Brendas Kitchen Twin Mountain

Again....Monroe's jam's them in and not really with hikers that I can see..Good food...service ok ..etc.I've been there many many times over the years....after hikes or on my snowmachine. I've often go there on a Saturday and no were to sit..even in the outside room they have... but is there room for another restaurant? who knows...but I wish Monroe's stayed open until 7pm ....

The locals like their breakfasts, folks drive for miles to the Waterwheel in Jefferson, Monroes and I have heard the Pollys is packing them in.

The problem with gas stations is when the tanks are swapped over inevitably there is some amount of contamination in the ground even if its just caused by gas leaks from folks dripping on the ground during regular fueling. Once the contamination is found, they have to keep digging until they cant find it anymore or the end up putting in a pump and treat system. If its a small business that normally will drive them under.

They like more then their breakfasts'.... packed until 2 pm at Monroes..... Clams you name it..and I bet they come from Bretton Woods condo's on the hillsides plenty.

I just haul through TM and get to Lincoln. I have to eat outside with my dog and Lincoln is good for that. That pizza place near Lahouts is where we go. The only thing my dog likes more then hiking is pizza! Unadogger hit on another favorite of mine, Wayne's in Woodstock. I mean cmon, fresh breakfast sandwiches for 1 buck.

Does Monroe's manage to pack them in on the off months as well? March, April, May, October, November, December? I haven't paid much attention in the non-tourist months. Good for them if they do; I did not realize they were so successful.

If I am headed to Lincoln, I've become a fan of Black Mountain Burger Co. Usually I am headed toward the eastern mountains. The Water Wheel in Jefferson is another interesting one. Packed often on weekend mornings. I'm not a big fan, but then again, I don't need 8 eggs in my omelet. Biggest coffee roll I've ever seen. No one leaves hungry, that's for sure.

Raven said:

Does Monroe's manage to pack them in on the off months as well? March, April, May, October, November, December? I haven't paid much attention in the non-tourist months. Good for them if they do; I did not realize they were so successful.

If I am headed to Lincoln, I've become a fan of Black Mountain Burger Co. Usually I am headed toward the eastern mountains. The Water Wheel in Jefferson is another interesting one. Packed often on weekend mornings. I'm not a big fan, but then again, I don't need 8 eggs in my omelet. Biggest coffee roll I've ever seen. No one leaves hungry, that's for sure.

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Pack them in is relevant. If you go during a long weekend holiday..at lunch forget it.. even with the side room open they are booked and you'll be waiting outside.. Never seen that at Brendas...or the others..Yea ...they do ok ... I'm either going by there all the time or going to there.. we hike early so we can get there before they close in the after noon..Ha. like all of the restaurants they have the lull between breakfast and lunch but they do well...but they close so much.. I don't blame them... who wants to work 7 days a week 18 hours a day.. it's a small family affair..
We drive miles to these restaurants.... as good ones are far and few between...but time wise within a few miles in Boston due to traffic it would be the same...Ha.
Peakbagger in Gorham is lucky..many more there...or more anyway... I can't get over how Mary's was voted best Pizza in NH...I had it in all versions a couple of times and no way.....by the way for the non Italians it's called Apizza...by the Italians who invented it.. New Haven and NY saw the first of it back when.... ask me how I know....about Apizza in New Haven... Been to Pepe's many times but there are many other's better actually....

I have to say thanks for all the critic info on local eateries. I don't often find myself in the area for breakfast. As an outsider, I think TM is just not on many transient visitors mind for eating purposes. I'd think Brenda's would be heavily reliant on local $$. For anyone coming in off I-91 Bradford VT (usually my exit; 25 & 112 into N. Woodstock and on from there) the Mobil just before the CT river crossing makes some damn good breakfast sandwiches on the cheap.

Raven said:

Does Monroe's manage to pack them in on the off months as well? March, April, May, October, November, December? I haven't paid much attention in the non-tourist months. Good for them if they do; I did not realize they were so successful.

If I am headed to Lincoln, I've become a fan of Black Mountain Burger Co. Usually I am headed toward the eastern mountains. The Water Wheel in Jefferson is another interesting one. Packed often on weekend mornings. I'm not a big fan, but then again, I don't need 8 eggs in my omelet. Biggest coffee roll I've ever seen. No one leaves hungry, that's for sure.

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8 egg omelettes?? This place just went on my radar.

I can't get over how Mary's was voted best Pizza in NH...

I expect it was a very limited survey.

How it survives since losing the mills labor union contract delivery's is beyond me. (Up until about 15 years ago any employee working overtime at the papermill through a meal got a free meal from a local restaurant delivered to the mill. The maximum amount of the meal was in the union contract. Mary's was right across the street so they sold a lot specials that happened to be right at the maximum reimbursement amount).

The Wagon Wheel does pack them in. It gets dangerous in the AM as the parking is limited and the restaurant is on a curve on RT 2. The folks looking for a parking space aren't very careful about watching out for traffic and I am surprised a tractor trailer hasn't T boned someone. There really are no good breakfast spots in Berlin and Gorham that line up with a hikers schedule so its probably the best spot for breakfast for hikes along RT2.

I went to the Wagon Wheel...2 times and no more... the service was horrible...never had it so bad in many years... starting out we waited at the door for a seat..the waitress took people that came in after us without asking who's next...then we waited for a server.. Waited forever for our check..pretty bad.. the waitress's were cleaning tables...they should of had some school kids or someone doing the and splitting the tips.. or whatever.. over rated...
Went to Polly's again few months ago..that was bad...waitress forgot a few things on our order and we waited as well for the new orders to come out.. over rated and way too high priced..so no more going there..

Just curious, CaptCaper, how slim the list of places you DO like?

We eat out all the time...do to our schedules it's almost a necessity. We don't need a lot of places but the ones we have stayed with usually do well with us for the most part over the many years and don't have to suck it up at the worst of them....we travel all over NH so we have proven favorites in a lot of places and look forward to going back over the years.
Muddy Moose is #1 on my list of NH's so far after 16 yrs going there I'm amazed on what they've done or do. I talked to the head waiter once and he told me it's the management the owner hired years ago. It is hard to get in there to wait on tables..an honor so to speak.
So my list isn't slim to say the least..

CaptCaper said:

... Muddy Moose is #1 on my list of NH's so far after 16 yrs going there I'm amazed on what they've done or do. ... So my list isn't slim to say the least..

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Tell us more. 1 is a pretty slim number.

I still crave the ambiance and recipes of Govonis in North Woodstock. Closed now and never open for breakfast but we'd go out of our way to stop there on the way home. It capped off a weekend of happy hiking. Haven't found a favorite to replace it (suggestions?) but instead we frequently enjoy Hermanos or Angelina in Concord.

Our favorite breakfast places in addition to the Common Man chain (mostly Tilton Diner and 104 Diner) include Texas Toast Eatery & Pig's Ear BBQ in Lincoln, 2nd floor of the Mill.

Say, this thread is beginning to sound familiar ... and, its making me hungry.

The problem with Muddy Moose (I actually prefer Moat Mtn) in North Conway, is that for many SW NH and Mass hikers (probably the majority of VFTT members), Conway is a far stretch for place to stop on the way home for the majority of the 4Ks. Twin Mtn is quite convenient for those driving home from the Northern Presis and Crawford Notch area so its logical there should be good restaurant for supper, unfortunately logic doesn't seem to prevail. The next logical stops are in Woodstock and Lincoln and several candidates have been mentioned.

Its funny Stan mentioned Govonis In North Woodstock, I drove by a week ago and there was a car parked there and the door front door was open. I expect it was a caretaker

My hands down reliable favorite in the north country is Northland Dairy Bar in Berlin,their fresh berries pies in season are hard to beat, and its one fo the few places in the region I will buy seafood. Unfortunately how good it is doesn't help when its in the wrong direction heading towards the south except for possibly those doing Cabot and most folks doing Cabot are unwilling to figure out the shortcuts through Berlin to get there. (Rt 16 in the north end of Berlin is scheduled to be rebuilt from scratch this summer with the Dairy Bar right in the middle of it so that another reason to not to go there in 2016)

I definitely run into that problem. I only end up going through North Conway 5-6 times a year. Moat Mtn is a popular stop for us, as are the 24 hour McDonald's and Elvio's Pizza. Muddy Moose is on the list to check out.

On the 93 corridor we frequently hit up Wayne's in North Woodstock - just north of the Woodstock Inn - for pre-hike (to get a giant sandwich for the trail), and post-hike (for steak and cheese goodness). It's not a sit-down restaurant, but the food is great. There are a couple of picnic tables outside that we use.

Black Mountain Burger in Lincoln is good for a tasty burger. And I'll stop at Moat Mountain in N. Conway whenever I'm up there. Elvio's Pizza has a soft spot in my heart from all our family trips to N. Conway when I was a kid.

peakbagger said:

Twin Mtn is quite convenient for those driving home from the Northern Presis and Crawford Notch area so its logical there should be good restaurant for supper, unfortunately logic doesn't seem to prevail. The next logical stops are in Woodstock and Lincoln and several candidates have been mentioned.

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The balance has definitely tilted towards 93-3 for people coming up from Boston, even to Pinkham it's something of a toss-up. I've had a few hikes around Crawford where people voted to stop in Lincoln for dinner on the way home and I wished them luck...it's quite a ways out of the way. More options in Twin Mountain would be nice; you can only go to Fabyan's so many times.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Mt. Washington Hotel—nice decor, decent service, & decent views, if the weather's coöperating. The cocktails are fine, too.

I noticed Brenda's had dumpsters outside too. couple years ago i went in there for a reasonably priced turkey dinner and it was excellent, rolls, corn on the cob, stuffing, potatoes and gravy. It seemed like a decent place but not surprised it closed. As is mentioned in this thread, twin mountain just seems like a place nothing will survive. I remember Hank's general store was there since my childhood and then suddenly the gas pumps were gone and it was gone. the windows are broken now. Doesn't anyone care about the place. When that plaza was built I guessed it would be out of business in no time and it was. I wondered if it was privately financed because I can't imagine a bank loan officer signing off on anything like that to be built in that town. There was another breakfast place in that town down the street from Monroe's that was under different ownerships. I don't know if anything is still there. When I drove by and saw that tacky 'ugo's sign in the plaza that some 6 year old made, i winced. Genuine cardboard and magic marker. How shocking that it closed. For years I wondered why nothing seemed to survive in that town. Wayne's deli in north woodstock definitely kicks ass with those cheap huge subs.

DayTrip said:

8 egg omelettes?? This place just went on my radar.

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I may be exeggerating by 2 but I'll confidently say they use 6.

And the problem with Gorham is not the lack of restaurants, but the quality is meh.

I like White Mountain Café for breakfast but it's coffee shop sandwiches, baked stuff....you're not getting a traditional breakfast there. I agree with PB though as otherwise, Gorham is rough for breakfast places. Welsh's has a brunch that is actually pretty good on Sundays (or at least used to). That has been good occasionally on a Sunday morning after a big hike.