Nashua, NH food guide: Main Street, Pearl Street and festivals

Nashua is one of New Hampshire's larger cities and sits right on the Massachusetts border, about an hour from Boston by car. It is a mill city on the Nashua River with a compact downtown, a mix of long-established Italian and Greek families and newer communities from Latin America, South Asia and Southeast Asia. For diners, that adds up to a surprising range of food in a small area, without the crowds of the Seacoast. Here is how the city eats, where to look and what to check before you go.

Where is the main restaurant area?

Downtown Nashua, along Main Street and the cross streets such as Pearl Street, has the highest concentration of restaurants. Within a few blocks are Italian kitchens, a seafood restaurant, a tapas bar, sushi and hot pot, Mexican restaurants, a bistro and a chowder shop. The streets are walkable, and on weekend evenings the sidewalks have tables outside in the warm months. Parking is available in municipal garages and on the street, with time limits during the day.

What is the food like beyond downtown?

Much of Nashua's best-value eating is outside the center, in strip malls and along Amherst Street, Daniel Webster Highway and Main Dunstable Road. Look for family-run Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese and Brazilian restaurants, bakeries and groceries that serve the neighborhood. These are places where menus can be short and hours limited, so check before you drive. A short drive from downtown can lead to cheaper plates and bigger portions.

What is the Greek food festival?

Nashua has a Greek American community with a long history in the city. A Greek food festival is held each spring at St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church on West Hollis Street. Check the church's own page or call the parish for the dates. Greek church festivals typically offer gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, pastries such as baklava and loukoumades, music and dancing. Lines can be long at lunch, and it is common to buy pastries to take home.

When is it busiest?

Friday and Saturday evenings, and during local events such as the city's summer festivals and holiday weeks, fill downtown restaurants. Weeknights are easy. Because Nashua draws diners from the Massachusetts side of the border, the weekend rush can run from 6 to 8 p.m., so book if you want a specific time. Lunchtime is busy near office buildings and the hospital.

Does Nashua have restaurant weeks?

Nashua has held spring restaurant weeks, when participating restaurants offer set-price menus. The city's downtown organization or chamber of commerce knows this year's schedule. A set menu is a good way to try a new place at a known price.

How is the check different from Massachusetts?

New Hampshire has no general sales tax, but it adds a meals and rooms tax to restaurant meals, covered in another guide, so the check is higher than the menu price. A tip of 18 to 20 percent is customary at table-service restaurants. Massachusetts diners sometimes expect different totals, but prices and taxes on the check are explained on the receipt.

What should families and groups know?

Many downtown restaurants welcome families, and several have patios. Chains cluster along the Daniel Webster Highway, and they take large groups easily. For a party of eight or more, call ahead. Weekend lunch is easiest for families, and early dinner works well with young children.

What if you have dietary needs?

Greek, Indian and Mexican restaurants offer many vegetarian dishes. Gluten-free options are available on many menus. Tell your server about allergies when you order, and ask about shared fryers. Halal and kosher options are fewer, so call ahead.

How do you get there and park?

Nashua is off the Everett Turnpike and Route 3, close to Interstate 93 and Interstate 495 via Massachusetts. Parking in the downtown garages is inexpensive compared with Boston.

What makes a good Nashua night out?

Start with an early drink or a small plate downtown, walk along Main Street to see the old mill buildings and the river, and choose a sit-down dinner on one of the side streets. Finish with dessert or coffee at a cafe. If you are coming from Massachusetts, leave early enough to find a parking space, and check whether a reservation is needed for a Friday or Saturday. Midweek is quiet and relaxed.

What are the best budget options?

Strip-mall Mexican, Indian and Vietnamese restaurants, bakeries and pizza shops offer filling meals at modest prices. Lunch specials are common at Indian and Chinese restaurants. Greek festival food is good value for the portion. Avoid paying for downtown parking by using free lots after hours, where signs allow.

How do you remember what you tried?

A town with this many cuisines gives you plenty to compare. Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. Rate each gyro and each plate of tacos, and your history shows which kitchen deserves a second visit. Filter your own list by cuisine, such as Greek, Mexican or Indian, and follow friends who eat in Nashua to see what they ordered.

Heading somewhere else in New Hampshire? The Food in New Hampshire page links the rest.

More guides to read next:

• Best breakfast and brunch in Portsmouth, NH: waits and the market
• Buffalo food by neighborhood: Elmwood, Allentown, Hertel, Broadway
• Long Island seafood guide: Montauk, the South Shore and clam bars

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