The Stone Church Music Club

An awesome, cozy little spot in Newmarket to grab a bite or see a show. My wife and I have been going there for years now since they started doing Bar Trivia on Wednesday nights. We always looked forward to coming in and getting one of the chicken sandwiches and a beer and doing some triv. It’s always pretty bumping in there at night and the staff are always quick and friendly. We’ve seen a couple of shows there as well and it’s a blast. The upstairs is decked out with couches and chairs to make it a little more intimate. This is one of the coolest spots in the Seacoast area and I’d recommend it to anyone!

Coolness all around. Food, history, stage, upstairs, if it's open. (Oddfellows type lounge upstairs)

Definitely enjoyed outdoor event for Fleetwood Mac Tribute. Staff was friendly, venue was clean, food was good. The people dancing were having a wonderful time. Loved it. Even the police was kind when they notice my jeep had a tail light out.

I went here to see my favorite band Sans Souci and they played the outdoor stage. The people I travelled with from Boston and I had a wonderful experience and thought the trip was beautiful and well worth the time and energy to leave the city. I thought the view from the top of the hill was a bonus. My only complaint is parking however I did manage to find a spot so I guess Im not really complaining but when we first showed up I was worried.

Favorite local hang, huge variety of bands, local beers on draft and scratch made kitchen with GF & vegetarian/vegan options as well 🔥 Sunday night open mics are awesome! Their upstairs Attic lounge has a pool table, leather chairs, sofas and a big screen they project the live shows & football games on. Staff is very fun, warm & welcoming. Love this community ❤️

The Stone Church has one of the best vibes of any small NE music venue. The staff are fantastic! There is a wonderful variety of music there but it does somewhat cater to the deadhead/jam band scene, lot of great music for those folks! They have a nice outdoor stage now, and the afternoon shows are so much fun. The beer selection is pretty much in constant rotation so it's never boring. The food is fresh and tasty. The only thing I would say needs improvement is the menu. It is very crowded. There are too many choices, and if you haven't been there before you must really study it to understand how to order the signature bowls. Suggest have a short list, 3-5, of named bowl dishes with the most popular ingredients and put the complete options as a footnote. The menu is an opportunity for a first impression, it should be attractive and with a layout that is easy to read, easy to order. The Stone Church Music Club is definitely worth a visit.

Such a cool venue and delicious food. Amazing bar service! Always a cool spot to hang and chill or rock out at a show! Food was top notch!

Small intimate venue. I attended Thursday Irish night with Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki and Jim Prendergast. The music was great! The staff was pleasant. Food prices were reasonable. Parking is limited to a small lot at the top of the hill. No on-street parking.

It's a cool and fun-ish place but why do the hours online say you're open till 12am on Saturday. Walk in the door @11:30pm for a drink with friends and a sign inside says "bar open upstairs" -- word. We walk upstairs and there's ribbons on the doorway and tables set up for an event. Then we're rudely told hours are wrong online who are you guys etc. Weird. Change your hours. Or don't leave the door open and have a sign saying bar open. Cringe

If you're looking for a dive bar vibe and live music, this is your place. I said live music, I didn't say it would be GOOD live music. It's a mixed bag, but that's what makes it fun! Sometimes the bands are exceptional, sometimes not. They do offer food, bar bites and such. It's mostly just a watering hole where you can get your fade on. They also have an old piano to the left of the entrance door that you can play. I always bring visitors to my city to the Stone Church, it's a must if you're in Newmarket and you're off the wagon. They used to be known to have very good chicken fingers, but I always seem to go and there aren't any for some reason. They have eluded me for years, maybe they've been removed from the menu.

This place is hit or miss. If you're going there for the entertainment, it's a great venue to see local talent. If you're going there for the food, you're in the wrong place.

We sat down at the bar and the bartender continued to chat with someone without a glance. After a few minutes, two new people not with each other were both waited on...right next to us. Then, she left for the kitchen. We felt invisible. We left. Goodbye.

I was here on Sunday for a show & would come here again in the future. They have a pretty small menu & I ordered one of the burgers & was decent. Pretty average as far as burgers go. Staff were friendly.

Was charged TWENTY DOLLARS tonight at the door by some feminine dude. First of all, I came here to eat and have a drink, and the bands playing were NOT well known or worthy of a 20$ cover to get ripped off on drinks at the bar and whoever is promoting shows here has their drunk goggles on. If you're charging that, you better be paying bands 99.9% of that money.

We opted to give this place a go for the first time in ages. Lo and behold, friends had just wrapped a set of afternoon music. We went inside to order food (2:30PM on a Sunday) and were prompted for a cover charge. We were asked our name. Confused, my wife said, "For what? We want to order food." The young woman who greeted us seemed not the least bit comfortable nor versed with dealing with the public. If I had to guess, she wasn't high, but had been in the past twelve hours. I don't have a problem with that if you can do your job. She couldn't. We were informed there was a show and tickets were $15. We asked if we could sit outside and just order food. "Yes." Ten minutes later, having seen no staff, we bailed. You need to get yourself sorted if you want to be taken seriously in the highly competitive seacoast food industry. I get it -- TSC is more known as a music venue, and a good one. But when you're running a "restaurant", customer service is also a factor. This Sunday, you were clearly not ready for prime time. I'll probably attend shows in the future, but given the option of TSC or another venue, I'll choose the other venue, because the service stinks.

Great opportunity to get out and socialize safely, great food & drinks, love the outdoor setting & live entertainment.

Burnt French fries $15.. eat before you go. The bison chili was good. Overall a good venue.

I wouldn't have gone, if I had a warning. This is only for the comedy show, not the music shows. The Comedy Night was the worst I have ever seen. There were several comics and the MC, Jay, who appeared to have never delivered comedy on a stage. We were with a group, which is the only reason we didn't walk out. Such a waste of time, Saturday night of Memorial Day Weekend! The wait staff appeared not to care if anyone wanted food, which we did, or not. The pain didn't stop. Then at the end of the show, there was no wait staff to give us our checks. We had to go ask at the bar, she'd gone home. Another bartender let us stand in line to pay our food bills! ugh!

Great food, service, and entertainment. This is the staple of Newmarket.

I met a friend for dinner and a comedy night. I was surprised that there was a $10 cover, but we were hoping for a night of good laughs. Unfortunately, we were sorely disappointed. But first, the food: very good, as was the service. Prices were reasonable, and the service was good on a night when it was pretty busy. They made a mistake with my order (brought me Fish 'n Chips when I ordered Fish Tacos), but cheerfully brought me the correct entree a few minutes later, and removed it from the bill! I would have gladly paid for the corrected meal, but appreciated the gesture (made sure to tip the wait staff on the original cost, not the reduced amount). Ambiance was very cool, and rustic. Jeans and flannel are de rigueur! The entertainment... well, we were hoping for a night of laughs but had to settle for a few chuckles. The host was abusive, manic, explosive, vulgar, and inappropriate. This could be a funny schtick, but he lacked that one quality you hope for: he wasn't actually funny. He continued to berate one poor lady, made fun of a special needs gentleman in the front row who yawned at a the wrong moment, and generally droned on far too long. If you're going to act "mad", you have to let the audience off the hook every now and again. Perhaps he'll learn. Dunno why he's hosting, however. The comedians (there were about 15 of them!) were only given a few short minutes each, and I would have far more liked to hear them than the un-funny, abusive host. Several of them showed promise, but were cut short by the increasingly-drunk host. We'll be back, but not on a "comedy" night.

Great atmosphere, food and entertainment venue! Parking is a challenge but we managed to find a legal one.

Love this place. Great ambiance and terrific people. It's a must for our friends on the way up to Maine as well. Go and enjoy! Highly recommend the seasonal drinks in the Mason jars, especially around the holidays.

We visited for the first time on bluegrass jam night for our 7th anniversary. This was the perfect place for us - we loved it! Comfortable atmosphere and the food was great! Definitely head here for a Bluegrass night, you won't regret it!

The Stone Church is now open again... under new management and it's definitely an improvement. Yay! Tons of beer on tap, plus a jug of freshly distilled cranberry spiced rum on the counter. Good music, cool people... and I THINK....... get ready for it... the bathrooms looked cleaner! Hooray! We'll be back! ----------------------------------- Edited to add: I noticed some other people commented that they didn't have food anymore. They do now! Mostly Mexican menu with some pub food mixed in. My burrito was not bad at all-- I think that's the first time I've said that in New Hampshire. Bravo guys!

Not sure about the food but the music is great! Wonderful place that features all types of music from the area. This is an institution in the area for many UNH alumni.

Great food and drinks delivered by friendly staff! Music is so welcome during the times we've been dealing with. Please stop by this historic venue. You won't be disappointed!!

Great service, pleasant and fun atmosphere, and fantastic food and entertainment (tonight is Girls Guns and Glory) Highly suggest at least one visit--you can't top a five dollar falafel burger this good

Where to start? The StoneChurch is not a "mainstream" music/bar venue like someplaces, but the Church is a great regional and local, Newmarket institution. Great Tex-Mex menu and nightly food specials. Good happy hour food and drink specials. Great selection of beers on tap and cocktails. They have daily/weekly event specials: Sunday Open Mic night, Bluegrass night, etc., and a steady weekly array of concerts. Staff has been great and friendly and the bar manager, Abby, is awesome! If you are a regular, don't forget to sign up for the Chalice Club. The atmosphere, food, and staff have been so great we actually had our wedding reception there and it turned it out awesome!. They let us decorate ourselves and were very accommodating. All the food was catered by them. All our family and friends loved the food and relaxed venue and had only great things to say about the whole event. Highly recommend the StoneChurch for intimate concerts, great food, friendly service, and an open mic night that features great, local, amateur talent.

Seriously, a beautiful place! Fantastic live music! Great energy, amazing people and great food! A historical staple in the middle of Newmarket NH and such a jem! I'm a lifer!

This is such a great restaurant/bar/music venue! It is about an hour and a half north of Boston, which makes for a quick and easy road trip and it is worth every ounce of effort to get there! I've been there twice, so far. Both times to see John Brown's Body and I've been exceptionally pleased! The venue itself is small, rustic and cozy and the food is delicious! I've tried the grilled veggie wrap, Thai curry, hummus plate and falafel sandwich, so far. I'd recommend them all. Sevices is friendly and beer is cheap... the tap coming out of the brick wall is so cool! They also offer a basic selection of wines. What really makes this place a gem is the people. They are all so chill and friendly. There was a giant dog roaming around the room and everybody just rolled with it! He was everybody's best friend by the end of the night. If you're ever looking for an excuse to get out of the city and meet some great people, this is it!

This place is the epicenter for music in the New Hampshire seacoast. It always supports great local acts and books national acts regularly. It's an intimate space without a bad seat in the house. The sound is exceptional and price of admission is always reasonable and in some cases free. The staff is wonderful -- friendly and super responsive to patrons' needs. The food is excellent with a lot of options on the menu. In addition to supporting local music, they offer a selection of local brews. It immediately become a go-to spot for me with its comfortable atmosphere and friendly faces.

Attention World: The Stone Church has re-opened!!!! Located high atop Zion Hill in Newmarket, NH stands the Stone Church. Just as its name implies the building is an old, colonial era church, iconic and truly New England-esque. These days, this old church has adopted a different form of worship: music. The church is an intimate musical venue where you can dance inches away from great bands. The acoustics are outstanding, they also have a full service kitchen and outstanding bar stocked with many fine, local micro brews. The venue features many great local acts, don't miss the no-cover Bluegrass Jam every Tuesday . Touring bands also make the stop frequently. Bookings generally tend to favor jam bands as well as folk, singer-songwriter, and blue grassy stuff, even hip-hop on occasion. Maybe the greatest aspect of the stone church is the role that it plays in the community. Not only is the church a venue for local music, but it is a place where town residents, young and old gather and enjoy food, drink, and music together. I have traveled many places and seen countless shows, few musical venues can match quality, character and charm of the Stone Church in Newmarket, NH.

I can't believe how much fun we had last Saturday here. It was such a great fall venue; I went with my 50-something aunts and they had even more fun than me somehow!! We were drinking good brews, laughing at good local comedy, and dancing to fun bands. I would go back in a heartbeat! Don't be put off by entry fees - their shows are good! And since it never seems to get too too crowded, you can really enjoy your time and get close to the band. Try it!

First time last night and really enjoyed it. Live Irish music every Thursday from 6pm. Family friendly, I enjoyed watching the little kids up dancing with their parents. Music wasn't too loud so you can still carry on a conversation. Food was delicious and service friendly. Had fish tacos, and the rice and beans were so good. Prices reasonable. Will definitely be back!

Great Venue, Great sound, love the fact you can enjoy the show being inches away from the bands performing. As others have said, great Beer selection as well. The fact that it's only a hour and a half drive makes it that much sweeter. Wicked stoked that my favorite New Orleans Brass band, Bonerama will be playing Nov 4th! http://www.boneramamusic.com Good beer, good music, who can ask for anything better? Long live the Stone Church!

I have yet to go to a show at The Stone Church, but have had the fabulous opportunity to work on an event with their great owners and staff. It was an absolute joy! I got to meet Hunter the dog, too, I'm hoping he'll like me more next time :) The chowder is OUT OF THIS WORLD, too. Be sure to check out the tunes, the dudes and the chowda. It's worth every minute of any drive you make to get there.

One of the coolest places on the planet to see live music. Small and cozy, they don't overcrowd. We saw Kung Fu. Hot show!

After my first visit, this place seems pretty cool! And the fact that it's a bar in an old church makes it way cooler. The stone church is located on the top of the hill, so sitting at the outdoor patio give you a chance to look down at the activity of main street. Drinking a whiskey ginger (5$) at at outdoor patio on a summer night- this place seems like the spot to do it.

Usually I really enjoy dive bars. But this one almost seemed like it was tying to hard to be one. I'd love to see this place on bar rescue.

Okay......... Not the same place as it was 2004-2008. The food is sooooo slack. One night its edible the next its not. Never quality though. Poor management at best. Worst place to eat in Newmarket for sure. The live music acts are recycled constantly, the bartenders are not focused or on their game...C'mon guys the Stone Church used to ROCK!!!!

As of this writing, the Church is closed again. Yet another episode in the ongoing 25-year cycle of mismanagement borne of inexperience. I wonder whether the only business model that will ever work for the Church was its first -- a shoestring budget, a wood stove for heat, $1 beers, a cult crowd of stoned hippies who loved the place, and local bands that played for next to nothing (along with an occasional name act.) Those WERE the days. Until/unless the NH drinking age drops to 18 and makes the place a magnet for UNH undergrads, the owner should actually turn it back into a church where sacramental booze can be consumed by any member. Maybe schedule all the services for Thursday through Saturday nights. I'll invest in that.

This place used to be hot. I've seen Hot Tuna, Joe Bonamassa,, Johnny A and countless great shows. You'd go, get a table and waitresses would provide table service for a nice menu. You could eat and drink and see a great show. Now it's disappointing. First: Do not trust their website for accurate info. There's no food. It's just beer/ drinks & music. Website says open at 5. Try 7, if you bang on the door. The bathrooms are filth. This is disappointing. The one star is for the band: Entrain ROCKED. Won't come back after tonite.

$5 cover to see an awesome Rasta/Jazz fusion band = one great night. Great selection of beers all around $5-6/ pint. Awesome crowd. Great service. Overall, this place rocks. The fact that its in an old church makes it even better. I will most definitely be back!

Great hangout place but not a great music venue. If you go to see an acoustic performance expect to hear more conversation than music. We saw The Stray Birds at Stone Church last week. They are a true Americana band that plays an acoustic set and shares a microphone for vocals. They simply couldn't compete with the din of conversation in the club. It was frustrating for those of us who came to see a show and probably for the band as well. Hard to imagine them coming back. I also saw Mike Doughty there last year. He's not shy about telling people to be quiet in the middle of his set which he did multiple times. The Stray Birds were too polite for that. Otherwise the place is great. Friendly staff, good food, good beer selection and a comfortable atmosphere. I hope they can get a handle on the sound issues so that the club can become a reliable music venue.

My husband and I went last week to The Stone Church for a debut night for a new beer company that he loves. We had no intentions of eating here but decided to stay. We got our beers and sat down and the staff are extremely friendly. We ordered apps and dinner and absolutely loved it! We were shocked to find chef inspired dishes that were just perfect! I would highly rate this place on both service and food quality! We will be back very soon!! Thank you for such a great night!

Very difficult to find seating when it's first come first serve. Everyone has full tables reserved. No hostess in sight to assist with seating. It was a nightmare. We finally got a table but had to wrangle the chairs from other tables ourselves. Furthermore the table we got was literally 3 foot diameter for a party of 3. When we ordered our food and drinks , nothing fit on the tiny table top. Food and drinks service were overloaded and slow slow slow. I finally went to the bar and got my own drink and drinks for my party. The food service was exceptionally slow and the menu had limited choices. Would not recommend if you are not a local hipster

New management is doing everything right. Exceptional service, amazing food and the best bands. Don't forget bluegrass night!

The SCMH is a tremendous musical venue, well stocked bar. An xcellent restaurant AND a hidden gem in a small neighborhood of Newmarket, NH. I've only had great experiences there seeing bands and on their first Friday (usually)!standup comedy nights! Only $5 in advance and half priced apps. Seriously, great deals all around and a lovely outdoor area to eat and drink on in the warmer months. Friendly, helpful staff and a welcoming atmosphere. Also there's a couple pinball machines but I ran out of quarters.

I will start off with a few positives: the live music lineup is great. The ambiance is nice. And, um... Oh, I guess the drinks were reasonably priced as well. Now for my gripe: The Stone Church should really stick to a schedule and not con patrons into buying more drinks because we have to wait so long for the band to come on stage. If the show is listed for 9:00pm, then I think it is acceptable for the opener to take stage at 9:15pm and the main act to take stage at 10:00pm. No such luck on Saturday. Admission was $15. Okay, fine. The show was listed to begin at 9:00pm. Around 10:15pm the opening act took stage. Finally, at 11:15pm, the band came on. It's not like the band was late, or picky, or difficult. They were all in the bar at 9:00pm and everything was already set up. My only conclusion is that it was a strategic plan executed by Stone Church to get us to spend more money while waiting all night for the band. They offer food, which is great, but the waiter never even came to our table. Does this discount my "making money" theory? Maybe. Overall a "meh" experience. Actually, I was livid at the time, but have since settled down a bit. You've been warned. :)

The Stone church is awsome! been going here for 30 years! Had a great sandwich and a few cold ones while listening to live music. A big thank you to Adam for helping to save this great place!

The gnarliest place around . The food is great & nick is a cool cook that works there , remi the doorman is a poet and really awesome , The beers are lovely & mostly craft brews on tap , and music is usually happening there .

We stopped into the Stone Church on the way to Portland ME from lower New England on a TH night late in June. It's a nice old venue with tons of history. We ordered a few different things and they came to the table quickly. I had a BBQ chicken type of thing which was quite good and my wife had a tortilla soup which was also good. The owner went out of his way to come to our table and introduce himself and tell us a bit about the history of the club. There seems to be a great stage and I look forward to going back and seeing some of the music that they host there.

Solid place with a friendly staff. Worth joining the chalice club for $5 a month if you are a regular. Delicious new menu!

I love this place, especially the live Irish music on Thursday nights. Fabulous musicians. Friendly service. Good pub food. Unique atmosphere.

I loved the live music while we ate. The beer selection was alright. It was all craft beer (mostly local) , but only so so beer quality. We had their burger special of the week, the brie burger with bacon and garlic aioli which was delicious. The pulled pork sandwich on the other hand was dry and lacking in flavor. Fries were just alright, nothing special. I was also sad that the waiter did not fulfill the free chalice with your first draft from yelp. It was pricy for the food and beer selection, but overall the place had good music and good vibes.

They never answer their phone, ever. Music is to loud for the size of the stone venue. Food is good but dinning in is stressful. You can't call ahead for take out and there's no delivery obviously if they never answer the phone.

Nice, intimate place to hear music. Fantastic place to meet up for drinks.