Restaurants
$$$
Steak house
Portland
Wood-fired steaks and seafood from a corner spot with a pro kitchen and parkside seating.
Bar & grill
Bangor
Bangor's smoky bar and grill with axe throwing, live music, and ribs that fall off the bone.
Breakfast restaurant
Kennebunk
Traditional breakfast in a warm Kennebunk nook. Cinnamon swirl French toast and fresh eggs done right.
American restaurant
York
Lobster In The Rough serves fresh Maine seafood in a timber-framed barn with live music and cornhole.
Seafood restaurant
Freeport
Refurbished barn serving lobster rolls, fresh haddock, and Maine classics with counter and full-service options.
Italian restaurant
Brunswick
Long-running Brunswick Italian spot known for housemade pasta and garlic knots in a spacious, welcoming room.
Ogunquit
Refined seafood and views in Ogunquit. Sunset dinners with crab rolls and ocean vistas.
Coffee shop
French-style coffee shop in Kennebunk with seasonal lattes, crepes, and gluten-free macarons.
New Harbor
Lobster rolls piled high at this rustic Boothbay Harbor wharf with working harbor views.
Seafood spot in Ogunquit with a killer fish sandwich, dog-friendly patio, and fudge samples at the door.
Pizza restaurant
Augusta
Counter-serve pizza and Italian sandwiches in Augusta. Big Dave roast beef is a neighborhood standby.
Rockland
Rockland bar and grill slinging lobster rolls, Mexican dishes, and strong drinks with ocean views.
Rockland tavern with wood beams and brick walls serving comfort food from scallop linguini to shepherd's pie.
Millinocket
American spot in Millinocket with blackened scallops, wings, and homemade pizza. Post-hike refuel.
Restaurant
Cape Neddick
Southern-style gastropub in Cape Neddick where the viral lobster roll flight and creative small plates steal the show.
Brewpub
Sebago Brewing serves burgers, fish fry, and its own craft beer in a spacious Kennebunk brewpub.
Brewery
Bar Harbor
Brewery in Bar Harbor with blueberry ale that regulars can't quit, plus solid crab quesadillas and fish and chips.
Cafe
Cape Elizabeth
Gourmet market cafe in Cape Elizabeth with hearty sandwiches, fresh pastries, and serious coffee.
Boothbay Harbor
Boothbay Harbor pub slinging oversized fish and chips, lobster rolls, and crab cakes with waterfront views.
Craft brewery pizza in Freeport with inventive pies and local beers, sausage mushroom to mac and cheese pork.
Hotel
Northeast Harbor
Newly restored hotel on Northeast Harbor with pool, gardens, and Dahlia's restaurant doing solid seafood.
Chinese restaurant
Hong Kong Island serves reliable Americanized Chinese in Rockland. The pad Thai and crab Rangoon are standouts.
Crispy-crusted pizza and fried mushrooms from a family-run spot locals return to yearly.
Vietnamese restaurant
Pho and pot stickers from a chef-owner who sources everything with care in a tiny Brunswick spot.
