The Common Man, Lincoln, New Hampshire

The cozy, historic White Mountains classic for hearty New England comfort food after a day on the Kancamagus — and home of the legendary Nantucket Pie, a decadent lobster-and-seafood bake.

The short version

• A White Mountains institution in Lincoln, part of New Hampshire’s beloved Common Man family — a hospitality empire that started in the founder’s own living room in 1971.
• It’s the ideal Kanc-day dinner: warm, fireplace-lit, generous comfort food, exactly what you want after a long drive or a hike.
• Order the signature Nantucket Pie — lobster, scallops, shrimp and haddock in a lobster-cream sauce — and settle in.

A genuine New Hampshire institution

The Common Man story starts in November 1971, when Alex Ray — a Culinary Institute grad — opened a 35-seat restaurant on the first floor of his own home in Ashland, New Hampshire. Half a century later it’s one of the state’s most beloved hospitality families: more than twenty locations, inns, a spa, even a movie house, all built on the same easy, fireplace-and-cheese-and-crackers warmth. The Lincoln location opened in 1985 in the old Pollard family home, with a barn moved in for extra dining space — and it’s been feeding leaf-peepers and skiers at the foot of the Kancamagus ever since.

Why go? (and what to order)

After a day out in the cold air, this is the warm, satisfying end to it — and the move is the Nantucket Pie: shrimp, scallops, haddock, and Maine lobster baked in a lobster-cream sauce under buttery Ritz crumbs. It’s indulgent, deeply New England, and exactly the comfort the season calls for. Generous portions, fair prices, and a room you won’t want to leave.

Good to know

• Where: 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, New Hampshire.
• Hours: open daily — check the official site.
• Cost: mid-range, with generous portions — strong value.
• Pair with: the Kancamagus Highway.

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