GILFORD—For the fourth year in a row, Patrick’s Pub & Eatery has landed the honor of the Lake’s Region’s Best Burger in New Hampshire Magazine’s Best of NH 2026 initiative, receiving the award at a ceremony in June.

Since 2016, Patrick’s has been recognized nine times.

“We are constantly striving to make things better,” said Executive Chef Rick Morten. “Be it looking for the perfect bun or sourcing the best cheese we can find, we are always looking for ways to plus our recipes. It’s an honor to repeatedly be recognized for something that we put our all into.”

Morten said factors that create the restaurant’s juicy burgers include the use of a blend of Angus brisket, short rib and chuck—the key burger ingredients since 2023.

“The blend packs in the flavor while keeping the fat less than 20 percent, which keeps it juicy and delicious,” Morten said. “That, combined with the incredible bread, cheeses and house-made sauces keep the quality high.”

Using a griddle instead of a char grill to seal in the juices of the half-pound burgers sourced from Wolverine Meat Packing by US Foods also sets them apart.

Patrick’s has six main burgers on the menu, and there is usually at least one burger special a week.

Morten points out another pride point for Patrick’s Pub, found in its staff.

“Our kitchen team has worked together for a long time.,” he said. “In some cases for as long as 25 years. It’s very unusual in this business to have a crew that has spent that much time side by side. You develop a rhythm and shorthand that is hard to replicate.”

The 13th anniversary of Pub Mania, a major fundraising effort for the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, was a special one. Organizers honored a prolific fundraising champion with a scholarship in her name. 

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Dozens of participants packed the bar at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery before the barstool challenge's opening ceremony, where teams of 12 — most representing local businesses — compete hour-by-hour 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in a celebration of a year's worth of fundraising for the Children’s Auction. 

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This year, the event was particularly meaningful. Patrick’s Pub owners Jennifer and Allan Beetle, who also host Pub Mania, told a large crowd they’d created a scholarship to honor Judi Taggart, a longtime fundraiser who’s dedicated much of her life to supporting and uplifting Lakes Region children and families..

Patrick’s has awarded $500 scholarships to three employees in gratitude for hard work and in hopes for their bright futures.
 

The scholarships were awarded to Norah Dunleavy, Lily Lescarbeau and Elizabeth Muller, all of Laconia.\

Dunleavy has been a server at Patrick’s for the past three years. She is studying marketing at Endicott College and hopes to work for a major organization in sports or entertainment.
 

Dunleavy is known for her impeccable work ethic, attention to detail and willingness to help fellow servers when needed. Her reliability and calm demeanor under pressure position her as an integral part of the Patrick’s family....

Allan Beetle, owner of Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, has been in business for 26 years. Right now, however, he feels like he did when Patrick’s was a fledgling business.

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“It has that same level of excitement and that same level of stress,” Beetle said in a recent interview.

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Normally, Patrick’s business centers around dining in. During the summer, much of the business comes from patrons headed to concerts at the nearby Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. When the pandemic hit, Beetle and his brother and co-owner Jeff Beetle, knew that they needed to pivot to take-out and delivery, which normally comprises only 1% of their revenue. Now, they’re planning to make that change permanent, while also opening to limited on-site dining, following state regulations.

LACONIA — Community members will have an opportunity to leave a lasting mark on a new enhancement in Lakeport while supporting the efforts of the WOW Trail by purchasing a brick for themselves or a loved one. Leaders of the trail recently launched a “Buy a Brick. Build the Connection” campaign, inviting residents, businesses and visitors to purchase personalized, engraved bricks that will become part of the new Lakeport Connector, now under construction in Lakeport.

Organizers with the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction and Patrick’s Pub & Eatery are all set for another year of successful fundraising through Pub Mania.

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Pub Mania, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on  Thursday, Dec. 12, marks the 13th iteration of the event that challenges teams from the broader community to raise funds to support the Children’s Auction.​​

Held at Patrick's Pub, Allan Beetle, an owner of the popular eatery, came to the notion of holding a marathon-length barstool competition while participating in a “Cyclemania” event in 2006 or 2007. That fundraiser, organized by Tom and Laurie Oakley, challenged teams to ride stationary bicycles in order to raise charitable funds.​..

Pub Mania will make an energetic return this winter after a three-year hiatus.

The marathon party at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery for more than a decade raised huge sums for the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction — just over half its $600,000 total in 2019 — during the holiday season. But the pandemic, as well as the toll the event had come to take on organizers and bar staff, forced a pause on the festivities.

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“The fatigue of doing this event has subsided,” Patrick’s Pub owner Allan Beetle said Friday. “I think that for some teams, Pub Mania was a rallying point for them, and we've decided for that reason to bring it back.”