

On a recent Saturday morning, Wilson’s Diner was packed with customers as one group of four waited for a booth to clear. The ring of an ancient cash register punctuated the din of conversation and silverware clanking against plates in the tight confines of this popular eatery at 507 Main St.

For the truly ravenous, the menu offers Wilson’s Special — a heaping serving of pancakes, French toast, eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. Owner Maria Kitidis Mackay observed that while some customers can power through this imposing mix of diner classics, many take food home.

Satisfied, and perhaps satiated, customers have been exiting Wilson’s original stainless steel doors since 1946. It is a Waltham landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

A small red placard stamped with the number 819 above the entrance marks the diner as built by the Worcester Lunch Car Co. It is a remarkably well-preserved example of the company’s craftsmanship in the period after World War II, according to Richard Gutman, an internationally recognized expert and author of several books about diners.

“Wilson’s is a nearly perfectly preserved post-World War II model,” he said. “It is one of those rare diners that is very original in terms of all its materials. It’s a time capsule.”

Original items include a Worcester clock displayed prominently above the grill and the cash register, according to Mackay.

Of the 651 Lunch Car diners made by the Worcester Lunch Car Co., Gutman believes 99 are still in existence and 68 are operating. The oldest is Casey’s in Natick, built in 1922 and owned by the same family since 1925. It’s also the smallest, with 10 barstools.

Gutman, whose interest in diners began when he studied at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, has worked on restoration projects at 150 diners and describes Wilson’s as his “go-to place” in the Boston area.

“I rediscovered it not long after Maria and George [Kitidis, her father] had taken over,” he said. “It’s very clean, very friendly, sparkling. There’s hustle and bustle, but at the same time they don’t kick you out even if there are people waiting for your seat.”

The materials familiar to diner customers — tile, formica, metal, marble — are easy to clean and last for decades, he added. The Lunch Car models are rugged and were built to last.

Wilson’s opened in the heyday of diners. In the late 1950s, there were more than 5,000, but the advent of fast-food restaurants took a toll on their numbers. Nonetheless, they have an enduring appeal.

Diners are cozy, friendly places that work for generations, Gutman said. “That’s why we like them so much. Plus, it’s home-cooked food, the prices are right, there’s good value.”

Diners are often visited by politicians and used for scenes in films, a testament to their appeal.

Wilson’s was the setting for two scenes of “Julia,” an HBO Max comedy about the life of Julia Child in 1960s Cambridge, Massachusetts, during production of her television show “The French Chef.” Wilson’s had to close for three days as the first scene was shot, Mackay said, while the film crew worked to get every detail to its satisfaction.

Mackay and her staff have been serving up breakfast and lunch since January 2020, when she and her father purchased Wilson’s. The two previously had worked at Maugus in Wellesley, a family-owned restaurant established in 1937 that also specializes in breakfast and lunch.  

Even though Mackay had just had her second child, they didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity when the previous owner of Wilson’s, a friend of Mackay’s father, retired and asked if they were interested.

“We knew what we were getting into, and we’ve been happy,” she said. She was not accustomed, however, to cooking at the grill in front of customers. “If you are slow, everyone sees it.”

Their timing was not auspicious as the Covid-19 pandemic lay just around the corner. They adapted by serving on the adjacent patio, a practice they stopped just last summer.

Mackay does not dwell on Wilson’s history, though she says, “I love that it’s an old-fashioned diner. It’s very charming.”She is more interested in keeping customers happy and prizes their loyalty. Business is steady throughout weekends, including many students from Bentley and Brandeis universities. She said the friendly atmosphere keeps people coming back. Staff members know what regulars —  and there are many of them — will order.

“We’re like a family,” she said.

Photos by Victoria Fils-Aime.