Tailwinds Grille in Bangor, Maine

Tailwinds Grille sits inside the Aviator Hotel near Bangor airport, serving straightforward American fare with a Maine accent. You'll find business travelers, hotel guests, and locals stopping in for a quick dinner before a flight or after work. It's the kind of place where you can count on a strip steak with garlic butter or a proper lobster roll, though the kitchen's inventory can be thin on busy nights.

• Lobster rolls and Maine strip steak, not airport-grade food
• Convenient location inside Aviator Hotel
• Homemade blueberry pie worth the trip
• Staff like Fonda will make your night if she's there

Start with the garlic parmesan chicken wings. The lobster rolls are the standout, and the strip steak with garlic butter, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and a baked potato is a solid choice. Chicken picatta is another reliable order. End with the blueberry pie if you've got room, or take a slice home.

Casual hotel dining room adjacent to the bar. Quiet enough for conversation during slow hours, but can get hectic when the place fills up. Decor is functional, not fussy.

Order the lobster rolls if they're running them, or go for the strip steak with mushrooms, onions, and a baked potato. Chicken picatta and garlic parmesan wings round out the menu. Save room for blueberry pie.

Guests consistently praise the food quality and laud certain servers for their hustle under pressure. One recent visitor called the lobster rolls 'out of this world' and noted the food is better than reviews suggest. The main complaint across visits isn't the cooking, it's the chronic understaffing that leaves lone servers drowning in tables.