rant about NH dining (Merrimack, Portsmouth: spring break, apartment, how much)

[mrdude]

[rant]so this is my second week of dining in new hampshire; one week during spring break, and this week while i've been stuck in a hotel waiting for my apartment to get ready (i move in tomorrow. yay!). since my hotel room does not have a kitchen, i've been dining out almost every night and have noticed a few things i don't like.

1) drinks do not get refilled. in two weeks, i have only had my drink refilled once and it was only because i asked for it. this is especially absurd considering that many restaurants charge over $2 for a drink.
2) high prices. i have yet to find a burger for under $7, and many are $9. i used to cook at a burger place that had the best burgers in the entire state, and they were around $6. overall, it's almost twice as expensive here. it costs around $15 a person for a casual meal. also, i forgot to mention that most places charge $4-5 for a beer, compared to $1-1.50 in auburn.
3) poor service. the servers are nice and friendly, but are very slow (sometimes taking 5 minutes just to get a to-go box), don't refill drinks, and either disappear until it's time for the check, or they stop by your table every other minute to ask how you're doing.[/rant]

at the old restaurant where i worked there were tons of managers who had degrees in restaurant management and many of them plan to eventually open their own restaurant. i'm considering asking them to start up a restaurant here. just imagine how successful they would be with good food, affordable prices, and servers who actually know how to refill a drink.

[ontheroad]

I haven't eaten in many NH restaurants, but recently while in the Gorham area I ate out three times: once was close to your assessment; the other two times, one of which was at the same restaurant, were as pleasant as other towns/cities/states.

One of the two restaurants made me think about the differences in style: an experienced staff vs. an untrained staff, but I frankly didn't attribute it to New Hampshire.

Years ago I frequently ate in the Portsmouth area--always satisfied.

It may be just the restaurants you selected or perhaps service overall is declining everywhere (that is my surmise).

[GregW]

Try patronizing different restruants. The places we go to have always refilled drinks and provided service within the constraints of the crowding.

[unknown stuntman]

I think it depends ultimately on what type of restaurants you are patronizing. There are exceptions of course in each instance, but chains vs. locally owned restaurants make for the greatest variance. Chain restaurants generally have saturated the market to such a degree and pay so little, the quality of help is subpar, service and managment wise. Morale is understandably low....phony, rehearsed introductions, overly nitpicky standards of how to present this, clean this, etc... .Also, as long as the minimum wage in the service industry remains approximately a third of what it is in the rest of the employment field, these corportaions don't mind using these "servants" so to speak.....janitorial work for all intents and purposes and many aren't acute to just how much back breaking work waiting tables really is. It is far from being simply smiling, taking orders and presenting/clearing dishes! To boot, the main demographic who makes up the serving industry are 18-24 year olds, and frankly, at that age, people may be providing a "service", but are more apt to be self-serving individuals at that stage of life and the lack of genunity even when appearing to smile: I think this is a huge turn-off to many customers who can see right thru the act.
Small locally owned businesses including restaurants seem more particular about the young people they hire and it shows in the attitudes. The best and most genuine service I have received generally has come from this same age bracket, but generally in the local establishments. Besides the food is generally much better. The one exception might be the casual dining establishments on the shoreline, NH included. "Build it where you can see the sand and sunset, and they will come". My experience has been that alot of these places too suffer from inadequate service and shoddy food. There is no incentive to give a hoot.

[Pawporri]

So what if you have to ask. You can always find fault if you look. I have been out to eat all over and usually it's okay and when it's not I don't go back.

Carrie

[nibseysgirl]

Originally Posted by mrdude

[rant]so this is my second week of dining in new hampshire; one week during spring break, and this week while i've been stuck in a hotel waiting for my apartment to get ready (i move in tomorrow. yay!). since my hotel room does not have a kitchen, i've been dining out almost every night and have noticed a few things i don't like.

1) drinks do not get refilled. in two weeks, i have only had my drink refilled once and it was only because i asked for it. this is especially absurd considering that many restaurants charge over $2 for a drink.
2) high prices. i have yet to find a burger for under $7, and many are $9. i used to cook at a burger place that had the best burgers in the entire state, and they were around $6. overall, it's almost twice as expensive here. it costs around $15 a person for a casual meal. also, i forgot to mention that most places charge $4-5 for a beer, compared to $1-1.50 in auburn.
3) poor service. the servers are nice and friendly, but are very slow (sometimes taking 5 minutes just to get a to-go box), don't refill drinks, and either disappear until it's time for the check, or they stop by your table every other minute to ask how you're doing.[/rant]

at the old restaurant where i worked there were tons of managers who had degrees in restaurant management and many of them plan to eventually open their own restaurant. i'm considering asking them to start up a restaurant here. just imagine how successful they would be with good food, affordable prices, and servers who actually know how to refill a drink.

Where have you dined? I can recommend plenty of good places in the seacost area of NH. As far as the refil delemia...I can honestly say I have never had that issue in NH or any area around there...I very rarely had to ask and I never paid near 10.00 for a burger unless it came with alot of sides...
Take Care
Lisa

[Parsec]

How's your new apartment? Did you move from Auburn as in the home of Aubie the Tiger, or Auburn Mass? If you're coming from the south, then yes. Restaurants up here in general don't have as great service. The iced tea sucks. Prices are very expensive. Food isn't as great. It's not worth eating at casual restaurants here unless you find the one or two places in town that are local favorites. The more upscale restaurants ($25+/entree), on the other hand, are much better and have better service too. If you don't feel like cooking, you'd be better off going to Panera or Boston Market.

[mrdude]

Originally Posted by Parsec

How's your new apartment? Did you move from Auburn as in the home of Aubie the Tiger, or Auburn Mass? If you're coming from the south, then yes. Restaurants up here in general don't have as great service. The iced tea sucks. Prices are very expensive. Food isn't as great. It's not worth eating at casual restaurants here unless you find the one or two places in town that are local favorites. The more upscale restaurants ($25+/entree), on the other hand, are much better and have better service too. If you don't feel like cooking, you'd be better off going to Panera or Boston Market.

i moved from auburn alabama (war eagle!), which has plenty of great casual dining places, so that is probably what 'pushed me over the edge' about places here.
i have noticed that there are quite a few upscale restaurants here, so after i get my first big paycheck i'll have to go check them out.

[southward bound]

For a really fine dining experience - and royal treatment that we're not usually used to in NH - at very reasonable prices by the way -- try the Silver Maple in Merrimack, right on Rt. 3 in the heart of town. It's truly a treat.

It was the first time I'd been to a restaurant in NH where the waiter pulled out the chair for me and helped me get seated! Talk about feeling pampered!
The meals are great, the service is attentive, the prices are good.

[399083453]

1) drinks do not get refilled - Your right
2) high prices. - Correct
3) poor service. - Thats normal in Portsmouth

But I do have to disagree on the chains. Chains have given me better service than private restaurants. I think its in part to the managers and floor managers breathing down their necks and super strict rules. Or it may be part to the huge turn over in staff.

I rarely ever see a floor manager in a private restaurant. Its kinda like every server for themselves and if the customers are happy its a bonus.

I rarely ever get good service in restaurants, anywhere, especially Portsmouth. I've guess I have just gotten used to it.