William DeAngelus Sr. founded Twin Oaks in 1933. In 1928 during prohibition, William began distilling whiskey to sell to his friends and his basement became a “speakeasy” and locals called it Moonshining. Moonshining was later destroyed and within that year Twin Oaks was born.
The restaurant had two small private dining rooms that held 16 people maximum, the main dining room accommodated up to forty people. The restaurant grew quickly due to the “labor of love,” Eva DeAngelus, William’s wife prepared all the food, while William cooked it. The reasonable prices also helped with the business. In 1979 William passed away, and William Jr took over the management of the restaurant.
In 1980, the restaurant was destroyed by a fire, so while Twin Oaks was being constructed, William Jr. decided to rent out the former Gregory’s Restaurant on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston. The customers were very excited and happy with the decision because they couldn’t do without the fabulous food.
In 1981 Twin Oaks re-opened in their present building 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.
