Best Family Restaurant
Best Appetizer
Best Salad
Best Burger (4 years in a row)
Best Chili (CJ's)

Who we are...

Mark Fenske and Tom Boucher, the principle partners, both got their start in the Restaurant & Hospitality business working to support themselves while in school. Although at different times and places, both partners were drawn into the fun, excitement, and camaraderie of the restaurant business, and soon 'burgers' won out over 'books'.

In the late 70's (wow, that's old) Mark started as a line cook with TGI Fridays in Boston. He managed TGIF for several years and came to the conclusion that working for a 'Corporate Chain' was a recipe of 'Corporate' nonsense, way too impersonal and uncaring. Shortly after, he teamed up with two others to open T-BONES Great American Eatery and Drinkery in Salem, NH in 1984. Almost 25 years later, it has remained as a monumental success.

The Hudson location was opened in 1986, where later Tom Boucher took a food server position upon graduation from College. Although Tom had earned a full academic scholarship to a prestigious graduate school, he finished only the first semester, returned to T-BONES to earn a little extra cash during the holiday break. This could be called the the longest holiday break ever for Tom, as he gave up his scholarship and never went back.

After the 3rd T-BONES opened in Bedford (1989), Tom and Mark collaborated to open Cactus Jacks (CJ's) in 1995 in Manchester, a 4th T-BONES in Derry in 2005 and the first 'dual' concept restaurant in New Hampshire, T-BONES and Cactus Jacks on Lake Winnipesauke in Laconia during 2007.

Dan Fraser joined the partnership in 2008 after holding just about every position in the company for the past 20 years. Ironically Dan too was attending college at Johnson and Whales University and T-BONES was his vessel to earn money through college. In 1985 Dan decided to stay on and become a Kitchen Manager at only 19 years old. After holding just about every position in our company including Executive Chef for many years, Dan's culinary knowledge has shaped the menus we know and love today.

Great NH Restaurants, Inc. was created in 2008 as the marketing and management company solely dedicated to T-BONES and Cactus Jacks. It's role is to provide each restaurant with the functions and efficiencies of a 'Chain' while allowing each location to maintain itself as locally owned, independent restaurant, keeping the core values of serving quality, fresh, appealing products by a staff that feels more like family than employee, and wrapping our arms around the neighborhoods and customers that the restaurants take pride in being a part of.