Airport Diner

Boy did this menu change. Been going here when attending race every year for 4 years.Since we have stayed in adjacent hotel, which by the way has gone downhill too, we had sometimes eaten multiple meals there due to convenience.Not this year.Gone was the menu of the past with reasonable prices and fantastic portions to some that has been subjected to change worse than Obama’s term in office. No life to the place anymore,higher prices, and smaller portions. Found old menu on line and was shocked when compared to new version. A penny saved is now a penny taken.

When I arrived around Noon on a Thursday, there was no line, and I sat at the counter immediately. When I left, there was a short line, but there was still counter seating available with no wait.

I ordered meatloaf; I usually get either meatloaf or country fried steak on a first lunch visit. The meatloaf was fantastic. With the mashed potatoes and side veggies, there was more food than I should have eaten. I was still full late that evening.

The coffee was very good. I don’t usually ask for a second cup, but this time, I did.

One unusual thing about the Airport Diner: The waitresses are not behind the counter. That area is reserved for the cooks. The waitresses approach guests from behind. The meal was served by one of the cooks.

Despite this, the waitress checked back with me several times. When I asked for a glass of water, it arrived within a minute.

Be sure to check out the lights that hang over the counter. They are airport runway lights.

The Airport Diner is located in the Holiday Inn just south of I-293/NH101 on Brown Ave. You enter the parking lot from a side street just south of the diner. When you leave, you have to turn right, then make two left turns around the block to get back to Brown Avenue, but this takes you to a traffic light which makes it easy to make a left turn back to the highway.

The Airport Diner in Manchester is part of a group of restaurants in the New England area. Among them are the Tilton Diner and the Common Man restaurants. Schleping around town with my cousin we decided that diner food was needed and having heard nothing but good things about this place we decided to check it out. The service was friendly, if not the speediest and the food was definitely in the higher end of the diner fare that i’ve had. Bonus for the waitress not getting miffed about my building a leaning tower of creamer packets (and then bulldozing it with my spoon) while waiting for our food.