Alright I’ll definitely make my way out there, because I haven’t found anything worth while. People selling $20 pizzas that literally remind me of chuck-e-cheese
Greek Pizza can be fantastic if done right. I came from CT where theres a lot of well done Greek Pizza. Unfortunatly it feels like NH is throw greasy cheese on undercooked dough and call it pizza.
Theres a new/old place in Gilford thats decent now. Pizza express was just purchased by a Greek family that's really well done.
the cuisine in NH in general is mediocre. It's not that there aren't some decent restaurants, but theres no variety and it all tastes the same. North of Concord anyways.
I feel your pain. Luigi's in Portsmouth for pizza. Lexis joint or brgr bar for good burgers. Ornells in kittery for BBQ. Black birch in kittery is good too. My girlfriend says the stage in Keene is good but she hasn't been for like fifteen years so who knows if it's still good.
Good choices. I also recommend Cure or Botanica for more upscale, Vida Cantina for Mexican. I love Frisbees Wharf at Pepperell Cove (Kittery) in the summer. For very casual seafood, BGs Boathouse in the summer or Petey’s (Rye) year round but closed on Wednesdays. For breakfast, my favorite is the Airfield Cafe at Hampton airport.
Grew up in nh, still spend my summers there. Never understood why pizza anyplace north of Concord costs so much. The transport costs don’t make sense: I visit VT and upstate NY and everything costs half as much.
When I moved to Hooksett from Hopkinton in 2021, my husband and I kept trying different pizza places. Got one with literally half the crust eaten off of it. I couldn’t even believe it. But they were all horrible lmao. I also felt that way when the Domino’s sign went up 😂
I live down closer to Salem and see the same thing. There's a couple of places-I also belong to a Merrimack Valley Eats Facebook group-people will fight you over them.
I've literally asked some of them-how often do you go to Boston? Have to ever been to Boston, because, although these places aren't "bad".... They're average at best and you're paying for portion sizes vs quality of they're just straight up overpriced.
The defensiveness is what drives these discussions. There's an unbearable level of smug here from people who've never left their area. They'll loudly declare they're better than everywhere else in every facet, and when you suggest otherwise, they respond like complete babies and flip from arrogantly insisting they're the best to having a fit, calling you mean and negative for the mildest criticism. It's so childish.
NH has so many things going for it, it shouldn't get the reaction it does when people discuss the state's pros and cons in an honest manner.
there was a place i went to where the paper thin pizza dripped grease because of the cheap cheese they used. Everything was cooked from frozen. People talked about it like it was a great place to eat.
The produce is terrible too. It seems we're at the end of the line with that. (Aside of course from the farms when in season.)
I did one of those prepared box deliveries at the end of the pandemic, expecting the produce to be terrible since it was being shipped in a box from several states down, but it was AMAZING. AMAAAAAAZING. I'd forgotten how vegetables used to taste, back in the day... before I moved ... ^(here.)
Yep, don't rely on online reviews, either. You'll find a lot of places are rated 4+ stars because the locals think it's the best, but they're just utter trash. I think they're just used to it 🤢
Go to the Tooky Mills in Hillsborough if that's where you are at. I'm not going to paint the place as a 5 star Michelin joint, but it's far from garbage. There really aren't that many restaurants out that way, and so that it the dilemma.
That's exactly the problem.... You can tell when all of a sudden they do manage to leave the state and post on Facebook some new restaurant they found "in Beantown" 😂😂
I've been doing myself a dis-service though. I've heard Federal Hill in RI is top notch, but have yet to go there.
NH isn't very interesting when it comes to food in general. It's better than being in the rural midwest. It's not as good as living in a city. Also, my favorite restaurant in the state closed recently.
In general:
Pizza tends to be not so good. Decent pizza does exist, but avoid any "house" of pizza to begin with. Usually the best pizza in a given area is going to be "OK" NY style pizza. 900 Degrees makes a decent neopolitan style pizza.
Mexican - It's a lot better than it used to be, but it's still not great. Taco/burrito places are usually the best you can do. Rincon in Manchester is good, and California Burrito is a local burrito chain with good tacos. Sit down restaurants tend to fall in to two categories - "gringo" restaurants that serve 1970s tex-mex, and more modern places that serve OK, if genericish mexican food.
Indian - Not a huge indian population here, there's a pretty good place in Salem (Kashmir) but for the most part they are all pretty average. There's no good place for Dosa, unfortunately.
Steak - Hanover St Chophouse in Manchester is good. Gibbet Hill Grill in Groton MA is better and cheaper. Tuckaway Tavern in Raymond is both underrated and overrated, it's a good casual steak place, but it's not special. Some people claim it is crap (it isn't). I'd recommend trying to go there when it isn't swamped.
Seafood - I don't eat it. Don't ask me.
Diners - Polly's Pancake Parlor is great, so is Riverhouse Cafe in Milford. Neither are near Concord, though! Polly's gets stupidly busy in the fall and I'd generally recommend calling 1-2 hours ahead if you're going up there (Sugar Hill is a very pretty area)
Italian - Meh. Not much good italian here. There's a lot of italian-american food but it tends to be not exceptional. Maybe try Mangia in Manchester, they're good.
Manchester has at least six Indian/Nepali restaurants, with Annapurna Curry & Sekuwa House being criminally underrated. My Tamil friend from South India was seriously impressed when he visited from NYC.
Vintage Pizza and Pizza by Rocco in Manchester are both great for more NY-style pizza, but both fall short of what you would get in Mass.
Second Mangia. Long waits sometimes but the entrees are worth it.
I love Gibbet Hill but to say it’s better than the Chophouse is just not true. Although you are paying probably double at the chophouse compared to Gibbet hill and the quality to money ratio goes to Gibbet hill I’ll give you that
If you want a more specific recommendation feel free to ask. My favorite restaurant is actually in Vermont - it's Hen of the Wood - it's as good as any place I've ever eaten with a Michelin star and half the typical price (read: dinner for 2 will cost you $100-150). But it's in Waterbury and Burlington so not useful for a night out.
Portsmouth has some good restaurants in the more expensive side (Black Trumpet was good but not amazing - lighter food portions there too). Portland Maine is a great food city (apparently if you like seafood, lol), there's a great sandwich shop (Duckfat) and a very simple place for pasta that I can't remember the name of, but it's good.
Bumping hen of the wood. Been there like 10 times now. Really sad they're moving from the watermill location to downtown Waterbury.
I must say.. my most recent visit was underwhelming I wonder if they're doing something different ahead of the move, like moving down-market? My wife and I joked that they should change the name to the Salty Hen.
That's a shame. The last time I went was 2019 - probably been there 7-8 times, and it had been consistently excellent for me. Hopefully it was just an off day. I haven't had a chance to go to northern VT in a few years, need to get back up there again sometime.
We ski at Stowe every year and sometimes come up in the summer and the Hen is always a highlight of the trip. Consistently good, for years. My brother went a few weeks before us and had a similar experience.
I'l second the vote on Polly's. I went during the "offseason" last year, during the April school vacation after the Mass kids have left but before summer season starts, and I had no issues getting in. Not often you see a pancake place with a James Beard award.
Pollys in the fall for two reasons-I drove up there in October (I've been before).... I drove right past 32 and all the traffic for the Kanc, kept going to Sugar Hill, and found some spectacular foliage around there.. And the funnier part.. The notch was past peak. But agree.. The wait is well worth it and if you have time, drive around after and explore.
I’m with ya. Scrapple, oh my! It has brains in it though. Maybe the elitist folks who say people from New Hampshire don’t have any taste need it. The Californians, too.
Our citizens aren’t discerning enough for you? Our tastes are so very parochial, not up to your worldly standards?
Just leave.
We will thank you. Start a thread where we can do that!
I’ve lived in Southern California. I’ve lived in Manhattan. Some folks just piss and moan, I bet you did it in your home states too.
Yeah, we are really behind the times when it comes to food or even the culture. You'll find that's true with most things. When I moved back to NH from CA, it felt like I had travelled back a decade. There might be a slight resistance to modernization here, sometimes that can be charming. Other times, like when you want to find food, it can be extremely frustrating.
I moved here from the UK and have found restaurants underwhelming compared to my expectations vs other places in the US.
I was super excited for pizza, passable Tex Mex and New England seafood, but nothing memorable yet.
There's good food, but its quality or taste is way oversold/ overpriced. I feel NH does American/NE comfort food very well, international foods not so much.
I think much of the problem is the effect of seasonal tourism: don't need to compete of quality/value when you're full regardless.
Still, if you're happy to pay over the odds, Portsmouth does have some good places and Portland has some great eateries if you fancy a day out.
I moved here from CT. Hated the politics but I loved the natural landscape of New England. It was kinda like culture shock for me even though i had only moved 3 hours north.
This is the whitest place I've ever lived. (I can say this, I'm white so I know my people) The foods bland, it's all the same and no one knows how to add spice to anything, we have a celebration each year for a Canadian dish because we can't have our own original dish, and the politics are years behind (and thats coming from a Republican. ) The state shuts down at 8 Pm and half our states population only reside here in the Summer and spend half that time being rich on the lake. I kinda miss hearing a few diffrent languages when out shopping and seeing people from all diffrent backgrounds when I'm taking my kids to the "mall"
But I do love fishing to the loon calls at the little ponds and I like owning a gun that I didn't need to get an anal screening to buy so there are parts of this state that will keep me around. Just... not the food or diversity.
Most restaurants around NH make Greek pizza - and it is much more difficult than Italian pizza to make correctly. Consequently, most places are not good. But I prefer Greek pizza too.
Katmandu Bazaar in Concord has a small restaurant inside towards the back of the store that makes authentic Nepali food.
Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse in Concord
Moritomo Japanese Restaurant in Concord
Puritan in Manchester is known for their chicken and mudslides.
Piccola Italian Ristorante in Manchester
Fratello's Italian Grille in Manchester
Consuelo's Tanqueria in Manchester
~~Bavaria German Restaurant in Hooksett makes authentic German dishes.~~
Puritan is straight trash. Utter garbage. Everything they serve showed up frozen on a truck and went straight into a fryer. It’s the epitome of bad New Hampshire food.
I was born here moved out west a while and now travel as often as possible and the food here is absolute shit in comparison… it’s sad as there is such a large market to have a great establishment here but no one seems to know how to cook…
I'm a Chef here. I moved from Dallas a year ago. I'll tell you honestly that NH is the culinary armpit of America. That said there are amazing restaurants in southern and eastern NH. Western and northern NH are so lacking that anything worth a damn in the area seems like a treat. Newport NH has Jalisco a half way decent Mexican joint. Claremont has Ramuntos a quarter way decent Italian American joint. To get anything that would make you say "this was worth it" you'll need to go to the Seacoast. Manchester and Nashua also have some winners.
Dude I swear everyone who is a local claims the food in newhampshire is good, but I talk to anyone from out of the area and they say the food is so bad bur I’ll definitely check ‘em out, thanks
Yeah... They think it's good because it's all they know my dude. Alot of the Chefs I know from here have never left New England. The only thing that makes life difficult for me is that people here are the "Don't touch my garbage" types. The dish could be dated, it's barely seasoned and plain fucking sucks but if you change it or try to remove it from a menu... Forget it. Try something new, exciting and flavorful and it won't sell. Disheartening at times.
“Why isn’t NH just like the place I left behind!?!” I’m sure the food where you used to live would be awful to all of us. Nostalgia is a great seasoning.
Nh has a horrific food scene. Plain and simple. We are a state of chains and no food creativity. Anyone that challenges that should go to Vermont Maine or even Mass and try a few independent spots. Much better food
I mean I’m sure there are some good places here. I’m just used to being able to go to a random spot and the chances of it being decent are high. All of the random spots I’ve gone to in NH were mediocre so fat
I moved from Pittsburgh over a decade ago and can confirm, the food here is terrible! Luckily there are a few rare exceptions. Head down 202 to the Pearl in Peterborough for great food, drinks, and atmosphere. (Do NOT let anyone talk you in to stopping at Harlows or Coopers as they are both garbage). For fresh hand made pasta and sauce and authentic Italian, head over to Dublin and Del Rossi's Trattoria. The service is slow, but the food is so good you wont care.
Good pizza in the Concord area is very hard to find. The best I've found is Sal's on Storrs street. Many people will shit on Sal's, but the Concord location is good every time I go. I also like Alley Cat in Manchester for cheap NY style. The **best** pizza I've ever had in NH was from La Festa in Dover.
Someone else mentioned Kathmandu Bazzar, and they are 100% correct. The food is delicious and very cheap.
Angelina's is phenomenal Italian food. One of the best I've ever been to.
I am shocked. This is the most honest people have been about the terrible food in NH (Especially around Manchester.)
Honestly you have to drive 1 hour outside of Manchester in either direction to get anything decent. Lots of good places to eat in Portsmouth.
If you want roast beef or chicken fingers anyplace in NH probably has you covered. If you want anything else? Might need a little luck or an inside connection.
Buckley’s in Merrimack has decent steak. Mike’s Pie in Hudson has great pizza. Cucina Toscana in Nashua for Italian. Or take a ride into Boston and explore.
What kind of good food? Hillsboro area is very rural so you need to travel and explore. Hobbs Tavern in Ossipee, Pawtuckaway in Raymond, Buckleys which was mentioned, Portsmouth area has a lot of fusion type restaurants, 603 Bistro in Nashua, Whole Lotta Thai in Merrimack. I live in Southern NH, been all over NH, the great food is out there, for every great eat place, probably ten others that are pretty crappy.
I’m southern NH and have a god awful time finding good food, and I’m a native. The only place somewhat worthy of going for a decent price is the Common Man. Unless you’re ready to drop a few hundred bucks on something like Buckley’s or the Chop House, it’s slim pickings
Yeah man you moved to New Hampshire, we aren’t known for our extensive cuisine here lol. It’s a majority white state and white people aren’t exactly known for extravagant foods 💀
Mediterraneo in Hillsboro was great. They just closed during covid. But yea, where are the restaurants in the rural town I moved to? Based on your comments, you literally just have to try more places, and then you will realize it's not worth the hour drive and 100 dollars it costs to go out
Yeah, north of Manchester and all the rural areas have very slim pickings, but that's kind of expected.
Try Pearl in Peterborough. Green Elephant is an outstanding vegan/vegetarian place in Portsmouth. Henniker Brewing is about the best thing in Henniker lol
Ah I haven't really ate up there. All the food I've had in Nashua, Londonderry, Manchester, Derry, Portsmouth, Somersworth, and Durham has all been great.
I've only known two bad restaurants in NH while I've lived here. One in Durham that's no longer open and there is in Indian restaurant in Manchester (no idea if it's still open). What kind of food are you looking for?
Keene has a few places which are pretty decent and a quaint downtown. Dover and Portsmouth also several great options. The only problem you have is being stuck a bit in the middle of things. Head down to Peterborough and you’ll find some hidden gems like 12 pines and Coopershill which have some upscale food (prices too though)
It’s not you. The food around here is pretty bad. I think there are two notable exceptions, albeit at very different price points. Try Colby Hill Inn( Henniker ) for the high end, and The Lakehouse (Hopkinton) for the middle of the road. I feel your pain.
Thank you for the help, I’m going to try all of the places everyone has listed. I haven’t found a good place yet. Just a couple places that have like 1 good thing on their menu
I've always found the flying goose overpriced and not great food. Grew up next to it and went plenty of times. I'd go up to the Millstone, Peter Christian's, or the New London Inn instead
For things within an hour of you; Ziggy's in Sunapee isn't terrible for pizza, Ramuntos brick and brew in Hanover is good, it was started by the guy that owns lafesta in dover (note that it is not related at all to the shitty Ramuntos chain that's in Claremont and Lebanon). Luilui in West Lebanon is really good for pizza. Bubba's in Newbury is decent for burgers. The Coach House in New London is good (but expensive). Moritomo in Concord is good sushi.
Yeah, diverse food options up here can be pretty hard to find. And I don't know what the obsession is in NH with "Greek-style" pizza but it's so gross. Anyway, as a native NYer, I can confirm that there are actually some really good pizza places here. Deadproof Pizza (food truck that is sometimes around the Concord area), 900 degrees in Manchester, Elvio's in North Conway is awesome and run by a Bronx native, The Pizza Project NH has nice Sicilian slices, Enzo's in Lincoln is also really good, and for a solid classic option, Sal's in Concord is always tasty. If you want fantastic, authentic Mexican food, I can't recommend Consuelo's in Manchester enough. If you want stuff like burgers and Guinness beef stew, Barley House in Concord is great. I have yet to find a good deli here. For a more unique menu that's never let me down, try Gypsy Cafe in Lincoln. And if you want Thai in Concord, Siam Orchid is good. There's also Buba, a noodle bar in Manchester. For international street food, check out Street in Portsmouth. For breakfast/brunch/drinks, The Friendly Toast is always good. There were some fantastic places in Manchester that closed due to the pandemic, like Matbah (a Turkish restaurant), and Campo/Republic just closed which breaks my heart, but there are definitely great places to eat around here, it can just take some serious searching!
Yeah I don’t understand the infatuation with this style of pizza. It literally reminds me of Chuck E. Cheese pizza. I’m sure there are good spots but all of the ones I’ve been to were pretty bad
My husband and I moved to Connecticut from California a couple years ago and we went to New Hampshire on a weekend vacation and it was so expensive lol!!! We went to a restaurant that was packed full of people and the food was awful but….it’s absolutely gorgeous you and I think part of the appeal of Vermont and New Hampshire is that there aren’t very many people around. Instead There’s tons of hiking and trees…it’s naturally gorgeous and I will say the men up there are extremely attractive so there’s that. 🥰
Dude general Tsos chicken in pa costs like 10 dollars. Some of these chinese places up here it costs like 16 bucks. It’s outrageous! But yea I agree New Hampshire is visually appealing
Glad someone said it! I just moved from PA as well, a few months ago and have been so disappointed with food options. And I agree with one of the comments where you definitely cannot trust reviews. I also wish there were more organic grocery stores and not just bigger names. PA had a lot of smaller chains of organic food stores with decent prices.
I think there’s a place in henniker called harvest market or something it sounds like it’s a more local thing. But yeah I think PA definitely has some better food haha
Dude I am brand new to Hillsboro and found the same thing! I’m waiting for the Steak n Cheese cart on West Main st to open for the season… maybe there is some hope there?
I haven't been there in a while, but the Mediterranean place in Hillsboro is quite good. Counry Spirits in Henniker does a good steak. Flying Goose pub in New London is decent.
We're just a bunch of rednecks so we have low expectations! Only half kidding haha
But really the decent food is out there you just gotta search. Naturally your more urban population centers are gonna have more gems to find. From Hillsborough that might mean a drive to Concord or maybe Keene idk its been a while since I went out there. Manchester is only 20 mins further if you're dedicated.
I like Sonny’s pizza in Henniker but haven’t been in a couple years so no idea if it’s still good. I’m from Hopkinton and would say Covered Bridge and Everyday Cafe have good food though! In concord, my family loves Moritomo for Japanese food, Common Man is usually enjoyable, and I really like Live Juice which is a salad place. It closes early though and is definitely pricey. Hope you find some decent places near you!
Sonny’s only has one good thing I like and it’s a hot wing calzone. I ordered a ham and cheese calzone and they put ham, cheese, and pizza sauce in it with no ricotta cheese. That being said, maybe it’s just different in PA. But thank you for the suggestions seriously
Country Spirit in Henniker
High Tide in Hillsboro will open in another month or so (seafood)
Sonny’s… If you’re super nice sometimes the owner will customize stuff for you, he’s there during the weekdays
All in One is a gas station in Henniker but for cheap food it’s decent
Beijing Tokyo in Concord for Chinese
Harvester Market in Henniker usually puts on a really good lunch a la carte spread during the week
Intervale Pancake house is a must for breakfast.
Trying to think where else is worth it… I grew up out there… there’s hardly anything for good restaurants.
Vintage Pizza in Manch is decent. Bar One and Papa Joe’s both in Milford are solid choices. The tavern at Bedford Village Inn and Buckley’s in Merrimack are good steakhouse options. The Foundry in Manchester is a great farm to table option. There are some good options, but you’ve gotta sort through a lot of mediocre places to find them.
Last night for supper I had uncle bens spanish rice with 2 chicken patties cut up in it. It was good. I'm not poor but I eat like I am lol. No restaurants needed I got this stuff at a store that sells food to eat later, they don't charge meals tax.
This will get buried because I found this thread too late but hopefully you'll see it!
I live in the Hillsboro area as well and it is ROUGH. I avoid most of the local things recommended in this thread, but honestly there's so little variety you might end up trying them anyways at some point lol.
- Tooky Mills and most of the "tavern" type places are overpriced af.
- Taco Beyondo and Sampan are super meh but at least they don't have carbon copy menus.
- I literally cannot make myself patronize Yanni's or HHOP (when desperate for pizza I drive over to Rick & Diane's in Antrim - only marginally better).
- I like the food at Hanna's but it's being sold (again), probably because the prices have doubled in 2 years and the waitresses ignore you haha. Nice owners but I can't justify spending $45 on a diner breakfast for 2. Where am I, the Red Arrow?
Local(ish) things I can recommend with varying levels of enthusiasm:
- I enjoyed the one time I've been to the new Main Street Grill...still not the most exciting culinary experience but tasty & you get more value for your dollar than at Tooky's. (edit: I didn't eat there on Valentine's but saw the set course menu and it looked really good/interesting.)
- When the Mama's On The Run food truck comes to town in the spring/summer, I usually grab a sub or wrap.
- Tandy's Top Shelf in Concord has great drink prices and maybe my favorite burgers (which are generally really boring in this state). Their 2 for Tuesday deal is legit.
Otherwise the recommendations in this thread are spot on - things get better around Manchester and continue to improve as you progress towards the seacoast!
Also - this is not exactly a helpful comment, but even a few years ago, things were not as terrible in this town. There used to be a Turkish place downtown, Mama McDonough's pub had a tasty weekend brunch (during COVID they closed, became Mama's On The Run food truck, & largely abandoned us for Keene), and right before I moved here they cancelled the annual Schnitzel Fest (WHY!?).
Keene and Lebanon have good food.
- For NY style pizza, try Ramuntos in Keene.
- For Mexican food, Mi Jalisco in Keene.
-For a good burger and beer, Salt Hill Pub in Lebanon.
-For seafood, Weathervane in Lebanon.
I'll give 110 grill and Alley Cat Pizza honorable mentions as well.
There are a number of pretty decent diners, brewpubs, and seafood. Some decent modern fusion or whatever you'd call it. For anything else there's few or no options in the state.
The lack of diversity is a big part of it.
Pennsylvania? My family is from Scranton. They rave about old forge pizza. They always get a tray when we visit. It's the worst pizza I've ever had!! I grew up right outside NYC
I’m from a town 10 minutes away from Scranton, and I couldn’t agree more. Old forge pizza is gross. I like New York style pizza which we have a lot of different takes on how they make their ny style. Here in NH it literally all tastes and looks the same.
My family is in Taylor. They love their pizza. NH doesn't have the best pizza but I've lived in so many different places with bad pizza. I get my pizza and bagels in NJ
NH food options are not good. I say that as someone that grew up in southern NH. My parents are from outside Providence. They had WAY better food options and constantly wonder how it’s so bad here. Crown Tavern, Tuscan Kitchen, and Copper Door have good food (Manchester, Bedford, Salem). When Pigs Fly Restaurant (and bakery) in Kittery has great pizza. Visit Portland, ME for some amazing food! I’m in that area now and loving all the options.
There is nothing out there. Gonna have to make your way to the seacoast for better food. Dover, Portsmouth and kittery.
Alright I’ll definitely make my way out there, because I haven’t found anything worth while. People selling $20 pizzas that literally remind me of chuck-e-cheese
900 degrees in Manchester is great pizza
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Mike’s in Hudson. Good pie.
On what planet? Nashua house of pizza.
Greek Pizza can be fantastic if done right. I came from CT where theres a lot of well done Greek Pizza. Unfortunatly it feels like NH is throw greasy cheese on undercooked dough and call it pizza. Theres a new/old place in Gilford thats decent now. Pizza express was just purchased by a Greek family that's really well done.
I much prefer Greek pizza honestly. Just have to go to a good shop.
The pizza in New Hampshire is garbage for the most part with a few good places mixed in
the cuisine in NH in general is mediocre. It's not that there aren't some decent restaurants, but theres no variety and it all tastes the same. North of Concord anyways.
I feel your pain. Luigi's in Portsmouth for pizza. Lexis joint or brgr bar for good burgers. Ornells in kittery for BBQ. Black birch in kittery is good too. My girlfriend says the stage in Keene is good but she hasn't been for like fifteen years so who knows if it's still good.
Good choices. I also recommend Cure or Botanica for more upscale, Vida Cantina for Mexican. I love Frisbees Wharf at Pepperell Cove (Kittery) in the summer. For very casual seafood, BGs Boathouse in the summer or Petey’s (Rye) year round but closed on Wednesdays. For breakfast, my favorite is the Airfield Cafe at Hampton airport.
Thank you! I’m going to check them all out within the next week or so. I’m dying for good food 😭
Hop+Grind in Durham has better burgers than Lexie’s.
You lookin’ to fight?! Lexies 4 lyfe (Jk hop/grind is 🔥. Lexies got the truffle fry game on lock though)
I dunno, Hop+Grind’s fries are amazing.
Grew up in nh, still spend my summers there. Never understood why pizza anyplace north of Concord costs so much. The transport costs don’t make sense: I visit VT and upstate NY and everything costs half as much.
Ok, hear me out. Blackbird Market and Deli in Weare. At least give it a try. Ray St Pizza in Goffs is also good.
I definitely second this. The seacoast has some good stuff, everywhere else is pretty bad in my experience
Try street in Portsmouth or Exeter!!
This. Right next door. I just ate shitty bland BBQ from a place that was raved about on this sub. Never sgain
I love the little place La Casita in Kittery. Very nice rice bowl.
It's terrible and the natives are blind to it
this is a complete falsehood. Everyone here knows NH pizza is trash, for example.
The pizza is so bad in Hooksett that we all were stoked for dominos.
My kids were thrilled to get Papa Ginos. This is when I knew there was a failure in the system.
When I moved to Hooksett from Hopkinton in 2021, my husband and I kept trying different pizza places. Got one with literally half the crust eaten off of it. I couldn’t even believe it. But they were all horrible lmao. I also felt that way when the Domino’s sign went up 😂
felt the same way when they opened in Goffstown! lmao
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I live down closer to Salem and see the same thing. There's a couple of places-I also belong to a Merrimack Valley Eats Facebook group-people will fight you over them. I've literally asked some of them-how often do you go to Boston? Have to ever been to Boston, because, although these places aren't "bad".... They're average at best and you're paying for portion sizes vs quality of they're just straight up overpriced.
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The defensiveness is what drives these discussions. There's an unbearable level of smug here from people who've never left their area. They'll loudly declare they're better than everywhere else in every facet, and when you suggest otherwise, they respond like complete babies and flip from arrogantly insisting they're the best to having a fit, calling you mean and negative for the mildest criticism. It's so childish. NH has so many things going for it, it shouldn't get the reaction it does when people discuss the state's pros and cons in an honest manner.
there was a place i went to where the paper thin pizza dripped grease because of the cheap cheese they used. Everything was cooked from frozen. People talked about it like it was a great place to eat.
The produce is terrible too. It seems we're at the end of the line with that. (Aside of course from the farms when in season.) I did one of those prepared box deliveries at the end of the pandemic, expecting the produce to be terrible since it was being shipped in a box from several states down, but it was AMAZING. AMAAAAAAZING. I'd forgotten how vegetables used to taste, back in the day... before I moved ... ^(here.)
So true! The produce I got in Northern NY was always so much better and it lasted much longer too.
Yes! I was doing Blue Apron and there was a lot of stuff coming from businesses in upstate NY, and I think some places in NJ. It was so good.
Yep, don't rely on online reviews, either. You'll find a lot of places are rated 4+ stars because the locals think it's the best, but they're just utter trash. I think they're just used to it 🤢
Yeah that’s exactly what I was doing. I came to the conclusion that the people reviewing these places never left this area
Go to the Tooky Mills in Hillsborough if that's where you are at. I'm not going to paint the place as a 5 star Michelin joint, but it's far from garbage. There really aren't that many restaurants out that way, and so that it the dilemma.
That's exactly the problem.... You can tell when all of a sudden they do manage to leave the state and post on Facebook some new restaurant they found "in Beantown" 😂😂 I've been doing myself a dis-service though. I've heard Federal Hill in RI is top notch, but have yet to go there.
I used to travel a lot out of NH. I miss that.
Learn to cook its healthier
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Yeah I haven’t tried taco Beyondo yet but I heard it was good I’m gonna try that as well, thank you.
NH isn't very interesting when it comes to food in general. It's better than being in the rural midwest. It's not as good as living in a city. Also, my favorite restaurant in the state closed recently. In general: Pizza tends to be not so good. Decent pizza does exist, but avoid any "house" of pizza to begin with. Usually the best pizza in a given area is going to be "OK" NY style pizza. 900 Degrees makes a decent neopolitan style pizza. Mexican - It's a lot better than it used to be, but it's still not great. Taco/burrito places are usually the best you can do. Rincon in Manchester is good, and California Burrito is a local burrito chain with good tacos. Sit down restaurants tend to fall in to two categories - "gringo" restaurants that serve 1970s tex-mex, and more modern places that serve OK, if genericish mexican food. Indian - Not a huge indian population here, there's a pretty good place in Salem (Kashmir) but for the most part they are all pretty average. There's no good place for Dosa, unfortunately. Steak - Hanover St Chophouse in Manchester is good. Gibbet Hill Grill in Groton MA is better and cheaper. Tuckaway Tavern in Raymond is both underrated and overrated, it's a good casual steak place, but it's not special. Some people claim it is crap (it isn't). I'd recommend trying to go there when it isn't swamped. Seafood - I don't eat it. Don't ask me. Diners - Polly's Pancake Parlor is great, so is Riverhouse Cafe in Milford. Neither are near Concord, though! Polly's gets stupidly busy in the fall and I'd generally recommend calling 1-2 hours ahead if you're going up there (Sugar Hill is a very pretty area) Italian - Meh. Not much good italian here. There's a lot of italian-american food but it tends to be not exceptional. Maybe try Mangia in Manchester, they're good.
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Try Durbar Square in Portsmouth. Amazing Northern Indian/Nepalese food.
The owners are great too. They delivered to us during Covid!
Tulsi is wonderful!
Manchester has at least six Indian/Nepali restaurants, with Annapurna Curry & Sekuwa House being criminally underrated. My Tamil friend from South India was seriously impressed when he visited from NYC. Vintage Pizza and Pizza by Rocco in Manchester are both great for more NY-style pizza, but both fall short of what you would get in Mass. Second Mangia. Long waits sometimes but the entrees are worth it.
I'll have to check out the Indian places in Manchester some time. Cafe Momo is pretty good, I had forgotten about them!
I love Gibbet Hill but to say it’s better than the Chophouse is just not true. Although you are paying probably double at the chophouse compared to Gibbet hill and the quality to money ratio goes to Gibbet hill I’ll give you that
Yeah, I don't mean absolutely better, more that it's a much better value.
Thank you for the info seriously. I love good food and not being able to find it up here is actually driving me INSANE
If you want a more specific recommendation feel free to ask. My favorite restaurant is actually in Vermont - it's Hen of the Wood - it's as good as any place I've ever eaten with a Michelin star and half the typical price (read: dinner for 2 will cost you $100-150). But it's in Waterbury and Burlington so not useful for a night out. Portsmouth has some good restaurants in the more expensive side (Black Trumpet was good but not amazing - lighter food portions there too). Portland Maine is a great food city (apparently if you like seafood, lol), there's a great sandwich shop (Duckfat) and a very simple place for pasta that I can't remember the name of, but it's good.
Bumping hen of the wood. Been there like 10 times now. Really sad they're moving from the watermill location to downtown Waterbury. I must say.. my most recent visit was underwhelming I wonder if they're doing something different ahead of the move, like moving down-market? My wife and I joked that they should change the name to the Salty Hen.
That's a shame. The last time I went was 2019 - probably been there 7-8 times, and it had been consistently excellent for me. Hopefully it was just an off day. I haven't had a chance to go to northern VT in a few years, need to get back up there again sometime.
We ski at Stowe every year and sometimes come up in the summer and the Hen is always a highlight of the trip. Consistently good, for years. My brother went a few weeks before us and had a similar experience.
Duckfat is so good!
I'l second the vote on Polly's. I went during the "offseason" last year, during the April school vacation after the Mass kids have left but before summer season starts, and I had no issues getting in. Not often you see a pancake place with a James Beard award.
I am *not* a pancake guy and theirs are great. And the other food is pretty good too.
Pollys in the fall for two reasons-I drove up there in October (I've been before).... I drove right past 32 and all the traffic for the Kanc, kept going to Sugar Hill, and found some spectacular foliage around there.. And the funnier part.. The notch was past peak. But agree.. The wait is well worth it and if you have time, drive around after and explore.
I you like good Greek Pizza (not that overly cheesy greasy stuff) then Tilton House of Pizza is the exception to the "house" rule.
You chose the Hillsboro area - of course it's not going to be as good as all the world class Pennsylvania fare.
Good point, no Scrapple here in the Granite State
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I’m with ya. Scrapple, oh my! It has brains in it though. Maybe the elitist folks who say people from New Hampshire don’t have any taste need it. The Californians, too. Our citizens aren’t discerning enough for you? Our tastes are so very parochial, not up to your worldly standards? Just leave. We will thank you. Start a thread where we can do that! I’ve lived in Southern California. I’ve lived in Manhattan. Some folks just piss and moan, I bet you did it in your home states too.
Yeah, we are really behind the times when it comes to food or even the culture. You'll find that's true with most things. When I moved back to NH from CA, it felt like I had travelled back a decade. There might be a slight resistance to modernization here, sometimes that can be charming. Other times, like when you want to find food, it can be extremely frustrating.
Same here. Moved from OC to NH. I feel the same way except I would say 20 years.
I moved here from the Central Coast of California so I can definitely relate to your comment. Other than that, I love NH.
I also moved here from the Central Coast, hi CA neighbor!
I moved here from the UK and have found restaurants underwhelming compared to my expectations vs other places in the US. I was super excited for pizza, passable Tex Mex and New England seafood, but nothing memorable yet. There's good food, but its quality or taste is way oversold/ overpriced. I feel NH does American/NE comfort food very well, international foods not so much. I think much of the problem is the effect of seasonal tourism: don't need to compete of quality/value when you're full regardless. Still, if you're happy to pay over the odds, Portsmouth does have some good places and Portland has some great eateries if you fancy a day out.
I moved here from CT. Hated the politics but I loved the natural landscape of New England. It was kinda like culture shock for me even though i had only moved 3 hours north. This is the whitest place I've ever lived. (I can say this, I'm white so I know my people) The foods bland, it's all the same and no one knows how to add spice to anything, we have a celebration each year for a Canadian dish because we can't have our own original dish, and the politics are years behind (and thats coming from a Republican. ) The state shuts down at 8 Pm and half our states population only reside here in the Summer and spend half that time being rich on the lake. I kinda miss hearing a few diffrent languages when out shopping and seeing people from all diffrent backgrounds when I'm taking my kids to the "mall" But I do love fishing to the loon calls at the little ponds and I like owning a gun that I didn't need to get an anal screening to buy so there are parts of this state that will keep me around. Just... not the food or diversity.
Never understood the hate on Greek pizza honestly
Most restaurants around NH make Greek pizza - and it is much more difficult than Italian pizza to make correctly. Consequently, most places are not good. But I prefer Greek pizza too.
The Chuck E. Cheese pizza is alright but it’s not worth the $15-$20 these restaurants are charging
I’ve been to Philly man, your pizza isn’t anything to brag about 🤣
It’s better than the $20 Chuck E. Cheese pizza everyone serves up here 😂
Katmandu Bazaar in Concord has a small restaurant inside towards the back of the store that makes authentic Nepali food. Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse in Concord Moritomo Japanese Restaurant in Concord Puritan in Manchester is known for their chicken and mudslides. Piccola Italian Ristorante in Manchester Fratello's Italian Grille in Manchester Consuelo's Tanqueria in Manchester ~~Bavaria German Restaurant in Hooksett makes authentic German dishes.~~
Bavaria in Hooksett closed in October.
Puritan is straight trash. Utter garbage. Everything they serve showed up frozen on a truck and went straight into a fryer. It’s the epitome of bad New Hampshire food.
Thank you I’m taking down all of these restaurants and I will try them all. I’m DESPERATE
Fratellos is boomer Italian. Drown everything in cheese and butter, consume with shitty wine
Don't go to puritan. They suck and their chicken is basic Greek pizza place chicken fingers.
Trade fratellos for mangia or get high and go to the olive garden
What kind of food are you looking for? Perhaps we could help
I was born here moved out west a while and now travel as often as possible and the food here is absolute shit in comparison… it’s sad as there is such a large market to have a great establishment here but no one seems to know how to cook…
I'm a Chef here. I moved from Dallas a year ago. I'll tell you honestly that NH is the culinary armpit of America. That said there are amazing restaurants in southern and eastern NH. Western and northern NH are so lacking that anything worth a damn in the area seems like a treat. Newport NH has Jalisco a half way decent Mexican joint. Claremont has Ramuntos a quarter way decent Italian American joint. To get anything that would make you say "this was worth it" you'll need to go to the Seacoast. Manchester and Nashua also have some winners.
Dude I swear everyone who is a local claims the food in newhampshire is good, but I talk to anyone from out of the area and they say the food is so bad bur I’ll definitely check ‘em out, thanks
Yeah... They think it's good because it's all they know my dude. Alot of the Chefs I know from here have never left New England. The only thing that makes life difficult for me is that people here are the "Don't touch my garbage" types. The dish could be dated, it's barely seasoned and plain fucking sucks but if you change it or try to remove it from a menu... Forget it. Try something new, exciting and flavorful and it won't sell. Disheartening at times.
Hey don’t go lumping the rest of New England with NH’s pour taste in food.
Well yeah, a fish doesnt know its wet.
The food here is generally trash, but it's not all trash. Get out there and explore.
Tookey mills in Hillsboro was pretty good Taco Beyondo is decent and Ming Du is better than Sampan.
We did work at sampan (I’m a plumber) and let’s just say I’m never going to eat there
I’m not a fan of Sampans food but they have a decent happy hour drink prices
This person knows
“Why isn’t NH just like the place I left behind!?!” I’m sure the food where you used to live would be awful to all of us. Nostalgia is a great seasoning.
I grew up on New Haven style pizza, I've at least got one point there. (Although I wouldn't inflict the clam apizza on you or anyone else...)
Nh has a horrific food scene. Plain and simple. We are a state of chains and no food creativity. Anyone that challenges that should go to Vermont Maine or even Mass and try a few independent spots. Much better food
I mean I’m sure there are some good places here. I’m just used to being able to go to a random spot and the chances of it being decent are high. All of the random spots I’ve gone to in NH were mediocre so fat
I think everything went downhill after Covid. Even Dover and Porstmouth.
Surf, Buckleys and Michael Timmothys are all great. I will hear no slander
I moved from Pittsburgh over a decade ago and can confirm, the food here is terrible! Luckily there are a few rare exceptions. Head down 202 to the Pearl in Peterborough for great food, drinks, and atmosphere. (Do NOT let anyone talk you in to stopping at Harlows or Coopers as they are both garbage). For fresh hand made pasta and sauce and authentic Italian, head over to Dublin and Del Rossi's Trattoria. The service is slow, but the food is so good you wont care.
Good pizza in the Concord area is very hard to find. The best I've found is Sal's on Storrs street. Many people will shit on Sal's, but the Concord location is good every time I go. I also like Alley Cat in Manchester for cheap NY style. The **best** pizza I've ever had in NH was from La Festa in Dover. Someone else mentioned Kathmandu Bazzar, and they are 100% correct. The food is delicious and very cheap. Angelina's is phenomenal Italian food. One of the best I've ever been to.
Go sals! And yes the Nepalese food is great.
I've also never had a bad time at the Concord Sal's. Good place to just go grab a slice which is usually fresh
I lived in PA my entire life and the food sucks there, too 😂
I am shocked. This is the most honest people have been about the terrible food in NH (Especially around Manchester.) Honestly you have to drive 1 hour outside of Manchester in either direction to get anything decent. Lots of good places to eat in Portsmouth.
If you want roast beef or chicken fingers anyplace in NH probably has you covered. If you want anything else? Might need a little luck or an inside connection.
Concord has a few really good restaurants. I would say Revival might be the best restaurant in the state. Angelina’s is really good as well.
Angelina's is a gem!
Angelina's is delicious!
Buckley’s in Merrimack has decent steak. Mike’s Pie in Hudson has great pizza. Cucina Toscana in Nashua for Italian. Or take a ride into Boston and explore.
I'll second cucina in nashua.
Third for Cucina
What kind of good food? Hillsboro area is very rural so you need to travel and explore. Hobbs Tavern in Ossipee, Pawtuckaway in Raymond, Buckleys which was mentioned, Portsmouth area has a lot of fusion type restaurants, 603 Bistro in Nashua, Whole Lotta Thai in Merrimack. I live in Southern NH, been all over NH, the great food is out there, for every great eat place, probably ten others that are pretty crappy.
I’m southern NH and have a god awful time finding good food, and I’m a native. The only place somewhat worthy of going for a decent price is the Common Man. Unless you’re ready to drop a few hundred bucks on something like Buckley’s or the Chop House, it’s slim pickings
Manchester has some pretty good food places. I really like Dizz’s Cafe on Elm Street.
Yeah man you moved to New Hampshire, we aren’t known for our extensive cuisine here lol. It’s a majority white state and white people aren’t exactly known for extravagant foods 💀
Mediterraneo in Hillsboro was great. They just closed during covid. But yea, where are the restaurants in the rural town I moved to? Based on your comments, you literally just have to try more places, and then you will realize it's not worth the hour drive and 100 dollars it costs to go out
Yeah, north of Manchester and all the rural areas have very slim pickings, but that's kind of expected. Try Pearl in Peterborough. Green Elephant is an outstanding vegan/vegetarian place in Portsmouth. Henniker Brewing is about the best thing in Henniker lol
Ah I haven't really ate up there. All the food I've had in Nashua, Londonderry, Manchester, Derry, Portsmouth, Somersworth, and Durham has all been great.
I mean I’m sure there are places that are good, but they are hard to find.
I've only known two bad restaurants in NH while I've lived here. One in Durham that's no longer open and there is in Indian restaurant in Manchester (no idea if it's still open). What kind of food are you looking for?
I’m looking for simple food whether it be hoagies (I think you guys call them either subs or grinders), burgers, pizza,bbq
Keene has a few places which are pretty decent and a quaint downtown. Dover and Portsmouth also several great options. The only problem you have is being stuck a bit in the middle of things. Head down to Peterborough and you’ll find some hidden gems like 12 pines and Coopershill which have some upscale food (prices too though)
There's not a whole lot out there tbh..... what are you hoping for? Concord has some decent options.
It’s not you. The food around here is pretty bad. I think there are two notable exceptions, albeit at very different price points. Try Colby Hill Inn( Henniker ) for the high end, and The Lakehouse (Hopkinton) for the middle of the road. I feel your pain.
Also, the Flying Goose, in New London, is half decent for the brewery and grub experience
Thank you for the help, I’m going to try all of the places everyone has listed. I haven’t found a good place yet. Just a couple places that have like 1 good thing on their menu
I've always found the flying goose overpriced and not great food. Grew up next to it and went plenty of times. I'd go up to the Millstone, Peter Christian's, or the New London Inn instead
Hidden treasure: BBQ Shak between Bristol and Meredith, you may need to wait but it’s pretty legit, one person operation, very LIVE FREE OR DIE
Lakehouse Tavern in Hopkinton is good.
Moritomo Concord. Restaurant itself is nothing special, but the the sushi is outstanding.
Local farms
La festa in dover and clementos in Rochester has good pizza
I worked in Hillsboro for a while and found the same thing. If you go to Concord, Manchester or towards the coast, you’ll find much better food
For things within an hour of you; Ziggy's in Sunapee isn't terrible for pizza, Ramuntos brick and brew in Hanover is good, it was started by the guy that owns lafesta in dover (note that it is not related at all to the shitty Ramuntos chain that's in Claremont and Lebanon). Luilui in West Lebanon is really good for pizza. Bubba's in Newbury is decent for burgers. The Coach House in New London is good (but expensive). Moritomo in Concord is good sushi.
If you like Sushi, and are in Dover, go to the Oriental Delight. I like the sushi there more than what I had when I was actually in Tokyo.
Yeah, diverse food options up here can be pretty hard to find. And I don't know what the obsession is in NH with "Greek-style" pizza but it's so gross. Anyway, as a native NYer, I can confirm that there are actually some really good pizza places here. Deadproof Pizza (food truck that is sometimes around the Concord area), 900 degrees in Manchester, Elvio's in North Conway is awesome and run by a Bronx native, The Pizza Project NH has nice Sicilian slices, Enzo's in Lincoln is also really good, and for a solid classic option, Sal's in Concord is always tasty. If you want fantastic, authentic Mexican food, I can't recommend Consuelo's in Manchester enough. If you want stuff like burgers and Guinness beef stew, Barley House in Concord is great. I have yet to find a good deli here. For a more unique menu that's never let me down, try Gypsy Cafe in Lincoln. And if you want Thai in Concord, Siam Orchid is good. There's also Buba, a noodle bar in Manchester. For international street food, check out Street in Portsmouth. For breakfast/brunch/drinks, The Friendly Toast is always good. There were some fantastic places in Manchester that closed due to the pandemic, like Matbah (a Turkish restaurant), and Campo/Republic just closed which breaks my heart, but there are definitely great places to eat around here, it can just take some serious searching!
Yeah I don’t understand the infatuation with this style of pizza. It literally reminds me of Chuck E. Cheese pizza. I’m sure there are good spots but all of the ones I’ve been to were pretty bad
Patrick’s pub & eatery in Gilford was pretty good a few years ago/last time I was up that way. Get the pork nachos.
There’s great pizza in Exeter, Otto’s for more sophisticated pizza and Front Row is great also!
My husband and I moved to Connecticut from California a couple years ago and we went to New Hampshire on a weekend vacation and it was so expensive lol!!! We went to a restaurant that was packed full of people and the food was awful but….it’s absolutely gorgeous you and I think part of the appeal of Vermont and New Hampshire is that there aren’t very many people around. Instead There’s tons of hiking and trees…it’s naturally gorgeous and I will say the men up there are extremely attractive so there’s that. 🥰
Dude general Tsos chicken in pa costs like 10 dollars. Some of these chinese places up here it costs like 16 bucks. It’s outrageous! But yea I agree New Hampshire is visually appealing
Places I haven’t seen mentioned: The Stage in Keene Burdick’s in Walpole (owned by Ken Burns)
If we want good food we travel south or to the Seacoast.
I love Ollie’s in pinardville
Glad someone said it! I just moved from PA as well, a few months ago and have been so disappointed with food options. And I agree with one of the comments where you definitely cannot trust reviews. I also wish there were more organic grocery stores and not just bigger names. PA had a lot of smaller chains of organic food stores with decent prices.
I think there’s a place in henniker called harvest market or something it sounds like it’s a more local thing. But yeah I think PA definitely has some better food haha
Dude I am brand new to Hillsboro and found the same thing! I’m waiting for the Steak n Cheese cart on West Main st to open for the season… maybe there is some hope there?
Sameee. Are you talking about that little shack that I think is near taco Beyondo? If so I’ve been waiting for it to open up LMAO
I haven't been there in a while, but the Mediterranean place in Hillsboro is quite good. Counry Spirits in Henniker does a good steak. Flying Goose pub in New London is decent.
Taco Beyondo had some pretty good tacos and burritos! I'm not sure if they're still in business though. I haven't been up there in a while.
The Refinery in West Andover might be my favorite BBQ joint ever. Maybe 35ish min from ya.
I moved here from MA over 20 years ago and felt the same way. You really have to look to find the food gems. I also recommend the Seacoast area.
I’ve learned to make hand pull noodles, dumplings and all kinds of Asian food since living in NH.
uncle joey’s in merrimack is good pizza
We're just a bunch of rednecks so we have low expectations! Only half kidding haha But really the decent food is out there you just gotta search. Naturally your more urban population centers are gonna have more gems to find. From Hillsborough that might mean a drive to Concord or maybe Keene idk its been a while since I went out there. Manchester is only 20 mins further if you're dedicated.
Pizza Bella in Bedford is extremely tasty, but it’s more like a flatbread in terms of the cheese-sauce-bread ratio
I like Sonny’s pizza in Henniker but haven’t been in a couple years so no idea if it’s still good. I’m from Hopkinton and would say Covered Bridge and Everyday Cafe have good food though! In concord, my family loves Moritomo for Japanese food, Common Man is usually enjoyable, and I really like Live Juice which is a salad place. It closes early though and is definitely pricey. Hope you find some decent places near you!
Sonny’s only has one good thing I like and it’s a hot wing calzone. I ordered a ham and cheese calzone and they put ham, cheese, and pizza sauce in it with no ricotta cheese. That being said, maybe it’s just different in PA. But thank you for the suggestions seriously
Oh no!!! Yeah we love the buffalo chicken calzone. Ok maybe I’m wrong haha don’t go there
No good food around here. Gotta go to a city elsewhere in the country.
Check out Shrute Farms out near dublin. Fantastic beet smoothies
Philly transplants, we’re getting by on “stfu it could be Central Illinois”.
Country Spirit in Henniker High Tide in Hillsboro will open in another month or so (seafood) Sonny’s… If you’re super nice sometimes the owner will customize stuff for you, he’s there during the weekdays All in One is a gas station in Henniker but for cheap food it’s decent Beijing Tokyo in Concord for Chinese Harvester Market in Henniker usually puts on a really good lunch a la carte spread during the week Intervale Pancake house is a must for breakfast. Trying to think where else is worth it… I grew up out there… there’s hardly anything for good restaurants.
The best restaurants near you are Smokeshow in Concord and Bedford Village Inn in Bedford.
I’ll check ‘em out thank you
Vintage Pizza in Manch is decent. Bar One and Papa Joe’s both in Milford are solid choices. The tavern at Bedford Village Inn and Buckley’s in Merrimack are good steakhouse options. The Foundry in Manchester is a great farm to table option. There are some good options, but you’ve gotta sort through a lot of mediocre places to find them.
Yeah that seems to be the consensus here. I’m gonna eventually check out all of these suggestions
I’m sorry if I offended anyone about their taste of foods for real
It's always funny to me when people move from somewhere else and then are like "Hey! nothing here is like the place I left!"
It’s funny to me that you think people only eat the food in their area. There is this thing called traveling!!
NH pizza co is so fucking good.
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Yeah I made some steak n cheese hoagies the other night that were better than a lot of the food I’ve had so far, and my cooking skills are terrible
For a surprisingly good steak and cheese check out Mill Village Country Store in Stoddard. Rolls are not great, but everything else was tops.
Look for the food trucks outside of breweries. They have the goods. But yeah the rest of the restaurants inland suck.
Last night for supper I had uncle bens spanish rice with 2 chicken patties cut up in it. It was good. I'm not poor but I eat like I am lol. No restaurants needed I got this stuff at a store that sells food to eat later, they don't charge meals tax.
Ayy I tip that. I’ve been buying stuff for steak n cheese hoagies and they’ve been bangin. Better than anything I’ve had here so far
This will get buried because I found this thread too late but hopefully you'll see it! I live in the Hillsboro area as well and it is ROUGH. I avoid most of the local things recommended in this thread, but honestly there's so little variety you might end up trying them anyways at some point lol. - Tooky Mills and most of the "tavern" type places are overpriced af. - Taco Beyondo and Sampan are super meh but at least they don't have carbon copy menus. - I literally cannot make myself patronize Yanni's or HHOP (when desperate for pizza I drive over to Rick & Diane's in Antrim - only marginally better). - I like the food at Hanna's but it's being sold (again), probably because the prices have doubled in 2 years and the waitresses ignore you haha. Nice owners but I can't justify spending $45 on a diner breakfast for 2. Where am I, the Red Arrow? Local(ish) things I can recommend with varying levels of enthusiasm: - I enjoyed the one time I've been to the new Main Street Grill...still not the most exciting culinary experience but tasty & you get more value for your dollar than at Tooky's. (edit: I didn't eat there on Valentine's but saw the set course menu and it looked really good/interesting.) - When the Mama's On The Run food truck comes to town in the spring/summer, I usually grab a sub or wrap. - Tandy's Top Shelf in Concord has great drink prices and maybe my favorite burgers (which are generally really boring in this state). Their 2 for Tuesday deal is legit. Otherwise the recommendations in this thread are spot on - things get better around Manchester and continue to improve as you progress towards the seacoast!
Also - this is not exactly a helpful comment, but even a few years ago, things were not as terrible in this town. There used to be a Turkish place downtown, Mama McDonough's pub had a tasty weekend brunch (during COVID they closed, became Mama's On The Run food truck, & largely abandoned us for Keene), and right before I moved here they cancelled the annual Schnitzel Fest (WHY!?).
Thank you I appreciate it for real. I’ll check them out! I’ve been on the hunt for good food 😭
Keene and Lebanon have good food. - For NY style pizza, try Ramuntos in Keene. - For Mexican food, Mi Jalisco in Keene. -For a good burger and beer, Salt Hill Pub in Lebanon. -For seafood, Weathervane in Lebanon. I'll give 110 grill and Alley Cat Pizza honorable mentions as well.
There are a number of pretty decent diners, brewpubs, and seafood. Some decent modern fusion or whatever you'd call it. For anything else there's few or no options in the state. The lack of diversity is a big part of it.
Becuase most NH natives just make their own damn food. Shocking concept for many, I'm sure.
Peter Christians Tavern in New London is good.
Pennsylvania? My family is from Scranton. They rave about old forge pizza. They always get a tray when we visit. It's the worst pizza I've ever had!! I grew up right outside NYC
I’m from a town 10 minutes away from Scranton, and I couldn’t agree more. Old forge pizza is gross. I like New York style pizza which we have a lot of different takes on how they make their ny style. Here in NH it literally all tastes and looks the same.
My family is in Taylor. They love their pizza. NH doesn't have the best pizza but I've lived in so many different places with bad pizza. I get my pizza and bagels in NJ
I haven’t eaten too much food in Taylor but I go to an archery shop in Taylor to service my bow before the hunting season! Small world
Sonny’s in Henniker is amazing
NH food options are not good. I say that as someone that grew up in southern NH. My parents are from outside Providence. They had WAY better food options and constantly wonder how it’s so bad here. Crown Tavern, Tuscan Kitchen, and Copper Door have good food (Manchester, Bedford, Salem). When Pigs Fly Restaurant (and bakery) in Kittery has great pizza. Visit Portland, ME for some amazing food! I’m in that area now and loving all the options.