If you’re driving Route 1 or I-95 south of Portsmouth, heading to or from Massachusetts, make a detour to Seabrook for some of the best lobsters in New Hampshire—and the amazing spectacle of two (gently) competing shacks right across the road from each other.
Brown’s (tel. 603/474-3331) got here first, and it’s a bit more like the typically unadorned shack you’d find in, say, Downeast Maine. (Its patio also frames a view of Seabrook’s infamous nuclear power plant—and, yes, it’s active.) Markey’s (tel. 603/474-2851) opened later and more closely resembles a small-town diner. The pounds frame both sides of state Route 286, easily reached from Portsmouth or Boston via the exits to Seabrook off both U.S. Route 1 and the New Hampshire Turnpike (I-95; drive east a few miles). From Hampton Beach, head south on coastal Route 1A a few miles and turn inland (west) on Route 286.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
