Although I haven't been to Hartley's since I moved out of RI about 15 years ago, I am super pleased…read morethat it is still open, and apparently thriving.
First and foremost, they make delicious savory British-style pies. Obviously scratch made. Back in the 1990s, a friend in Cambridge, MA was totally immersed in helping a family member (originally from England) who had a terminal disease. When I told her about Hartley's, she asked if I could bring some of their pork pies for her family. I am proud to say that yes, I brought a dozen pies, and that when he had bitten into one, it was one of the few things that had brought a smile to his face. They are REALLY good!
So, why my stingy 4 stars? A few reasons, but none that is really much of a problem:
First, it is truly like stepping into a shop from a different time and place. As a result, it is only open on certain mornings, and generally closes once they are sold out (often around noon!). This merely makes it difficult to drive any distance to Hartley's for the pies, as one can never be certain that they will be open and have pies available (BTW, their salmon pies were also great!). Although this is entirely understandable, Yelp readers should be aware of this, at any rate.
Secondly, and this is NOT a fault of this establishment, but savory homemade pies are super fattening! And Hartley's pies are no exception. In fact, they are so delicious that one may be driven to eating more than one pie, and that can mean many calories and carbs from the pastry! I know that many of the pies in Britain use lard in their flaky crusts; I have no idea about Hartley's pies...
Finally, as a former resident of both England and Wales, I can only point out that unlike, say, the classic Melton Mowbray pork pies in England, Hartley's pies have ground pork, while many of the ones in Britain have pork "chunks." This is not a substantial issue, IMHO, but some Brits take exception to the use of ground meat. One retort is that the pies at Hartley's seem to have less fat than some of the ones eaten in Britain, which may be a good thing!
It is a cute little place (although as noted, I haven't been in a long time) and always had a bit of some other "standard" British stuff, as well. Think Cadbury's and other British candies, and I believe PG Tips teas and Marmite. Most humorous to me was a typical framed old portrait of Queen Elizabeth, much as one would ordinarily find in homes and some patriotic shops in England. Very sweet!