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    The Big Bean Cafe

    4.3 (336 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Order The Big Bean Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    THE BIG BEAN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
    Happy hour specials

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    I ordered a breakfast sandwich with bacon egg and cheese, on a bagel and got this.

    very disappointed. got a breakfast sandwich and there was barley anything on it. I have been here before and not had this problem. so I am very disappointed in this.this is the location in new market

    Western Omelet
    Lauren G.

    I'd serenade The Big Bean with a love song if I could. Having breakfast at The Big Bean daily would be a dream come true. I absolutely fell in love with this place. I popped in for a quick breakfast before preparing for my best friend's rehearsal dinner nearby. The service was incredibly friendly and fast, and our food arrived piping hot and delicious. I tried The Jareth Benedict - an English muffin topped with horseradish and bacon cream cheese, sautéed mushrooms, two poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce served with a side of home fries. It was exceptional. The menu is incredibly extensive, and I'm excited to explore more options. My boyfriend also raved about his Western omelet. I'm eager to return and indulge in more dishes from their menu. If only they would open a location in my state!

    Lemmy sandwich, very good
    Jennifer O.

    I felt right at home when my girlfriend and I walked in to see if we could grab a sidewalk table. The mood is old California, Benicia/hippy vibe but polished to the right degree. We were warmly greeted. Their menu is very extensive for a relatively small restaurant. While the flavor profile of my Lemmy sandwich ($10.50) didn't quite hit the mark I admire they think outside the box to try something new. My friend really liked her Labyrinth egg sandwich on a toasted English muffin ($6) but expected more of a kick from the horseradish cream cheese. Service was fantastic but the hummus seriously needs work. The menu is full of promising breakfast/brunch & lunch options; I'll definitely return.

    Lox bagel sandwich and eggs Benedict. Fantastic
    Rustin P.

    Incredible, do I need to say more? According to Yelp I do lol. So I'll say that the food and service was so awesome. Quaint little spot and we loved everything we got. The Bloody Marie's were excellent

    Big Bean Breakfast
    Lily B.

    This has to be one of my favorite breakfast places in the area! I've grown up with the Big Bean and my family and I always love it It's always super nice to sit outside too!

    Eggs Benedict (Alfredo special) 1 Pancake with Fruit (blueberry pancake) real maple syrup, mimosa, iced chai
    Summer P.

    The food was delicious! I've never had an Alfredo eggs Benedict before, but I'm glad I tried it from their specials menu because it was literally so good. The service was pretty quick despite the business. My longest wait was for food. But they were busy so it is to be expected. (30 minutes before close) My server never rushed me once and neither did the others to their tables, despite the fact that they were closing soon. I got a mimosa as well which was good. Their iced chai wasn't to my taste as it tasted a little watered down, but that's fine, everywhere is different. The ambiance was pretty nice. Definitely felt like a thrifty type place that cares about the environment. Only thing I didn't like about the decorations were the rainbow Christmas lights strung around. It was a bit tacky and probably would have been better with warm whites or something else.

    Eggs Benedict & home fries
    Barbara H.

    Very good breakfast. Biscuit was good but a bit dry. Large portions, plenty to take home for a 2nd or even 3rd meal. Only negative was when I fell leaving the restaurant. The railing does not go to the last step. My fault for misjudging it but the railing should go all the way to the bottom step.

    Big Bean French Toast.  Bring your appetite!
    Michael F.

    STOP NOW! End the search for breakfast. This place is a must visit if you are in the Durham area and worth the trip from Portsmouth. Spectacular! My daughter and I visited on a Monday morning thinking it would be quiet. We were very wrong. Not a table to be found and luckily there were two spots at the bar. We quickly observed the softball sized muffins behind the counter. My daughter and I both ordered the cinnamon swirl French Toast. They gave you an option of ordering 1-4 slices. They must have known we were not locals because I ordered 3 slices and my daughter ordered 2 slices. I had my order topped with bananas and strawberries and she had hers topped with strawberries and almonds. I had a side of turkey sausage and as a syrup snob, we ordered the pure maple syrup. Each slice of the French Toast was approximately 4 inches thick. Combined it looked like a loaf of bread. Very tasty. Smothered in plenty of fruit. As a coffee snob, the coffee was excellent. It was truly a great experience. They have spoiled me from now on because no French Toast will ever be as big and tasty as this was. The turkey sausage consisted of two tasty patties. I never had to take home breakfast before. Service was excellent and friendly. The prices were very reasonable for the quality and portions of food you receive. There was ample parking in the area. It's well worth the wait if you get caught at a bad time.

    420 breakfast
    Peter T.

    Came here for a late breakfast with my buddy on his recommendation. It was icy, rainy day and I probably shouldn't have worn slippers but I hate shoes and from Hawaii so that's what I was wearing. We were quoted 30-40 minutes and we probably waited for about 25 minutes for a table. I could only wait about 10 minutes outside before I had to go inside and wait. It was really busy with people constantly coming in to put their name on the wait list, order take out, or pick up their take out order. The restaurant has about 15 tables and about 10 counter space seating areas. It is pretty small and tight. Once seated, we immediately were asked about what we wanted to drink and ordered since we had lots of time to decide that. I ordered a coffee with water, and 420 classic breakfast with bacon, over easy eggs, and white toast. They give five pieces of bacon which was awesome and they were perfectly crispy as I requested. The house potatoes, toast, and eggs were also delicious and the coffee was really good as well. My only complaints was no refills on the coffee (too many people waiting to ask for refill) and restaurant was little too busy/small. Service was good, quick, and efficient. I definitely would like to come back here but on an off busy day so I can enjoy more coffee there.

    Great breakfast!!!

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    3 years ago

    Great food and service. Eclectic menu all of which is tasty. Great in warm weather as you eat outside.

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    2 years ago

    You can't go wrong with anything on the menu and friendly and helpful staff. Can't wait to eat here again

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    3 years ago

    Super cute spot. Great coffee, great service and the French toast will blow your mind.

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    3 years ago

    Always packed...but worth the wait so don't let a line deter you. Quaint mill town has lots to offer

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    Dwyer's Pub - Mozzarella sticks

    Dwyer's Pub

    4.4(50 reviews)
    8.8 mi

    If I lived in Portsmouth, Dwyer's would definitely be one of my go to places. Just off the main…read morestreet, this Irish Pub is welcoming, has a great draft selection, and great food. We visited on Friday night and sat at a table as the bar seating was pretty packed. Crowd was pretty chill - a mixture of people in their 20's having drinks & apps, and then older couples/families enjoying dinner. We were happy to see Smithwicks on the draft menu, and we also got a Downeast cider with a caramel/cinnamon rim. We ordered the house made mozzarella sticks, which were ginormous, crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and all around delicious. We all opted with different types of burgers - sliders, fried chicken, and a pub burger. All were served with fries and were perfectly cooked. The coating on my fried chicken was crispy and flavorful. Service was awesome - our glasses were never left empty! Best of all, Dwyers has a free jukebox packed with favorites. Looking forward to coming back on our next visit to Portsmouth - we'll definitely be trying the deviled eggs, wings, and fried oreos!

    Super fun place with a Celtic session on the weekend, but my experience with the obese female…read morebartender was beyond inappropriate. After spending aprox $250 on drinks we were asked to leave our table before we were done because there were other people waiting for tables. I understand that it's a busy St. Paddy's weekend and they need to turn tables over and make $ but it was quite jarring and rude AND we were getting ready to order food. I enjoy this place but i won't be returning. If you want average food and drinks, which is forgivable because of the fun music, and would like to be treated like crap on a Saturday afternoon, Dwyers is the place for you.

    Photos
    Dwyer's Pub - Bar

    Bar

    Dwyer's Pub - Fried chicken sandwich

    Fried chicken sandwich

    Dwyer's Pub - Cider

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    Cider

    Throwback Brewery - Korean beef BBQ bowl

    Throwback Brewery

    4.0(225 reviews)
    8.5 mi
    $$

    Met some friends for lunch at Throwback Brewery recently. Great location with plenty of parking. We…read moresat inside, but there is outdoor seating for warmer weather. Very family friendly- my daughter brings her kids here to see the farm animals. My sister enjoyed Lox Toast. I had the Korean BBQ Wings, as did one of my friends on the recommendation of Erica, our server. Delicious! Of course, we had some of their delicious brews. My sister did some samples and loved them all-Big Galoot Grapefruit, Rule the Roost, Ninja of the North & Hank's Pale Ale. I had a Cheek Squeezer which was very puckery and a Vanilla Stout #3 which was yummy. We had excellent service and were not rushed at all. Recommended without hesitation.

    Stopped in after a Sunday at the beach. It doesn't open till 4pm during the week so we have wanted…read moreto stop by but it's not practical during weekday visits to the coast. On weekends they open earlier so we popped in for some beers and an app. Very nice outdoor and indoor space, I LOVE that they had dark beers and not just IPAs like many breweries these days, particularly in the summer. We sat at the bar (as per usual for us) and service was fast and friendly. No complaints! I wish we had gone for lunch or dinner because the food coming out looked great. We got the onion dip to help the beers go down and that was fantastic. They grow all sorts of veggies on the premesis and they source local cheese/ingredients so it's a nice concept. My only complaint is that there were several signs outside and inside saying to wait for the host to be seated and we waited a LONG time and then she said oh you can just sit at the bar. So, maybe put that on one of the signs? Usually the bar is seat yourself but when there are multiple signs as you walk up saying to speak to the host before sitting - idk I'm gonna speak to the host. I'm a rule follower. Not enough to turn me off, we will likely be back!

    Photos
    Throwback Brewery - Ambiance!

    Ambiance!

    Throwback Brewery - Korean wings, duck gravy poutine, and fried rice with chicken

    Korean wings, duck gravy poutine, and fried rice with chicken

    Throwback Brewery - Cool Exterior

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    The Hammer Pub and Grille - Shaved steak mac and cheese

    The Hammer Pub and Grille

    3.8(48 reviews)
    9.1 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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    The Big Bean Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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