Eating Places Elsewhere in Weirs Beach
EATING PLACES ELSEWHERE IN WEIRS BEACH
EATING PLACES ELSEWHERE IN WEIRS BEACH
NAME OF EATING PLACE | PHONE | TYPE OF CUISINE | LOCATION | MEALS SERVED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naswa’s “Blue Bistro” | 603-366-4341 | Italian & American | 1086 Weirs Boulevard | Breakfast & Dinner |
| Liliuokalani’s | 603-366-9323 | Ice Cream | 956 Weirs Boulevard | Snacks |
| Kellerhaus | 603-366-4466 | Waffles & Ice Cream | 259 Endicott St North | Breakfast & Snacks |
| Looney Bin | 603-366-2300 | American | 554 Endicott St North | Lunch & Dinner |
| Tamarack | 603-366-9300 | American | 691 Endicott St North | Lunch & Dinner |
| High Octane Saloon | 603-527-8116 | American | 1072 Watson Rd | Lunch & Dinner |
| Akwa Marina Beach Bar | 603-968-5533 | American | 95 Centenary Ave | Lunch & Dinner |
The Shore Diner
Another former local area restaurant that is fondly remembered was the Shore Diner on Union Ave and Paugus Bay. The circa-1961 images below have been enhanced by AI. The orginal “Worcester” style diner was moved from Concord on July 10, 1939 and named the Shore Diner. In 1946, the “dinerette” was added, expanding the restaurant’s capacity to seating for 120 people.
In February, 1942, Gerald LaPointe had purchased the diner and added his nickname, Jerry, to the the name of the restaurant. After 8 years of being called Jerry’s Shore Diner, in 1950, new owner Karl Stierle dropped the name Jerry, and it was once again simply called the Shore Diner. In 1957, Stierle sold the diner. He was about to open his Karl’s restaurant in Weirs Beach. The next owner of the Shore Diner, Albert Lacroix, operated the diner from 1957 until passing away in 1969. His wife Agnes carried on until 1973, when the restaurant was sold, torn down, and replaced by a Burger King. The Burger King opened on May 20, 1974, and closed on April 20, 2008. The Burger King building was then incorporated into what is now the location of Watermark Marine Supply, at 1218 Union Avenue.
This section of Union Avenue has been festooned with many restaurants for some time now. Across the street from the Burger King, McDonalds opened on May 25, 1971, and is still there today. Other restaurants in the immediate vicinity, in the short, 1/2 mile stretch of Union Ave between Lake Street and Stark Street, are Jon’s Roast Beef; the Union Diner (originally the Paugus Diner); a Taco Bell (opened in 2014; originally a KFC, from 1992-2013); the Whiskey Tavern (opened in 2023); T-Bones/Cactus Jack’s (opened in 2007; originally a Bonanza, a buffet-style restaurant, from circa 1980-2006); Bernini Pizzeria and Wine Bar (opened in late 2021; originally a Pizza Hut, from 1973-circa 2018); Lakeside Pizza and Roast Beef (opened in 2010); Dairy Queen (opened in 1972); Dunkin’ Donuts (opened in 2015); and a D’Angelos (opened circa 2005; originally an Arby’s).
The Captain’s Table
The Captain’s Table was located at 1266 Union Avenue. Edward Spadafora opened the restaurant in 1958, when it was first called the Chickland Restaurant. The name was changed to The Captain’s Table after a few years. The restaurant continued under The Captain’s Table name until 1981. It became a Wendy’s from 1989-1996. Today, the location is home to the VCA Lakes Region Veterinary Hospital.
Spadafora also owned and operated the Endicott House Restaurant in Weirs Beach. Below is a photo of the Endicott House Restaurant, with its great view of Weirs Bay in the background.
A postcard of the Chickland Restaurant. The photo has been enhanced by AI. Paugus Bay is seen in the background. Notice how similar the seating layout and windows are to the Endicott House Restaurant. Both restaurants featured striking views of their nearby bay, Weirs Bay or Paugus Bay.
Why are there so many Chinese restaurants in the Weirs Beach Area?
The Lakes Region has an interesting connection to China, which might explain the preponderance of Chinese dining locations to be found in the area. Madame Chiang Kai-shek and her relatives spent time in the 1950s at a place known as Spruce Acres on Wolfeboro Neck. That was after the Chinese Communists, led by Mao Zedong, defeated the Nationalist Chinese in 1949. Madame Chiang, the wife of Nationalist Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek, was at one time one of the most powerful women in the world, having been featured along with her husband as Time Magazine’s “Man and Woman of the Year” in 1938. She was born in 1897 and lived to 106 when she died in 2003. She was the the youngest daughter of an American-educated Methodist minister, Charlie Song, who made a fortune in banking and printing and sent all six of his children, three daughters and three sons, to be educated in America. Soong Mei-Ling, as she was originally known, had actually attended a summer camp and school in Meredith around 1912. Another sister, Ching-ling also attended the same school with her. The school was run by Harriet Moses, better known as “Aunt Hattie Moses”, and was established on Meredith Bay in 1905. The school for girls was located on Pleasant Street.
Speaking at a 1962 meeting of the Meredith Historical Society, Joseph Smith, who later became a prominent lumber dealer and owner of the Wicwas Lodge at Meredith Center, said he had taken a job at Fred Beede’s store on Meredith’s Main Street and delivered groceries by horse and wagon to customers around town. Smith said he would often give rides on the delivery wagon to girls enrolled at the school as they walked to and from the village. Mei-Ling and her sister were among them. They were very pretty and quite a curiosity for a sleepy little village like Meredith at the turn of the century, he said. Smith, with his brother Frederick, longtime headmaster of New Hampton School, and their wives, were at a movie in Laconia, when during the Pathe newsreel, a clip was shown featuring China’s President Chiang Kai-shek and his beautiful young wife. “Hey, that’s Mei-Ling,” Fred said, elbowing Joe in the next seat. “By gory. I can’t believe it. How could you forget her?” Joe said.
An article about Madame Chiang, “The Future Madame Chiang Learns to Swim in Meredith”, can be found on the Meredith Historical Society website here.
