The Union Diner — Restaurant in Laconia

Update 10-25-24 My mom & I went back here tonight because the service was SO GREAT last time and she could eat here shellfish allergy safe. Well, we walked inside, "somewhat greeted" then told us to sit anywhere you want. We went to sit in a what looked like a clean and empty table then rudely told us that those tables are reserved. Then pointed us down to the hall and said more seats down here. But then there was a big object that said, "THIS SECTION IS CLOSED!" and then we saw an empty table that was DIRTY. The ONLY table that is not resereved or closed off. They knew what was down there and it was intentionally thought that 2 people would sit at a dirty table, seriously? After that, I shook my head NOPE, and then my mom & I left. We did not eat here. Sometimes good food is NOT worth POOR SERVICE. They had the nerve to tell us to have a nice night. So telling customers to sit anywhere they want then you actually tell them "No, not there" is misleading and bad for business. If you have to reserve tables then there SHOULD BE SOMEONE to seat customers considering the, "Sit Anywhere You Like" lingo does not apply now.*

I called this place first asking if they serve shellfish and they said yes but wasn't serving shrimp that day so I told the woman on the phone my mom and I are on our way there. The phone call whoever I spoke to was nice and polite, and the place to me seemed welcoming. She has trouble going to restaurants because of her highly severe allergy to crustaceans anything with shrimp/lobster/crab. We were in the area picking up my order at Michael's and then we stopped into the Home Goods store did some more Christmas shopping around there. And I was starving, missed breakfast because work was so busy and didn't have enough time. So we hit up this Diner at first I wasn't so sure because the Diner is in a plaza with other businesses next to it and the parking is limited but luckily for us, we came in good timing and there were lots of parking available. We were greeted and asked to sit anywhere, friendly. I got the vibe of the place being in one of those movies that you see sit at a Diner, the only thing missing I'd say is the old style jukebox. I loved every minute of it felt welcoming like the feeling you know you're gonna have great service here. Our server, Dawn, was polite, nice and friendly and smiled a lot. She even reassured my mom that they use seperate frialators for seafood and chicken. My mom was over the moon about that, she was super happy she could get chicken tenders since almost everywhere we go, she can't get anything deep fried. Their chicken tenders (I tried one piece) and the country fried chicken I ordered was Delish! Even though I switched the sauce that it came with due to my spices sensitivity, it was still really delicious. Then we heard her talk about desserts! She comes over to the table and lists all of the desserts for us. I'm like (Oh no, acid reflux gonna flare up on me later, haha!) Anyways, we both chose the Candy Cane Pie, and OH My! It was so delicious, we were gonna get boxes to take them home but once I had that first bite, I couldn't stop eating it, so dang good and it sure didn't last long either. I reccomend this diner to anyone who wants to have a good meal leaving full and satisfied with exceptional service. The prices are reasonable and not too pricey. I never got to ask if their pies are homemade or not but, I have a feeling they are since my mom doesn't eat crust but loved the crust on their candy cane pie! You must try their pies if you are a dessert person or pie lover, you won't be...

Unfortunately my visit to this Diner was a bad experience on an otherwise delightful road trip to NH. Visited the Union Diner on a Sunday morning a few weekends back at around 1030am which is understandably peak time for morning breakfast which one can expect a bit of a wait. Upon arriving my party and I noticed that though the place was busy it was not overtly crowded and people were finishing their breakfast and heading out. So we waited for an attendant to seat us or to be placed on the waiting list for seating. After waiting at the door for several minutes we along with the few other guess who showed up after us noticed that there were no employees coming to take our name for seating. Equally there was no sign or instructions for seating arrangement as well. We then went to the bar & was told that a list can be signed by the outside seating area & someone will be out there shortly. I then observed someone come to the bar where a seat just opened up & sat with his company without even being on a list of any sort. Seeing this I should have realized that this place is totally unorganized and take our business elsewhere. Instead we went outside and waited another 10 minutes for someone to add us to the seating list. We were told by the staff worker who added our names that we can expect a 15 minute wait. No problem, we waited. About 20 minutes later we observed 4 tables become vacant with no staff cleaning the tables off for the growing pool of people awaiting seating. I then went inside to see what was going on, long story short - the staff was apologetic & sat us down at a table that wasn't yet cleaned off. Not before a rather rude patron said in a very snickering tone that if I don't like the service I should leave. No buddy YOU should leave. I almost lost it but decided that cooler heads prevail - I told that rude SOB to have a nice day! And it still took another 10 minutes for menus to be brought out to us. We decided to leave and go elsewhere. Overall, the service was poor and inattentive. Patience is indeed a virtue & e tried but when your in the business of customer service the management here needs to do a lot better when it comes to their customers. Cannot recommend this place . Skip it. Just as a side note, We found a total contrast in customer service, ambience and delicacy in a place a few minutes up the road called Kitchen Cravings. Hands down the best Corn beef Hash I ever tasted!...

I LOVE The Union Diner. I have been coming to the Gilford/Laconia area for years, yet somehow missed this little gem of a place until this past summer. It looks like (and is) a legit diner seemingly straight out of an Edward Hopper painting. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. They have regular customers that they greet by name, so this is a place where locals go (always a good sign). When I went for the first time this summer, our server (Dawn) knew the menu well and was able to make good recommendations. In particular, the blueberry corn muffin. It was fabulous. Dawn was so personable this summer, that I looked for her when I was back in town a week ago. She was there, and was our server again and was just as friendly and personable as before. I had the blueberry corn muffin again and it did not disappoint! The scrambled eggs were also cooked well (not too soft or hard). The only negative comment I have is that I was disappointed in the home fries. They were made with red potatoes which I thought would be a nice change but they weren't crisp on the outside and soft on the inside which is my gold standard for home-fries. Just my personal preference. Knowing how good the breakfasts there are, I made sure I left time in my trip to go twice while I was in town and I will definitely be back as much as possible on...