Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings
The newest eatery from Hampton native and restaurateur Shane Pine, Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings (5 Provident Way, Seabrook, 760-2561, backyardgrillnh.com) will take you back to simpler times while still incorporating elevated ingredients and unique styles. Pine, whose culinary footprint can be found all over the Seacoast from The Community Oven to Shane’s Texas Pit, said the concept is an homage to traditional family backyard barbecues, where everyone gathered around the grill to enjoy chicken wings, burgers and fries. You’ll find a diverse lineup of fresh burgers here, from specialty options designed with styles from across the country in mind, to a build-your-own section of the menu with completely customizable opportunities. There are also jumbo-sized wings, available fried or grilled and tossed in one of more than a dozen homemade sauces. Creative takes on appetizers include fried green tomatoes, soft pub pretzels and fried cheese curds served over a bed of arugula with a sweet honey drizzle. Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings has a full bar too, with all kinds of craft beers, wines and cocktails to pair with your comfort food cravings. We recently caught up with Pine to talk about his latest addition to the Seacoast dining scene and what you can expect when you visit Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings.
How long has Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings been around?
I think it was the 11th [of August] when we opened.
What makes Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings unique?
We’re trying to have that old-school style as much as possible, where everybody’s gathered in the backyard, grilling some wings and cooking some burgers. … I grew up on the Seacoast, and there’s nothing wrong with chains, but there are a lot of them up and down Seabrook. So I thought bringing in a nice local fresh eatery … would be a nice change that people would hopefully appreciate.
What is your personal favorite thing on the menu?
Just a traditional smash burger with lettuce, tomato and onion. … Smash burgers are a quick, easy and phenomenal way to present a burger. You basically make a meatball-sized serving and you smash it down, and the act of smashing it disperses all of the meat and all of the fat quickly.
What is something that everyone should try?
I think you should try a little bit of everything. Starting with our apps, I would do either the fried cheese curds or the fried green tomatoes. Then I would definitely throw in a traditional smash burger, or I would do the Goddess, which is one of our specialty smoked burgers … Our fries are also a little bit different. They’re more like a chip fry, and they’re winning a lot of regular fry eaters over.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings?
Tom Brady. There are a lot of New Englanders that may think differently than I do. … But when you watch somebody for 21 years, it doesn’t matter who he goes off and plays for. You’re a fan for life.
What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?
Learning how to pivot. That’s something that has always been there, but lately, it’s been one of the most important traits for anybody.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
The ocean. The noise, the weather, the calmness, everything.
— Matt Ingersoll
Photo by Tracy King of Unique Photo by TK.
