Tilt’n Diner – New Hampshire

by South Florida Eats · October 24, 2021

Tilt’n Diner: 61 Laconia Rd, Tilton, NH 03276

The Tilt’n Diner is the place to go when you are heading to the White Mountains, or if you are just looking for really good food. Since my friend Mike and I were leaving close to lunchtime, I knew I was going to get hungry along our way to the mountains. And knowing how I can get if I don’t eat food when my body tells me to, I asked Mike about where he thought we should stop. That is when he mentioned the Tilt’n Diner.

I’d never been to this place even though I thought I might have been. But once there I knew it was my first time. The restaurant is located right off Route 3 in Tilton, New Hampshire. It’s known for hearty American cooking & breakfast all day served up in a down-home, ’50s-styled backdrop.

The Restaurant:

One thing to remember if you are out of state is that you do not want to drive around the back of the diner in order to come up to the front parking because you will be going against the flow of traffic. Luckily Mike is from Massachusetts so we can blame it on that. There is a ton of parking, so you won’t have any problems there. We even stopped off at the gas station next door to fill up before we headed on our trip after eating a great meal.

As you pull up to the Tilt’n Diner, you will know it by the 50’s style shiny chrome facade on the front of the building. Now this place has certainly grown since the early days and has a large back section with a mix of counter space, tables, and booths for you to sit at. Just be aware that it can get very busy during the high times, and they are only open until 9 pm. As you enter inside you will notice all the t-shirts and hats you can buy with different sayings on them. As you look to your right, you will notice crates full of publications from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, etc… They have something for just about any subject you can think of. I never did find out what they were for or if they were available for sale, but man their collection is huge.

The Food:

The Tilt’n Diner offers up a large variety of food. They have everything from traditional Diner favorites, homestyle classics, burgers, sandwiches, diner specialties, diner tacos, salads, and soups. There are so many items you might have a hard time making up your mind.

I decided to try their bacon cheeseburger. I have to say that this was one of the best burgers I have had in a long time and I would highly recommend it to anyone. You can get it prepared to your liking, and as you all know I got mine well-done. The Tilt’n Diner serves it as two thin all-beef patties. Add to that American cheese on each of the beef patties, some well-done bacon, lettuce, and a fresh slice of tomato. Now that is a burger that your mouth should be watering for.

The meal was accompanied by french fries, but I was not a fan of the oil that they are cooked in. It makes them have a weird coating to the outside, and for a diner, I always think they should make hand-cut natural fries instead.

Mike chose to go with a classic grilled Reuben Melt. His sandwich came with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing on grilled rye bread. The bread was toasted nicely, and Mike took his time to enjoy the flavor combinations and good conversation. He said that this is one of the things he usually gets each time he eats there and would recommend it to anyone.