Historic Portuguese restaurant reopens after fire

By News Staff
Reporting by Liz Tufts
ltufts@abc6.com

A historic Portuguese restaurant in Fall River destroyed by fire is back open after two long years—and the wait hasn’t been easy for many in the community.

The sound of clinking glasses and the smell of homemade Portuguese food are finally back on Columbia Street.

 “It was very troubling to the entire city that the oldest Portuguese restaurant in the area wasn’t open,” said Allen Drescher, of Fall River.

Dresher has been coming to Sagres for decades, but two years ago an electrical fire destroyed the restaurant and the place many called home.

It’s been the hardest on owner, Victor DaSilva, whose father opened the doors more than 40 years ago. He’s been waiting for this day for a while.

“It was difficult and hard never thought I’d be out of work for two years,” said DaSilva. “We always wanted to reopen here, important for the community for the Portuguese in the area.”

On the outside, the restaurant has a brand new look, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the menu.

For DaSilva, it’s been a long road, but he knows it’s the beginning of a new one, and he’s excited to get this new chapter started.

“A new chapter—and that means a lot of hours of work!” said DaSilva.

The restaurant isn’t just well-known here; in the past it’s been featured in USA Today and in the Financial Times of London.

© WLNE-TV 2015