Mad Kat’s Restaurant and Bar in Brewer, Maine

Mad Kat's is a locally owned bar and grill in Brewer that's become the kind of place regulars keep coming back to. They do breakfast seriously, homemade bread, properly seasoned home fries, real corned beef hash, and the dinner menu swings wide enough that everyone finds something. The room fills up most nights, especially when there's live music or karaoke on the stage.

• Homemade bread and properly seasoned home fries.
• Huge menu means there's something for everyone.
• Karaoke Wednesday through Saturday nights.
• Staff that remembers your name and treats you like family.

Start with the corned beef hash and home fries if you're there for breakfast. The homemade bread comes standard. For dinner, the menu is broad enough that you can't go wrong with specials or house recommendations. One recent visitor praised the specialty drinks, and they're worth ordering at the bar.

Lively and spacious, with a stage for live entertainment. Even when it's busy, tables have breathing room.

Breakfast is the quiet strength here: eggs, hash, and sides made right. Dinner runs the full gamut of bar food and more. Service hits high notes most nights, though execution has been uneven enough that a couple diners came away let down by the price-to-plate ratio.

Guests rave about the friendliness of owners and staff, and folks from out of state have made it a point to return. The bartenders go beyond pouring drinks, offering menu advice and local tips. One visitor said the staff "couldn't have been sweeter." Most praise the food and energy, though one diner felt the prices didn't match the execution on a particular takeout order.