Old Orchard beach
 

Hi guys, new here, just wondering if anyone could tell me if there are any must do things in Old Orchard Beach. I know that I will be visiting the boardwalk, but I am wondering if there is something that I am missing. Also can anyone suggest any restaurants I have been looking online but havent come up with any places to eat. Thanks and I look forward to your messages have a good day.

Are you committed to going to Old Orchard? It's not a great place, IMO, very worn out and tacky.

Old Orchard boardwalk is good for one night or so..If you have kids you might like Aquaboggin water park - check out the 1/2 day pass after a certain hour in the day - a lot cheaper. Kids also like amusement park on route 1 called Fun Town activities are updated compared to Old Orchard. Captains Gally is a decent restaurant - for family. South Portland (15 mins.) North has a huge mall and a ton of restaurants. Lone Star Steakhouse is very good. Portland is also an interesting port. Have fun. Old orchar's beach goes on forever and is beautiful especially as you get away from the boardwalk area.

We go to Maine every summer and did OOB two years in a row - because we found a well located, immaculate hotel that was practically on the beach. The beach is very very nice - but it's such a honky tonk town that two visits was enough. The amusement park is expensive and you can barely find any food in OOB that isn't fried. For places to eat I would head out of town to Portland to the north or Kennebunk to the south - check the boards for recommendations - there are great restaurants in both areas and even in between. We actually had our kids' skimboards and kites stolen from our motel deck while there. And....the streets get very dirty and crowded. IMHO, not the best of Maine - fun for an afternoon or evening, then enjoy some of the more natural beauty just nearby, such as the beautiful nature centers and rocky beaches. WE just returned from the Kennebunk/Ogonquit area and loved it!

Old Orchard Beach is a tacky crime-ridden town full of shabby over-priced lodging places. It's not at all representative of Maine's beauty.

What you are "missing" is that you should head for Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, Wells Beach, just about anywhere other than OOB. There's a good reason why you haven't come up with any places online to "eat".

I grew up at Wells Beach and lived there for many years. Old Orchard has always been a "dump" as Bette Davis would say.When in school--we went there for the amusements but those have gone by the wayside.(many years ago) There are many bars and I've never found a decent restaurant there. If you can---spend your time in York, Ogunquit, Wells and Kennebunkport. You'll be glad you did.Try Mike's Clam Shack in Wells, The Steakhouse in Wells, Billy's Chowder House in Wells, Poor Richard's in Ogunquit for starters---there are many good restaurants in the area.

Hi everyone, I know I might be one of the many on this board to say that I actually enjoyed OOB but that doesn't really bother me. I was taken there a couple times as a child, and I still enjoy it. It IS tacky, over-priced, honky-tonk, and full of FRIED food but hey, that's part of its charm LOL! Some of the things I enjoyed doing other than just enjoying the beautifuk beach: buying tacky souvenirs, having nice BBQ dinners outside my cabin, making a bonfire and enjoying the crisp Maine air, and just soaking in the atmosphere.....and eating as many fried doughs as I could!! LOL! I enjoy OOB, and if you are looking for a laid-back, beach town with a few extras on the side to keep you busy I would definitely recommend OOB, even if it's not "high class".

York Beach is doing a once a month
live Jamaican reggae performance. Goose Rocks Beach, north of OOB is the hidden gem of the area and has been for generations. OOB was/is/will always be fried dough, bikers and tawdry/tacky.
The Quebecoises no longer come down in
droves to Maine (they head for tackier places like the DR) so the flavor is gone and a husk remains. Restaurants:
go to Oqunquit for ARROWS on Agamenticus Road, about 4 miles outside the town. Very Republican crowd unfortunately, but interesting Neo-whatever cuisine. Pricey.Worth. White Barn Inn in Kennebunk: very luxe, stuffy, can be good, can be everything
served in a tartine, but for Maine,
a wonder. Flo's Hot Dogs, a legend in York, a couple of places in Ogunquit which has a heavy gay club scene, an eccentric Jamaican roadside place in
Cape Neddick. Otherwise, it's fried seafood, fresh and great, and lobster/but red tide looks like there'll be another ban on local clams this season. Maine Diner on Route 1
just before turn off onto Kennebunkport
is great, so good, expect lines. There's a Joe Allen in Ogunquit, a branch of the NYC restaurant: nothing special, Hurricane down in Perkins Cove
with jazz on Sundays, Provence on road into town and few seasonal places with just ok food/trendy and over-=priced.
Best bets for really good dining are
either Portland or Portsmouth, with OOB
equidistant from both.

Also: French fries with vinegar is an OOB tradition (in Portland, they're fried with duck fat and amazing). One must-do is GoldenRod in York Beach where they make saltwater taffy the old-fashioned way. You can watch thru the big plate glass windows, mail-order in 1930s original printed boxes inside--otherwise, a standard pine-panelled oldies restaurant inside. But the taffy is a great gift/and really fresh, esp. the peanut butter. If Rick and Eileen
are still cooking at Lola's (ask around) in OOB, that's arguably the best place in town.