Tiverton Owner Serves Free Meals During Blizzard Recovery

When the Blizzard of 2026 finally loosened its icy grip on Massachusetts and Rhode Island, most of us were digging out, nursing sore backs and staring down towering snowbanks.

Over in Tiverton, one local restaurant owner decided to do something a little different with his snowed-in downtime.

Pine House Kitchen & Bar on Crandall Road turned its kitchen into a comfort station for the very people who kept the town running through the storm.

READ MORE: SouthCoast Blizzard Shoveling Raises Health Concerns

Owner Jared Machado found himself alone at the restaurant as the blizzard raged on. “I was bored and the only one who could show up to my place so I figured cook some food with what I had on hand,” he said.

What he had on hand turned into something special.

A Hearty "Thank You" in a To-Go Box

Machado packed up to-go boxes filled with steak tips, green beans, mashed potatoes and wings – the kind of meal that warms you up from the inside out after hours spent in freezing temperatures.

He posted a simple message offering the meals to essential workers and first responders, inviting them to stop by and grab a box. No catch, no fanfare, only gratitude in a to-go container.

Tiverton DPW, police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and even animal control officers were among those who stopped in.

Feeding the People Who Protect Us

Through travel bans, power outages and relentless snowfall, these were the men and women plowing roads, responding to emergencies and checking on residents and Machado simply wanted to make sure they had a solid, homemade meal waiting for them.

In the middle of a storm that tested patience and endurance across the SouthCoast and beyond, Pine House Kitchen & Bar delivered something just as important as snow removal: kindness.