King’s Head Pub in Freeport, Maine

King's Head Pub took over Freeport's old Jameson's Tavern space and immediately won over both longtime regulars and visitors. They're cooking honest pub food, fish and chips with an unusual, layered breading, haddock bites, grilled salmon, braised roasts with beer gravy. The bar and dining room fill up with locals who keep coming back, twice a week sometimes, for the food and the staff who actually remember their names.

• Crispy-breaded fish and chips with unique dough layer.
• Haddock bites and chowder that taste like the ocean.
• Best Guinness draft pour in 30 miles.
• Staff knows your name and your order by visit two.

Start with the haddock bites. Order the fish and chips, which come with homemade tartar sauce and fries cut thick enough to stay crispy outside. The haddock and clam chowder is warming and seafood-forward. If you're hungry, the Grilled Braised King's Roast is tender with mashed potatoes, green beans, and beer gravy. The grilled salmon rarely disappoints.

Cozy and friendly with a central bar. Comfortable seating throughout, moderate noise level even when full.

The kitchen takes its time getting things right. Fish and chips arrive with homemade tartar sauce and fries that are crispy on the outside and thick enough to taste like potato. Haddock chowder is warming and actual seafood, not just cream. The Grilled Braised King's Roast comes tender with mashed potatoes, green beans, and beer gravy. Grilled salmon shows up perfectly cooked, which isn't easy. It's the kind of place where you can sit at the bar and eat just as well as at a table.

Regulars and newcomers alike praise the food and staff in equal measure. One guest said the tartar sauce is homemade and the fries are the best they've had, sliced thick and salted just right. Staff like Jen at the bar carry real attention to detail, remembering orders and faces no matter how busy it gets.