Maine · best-of list
The 6 Best Restaurants in Maine
All 6 restaurants our route editors picked in Maine, across 2 destinations, gathered in one list. 5 come with an insider tip.
Our curated picks
6 restaurants in Maine, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Maine 3 picks
Jordan Pond House
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
Popovers and tea on the lawn facing Jordan Pond and the Bubbles, a tradition since the 1890s.
Tip: Open mid-May to late October.
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain
Red's Eats
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
Roadside shack in Wiscasset known for overstuffed lobster rolls since the 1970s.
Tip: Cash-friendly line moves slowly at lunch; go mid-afternoon. Seasonal.
Photo: WestportWiki · CC BY-SA 3.0
Thurston's Lobster Pound
Maine · On our New England Fall Foliage route
Dockside pound in Bernard: pick a lobster by weight and eat it on the deck over the harbor.
Tip: Seasonal: open roughly late May to mid-October.
Photo: Christopher Helm · Google
Portland, Maine 3 picks
Duckfat
Portland, Maine · On our Boston to Portland route
Small sandwich shop famous for fries cooked in duck fat.
Photo: Andrew Sunada · Google
Eventide Oyster Co.
Portland, Maine · On our Boston to Portland route
Oyster bar known for its brown-butter lobster roll on a steamed bun.
Tip: Expect a wait at peak times.
Photo: Eventide Oyster Co. · Google
The Holy Donut
Portland, Maine · On our Boston to Portland route
Maine potato donuts in flavors like dark chocolate sea salt.
Tip: Go early; flavors sell out.
Photo: Niki Higgins · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in Maine?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 6 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Maine has the most restaurants on this list?
Maine and Portland, Maine lead with 3 each; the other picks are spread across 0 more destinations.
More lists for Maine
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Maine 3 on this list
- Portland, Maine 3 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.