9 Best Restaurants in The Mid-Coast Region, Maine

Although everything served at this seafood shack and market beside Fish Beach is delicious and simply prepared, the crab roll—a large, split-top roll buttered and griddled and stuffed with fresh, sweet, mayo-tossed crabmeat—may just be the best on the Maine coast. Order at the window, carry your tray to a picnic table inches from the water, and lap up the view of lobster boats in the harbor. You can also have your order packed to go. 

The customers lined up beside this little red shack at the bottom of Wiscasset's Main Street, just before the bridge across the Sheepscot River, have come from far and wide for one of the Maine Coast's best lobster rolls—namely, a perfectly buttered and griddled split-top roll that's absolutely, positively stuffed with fresh, sweet meat and served with melted butter and mayo on the side. Devotees swear that the wait (up to two hours!) is worth it, and it helps that staffers hand out ice water, popsicles, umbrellas to protect from rain or hot sun, and even dog biscuits for the pups. You can also get your lobster in a gluten-free roll or on a plate without any bread. Other choices include crab rolls, hamburgers, and onion rings, as well as clams or other local seafood fried in house-made batters. Enjoy your hard-earned feast at a table on the bilevel deck behind the shack or at a picnic table on the grass by the water. For a shorter wait, come on a weekday at an off hour (not lunch or dinner time).

Located at Linekin Bay Resort, this casual, mostly outdoor restaurant offers a serene waterside setting coupled with fresh lobster rolls, haddock BLTs, mussels, crab cakes, crudo yellowfin tuna, fish tacos, and clams linguine. There are plenty of meat, gluten-free, and vegan options, too. The resort and the restaurant are only a few minutes' drive east of downtown Boothbay Harbor, but the chill atmosphere seems a million miles away. There's often live music on weekends.

Of the half dozen breweries in Freeport, the Maine Beer Company is a standout. Its beer is well crafted, as are its salads, charcuterie, and wood-fired pizzas, and you can dine indoors or out. It's a popular place, so reservations are recommended, though not required. Every year, the owners donate a percentage of profits to charitable organizations.

You know that the lobster and other seafood is fresh at this quintessential shack, just east of Tenants Harbor and at the end of a scenic, winding shoreside byway—the owner's family owns the wholesale lobster company on the next wharf over, where local lobstermen tie up to deliver their catches. In addition to generously stuffed lobster rolls, the menu usually includes crab rolls, crab cakes, grilled clams, and a couple of nonseafood items. Save room for a slice of freshly baked pie or a whoopie pie. Order at the window, and settle at a picnic table with broad, serene views of the bay, islands, and the working harbor. This is a BYOB place, with regulars often interpreting the "B" to mean not only a bottle of wine, but also a bouquet of flowers in a jar or maybe a birthday cake.

Chosen as Maine's best tasting room by readers of Down East magazine in 2021, Odd Alewives is set in a beautifully restored old barn that's a cozily rustic place to grab a bite and brew, whether you're a beer aficionado or not. The beers—some of which feature herbs and flowers grown on the farm—range from saisons and farmhouse ales to a dark black ale; food offerings, which vary from week to week, include pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven, tacos, and meats cooked on an Argentinian wood-fired grill.

On Southport Island, across an old-fashioned swing bridge from Boothbay Harbor and overlooking the waters of Townsend Gut, this lively local favorite often has waits for its tables on summer weekends. Head inside or sit at a picnic table out on the dock, where you can watch lobstermen deliver their catch while enjoying a lunch or dinner featuring one of the well-prepared seafood dishes, many of them fried. There's live music on Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Whether you dine outside on the long, narrow dock, or inside, you'll enjoy the view, the vibe, and the food at this popular summertime eatery on Pemaquid Harbor. The fish tacos and fried-oyster tacos are exceptional, as are the lobster club sandwich, Korean barbecue smoked chicken, and the pizza. Order locally raised oysters from the raw bar, and try the fish tartare, especially if it's tuna. There's live music a couple of evenings each week.

You'll find the Dip Net behind the Port Clyde General Store, on a deck overlooking the harbor. Sit at a picnic table inside an enclosure or out in the sunshine and enjoy such local treats as fried oysters, lobster (of course), crab cakes, and fresh fish. There are good landlubber choices, too.