Cj Avery’s Restaurant

Really good menu. High quality food. Relaxed, casual atmosphere. One of my favorite places!

I’ve eaten dinner at Avery’s on two occasions. The food is good– I liked the bacon cheeseburger (fresh and homemade), steak fries, and chicken fingers (homemade). The salad is underwhelming as it is mostly iceberg lettuce. The service and atmosphere are poor. The booths, bar area, and general décor are in need of renovation. The restrooms were dirty. The waitresses and bar staff were in need of training in regard to customer service. On both visits, my waitresses were inattentive and unfriendly. It’s too bad that the service and atmosphere are lacking because the food is decent.

We made a Reservation 6 in the afternoon today — got there and they didn’t have it in their book.
We were seated right away and the service was good. The food however was mediocre. I ordered the stuffed shrimp– shrimp was good but the stuffing was tasteless.
The prime rib and spare ribs were ok
Hadn’t been in awhile and the huge tv’s all around were distracting and noisy. Not my scene.

Great food, great atmosphere, great wait staff! We just moved from upstate NY and had family here helping us and took them here for mothers day. Our waitress was very accomodating and even helped us out with some history of the area. The food was delicious and beyond filling! Even the petite plates were big! Definitely will go back here again!

We went here on a Saturday night and were pretty disappointed overall. We had 5 people and had to wait which is understandable but when we got into the restaurant it was pretty empty, maybe 3 other tables and a few folks at the bar.
We ordered our drinks which took a while because the waitress (not HER fault) was juggling the other tables. We got bread and ordered potato skins to start. The bread was good, we ordered some more and it never came. The potato skins were mushy and not at all tasty but I overlooked that and the fact that only one was eaten off the plate and we ordered our meals.
I ordered the fettucine alfredo which was pretty good and a side of mashed potatoes which we were charged for and never came. The rest of the party ordered pasta,(ok), a turkey open face sandwich which was alright as well but we also ordered 2 pot roast dinners and both were served with the meat being not warm enough on both. I was surprised as both men didn’t finish their dinners which is a rarity and we ordered dessert, the first dessert was a strawberry shortcake which was just some strawberries on a crusty biscuit which my friend ate the strawberries off of and ordered another dessert.
I thought between this and the potato skins perhaps they wouldn’t charge us for one of the items. But the bill came to 157.00. Only 3 people ordered dessert and one hot tea. The rest were just one beverage each and our meal. I was highly disappointed and don’t intend on dining here again. Between the cost, our mishaps and the understaffed restaurant on a Saturday night, it just doesn’t pay at all. Oh and the pasta entrée was a child’s portion which is less expensive. Highly disappointed and don’t normally bother writing unhappy reviews but I wouldn’t want anyone else to waste all this money for a clearly not wonderful meal.

I felt extremely uncomfortable when my husband and I went for some drinks and food while on a weekend getaway. The owner was hovering over the bartender and was inappropriate to them. My husband and I were carded which is perfectly fine (I actually appreciate it) but we were carded by the owner after our drinks were served, we were half way through with them and we were already carded by the bartender. It’s like he was questioning her ability to read a license. He proceeded to stare at them for what seemed forever. I understand we have out of state licenses and every state is different, but it was like he was questioning the validity. I get that it’s your business and you want to make sure that your not serving underage kids. Btw we are both 27. I can get over the license checking, but not the extremely inappropriate comments to the staff. They were bordering harassment. We decided to not order anything to eat because we just wanted out of there. So I can’t judge the food. It wasn’t busy when we were there but the food did look good. Also our poor bartender was wonderful. I don’t know how he keeps staff.

Great restaurant with wonderful staff. We have made it our weekly must go to for the food and service.

Was up for bike week and after the POW/​MIA run grabbed food. There was 7 of us and they were able to accommodate. They were light on staff so things went slowly but it was well worth the wait! The food and drinks were awesome! Everything was homemade and tasted delicious. Although slow the waitstaff was nice and attentative while there. Definitely a good find!

Finding this place during Bike Week was a very pleasant surprise. The steaks were as good as you’re going to find anywhere, not just in the middle of nowhere but in all of NE. (but you pay that price; worth it if you enjoy quality beef).
It’s not fancy (I’ve only dined at the bar) but it’s clean and welcoming. The menu is extensive, and surprisingly it’s all well done. The shrimp cocktail was impressive for a bar, the salads/​vegetables extremely good (again, you can tell the owner case about quality ingredients), the burgers large, cooked precisely to order and very satisfying. And I come back again to the quality of their steaks and prime rib (I highly recommend the bone in ribeye (cowboy steak)). It was as good as I’ve had anywhere (and that includes Morton’s, Cap Grille, Ruth Chris, Abe&Louies, etc). It’s not served with the same panache as any of those places, but you’re in Laconia, it’s laid back, the folks are friendly and you can come as you are and get a gourmet meal without any of the pretensions of some other places. The owner, Chip, is often on hand, as is his very capable manager Mary and they are both friendly and quick to assist in helping your evening go smoothly.

We go there often on Sunday evenings, only a few people there, the service has been fine. Family in town (same family as that awful holiday dinner out), so since it was a quiet Sunday, we thought we’d show the family how good they can be. Groan. Service extra slow tonight, but the clincher was when the toddler’s Mom noticed that the «new» straw with his milk looked chewed!!! Going up to the waitress, to ask her for another one, the waitress commented that they wash the plastic disposable cups with the bendy straws, and use them again… for a different child! EWWWW! Isn’t that against the health code? Trying to save costs is a good idea, but not this way. For the price of a cheap cup set, they will lose customers. What else is reused that shouldn’t be?!! Makes me wonder. Great food, slow service, questionable cost saving practices.

I went here for the first time with my family last night. Surprisingly we live super close but haven’t gotten around to trying this place until a year later (we moved to laconia 1 year ago) since we are new to New England, I wanted to try something that New Hampshire is known for. I decided to order the haddock broiled. It was my first time trying it and it was really yummy ! The butternut squash was amazing ! The only downside are there hours, they don’t open until 5.

Meh, it was ok. Service started off spotty but turned around. The place is full of old people and Christmas decorations, the tables are sticky, and our app didn’t come as described (listed buffalo chicken which is why we ordered it, came as plain chicken fingers). The fish and chips came in a kid sized portion, my husband left hungry. I was stuffed and my drink was strong so mama was happy. Crab cakes were really good too. Honestly don’t see it as a $ 100 restaurant though, definitely overpriced for what it is. I don’t know what’s up with this state, but they do not accept PayPal MasterCard debit anywhere, very strange!

We ate here last night and it was so so good! I had the prime rib with mashed potatoes and it was fantastic! Our server was very nice and helped my husband with the menu (he needs gluten-​free). The kids enjoyed their meals as well. The restaurant itself could use some updating, but food quality/​taste and service is more important. We ate here because we were in the area and although we live over an hour away, we will definitely be back.

We’ve been going to CJ Avery’s every Friday night for some time. The food is great. The filet and sirloin steaks are always cocked just the way I like them. The staff is excellent. They remember what you drink and the menu items you like. There are a bunch of regulars like me an my wife so there’s always good company at the bar.

I called last Tuesday to make a reservation for 7:30 Saturday night for a bachelor party of 10 for dinner. We arrived right on time only to be told that they had no record of our reservation. After the hostess talked to the manager they gave us 2 round tables near the bar. When we asked if we could at least push the 2 tables together we were told that the manager said no. Not a good start.
Our waitress Shelby came over and welcomed us and got our drink order going. She was awesome! Very friendly and accommodating. We ordered a variety of food off the menu. Fried pickles and buffalo wings appetizers were very good. For my entrée I got the small prime rib after reading reviews that said it was amazing. The 12oz portion size was great, meat was tender, but was a little lacking in the flavor department. Others had burgers and fried seafood that they said was very good. 1 person did get the buffalo chicken fingers that he was very disappointed in. Seemed like cheap frozen fingers that were thrown in the microwave.
Overall, I’d say the food was good and prices were reasonable. Thank goodness for Shelby’s great service or else I would have had to have had a serious discussion with the manager. Only other thing I’d mention is that the overall age of the crowd was 50+. We were by far the youngest there with an age range of 27 — 41 in our group.

We were a party of 4. We were seated very quickly when we arrived. The menu is big and kind of all over the place. The appetizers took a very long time to arrive and when they did we were not impressed. The nachos were tiny with cheese that was so melted on there it was hard to not pull the whole plate up with it, we also go some potato skins and they were not very good either. My meal, the stuffed shrimp which was $ 23.00 was not good. The stuffing was runny with no flavor at all. My brother had half his cheeseburger and then could not eat anymore as it was not cooked as he asked. The girls did enjoy their salads but I left unsatisfied and at $ 110 with no drinks or desserts I thought it was very pricey for the quality of food offered. We will not be back.

Very good prime rib and baked stuffed shrimp. Both dishes are among the best in the area. The prime rib does seems to lag in quality in the summer though. It may be that they can’t keep up with demand as well in the summer. That is their signature dish.

We were disapponted with the food. Buffalo chicken tenders were right out of a box, but maybe that is to be expected at a place like this. Service was good, food not so much.

This isn’t much of a review — more general impression. I was in the area on Friday to see Bob Dylan at Meadowbrook. I was meeting friends at Patrick’s in Gilford, but they were running late, and Patricks was so bombed I couldn’t even get a seat at the bar. I hit the road to find another watering hole. I pulled into Cactus Jacks, and it looked the same — packed. I didn’t want to wait long. I kept heading towards Laconia. In Lakeport, Fratello’s would be a good choice, but again, look packed. Then I noticed Averys on a side street a little off the main drag, but easy to spot. I was surprised I hadn’t ever noticed it before. I asked how long they had been there, I figured a year or two, and was told — 27 years!
It was busy, but there were seats at the bar. I had a beer and some good home made onion rings. The service was very friendly. I saw a waitress go by with an awesome looking burger on it. I wandered around the lounge for a minute to scope other people’s food — I didn’t have time for a whole meal (and chance missing Bob???). One man noticed me tuning in on his prime rib and lit up like a Christmas tree! «Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?» Yes it does. «And this is the small one!».
Excellent third party endorsement.
I’m basing my opinions here on limited input, and more gut instinct, but this certainly looks lice a nice hidden gem. If you are in this area, and don’t want the long lines of the bigger name places close by, this seems to be an excellent alternative. I’ll be going back soon for a full meal and more extensive sampling.

I’ve been meaning to stop at CJ Avery’s Grill & Bar (located across from the Lakeport train stop) for quite sometime since the place is busy each time I’ve passed by. They won a Best of NH in 2007 for best hidden restaurant. CJ Avery’s is NOT affiliated with Cactus Jack’s (also called CJ’s), which is located less than a mile away.
I stopped at CJ Avery’s (open for dinner) after riding around all day amongst thousands of bikers. This casual place was fairly busy when I rolled up around 6PM. I was seated immediately near the busy lounge. The staff were sporting new 2010 Bike Week tees. The place is divided with the comfortable lounge on one end and the cozy dining rooms at the other end. There are big plasma TVs in the lounge.
I went over the menu which offers steaks, seafood, prime rib, chicken, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, and comfort dishes. The prices are moderate, most entrees in the $ 9.99-$ 19.99 range. Some desserts offered include ice cream, strawberry shortcake, toll house cookie pie, apple crisp, carrot cake, triple chocolate fudge cake, NY cheesecake, and peanut butter pie. See the menu at
(Note some prices have changed on my visit)
I ordered the Chicken Trio ($ 19.99), which was angel hair & meatball, fettuccine alfredo, and chicken parmigiana, served with salad & bread. The salad was pretty standard, served in a small wood bowl. The hot fresh baked mini loaf of bread (white) was pretty good. The entrée portion was generous (it was high in price) and piled on. The angel hair was soft, cooked just right. The tomato sauce had a sweet taste and the meatball had a soft texture. The fettuccine alfredo was creamy and not too rich. The chicken parm was a big piece of breaded juicy boneless chicken breast. I couldn’t finish the food and I did ask for a box ahead of time, as the waitress brought out my food.
The place became even busier and my waitress became occupied with more customers. However, the nice hostess saw that I was finished with dinner and brought out my check and processed my credit card payment. My waitress stopped by my table moments later and looked very surprised that I was all cashed out and all set. Thanks to the hostess for stepping up and getting me on my way expeditiously on a busy night. Great job!