Best of NH 2023 Delis, Butcher Shops, Catering, Cafés, Lunch and Breakfast
Here's a look at places where you can find a stack of mile-high pancakes, crispy bacon and local maple syrup. Also, don't miss out on exceptional sandwiches, delicious diners and cozy cafés
Editor’s Picks
Family Friendly Café
Photo by MCAG Photography
For anyone tired of the side-eye they get when they take their kids to coffee shops, the Nest Family Café in Londonderry is the spot for you. Enjoy a lavender cold brew oat latte and turkey and cheese bagel for yourself while your kiddos sample from the “Picky Chickies” menu with items ranging from smoothies to snack boxes. The free nest play area, reading lounge and chalk wall are perfect sensory-friendly spaces for your kids to hang out while you do, too. (Don’t forget to ask a barista to join you in a chalk wall picture contest.) www.thenestfamilycafe.com
Cheap Eats Bodega
While New Hampshire doesn’t exactly have “bodegas” the way a big city might, Katz’s Deli and Market in Dover is as close as you can get. Selling household goods like laundry detergent and ketchup, grilling up wonderfully greasy creations on their grill (with the cheapest egg sandwiches around and a solid selection of burgers, pizza and fried food) and featuring a great local beer selection, you can find just about anything you’d need in a pinch at Katz’s. www.katzdelis.com
Bagels and Breakfast Sandwiches
The query of who makes the best breakfast sandwich in New Hampshire (or anywhere, really) is a hot topic. Everyone has their opinion — and we can only state ours: Bubby’s Bagel & Deli in Dover has our heart. Bubby’s runs out of the Dover Transportation Center, making for great grab-and-go if you’re hopping on the Amtrak or a bus. Inevitably, that leads to more Bubby’s trips when you’re not leaving town. Its bagels are New York style; its creative breakfast sandwich options are tasty and unexpected; its owner, Gregg Schweitzer, is charming and wry. Bubby’s first held court on the corner of Portsmouth’s Hanover and Bridge streets from 2015 to 2019 and is just starting to gain serious traction in Dover, having opened in April of 2020. If our opinion means anything, they’ve got the best breakfast sandwich in the Granite State. Don’t believe us? Stop by and see for yourself. www.bubbysdeli.com
Italian Café and Market
Learn about Italy while feeling like you’re at home in Tuscany at Gusto Italian Café in Center Harbor. Owners Elena and Nick met on a train in Florence, and hope to give you a taste of their origins with noteworthy menu items like their authentic gusto panini. Grab fresh homemade pasta and traditional soup, or stop by Gusto Market to pick up a to-go meal for dinner. They also offer weekly cooking classes that round out this “all purpose” home away from home. www.gustocafenh.com
Readers’ Poll Winners
Breakfast Place
Breakfast Place Overall winner
Polly’s Pancake Parlor
Sugar Hill
www.pollyspancakeparlor.com
Breakfast Place Overall winner Multilocation Local
Tucker’s
www.tuckersnh.com
Breakfast Place Concord Area
The Windmill Restaurant
Concord
Facebook
Breakfast Place Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery
Hanover
www.lousrestaurant.com
Breakfast Place Great North Woods Region
Full Send Bar and Grill
Pittsburg
www.fullsendbarandgrill.com
Breakfast Place Lakes Region
The Farmer’s Kitchen
Farmington
www.farmerskitchen-nh.com
Breakfast Place Manchester Area
The Purple Finch Café
Bedford
www.purplefinchcafe.com
Breakfast Place Manchester Area Multilocation Regional
The Friendly Toast
Bedford
www.thefriendlytoast.com
Breakfast Place Monadnock Region
Parker’s Maple Barn
Mason
www.parkersmaplebarn.com
Breakfast Place Nashua Area
Suzie’s Diner
Hudson
www.suziesdiner.com
Breakfast Place Nashua Area Multilocation Local
Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner
Nashua
www.redarrowdiner.com
Breakfast Place Salem Area
Maddie’s
Salem
www.maddiesnh.com
Breakfast Place Salem Area Multilocation Local
MaryAnn’s Diner
Salem
www.maryannsdiner.com
Breakfast Place Seacoast Region
The Airfield Café
North Hampton
www.theairfieldcafe.com
Breakfast Place Seacoast Region Multilocation Regional
The Friendly Toast
Portsmouth
www.thefriendlytoast.com
Breakfast Place White Mountains Region
The Sunrise Shack
Glen
www.sunriseshack.com
★★★★★★★
Brunch
The Old Salt
Hampton
www.oldsaltnh.com
★★★★★★★
Caterer
Celebrations Distinctive Catering
Manchester
www.celebrationsmenu.com
★★★★★★★
Delicatessen
Biederman’s Deli
Plymouth
www.biedermansdeli.com
★★★★★★★
Doughnuts
Klemm’s Bakery
Windham
www.klemmsbakery.com
Diner
Overall winner
Tilt’n Diner
Tilton
www.thecman.com
Overall winner Multilocation Local
Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner
www.redarrowdiner.com
Diner Concord Area
Northwood Diner
Northwood
www.facebook.com/NorthwoodDinerNH
Diner Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Four Aces Diner
West Lebanon
www.4acesdiner.com
Diner Lakes Region
George’s Diner
Meredith
www.georgesdiner.com
Diner Manchester Area
Airport Diner
Manchester
www.thecman.com
Diner Monadnock Region
Peterborough Diner
Peterborough
www.peterboroughdiner.com
Diner Nashua Area
Suzie’s Diner
Hudson
www.suziesdiner.com
Diner Nashua Area Multilocation Local
MaryAnn’s Diner
www.maryannsdiner.com
Diner Salem Area
The Bacon Barn
Londonderry
www.baconbarndiner.com
Diner Salem Area Multilocation Local
MaryAnn’s Diner
Salem, Derry and Windham
www.maryannsdiner.com
Diner Seacoast Region
Roundabout Diner and Lounge
Portsmouth
www.roundaboutdiner.com
Diner White Mountains Region
Littleton Diner
Littleton
www.littletondiner.com
★★★★★★★
Butcher Shop
Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery
Raymond
www.thetuckaway.com
★★★★★★★
Sandwich
Biederman’s Deli
Plymouth
www.biedermans.com
Sandwich Multilocation Local
Wrap City Sandwich Co.
wrapcitysandwiches.com
Sandwich Multilocation Regional
Pressed Café
Bedford, Nashua and Salem
pressedcafe.com
