Featured photo by @goatbarnh on Instagram
Manchester, NH. Otherwise known as “The Armpit of New Hampshire,” to my boyfriend who grew up there (if you’re from Manch, don’t get mad – he said it, not me).
Look, I really don’t understand why he says that. Every time I’m there, I always have a great time.
There’s hiking, skiing, and a few great colleges.
The bar scene is excellent between the live music, creative cocktails, and thriving young community in the city.
And surprisingly, the restaurant scene is just as good.
I know what you’re thinking, “since when does Manchester have good restaurants?”
Here’s a secret: it always has. You just have to know where to go to find them.
Elm Street, the city’s center for nightlife and social fare is bustling with cutting edge restaurants, bars, and events.
Sounds to me like the perfect formula for a good time.
There are also many other amazing places to eat that aren’t on Elm street.
Between gourmet mac and cheese, fabulous pizza, asian food, and more, New Hampshire’s largest city knows how to do it.
But today, we’re just going to be talking about one thing: burgers.
This classic American staple is not only found at many places in the largest city in the Granite State, but perfected there, too.
There are many pubs, taverns, and American style restaurants that sell burgers, but not many do it right.
Luckily for Manchester, they’ve perfected the burger.
And today, I’m going to show you the best restaurants that you can visit to get one.
Whether it’s double cheeseburgers, big burgers, a dedicated burger joint, or a restaurant where a burger is just one of their many menu items, Manchester is the place to be for delicious burgers, local ingredients, and one of the most unique atmospheres in all of New England.
Thirsty Moose
795 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101
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Arguably one of the most popular locations on this list is the Thirsty Moose Taphouse’s Manchester location.
A restaurant founded by great friends, this is a gathering place to enjoy a cold brew and great burger.
One of their most popular burgers is the Bullwinkle Burger.
Made with grass fed, antibiotic free, and non-GMO beef, aged for 28 days, and topped with their secret dry rub, the Bullwinkle Burger is the Thirsty Moose’s house burger topped with lettuce, cheddar cheese, red onion, sweet gherkin pickles, and their secret “Bullwinkle sauce.”
The GOAT
50 Old Granite St, Manchester, NH 03101
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We’ve covered this restaurant in a previous article about the best burgers in Portsmouth, but it’s just seriously too good to not talk about again.
The GOAT’s Manchester location serves impeccable burgers that you HAVE to try for yourself.
Perhaps the most notable option on their menu is the Goat Melt Burger, a double patty, bacon, cheddar cheese, nacho cheese, doritos, shredded lettuce, and Frank’s red hot mayo between grilled cheese buns. A mouthful, I know, but a must try nonetheless.
KC’s Rib Shack
837 Second St, Manchester, NH 03102
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On the outskirts of Manchester lies one of my personal favorites, KC’s Rib Shack.
This BBQ restaurant is AWESOME. In the warm weather, you can enjoy great food outside in their Tiki Bar, one of the best places to sip on a cold drink and listen to live music in the city.
Aside from their impeccable BBQ menu, they also serve burgers & dogs, so you can live out your childhood days of eating a hamburger and hot dog side by side. Goals.
My favorite burger on their menu is the blues burger. It has bacon, pineapple, blue cheese, and onions. The pineapple adds a wonderful sense of sweetness to the burger, and contrasts well with the other ingredients.
Xo Bistro
827 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101
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This gourmet restaurant serves food crafted from local farmers and craft food makers with an international twist.
This is one of Manchester’s finest dining experiences, and it cannot be missed.
They only sell one burger here, the XO Burger, but the quality of the beef is truly delectable and can’t be skipped over. It’s hard to find a better burger than this one.
The Farm Bar
1181 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101
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Comfort food with a barbecue spin? Sign me up!
This is one of the first restaurants I ever visited in Manchester, and it’s one I’ll always want to return to. It’s just that good!
Their craft cocktails and creative menu offerings are to die for, and their burgers are out of this world.
They offer many creative burgers, but my favorite will always be the Thai Tuna Burger. Complete with seared sesame crusted tuna, seaweed salad, and sriracha mayo, you’ve got yourself a killer combo.
Don’t feel like visiting? No problem! These guys use DoorDash, perfect for any of your burger delivery needs.
Red Arrow Diner
61 Lowell St, Manchester, NH 03101
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Don’t be fooled by the outside of this place, this is one of Manchester’s most popular spots.
The Red Arrow diner is an old fashioned, compact diner that serves food 24 hours a day. Aside from their many delicious breakfast offerings, there’s one thing that the Red Arrow Diner excels at:
Burgers.
They have many famous burgers, and their very own burger bar, but I feel like I just have to mention the Trump Tower Burger. It’s two grilled cheese sandwiches with a burger patty, fried mac and cheese, and cheese sauce, served with fries.
Look, I know that it may not be the best for your health, but it’ll certainly be the best for your taste buds. And to me, that’s an extremely fair trade-off.
Backyard Brewery and Kitchen
1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester NH 03109
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This Manchester native brewpub offers the best of the best house made beers and American grub.
These guys feature a burger bar with tons of added options for you to create the burger of your dreams, as well as some of their creative burger specials.
A must try here is the Back Porch Bison Burger. This one is complete with onion straws, lettuce, and B1 steak sauce.
Strange Brew Tavern
88 Market St. Manchester, NH 03101
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Google describes this place as a “rollicking, off-beat watering hole.” I couldn’t agree more.
This tucked away local place has the most beers on draft that I’ve ever seen anywhere.
And what better way to wash them down than with a big, fat, juicy, burger.
They have a whole menu full of specialty burgers, just waiting for you to explore. Believe me, you’ll want to eat them all in one sitting.
The star of their burger show is most certainly the “Jimmy ‘The Greek.’” This lamb burger is topped with feta, Kalamata tapenade, pepperoncini, roasted Garlic aioli, and red onions. My mouth is watering just typing that one out.
The Crown Tavern
99 Hanover St, Manchester, NH 03101
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This stylish retro style venue is always bustling with people having the best of times, whether inside or on their outdoor patio.
It’s no secret that such a place like this would serve such delicious food, particularly their house burger.
This restaurant doesn’t have a massive burger selection, but their veggie burger, the Quinoa Vegetable Burger, is just too delicious to not include.
This 100% veggie burger is topped with BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, crispy onions, and VT cheddar. Whether you’re a natural vegetarian or full blown carnivore, this burger is something that you absolutely have to try.
Is there a burger in Manchester that you love that I haven’t tried yet? Let me know in the comment section so I can try it for myself and add it to the list!
