Goldenrod Drive-In Restaurant

Seafood plates that will make jaws drop.

“The expression is like, Oh, I really hope I'm sharing this, because I can't eat this by myself.

A vibe that will make you feel like a kid again.

“You just feel like it's back in the 80s.”

Served in a place that will bring you back.

“Nostalgia plays a big part in our restaurant.”

For a delicious taste of the days gone by,  it’s time to take a ride out to the Goldenrod Drive-in.

Set on Candia Road in Manchester, New Hampshire, the Goldenrod Restaurant is a beloved institution that’s been serving all of your favorite comfort foods for decades. Owners Richard Webber and Ron DiBurro are carrying on a legacy started way back by two brothers.

“Nick and George Spiro got out of World War Two, and they opened the Goldenrod and decided, well, this is the main road to the beach. Why not open a drive in? So they opened the drive-in in July 1951.”

And since 1951, they’ve been serving hearty meals at pocket friendly prices- whether you order at the window and dine at one of their picnic tables, or get comfortable in their casual family friendly dining room.

“It brings you back to simpler times. You come in. You get the feel.  You get the smell.  You get the nostalgia.  You get a little bit of the old time classic feel, with the stainless steel and the floors and the tables and the booths, and you just get a great meal.  It's kind of like a blast from the past.”

And everything is as fresh as it gets; from their juicy chicken tenders to their hot crispy onion rings made right on site.

“We get fresh seafood six days a week. We get fresh chicken tenders probably four days a week. We try to keep everything rotated and going, and we try to serve the best thing possible.”

Since it is always fresh and local, seafood is an absolute must and nothing quite tops Goldenrod’s Seafood Plate.  It’s so big, most customers end up sharing.

“Our seafood comes in fresh six days a week. It comes with a mound of food. It comes with a six ounce portion of haddock, five shrimp, half pint of bellies, and a half pint of scallops as well. The quality, you can’t beat it.”

Fans of clams with bellies will want to order their overloaded Fried Clam Roll.

“It comes with a heaping amount of bellies on a nice grilled hot dog roll.  You just taste the crispness of the roll, because it's grilled, and then you get the clam seafood flavor, and it's just to die for.”

And there’s one special that’s so special you’ll find it on the menu everyday: Goldenrod’s Lobster Roll.

“George Spiro told me never to put it on the menu. Only put it as a special, but serve it every day.  It's a nice portion of lobster. It's tossed with a little light mayonnaise, and it comes on a grilled hot dog roll and the flavor is fantastic.”

And for the ultimate seafood meal deal, nothing tops the Fishwich.

“That I think is the greatest value here, because it is a huge piece of fish. Most people that order it, they just take it off the bun and they eat it like a fish plate.”

Since both Richard and Ron spent time working at Manchester’s iconic Puritan Backroom, chicken tenders had to be on the menu- and they attribute the flavor to their meticulous tender training.

“We were definitely trained by the masters.  We use an organic chicken.   We marinate them.  We have a special breader.  We deep fry them. They should be a nice golden brown. And when you bite them, you feel it. They just kind of pop.  Because of the marinade, they're sweet. And we make a homemade duck sauce here that you dip it in as well and they're delicious.”

They’re so delicious in fact, the whole family will want to get some- so they created a meal deal for just that.

“You get five pounds of chicken tenders.  You get a large french fry, and you get a pint of coleslaw.   I mean, nowadays, not much is pocket friendly. So we try to do our best to keep prices down.”

For all that chickeny goodness on a roll, try Goldenrod’s fried chicken sandwich.

“You bite into it, you see a little juice come out. You cook it perfect. It's nice, golden brown.  You definitely have to try the fried chicken sandwich.”

Other handhelds include a snappy hot dog- loaded up with relish, mustard and onions.  Juicy burgers topped with lots of cheese and bacon and one of the best steak and cheese subs around.

“It's a nice portion. It's about seven ounces of steak and cheese and we throw it on the grill. We peppers and onions. It's perfect.”

And once dinner’s over, ice cream is almost a requirement with 37 flavors of both hard and soft serve available in a cup, cone or as part of Goldenrod’s Banana Split.

“The banana splits’ a nice ripe banana, three of your favorite flavors.  And then on top, you have pineapple, chocolate sauce on the chocolate, and fresh strawberries, whipped cream and nuts if you like that. Or you can use chocolate sprinkles or rainbow sprinkles.”

“I've seen people take it down, but usually somebody will share it either with a loved one or a child. It makes it easy.”

And for Richard and his staff, the hours are long and the work is never easy- but carrying on this delicious legacy makes it all worthwhile.

“You think back to when you were a kid, and you would do this with your family you get that kind of feeling and would bring you back. And I think that's why people keep coming.”