Barbara Radcliffe Rogers' North Country Burger Favorites

The North Conway area is NH’s Burger Central. Skiers begin right on the mountain, ordering Big Matts in Matty B’s Mountainside Café at Attitash: two 4-ounce patties, on a Vintage Bakery challah bun. At King Pine’s Trail’s End Tavern, hungry skiers order fresh-ground bacon cheeseburgers on pretzel buns.

Après-ski stop Red Parka Steakhouse and Pub in Glen hand-grinds choice sirloin, top round and tenderloin for all their burgers, but the best-seller is the messy-to-eat 8-ounce Kitchen Sink burger. Recognizing that not everyone eats beef, Red Parka’s chef makes veggie burgers from three grains, black beans, sun-dried tomatoes and carrots, topped with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sprouts and goat cheese.

Bartlett’s Cabin Fever Restaurant is known for half-pound steak burgers, the most popular being the Notch burger, with Swiss cheese, carmelized onion and apple-smoked bacon. The valley’s biggest is Rafferty’s Restaurant & Pub’s 10-ounce Hand Pressed Burger, and they offer all burgers on Udi gluten-free rolls. Also in the North Conway, Black Cap Grille guests create their own 8-ounce burger, using Black Cap or all-natural local beef, turkey or veggie burger on a crusty bulky or whole wheat roll with creative toppings that include arugula, caramelized onions and truffle mayo. 1785 Inn & Restaurant grinds their own Black Angus sirloin burgers and bakes their own rolls to serve them on. Along with popular sliders and Angus Burgers, Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Co. creates bison burgers topped with local cheddar, pale-ale pickles or their own chipotle mayo. 

Delaney’s Hole in the Wall serves about 120 pounds of burger on a busy Saturday, which is 240 half-pound burgers on soft brioche buns. Favorites include their Surf and Turf Burger grilled with cracked pepper, piled with Maine lobster that’s been tossed in house-made lemon pepper aioli, and served a garlic grilled brioche.