10 Best Nachos in New Hampshire You Need to Try

I've been craving nachos.

I'm talking about the kind of craving where suddenly I'm wondering whether nachos technically qualify as their own food group.

So I asked New Hampshire where to find the best nachos in the state, then did some digging of my own.

Here are 10 places that need to be on the New Hampshire Nacho Bucket List.

Credit: Panther Pub & Grill via Facebook

1. Panther Pub & Grille — Plymouth

21 Main St, Plymouth, NH 03264

BEST "NACHO LASAGNA"

If we're starting anywhere, it's here.

Panther Pub doesn't exactly hide its nacho reputation. The restaurant literally promotes itself as having the "#1 Nachos in New Hampshire," and says its nachos were previously voted #1 in a WMUR Viewers' Choice poll.

Their Baked Pub Nachos start with house-made corn chips and pile on fresh pico de gallo, olives, pepper jack, jalapeños and sour cream. You can add chicken, ground beef and guacamole.

But the listener description is what sold me.

Ainsley Wilmot called them the "best nachos ever" and described them as almost like a "nacho lasagna"* because of the multiple layers of chips, cheese and toppings.

NACHO. LASAGNA.

You had me at lasagna.

And honestly, that's how nachos should be constructed. Layers matter. Nobody wants to excavate the top layer and discover an archaeological site of dry tortilla chips underneath.

Garret's order: Ground beef. Guac. Extra jalapeños. And whatever structural engineering is required to keep the whole thing standing.

2. Liquid Therapy Brewery & Grill — Nashua

14 Court St, Unit B, Nashua, NH 03060

BEST "PUT EVERY MEAT ON IT" NACHOS

Liquid Therapy's Firehouse Nachos may be the closest thing on this list to my personal nacho philosophy.

Ready?

Carnitas.

Chicken.

Bacon.

Red onion.

Green pepper.

Ranch.

BBQ sauce.

Cheddar Jack.

All sitting on corn tortilla chips.

THREE MEATS.

At some point these stop being nachos and become a small construction project.

Liquid Therapy calls its nachos award-winning, and listener Mary Shanahan Meyers specifically nominated the Nashua brewery when I asked where New Hampshire's best nachos were hiding.

This is football food.

This is "I ordered an appetizer and accidentally consumed 3,400 calories before kickoff" food.

And I respect it.

Credit: Flying Goose Brew Pub and Grill via Facebook

3. The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille — New London

40 Andover Rd, New London, NH 03257

BEST BBQ PULLED PORK NACHOS

Here's where we bring pulled pork into the conversation.

The Flying Goose calls its nachos "Our Famous Nachos," with tortilla chips, tomatoes, jalapeños, black olives, scallions and cheddar jack.

Already solid.

But then you can go with grilled chicken and vegetarian chili OR BBQ pulled pork.

I'm choosing the pork.

Every time.

BBQ pulled pork + melted cheese + jalapeños + tortilla chips is one of those combinations where humanity should probably just stop trying to improve things.

Listener Heidi Wilson Johansen specifically called out both Panther Pub and Flying Goose when we asked for New Hampshire favorites.

Garret's order: BBQ pork, extra jalapeños and something cold to drink because I'm absolutely going to pretend I can handle more heat than I actually can.

4. The Old Salt Restaurant at Lamie's Inn — Hampton

490 Lafayette Rd, Hampton, NH 03842

BEST "NEW HAMPSHIRE MADE NACHOS WEIRD AND IT WORKED"

SEAFOOD NACHOS.

Stay with me.

The Old Salt takes nachos, covers them with melted cheese and finishes the whole thing with its lobster seafood sauce.

That's right.

LOBSTER.

ON.

NACHOS.

They're currently listed at $23, and I'm fascinated.

They also offer Chili Nachos if putting seafood on tortilla chips violates your personal nacho constitution.

Multiple listeners mentioned The Old Salt when I asked for their favorites, including Michelle Vachon and Jenna George.

This might be the most New Hampshire plate of nachos possible.

All we're missing is somebody serving them to you from a kayak.

Credit: La Corona Mexican Restuarant via Facebook - 1

5. La Corona Mexican Restaurant — Rochester

83 Farmington Rd, Rochester, NH 03867

BEST STEAK NACHOS

Now we're talking.

La Corona's Nachos Corona come piled with strips of flame-broiled steak, melted cheese, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, guacamole and sour cream.

This is what happens when nachos decide they want to become dinner.

And listener Chris Kozlowski specifically called out the Nachos Corona when we asked.

I love ground beef nachos.

I love chicken nachos.

But there is something about actual strips of grilled steak buried under melted cheese and guacamole that makes me start questioning every nacho decision I've previously made.

Garret's order: Nachos Corona. Jalapeños. More guac. Nobody touch my plate.

6. Wally's — Hampton

144 Ashworth Ave, Hampton, NH 03842

BEST NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN NACHOS

You knew Hampton Beach was going to get involved eventually.

Wally's actually gives you two directions.

Their Loaded Nachos have red peppers, red onions, queso and fresh jalapeños, with the option to add chili, chicken or beef.

Perfectly respectable.

But then I saw this:

Nashville Hot Chicken Nachos.

Colby Jack cheese.

Red onion.

Bacon crumbles.

Ranch drizzle.

Nashville hot chicken.

COME ON.

This is exactly the kind of unnecessary behavior I support.

Listeners Jenna George and Peter Freeman both threw Wally's into the conversation when I asked where the good nachos are hiding.

Football. Cold beer. Nashville hot chicken nachos.

I'm not sure we need to complicate Sunday any further.

Credit: The Bob House Reel N' Tavern via Facebook

7. The Bob House & The Reel 'N Tavern — Moultonborough

520 Whittier Hwy, Moultonborough, NH 03254

BEST LAKES REGION NACHOS

The Bob House has Bear Island Nachos, and even the name sounds like something I want after spending a fall afternoon around Lake Winnipesaukee.

They use house-made white corn chips loaded with cheddar jack, lettuce, jalapeños, black olives, salsa and sour cream.

Then comes the important question:

BBQ chicken or Buffalo chicken?

My answer is yes.

Listener John Mills specifically nominated The Bob House when we asked for favorites.

These are the kind of big pub nachos that make sense after a day in the Lakes Region when you've convinced yourself that walking around looking at foliage somehow qualifies as exercise.

You earned the nachos. Probably.

8. Harlow's Pub — Peterborough

3 School St, Peterborough, NH 03458

BEST LOADED VEGGIE NACHOS

I know what you're thinking.

Garret voluntarily putting something labeled "veggie" on a nacho list?

Hear me out.

Harlow's Loaded Nachos come with cheddar jack, green onions, beans, corn, peppers, pickled jalapeños, diced tomato and crispy lettuce, with smoky sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

That's a LOT happening without needing to bury everything under meat.

Listener Brenda Lynn specifically nominated Harlow's in Peterborough.

And sometimes a great plate of nachos doesn't need brisket, chicken, pork, ground beef and half a cow on it.

I cannot believe I just typed that sentence.

Moving on.

9. Country Spirit Restaurant & Tavern — Henniker

262 Maple St, Henniker, NH 03242

BEST PULLED PORK BUILD-YOUR-OWN SITUATION

Country Spirit starts with house-fried corn tortilla chips, cheddar-jack, diced tomatoes, onions, fresh jalapeños, black olives and its own seasoning, served with salsa and sour cream.

Then you get to start making decisions.

Grilled chicken?

Chili?

BBQ pulled pork?

Guacamole?

Listener Shell Belle pointed us toward Country Spirit in Henniker, and I'm going directly toward the BBQ pulled pork.

Also, HOUSE-FRIED CHIPS matter.

A great nacho starts with a chip capable of surviving what we're about to do to it.

Flimsy chips have no place in this conversation.

10. Almost There Restaurant — Albany

1287 Route 16 (White Mountain Hwy), Albany, NH 03818

BEST CLASSIC MOUNTAIN NACHOS

Sometimes you don't need to reinvent nachos.

Almost There keeps it classic: crispy tortilla chips with cheese, onions, tomatoes, black olives, peppers and jalapeños with homemade salsa and sour cream.

You can get a half or full order and add chili or grilled chicken.

Listener Scott Berube admitted he wasn't sure where the absolute best nachos were, but said the ones at Almost There on Route 16 are "pretty damn good."

That's honestly one of my favorite recommendations.

No marketing department. No elaborate sales pitch.

Just: "Pretty damn good." Sold.

SO...ARE NACHOS THEIR OWN FOOD GROUP?

Nachos should be messy. They should require napkins. There should eventually be one chip buried underneath everything that has somehow absorbed cheese, meat, jalapeño juice, sour cream and guacamole and become the greatest chip you've ever eaten.

And here's my other nacho rule: PUT. ALL. THE. THINGS. ON. THEM.

I've reached my decision.

Yes. Obviously. Think about it.

You've got your grains: tortilla chips.

Dairy: cheese and sour cream.

Vegetables: tomatoes, onions, peppers and jalapeños.

Protein: ground beef, chicken, steak, pulled pork, brisket, bacon.

Fruit: avocado.

Yeah sure... that's basically a balanced meal.

Please do not ask a nutritionist to verify any of this.

I don't want 14 beautifully loaded chips sitting on top of 47 naked tortilla chips underneath. That's not nachos. That's betrayal.

Give me the chips. Give me the cheese. Give me the jalapeños. Give me the sour cream and guacamole. Then start throwing meat on there like we've completely lost adult supervision.