Breakfast and brunch in Salem, NH

For breakfast in Salem NH, you have two kinds of mornings to choose from. On weekdays, the diners on Route 28 and off Exit 1 open at 6 a.m. with eggs, pancakes and benedicts. On weekends, Tuscan Village and a few Route 28 dining rooms turn to brunch, with cocktails and things like monkey bread and chicken and waffles. Here is where to go, sorted by how you want to start the day.

Who opens first: breakfast in Salem NH by the clock

Diners and breakfast spots

MaryAnn’s Diner

MaryAnn’s is a 1950s-style diner, and Salem’s is the third of its four locations. The first opened in Derry in 1989, and the Salem diner followed in 2016, just off I-93 Exit 1. It serves breakfast from 6 a.m. every day and stays open until 3 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. On busy weekend mornings, join the online waiting list from the diner’s site before you leave home. It is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. 3 Veterans Memorial Pkwy., (603) 893-9877.

Maddie’s

On North Broadway, Maddie’s is a family-owned breakfast and lunch place that opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays. Early-bird specials run until 7:30 a.m. Monday–Friday and come with coffee. The menu is long on benedicts: Irish Eggs with corned beef hash ($13.75), a Woodsmen’s Benedict with hash browns and bacon ($13.99) and a Pesto Benedict with roasted red peppers and asiago ($13.99). Three pancakes are $9.49, and pure New Hampshire maple syrup is an add-on. Lunch starts at 11 a.m. Monday–Saturday, and breakfast is served all day on weekends. Hours: 6 a.m.–2 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. weekends. 240 N. Broadway, (603) 894-0094.

Sammy J’s Breakfast Cafe

On Main Street, Sammy J’s Breakfast Cafe keeps early hours. Its current listing shows 6 a.m.–1:30 p.m. daily. It has no website, so call before you go. 144 Main St., (603) 894-5395.

IHOP

The IHOP at the south end of Route 28 serves pancakes, omelets and waffles from 7 a.m. every day. It runs late: until 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday. 528 S. Broadway, (833) 358-9065.

Weekend brunch in Salem

Tavern in the Square

The two-floor Tavern in the Square at Tuscan Village serves brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu has something for the table and something for the morning after: Blueberry Monkey Bread ($11), Berries & Cream French Toast with a crème brûlée soak ($16), a Big Ranch Skillet over tater tots ($17) and a Smothered Breakfast Burrito with red and green chile ($18). There is a kids’ menu, too. 16 Via Toscana, (603) 685-3135.

Copper Door

Copper Door on South Broadway does brunch on Sundays only, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., and the regular menu is available at the same time. The brunch list includes Chicken & Waffles with buttermilk fried chicken and local maple syrup ($18.50), Sunday Buns, three sticky cinnamon buns with cream cheese frosting ($15), and a Steak & Eggs Flatbread with tenderloin ($21). Kids 12 and under get their own menu, including a strawberry waffle ($11). 41 S. Broadway, (603) 458-2033.

Tuscan Market

Tuscan Market opens at 8 a.m. every day and has its own brunch menu with an Italian accent. Order the Neapolitan Breakfast pizza with eggs, provolone, prosciutto cotto, spinach and hollandaise ($15), or keep it light with avocado toast on scali bread ($8, add an egg or bacon). 9 Via Toscana, (603) 912-5467.

The Rooftop and The Friendly Toast

Two more Tuscan Village options. The Rooftop at The Artisan, on top of The Artisan Hotel, serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, according to the Tuscan Village directory. The Friendly Toast (18 Via Toscana) is a retro scratch kitchen and bar that the directory describes as known for its creative menu and one-of-a-kind drinks. Its own site blocks automated checks, so look up its current hours before you go.

Coffee and a quick bite

• Caffè Artisan, off the lobby of The Artisan Hotel (15 Via Toscana), pours Lavazza coffee with in-house pastries and breakfast options, 6 a.m.–8 p.m. daily.
• Pressed Café (1 Artisan Dr.) runs an all-day menu from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
• Chick-fil-A (14 S. Village Dr.) opens at 6:30 a.m. Monday–Saturday and is closed Sunday.
• Playa Bowls (200 Via Toscana) opens at 8 a.m. daily for açaí and smoothie bowls.
• Starbucks (99 Rockingham Park Blvd.) opens at 5 a.m., and Dunkin’ (4 Mall Rd.) opens at 4:30 a.m. on weekdays.

Tips for a Salem breakfast

• Beat the weekend rush. Go early on Saturday and Sunday, or use MaryAnn’s online waitlist.
• Know when brunch ends. Tavern stops brunch at 2:30 p.m., and Copper Door at 2 p.m.
• Make a morning of it. Breakfast at Tuscan Village pairs well with a walk around Lake Park and the shops. Our Tuscan Village visitor guide covers parking and what’s open when.
• Bringing kids? See our picks for family restaurants in Salem NH.

For lunch and dinner, browse the full Salem dining guide, or see every place to eat and drink at Tuscan Village. Hours change with the seasons, so check before you go.