Tag: 220929

Manchester’s Red Arrow Diner serves up 100 years of history

PLUS A peek at other area diners

A full century after David Lamontagne opened a lunch cart at 61 Lowell St. in Manchester, his legacy as the founder and original owner of the Red Arrow Diner continues to live on. A free outdoor community celebration will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the original Red Arrow — the event will feature samples of a variety of the diner’s most iconic dishes for a small fee that will benefit Waypoint New Hampshire, along with raffle prizes, games, music, family-friendly activities and an onsite radio broadcast with DJs Nazzy and Marissa of Frank FM.

All year long, to celebrate its 100th year in business, the Red Arrow has been featuring monthly “Diner Dish of the Decade” promotions at each of its four locations, offering special discounts that have corresponded to various menu items that were or became popular during that time. There has also been an ongoing social media campaign highlighting notable moments in the history of Manchester — and the Granite State as a whole — over the past century.

During the block party-style event, Lowell Street between Kosciuszko and Chestnut streets will be closed to traffic. Diner fare is expected to include everything from the Red Arrow’s original “No. 1” hot hamburg sandwich to other eats of yesteryear, like fig squares and coffee Jell-O. American chop suey, tuna rolls and mashed potatoes with gravy will also all be available for sampling.

“The Lamontagne family is coming,” said Carol Lawrence, president and owner of the Red Arrow Diner since 1987. “The quality and the consistency that the Lamontagnes started way back when [is] what we keep striving for. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here. … They are just so happy that it’s still going and still going strong, and I’m very proud of that.”

Throughout the years, the Red Arrow opened and closed multiple locations across the Queen City and other neighboring towns, and has endured everything from devastating fires and wars to, of course, a global pandemic. Here’s a look back on some highlights of the Red Arrow’s rich history that helped shape its now-celebrated status, along with a bonus list of even more southern New Hampshire diners where you can go to satisfy your next comfort food craving.

Humble beginnings

The year was 1922 — the United States was just four years out of World War I, Prohibition was still in effect nationwide and the stock market crash triggering the Great Depression was still seven years away. David Lamontagne — a French-Canadian immigrant who also happened to have a brief three-year run from 1919 to 1921 as a professional boxer — purchased a small shack at 61 Lowell St. and opened it for business on Oct. 9 as a lunch cart. According to a 2020 Yale University research paper the Red Arrow ownership team provided to the Hippo, student Daniel C. Lu writes that this shack would become the foundation for the Red Arrow Diner.

Lu writes that Lamontagne, who came to Manchester to work for the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. when he was just 12 years old, eventually quit his job and retired as a boxer to work at the shack full-time, becoming the primary caretaker of his family.

“How he got the name Red Arrow, we think, was because at the time there was a Red Arrow Garage next door to the diner,” said Amanda Wihby, co-owner and chief operating officer since 2020. “That’s … as far as we can date back to where the name originated from.”

Lamontagne’s lunch cart proved to be a success, as additional locations would quickly follow. A second lunch cart opened at 39 Lake Ave. in 1925, with a third location arriving at 223 Main St. in Nashua by early 1929 — the latter, Lu writes, was home to the first electronic dishwasher that was installed in the city. A fourth spot, then known as Red Arrow Cafe, soon opened at 1195 Elm St. in Manchester, followed by a fifth restaurant, at 16 W. Merrimack St.

Even back then, the Red Arrow was known for being “always open” and “never closed,” an old advertisement dated March 30, 1929, boasts. An old menu from the 1195 Elm St. location that is now framed at the Red Arrow’s corporate office likely dates back to the 1930s, Lawrence said.

Lu writes that, in its very early years, the Red Arrow was best known for its basic American comfort food with a French-Canadian flair. Most of the sandwiches ranged from 10 to 40 cents a la carte, while the higher-end cost for some of the full-service meals — take, for instance, an “evening special” of grilled filet mignon with a fresh mushroom sauce, complete with sides, a vegetable salad and one’s choice of a drink and a dessert — was $1.25.

“It has always been a pretty big menu, but definitely not as big as it is now,” Lawrence said.

On Nov. 27, 1941, the first of two fires struck the Elm Street restaurant. Lu writes that Lamontagne ended up rebuilding it as a cafeteria, just in time for the United States’ entry into World War II. But a second three-alarm fire on Feb. 15, 1946 — dubbed the “city’s worst accident,” according to the City of Manchester’s website — ultimately destroyed that location.

Instead of rebuilding a second time, Lamontagne decided to open Red Arrow Bakery, which operated at 126 Amory St. on the West Side from 1953 to 1958. Also in the 1950s, Lamontagne was even known to establish and briefly operate his own milk distribution business.

According to a Manchester Union Leader newspaper clipping dated Oct. 2, 1963, Lamontagne sold his successful restaurant chain to University of New Hampshire graduate Kennard H. Lang — just three Red Arrow locations were still open by then, including the one in the original spot at 61 Lowell St. The sale ushered in a new era for the Red Arrow, which would change ownership three more times over the following two decades leading up to Lawrence’s tenure.

Levi’s Red Arrow

Just as David Lamontagne is cemented in Red Arrow Diner history, so is Levi Letendre, who worked at the restaurant for decades before eventually becoming the third overall owner.

At the very end of 1969, following extensive renovation of the 61 Lowell St. space, Letendre and his son, Mark, purchased and re-opened the restaurant as Levi’s Red Arrow, a newspaper clipping from December of that year shows.

Letendre, who was very well-known and connected across the Queen City, was also a longtime familiar face at the Red Arrow. He originally started working there as a cook in 1945, just after the end of the second World War. He then became a counter man at the diner for many years leading up to his ownership status. By 1978, not long after opening the short-lived Red Arrow Restaurant at 197 Wilson St. in Manchester, Letendre retired, but his son Mark would carry on the diner’s tradition as owner for a few more years. After his father’s death in February 1985, Mark decided to sell — Manchester city directory records and newspaper clippings show that Borrome “Bob” Paquet and Didi Harvey became the Red Arrow’s new owners that year.

But this next span of ownership — the fourth overall, and just the third change of hands for the diner in more than six decades up until that point — would prove to be by far the shortest. Even a Union Leaderstory dated Oct. 6, 1986, ran with the ominous headline “Is the Red Arrow Diner history?” after the establishment was allegedly “closed for renovations” for nearly two months. The fifth — and current — leadership team that was established that following year would later prove that, in many ways, the Red Arrow’s lasting legacy was still only just beginning.

National status

Carol Lawrence was just 23 years old when she bought the Red Arrow Diner in September 1987. Growing up in the restaurant business, Lawrence got her start in the industry as a teenager working at Belmont Hall on Grove Street, at the time owned by her father, George.

“I wish that I would’ve known more about the Red Arrow. … We even lived way up on the top of Lowell Street, but I never, ever went in there,” she said. “But then, when I was working there, I realized pretty early on how special the Red Arrow was.”

Lawrence recalls primarily working in the kitchen when she first took over. In her earliest days, the Red Arrow wasn’t yet back to being open 24 hours a day, either.

“We only opened until 2 [p.m.]. I’d get there at 5 in the morning,” she said. “On the specials board, we would put up these crazy things. Like, we had the hash brown special, which is something we just kind of made up and now it’s a staple on the menu. … Anything on the specials board would sell, and I was just amazed by that. That was how our menu got bigger.”

A pivotal point in Lawrence’s career — and consequently in the overall history of the Red Arrow — came in May 1998 when she decided she was going to go “smoke-free,” an action virtually unheard of in New Hampshire restaurants at the time. Lawrence recalls that everyone, even her own father, a local restaurateur in his own right, thought she was crazy for doing so.

“The smoke in there was horrible,” she said. “We had put in two smoke eaters: one where you first walk in the door right up on the ceiling, and then one toward the back. And I mean, it was yellow in there. I would question certain times taking my own kids in there because the smoke was so bad, and I’m not even a smoker. I never have been.”

Her decision to go smokeless stemmed from a 1998 visit from Randy Garbin, writer for Roadside Online and dubbed by Lawrence as a “diner guru.”

“I kind of idolized Randy Garbin … and next thing you know, I get an email from him saying that he visited the diner. He says, ‘I loved the atmosphere, I loved the staff, the food was great … but I will tell you I’ll never be back.’” Lawrence said. “And I go, ‘Well, what the heck does that mean?’ And he said, ‘Because the smoke was just too bad.’ And, he was kind of promoting smoke-free diners, and then he started sharing statistics with me, we talked a lot and I just thought that all of this totally made sense.”

The move turned out to be the right one — but not without immediate repercussions.

“People were so mad, like, it wasn’t even funny,” she said. “I had threats … [and] people were picketing in the early hours out front. So many people swore that they would never come back. It was ridiculous. … But the funny thing was that we started to notice an increase in sales. After a year, I think it was like 19 or 20 percent.”

By September of that year, USA Today, referencing the Red Arrow’s recent switch to going smokeless, named it one of “Top Ten Diners in the Country,” marking one of the first times it was propelled to national prominence. Two years later, in 2000, it was officially named a Manchester city landmark.

As for the Red Arrow’s reputation as a must-visit for political candidates on the campaign trail, Lawrence said that also came into its own during her tenure. This has always been in part due to New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status, but Lawrence estimates it especially took off around the time of the Merrimack Restaurant’s closure in 2008.

“[The Merrimack Restaurant] was right on the corner of Merrimack and Elm streets,” she said. “All of the political people were going there … and then when they closed, they just started coming to the Red Arrow, and they’ve been coming ever since.”

Today, patrons at the 61 Lowell St. Red Arrow have included everyone from Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden to various celebrities with local ties, including Sarah Silverman, Seth Meyers and, of course, Adam Sandler, who used to frequent the diner with his dad.

The tradition continues

By the mid-2000s, George Lawrence retired as owner of Belmont Hall, selling it to his daughter — and Carol’s sister — Cathy, and dividing his time between New Hampshire and Florida.

“He says, ‘I’m sick and tired of riding a golf cart down in Florida. Let’s open another Red Arrow,’” Carol Lawrence said, “and that was how we bought Milford.”

On the Milford Oval, the Red Arrow operated from October 2008 to its closure in late 2019. A third location would open in February 2015 in Londonderry — Wihby noted that’s where all of the diner’s scratch-made desserts are now prepared — followed by a fourth, in Concord, in the summer of 2017. In early May 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Red Arrow opened its largest spot in Nashua in the site of a former Friendly’s restaurant. Taking advantage of the onsite drive-thru window, this location started operating on a takeout-only model. Even today, all four Red Arrow Diners continue to utilize online ordering, a revenue stream Lawrence never thought they would have or benefit from.

One hundred years strong, the original site of the Red Arrow Diner at 61 Lowell St. may have undergone numerous changes, but Lawrence said there’s one important factor that has remained the same. It has not only kept the Red Arrow alive and kicking, but remains a staple for diners both across New Hampshire and the United States.

“Anywhere you go, the diner is the focal point of the community,” she said. “You get all walks of life that come in. You can sit there and be next to a city worker or a lawyer, and then there’s a doctor over there. … You just get to talk to such a variety of people.”

Mya Blanchard contributed to this story.

More nostalgic eats at NH’s diners

In addition to the iconic Red Arrow Diner, New Hampshire offers diner fans several places to stop for a cup of coffee and a classic meal. Here are some of the diners across southern New Hampshire, focusing on the establishments with the word “diner” in their name. Do you know of a diner in the Manchester, Nashua or Concord areas that isn’t on this list? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

Airport Diner
2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com/airport-diner
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Established in 2005, the Airport Diner gets its name for its close proximity to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. It’s one of several eateries owned by The Common Man Family.
Specialty of The House: The Airport Diner’s acclaimed tuna melt features Albacore tuna, tomatoes and Swiss cheese all on grilled Parmesan bread.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the diner’s house peanut butter pie, featuring a graham cracker crust, creamy peanut butter, hot fudge and whipped cream.

Allenstown Country Diner
85 Allenstown Road, Suncook, 210-2191, find them on Facebook @allenstowncountrydiner
Hours: Monday, and Wednesday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Theresa Gelinas opened the Allenstown Country Diner in May 2015 with the help of several friends, her two daughters Sonya and Kristy and her son-in-law Josh. The diner is currently open six days a week for breakfast and lunch, featuring a menu of omelets, waffles, pancakes and French toast, plus drinks like pineapple orange or cranberry orange mimosas, and several flavors of house bloody marys.
Specialty of The House: House specials include the steak and eggs, featuring 10-ounce grilled sirloin steak with two eggs and toast; and the country breakfast, featuring two eggs and sausage on a buttermilk biscuit, topped with house sausage gravy.

Casey’s Diner
13 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 382-3663, caseysdinernh.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Sunday, 5:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Casey’s Diner has been in business for more than two decades, serving home-cooked breakfasts and lunches seven days a week, along with daily specials.
Specialty of The House: Try the changeup scrambler, featuring three eggs scrambled with your choice of an omelet filling, melted cheese, toast and your choice of home fries, baked beans, hash browns or fruit.

Charlie’s Homestyle Diner
598 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5693, charlieshomestylediner.com
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Known for its home-cooked breakfasts and lunches, Charlie’s Homestyle Diner also offers customized catering. On Fridays they’ll serve fresh haddock, while on Sundays they’ll serve breakfast only.
Specialty of The House: Try their poutine, made with hand-cut french fries, Canadian curd cheese and brown gravy on top.
Most Decadent Dessert: Charlie’s Homestyle Diner serves a baklava sundae, featuring their own homemade baklava with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

The Derry Diner
29 Crystal Ave., Derry, 434-6499, find them on Facebook @thederrydiner
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch are served five days a week at this neighborhood diner in Derry.
Specialty of The House: Comfort meal specials are served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — recent options have included open-faced meatloaf sandwiches, hot veggie and cheese wraps with fries, and chicken Parm with garlic toast and a cup of soup.
Most Decadent Dessert: Homestyle pumpkin pie has been a recent featured dessert.

The D.W. Diner
416 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-1116, thedwdinertogo.com
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This Merrimack diner is known for serving up home-cooked breakfasts and lunches seven days a week.
Specialty of The House: Diner favorites include the hash and eggs, served with toast; the biscuits and sausage gravy, served with home fries, hash browns and homemade baked beans; and a specialty quiche of the day.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the Belgian waffle sundae, topped with whipped cream and your choice of strawberry or chocolate sauce.

Frankie’s Diner
63 Union Square, Milford, 554-1359, find them on Facebook @frankiesdinermilford
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This Union Square diner is named in tribute to the late Frankie Bobola, a lifelong restaurateur who got his start in the industry in 1962 and whose career spanned decades before his death in 2018. His family also continues to run Bobola’s Family Restaurant, which has locations in Nashua and Dracut, Mass., as well as Stonecutters Pub, also in Milford.
Specialty of The House: House favorites at Frankie’s Diner include the roasted stuffed turkey dinners, the shepherd’s pie and the marinated steak tips.

Hanna’s Diner
83 Henniker St., Hillsborough, 464-3575, find them on Facebook @hannasdinernh
Hours: Monday, 6 a.m. to noon, Wednesday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Formerly known as the Hillsborough Diner, Hanna’s is a classic spot known in town for serving freshly home-cooked breakfasts and lunches.
Specialty of The House: Try the Hillbilly, featuring two biscuits topped with Hanna’s sausage gravy, two patties, two hash browns, two eggs and cheese.
Most Decadent Dessert: A special pie of the day is always available, served with whipped cream.

Joey’s Diner
1 Craftsman Lane, Amherst, 577-8955, joeysdiner.com
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Joey’s Diner serves breakfast all day as well as lunch and dinner options in a retro, 1950s setting.
Specialty of The House: Sticking with the 1950s theme, on the menu is the “Elvis Presley Breakfast,” featuring two eggs made any style with corned beef hash, home fries, toast and your choice of bacon, ham or sausage.
Most Decadent Dessert: Among their variety of desserts are xangos, or fried cheesecake chimichangas.

Margie’s Dream Diner
172 Hayward St., Manchester, 627-7777, margiesdreamdiner.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Calling itself “Manchester’s Best Kept Secret,” Margie’s Dream Diner is a great place to stop for breakfast or lunch and to enjoy Greek specialties.
Specialty of The House: At Margie’s Dream Diner you’re sure to find something you like. Their wide array of omelets and eggs Benedicts include the Southern Benedict, featuring poached eggs on freshly baked golden biscuits topped with a homemade sausage gravy.

Market Place Diner
4 Market Place, Hollis, 465-3209, marketplacediner.com
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Located in the village of Market Place in Hollis, this family-friendly diner serves up home-cooked breakfasts and lunches seven days a week.
Specialty of The House: Recent fall specials have included pumpkin nut pancakes and caramel apple waffles. Other menu specialties include omelets, pancakes, French toast, crepes, burgers and sandwiches.

MaryAnn’s Diner
29 E. Broadway, Derry, 434-5785; 4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Windham, 965-3066; 3 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Salem, 893-9877; maryannsdiner.com
Hours: Derry’s location is open Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Windham’s location is open daily, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Salem’s location is open Monday through Wednesday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the website.
Originally opened in Derry in 1989, MaryAnn’s Diner now has two additional locations in Windham and Salem — all three are known for their home-cooked meals in a cozy, nostalgic setting.
Specialty of The House: MaryAnn’s Diner’s top hits include their marinated black raspberry barbecue steak tips, served with two eggs, toast and home fries.
Most Decadent Dessert: The dessert menu includes grapenut custard, a slightly sweetened egg custard laced with nutmeg and cinnamon with Grape Nuts cereal.

Moe Joe’s Country Diner
649 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, 641-2993, eatatmoejoe.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Diner favorites at Moe Joe’s include a meatloaf dinner and macaroni and cheese, with garlic bread and your choice of Buffalo chicken, diced ham or chourico (Portuguese pork sausage).
Specialty of The House: Moe Joe’s offers a Portuguese burger that’s topped with linguica, onions and peppers, all on a Portuguese muffin.
Most Decadent Dessert: Sweet items include frappes in a variety of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee or mocha.

Murphy’s Diner
516 Elm St., Manchester, 792-4004, find them on Facebook @murphysdinernh
Hours: The diner is currently open Friday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Founded by local restaurateur Keith Murphy of Murphy’s Taproom, this diner is directly adjacent to the eatery’s Manchester location on Elm Street. A sister establishment, known as Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House, opened in Bedford in 2017.
Specialty of The House: Try the Captain Crunch French toast, the signature French toast dish at Murphy’s Diner that’s rolled in Captain Crunch cereal and topped with powdered sugar.

Northwood Diner
1335 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-5018, find them on Facebook @northwooddinernh
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 5 a.m. to noon
Breakfast is served all day at the Northwood Diner, with a menu that includes Benedicts, waffles, eggs, pancakes and more.
Specialty of The House: Try the steak and eggs, featuring six ounces of freshly cut Delmonico steak cooked to order, with home fries, toast and two eggs cooked any style.
Most Decadent Dessert: Pies, cakes and assorted pastries are baked fresh daily, with a rotating offering of selections.

Ober Easy Diner
416 Emerson Ave., Hampstead, 329-3430, obereasy.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. (breakfast only on Sundays)
Formerly known as Christina’s Country Cafe, this eatery assumed new ownership in January 2019 and was later renamed Ober Easy Diner after owners Susan and Tim Ober. Breakfast is served all day, including exclusively on Sundays, with a menu featuring Benedicts, omelets, sandwiches and more. For lunch, there are salads, sandwiches, burgers and soups.
Specialty of The House: Try the Western scrambler, featuring two eggs scrambled with peppers, onions, ham and cheddar cheese, served with toast on the side.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the Belgian waffle banana split, featuring a house Belgian waffle topped with one scoop of vanilla ice cream, bananas, strawberries, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

Poor Boy’s Diner
136 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 432-8990, poorboysdiner.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Stop in to Poor Boy’s Diner for a home-cooked breakfast, lunch, or dinner in a welcoming environment.
Specialty of The House: Grilled pork chops with applesauce on the side are among the menu staples.
Most Decadent Dessert: Dessert specials vary at Poor Boy’s Diner, the most recent being a sweet pumpkin pie just in time for fall.

The Red Arrow Diner
61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com
Hours: According to its website, the Manchester location is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Londonderry and Nashua locations are open daily, 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Concord location is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5:30 a.m. to midnight (temporarily closed on Mondays).
Established in Manchester in October 1922, The Red Arrow Diner is now an institution that reaches visitors far beyond the Granite State. For decades, it’s been known as a popular campaign stop for presidential candidates and other politicians. In 2000 it was named a city landmark.
Specialty of The House: The Red Arrow is known for its weekly Blue Plate specials, featuring home-cooked items like pork pie, lasagna, meat loaf, haddock and more.
Most Decadent Dessert: Freshly baked desserts are available all day long. Options include whoopie pies, cheesecakes, fruit pies, double layer cakes and Dinah fingers (think Twinkies).

The Red Barn Diner
113 Elm St., Manchester, 623-9065, redbarndinernh.com
Hours: Daily, 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to its website.
The Red Barn is a small nostalgic diner in an old train car, serving items like Angus beef, handcrafted original burgers and handcrafted desserts since 1930.
Specialty of The House: One of their original burgers is the Barn Burger, a cheeseburger topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and the diner’s special Red Barn sauce.
Most Decadent Dessert: The Red Barn has all kinds of decadent homemade desserts, ranging from chewy brownie sundaes to fluffy strawberry shortcake.

Route 104 Diner
752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120, thecman.com/route-104-diner
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Like its sister establishments, the Airport Diner and the Tilt’n Diner, the Route 104 Diner is owned by The Common Man Family, serving traditional home-cooked meals in a nostalgic 1950s-style setting.
Specialty of The House: Homestyle classics include the fried chicken and waffles, featuring a house-made Belgian waffle that’s topped with golden-fried, hand-breaded chicken tenders and served with your choice of New Hampshire maple syrup or white country gravy.
Most Decadent Dessert: Sweeter indulgences include cakes, pies, grapenut custard, bread pudding and The Common Man’s own ice cream available in five flavors.

Stubby’s Diner
26 Old Manchester Road, Candia, 483-5581, find them on Facebook
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Breakfast is served all day at Stubby’s, with a menu that includes Benedicts, omelets, sandwiches and more. For lunch, there are several burgers, sandwiches, soups and sides to choose from.
Specialty of The House: Try the Humongous Trashcan, a ham and cheese omelet with onions, peppers, chili, mushrooms and tomatoes. It’s served with toast, home fries or beans.

Suzie’s Diner
76 Lowell Road, Hudson, 883-2741, suziesdiner.com
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Suzie’s Diner, established in 1999, serves breakfast every day of the week, in addition to lunch starting at 11 a.m.
Specialty of The House: Each weekday, Suzie’s features a different lunch special, like fried clam strips, roast beef, steak quesadillas, meatloaf and jumbo shrimp scampi.
Most Decadent Dessert: Sweeter indulgences include an Oreo-filled waffle, topped with whipped cream, Oreo cookies and an Eclair ice cream bar.

Temple Street Diner
200 Temple St., Nashua, 521-7133, find them on Facebook
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to its Facebook page
Temple Street Diner is known for serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week. A sister food truck known as The Roadside Diner is operating on Fridays and Saturdays, from 3:30 to 8 p.m., throughout October.
Specialty of The House: Favorites include lobster rolls, fried seafoods, chowders and other homemade specials.

Tilt’n Diner
61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204, thecman.com/tilt-n-diner
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tilt’n Diner, which opened in 1992, is one of three nostalgic diner establishments owned and operated by The Common Man Family. It has been called a “must stop” on the New Hampshire presidential primary campaign trail by The Associated Press, according to its website, and is also a popular stop for visitors of the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week or the next NASCAR race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
Specialty of The House: The diner offers several classic comfort food favorites, like baked shepherd’s pie, meatloaf, frappes and house-made pies.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the classic bread pudding, which features a maple syrup glaze, or the chocolate, peanut butter or coconut cream pies.

Featured photo: Levi Letendre (right) owned the diner during the 1970s, then known as Levi’s Red Arrow. Photo by Patrick “P.J.” Audley, likely taken around 1976 (with added color on the cover).