Subscribe to The Brass File to get it e-mailed free to your in-box by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. Thank you. The news that an iconic and abandoned diner on Wolcott Street is going to be demolished to make way for a new Burger King sent Observer readers into dual overdrive; first was an overwhelming sense of nostalgia for late night dining experiences in Waterbury, and second, was an avalanche of opposition to another fast-food option in a city already teeming with them.
Born on the Greek island of Crete, Bassias was known as Mr. He loved to joke, laugh, rhyme, and sing, and he had the heart of a child. There were family reunions held at the Betsy Ross Diner, first dates, there were proposals in the parking lot, and the diner became a go-to place for the late-night scene after the bars and clubs closed down.
The diner also became notorious for alcohol-induced fights, drunken revelry, and occasional shootings in the parking lot. One of the waitresses at the Betsy Ross Diner, Xhenet Aliu, went on to write a novel that focused on Waterbury and the diner. Known by many for its late-night cheeseburgers and by some for its parking-lot brawls. The building has sat empty for a decade.
On a recent visit to photograph the building a reporter pressed his face up against a window and was greeted by a barking dog prowling and protecting the inside of the abandoned diner. Here are a few commentsβ¦. Kellyanne Koemp β Omg. All the character names. My mom took us there after a long day of shopping at the Naugatuck Valley Mall next door.
Also, in my teen and early adult years I remember heading there after clubbing. Jessica Callahan β So sad. Too many memories to count- post-date night coffees, late night breakfasts, the jukeboxesβ¦ end of an era. Nowhere else can one order Eggs Benedict, a lamb gyro, a bacon double cheeseburger, waffles with fresh fruit, a turkey club, pot roast, gravy fries, hummus and pita bread, a Thanksgiving turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce on it, a four-pound salad, tacos and refried beans, lasagna, chicken kabobs, meatballs, liver and onions and ten kinds of pie.
