Wolfeboro Dining Guide: Local Restaurants and Cafes

Wolfeboro is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, with a population of 6,416 at the 2020 census. It is a resort area on Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire, which runs about 21 miles long and covers roughly 69 square miles. The town includes the villages of Wolfeboro, East Wolfeboro, North Wolfeboro, South Wolfeboro, Wolfeboro Center and Wolfeboro Falls.

For visitors, most of the eating happens downtown, within a short walk of the town docks. That is where you will find lake views, outdoor decks and ice cream windows, along with a few places that stay busy year-round with locals. Late May is a great time to visit. The lake is waking up, boats are going back in the water, and seasonal spots are getting ready for summer.

This guide covers seven Wolfeboro restaurants and food shops, grouped by the kind of meal you want.

On the water: dock views and lake decks

The Wicked Loon

The Wicked Loon at 27 South Main Street describes itself as upscale dining in Wolfeboro. Its focus is cocktails, seafood and dock views, and it serves lunch and dinner menus along with a kids' menu and a bar program. It takes reservations, which is worth doing for a dinner with a view. Choose it for a special night out or a long lunch while you watch the boats come and go.

Marker 21

Marker 21 is a casual eatery serving an eclectic mix of American food with global inspiration, along with craft beer and cocktails, in a fun and lively setting. It is in the heart of downtown Wolfeboro on the second and third floors of 33 Dockside Street, overlooking the Wolfeboro town docks, with two lake-view decks. Being up a level or two gives you a wider view over the harbor than street level does. Marker 21 also offers online ordering and gift cards.

Wolfeboro Dockside Grille and Dairy Bar

Wolfeboro Dockside Grille and Dairy Bar sits at 11 Dockside Street, at the Wolfeboro Town Docks on Lake Winnipesaukee. Its summertime menu is classic lakeside food: burgers and hot dogs, sandwiches, seafood rolls, soups, salads, seafood platters and a kids' menu. The dairy bar side offers premium ice cream cones and dishes, sundaes, floats, shakes, frappes and vanilla and chocolate soft serve. Its own tagline sums it up: relax and enjoy the view of Wolfeboro Harbor. It is a summer spot, so call ahead early in the season.

Healthy and quick

Bayberry Juice Bar

Bayberry Juice Bar is at 19 South Main Street, in the yellow Avery Building at the town docks. Its menu centers on organic cold-pressed juice, smoothies and bowls, plus vegetarian food, sandwiches and gluten-free and vegan options. Bayberry says it believes healthy, organic food should be delicious and accessible, and it invites guests with a dietary preference or food allergy to ask for help finding a menu option that works. Call-ahead orders are welcome, which is handy before a day on the lake.

Casual meals and pub fare

Nolan's Brick Oven Bistro and Pub

Nolan's Brick Oven Bistro and Pub at 39 North Main Street serves Italian dishes and hand-tossed brick oven pizza, and says it makes its food with fresh ingredients daily. It has a private dining area for special occasions, offers catering and takes online orders. It is a solid choice for a family dinner or a pizza to bring back to a rental.

Morrissey's Porch and Irish Pub

Morrissey's Porch and Irish Pub is a family restaurant at 286 South Main Street, near Lake Winnipesaukee. Its menu includes fresh lobster, fried seafood and turkey dinners, plus chili and clam chowder. It also serves classic Irish fare, including house-brined corned beef Reubens, beer-battered fish and chips, homemade Guinness beef stew and bangers and mash with Guinness brown bread. The full bar has 16 draft beers. For dessert, Morrissey's offers more than 30 flavors of premium ice cream and homemade desserts, and it has a kids' menu. The restaurant says it is open year-round, which makes it useful outside of peak season.

Bakery and sweets

The Yum Yum Shop

The Yum Yum Shop has been baking from scratch in Wolfeboro since 1948. It is best known for its frosted and sugar-sanded gingerbread cookies, made from the founder's original recipe. Its ovens also turn out specialty donuts, fresh bread, pies, puff pastries, turnovers and custom cakes. The shop has a cafe with lake views for morning coffee and an ice cream parlor with a patio. It takes pre-orders for custom cakes and large orders, and it ships its gingerbread nationwide, which makes it a good place to buy a gift to take home.

The town docks cluster

A handy thing about Wolfeboro is how close several of these places are to one another. Bayberry Juice Bar is in the Avery Building at the town docks, Wolfeboro Dockside Grille and Dairy Bar is at 11 Dockside Street, and Marker 21 is upstairs at 33 Dockside Street, overlooking the same docks. The Wicked Loon is on South Main Street, a short walk away. If your group cannot agree on what to eat, you can split up, order from two or three places and meet back by the water.

Eating in at a rental

Many visitors to the Lakes Region stay in rentals or camps with their own kitchens. On those nights, takeout is often the easiest dinner. Nolan's and Marker 21 both offer online ordering, Morrissey's has online ordering and catering, and the Yum Yum Shop takes pre-orders for custom cakes, breads and large donut and cookie orders, which is useful for a birthday or a family reunion at the lake.

Planning a day of eating in Wolfeboro

Wolfeboro's downtown is compact, so you can easily fit several of these stops into one day.

• Morning: coffee and a gingerbread cookie at the Yum Yum Shop, or a cold-pressed juice at Bayberry.
• Lunch: a seafood roll at Dockside, or a lake-view lunch at Marker 21 or the Wicked Loon.
• Afternoon: ice cream at Dockside, Morrissey's or the Yum Yum Shop.
• Dinner: brick oven pizza at Nolan's, Irish pub fare at Morrissey's, or a reservation at the Wicked Loon.

Tips for dining in Wolfeboro

1. Expect seasonal changes. Some lakeside spots are summer-focused. Check each restaurant's own site or call before you go, especially in spring and fall.

2. Reserve for dinner with a view. Waterfront tables are popular on nice evenings.

3. Use online ordering. Several restaurants offer it, which is useful if you are staying at a rental or heading out on a boat.

4. Ask about allergies. Bayberry specifically invites guests to share dietary needs, and most restaurants will help if you ask.

5. Walk. Parking near the docks can be busy in summer, and the downtown is easy to explore on foot.

Frequently asked questions

Which Wolfeboro restaurants have lake views?

Marker 21 has two lake-view decks overlooking the town docks, the Wicked Loon highlights its dock views, and Wolfeboro Dockside Grille and Dairy Bar sits right at the Town Docks.

Where can I get ice cream in Wolfeboro?

Wolfeboro Dockside Grille and Dairy Bar, Morrissey's Porch and Irish Pub and the Yum Yum Shop all serve ice cream.

Are there healthy or vegan options in Wolfeboro?

Bayberry Juice Bar serves organic cold-pressed juice, smoothies, bowls and vegetarian food, with gluten-free and vegan options.

Where can I get pizza in Wolfeboro?

Nolan's Brick Oven Bistro and Pub serves hand-tossed brick oven pizza.

What is the Yum Yum Shop known for?

Its frosted and sugar-sanded gingerbread cookies. The bakery has been in Wolfeboro since 1948.

Sources

• Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfeboro,_New_Hampshire
• Lake Winnipesaukee, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Winnipesaukee
• The Wicked Loon: https://thewickedloon.com
• Marker 21: https://www.marker21nh.com
• Wolfeboro Dockside Grille and Dairy Bar: https://wolfeborodockside.com/
• Bayberry Juice Bar: https://www.bayberryjuicebar.com/
• Nolan's Brick Oven Bistro and Pub: https://www.nolansbistro.com
• Morrissey's Porch and Irish Pub: https://www.morrisseysfrontporch.com/
• The Yum Yum Shop: https://www.yumyumshop.com/