The Knotty Pine Lunch – There’s a Space at the Counter For You

Sometimes you go home and everywhere you go, it's like a drive down memory lane. And sometimes while driving down memory lane you stop at a place you remember, but never stopped at back in the day.

And that is how we ended up at The Knotty Pine Lunch in Auburndale, MA.

A small luncheonette on a busy corner overlooking the Mass Pike, The Knotty Pine has been has been owned by Tula Kourtis and her brother since 1987 (though a restaurant has been at this locations for almost 100 years.) Now she and her sons Bill and Nick run it. Tula is ever-present: We spotted her as she rushed to catch up with departing diners, who had left without their leftovers.

"You gotta do it!" she said with a smile, as we caught her in the act of doing that good deed.

Named for the ever present grooved pine paneling installed in the mid 50s, the walls here are  still lined with it today. AND if you've ever wondered why knotty pine was such a popular wall covering in the mid 20th Century - look no further than this link here ( and see a photo of my dad as well!)

Not even seating 40 people max, we considered ourselves lucky to get a seat in a (newly upholstered) booth - but I was more entranced watching the comings and goings at the vintage formica counter, where everyone is welcome.

Empty seats make for a pretty picture, but restaurant folks prefer to see them filled- and moments later - filled they were!

From the trio of boys conspiring over their plates heaped with food, to the girls who sat at the counter (lest they be seen with their dad) to the solitary gent with his cap and cane, it was a steady stream of folks here for a Saturday Breakfast and a bit of neighborly chat.
Open 7 days a week The Knotty Pine serves lunch during the week (open 'til 2) and breakfast only during the weekend (they close at noon Sat and Sun.)
As Retro Roadhusband hunkered down over his breakfast burrito and their famous homefries, I once again checked in with the counter culture.

The boys had departed, leaving their once heaped plates in a heap, but giving me a better view of the championship pennants lining the knotty pine (natch) walls, in this sports-centric spot.
Moments later those very same spinning stools would be filled by a dad and his young son, and a stately gent.

Unlike movable barstools, the great thing about diner stools is that they're fixed in place and the spacing is predetermined, and a bit cozy.
While the close proximity gives true meaning to the phrase "rubbing elbows with" your neighbor, it's just part of what happens at the counter.

As long as there's an empty seat, there's room for you at The Knotty Pine Lunch!