Anthony Bourdain Loved This Cozy No-Frills Diner In Massachusetts

Anthony Bourdain visited a lot of places during his time fronting various food and travel-themed T.V. series. He famously ate and drank everywhere, from high-end, fine-dining restaurants to the Chicago dive bar that was a favorite spot and his beloved Waffle House. One place that resonated particularly deeply with him was the Shady Glen Diner in the former mill town of Turners Falls, Massachusetts.

The restaurant featured in a season 4 episode of "Parts Unknown" that examined the economic decline and loss of industry in the region, as well as the brutal impact of illegal drugs in the west of the state. The show was a homecoming of sorts for Bourdain, who took his first steps in the culinary world as a dishwasher in Provincetown. Talking to locals about their experiences included a trip to the cozy confines of the Shady Glen Diner.

While there, Bourdain tucked into a hearty plate piled with slow-cooked corned beef and steamed cabbage paired with coffee, followed by a hefty slice of freshly-made raspberry cream pie prepared by owner Charles Garbiel. Bourdain listened as Garbiel proudly showed off the yellowing recipe cards that had been used at Shady Glen Diner since the '60s. After Garbiel told him about the challenges he'd faced, including the diner being repeatedly broken into, Bourdain said, "I think what you're doing here is terrific. Where a man can go and get a good, hot open turkey sandwich and a good slice of pie, it's a beautiful thing."

Times have certainly been tough for many of the eatery's patrons in and around Turners Falls, but despite the odds, Shady Glen Diner is still open for business — for the moment. In 2024, after 12 years of working extraordinarily long days (something that Bourdain, as a professional chef, was all too familiar with), Garbiel put the restaurant up for sale. 

Although Garbiel wanted to sell so he could spend more time with his family, he nonetheless pledged to keep the diner open until someone bought it. Whether it would remain a restaurant would be up to the new owners. "If they want to keep it the same, they keep it the same. If they want to turn it into something else, it's their money," he told the Greenfield Recorder. 

Despite his long tenure, he didn't change much after he took over. In 2018, Garbiel said eggs Benedict and a breakfast burrito were added to the rest of the unfussy menu, and the diner was also able to sell wine and beer, adding, "We just try to keep the tradition going and keep things the same" (via Parts Unknown). At the time of writing, no buyer had been found, despite a shout-out on social media in December 2025. For the moment at least, hungry patrons trekking to Shady Glen Diner can tuck into corned beef and cabbage, or enjoy a slice of fresh pie that put a smile on Anthony Bourdain's face, just like some of the other old-school diner food folks used to make. We think he'd be quite pleased by that.