In the middle of rural New Hampshire, it can be tough to find a wide range of dishes to choose from, particularly at some of the smaller establishments in smaller towns. Along Laconia’s Union Avenue, there are plenty of American chains to be found, which we avoid at all costs, always preferring to go local or atypical whenever possible. In the middle of those chains, you’ll find a family-friendly restaurant gem called T-Bones Great American Eatery.

Laconia is in the heart of New Hampshire’s Lake District, so if you plan to spend any time in the area, you’ll likely pass through Laconia, so it’s worth putting T-Bones on your restaurant list, particularly if you have a family in tow.

Appetizers worth mentioning include the Sea Scallops wrapped in Bacon, Boneless Buffalo Tenders, chicken Quesadilla, Fiesty Buffalo Shrimp or the Buffalo Chicken Egg rolls. There’s also a varied salad and soup menu as well, from a healthy Tuscan Chicken and Kale soup, classic French onion or clam chowder to chicken lettuce wraps, a classic caesar with a meat or seafood topping, a Kale Super Chop Salad or an Asian Fusion salad — oh so yum! They note on their menu that all their soups are homemade btw — the French onion soup was divine!

If you want to keep it simple and go for a burger or sandwich, they have you covered, from a burger with garlic mushrooms, bacon, cheddar or Jalapeno Pretzel.

Apparently they’ve been voted the best burger in New Hampshire by NH Magazine – way to go! Classic sandwiches include boneless chicken, turkey bacon, cobb and black pepper-parmesan crusted haddock to name a few. Oh yeah, and there’s plenty of sides, which is great for the kids, from rice pilaf and potato to veggies, fries, garlic butter linguini and fresh coleslaw. Who doesn’t love a side of slaw during the warmer months?

Some tasty mains worth mentioning are their Apple-Brandy Scallop Carbonara, the Fisherman’s platter (a great variety of seafood), Tuscan Haddock Linguini, Baked Haddock or their Signature Salmon. Because it’s called T-Bones, we had to try their steak and they have a delicious array to choose from, including a massive 25 ounce T-Bones T-Bone, a center cut Filet Mignon, a center cut New York Sirloin and a Premium choice marinated sirloin tip platter that is BBQ marinated and charbroiled.

If you want to be a little more decadent, go for their Fried Clam Platter with house fries, the Royal Surf ‘n’ Turf which includes an 8 ounce of Filet mignon based with house butter and a side of Lazyman Lobster, a 16 ounce King’s Ribeye or the Shrimp, Scallop and Lobster Herbed-Alfredo. Pair any of these with a Cannonball Cabernet or the Lyric by Etude Pinot Noir.

The lobster was oh so sweet, decadent and delicious!!

A future visit must include their French onion sirloin melt — they smear it with caramelized onions (one of my favorites) and top it with melted provolone and Paramesan cheeses. More traditional types and Brits might appreciate their Chicken Pot Pie, Fish ‘n’ Chips and Country Fried Chicken.

For the less decadent among you, they offer a whole page of low fat and healthier options aside from their salads and there’s an extensive kids menu as well, most of which include a drink. If you’re gluten free, they’ve even got you covered. Not only do they have gluten-free options, but there’s an entire section of the menu dedicated to Gluten-Intolerant foods, from salads, burgers and pizza to desserts, sandwiches, roast turkey dinners and steaks. Way to go T-Bones!!

As for desserts, yup, bring ’em on. We particularly loved the coconut cream pie, the dark chocolate mousse-whipped cake and the very very mixed berry pie although everything on the sweet menu looked incredible.

Apparently, they develop all of their own recipes in their own kitchens and make every sauce, soup, salad dressing and dessert, right down to hand-peeling potatoes for their creamy mashed potatoes or their signature potato chips. Parent company Great NH Restaurants has donated over a million dollars in gift certificates to thousands of non-profits throughout New Hampshire since 1984. More info at www.feednh.org.

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Renee Blodgett

Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.

She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.

Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.

Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.