Cynthia's opened recently in East Hampstead in the former Commodore Grill space at the Commodore Plaza off NH 121A near NH 111. This casual family owned and operated restaurant cafe serves up breakfast all day and lunch. The place was redone with a brighter and an inviting atmosphere with booths along the walls and in front, table seating in the center and counter seating in the dining area. There are patriotic prints on the walls and checkered floors remain.
I've picked up Lebanese and Italian food from the previous restaurant in this space and it's bittersweet seeing a small town breakfast and lunch spot open up in its place. There are a few other options in this area, but spread out. I decided to stop by here for breakfast before work. I got here just before 6:30 and sat myself in a booth which had menus to look at.
The breakfast menu offerings include breakfast platters, 3 egg omelettes, pancakes, French toast, Belgian waffles, breakfast burritos, Tony The Tiger (frosted flakes French toast), hash (canned and homemade (soon)) and breakfast sides. The lunch menu offerings include fried appetizers, hand cut fries, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, soup, chili, salads, comfort dishes, and daily specials. The prices seem fair, most meals $8 to $15 range (in 2024).
After I was seated, the server came over and offered a drink and I requested an ice water since I already had coffee beforehand. They did not have homemade hash yet, so I eventually decided to go with the Steak Bomb Omelette ($13.50 plus tax) with choice of toast (I chose sourdough) and one side (I got home fries). My food was served in about 8 minutes after ordering. There was a good amount of hot food on my plate. The omelette was filled with grilled shaved steak, green peppers, onions, mushrooms & cheese (I chose cheddar) with a folded thin egg sheet. This omelette was pretty good. The home fries were fresh cut potatoes (cube cut) lightly grilled and seasoned, which were potatoey and with the skins. The sour dough toast was firm and had minimal butter. The server dropped off the check as I was almost done eating, no rush. The check was $14.65 with tax and before tip.
Overall, this is a good place stop for food and I plan to stop by for lunch next time since I saw they had chicken tenders, reubens, monte cristos, mac & cheese, and spaghetti & meatballs (Wednesdays). The friendly staff knew people by name as they stopped in for breakfast. The service for weekday breakfast was prompt and I was able to make to work on time. It is noted they are closed on Sundays (at the time of this posting). read more