Salt & Pepper and Sugar too

Salt & Pepper and Sugar too is a small, owner-run restaurant in Augusta where the chef Mary Bean works the room as much as the kitchen. The menu is short but focused: grilled cheese sandwiches that punch above their weight, Maine fish, steak tips, salads with real vegetables. You'll see regulars at the bar and solo diners at corner tables, all treated like they belong there.

• Steak tips and poached haddock that make people drive hours back.
• Homemade calamari and chips that aren't greasy, fried fresh.
• Server Amber and the whole staff treat you like family.
• Owner Mary Bean's personal touch; she works the room every night.

The Adult Grilled Cheese with a big salad is a standout, not what you'd expect. The steak tips are the real deal, cooked right. Try the calamari if you eat fried things, crispy wings if you want heat, and the poached haddock if you want something delicate. The orange crème brûlée and apple cheese tart are worth saving room for. The cucumber mint lemonade is worth trying too.

Clean, classy, and bright without being sterile. Conversation-friendly noise level; you're not shouting across the table.

People come back again and again, sometimes driving hours. Guests praise the balance of attentive service and genuine warmth. One recent visitor called the service 'the best I've gotten in recent memory.' Mary Bean's habit of stopping by tables makes diners feel valued, not just fed.