Maine Restaurant Tips by richiecdisc Top 5 Page for this destination

Gritty McDuff's Freeport: whoa, watch the nachos...

I was unimpressed with the Portland branch of this Portland institution but the Freeport one was much more friendly. The inside was much like its sister city pub but there was a great outside eating area and as you can see, on this glorious fall day, we took full advantage of it. It was a great place to go for lunch after a morning of shopping around Freeport's outlets.

Favorite Dish: They have a fairly eclectic menu but we were not so hungry so we opted to share an order of nachos. The waiter assured it was enough for the two of us. Oh, and it was, it was....lol. It was one of the best plates of nachos I have ever had, seemed every chip had cheese and other goodies on it. At $8.50, it was a real bargain too. Washed down with a cask-conditioned Best Bitter, it was heavenly sitting outside in the sun. It was just a shame we found it on the day we were to drive to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. :S

Address: right on route #1 in Freeport

Comparison: about average

Directions: Freeport is half hour north of Porland: From Interstate 295/95: Take exit 19 and go north on Route 1, heading towards the town center. Gritty's Freeport is just about 1/4 mi. up Route 1, on the right. Plenty of free parking!

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound: when in Maine...

This is a classic lobster pound and New England kind of eatery. Quaint from the outside and a more rustic interior with wooden tables and bench seating. There is a nice outside seating area too. You go up and order your lobster by sizing one up, bigger ones costing more by the pound. The owner was like a wooden Maine figure, with classic features. Worth going just to see him.

Favorite Dish: Well, lobster what else? You can get a sandwich or lobster stew and I had the latter for breakfast one day, but you come here to eat whole lobsters. It was not cheap ($48 for the two of us including ice tea, potato salad, and cole slaw), but it was sooooo good. The meat was sweeter than I've ever had. I swear I could have eaten three or four of them! If I could afford it maybe....lol

Address: Route 3 in Trenton Bridge

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: It is a VERY small town so blink and you miss it. As soon as you leave Mount Desert Island, you are on Trenton Bride. Look for the smokestacks!

Phone: 207-667-2977

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.trentonbridgelobster.com/

The Great Lost Bear: hey, this place is not JUST beer....

The Great Lost Bear is a place of pilgrimage for any astute beer lover with a plethora of taps that will make your head spin. They offer small samplers and it is a good route to take if you are not sure what you want as sometimes beers are not in the best condition. With so many taps, it is not unlikely that a beer might be spoiled so don't be afraid to tell your bartender. They have a few hand pumps so be sure to ask for something cask conditioned too. It is a great big and fun local hangout and people come to drink, eat and generally be a little loud. It is not a not a little romantic place, that's for sure.

Favorite Dish: They serve typical pub fare with huge plates of nachos very popular but we had a one-eyed bacon cheeseburger. It's a fried egg with bacon on top of a huge cheese burger. It was around $8 but just massive with fries on the side. There are veggie options for those so inclined but with all these beers, it is best to get something substantial in your stomach.

Address: 540 Forest Ave, Portland Maine

Comparison: about average

Directions: This place is a bit on the outskirts of town so you will have to drive or better yet get someone to drive you! Pick up a free map at tourist information center and easy to find with that.

Phone: 207-772-0300

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Website: http://www.greatlostbear.com/

Granny's Burritos: a quick bite....

This was a busy little hole in the wall with two dining options. Upstairs, they had table service and some beers on tap but we opted for a quick bite downstairs, where you order at the counter and bring it to your table yourself.

Favorite Dish: They have a big assortment of burritos and quesadillas. I got a beef one for $5.50 and it was quite filling and very good too.

Address: 420 Fore Street in Portland

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Very conveniently located up the street from Gritty McDuff's brewpub as service there sucked.

Phone: 207.761.0751

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Mexican

Sebago Brewing Company: a nice surprise...

This is a modern brewpub and I must admit with Gritty's in town, I only stopped by to try one beer, expecting it to be not all that great. But it was pretty happening at happy hour and the bartender was more friendly than their competition's too.

Favorite Dish: As I said, it was a beer stop and their Leap Frye IPA and Retro Porter were surprisingly good. Since they had half-priced appetizers during happy hour and they looked great, we opted for a couple too. They were great too and I would recommend this place to anyone, beer lover or not.

Address: 164 Middle St. Portland

Comparison: about average

Directions: Located in Portland's Historic Old Port.

Phone: 207.879.ALES

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Website: http://www.sebagobrewing.com/

Mariner's: drop on by for a lobster roll...

If you are a traveler from another county, this is exactly the kind of place you should be looking for. It is America circa 1957 and anyone that says American towns have no atmosphere are missing places like this. You walk in, get a nice greeting and friendly service. Plain and simple, and good.

Favorite Dish: You also get great food at reasonable prices. We had the best lobster rolls you can imagine and though it was around $10, it was full of nothing but lobster meat and plenty of it. Hey, lobster ain't cheap, not even in Maine!

Address: 35 Main Street, Camden Maine

Comparison: about average

Directions: Main street IS the highway that runs from Bar Harbor to Portland so you will drive right by it if you do not stop. By all means, STOP!

Phone: 207.236.2647

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Local