Town Docks, Meredith
With the discussions in the other thread about being shocked with The Woodshed "Specials"...…. I felt compelled to open this thread and share a related experience at a different location.
On this past Saturday, with my two young grand girls up to Lake, we ventured into Meredith by boat as they always enjoy a trip to Dockside when they visit. Low & behold the single slip in front of the restaurant had an opening & one would think this was the beginning of our lucky day. As it was just past noontime, we did have to wait about 10-15 minutes (no big deal), but once seated noticed the waiting line had stretched enormously and again said to ourselves "our lucky day" we got here just in time! Two simple hamburgers, one simple cheeseburger & a Ranch Chicken wrap (which clearly someone forgot the Ranch dressing), one side of fries which we all split--Two cokes, one water, and for myself two "Drinks" ( Tequila Sunrise to be specific - not exotic) the bill came and I about fell off the picnic table ………….. $84.00 (pre tip) !! TOTALLY written off Dockside ………….. and we have ALWAYS been a huge fan and always have brought guests there. Clearly Common Man is now focused on Fleecing the tourists (which were in abundance there Saturday) !! Good Luck -- I'm out ! . |
Are you referring to Town Docks?
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yes
Sorry, the kids always call it dockside . |
That Tequila...
...must've been REALLY special!
What was the cost of a single cheese burger? |
http://www.thecman.com/uploads/05_29...nal%20menu.pdf
$55 worth of meal - which means they ripped me for $14+ each for the (2) drinks which came in a 8oz plastic cup. . |
Dock Side
Next time you go to Meredith, go to George's Diner - not a whole lot of atmosphere, but great food, and lots of it, and a reasonable price.
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Know it well ……… thanks
We use that for Breakfast with the kidz :) . |
Yep, expensive place to eat for sure. Last time we were there I think we covered $50 for an appetizer, buffalo wings, a hot dog, fries and a couple sodas.
Been there on several occasions and the food quality did not line up with the pricing on each visit so we stopped going. |
^ Agreed, but it's horrible to have to avoid such a great location.
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It's nice to see that . . .
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This thread comes up every so often and the result is the same. The food is ok with high prices, not great but the atmosphere is awesome and that's what you are paying for....
Location, location, location. Your not getting that view from George's. It is a balance between better food or awesome view and never the twain shall meet :laugh: |
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A few examples: Lyon's Den for Lunch / Dinner (slip at Glendale Public dock) Shipley's Garwoods on the deck Akwa Marine Bar ( a little on the pricey side) . |
Strictly talking about Town Docks. I had lunch at garwoods yesterday sat outside and was awesome as usual and I am a member at Akwa Vista and had a great dinner there last week and the desserts are fantastic.
I know it’s taboo but I think Lyons Den is just ok not great but I have yet to have the duck. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
My wife and I love the bar side of Lyons Den. She has been to the dining room side (I have not) and her reaction was the same as joey2665’s, right down to the duck comment.
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My wife and I go out for dinner every Friday and Saturday night in the lakes region and this season more than most in the past I'm being disappointed by some of my old favorites and surprised by a few that were off my list in the past.
One place that I was not impressed with before but I been impressed with since the remodel is Canoe. Town Docks are what they are, more of a destination on the lake. If you're going there for the food you picked the wrong place. They do have some good refreshing drinks. It's a sign of the times. good help is hard to come by this season. A quality cooking staff and wait staff can make or break a restaurant. |
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I agree, Town docks is an absolute common man rip off.
All of them, food served mostly out of a #10 can. We ate at “Camp” across the street and the steak tip portion wasn’t even big enough to feed my 3 year old. I complained and they comped the meal and gave us a gift card to come back. George’s is definitely a reasonable place. |
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We plan on making it an annual 4th of July weekend event. On a side but related note; July 27th (a fitting date) is the last home game. All the beer and wine I've purchased for the games has been on a separate licence and can only be sold at the games. Whatever I don't sell, I'm stuck with. To reduce inventory I will be holding a liquid liquidation sale at the last game. Everyone who makes a purchase from Trolley 27 before the end of the 4th inning will be eligible for rapidly declining beer and wine prices during the 6th and 7th inning. |
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Lakeshore Deli
Try the Lakeshore Deli at corner of Meredith Neck and Route 25. Outside seating ... fabulous food, reasonable prices. Bring your dog as long as you dine outside. They make a Turkey Reuben that is to die for
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Yeah I just wanted to support the incorrectly named establishment. I try my best not to go to town docks.
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Town Docks, not Dockside in Alton Bay
Dockside in Alton Bay incredible every time we go - several times/season.
Never been to Town Docks but hear good feedback from cousins that frequent. |
Dockside in Alton Bay is great!
Same family ownership, very good food and pleasant and accommodating staff.
Our go to spot for over the top haddock sandwiches! Quality and quantity! |
Meredith
I have to agree that Rusty/Alex chain of restaurants are expensive and became a tourist destination.
George Diner for breakfast and Frog Rock for evening meal is my go to. The Lakeshore Deli is an excellent place to bring folks not familiar with the area. |
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I don’t find all their restaurants to be tourist traps. Town Docks is a trap but I do go there at least once a season to eat and the ice cream is awesome. Lago is overpriced also although my kids love Lago. I do love Camp especially with the renovation and expansion. Good comfort food, great bar and prices aren’t terrible. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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Many folks drive 106 home to get their Jordan's fix! |
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I did. It’s very good but we like Town Docks better and they have the best hot fudge. [emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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The bar tender at Lago's told me they have one customer that buys a $20,000 gift card every December. |
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Wow. That’s a great deal. Think I will do that also. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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As always thank you. I will definitely do that. [emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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(or at least I can't figure it out …. it's not simply using the "edit" button) Don - can you help ? . |
Discount for Gift Cards for Common Man / Lago / Town Docks
Actually, the discount is the other way around. It DECREASES as it gets closer to Christmas. Typically around Dec 3rd or so it's 20%, then 10% off 10 days later, etc. So shop early December for best discount. I typically pick up 6 $50 ones for gifts or a bit of a break on the bill when we're out for a few drinks and apps.
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https://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums...d.php?p=191016 |
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Tried that and all it did was change Subject in my first post -- not Thread Header
Grrrrrrrrr. . |
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We used to buy $500 cards to both Common Man and Fratello's every year. The Common Man one starts at 20% off, and then the discount amount decreases, so best to buy it as soon as they put the sale up. |
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I had a salad which was fine and pizza which tasted just like DiGorno's frozen pizza. They are under renovation so it may be quite a while before I try it again. |
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No one about was talking about Cheap fast food ….. we are all willing to pay a reasonable price for "reasonable food" …… the discussion was about getting virtually ripped off at a place that has turned into a tourist oriented Beach restaurant that everyone use to love and had always (in the past) had pricing in line with what you got -- including the ambiance (so to speak). Consider reading the posts before throwing a grenade like that again! . |
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I wouldn't necessarily call it a "rip off" but chicken shouldn't be that dry on every visit regardless of if it's a wrap, wings, whatever.
Put it like this, it's certainly not a place I personally would bring anyone I cared about to. They are a food business, at a minimum get the food part right because I, for one, am not keen on paying for a product that doesn't exist in exchange for a neato environment. |
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I rarely if ever go there. I will give them a lot of credit for creating and running many successful restaurants. It’s not an easy business to be in - they seem to have done a great job identifying their customer and marketing the products those customers want. Me, I prefer to stay on the island - clearly I am not the customer they are hoping to attract.
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So were do you go for dinner in the same price range as common man or T Bones? Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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Case in point: Canoe's burger--with pulled pork, onion strings, and sweet potato fries--is $12. T-Bones' regular cheeseburger is $13, with an upcharge for sweet potato fries. Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk |
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I agree with your choices in that area of the lake but asking more for his choices in the Laconia, Meredith Gilford area where several common man and T bones are located. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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That being said, I like SOME CMan options: Camp is fun, 104 Diner is fine, Lago is nice, etc. and I really like the way the Hooksett rest area came out. I guess, really, it's just Town Docks that is so disappointing. Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk |
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thinkxingu has a pretty spot on reply to your question though if a good burger is what we are looking for. I could buy a "seafood" dinner of sorts at any local pizza joint or at the Common Man, this is also something that we would never do. If I want good seafood I have no issue traveling to Makris in Concord, the Weathervane in Dover or any number of places in Maine. I expect to pay a bit more but quality wise I know we get much more. |
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I love ellacoya one of my favorites and always crowded but I do not like Patrick’s at all and as I said several times in different threads I am not a big fan of Lyons Den, although going to give it another try. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
Everyone has their own tastes, likes and dislikes. I see a number of people on here mention places that they like and I personally dislike. Not everyone has the same tastes.
When you own a business and you're always busy then you're doing something right. I see a lot of people on here that don't like The Common Man. Personally I think they do a good job. I don't like all their establishments but the ones I do like I frequent often. Being in business myself for over 40 years I've found that you can't please everyone all the time. If people keep coming back year after year and you're always busy then you're doing something right. For the few that think they are getting ripped off, you're happy to see them go somewhere else and complain. |
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That’s why they make Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream. [emoji12]. Different strokes for different folks. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
Lakes region restaurants
I have said in prior restaurant posts, I never base a decision to go to a restaurant on a review because not everyone will like the same thing. I make my own decision about what is good, not good, expensive for what you get etc.
If anyone wants to take my advise, I think the Lyons Den is the best restaurant on the lake when you consider the quality of the food, price, atmosphere, service. I will say that my last 2 experiences at Shipleys (the restaurant on the water, not take out across the street) is a very close 2nd, had excellent salmon dish, great service, etc. The best ice cream in the lakes region in my opinion is Jordans but I have not tried the Sandwhich Creamery. |
I will give a strong second for the Lyons Den. Excellent service, great tasting food and a great view. Thumbs down on Shibley's. We went there once and the service was absolutely terrible and the presentation of the food was not appealing.
----------------------------------------- I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic |
my last 2 experiences at the town docks were this.. 1, burger. when it arrived, it had a big dead bug on top sitting right on the lettuce and tomato. you know those big suckers that look kinda like mosquitoes.. one of those. i sent it back and requested another one, but hold the dead bugs. 2, and this was the last time we've gone there, ordered grilled fish tacos. those arrived swimming in liquid. the tortillas were sopping wet, soaked through completely. i took 2 bites and couldn't do any more.. like eating a mushy squishy wet diaper. sent those back and got something else.
before those last 2 experiences, we'd had "ok" food there. not great or even good in our estimation, just ok. those last 2 trips did it for us, we won't be back. |
Saturday night 3 of us went to Lago's for dinner and after we went to Town Docks for an ice cream. Just as we got our ice cream a big cabin cruiser pulled into the pump out station right next to it. Well the wind was blowing just the right way to fully engulf the Town Docks with a putrid smell. We already had our ice creams so we quickly escaped but I felt bad for the people eating their meals. It must have been a very unpleasant experience.
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My two cents.... just seems nit-picky for nit-picky's sake. |
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It's really not a one time issue. I've smelt it before there, just not that bad. |
I don't think he was disparaging the town docks, Why so sensitive?
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Dec 1 = 20% Dec 2 = 19% Dec 3 = 18% etc.... I wake up each Dec 1 and buy them online. |
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Steve |
Town Docks, Meredith
Such a great deal. I also do it every year. Although thread says Town Docks it is all Common Man Resturants
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We had dinner at Lago's last night and even though it wasn't the first they gave us the 20% off our gift card.
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****TODAY ONLY ****
Common Man has the 15% discount on gift cards. Then next week it will drop to 10% Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
Was at Camp yesterday and we hit the 16% discount!
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Common Man discount for gift cards is now 10%
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We've hit up Town Docks twice in the last week, and both times were pretty good—far better than our last experiences a couple years ago when we swore them off.
It's still not an exceptional dining experience, but their prices have kept to the reasonable side and quality was better than in the past. Items I had: Pork & Bessie burger, which they've brought back, and the seafood platter with whole clams. It's no Pop's, but I was satisfied. Oh, and though there was a line both times, things moved quickly and the service was solid. Cheers! Sent from my SM-G990U1 using Tapatalk |
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Went this past Sunday and actually docked right at the restaurant. There were about 15 people ahead of us on line but sat in 10 minutes. Service was pretty quick also, they seem to have plenty of servers unlike others. My daughter is a host at Camp and she said in the summer many of the servers migrate over from Camp and Lago because the tips are much better. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
So read through this thread quickly.... I haven't been to any of the common man restaurants in several years now.... Nor have a been to any of the restaurants owned by Magic Foods Restaurant Group.... Both Corporate entities have taken the charm away from eating out in the lakes Region. They have taken control of so many places, that they can charge and do charge astronomical prices... Unfortunately the State of NH is in pretty deep with the Common Man Corporation, allowing them to control the Rest Areas......Which simply makes maters worse
Both these Corporations are aimed at one thing fleecing the Tourists.... and thus also fleecing the locals.... After spending 20$ on 2 hot dogs, chips, and 2 soda for my son and I likely 7-8 years ago, I swore I would never eat in a common man establishment again.... I have held true to my word..... |
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The seafood platter I got yesterday was $36. Pop's, which I consider the pinnacle of fried seafood, was $35. Though Pop's was overall better, I was not disappointed at all in Town Docks'...and the atmosphere was better. Now, three years ago I ordered scallops at TD and got a tiny plate of bay scallops—that was the last time I'd eaten there since this week. Sent from my SM-G990U1 using Tapatalk |
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Common Man
Every time I eat at a Common Man establishment, I know that Alex is feeding somebody else who doesn't have food. Hurricane relief, $1MM to Ukraine, etc. I sat with him at a "Water Matters" conference where he was the keynote speaker. His knowledge of operational details, watching what was happening at the conference center and talking about following the pattern to take back to the Common Man was amazing.
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https://www.thecman.com/wp-content/u...inner-Core.pdf Magic Foods which is owned by local entrepreneur Scott Ouellette and Andy Juhasz, manage the best restaurants in the Lakes Region to include my favorite O's. I have never felt "fleeced" after dining there and I am certainly not a tourist. We have hired their catering service on a number of occasions and everything from service to quality of food has been stellar! They will be catering my upcoming "island party" and I expect it to be as always an outstanding experience!! If your bashing all these fine establishments because of a couple of over priced hot dogs you bought at the town docks, that's simply not fair... Dan |
Common Man is good food, good service, good environment, served by good people. We're lucky to have them :)
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I’ve eaten there many times over the years and always enjoyed it.
We were there when Alex first opened the restaurant and he was the cook and his wife was the waitress. And yes, he does so much to help others. |
Because i local has more than one restaurant you consider them a chain , since samiam owns both Vk and red hill i guess he is a chain also
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Applebee's, however, is a national chain and everything wrong with America. Sent from my SM-G990U1 using Tapatalk |
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Scott 0 himself soured me on his establishments, I spent a great deal of time discussing specific instances that I ran into at the canoe with him... None of the issue had to do with how good or not the food was I found it enjoyable... I do actually applaud him for being willing to discuss maters, and found him to be a stand up business man.... At the end of the day, he and I have different views on what a restaurant experience should be like, and what fair market pricing is. I can tell you that for the cut of meat he serves he is over charging... I spent many years working in a butcher shop.... Many restaurants serve better quality meat at better prices... At the end of the day, we listen to each other, had a good conversation and realized we wouldn't see eye to eye..... As for the common man, unlike Scott 0's establishments, I have had many bad meals at there various establishments. Some of there meals are inline pricing wise but others like the hot dogs, are not... I have had both bad and good service in their establishments.... and I also believe they took advantage of the State of New Hampshire, and have been allowed to claim exclusivity in the rest areas, and are doing exactly as I expected they would slowly driving up the prices, at those roadside venues, up to and including at the gas pumps. Bottom line is the 20 dollar Hot Dog experience, just finally woke me up. IT is not only these two establishments, they just happen to be the two in the relevant area of discussion. Just because I have chosen to take my money else where doesn't mean anyone else needs to.... I just want to open peoples eyes to the fact that these restaurateurs, have taken the step to become larger entities driven by profit and margins, some make it some don't... Ultimately, I believe that Magic Foods will continue to prosper, as I have seen Scott 0, take a vested interested when people make complaints. The Common Man I think at some point, is going to need to decided how they really want to focus themselves...... |
On the list?
Many years ago, I worked at a seasonal lakes region restaurant. The staff at area restaurants all talked to each other about favorite and less favorite customers who frequented several places in the area. Some got great service, and some had staff arguing about who had to wait on that party, suggesting that with poor service, maybe they'd go elsewhere. Sounds like some of the posters in this thread are on one of those lists, always getting great service or always being disappointed.
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In regards to Scott O's establishment, I got very frustrated at the time because he had segregated his dinning area's keeping families in one part of the restaurant and also having a "kid" free zone.... Having to wait to get a seat for me and my Son, while seeing plenty of open tables, didn't sit well with me.... The staff didn't make that rule, so I didn't take it up with them.... My well behaved kids and I shouldn't suffer because other have not so well behaved kids.... The common man, as stated, no real issue with the staff persay.... Pricing and inconsistent meals drove me away.... |
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When out with just my wife, however, I also don't want to be subjected to those terrible kids/families. Another example of having to fix a problem that really shouldn't exist in the first place. Sent from my SM-G990U1 using Tapatalk |
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VK and Red Hill Diary, located close together, with an owner that can easily check in at both places as needed.... I don't classify this as a chain, especially because they don't operate under a standardize name Common Man Chain: Is a corporation, with several venues, which need to run independently under corporate guidance.... But yet still local in Nature, thus has a bit more hands on guidance directly from the Company... Yes I consider this a chain.... Magic Foods, is also a corporation, I could argue either way as to if this is a chain or not... However given the locations of the restaurants I tend to think of its running being a bit more like the Common Man, however my guess is Scott 0 spends a bit more time at the various locations..... Applebees is not a chain, it is a Franchise and much different. Locations are independently owned and operated within the guidelines of the franchise agreement. This general means, there menu has to be what is defined by the Franchise, they have to use the specified vendor for supplies etc. Bottom line, I would never compare Applebees to Magic Foods, Common Man, o r samiam.... |
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