Living in an area where the main industry is tourists, we are fortunate to have a good selection of restaurants. However, some of the best are hidden gems that are frequented more by locals than the tourists. One of these sits in a strip mall in the town of Conway, New Hampshire.

Bea’s Cafe serves only breakfast an lunch. It’s lighter fare and fairly inexpensive. There are some nice pictures on the walls from local artists, but other than that there’s not much in the way of decor or atmosphere. It has the feeling of a diner, but it’s small size and down-home feel takes it up a step from traditional city diners.

For breakfast, there is a wide selection of items from traditional eggs and meat, pancakes, and French toast to more exotic offerings such as special toppings or fillings, Eggs benedict, and hash. Each day has some specials, and with it being blueberry season around here some of the more recent have involved fresh blueberries. When you’re in a rural area, the season influences the menu quite a bit.

My favorite for breakfast is cubed bits of ham with cheese and eggs. The eggs are tender and moist, not rubbery. When I have eggs and bacon, I order it well done And it’s perfectly crispy, rather than burned or soggy. The most popular items in Bea’s Cafe are probably their omlets. I have had the western one with the usual fillings numerous times and it’s always delicious. The toast is excellent as well, with a selection to choose from as well as English muffins. My one complaint is the potatoes. These are cubed frozen potatoes with no real seasoning. I like potatoes that are fresh and seasoned, rather than these frozen ones.

The pancakes are good as well. I don’t usually have them but when I pick at what the kids have I get a nice sampling. Of all the places we can choose in town for breakfast, the kids will ask to go here most of all.

With my work schedule, I’m not awake all that much for lunch, so a trip to Bea’s Cafe is usually for breakfast, which would be my dinner. I have gone there on a few occasions during the noontime hour. Generally, it’s less crowded than at breakfast, although you can get breakfast items all day. For lunch, there are a variety of sandwiches to choose from as well as burgers. I like to get a cup of soup and the daily offerings are up on a board. The chowders especially are very good. I like to get the BLT. It doesn’t come out greasy, but nice and crispy. This makes for a filling lunch without overdoing it.

The staff is terrific. The owners will stop and chat as they are usually one the premises. The waitresses get to know people as well. They are fast with the service, whether it’s to refill a cup of the delicious coffee or to bring the order to the table. At times, I have seen it get very busy and the service does suffer a bit. However, it doesn’t seem to affect getting hot food to the table, only possibly waiting for a check or refills on drinks or coffee.

The meals here are fairly inexpensive. I can go with a friend for breakfast, and we generally pay about $10.00. With the two kids, I usually pay shy of $15.00. There’s no real kids menu to speak of, so I just order off of the regular menu and ask for just a single pancake or egg instead of a combination. The older kids eat off of the adult menu fine, and they are the ones who are usually asking to go here if we want to have breakfast out.

Bea’s Cafe is a nice place for breakfast or a light lunch. It’s inexpensive and the locals frequent it, which says something about the prices and quality. The crowd isn’t intimidating and includes everyone from construction and farm workers to families and businessmen. It’s been in the little strip mall for quite some time and will last for quite a while longer. It might not be in the heart of the shopping area, but the prices reflect that as well.


Other Places to eat in New Hampshire:

Cafe Noche, Conway NH ~ Decades Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Delaney‘s Hole in the Wall, North Conway NH ~ Harts Turkey Farm, Meredith NH ~ May Kelly's Cottage, North Conway NH ~ Merlino's Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Moat Mountain Smokehouse, North Conway NH ~ Muddy Moose, North Conway NH ~ Peach's Restauran, North Conway NH ~ Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub, Glen NH ~ Yankee Smokehouse, West Ossipee NH

Sites to see in New Hampshire:

Attitash Bear Peak Ski Resort ~ Bretton Woods Ski Resort ~ Canobie Lake Park ~ Cranmore Mountain Ski Resort ~ Franconia Notch State Park ~ King Pine Ski Resort ~ Loon Mountain Ski Resort ~ Madison Boulder Natural Area ~ Mount Washington Cog Railway ~ North Conway, NH  ~ Polar Express Event ~ Shawnee Peak, Bridgeton ME ~ Six Gun City ~ Story Land ~ Whale's Tale Waterpark ~ White Lake State Park ~ White Mountain National Forest ~ Wildcat Mountain

Some places to stay in New Hampshire:

Attitash Mountain Village - Bartlett NH ~ Comfort Inn & Suites - North Conway NH ~ Hampton Inn - Concord/Bow NH ~ Yankee Clipper Motel

Books about the area:

Appalachian Mountain Club White Mountain Guide ~ 50 Hikes in the White Mountains 




© 2008 Patti Aliventi

Recommended: Yes

Kid Friendliness: Yes