Three New Hampshire Diners Worth a Drive

Point Your GPS at Lincoln, Plymouth and Hanover in NH’s White Mountains

Living in the beautiful Western White Mountains, we get a lot of house guests. When we have guests, going out for Sunday breakfast is a ritual. There are many great places for breakfast within a reasonable drive of our home, but here three of our special favorites.

Sunny Day Diner, Lincoln: Located a block south of Clark’s Trading Post, the Sunny Day Diner and Bakery serves classic diner fare with some unusual gourmet twists, in a 1958 Masters Diner car with a small outdoor dining porch that’s open in season. Everything is very well-prepared here, and a surprise for a diner. The owner’s Greek heritage is reflected in the menu, with baklava and a few other items.

Try the specials. Favorite items include Eggs Benedict, Banana Bread French Toast, the Fancy Egg Scramble (a three-egg open-faced omelette made with tomatoes, sweet basil, and Provolone and Romano cheeses), and the Salmon Stack, a Benedict made from a piece of grilled salmon (instead of eggs) layered with spinach. They bake their own bread, so the toast is wonderful; you can buy loaves to take home.

The Sunny Day’s priorities are reflected in its motto: “Stop By…Say Hi…Eat Pie.” The diner, which has its own in-house bakery, offers a changing selection of pies, all terrific. Service is snappy and friendly, delivered by a team of efficient and pleasant young women. (The staff is particularly patient with children.) The place is small, so you may have to wait, but people move along quickly. The booths tend to be a tight fit, so some folks may want to sit at the counter. The Sunny Day recently added more parking spaces and spiffed up its exterior. The whole place (including the restrooms) is immaculate – unusual for a place that is always busy and often filled with families. You can get breakfast and lunch here from 7 AM to 2 PM daily. Cash only. Telephone (603) 745-4833.

Main Street Station, Plymouth: Main Street Station has great Eggs Benedict with a wonderfully light, lemony sauce, and the home fries are excellent. The restaurant is located in a classic dining car, but there is a spacious and homey dining room out back, so the place can accommodate a good number of people. The diner car overlooks the main street of this bustling college town and the campus of Plymouth State University, making it great for people-watching. The booths are a bit tight, but there is also a long counter where you can sit if you would like more room. The coffee is excellent and they keep it coming, and the service is attentive and friendly.

There are several kinds of Eggs Benedict, terrific French Toast and pancakes, and many other items – more choices than your typical diner, and served in large portions. On a recent visit, we had the breakfast burrito, a soft flour wrap stuffed with scrambled eggs, refried beans and cheese and then topped with fresh salsa, chopped vegetables, black olives and sliced jalapenos; and Eggs Marcella, a Benedict made with peppers, artichokes and mushrooms in place of the Canadian bacon. (The burrito was big enough to have been shared.) We love the people and the kitschy décor. We haven’t tried lunch here, but we hear it’s great. Main Street Station serves from 7 AM to 3 PM daily (1 PM on Sundays). Breakfast is available until noon daily and all day Sunday. Telephone (603) 536-7577.

Walk off your breakfast by strolling up Main Street and across the town common, with its old-time bandstand and famous Boy Scout statue. Some trivia: author Nathaniel Hawthorne died in Plymouth while visiting the White Mountains – a fact commemorated by a small monument on the common.

Lou’s Restaurant, Hanover: Technically, Hanover is in the Lake Sunapee region, but it’s on the edge of the Western Whites (in fact, the Appalachian Trail goes right through town). Lou’s is an institution with Dartmouth College students and professors, as well as local residents. It’s a bakery and diner-style restaurant on Main Street. Lou’s serves terrific, hefty breakfasts and lunches all day (until 3 PM) at the counter and about a dozen booths squeezed into this storefront.

Favorite dishes include puffy omelettes, and the Mexican specialties (breakfast tacos, migas, and breakfast quesadillas). As might be expected, Lou’s French toast and pancakes are exceptional – try topping with fresh fruit. There are daily specials, which are always good. The fresh-squeezed orange juice is irresistible, and the toast (made from several kinds of bread baked locally) is delectable. There’s oatmeal, homemade granola, fresh fruit and other items available for more health-conscious diners. Great coffee. Quick no-nonsense service. It’s a popular place, so there is often a line – but it usually moves fast. Telephone (603) 643-3321.

Prices at all three places tend to range from $5 -$15 per person for breakfast, starting with breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal on the low end, all the way up to steak-and-eggs and more exotic fare at the high end.

It’s best to check the Web or call the diners before heading out, as their hours may change seasonally.

Fussy Diner rating: Two Forks Up