At first glance, the little red restaurant at the corner of a remarkably unbusy intersection in rural Rhode Island doesn’t seem like it would necessarily be home to some of the best food you’ll find anywhere.
But that’s why your mother told you to never judge a book by its cover.
Sly Fox Den Too, a cozy restaurant in Charlestown, has made national news: Along with 46 other restaurants, Sly Fox Den Too was included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list.
The unpretentious spot dishes out Indigenous foods rooted in the forests and waterways of the Northeast, and it’s a living testament to the tribes still present in the region.
“It creates a statement, that we’re still here,” said chef Sherry Pocknett. “We still live in our ways. We still eat traditional foods. We still hunt and fish.”
What’s the best restaurant near you?Check out USA TODAY’s 2024 Restaurants of the Year.
What makes Sly Fox Den Too stand out
Pocknett grew up on Cape Cod, catching her first fish in Mashpee Pond, learning to cook in her Suzy Homemaker kitchen, and taking her first restaurant job in the dining room of her Uncle Earl’s restaurant The Flume.
Sly Fox Den Too is the flavor of all of Pocknett’s history.
USA TODAY’s Restaurants of the Year 2024How the list of best restaurants was decided
“Really, this menu is my childhood and some of what I’ve created along the way,” Pocknett said. “It’s different food … but it’s wholesome. It’s fresh. There’s nothing out of the box. We make our own venison sausage. We make everything from scratch, and I think that’s what makes the difference. I think that’s what people want.”
This isn’t the first big accolade for Sly Fox Den Too. In 2023, Pocknett won a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Northeast. As a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, she’s the first female Indigenous chef and only the third chef from Rhode Island to win the award.
Nor’easter omelet, venison sausage:A visit to Sherry Pocknett’s award-winning restaurant
What to know before you go
The restaurant itself is humble, with fewer than 20 tables that in the warmer months expand to picnic tables outside, so the food and the culture it represents are the reasons people make the drive. Even with the small number of tables they don’t take reservations.
Sly Fox Den Too has distinct breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, so if there’s something in particular you are hoping to try, plan your visit accordingly. Also, with its made-from-scratch food, the restaurant’s service is not particularly fast. Plan to take your time when you visit.
What to order at Sly Fox Den Too
Venison. Venison isn’t something you’ll find on the menu at every restaurant, which is reason enough to try it, but it is also genuinely delicious. A crowd favorite is the venison sausage, which is ground and seasoned on-site, but venison is also available in the Indian Sammich on the lunch menu or seared on the dinner menu.
One of the specials. Pocknett is passionate about cooking with the seasons, which means some of her favorite dishes to cook aren’t always available. If they have rabbit on the menu the day you’re there, definitely try it. You also might find hash made with smoked salmon, or possibly duck. Eel is served in the winter. Sometimes there’s pheasant. These are often the dishes Pocknett is most excited about sharing and are therefore something you want to try.
Something with fry bread. Fry bread is a classic Indigenous food, a flatbread that is similar to fried dough. It’s eaten as a standalone dish, used for tacos, used as sandwich bread, and even cut up and used as the base bread for a strawberry shortcake. Trust us, you’ll love it.
See the full menu.
A family affair
While the menu is a reflection of Pocknett, she has been battling breast cancer since 2022. To help her through it, her daughters, Jade Pocknett-Galvin and Cheyenne Pocknett-Galvin, have been working both in the restaurant and on catering orders so that she can rest.
“My daughters held it down, and the people who work here,” Pocknett said. “I can’t be more thankful. I don’t even know how to thank them. There’s no words to thank them enough.”
The restaurant has always been about family, and the name is a tribute to Pocknett’s father, Sly Fox.
Did you know?
For those looking to try their hand at cooking some fry bread at home, Pocknett is working on her first cookbook.
She’s also working toward opening Sly Fox Den in Preston, Connecticut, a long-held dream that is meant to be the flagship restaurant to Sly Fox Den Too. The restaurant, located between Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort and Casino, will be a living history museum for Indigenous culture, an oyster farm and, of course, a restaurant.
“I just have so much in store,” Pocknett said. “I have a lot to bring.”
Details: Sly Fox Den Too; 4349 South County Trail, Charlestown, RI 02813; (401) 642-7350; slyfoxdenrestaurant.com