Nick’s place in hampton falls
Following several decades of success on the North Shore of Massachusetts, Nick’s Place moved north to New Hampshire for the first time in 2019 with the opening of a spot in Raymond. A second Granite State restaurant, this time in Hampton Falls (115 Lafayette Road, 265-8000, letseatnicks.com), is the company’s 10th overall — the eatery opened last fall in the former Native Coffee + Kitchen storefront on Lafayette Road and is now best-known for its fresh roast beef sandwiches, pizzas, calzones, subs and pasta and seafood dinners. Another Seacoast-area location is on the way in Newmarket. Each restaurant offers dine-in, takeout and online ordering, and 12-ounce bottles of Nick’s Place’s house creamy Greek dressing are available for retail in some area businesses. The Scene recently caught up with Constantine “Costa” Alexandrou, whose father and uncle launched Nick’s Place in Winthrop, Mass., back in the mid-1980s (the original spot is still going strong), to chat about some of his personal must-try menu item recommendations.
How long has Nick’s Place of Hampton Falls been around?
We opened in Hampton Falls in October of last year [2022]. … I don’t know the exact year my father started Nick’s Place with my uncle, but we always just say it was 1986. … He started it in a little corner store, and then we moved to the old McDonald’s in Winthrop Center, and we’ve been there ever since. … My father’s middle name is Nicholas. There’s really nobody by the first name of Nick … but we have a little ongoing joke that there’s an employee there by that name, and we always blame everything on Nick.
What makes Nick’s Place of Hampton Falls unique?
We try to bring forth the best customer service that we can, and honestly, we use the best stuff that we can possibly get … whether it’s the flour that we use for the dough, or the produce that we get every day. The seafood is all fresh, from the haddock to the clams that we get delivered every day. … We really try to go above and beyond.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
Right now it’s probably going to be something off of our bowls menu. … We’ve got a Greek bowl, which is kind of like a play on a Greek salad, but in a bowl with rice … and it’s got romaine lettuce, feta, onions and our house dressing on the side. … Even though we offer great salads, the bowl is a different alternative now, and it fills you up.
What is something that everyone should try?
A North Shore roast beef sandwich … and it’s got to be tried “3-way,” with barbecue sauce, cheese and mayonnaise, either on a grilled hamburger bun or an onion roll.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at Nick’s Place of Hampton Falls?
I’d like to be featured on a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives type of show, or Phantom Gourmet. Something like that would be cool for us. … We actually had our little spotlight last year [at] our Raymond location, with Charlie Moore’s son. He started a show, Travel Moore, and so that was pretty cool.
What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?
No. 1 is hard work. Hard work with a great team, really, is what I think it is. Everybody’s got to work together, especially being in a busy place like where we are. But we get it done, and at the end of the day, it’s all about hard work, and you’ve got to love what you do, too.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
Definitely the beach. … I also have to say, I do really like Markey’s [Lobster Pool in Seabrook].
— Matt Ingersoll
Photo courtesy of @the_roamingfoodie
