Our grandfather, William DeAngelus Sr., founded Twin Oaks in 1933. In 1928 during prohibition, he began distilling whiskey to sell to his friends and his basement became a “speakeasy” (They use to call it Moonshining) – that is until Federal Agents destroyed the still in 1933. Later on that same year, Twin Oaks was born.
It had two small private dining rooms that held only sixteen people, and a main dining room which could accommodate up to forty people. But it was a labor of love – our ... view more »
Our grandfather, William DeAngelus Sr., founded Twin Oaks in 1933. In 1928 during prohibition, he began distilling whiskey to sell to his friends and his basement became a “speakeasy” (They use to call it Moonshining) – that is until Federal Agents destroyed the still in 1933. Later on that same year, Twin Oaks was born.
It had two small private dining rooms that held only sixteen people, and a main dining room which could accommodate up to forty people. But it was a labor of love – our Grandmother, Eva DeAngelus, prepared all the food, and our Grandpa cooked it. The restaurant grew very quickly due to the excellent food and the reasonable prices, which are still in existence today. Bill “Sr.” died in January 1979, and our father Bill “Jr.” took over the management of the restaurant.
In February, 1980, the restaurant was totally destroyed by fire. While the new building was being constructed, Twin Oaks rented the former Gregory’s Restaurant on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston, RI. Our customers were very happy that they would not have to do without our fabulous food. We re-opened again in our present building in October 1981.
Under the direction of our father, William DeAngelus Jr., Twin Oaks became the largest independent operation in Rhode Island, and is ranked number 66 in the United States. We now have six dining rooms that seat 650 people, and have 180 employees.
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