I enjoyed The Stage (the food was good), but I'm compelled to share a recent experience. After my last visit I was notified by my credit card company that I had been charged a 35% tip -- I had clearly written 20% on my receipt. I always keep my copies, so I had proof. It took two calls to reach the owner, who did credit me back the difference. I'd encourage anyone dining here to keep their receipt and check their statement carefully. It may have been an isolated incident, but others should be aware. read more

Great food and service. We were sat on "the stage". Prices were very reasonable. My husbands rare steak was cooked perfectly. I got the short ribs and it was an excellent dinner, very savory. read more

I discovered this place on our drive up north and wasn't quite sure what to expect after looking at the menu online. When I first walked in, I wasn't impressed by the interior decor or layout. It felt a little odd, especially with the bar tucked away in the back right. The space seemed like it had recently taken over from a previous restaurant and didn't feel very unique or cozy. The hostess seated us quickly on a Friday night, but we weren't greeted by a waiter for about five minutes. We ordered soups to start. The French onion was great, but the tomato soup wasn't anything special. The Hell on Noodles dish sounded interesting, even though I'm not great with spicy food. The waiter said it wasn't too spicy, but I would disagree. It was delicious, just too spicy for my liking. My boyfriend ordered the pho with grilled chicken and really enjoyed the authentic flavors. Both dishes came in generous portions. read more

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Amazing service, hostess was very attentive and we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. The restaurant itself was a bit crowded because there was a show in town, so it was a bit loud but not too bad. Our server was attentive and the food came out quickly. I went with two other people and I got the vegetable pho with the steak, someone got the pho with shrimp, and someone got the lamb shank. The pho was great and was the perfect amount of food without making you feel sick and full. The person that got the lamb had no complaints and cleared the plate. We also got a lemon tiramisu and it was great. It was fluffy and tangy and was the perfect end to the meal. read more

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My husband and I stopped in for lunch and got a few appetizers and they were amazing. The calamari was so light that it was joy to eat. The tomato soup was so cheesy that I enjoyed it so much when the shrimp scampi appetizer was delicious! read more

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Solid spot. We had a n early dinner but it was a nice atmosphere inside with a cool bar. The French onion soup was awesome. It had provolone and Swiss I believe but was great. My sandwich also was really good and my wife liked her salad. The drinks were also very good and service was great. read more

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Lovely unique restaurant with great ambiance. Service with a smile and great food. French Onion Soup, Nantucket salad with added chicken was delicious. read more

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Great atmosphere. Nice downtown place. The food is very good and the drinks are excellent. Plenty to eat. The menu is old. It's been the same menu for a very long time. Wish they had more specials. Service is good. read more

My wife, son and I had a nice dinner this evening. We wanted to eat outside, and there was a diner ahead of us on line; she said, you probably want to eat outside, and there is only one table p-- you can have it. We suggested that she just eat with us, and she accepted. So a nice conversation. I began with a spicy cocktail with passion fruit juice (do not recall the name), which was delicious to sip throughout the meal. Korean popcorn chicken with gochujang sauce was nicely spicy, accompanied by a very nice slaw of pickled carrot ribbons. My main course was the "Hell on noodles" -- pasta with chicken, sausage, vegetables and a spicy tomato sauce. Joe had a grilled tuna special, served atop a rice cake and topped with pickled onions and bok choy. Nancy enjoyed the beet salad with endive while our fourth had the Burrata Panzanella salad. We were much too full to try any of the desserts; indeed, we had a small box of leftovers to take home Pleasant, unobtrusive service. And nice to watch the traffic on the town square read more

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Currently sitting at the bar! "Hot & Dirty Pickle" martini may be the best martini I've ever had! Appetizer: Crispy Brussel Sprouts...unreal!! Haven't got to the main course yet but I'm sure it will not disappoint! read more

The Stage Restaurant & Cafe - New American Near Me - Keene, New Hampshire

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Had Braised short ribs and mashed potatoes. It was delicious. Wife had the Poke Bowl and was very happy with it. The wait staff was pleasant also. We had a good time and will return. read more

Our 1st time in Keene, NH & this restaurant was highly recommended- also close to Marriott. The server Kat was very gracious & knowledgeable. We had Crab Fritters to start- fabulous! I had a hearty Beet Salad & my husband enjoyed his Fish sandwich very much Beautiful & quaint venue right on the square- don't miss this great place if you are visiting Keene read more

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Swordfish piccata is excellent! Burger very good. Crème brûlée dip a very interesting dish (spicy but delicious!)

Sitting outside was really nice! We had the calamari, Ahi tuna poke bowl, and the Hells noodles. The calamari had really nice tomato sauce and tasted fresh (with good portions). The poke bowl was quite fresh. The noodles were a bit underwhelming as it didn't feel like the sauce had the right taste for this kind of dish. It almost felt like Tabasco sauce flavored pasta with sausage. But, nonetheless we had a pleasant experience and this is one of the more solid places in Keene. read more

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We were visiting the area and decided to stop here for lunch. What a great choice. We were seated immediately and the waitress was very helpful. I ordered the spare rib and my girlfriend had the chicken and kielbasa appetizer. Both of our meals were excellent and full of flavor. We definitely recommend this place for lunch. read more

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I'm a celiac and the staff is familiar with gluten intolerance. The food is very good and well worth the visit.

I used to come here almost weekly, and then got food poisoning, how they handled the experience was not what I considered great, I sent my food back because it didn't taste right, they offered to make me a new dish, which they did, but then charged me for the higher priced item that I originally ordered even though it was bad. Offered no sympathy whatsoever, I ended up having to contact them after the fact to try and resolve the issue. Several months later I went back to give them a second chance, just ordered a salad and the chicken was severely overcooked and dry and tough. I haven't been back since. read more

We went during pumpkin fest and the servers were so busy, but were fun and attentive. Calamari was amazing! Highly recommend.

Visited Keene today with wife and father in law. Stopped in for lunch under the recommendation of a local candy store owner. The food was great and the service was too. We chose to sit outside for the meal. It was a little cold outside being fall. But it was still enjoyable. I had the Rueben sandwich. Which I recommend. And my wife and father in law had the fish sandwich with sweet potato fries. Also an excellent meal. The French onion soup is great too. read more

Delicious food. Can't go wrong with anything they serve. The cocktails are huge and delicious too.

My son who has autism and eats NOTHING devoured their pancakes. We live in Ca and he will be going to college in Keene. He is already talking about going back the The Stage. Excellent read more

Enjoyed a couple of lovely meals at this restaurant. Good food. Friendly staff and a good atmosphere. I'll be back.

Cute spot with some semi-unique ingredients (as a southerner returning to New England after two decades, anyway) on the menu, as well as creative cocktails and gluten-free options! Server was very helpful and friendly, and the atmosphere was comfortable. read more

The Stage Restaurant & Cafe - New American Near Me - Keene, New Hampshire

What worked: - huge meat portion in both sandwiches - hot, crispy fries - quick service - menu has lots of variety in both food and cocktails What didn't work: - bread for Reuben sandwich was soggy on the bottom - no portion control for the sauerkraut and thousand island (some bites had a ton of one and none of the other) - server never came back to ask how our meal was so while I would've gotten something in place of the Ruben, I didn't have the opportunity to do so This place wasn't even half full when we came in around 1:45pm on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, but sounded like we walked into a Friday evening happy hour situation. They have made some attempt to dampen the noise with panels on the ceilings, but those are no way effective against the townies who excitedly greeted each other and shouted despite standing adjacent to their friends' tables. Super clean unisex bathroom - despite people in and out, it was clean and smelled fresh. read more

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You won't find a nicer staff than the great servers and bartenders at The Stage. The food is incredible and presented as artwork proving once again that people eat with their eyes. Try the Lime in the Coconut Margarita for an amazing drink! read more

I ordered Calamari to go. What I got was squid sliced into thin pieces that were hard and chewy as if they were old or refried, were not fresh at all, slim pickings. Never again. They must think people are dumb to seafood. For the price there should have been more effort at maintaining a better standard read more

Good food and cocktails . Saturday night bartenders provided good service amd suggestions . Enjoyed the poke bowl and swordfish treamendously . read more

5 stars impressed. Fresh and exciting food. My Ruben made with fresh cooked corn beef. Friendly and I recommend this restaurant if you're in or around Keene NH. read more

I had the braised short rib and the boss had the pecan encrusted salmon abed risotto. My braised beef was good, but the sauce was way too thick - it was pasty and offsetting for me to eat. The meat itself was pretty tender. The roasted vegetables were done properly. My wife's salmon was a standard fare. The risotto was mixed with cheddar cheese. That too was offsetting to me - it just made it too heavy. Good atmosphere, decent service but a couple key misses for me. read more

The Stage Restaurant & Cafe - Braised short rib - New American Near Me - Keene, New Hampshire

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Just the best Korean Chicken ever.... And Vietnamese Pho!! And we often are able to get seated on stage! read more

Great food great service ambience is good. Sometimes sitting at the bar area it could be a little loud, but the food and the service is worth it. read more

Martini heaven!!! We did a walk in right when they opened and got sat with a table of 8 people. The food was good but the martinis were better! read more

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What a great discovery I had not been to Keene since 1970 ies It was " magical" Love the waitress and the atmosphere was wonderful Even tho I live on the Cape I will make it a point to go again Our two meals looked like " paintings " in a magazine Thank you for being a great restaurant It shows you care and love what you do read more

The Stage Restaurant & Cafe - Fish and chips and delicious Corn beef sandwich - New American Near Me - Keene, New Hampshire

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Food was great, service was a little slow at lunch but it was a beautiful day and we ate outside so we didn't mind the wait.

Have been there multiple times and it's always good.. Sangria was not on the menu when I was there and the waitress made it for me! It was delicious along with the Gyro it's usually my go to .. it's always great! (The fries could be warmer) read more

Hubby and I wanted to explore a bit of NH and find a place for dinner. We found The Stage on Yelp and decided to give it a try. It was a Friday night and they were fairly busy. We didn't have a reservation but luckily we didn't have to wait for a table. We ordered 2 glasses of Aviary Cabernet Sauvignon and a French onion soup to share. The soup was fantastic! Great temperature and flavor. The cheese was perfectly melty and toasted on top. It had a true homemade taste. For our entrees, I ordered the braised short ribs and hubby ordered the hell on noodles. Both dishes were unique and delicious. The braised short ribs were tender. It paired very well with the Gouda mashed potatoes. They served the short ribs with plenty of flavorful braising sauce which was amazing! I liked the broccoli and carrots in the dish, too. Hubby loved the hell on noodles. This was a flavor packed dish! The sliced kielbasa was crispy, the grilled chicken was seasoned well, the pasta was tender and the roasted peppers were a nice addition. All this in a succulent spicy tomato sauce - yummy! The service was great as well! The hostess was very friendly, our server was kind and attentive. There was a cheerful vibe throughout the restaurant that night which really added to the experience. read more

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Keene, NH has become our new favorite college town replacing Northampton. During Covid (2020-2021) we found a lot of small towns in MA and VT had limited dining options and started venturing into NH having more choices available. We will ride the Harley up and stay at the Fairfield Inn so we can park and walk to the many bars and restaurants. The Stage has become one of our favorites. Known for its Martinis, my wife will order off the menu, and I generally will order a gin and juice (dry gin, grapefruit juice, splash of St. Germain, up). We usually get a good poor and since we walk, no worries about the alcohol. We usually don't get appetizers in attempt to save room for desert. Our choices for main meals include the pork chop milanese, braised short ribs, and the swordfish. Meals are cooked well and the portions are generous. Wife is a coconut fan, so the coconut cream pie is her fave. I go for the chocolate mouse torte. We stopped one Sunday for brunch on our way back from Laconia. Many choices if you are an eggs Benedict fan. Wait staff is usually very competent. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a Thursday afternoon and was seated right away. They were doing good business that day, but service was still very good. We had the Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich and the Reuben with french fries. Sandwiches were good; fairly standard, but the Reuben was so stuffed with meat, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing that the bread couldn't hold it all. I ate the sandwich with a knife and fork! . The restaurant is dark and cozy. I'd go back. read more

Stopped in for lunch and so glad we did. Serving inside and out. Great service. All food items with great presentation. Started w tomato cheddar soup. Creamy and cheesy. Gold fish crackers an added bonus. French onion soup. Perfect serving. Flavorful broth chock full of onions and delectable melted cheese. I had the buttermilk chicken sandwhich served w a basket full of fries. Chicken seasoning was flavorful. Hubby had chicken parmesan and loved it. Definitely worth a second visit. Stop on in. They won't dissapoint. read more

Delicious food, beautiful ambience, and lovely cocktails! Good service. Nice variety in the menu with seasonal specials. I would definitely go back if in the Keene area again! read more