Josie's Country Store & Cafe in Ellsworth, Maine

Josie's is attached to a convenience store in Ellsworth, though honestly it's hard to say which is the main attraction. The menu is long and eclectic, mixing breakfast classics, burgers, Asian dishes, and daily specials. Walk past the gas station pumps, find the glass doors on the side, and you'll land in a dining room where locals and travelers alike show up for the same reason: good food, fair prices, fresh ingredients.

• Corned beef hash is crispy, home fries are loaded with peppers and onions.
• Fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juice with real pulp.
• Dill pickle fries and burgers arrive perfectly seasoned and crispy.
• Eclectic menu spanning breakfast, burgers, and Asian dishes.

The Corned Beef Hash Platter is a standout, especially the hash itself and accompanying home fries. For lunch, try the Bacon Bleu Burger or Western Burger, both large enough to challenge your appetite. The Dill Pickle Fries disappear fast. Don't skip the fresh orange or grapefruit juice. If they have the Pancit (Filipino Lo Mein) on the night you visit, order it. The Orange Chicken is solid if you want something different.

A country store dining room with porch seating overlooking the road. Casual, unpretentious, and welcoming. Not loud or fussy.

The menu is long enough that there's something for everyone, whether you want eggs and toast, a bacon bleu burger, dill pickle fries, or Filipino pancit. A recent visitor noted the orange juice is genuinely fresh with pulp. Service tends to be kind and attentive. First-time guests should expect a friendly staff redirect to find a seat, but regulars say the greeting staff becomes familiar.

Visitors describe Josie's as unassuming but special, the kind of place that becomes a go-to within one visit. One recent visitor came twice for breakfast and once for lunch before leaving town and called it their "beloved Josie's." The staff, including server David, gets specific praise for being attentive and genuinely caring about the meal without hovering.