The Puritan Backroom is a quintessential restaurant in southern New Hampshire. The chicken tenders are a favorite of all, including myself. The service can be slow when busy, but it is always worth the wait. The restaurant is clean, intimate, and a classic place to eat out. read more

If you are looking for some amazing chicken tenders than look no further because this is your place to be! The Puritan Backroom is a nice American cuisine restaurant in Manchester, NH. This place is very large and has a ton of seating. So if you are looking for a good place to bring a larger group than I would highly consider the Puritan Backroom. I first started coming her about a year ago after my step mother just couldn't stop raving about their chicken tenders. I always thought that chicken tenders were a simple food and that the taste rarely varied from one place to another..... Well let me just say, I am so happy that I came here and ordered the chicken tenders as they are absolutely fantastic. They have a few options, the traditional, the spicy, buffalo, and coconut. If its your first time, I highly recommend sticking with the traditional, however the others are also very tasty. With the traditional tenders you get a side sauce which I believe is a homemade sweet and sour. This is amazing!!! Also the portion is HUGE. This is a meal that you can easily share with someone else or have left overs for later! With that said I will also note that ALL of the portions here are very large! So come hungry! Also, I can't forget to mention the mudslides. If you are a mudslide fan, then you will be in heaven here. They have so many different options..... from Milky Way to Almond Joy to Churro..... and many more. I'm pretty sure I have tried them all and they all do have a unique and delicious taste. All the staff is always friendly and there is plenty of staff working and available to help you if needed. Next time you are craving a mudslide or chicken tenders make sure you come here.... you won't regret it! read more

Oh the Puritan Backroom...if you can get pass the name, which basically sounds like a colonial-themed adult entertainment room, you are in for an epic experience. First off, the Puritan Backroom is known for their mudslides and chicken tenders. Their mudslides are literally amazeballs and come in every flavor you can imagine. Churro mudslide? got it. Snicker mudslide? YUP. Almond Joy, Milky Way...just think of any candy bar and they have it in mudslide form. They even have some mudslides with fireball and Grand Marnier in them. My personal favorite is the Snicker mudslide, which is incredibly good. All the mudslides come in a decent-sized glass however, be prepared to drop $11 for one. Secondly, the chicken tenders. The tenders are primarily why my husband and I make our way to the Puritan Backroom, because they are really good. With the chicken tenders, you can get original, spicy or buffalo. I prefer the spicy which has a really nice seasoning, but I am not totally crazy about the buffalo. Each chicken tender plate is served with a house-made duck sauce and comes with fries that are deliciously crispy! Although they are known for their tenders, they have a variety of other options on their menu. They have sandwiches, pasta dishes, and other diner-like food. Now the ambiance...I can't quite place the aesthetic of the restaurant. When you walk in, you instantly get a diner feel with the red/maroonish carpeting and the rustic lighting. However, they also have these beautiful modernized wooden beams that almost seem out of place. Then as you look around the room, the walls are swallowed by paintings...paintings of a man wearing a sombrero, paintings of a geisha, modern/abstract paintings...the aesthetic is kind of all over the place, which almost gives the restaurant a quirky charm, but for me it ends up just being distracting and odd. Overall, this is a great place for some mudslides and diner-esque food when you are in the Manchester area. Definitely some place to check out, even if it is to admire and/or contemplate the odd decor. read more

The coconut chicken is the best! The house made duck sauce is also a must have.

The Puritan Backroom has been around Manchester for a very long time, and the reason why is that they have good food and friendly staff. This review is about their function rooms, and in particular for their "memorial" meal service. I recently planned a loved one's funeral, and the Puritan Backroom was very easy to deal with, and reasonably priced. They helped with this meal on very short notice. To the staff at the Backroom: thank you. You made a very sad day more bearable. (oh yes, the chicken fingers are every bit as good as I remembered, and the greek salad with a giant piece of feta, the same.) read more

Any chicken tender fans out there? Anyone trying to find the place with the best chicken tenders in the world? Look no further I can officially tell you the best chicken tenders are hands down the ones at puritan back room in Manchester NH. I went last night with a couple friends from work. They are the most tender I've ever had and the crust on the outside is absolutely the most delicious crust on chicken tenders I've ever tried. It doesn't stop there though the duck sauce for dipping is incredible. You can also choose between regular buffalo or coconut tenders. They also have a homemade ice cream place that's really really good. I got the baklava ice cream. No negative comments whatsoever. Get to the puritan back room ASAP and try the best chicken tenders in the world. Service was exceptional very attentive waitress. The restaurant itself is absolutely fantastic. read more

If I am in Manchester, then I am going to stop at the Puritan Backroom. I just love their chicken tenders with Duck sauce, crispy fries and a great salad. The serving is more than you can eat at one meal and I take the left overs home for the next day. The service has always been very good also. If you haven't been, then you should go. read more

Generally we go here for takeout only. Everything that people say about the chicken tenders are true-they're that good. If you do decide to dine-in, the service is kinda meh-yes it's busy but expect to wait to get your table, and expect to wait a lot during the meal. I recommend that chicken-farm plate, but I warn you that the portion size is gigantic-I'm a big eater and I can only eat half of it before getting full! read more

The Backroom is the best in town! The food is consistently great. The staff and servers are always great as well. We always request Judy! She is wonderful. We have been enjoying the Puritan as a family for years! Definitely recommend. read more

Puritan is an American tradition! The chicken tenders are tremendous, their service is great, and you can't beat their homemade Backroom duck sauce! read more

The past Saturday, There's always a line for their ice cream, what can anyone say? It's worth it!! I ordered a small sugar cone if Baklava and my husband ordered a small Pistachio in a cup, he was hoping for Rum Raisin and his next few choices were also not available! There was a long list of flavors that weren't available and it was before the average dinner time. Mine came out with way more ice cream than my husbands. Both were delicious and loaded with more nuts and baklava than anything other place. We stop here every time that we're in the area! Thank you! read more

This is probably my favorite restaurant in the area. Things have changed a ton since COVID, but they still have the absolute best food in the area. read more

Puritan is an iconic establishment here in Manchester. One of the oldest and most valued restaurants in the city of Manchester, you can't pass up their famous chicken tenders, Greek salads and mudslides upon visit! Puritan is so well known, you're likely to encounter a political candidate or even Adam Sandler on visit . Additionally, Some of the best ice cream in the state of NH! read more

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Really good food, was only disappointed at the lack of the coconut tenders early afternoon. But we ordered Buffalo and it was tasty. Stock up on that coconut stuff guys, we will be back for it read more

Chicken tenders are all the reasons why all my friends and myself come here for. I usually get the spicy tenders with a side of Buffalo and BBQ sauce. The traditional ones actually had more flavor so sometimes I get that. I got something different one other time, but it wasn't worth it so every time I drive 45 Mins to Manchester, I get the tenders. Also getting the meal portion with fries is more than another for one person for me. Place is always packed and you usually always have to wait a while on busy days. read more

Puritan Backroom - Chicken tenders meal.. can almost be shared between 2 people. They give you a lot. Love dipping these in a side of buffalo sauce. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Manchester, New Hampshire

Large menu, but limited options for vegetables. As a part of my normal diet I eat a large volume of vegetables every day and eating here made that difficult with the only vegetable options being the vegetable of the day and salad. Nicely a Greek salad was included with every meal. My colleagues got the broiled chicken tenders and the broiled scallops. Both enjoyed the meals and said they were very good. I had the broiled haddock with rice and green beans, small amount of veggies included as a side but the food all tasted good. None of us got the fried chicken tenders but they were enjoyed by a group at a table near by and were highly recommended. Good food for the price, even with my limitations based on vegetable offerings. read more

While vacationing in the northeast I decided to drive up to New Hampshire and meet a friend for lunch. The place was easy to find right off the highway. Theres a large private parking lot that was nearly full when I arrived. The parking spaces were a little tight for a large SUV like the one I was driving but I made it work. Once inside I found a large and sort of dated dining room. Plenty of tables and booths to accommodate everyone and there's even a few private rooms for large parties or private events. We were seated in a booth and handed menus to look over. My friend said they're known for their chicken tenders so I didn't even bother looking over the menu. Choice of 2 sides, I went with fries and house salad w ranch dressing. The entree portions were huge. I probably ate 3 tenders before being full and had another 6-7 pieces to take home. The tenders were well breaded n seasoned and tasted great. The fries were average and the salad was satisfactory. Id definitely recommend them and return if in the area again. Good food and value, our waitress was friendly and efficient. read more

Large portions. Great home style food with a large variety on the menu. Have been getting ice cream from here for decades as well. Pizza was great. Chicken fingers are amazing. Very nice lobster roll. All around a great spot. read more

Puritan was a one of the legendary restaurant of Manchester. I remember the days that if you don't stop to eat in Puritan, you would not be considered to visit Manchester. The food is still OK. Their chicken is still pretty good. Service is spotty during busy times which is kind a understandable. The restaurant shows its age and in need of renovation. I strongly recommend you stop by and get an ice cream on the way out. read more

I really only order take out from here but this place is awesome. Puritan has a good rep for their chicken tenders. I would recommend getting the chicken tender plate. It's 15 bucks comes with a massive portion of chicken tenders and two sides. Get the coconut chicken tenders they're very good. read more

This place has been a go to for years for us. Sadly though, the downhill slide is very noticeable. Prices have gone up, quality and value down. Last few times orders aren't complete, fries and sides missing. Check out the picture- this cost $30! 8 scallops and it's soggy. No side. Very disappointing the last few times. There are better options for take out. read more

Puritan Backroom - Haddock and scallops - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Manchester, New Hampshire

Place is an institution with a huge following. Could be there chicken tenders? Or their mudslides? Either way always I leave this place with a smile on my face and all of the wait staff seem to know what they are doing. read more

We came to this restaurant 2 days ago and ended up leaving before we even ordered. Our waitress was so unbelievably rude. We sat down and waited for her for over 10 minutes. She finally showed up and asked our drink order while not even looking at us. We asked if we could order our food at the same time and her response was "nope, not yet" with a major attitude and walked away. We got right up and left. We come here every once and awhile but won't be back after that experience with this awful waitress. read more

Another one star, every time I see come here with a big party it's the absolute worst service we ever receive. We arrived at 12:30 with s party of 9 that they wouldn't even take a reservation for, it took forever to be seated and then we sat there for literally an entire hour wondering where our food was. And the irony was that we ordered our food when we placed our drink order because we were on a time constraint. So we were there for 1.5 hours for lunch. Pretty awful. The server took forever to come to us to begin with, then took forever to bring drinks. OMG definitely the LAST time we will make this mistake, no matter how good the tenders are. They don't make up for the awful service. Never bring a big party here, it completely throws them off. read more

The service itself was very good, waiters ate very kind. The ambiance was kinda old fashioned, but I enjoyed it. And the food was amazing, the fries were perfectly crispy and this is easily one of the best restaurants I have ever been to and I'm a very picky eater. Overall I would certainly recommend this place if you wanna go for a relaxing dinner. read more

If you want mouth watering chicken tenders then this is the place to be! This is a very popular place to be at. Very nice environment and the people are so welcoming. I went on a Saturday late afternoon with a party of 7 and we had to wait about 20 minutes but wasn't bad at all considering the amount of people that were also waiting. Highly recommend this place! I will be returning soon!! read more

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Not sure what the big deal is. Service is slow and food is not great. Greek salad is good. Good place to get a drink but I just don't get the big attraction. Even basic food like a cheeseburger club is dry and lifeless. Sorry, I know you're an institution. read more

Chicken tenders and mudslides and martinis what more is there to say... oh ice cream! We love the Puritan it's where we go for all family functions and sometimes even date night. The chicken tender meal is enough to share. I love the Greek salad so yummy with the dressing and block of feta cheese yum! The pita bread is delicious and the sweet potato fries are awesome! Best Tito's martini w a twist in Manchester- for the volume and price- the staff are friendly- love this place! read more

This 5 stars is for our waitress! Michelle! She was the best ever! She was awesome! She was right there when needed. She had a few coughing fits but as she had them she excused her self and left the area, come back this happened a few times, but She came back and finished taking our order. ( most waitresses would have stood there coughing Never excusing themselves). It was like she knew we wanted something, and she'd be there without our us trying to get her attention. Great great waitress! The food was wonderful and mudslides the best! At the end Michele brought us over a big dish of a ice cream desert apologized for her coughing. She went above and beyond any waitress we've ever had. I was so full and had so much left overs! read more

Haddock Sandwich - Changed my life. Just realized I never finished nor submitted this review over a year later. Oops. Why do I not just delete the review then and move on, with nobody the wiser? Because, even though over a year has passed, I still remember that dang sandwich. I'm glad Puritan will definitely survive this current crisis. I'd be very sad if it did, for multiple reasons, but one of them would be not being able to look forward to the next fish sandwich. Why was it so long between visits? Because, I live 100 miles away and rarely travel. Yet, I know in my heart I will find (or make) a reason to visit again. Thank you. read more

Great place!! Very good service, big portions, and their mudslide is delicious! It gets very busy, so try to go on a weekday in the early afternoon. read more

Excellent spicy chicken fingers. My wife had the Greek Mac n cheese which was surprisingly good. Also, definitely try the mudslides. You won't be disappointed! read more

Puritan Backroom - Drink menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Manchester, New Hampshire

What can I say - food / service / quality and ambiance was truly the best. Highly recommend their famous Chicken Tenders and homemade ice cream. Best value in Manchester! read more

Hands brown the best chicken tenders around. Buffalo,regular,coconut. Does not matter what flavor they are all the bomb Do yourself a favor and try the broiled tenders.......so delicious read more

Service was good. Chicken tenders were good. The Milky Way mudslide was very good. The menu is huge. We were worried we wouldn't be able to get a table as the parking lot was packed, but don't let that deter you. We had zero wait. The chicken tenders meal is HUGE. We had enough to make three meals out of an individual meal. read more

I ordered the chicken tenders and they were surprisingly sweet would not recommend . The service was good however, waiter was nice. Kind of casual and laid back, wouldn't come back because the tenders were too sweet. read more

A New England classic! Be prepared this place is popular hence busy. Service might be a bit slow but they are hustling. I've only been on weekends and wait lines and parking can be daunting. But the reward is a big menu, great food that is perfectly seasoned and cooked, reasonable prices for large portions, and brought to you by very friendly servers. read more

Awesome food service was excellent, highly recommend this place but also make sure you stop in the ice cream shop. Really good ice cream especially the Seinfeld cherry vanilla. read more

A day trip to Manchester wouldn't have been complete without a stop at the Puritan, and yes, chicken tenders. After about a 20 minute wait, our server greeted us as we were seated with water and a smile. Entrées come with coffee or tea, and Greek salad or soup. Chowder of the day was corn and it was delicious. Thick creamy chowder full with potatoes, sweet corn, and bacon. A cup of this along with their warm bread & pita basket, and I was already sated. Most of the VERY tender tenders went into a to-go box so I could manage a piece of baklava. The tenders are on the sweet side and moist enough to need no accompaniment - which was good, because the ketchup on the table was dark, thick and some past it's prime. That's the one star loss. The baklava was light, sweet, crisp and nutty. My dining companions enjoyed a magnificent banana split. Service was happy and efficient, and the staff all seemed happy and relaxed, despite the near constant crowd. It takes the right magic for a restaurant to become an institution- this place has i read more

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my fam and I took my grandmother out for her 75th birthday and the waitress rushee me to order my meal to the point I only could order a lemonade. I waited until she got the rest of my party's meals put in to order cold clam chowder and a salad. 3 out of 7 people at my table didn't finish their meals and probably will end up throwing away their left overs. I had my bill added to a tab for the whole table after asks for it separately. I only write this because I used to love the Backroom but since Covid it hasn't seemed to care about quality. read more