Gilley's In Portsmouth Named One of Top Hole-In-Wall Restaurants

PORTSMOUTH, NH — Gilley's Diner in Portsmouth was recognized for its charm and great food last week by being named as one of America's top 75 "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants by The Daily Meal. The site chose small restaurants that don't look flashy on the outside but offer spectacular food and usually draw crowds of loyal customers.

The website called Gilley's an "adorable little restaurant," saying "just about everything on the menu is the best you’ll find for miles around."

Gilley's started out as a lunch cart built in 1940. The cart would be hauled to Market Square in Portsmouth every evening to the front of the North Church, where it would do daily business. Accoring to Gilley's website, the cart was initially towed by a horse, then a tractor and then a truck. In 1974 the diner moved to its permanent location at 175 Fleet St., though the truck that used to tow the cart remains attached to the front of the structure.