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Nashua is an idyllic city, just 40 miles outside of Boston, with enough small-town charm to feel worlds away. Visit nearby historic sights and experience a slower pace of life. While you’re there, you’ll definitely need to eat, and The Culture Trip has found 10 spots for fantastic brunch and breakfast fare.

Downtown Nashua

Bud’s Restaurant

Restaurant, American

If you are looking for uncomplicated food with warm service, Bud’s Restaurant offers just that. The restaurant is blink-and-you-might-miss-it small, but it’s well worth a visit. The menu serves all-American classics at unbeatable prices. During breakfast hours, pancakes, omelets and french toast dishes are extremely popular. To appease a big appetite, go for the Hungry Man Special, two pancakes or french toast with two eggs and home fries. There is nothing fancy about this breakfast spot, it’s just a great place to get homestyle breakfast plates without breaking the bank. Some customers do complain about the restaurant not having ample parking, though, so perhaps carpool with a friend.

City Room Café

Cafe, Restaurant, American, Vegetarian

Located on Pearl Street in the heart of downtown Nashua, City Room Café is a truly charming restaurant. It sits along a historic row of storefronts, including barber shops and boutiques. The interior of the café utilizes exposed brick and high, tiled ceilings to create a homey and comfortable atmosphere. City Room’s menu is a delightful mix of classic breakfast dishes, with surprising twists. Try a plate of key lime pancakes, or an avocado Eggs Benedict with fiery habanero hollandaise sauce. A change of seasons also brings new special dishes like pumpkin crumb pancakes and harvest hash, a mix of turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and stuffing.

Donna’s Place

Bakery, Cafe, American, Vegetarian, Pastries

Midfield Café is located at the Nashua Airport
○ MarkBuckawicki/WikiCommons
Donna’s Place is technically in Hudson, New Hampshire. But it lies just beyond the Merrimack River to the east and is only two miles from the center of Nashua. The end of a small strip mall seems like an unlikely place for a homestyle café, but Donna’s Place is a hidden gem. The interior is understated, with minimal décor, specials are hand-written on a whiteboard. But the food is fresh and mostly made from scratch. Every day, a bakery case displays house-made pastries, muffins, and salads that make a perfect breakfast when paired with coffee or tea. Or go with something heartier, like chicken and waffles, meatloaf, or farm-fresh eggs, cooked to your liking.

Midfield Café

Cafe, Restaurant, American, French

Midfield Café has, perhaps, the most unique location of any restaurant on the list, you can find it situated inside the Nashua Municipal Airport. Sit back and watch private, charter, and military airplanes fly in and out while you enjoy your breakfast. The restaurant has received accolades from the community and is a local favorite. With a small but precise menu, Midfield Café serves generous portions and stick-to-your-ribs standards. Fan favorites include the Eggs Benedict with lobster, a breakfast quesadilla with steak and cheese, and raisin bread french toast. It’s the best place in town to get great food, right on the edge of a runway.

Norton’s Classic Café

Cafe, Diner, Fast Food

You really can’t get much more retro than Norton’s Classic Café. Set on a corner in downtown Nashua, this cafe is 100% vintage American diner. The interior playfully pays homage to a bygone era, with black-and-white checkered tile floors, turquoise and pink vinyl seats, and even booths made out of old cars. Pictures on the wall show movie stars and crooners from the ’50s. This is the type of place where you order a good old shortstack. Of course, you could also go with breakfast dishes like the Chevy Bel-Air (eggs, meat, home fries, and toast) or the 54 Mercury (poached eggs with corned beef hash). Norton’s even has an old jukebox, so pick your favorite tune and dream of happy days.

Not Your Average Joe’s

Cafe, Restaurant, American, Contemporary

Jump on the juicing bandwagon at Pressed Café
○ Erik Forsberg/Flickr
Okay, Not Your Average Joe’s isn’t just exclusive to Nashua, but it is certainly worth mentioning. The small chain has multiple locations across New England and has been in Nashua for some time. But, to the delight of locals, it recently started serving breakfast and brunch on Sundays. The same creative take on classic dishes that guests have come to expect during lunch and dinner hours is now available for late-morning noshing on the weekend. House specialties include corn flake french toast that is crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle and a grilled hangar steak with romesco sauce and eggs. And of course, Not Your Average Joe’s prides itself on its mixology skills, so order something to cure your Saturday night hangover. A Grapefruit Collins with fresh-squeezed juice and gin or a strawberry basil margarita is sure to cure what ails you.

Pressed Café

Cafe, Healthy, Tea , Vegetarian

Pressed Café is dedicated to making fresh, tasty, and healthy food, sans pretentious thoughts of any kind. Breakfast items are actually on the menu all day long, so you can roll out of bed as late as you want. Pressed is especially known for whole-fruit juices and smoothies, all made-to-order from fresh produce. Get your day started with an apple and ginger juice, or go for something more indulgent like the carrot cake, carrot, ginger, and apple juice, topped with cinnamon. For a heftier meal, you can also get a breakfast burrito or breakfast sandwich.

Riverwalk Café & Music Bar

Bar, Cafe, Restaurant, American, Beer, Coffee

At its core, Riverwalk Café & Music Bar is a lively local haunt. This is more than just a restaurant, it has great food with equally good live entertainment. During the morning hours, stop by for the best cup of coffee in town. For something to sink your teeth into, try one of the breakfast sandwiches. Each one is assembled on a house-made biscuit that melts in your mouth. Add eggs, cheese, veggies, and meat, and you have a meal that you won’t forget. No matter what time of day you go, the vibe is laid-back and welcoming.

The Seedling Café

Cafe, Restaurant, American

The Seedling Café is refreshingly uncomplicated, serving honest and simple breakfast standards. It is frequented during lunch time by local business-workers for on-point sandwiches and salads, but it’s also excellent for weekday or weekend breakfast with the family. Seating is ample at the restaurant, so there typically isn’t a wait. One of the most popular dishes is a light-hearted take on a favorite children’s book, green eggs and ham. At The Seedling Café, the dish is made with poached eggs, ham, an english muffin, and pesto sauce. For something on the sweeter side, go for a house-made cinnamon roll.

Suzie's Diner

Diner, Restaurant, American

This is another restaurant that is just across the river from Nashua, but it’s well known for quite some distance around. Suzie’s Diner is incredibly popular with locals for its consistently good food and excellent service. The interior looks like a retro diner, and the kitchen serves diner standards. Country classics take center stage on the menu, with favorites like biscuits and gravy, kielbasa and eggs, and Texas toast. With family values and small-town hospitality, Suzie’s Diner is just a feel-good place where people like to be.
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