Best of NH 2023 American & Seafood Restaurants

Editor’s Picks

Creative Chicken Tenders

As you know, Manchester is the Chicken Tender Capital of the World, and the Puritan Backroom Restaurant is the literal inventor of the chicken tender. While their tenders are the original, to be revered above all else, they’re not the only Manchester establishment serving up world-class tendies. Charlie’s of Goffstown specializes in chicken tenders with a twist; incorporating Ritz Crackers, Cheetos and even Cap’n Crunch cereal into their breading, and using a smaller, more tender cut of chicken for their meat, Charlie’s has become a Queen City-adjacent favorite for a reason. Their coconut-breaded tenders just might be their best. www.charliesgoffstown.com

Lobster Dogs

A professional cook and his son set out in 2019 to open a hot dog shack on Hampton Beach and conjured up an idea so radical that might forever change the way that lobster lovers consume their favorite white meat — the Lobster Dog! This quirky amalgam of iconic beach and baseball foods quickly gripped the imaginations of the Hampton Beach crowd and even won first place for
Lobster Roll and took the first place “Anything But” award at last year’s Seacoast Seafood Festival. Pat’s World Famous is now an embedded feature of Hampton Beach life, serving lobster rolls, lobster dogs, French fries and smoothies. And the simple world of the standard seaside lobster roll will never be the same. www.patsworldfamous.com

Readers’ Poll Winners

Barbecue

KC’s Rib Shack
Manchester
www.ribshack.net

★★★★★★★

Burger

Overall winner
Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery
Raymond
www.thetuckaway.com

Burger Concord Area
The Barley House
Concord
www.thebarleyhouse.com

Burger Concord Area Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery
Concord
www.t-bones.com

Burger Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Little Brother Burger Company
New London
Facebook

Burger Great North Woods Region
Full Send Bar and Grill
Pittsburg
www.fullsendbarandgrill.com

Burger Lakes Region
Surfside Burger Bar
Meredith
www.surfsideburgerbar.com

Burger Lakes Region Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery
Laconia
www.t-bones.com

Burger Manchester Area
New England’s Tap House Grille
Hooksett
www.taphousenh.com

Burger Manchester Area Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery
Bedford
www.t-bones.com

Burger Monadnock Region
Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen
Milford
www.papajoeshumblekitchen.com

Burger Nashua Area
Buckley’s Great Steaks
Merrimack
www.buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Burger Nashua Area Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery
Hudson
www.t-bones.com

Burger Salem Area
The Copper Door
Salem
www.copperdoor.com

Burger Salem Area Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery
Salem and Derry
www.t-bones.com

Burger Seacoast Region
Hop + Grind
Durham
www.hopandgrind.com

Burger Seacoast Region Multilocation Regional
Lexie’s Restaurants
Exeter, Portsmouth, Epping and Dover
www.peaceloveburgers.com

Burger White Mountains Region
Black Mountain Burger Co.
Lincoln
www.blackmtnburger.com

★★★★★★★

Chicken Tenders

The Puritan Backroom
Manchester
www.puritanbackroom.com

★★★★★★★

Clam Chowder

Petey’s Summertime Seafood
Rye
www.peteys.com

★★★★★★★

Crab Cakes

Surf Seafood
Nashua and Portsmouth surfseafood.com

Crab Cakes Multilocation Local
The Common Man
www.thecman.com

★★★★★★★

Family-friendly Dining

The Puritan Backroom
Manchester
www.puritanbackroom.com

Family-friendly Dining Multilocation Local
T-BONES Great American Eatery
www.t-bones.com

★★★★★★★

Lobster Roll

Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery
Raymond
www.thetuckaway.com

Lobster Roll Multilocation Local
The Beach Plum
www.thebeachplum.net

★★★★★★★

Mac and Cheese

Mr. Mac’s Macaroni and Cheese
Manchester
www.mr-macs.com

★★★★★★★

Seafood Restaurant

Surf Seafood
Nashua and Portsmouth
www.surfseafood.com

★★★★★★★

Wings

Stark House Tavern
Weare
www.starkhousetavern.com

Wings Multilocation local
Wing-itz
Hampton, Dover and Newmarket
wing-itz.com

★★★★★★★

Steakhouse

Buckley’s Great Steaks
Merrimack
www.buckleysgreatsteaks.com