Welcome to Lawn Squad® of Plaistow, NH

Plaistow, New Hampshire, is a small Rockingham County town that sits squarely on the Massachusetts border, defined by a mix of residential neighborhoods, light commercial corridors along Route 125 and Route 108, and a surprising amount of conserved woodland that gives the town more natural character than its suburban setting might suggest. The Plaistow Historical Society on Main Street opens Tuesday evenings to members of the public and maintains the community’s collective memory of a town that grew from a farming settlement into an industrial village anchored by the Boston & Maine Railroad — and the beautifully restored Plaistow B&M Depot at 155 Main Street, now operating as a photographer’s studio, is a visible remnant of that railroad era, recognized by reviewers as a wonderful piece of preserved local history. The depot once served the rail line that connected Plaistow to Haverhill and beyond, making the town a minor commercial hub for the surrounding agricultural region, and its survival stands as a quiet tribute to the community members who recognized its value. The town’s civic character today is defined by its town meeting traditions, its active conservation commission, and a community that has made a genuine investment in preserving open space despite growth pressures from the Massachusetts border to the south.

The Plaistow Town Forest off Main Street is the town’s most celebrated outdoor asset and one of the finest trail systems in all of southern New Hampshire — 5.6 miles of wide, beautifully maintained and clearly blazed trails through diverse mixed woodland with dramatic large boulders, covered bridges, boardwalks, waterfalls, scenic hilltop lookouts with benches, and a direct trail connection to the neighboring Hampstead trail network that together create a combined system offering the best part of a full day of hiking without ever leaving the area. Chipmunks, deer, and the sounds of running water over falls and streams make every season rewarding here, and the trail’s variety — from easy flat stretches to moderate inclines with root-covered rocky terrain — keeps it interesting for walkers of all abilities. The surrounding conservation lands along the Powow River corridor and the town’s wetland protection areas provide additional quiet wildlife-watching opportunities, and the short drive to Hampstead’s connected trail network extends the outdoor options dramatically for those willing to walk a bit further.

Plaistow’s dining scene is compact but genuinely strong, anchored by several restaurants along the Route 125/Plaistow Road corridor. SaNouk’s Lao and Thai Eats on Plaistow Road is the town’s most extraordinary culinary discovery — a small, family-run Lao and Thai restaurant operated by chef SaNouk and his mother “Mama Lao,” whose authentic food, legendary fried rice, house-made Lao sausage, crispy spring rolls, and Thai tea have generated some of the most passionate reviews of any restaurant in Rockingham County, with customers describing it as the best Thai they’ve ever had and returning again and again for the warmth, the flavors, and the feeling of being welcomed like family. PPC Kitchen and Bar on Plaistow Road is the town’s reliable all-day gathering spot — a well-executed American bar and grill open seven days a week with outstanding proper burgers, hot honey pizza, Thai broccoli appetizer, key lime martinis, espresso martinis, brûlée cheesecake, and a menu broad enough to satisfy every table — and The Nest Pub and Grill on Plaistow Road rounds out the local dining landscape with its enormous pool table room, rooftop dining, good pub fare at reasonable prices, excellent clam chowder, and a bar staff that visiting regulars from Maine have described as among the friendliest they’ve encountered in years. Plaistow is a town with more going for it than its highway-adjacent exterior suggests.