Governor’s Restaurant & Bakery in Ellsworth, Maine

Governor's is a local chain doing breakfast, seafood, and American homestyle cooking in a casual, no-frills setting. You'll find families, regulars, and travelers here, all after the kind of food that sticks to your ribs. It's reasonably priced, plenty of parking, and they move people through pretty quickly most nights.

• Pot roast tender, moist, served in broth.
• Real milkshakes, including bourbon chocolate versions.
• Blueberry pancakes and pie are standouts.
• Fast seating on weeknights, fair prices.

Start with blueberry pancakes at breakfast or the lobster roll if you want seafood. The pot roast comes in a bowl with its own broth and is worth ordering. Chicken pot pie is solid, and the fried cheese curds won't disappoint. Real milkshakes, especially the chocolate, are worth leaving room for. Finish with a slice of blueberry pie.

Clean, spacious, and straightforward. Casual enough for families and working people, with plenty of natural light and parking. Not loud, but not quiet either.

Service tends to be friendly and quick, though busy nights can slow things down. The mashed potatoes are a coin flip, some days rich and gravy-coated, other days pretty plain. But the pies, especially blueberry, tend to land. Go in wanting homestyle, not finesse.

Guests praise the home cooking and friendly servers. One recent visitor called the pot roast tender and moist, and another loved that entrees come loaded with sides. A few diners note the mashed potatoes can be hit-or-miss, and service slows when it's busy, but most leave satisfied.