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    Gilley's

    3.8 (207 reviews)
    InexpensiveHot Dogs, American, Diners
    Closed 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Gilley's Photos

    GILLEY'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Reviews With Photos

    Hotdogs with the works, and a side of fries
    Doug M.

    So this is supposedly the best hotdog in New Hampshire. Well I don't know about that. It's not bad. The hotdog has a nice snap to it from the casing and taste pretty good. But it's also pretty standard. The fries are fresh cut and come hot right out of the fryer to you, so that's a plus. I will say that the lady working behind the counter was one of the sweetest people I've ever met. And for her alone I give the place four stars.

    the interior of a diner
    Michael C.

    Gilley's great place for a burgers chilli dogs fries and onion rings and more you can eat inside but room is limited to 10 seats and a counter. You feel like your back in the day eating at the old diner and they are open until late hours just a good place to get a good cheeseburger Gilleys is the best greasy spoon around

    Totally small, but I dig it.
    Matthew U.

    Why is it when I am out and about in a new area I always revert back to food that I find simple. I could be near five star restaurants and always end up at a diner instead. Which, let's be honest, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Sometimes all you need is comfort food at a price point that doesn't break the bank. I had had a full day of seeing the sights in the area, after a brief down period I knew it was time to fill my stomach with something gut busting. I came up to Portsmouth with that intention. After parking I pulled up the Yelp app to see what was near me. Somehow I ended up getting lost walking around this town and almost got to the point where I was frustrated and ready to give up. Somehow in that frustration I ended up right in front of Gilley's. When I saw this place I was taken aback a bit. I thought, this couldn't be a place that serves something satisfying. At the same time I was intrigued. I waited until the group of people left until I entered. It was a good thing too. I had no idea how to get in here. It is a true diner car. Once that was figured out it was like you stepped into the past when you entered here. Odd to think that this is how people dined and dashed. I loved it. You definitely do not come here to wow people. You come here to fill your pit and get it moving. I quickly checked the menu when I was entering the place. Be sure to do this as service is extremely quick. Without hesitation I went with two chili dogs with onion and an order of cheese fries. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't have chili cheese fries, but we will get to that a bit later. I kind of milled around while my food was prepared. Which I would do over again, food is prepared as you order it, no food in warmers here. Once my food was ready I found myself seated in the corner ready to dig in. When I finally took in what I was about to do, I realized that this was going to be difficult. I should have went with one hot dog, because these things were beasts. I had attempted to pick them up, but each time I did that I ended up with chili all over my hands. So I ended up eating those dogs with utensils. Probably a good idea to do. Those dogs were perfect. The chili had a bit of a kick to it, but those onions with their fresh coolness kind of muted that. Those fries, oh my god, those fries. Fresh cut, hot out of the oil and with a generous amount of cheese on them. So amazing. So here's a pro tip for you. If you wanted chili cheese fries, get the two dogs with it. The amount of chili left over after devouring those dogs is just enough to mix those cheese fries in and have yourself chili cheese fries. It took me a minute to figure this out, but when I dumped my fries into the leftover chili in the dog container and mixed it all together, perfection. It may have made myself look greedy, but I enjoyed it. Don't be afraid to use utensils here folks. Gut busting? Yes. I left there satisfied and in need of a nap.

    Inside
    Mollie C.

    Perfect spot for late night take out or a quick sit down, but dont bring too many friends since there is limited seating and only counter style. The food is great and quickly served, although i stopped by late on a weekday when it wasnt jam packed. Easliy got a spot out front, food is priced low and the taste is great. Ill be back again when in the area late night. Dont expect fine dining. But expect your stomach to be full and your tastebuds to be thankful.

    Joshua M.

    This place is soooo good and definitely worth splurging a bit at. Everything is made right in front of you and the staff that is there working is so friendly. The prices cannot be best and woah are they quick with orders. Not only is this great food to have after a fun night of adult libations, but the flavors that are there are wonderful. There is not a single option on the menu that you won't love. From the burgers to the hotdogs to one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had. You cannot go wrong getting a bite to eat here. The place can get a bit cramped because it's in a train car, but I think that's one of the best parts of it. The history and culture that comes with this place is just wonderful and so cool to hear. Definitely give this place a try!

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Amazing burgers. Amazing French fries. Old school. Awesome. Grilled cheese is amazing as well.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great burgers, Great service! The owner really works hard to make sure you are taken care of regardless of how many people are there.

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Was told if I didn't tip my food would not be cooked and was told to leave multiple times.

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    2 years ago

    Confirmed that the rude lady still works there. I recommend going somewhere else where you are treated in a pleasant way.

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Gilley's D.

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    3 years ago

    two hotdogs with the works onion, mustard and relish. $9.11....OUCH!!!! Never again.

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    The Clipper Tavern - Steak and cheese

    The Clipper Tavern

    4.1(128 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    A great little downtown tavern. It seems like a locals hang out but close to hotels and tourist…read moreattractions. I stopped in on a Friday night for a drink before returning my hotel. The bartender was fast and friendly. The drinks were average prices and they have a late night kitchen. The best part was they had an acoustic duo singing and playing guitar. They sounded great and played fun songs you know but don't typically hear (Pretenders, Don Henley, The Cars, etc). If ever I'm in Portsmouth again, I'll return.

    This is still a spot my friend's & I stop in when I'm in town visiting. We came by on 12/26/2025…read more We were hungry!! One friend got the chicken tacos & didn't care for them. I had a small fried chicken finger from another friend's meal & their chicken still isn't the best cut of chicken. It still has a rubbery texture to it & isn't that great. They definitely look better than they taste. I got something new....BBQ pork nachos & even though they don't look very appealing they were sooooo good!! Even my friend's were stealing some from me. Our waitress was new but friendly & good. I didn't catch her name. FINALLY they fixed the ghetto toilet in one of the unisex bathrooms!!! That took many years to do!! No more having to hold the handle down to make it flush & no more electrical gray tape on the tank.....good job guys!!! That took way tooooooo long. It looks much nicer & no longer ghetto looking. We will be back & I will definitely get the BBQ pork nachos again & I LOVE their CC ice cream sandwich!! Soooooo good!

    Photos
    The Clipper Tavern - 12/26/2025 setting up for some live music

    12/26/2025 setting up for some live music

    The Clipper Tavern - Ribeye Steak and Cheese Bomb

    Ribeye Steak and Cheese Bomb

    The Clipper Tavern - Entrance

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    Entrance

    The Hammer Pub and Grille - Shaved steak mac and cheese

    The Hammer Pub and Grille

    3.8(48 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Not the biggest selection of drinks, so, if you're simple, it's fine. The menu is diverse, there's…read moreenough for even the pickiest of eaters. It's small, yet crowded, which speaks to the food and popularity of this downtown bar. And it's accessible, even if the the majority of tables are not. Service is ok, but for a small place it's to be expected. The food selection is ok, but nothing to go writing to mom about. You come for the atmosphere and the company, not the plethora of food options. I ordered the clam chowder just to wash down the alcohol.

    I have to say I LOVED the old RH set up when next door use to be part of this bar. I would come…read morehere all the time in my 20's. I had a favorite sandwich back then it was a turkey club. Not sure if they make it anymore?? This unfortunately isn't a bar I frequent when I'm home in Portsmouth visiting. Their new set-up is very small. I'm not sure how their food is anymore? I stopped in here on 12/26/2025 to grab a quick drink. I grabbed a seat @ the bar & don't have to wait long to order my drink. Male bartender was nice. He made me a yummy Stoli Blueberry vodka with soda water with lemon. He even gave me a lemon when most bartenders give me a lime when I ask for a lemon so that was nice, he listed & paid attention...thank you! I loved the glass it came in (see pic). I loved this cute winter snowman decoration in their kitchen window. They always had yummy Jell-O shots. I will have to come in here again for some food & see what they're serving these days. But I sure do miss their old set up.

    Photos
    The Hammer Pub and Grille - The Establishment

    The Establishment

    The Hammer Pub and Grille - All the chicken from the caesar wrap

    All the chicken from the caesar wrap

    The Hammer Pub and Grille

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    Moxy - Whoopie Pie Sliders

    Moxy

    4.1(471 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We made a same-day reservation at Moxy, not knowing it was restaurant week. The interior was cozy…read moreand colorful, and we were seated in the upstairs area, so we had a balcony view of the bar. For drinks, I got a glass of Malbec (which was very nice), but they also had many enticing cocktails and mocktails. The restaurant week menu consisted of 4 pre-fixe courses. For the first course, I chose the Salmon Tartare, which was fresh and tasty. It wasn't very salty, which I appreciated. I also tried my friend's carrot soup, which had a nice creamy texture with crunchy peas for contrast. For the second course, I chose the Mushroom Labneh. This one was awesome! Next was the Chicken Thigh, which was so juicy and paired well with the garlic sour cream. I also loved my dessert - Griddled Corn Muffins with wild blueberry compote. Service was friendly and seamless, and we left full and happy. Highly recommend for dinner!

    Restaurant Week in Portsmouth was the perfect opportunity to try out Moxy. Plus an added bonus of…read more$42 for a 4-course meal made it more interesting. We found street parking close to the restaurant so that was great while paying close attention to the fact that street parking is not free in the area until 8 pm. I made a reservation and we were seated right away after we entered the restaurant. Our table was situated on the first floor so the area was small but we had enough space between table to have a private conversation. I started out with salmon tartare and it was my least favorite of all. I found the pita to taste somewhat stale and I ended up not eating it. Salmon was good but I did not find that cream cheese added to the dish. It might be a matter of personal preference but I wished I started out with something else from the menu. My shrimp scampi was delicious and I would come back for this dish. Pasta and sauce were great and shrimp were a nice size. I then went with the beef stew. I found the pastry to be somewhat salty but it balanced with the stew that was slightly underseasoned. Maybe it was intended to be that way. It was a decent dish overall. I loved the strawberry panna cotta. Their rhubarb chutney was beautiful and the dish was a great way to end my meal. I would come back to this restaurant in the future to try out their regular menu.

    Photos
    Moxy - Inside

    Inside

    Moxy - Salmon tartare

    Salmon tartare

    Moxy - Moxy Bread

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    Moxy Bread

    Thirsty Moose Taphouse - Fried Pickles & Peppers

    Thirsty Moose Taphouse

    3.7(495 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    This is now our favorite place to eat we ordered the Hummus Platter and Burnt Pork Ends with the…read morePeach Habanero Sauce as Appetizers and before it came out we also had ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders and Waffle Chicken and Bacon Sliders I don't even know where to start the Vibe was great the server staff was above stellar on top of everything fast informative everyone their should get a raise EVERYONE I didn't see one employee slacking okay back to the food the Hummus Platter was fresh and WAY bigger than expected and Burnt Pork Ends are a absolute must try my wife was worried the Peach Habanero Sauce was gonna be to spicy but the sweet off sets the spice completely The Nashville Hot Sliders definitely have a kick to them but that should be expected on any Nashville Hot Entree or Appetizer and it has the best Coleslaw I've ever had in my life on top of it The Chicken Bacon On Waffle Sliders were sweet and delicious and all the flavors blend well with each other and the bacon doesn't overwhelm it is perfectly crafted to perfection we got the Fried Dough Balls and Chocolate Moose Cake to Go and That's one of the Best Cakes I've ever taken a bite of the chocolate is sweet and everything with it is rich and creamy the Dough Balls come with chocolate sauce and maple syrup and those were perfection as well this is not just Portsmouth Gem this is a Gem for all of New England well deserved 5/5 Stars

    Pretty average. We arrived just as trivia was finishing. Got seated near the door which was chilly…read morewhen it swung open. Server took forever to get to us, I don't think we were sat in her section. First beer I wanted they were out of. Had the quesadillas which were pretty overpriced and nothing to rave about. Salsa was terrible, sweet not spicy. The restaurant seemed to have good vibes. Street parking.

    Photos
    Thirsty Moose Taphouse - Inside

    Inside

    Thirsty Moose Taphouse - Nachos; an appetizer worthy to be called a meal. My wife rated them "eh, okay" but I found them to be delicious and delightful.

    Nachos; an appetizer worthy to be called a meal. My wife rated them "eh, okay" but I found them to be delicious and delightful.

    Thirsty Moose Taphouse - 06/08/2024 H2O

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    06/08/2024 H2O

    The River House - Chowder

    The River House

    3.6(959 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Lobster roll and chowder, 'nuff said! Friendly and fast service too…read more Was in town on business and stopped here for my seafood fix

    I went here for lunch and needless to say, I will not be coming back again. Let's start off with…read morethe water cup that he brought me which was dirty. I didn't notice it until I drunk The water down. Wasn't paying too much attention, because of the type of restaurant I was at. The seafood chowder was amazing. When it came to the entrée, I asked him should I get the muscles or should I get the pasta? I don't think he even knew what he was talking about or even care. He suggested a pasta that he said has a hint of redness to it due to the spice, but it was a creamy Alfredo spicy creamy Alfredo to be exact. The sauce is very delicious because you can tell that it was homemade tomato based sauce, but I can't eat it. He explained the pasta to me as if it was a cream sauce with spiciness in it. Which this was not the case the sauce, a tomato base sauce, which I cannot eat because of acid reflux. The pasta looks like something out of a children's menu not even worth what I spent on it, but I paid for it. I would have tipped him anyways, very well as I always do. I ended up tipping him his 25% but I should not have. The only reason I tip this was because you offered to take it back in a sarcastic manner like most Service do awe no trying to play dumbfounded! When you could have just said well, this is a red base sauce. Or I'm not sure ma'am, and I would have ordered the muscles. I probably would've tipped you more just because was honest. When I said you just got your 25%, which was not even worth it cause my food went in the trash. You even saw I did not eat it. You never even offered a second time to say hey I noticed you didn't eat this can I just get u something else? Let me take this off your bill or let me take it back. Not wanting to send the food back I just kept it and dealt with it and ate the seafood out of it. This was a waste of $30 for something I can't eat and did not eat. You guys should really make sure that your Service know they're menu you and know what's in it. The sauce was a full base tomato sauce no spiciness to it. No cream sauce. I asked for no salt in my margarita, but the margarita clearly was salty. Or maybe it was the mix I don't know it tasted salty. This restaurant was just not for me maybe for others, but it just didn't work out for me one and done! I was very clear on the sauce that I wanted, and you still gave me red sauce. This is what the food look like before leaving

    Photos
    The River House - 06/18/2025

    06/18/2025

    The River House - Lobster artichoke dip

    Lobster artichoke dip

    The River House - The view from our table

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    The view from our table

    Gilley's - hotdog - Updated May 2026

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