8 Best Restaurants in Down East Coast, Maine

The wood-warmed interior of this shingled building on Lubec's working waterfront invites diners to order a good meal and stay awhile, as do water views flowing beyond the picture windows and the deck. Sweet scallops and boiled lobster (2 pounders!) from local waters are always on the menu, but entrées change with the seasons—halibut in spring, filet mignon in July and August, and sometimes moqueca (a Brazilian seafood stew). The bar is a great place to grab a coffee, beer, or glass of wine, and if you want the lowdown on where to go or what to see in Lubec, this is the place to ask.

With dishes like Parmesan-crusted baked haddock and seafood pastas, the dinner menu here isn't all about fried fish; steak and chicken dishes and burgers are also available, and the lunch menu features burgers, wraps, salads, and sandwiches. The dining room has tables, booths, and bar seating, and a dessert case tempts; beyond here the pub, with a "steampunk-inspired" compass rose mural by a local artist, offers bar tables and seating at the curved wood bar. 

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.

In business since 1950, the look here is updated and fresh as the family-run establishment was rebuilt after a fire in 2014; there are entrées as well as burgers, salads, and the like. While the menu is big on seafood, don't expect only fried: try choices like charbroiled salmon topped with a maple glaze featuring Maine-produced mustard, maple syrup, and blueberry jam. Even before it was a foodie thing, Helen's was sourcing products from local farms and waters. House-baked desserts include a huge selection of pies and traditional New England hermit bars. Baked goodies and bread are sold to-go from the case up-front.

In a grand building downtown, arched windows usher light into this brewpub, as do harbor-view windows in the smaller pub room out back and glass doors to the water-view side deck. People come for the good, but simple pub food, the local flavor, and of course a craft brew—choose from standards like Horn Trip American pale ale and Treat Island New England IPA, or go for an experimental brew or house-made hard seltzer.

Don't let this no-frills convenience shop’s appearance deter you: lobster and crab rolls are among the homemade grab-and-go offerings in the summer, which also include sandwiches like pulled pork and fish burgers. If you're an early riser, don't miss the breakfast starting at 4 am (6 am Sunday) to join the fishermen. There's a community table near the entrance, and more tables tucked out of view: that's where the lobstermen gather before heading out.

A speakeasy vibe is intentional at this spacious locals-love-it wine bar on the lower level of an iconic downtown building, with water-view seating tucked outside the back door. Pair wines from around the world with offerings like charcuterie and cheese boards and smoked salmon dip from the appetizer-ish menu featuring Maine-produced foods. The owner travels abroad off-season to select vintages, also sold in the shop upstairs, which has water-view tables for patrons; two vacation rentals are above the store.

Folks drive from more than an hour away for a meal at this bright green eatery off the back of an old Main Street Milbridge home. Serving real deal fare (plus burgers!) from the homeland of the family who owns and runs the business, there are picnic tables outside and an enclosed eating area where you can enjoy burritos or tacos—some say they are Maine's best—or less common offerings like gorditas or huaraches (a bean dish).