278 Best Restaurants in Maine, USA

Long serving what may be Maine's best steak and traditional New England fare, offerings like the curry entrée and pork lumpia appetizer were added after the business was sold in 2021 to a family with roots in Asia. Their overhaul of the 1884 property added deck and granite patio seating, a bar/lounge, and more dining space; the large bar/lounge has a cool curved bar and sleek custom wood chairs—some resemble traditional Maine camp furniture. If you're looking for a place to stay, the stylish rooms have beadboard and soft blue hues.

Forget New England nautical; Crown Jewel's owners went in a completely different design direction when they created it, and instead leaned into Latin American and Miami vibes. And in fact, the flamingos and palm trees dotting the decor here embody the whimsical spirit of the entire place, found in its partylike feel as well as the fun cocktails and in delicious dishes like fried oysters with chipotle aioli and apple compote, or lobster arancini.

A longtime (and much-loved) greasy spoon, this space has changed hands multiple times in the past several years, receiving an expansion and a facelift. It's now a family-friendly spot serving simple but tasty dishes that aim to please most palates—think of it as a mom-and-pop version of The Cheesecake Factory, but with homemade dishes. The smoothies are very good, as are the crab-cake sliders.

Even though it's not directly on the water, don’t overlook this Main Street eatery. You can't go wrong with lobster cakes or Pemaquid oysters, but here you can also tuck into Thai fish stew, grilled hangar steak with a bourbon-brown-sugar glaze, or duck confit risotto.

With pressed-tin ceilings, this charming, old-fashioned restaurant and bar—it's been such since 1865—is a perennial local favorite with a welcoming community feel to it. Pad Thai, chicken chili salad with cashews, a Buddha bowl, and a few Mexican-flavored items are signature dishes, but the menu also serves hearty, scratch-made soups, sandwiches on homemade bread, and classic fish-and-chips. The walls of this cozy pub are hung with old murals of Belfast scenes and works for sale by local artists.

The coffee, including lattes and the like, isn't the only thing that's wicked good at this local café; homemade pastries, pizza, and rich soups are prepared daily, the hot chocolate and chai are worth writing home about, and the smoothies are great. There are nice murals on the walls, too.

People have been stopping at this roadside lobster pound for a century, buying live or cooked lobsters to take home, or ordering a lobster or crabmeat roll, lobster stew, lobster dinner, steamed or fried fresh clams, and other local seafood to enjoy at a picnic table overlooking a serene salt marsh. It's just a few miles down the road from Freeport's Main Street shops, but it feels a world apart.

Tucked among Main Street's lineup of small shops, this intimate bistro serves exceptional house-made pastas and other Italian favorites—try the eggplant fries to start. Among the entrées, the mushroom sacchetti (pasta pockets filled with wild porcini, roasted portobello mushrooms, and cheeses) are especially popular, and on Tuesday, there's a special, budget-friendly menu for two. In addition to the inviting, brick-walled interior, there's a sidewalk patio for warm-weather dining.

This huge family-owned floating restaurant on a centrally located marina has been a staple of Portland's food scene for decades. The food has stayed largely the same since it opened—this isn't the place to break any culinary sound barriers—with classics like Maine lobster dinners, bacon-wrapped scallops, and clam chowder. If you're looking for a place to have a drink with great views and a unique atmosphere filled with nautical decor, this is a worthy option.

European-style coffee drinks, tea, pastries, smoothies, and other seasonal snacks are on the menu at this small café built over a tidal river in the midst of Dock Square. The coffee is sourced from Portland-based and nationally recognized Coffee By Design, one of the state's best.

Don't be fooled by this tiny takeout-only joint's no-frills storefront: many praise its lobster rolls as the best around. On summer mornings, the line often stretches around the corner by 10 am as folks come to get lobster rolls as well as wraps, sandwiches, salads, and slices of blueberry pie for outings to Acadia National Park and elsewhere around Mount Desert Island. You can also pick up items for dinner after a day of exploring.

Burritos, bowls, nachos, empanadas, and tacos filled with crab, fish, lobster, or meat and served with a full range of fiery accoutrements are made fresh daily at this taqueria, whose name is a play on L.L.Bean.

For some of the best Mexican food in town, head to this fun, hip spot where the flavors are as vibrant as the turquoise, yellow, and fuchsia decor and the guacamole and salsas are made fresh daily. Wash down achiote-seasoned fish tacos or a citrus-and-cumin-marinated chicken burrito with a lemon-hibiscus refresca (cold drink) or a house margarita. They also have a location in Scarborough.

You could easily while away an entire day at this cozy spot. Enjoying Elements' own Biddeford-roasted coffee is a great way to start the day, to fuel an afternoon of reading, or to perk up in the early evening, especially on nights when there's crafts or a silent book club meeting.

Not only does Eventide have fresh, tasty oysters from all over Maine and New England, artfully prepared with novel accoutrements like kimchi, ginger ices, and cucumber-champagne mignonette, it also serves delicious crudos and ceviches with unique ingredients like blood orange and chili miso. The menu constantly changes, depending on what's in season. So it's best to order a handful of small plates, a glass of bubbly or one of the signature tiki-style cocktails, and, of course, a dozen oysters.

Pull your car up under the green awning and turn on your vehicle’s lights to catch the attention of the carhop servers at this retro drive-in restaurant. The eatery's BLT made with Canadian bacon is a longtime favorite that pairs well with onion rings and a frappe (try the blueberry), but baskets of fried clams and shrimp are also winners, and there are several burger options, plus over-the-top specialties like Frito pie. Your order will be brought to your car or, if you prefer, to a nearby picnic table. It’s as fun as it sounds!

Expect tough decisions at this cozy, homey bakery, where choosing sweet or savory is delicious fun and the smiling staff let you take all the time you need. Pair whatever you choose with freshly brewed, Maine-roasted coffee.

The fish-and-chips and fish sandwich served at this cozy, convivial spot are prepared with sustainability in mind: both dishes star pollock or hake, two “lesser loved” species every bit as delicious as overfished haddock or cod. Halibut, lobster, oysters, squid, and other seafood also routinely appear on the menu, all of it sourced fresh from Gulf of Maine waters. Make sure to leave room for dessert: even the soft-serve ice cream is made in-house, and one of the owners is a James Beard “Outstanding Pastry Chef” nominee.

Families, students, and bohemian types gather at this popular New England chain flatbread-pizza place where two massive wood-fire ovens are the heart of the soaring, warehouselike space. Waits can be long on weekends and in summer, but you can call a half-hour ahead to put your name on the list, or grab a drink from the bar and wait outside with a view of the harbor. The menu has eight signature pizzas made with fresh, local ingredients, plus weekly veggie and meat specials; everything is homemade, organic, and nitrate-free, and there are delicious local microbrews on tap.

Breakfast and lunch can be full-on carnivore or vegan at this downtown café, also a go-to for coffee, tea, cookies (some are gluten-free), and pastries, including sweet or savory croissants. Breakfast sandwiches have a choice of meat or veggie sausage, while lunch offers soups, salads, and inventive hot and cold sandwiches—the Vietnamese banh mi with pickled vegetables, cilantro, cucumbers, jalapeño aioli, and pork, chicken, or tofu on a demi baguette is popular.

This local gathering spot sells a variety of hot and cold coffee and tea drinks, plus an appealing selection of light meals. Breakfast choices include a curried rice bowl, nachos, and avocado toast; at lunch, there are wraps and better-than-average salads. 

Yes, it seems crazy to highlight a hot-dog stand, but this is no ordinary place—who would guess that a hot dog could make it into Saveur and Gourmet magazines? There is something grand about this shabby, red-shingle shack, where the classic dog has mayo and a special sauce—consisting of, among other things, onions and molasses (you can buy a bottle to take home, and you'll want to).

Diners are greeted by a friendly smile at this small and airy eatery. It serves a standard Thai menu—think pad Thai, tom kha, and chicken satay—with exceptional preparations. Popular choices include a chive rice cake and panang curry.

The biggest of three breweries sharing space in an industrial warehouse, Foundation welcomes visitors (and their fur babies) to its tasting room with a roster of craft brews that pair well with their Detroit-style pizzas and snacks like giant pretzels, available Thursday through Monday. Foundation's best-known brew is the Double IPA Epiphany, but the ever-changing list of beers on tap includes pilsners like Riverton Flyer and wheaty brews such as Radiant Waves.

From the red stools lined up at the soda fountain to the pressed-tin ceiling, this cute little place oozes nostalgia. Order a banana split, a shake, or just a cone, and enjoy your trip down memory lane.

If you've had about all the fried seafood you can stand, try this intimate spot that focuses on creative cuisine served with flair. There are lots of seafood, poultry, and meat options, homemade pasta choices, and always a few vegetarian dishes (special requests like gluten-free are happily accommodated). Menu offerings include lobster truffle purses, a unique take on chicken picatta, and pork served with a sweet pear-cream sauce. Even the breads and most desserts are made by the chef. Entrées include really large dinner salads with fruit and nuts as well as veggies atop the greens.

This charming spot in downtown Freeport is a great place to sample a rotating menu of very good seafood—think all kinds of fresh, local oysters, as well as scallop crudos and delectable specialties like lobster grilled cheese sandwiches. The delicious cocktails round things out perfectly.

In business since 1986, this large restaurant in an 1890s downtown building—originally a seamen's boarding house, now filled with Maine art—has a classic New England vibe, dining on two floors, an upstairs lounge, and a large menu to match. Offerings range from sandwiches and small plates to lobster dishes, steak, and seafood, including bouillabaisse with shrimp, scallops, fresh fish, and lobster, served with steamed mussels and grilled ciabatta bread. Painted walls nicely offset the art, which is touted as Maine’s largest private art collection on public display, and the pressed tin ceilings and banister are original. Among the treasures in the Galley Lounge: diamond-shaped windows from a Rockefeller estate and a bank tellers' counter, now the bar.

Housed in an erstwhile Masonic temple, Gather lives up to its name by bringing together all kinds of folks as well as ingredients from the surrounding farms and local artisans. James Beard–nominated chef Mimi Weisenborn uses all of it in her elevated comfort foods, turning out dishes like deliciously cloudlike crispy eggplant and short rib with miso glaze from nearby Pineland Farm.

With a big menu that’s big on seafood (pick-your-own lobster tank), this lively establishment—founded in 1974—would be easy to spot even without a lighted moose on the roof. Humor pervades inside: kids' meals come on Frisbees; quirky plastic animals on sticks adorn cocktails and kids' drinks; and old photos, murals, signs, license plates, and other bric-a-brac fill the walls, adding a sense of coziness to a large restaurant with a large bar right in the middle. Harbor views are only available from a few seats up front. You can enter the large lower-level gift shop from the street or the restaurant; either way, the kids will head straight for the treasure chest with free trinkets.