The Best Restaurants in Portland, Maine
Sure, you'll eat some tasty lobster rolls in this harbor town on Casco Bay, but you'll also find James Beard award-winning kitchens, exciting food trucks, and world-class comfort food, like pies made with locally sourced berries topped with just-made ice cream. Whether you're in a white-cloth dining room or slurping oysters on the waterfront, the tastes of Maine are easy to love.
43 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Poutine, that hearty junk-food favorite of Québec and Maine, has been perfected at Duckfat: Crisp Belgian fries (fried in duck fat) are piled with cheese curds from a local dairy, then drenched in duck gravy. Duck confit panini, doughnut holes,...
288 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
2 Preble St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
After its humble beginnings serving slices from a back corner of a local market, Slab has moved its base of operations into a lofty space in the old Portland Public Market building, with the plus of outdoor seating when there's good weather. A...
414 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Seemingly everything in this two-story warehouse space is Maine-grown or -made: from the Bethel-raised chef Christopher Gould to the wooden dining tables and just-caught fish. The menu is filled with small-plate selections that keep the flavors...
4 Canal Plaza, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Down an alley off Exchange Street, serious beer lovers congregate to worship at Novare Res, either at picnic tables on the outdoor patio or at communal tables in the brick-vaulted cellar space. More than 500 small-batch beers from all over the...
5 Portland Pier, Portland, ME 04101, USA
"J's Oyster is down in the marina area," explains Alex Carleton. "It’s one of these cozy, full bar, and they of course have seafood on the menu. It's a casual spot, the kind of place people blow into after being out sailing all day."
33 Wharf St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
“Things in Maine tend to be very understated," explains Alex Carleton. "Street & Company restaurant is a great example: It’s casual and humble with incredible seafood. Get the daily catch paired with one of their incredible...
158 Benjamin W Pickett St, South Portland, ME 04106, USA
"Locals just call it 158. This place is the best for breakfast," says Alex Carleton. "It's as simple as a homemade toasted sesame bagel with homemade lox and cream cheese, or an egg, ham, and cheese sandwich.Their pimento cream cheese, though, is...
416 Preble St, South Portland, ME 04106, USA
"I love their delicious, sugary cookies, cakes and desserts," divulges Alex Carleton. "And they definitely have the best homemade breads in Cape Elizabeth. They also have a lunch counter with take-away salads and sandwiches."
25 Two Lights Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, USA
"This place has a lot of charm," says Alex Carleton. "They're known for their lobster rolls, which I definitely recommend. Also bring a six pack of beer and some friends, and you have the perfect evening."
554 Shore Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, USA
"These are my absolute favorite doughnuts on earth. Old school. No frills," says Alex Carleton. "To me, maple glazed donuts with a piping hot coffee from Cookie Jar is the quintessential autumn morning in Maine."
21 Wells Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, USA
You’ve heard of farm-to-table, but the Well at Jordan’s Farm takes it to another level: farm-as-table. Culinary Institute of America grad Jason Williams sources most of the ingredients for his daily-changing menu from what’s in...
