Kitchen Fire Strikes Harry's Restaurant

One of Westborough’s oldest eateries, Harry’s Restaurant on Route 9, is closed temporarily after a kitchen fire Thursday morning.

The fire at Harry’s “could possibly be” the last fire for Westborough Fire Lt. Ross Eldridge, who retires on July 4, ending 30 years on the department, Capt. Brian Roberts said.

Harry’s, at 149 Turnpike Road, opened in 1946, and is “a roadside diner serving some of the best fried clams in Massachusetts,” according to the restaurant’s website.

“There are so many people in town with emotional connections to landmarks like Harry’s,” Roberts said.

“We’re happy that we still have it to enjoy.”

Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, Roberts said.

The damage was “primarily confined to the cooking area with some smoke damage to the rest of the building,” he said.

At 6:08 a.m., the fire department “received a 911 call from the gentleman who was coming in to work to open up reported a fire in the kitchen,” he said.

“When we got here, we could see that there were flames in the kitchen area,” he said.

A crew led by Eldridge extinguished the fire, Roberts said.

Fire officials notified the Westborough Health Department, he said.

Harry’s is “not going to be able to open for a little bit,” Roberts said.