The bar that doesn't advertise. The Tuesday-night dinner you'd never find by Googling. The donut shop that sells out by ten.
A 22-seat wood-fired barbecue spot on Main Street that sells out most nights it's open — Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. until the smoker's empty. Everything is scratch-made, from the jumbo signature wings to the pulled pork. Happy hour runs 4 to 6 daily, also the safest window to get a table before the kitchen runs dry. Full bar, no reservations, no guarantee of a seat past 6:30 on a Saturday.
The dining room inside the New London Inn, a Main Street landmark that's operated continuously since 1792. Classic American cooking with an Italian lean, served in a tavern space that doubles as the town's default after-dinner drink stop. The inn's small art gallery, past the bar, is worth the two-minute detour before or after a meal. Reserve ahead on Colby-Sawyer parents'-weekend and graduation dates — the inn fills the dining room with families.
A homey breakfast-and-lunch counter on Main Street serving New England standards with local ingredients where it counts — real maple syrup, not the imitation kind. Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day, which makes it the reliable option when a rental's kitchen isn't stocked yet on arrival morning. Locals treat it as the default before-golf or before-hike stop rather than a tourist breakfast spot.