Eating is of course part of the travel experience. And, while we certainly don’t fall into the category of culinary travelers, I do like to try some native cuisine wherever we are traveling, so long as it’s not too risky. This experience always goes better when you have a local with you, so while we were in New Hampshire our friend who was showing us around took us to have some of New Hampshire’s traditional food: maple syrup. The authentic place he took us is more than just a restaurant, the Heritage Farm Pancake House is a New England experience.
You might remember me talking about the Pancake Pantry in Nashville, and you might just think I have thing for pancakes, but in all honesty the Heritage Farm Pancake House surpasses even the Pancake Pantry in pancake excellence. Maybe it’s the so-real-it-came-out-of-the-tree-in-the-yard maple syrup (which you can buy by the bottle if you happen to be a millionaire), or maybe it’s the homey environment, or maybe it’s just that they make the thickest yummiest pancakes I’ve ever tasted, but I won’t be forgetting this place for a long time.
The Experience
When you come into the Heritage Farm Pancake House you are greeted and seated either in the house or out in the sugarhouse, provide you are not there while they are making maple syrup. Yes, so there is a sugarhouse connected directly to the restaurant (see how authentic this is). If you aren’t seated there you can go out and look at it after your meal on your way to or back from the petting zoo.
Oh that’s right, there is also a petting zoo out back. While Lucy loves food a lot, it is hard to tell whether she liked the pancakes or the animals better here. In the small barn behind the main house you can visit pigs, cows, sheep, goats, ducks, and chickens.
The Food
Anyway, like I said it is more than just a restaurant, but since it is a restaurant lets talk a little bit more about the food. There is a LOT of it. There is both a lot to choose from when you order, and also a lot when it arrives at your table.
You can choose to be an adult ($15) or a child ($8) regardless of what age you actually are. I decided to be an adult, Meagan decided to be a child. Meagan made the right choice. But I had pancakes left over for later and eggs to spare for Lucy.
Once you decide to be an adult or a child (a hard enough choice on its own) you then have to choose what kind of pancake you want (really the main reason for being an adult is so that you can have two flavors of pancakes). Meagan got the oatmeal-scotty pancake, which she thought was out of this world, and I got the chunky monkey (banana, nuts, chocolate) and the lemon berry. Both of mine were incredible, and the largest pancakes I have ever seen.
In addition to the pancakes you also get eggs, bacon, and home fries. And, of course, that real maple syrup, which probably accounts for about half the cost of your meal. Everything is served homestyle, which means it all comes together and you dish it up onto your plates so it feel like a family meal.
Sum Up
I apologize for not having any pictures of the food we ate the Heritage Farm Pancake House, I was just a lot more focused on eating it then I was on photographing it (I know, I let you down). But I can attest that this is a great place to eat, well worth your visit while you are in New Hampshire. They are located in Sanbornton, which is in the middle of the state and right on your way up I-93 if you are going to Franconia Notch from Boston like we were.
Just remember, you probably want to be a child.
