The Red Arrow has been open around the clock since 1922 and is the closest thing Manchester has to a civic institution. The original diner car on Lowell Street seats about 20 people at a counter and a handful of booths; a second location in the millyard has more room but less atmosphere. The menu is unapologetic diner food: eggs and hash any time of day, thick pancakes, club sandwiches, and a rotating pie selection.
Every presidential primary cycle brings a parade of candidates through the door — New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary makes Manchester a mandatory stop — and photographs of politicians eating here cover a good portion of the wall. The Red Arrow is genuinely good at what it does, and at three in the morning when most of the city is closed, it is indispensable. Cash and cards accepted; expect a short wait on weekend mornings.