Where To Find New Hampshire's Best Destination Restaurants

There are certain restaurants where getting there is part of the fun.

Maybe they're tucked into a tiny New Hampshire village, sitting along a road you normally blow right past, or far enough from home that dinner suddenly turns into a road trip.

And honestly? Those are usually my favorite places.

Some are casual. Some are date-night worthy. One looks like something out of a fairy tale.

Here are 9 to put on the list.

1. Pickity Place — Mason, New Hampshire

248 Nutting Hill Road, Mason

This isn't just lunch. It's basically a field trip.

Pickity Place sits at the end of a winding country road in Mason in a little red cottage dating to 1786. Even better: the cottage served as the model for Elizabeth Orton Jones' illustrations of Grandmother's house in the 1948 Little Red Riding Hood Little Golden Book.

The restaurant serves a five-course herbal luncheon, with fresh herbs and edible flowers from its gardens, and the menu changes every month. There are only three scheduled seatings each day, so this is one where I'd make the reservation before randomly deciding to drive to Mason.

The cool thing here is... you're getting lunch, gardens and one of the strangest little pieces of New Hampshire storybook history all in one trip.

Credit: The Waterhouse Restaurant via Facebook

2. The Waterhouse — Peterborough, New Hampshire

18 Depot Street, Peterborough

Peterborough already looks like the kind of New England town where somebody should be filming a movie.

The Waterhouse adds to it.

It's right in Depot Square along the Nubanusit River, and there's a riverside garden patio when the weather cooperates. The kitchen also grows some of its own produce and sources local beef from New Hampshire farms.

This is one I'd put in the "let's actually make a night out of this" category rather than just grabbing something on the way through town.

I like this one because dinner beside a river in downtown Peterborough is aggressively New Hampshire in the best possible way.

Credit: The Restaurant at Burdick's via Facebook

3. The Restaurant at Burdick's — Walpole, New Hampshire

47 Main Street, Walpole

Here's your excuse to head all the way over toward the Vermont border.

The Restaurant at Burdick's serves French-inspired, seasonal food in the little village of Walpole. Think steak frites, mussels, trout, French onion soup and the kind of dinner that feels considerably fancier than you'd expect to find while wandering through a tiny New Hampshire town.

And there's an added danger here:

"Chocolate"

The restaurant is connected to the L.A. Burdick chocolate shop and café.

So apparently we're eating dinner AND buying chocolate for the ride home.

Seems responsible.

This hits all the spots because it's small-town New England outside, French bistro inside, chocolate next door.

Credit: The Grazing Room at the Colby Hill Inn via Facebook

4. The Grazing Room at Colby Hill Inn — Henniker, New Hampshire

33 The Oaks, Henniker

This one goes into the date-night road trip category.

The Grazing Room is inside the historic Colby Hill Inn and puts a major emphasis on local farms and seasonal ingredients. The inn calls itself a wine-and-dining destination and says the restaurant is one of just three gold-level certified farm-to-table restaurants in New Hampshire.

There's also a wine lounge, gardens and an actual farm atmosphere surrounding the property.

Basically, this isn't where I'm showing up in sweatpants because I didn't feel like cooking.

Well...

I probably still would.

Henniker gives you the small-town setting while the restaurant delivers a much bigger culinary experience.

5. Reed's North — Warner, New Hampshire

2 East Main Street, Warner

Not every road-trip restaurant needs white tablecloths.

Sometimes I want a great little downtown tavern where I can get a burger, wings, a beer and immediately understand why half the room seems to know each other.

That's Reed's North.

You'll find burgers, fried seafood, pub food, rotating specials and Sunday brunch right in downtown Warner.

One of the more ridiculous options associated with the place is the Flannel Burger. 6 oz. Angus Burger topped with 4 oz. of corned beef, pickles, mustard on a brioche roll.

That feels like something you eat before chopping wood... or after... or both.

This is the neighborhood pub experience, except the neighborhood happens to be one of New Hampshire's classic little towns.

6. The Refinery Restaurant & Market — Andover, New Hampshire

4 Mill Road, Andover

Here's one I think could get people's attention.

The Refinery specializes heavily in smoked meats, brisket, pulled pork and ribs... but the menu goes well beyond barbecue with steaks, seafood, burgers and other comfort food.

There is also an attached market where you can bring smoked meats, sides and other prepared food home.

So theoretically you could eat brisket...

...then buy more brisket. That's always the right answer.

It's all about planning ahead. Make good choices

Andover isn't necessarily the first place you'd expect to find destination barbecue, which is precisely why I like it for this list.

7. Ma's Cafe & Tavern — Northwood, New Hampshire

284 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood

If you're driving Route 4 between the Seacoast and Concord, here's one to remember.

Ma's Cafe & Tavern has that rustic, casual, small-town tavern feel with breakfast, burgers and comfort food all living happily under one roof.

And they're not afraid to get a little ridiculous.

The burger menu has included things like a burger topped with mac and cheese and bacon, while breakfast has included specialty pancake stacks and hefty breakfast sandwiches.

Ma's is exactly the kind of place you could pass dozens of times before finally stopping, and then wonder why you waited.

8. The Oak House — Newmarket, New Hampshire

110 Main Street, Newmarket

Newmarket doesn't get talked about nearly enough when people discuss Seacoast food towns.

The Oak House sits downtown and is much more playful than your standard burger-and-beer place.

Their menu has included poutine, truffle fries, brisket grilled cheese, creative burgers and vegan versions of classic comfort food. They also source seasonally from a long list of local farms and New Hampshire Community Seafood.

And yes, one burger on the menu is called the Beastro Burger.

I respect that.

Why it's worth the drive: It's casual enough for an easy night out but different enough that you're probably ordering something you don't make at home.

Credit: White Mountain Cider Company via Facebook

9. White Mountain Cider Company — Glen, New Hampshire

207 US Route 302, Glen

This might be the ultimate fall road-trip restaurant.

White Mountain Cider Company is up in Mount Washington Valley and combines a restaurant, gourmet market and seasonal cider mill.

The restaurant focuses on fresh, creative food using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, while the market has sandwiches, baked goods, cider and, importantly, cider donuts. During cider season, you can even see fresh cider being pressed.

So drive through the White Mountains, eat dinner, grab cider donuts and bring something home from the market.

That's not excessive.

That's efficiency.

You could build an entire fall day trip around this one stop.

And sometimes that's exactly the point.