Coffee Shops and Bakeries of the Merrimack Valley

A good coffee stop can anchor a whole day in the Merrimack Valley. The river corridor runs from Concord through Manchester and Nashua, and each city has places where you can sit with a cup and something from the oven before heading out. This guide starts with coffee shops in Concord, NH, then follows the valley south to a Merrimack bakery and two long-running Nashua spots. Every place here makes at least part of its menu from scratch, and several have more than one location, so you can usually find one close to your route.

Coffee in the capital

Concord is New Hampshire's capital and the seat of Merrimack County. With 43,976 residents at the 2020 census, it is the state's third most populous city, after Manchester and Nashua. Its downtown runs along Main Street, which is also U.S. Route 3. Between 2015 and 2016 the city rebuilt Main Street in its Complete Streets project, with wider sidewalks, added trees, diagonal parking and traffic calming. The result is a downtown that is easy to walk, which suits a morning of coffee and errands.

Main Street also has plenty of history to look at with a cup in hand. The State House, completed in 1819, is the oldest state capitol in the country where the legislature still meets in its original chambers. Across from it is the Eagle Hotel, a downtown landmark since it opened in 1827. At the north end of Main Street is the Pierce Manse, where Franklin Pierce lived before and after his presidency.

Baked Cafe and Bakery

Baked Cafe and Bakery is a small, family-owned cafe in Concord, on Sheep Davis Road. It focuses on what it calls good-for-you food. It uses organic ingredients and sources from local farms when it can. The kitchen makes everything in-house, down to the salad dressings, and its soups, salads and sandwiches are made from scratch. The menu covers breakfast, sandwiches, salads, soups, and coffee and tea. It is a good choice when you want a real breakfast with your coffee rather than just a pastry.

The Works Bakery Cafe on Main Street

The Works Bakery Cafe has a Concord location on North Main Street, right in the downtown walking district. The Works is a regional chain of cafes in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New York, and it calls each one a community-conscious cafe. It serves local cage-free eggs and naturally cured meats, and it bakes with unbleached, unbromated flour. The menu includes traditional New York-style bagels, artisanal sandwiches, organic quinoa bowls and salads with local greens. Because it is on Main Street, it pairs well with a walk past the State House.

Porcupine Coffee Roasting

Porcupine Coffee Roasting is a small-batch roaster in Pembroke, a Merrimack County town of 7,207 people at the 2020 census that includes part of the village of Suncook. By one measure it sits at the heart of the state: New Hampshire's center of population is close to the Pembroke town center. It is not a sit-down cafe. It roasts on a published schedule, posts upcoming roasting dates on its home page, and sells beans online for shipping or local pickup. It also offers subscriptions and a coffee of the month, and its head roaster has thanked customers for a farmers market season. If you like to brew at home, this is the stop for beans roasted close to where you live. Check the roasting calendar before you order, since orders are tied to roasting days.

South to Merrimack: Buckley's Bakery and Cafe

Buckley's Bakery and Cafe has a location on Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack, and a second in Hollis. It describes itself as a curated cafe and a full-service bakery, with gourmet prepared food to go and locally sourced goods. Its pastries are made from scratch, and it makes standard, custom and wedding cakes. Its stated philosophy is that nothing brings people together like good food, and it aims to become part of your daily routine. It also offers online ordering for curbside pickup and takeout, which helps on a busy travel day.

Nashua: Bagel Cafe and Crosby Bakery

Bagel Cafe has been serving the area since 1996. Its bagels are homemade from scratch every day, and its breakfast and lunch sandwiches are made to order. It pours Peet's Coffee. Besides its shop on Amherst Street in Nashua, it has locations in Bedford and two in Manchester, on Hanover Street and Hooksett Road. That spread makes it one of the easiest stops to fit into a drive through the valley.

Crosby Bakery has served Nashua since 1947. It makes pies, pastries and breads from scratch, along with donuts and custom and wedding cakes, and it offers breakfast and daily lunch specials. The bakery has added a second location, Crosby Bakery and Cafe, in the atrium of St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua. There it serves Rare Breed Coffee along with espresso, lattes, chai, matcha and specialty teas. For a bakery that long predates the coffee-shop boom, it is a nice example of how an older business adapts.

How to plan a coffee crawl

• Stay walkable in Concord. Park once downtown and walk Main Street. Pair a coffee with a look at the State House and the Eagle Hotel.
• Pick up beans to take home. If you brew at home, order from a local roaster ahead of time so your pickup lines up with a roasting day.
• Use multi-location shops on the road. Bagel Cafe and The Works have several locations, so you can choose the one nearest your route.
• Go early on weekends. Bakeries often sell out of popular items, and the best selection is usually in the morning.
• Check hours before you go. Hours change by season and by location, so confirm on each business's website.

Coffee and spring in the valley

May is a good month to turn a coffee stop into a longer outing. The days are longer, and it is often mild enough to take a cup outside and walk. In Concord, a walk down Main Street and around the State House grounds is an easy way to stretch your legs between stops. Farther south, Merrimack and Nashua make a natural second leg on the way to or from Massachusetts. A coffee in the morning, a bakery stop at midday and beans to take home make a simple, satisfying loop through the valley.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get coffee in downtown Concord, NH?

The Works Bakery Cafe is on North Main Street in the downtown walking district, and Baked Cafe and Bakery is on Sheep Davis Road.

Is there a local coffee roaster near Concord?

Yes. Porcupine Coffee Roasting is in Pembroke, also in Merrimack County. It roasts on a schedule and sells beans online for shipping or local pickup.

What is the oldest bakery in this guide?

Crosby Bakery in Nashua, which has served the city since 1947.

Where can I find fresh bagels in the Merrimack Valley?

Bagel Cafe makes its bagels from scratch daily and has locations in Nashua, Bedford and Manchester. The Works serves New York-style bagels in Concord.

Sources

• Concord, New Hampshire, Wikipedia (2020 census, Main Street, State House, Eagle Hotel, Pierce Manse, Complete Streets): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concord,_New_Hampshire
• Baked Cafe and Bakery: https://www.bakeddowntown.com/
• The Works Cafe: https://www.workscafe.com/
• Pembroke, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembroke,_New_Hampshire
• Porcupine Coffee Roasting: https://www.porcupinecoffeeroasting.com/
• Buckley's Bakery and Cafe, Merrimack: https://www.buckleysbakerycafe.com/merrimack
• Bagel Cafe: https://www.bagelcafenh.com/
• Crosby Bakery: https://www.crosbybakerynh.com