BRINGING OUR PASSION TO YOUR PLATE
Louie’s began from a simple idea–bring people together over good food and drink. We’ve blended our Seacoast roots with our love for cooking and Italian cuisine to provide a unique dining experience with a dish for every palate.
Louie’s started with a simple idea: to bring people together over good food and drink
Rooted in the Seacoast and inspired by our love for cooking, we serve rustic, regional Italian dishes that highlight what’s local and in season. Staying true to Italian tradition, our menu follows the rhythm of the seasons, celebrating the best of what New England’s land and sea have to offer.
JAMES WOODHOUSE
James’s passion for food runs all the way back to his New Hampshire childhood. Having grown up in a family where cooking up a delicious meal was seen as a special gesture toward one another, James knew he wanted to pass on that feeling of a home-cooked, meaningful meal. However, it wasn’t until James moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands with Louie’s co-owner R.J. Joyce in 2002 that the idea for opening a restaurant began to take shape. After a decade on the islands, James was drawn back to his native New England and settled in the Seacoast. He immediately became immersed in Portsmouth’s local restaurant scene, and eventually he and R.J. turned their idea into a reality.
R.J. JOYCE
A native to the New Hampshire Seacoast, R.J.’s love for the area began in childhood and has only grown since. Working both on his family’s farm and as co-owner of Louie’s, R.J. has been able to fill all aspects of his life with his passion for cooking–including frequently serving up backyard bbq feasts for family and friends. After spending a decade in the U.S. Virgin Islands with childhood friend and Louie’s co-owner James Woodhouse, the duo dreamed up Louie’s as a way to merge their mutual desire to make their love of cooking the center of their careers. For R.J., the joy of cooking comes from trying new combinations of ingredients to create truly unique dishes. His talent and taste for flavors that amaze elevate the Louie’s dining experience.