Goffstown, New Hampshire is an absolutely wonderful community to live in, and its small town charm lies in part with its locally owned eateries. While it does have a handful of national chains, the vast majority of restaurants are one of a kind.
Goffstown has two distinct regions: the older, historic downtown area called “The Village” and the newer, more commercial district that abuts the West side of Manchester called Pinardville. For this post, we’ll consider a few restaurants in each end of town.
The Village
Putnam’s Waterview Restaurant
Since its recent 2018 remodel, Putnam’s is now one of the best looking buildings in the village. With the beautiful umbrella-dotted patio and the landscaping, oh my! Here you will find a full menu of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and a huge daily specials board that changes from lunch to dinner. In the summer there is an ice cream window on the patio!
The Village Trestle
The Village Trestle is the local bar and live entertainment venue in the Village but it’s also known for its really great food! Their regular menu is full of American classics like award winning chili and chowders, sandwiches and burgers (the Trestle burger is my all-time favorite), but you should always check out their extensive and ever-changing list of daily specials as well as a huge homemade dessert list. Their cakes are as big as your head! Tuesdays offer Mexican themed specials, and Wednesday nights are Appreciation Nights where first responders, military, police, EMS, teachers, fire, union workers, etc. get 20% off their bill!
Magoo’s Drive In
Neither in the Village nor Pinardville, Magoo’s is located along Rt 114 at ProLandscape Supply. You can’t miss its bright blue exterior and vintage signage. This tiny roadside shack with picnic tables outside serves fried seafood, burgers, subs, and ice cream. If you’re on the rail trail, it’s a great place to stop and park your bikes and grab a cone. Sitting under the massive mature oak tree might make you forget you’re on 114.
Sawyer’s Main Street Breakfast and Function Hall
Sawyer’s is a classic breakfast restaurant right in the heart of the Village, and you can’t miss its bright red exterior. They have all the classics that you might like: omelets, benedicts, pancakes and French toast. They don’t have a website but you can check out their menu and specials on their Facebook page. Sawyer’s is open until 12 noon.
Sweet Love Bakery
Sweet Love Bakery is a newer addition to Main Street, having taken over the spot left by The Blue Moose. Right across the street from the Trestle, and next door to Town Hall, you’ll find the village’s only bakery. They offer custom cakes, pies, cookies, and baked goods. They also have some fantastic breakfast sandwiches. I love their biscuits that they make right on site. This is a very small family owned shop, and there are no tables inside, so you’ll have to take your order to-go. In the warmer months, you can sit out on their adorable brick patio and watch Main Street go by.
China Gourmet
China Gourmet is a lovely little Chinese food restaurant on Main Street, across from Town Hall and between Weeks Pizza and The Village Trestle. This is a great place to get all your favorite Chinese food favorites like General Gau’s, Sesame Chicken, egg rolls, and crab rangoons.
Weeks Pizza
Weeks Pizza replaced Ray Street Pizza at 23 Main St as of December 2023. Their pizzas are delicious and they also offer a selection of subs and appetizers.
Ray Street Pizza CLOSED
Ray Street Pizza joined the village in 2021, taking over the old Vikster’s Pizza spot. With upgraded pizza recipes, they have been welcomed by pizza lovers from all over! They also offer subs, wraps, salads, and a few desserts. They’ve made improvements to the restaurant, such as adding beer and wine. We can’t wait to see how they grow. (Sadly Ray Street Pizza closed in December 2023.)
The Blue Moose Cafe CLOSED
The Blue Moose Cafe is a tiny little breakfast and lunch spot that turns out some big flavors! They serve up breakfast bowls, hash, something like six different flavors of coffee, wraps, as well as tons of lunch sandwiches and wraps. Their pastry case is always filled with homemade muffins, donuts, cupcakes, and desserts. My favorite is the CBO breakfast sandwich which is amazing. (Sadly The Blue Moose Café closed in December 2021. We will miss it greatly!)
Pinardville
Ubon Thai 2Go
While Goffstown has a few Chinese restaurants, there is only one Thai restaurant and that is Ubon Thai 2 Go! This little restaurant is mostly set up for takeout ordering, but they do have a few tables for dining in. You can find all your Thai favorites here, and you can customize your spice level. Ubon Thai placed #3 as the best Thai food in 2021 in New Hampshire by WMUR viewers!
The Bagg Lunch
The Bagg Lunch is a a cute little breakfast and lunch place in Pinardville with all your usual diner favorites like pancakes, eggs any style, breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, soups, and more. Most days they close at 2:00 but on Fridays they have Seafood Fridays and it’s the one day they stay open for dinner until 7:00. Perfect for fried seafood and chowder!
The New Wa Toy
The New WA Toy in Goffstown is certainly not new, and it’s pretty interesting as a vintage restaurant. In fact, I believe my mother-in-law said she went there for prom night dinner when she was in high school which kind of blew my mind. I have only ever had takeout there, and never actually eaten there. But I hear the bar is quite lively and a great place for people watching. The parking lot is always full on Friday and Saturday nights, so the Wa Toy is clearly a favorite hangout for locals.
Charlie’s
Charlie’s got a major upgrade in 2021 as they claimed their own brick and mortar restaurant on the corner of Pinard St. and Mast Rd. at the former Cotes Diner location. Charlie’s is the current titleholder of the Best Chicken Tenders in New Hampshire! They also have great pizza, subs, burgers, gyros, and homemade empanadas. A new expansion into breakfast foods means that their Pinard St. Bakery is the newest coffee shop in town. Breakfast sandwiches, coffee, pastries and pies have their own section within Charlie’s.
The White Birch Eatery
Still in its first year of business, The White Birch Eatery is a beautiful, sunny new addition to Pinardville. Their food is fresh and seasonal, and presented beautifully! This is definitely not a greasy spoon diner. While there is plenty of bacon and eggs, this eatery is also a haven for vegetarians and vegans with tons of options.
This post will be updated as more photos and reviews are developed!
If you’d like to step into the time machine and visit a beloved Goffstown restaurant that no longer exists, check out The High Street Farmhouse.
New Hampshire Food Photography
Erika Follansbee is a published Goffstown, NH food photographer whose job is to make food look amazing. She is available for hire to help small restaurants and cafes to create beautiful images of their dishes to use for marketing, websites, and social media. Magazine-quality food images are the best form of advertisement.
Erika is also a wedding photographer. Visit www.erikafollansbee.com for more information.
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