Don't Expect Furniture If You Order A Coffee Cabinet In Rhode Island. Here's What You'll Get

We can all agree that false advertising is a bad thing, but in the case of coffee cabinets, it's usually just a case of misunderstanding local lingo. If you order one in Rhode Island, you should know you won't be getting a piece of furniture for storing coffee, but rather a much-loved beverage that is quintessentially Little Rhody. Yes, Rhode Island dances to the beat of its own drum, and instead of interior decor, ordering a coffee cabinet in the country's smallest state will actually get you a coffee-flavored milkshake.

Most states have their own signature foods, but Rhode Island actually has several. From the steamy, unique hot wiener (a regional sausage sandwich very similar to a hot dog) to stuffies (stuffed quahog clams), the Ocean State has a menu terminology all its own. Coffee milkshakes may not be something that you'll find only in Rhode Island, but calling it a cabinet is definitely a Rhode Island thing. If you use the term, you will definitely be giving yourself away as either a true Rhode Islander or someone who knows enough to pass for one. 

A coffee cabinet is pretty similar to Rhode Island's official state drink, coffee milk, which combines milk with coffee syrup. But the coffee cabinet takes things a step further by blending this classic Rhode Island concoction with ice cream, making it a more substantial version of a classic sweet treat.

The term coffee cabinet has been used in Rhode Island since World War II, and while the name's origin is a bit unclear, local lore holds that it's based on the drink's inventor keeping their blender in a cabinet. Whether or not that story is true remains to be seen, but things get even more confusing when you learn that there is a whole different name people from New England (the region of the country where Rhode Island is located) use for milkshakes. 

Other New Englanders often refer to milkshakes as frappes, which in most places around the world is what you would call a frothy, blended iced coffee beverage with origins in Greek coffee culture. In other words, when someone in Massachusetts or New Hampshire orders a coffee frappe, they're most likely expecting a coffee milkshake, but if a Rhode Islander wants the same drink, they'd ask for a cabinet. 

Coffee milkshakes, or cabinets, are popular around Rhode Island, along with the beloved coffee milk you can find on many menus and pre-made at many stores. But you can also find a more mature treat at some establishments, where they turn the traditional coffee cabinet into a boozy milkshake by adding the option to mix in liqueurs like Irish cream.