Manchester, Concord and Nashua: New Hampshire city food guide

New Hampshire's three largest cities, Manchester, Nashua and Concord, sit along the Merrimack River in the southern part of the state. They are working cities rather than tourist towns, which means their restaurants cater to locals, office workers and students first, and prices are lower than on the coast or in the mountains. Each has a walkable downtown with a mix of old-school favorites and newer places.

What is Manchester's food scene like?

Manchester is the state's biggest city, and Elm Street is its main spine, a long downtown street lined with restaurants, bars and shops. Local listings show a mix of Italian, American, pub-style and fine-dining restaurants on or near Elm Street, with Italian sandwich shops, taverns and steakhouses among them. A short walk takes you from casual lunch counters to sit-down dinner rooms.

The Millyard, the old Amoskeag textile mill complex along the Merrimack River, was once among the largest cotton mill complexes in the world. Its brick buildings now hold offices, a museum, restaurants and a farm-to-table dining room, and it makes a good setting for a meal. Parking near Elm Street is easy compared with Boston, and meters are cheap, which helps for a weekday lunch. Evenings and weekends are usually free in many municipal spaces, but read the signs, since rules vary by block. Downtown Manchester also has a baseball stadium and an arena that host events, and a game night changes how busy the restaurants are.

What is the primary-season diner tradition?

New Hampshire holds the first presidential primary in the country, and every four years candidates fill local diners, coffee shops and restaurants for months. Manchester has a famous diner that has hosted presidential candidates for decades, and many New Hampshire restaurants display photographs of visits. If you are in the state in the winter before a presidential election, expect crowds and media at those spots. Outside primary season they return to being neighborhood restaurants. Ask the staff about the photographs on the wall; most are happy to tell the story of the year their favorite candidate came in for pie.

What is Concord like?

Concord, the state capital, is smaller and quieter. Its downtown runs along Main Street and Capitol Street, near the State House, and has independent restaurants, cafes, bakeries and bookshops. During the legislative session, from January into the early summer, lunch spots near the State House fill with lawmakers, staff and lobbyists. In warm months a Saturday farmers market has been held in the downtown; check the current days and place. Concord is also a good base for hiking, with trails close to the city.

What about Nashua?

Nashua, on the Massachusetts border, is the second-largest city, and its downtown is centered on Main Street, with restaurants, bars, a theater and a riverside walk. Because New Hampshire has no sales tax, many Massachusetts residents cross the border to shop, and some stay for a meal. Nashua has a mix of Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Latin American and pub food, reflecting the people who have settled in the area. Restaurants near the mall strips on Route 3 are mainly chains; the independent ones cluster downtown. Nashua also has a river walk and a trail that makes a good setting for a stroll after dinner, and its food festivals in the warmer months bring vendors to the downtown streets. Check the city calendar for dates.

What is the Meals and Rooms Tax?

New Hampshire has no general sales tax, but it does charge a Meals and Rooms Tax of 8.5 percent on prepared food and drinks served in restaurants, including alcohol served at bars and restaurants. The rate was cut from 9 percent in October 2021. It appears as a separate line on the check. Grocery food is not taxed, but prepared food is. Check the Department of Revenue Administration for the current rate.

How do you eat cheaply in these cities?

Lunch is the best value. Many restaurants have a lunch menu with smaller prices, and Italian sandwich shops, diners and Greek spots offer big portions. Pizza and sub shops are common. Breweries often have food trucks outside. Look for early-bird specials in older restaurants, and the daily special on the board.

When are these cities busy?

Weekday lunches fill in the government and office districts. Friday and Saturday evenings are busiest for dinner. Holidays and university graduation weekends can make downtowns crowded. Winter is quiet, and a table is easy to find. Any big event at the local arenas or ballparks also changes demand, so check the schedule before you plan a group dinner. Restaurants near the colleges in all three cities see demand drop when students leave for the summer and in the holiday weeks, which makes those weeks a good time for a quiet dinner.

How do you get around?

A car is the easiest way to move between the three cities, which are within about 35 miles of each other, and Interstate 93 and the Everett Turnpike connect them. There is limited rail service. Each downtown is walkable once you have parked. Public parking garages and lots are cheap by Boston standards.

How do you tip?

Tipping at table-service restaurants is typically 18 to 20 percent of the pre-tax total. New Hampshire allows employers to pay tipped staff a lower cash wage, so tips matter to servers' income. At counter-service lunch spots, tipping is optional. On Mosey you can keep lists of the restaurants you want to try in each city, which helps if you split time between the three.

Eating your way across New Hampshire? The Food in New Hampshire page links every town we cover.

More guides to read next:

• Portsmouth, NH food guide: Market Square, seafood and the farmers market
• Capital Region food: Albany, Troy and Saratoga Springs
• Buffalo food guide: wings, beef on weck, sponge candy and fish fry

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.