In honor of Classics Week, an indispensable guide to 25 of the state's oldest, most notable eateries.
From fine dining to diners, pizza places to lobster shacks, red sauce Italian joints to throwback taverns, here are 25 of Maine's classic restaurants. Most of them have been around at least 20 years, many for much, much longer. Each has a unique history, and each is worth a trip. The order is alphabetical.
Did we miss your favorite Maine classic? Let us know in the comments.
Opened in 1996, Fore Street is largely responsible for putting Portland dining on the map and sparking the rustic vibed, farm-to-table revolution that's taken hold since.
Opened in 1982 on a 200+ foot former car ferry, the floating restaurant continues to serve fresh seafood and classic Italian fare while also featuring one of the most underrated bars in the city.
A fine dining outpost in the Bayside neighborhood since 1988, BBG continues to offer one of the best culinary experiences in the city more than a quarter century later.
The waterfront diner has become a Portland institution since opening in 1991. Sure, the tourists have discovered it, but it's the local blue-collar crowd that you'll find there when the doors open at 4 a.m.
Many argue that Portland's original beer bar is still the best. Opened in 1979, the Bear — which changed its name from The Grizzly Bear years ago — now has over 70 taps serving craft beers from near and far. The food menu is extensive as well.
About as old school as it gets, the Regios brothers carry on the tradition that their dad started in 1965 and still use the same oven to bake their 10" pies, which should be washed down with a mini pitcher from the attached bar.
Occupying its perch on outer Forest Ave for over 30 years, Tortilla Flat may not be authentic Mexican but it offers up fresh, inexpensive food and drinks in a friendly environment.
Opened in 1973, the White Barn Inn pretty much sets the bar for Maine fine dining. How fancy is this place? For its 40th anniversary a couple years back, it offered a $40,000 cocktail containing a 4-carat ruby.
Whether it's breakfast for locals or late-night/early-morning sustenance for Bowdoin College students, this old converted railcar has served a vital role in the community since opening in 1946.
Hundreds of the 10" Greek-style pies fly out of the ovens daily at this Biddeford institution, opened in 1960. A visit is a bit like stepping back in time, in a good way.
Whether it's lunch, dinner, or late-night, Ray's, which traces its origins back to 1953, serves up fresh, quick food — from burgers and dogs to lobster rolls — at its landmark location on Saco's main drag.
Arguably Maine's most famous dining spot, this seasonal take-out lobster shack, at its current location since 1954, attracts huge lines but it's worth the wait as the big ol' lobster roll is worthy of the hype.
Silly's has moved, expanded, and changed ownership over the course of its near 30-year history, but the eclectic decor and scratch-made menu (which willfully accommodates pretty much any dietary restriction imaginable) has remained steady since the opening in 1988.
Since opening in 1983, it's become more than a local diner, with tourists flocking to it in the warmer months for chowder, fried clams, and lobster pie.
Open at the same location since 1924, the WaCo Diner professes itself to be Maine's oldest restaurant. The straightforward menu of diner classics and Maine seafood favorites has proven to be a recipe for longevity.
This seasonal lobster shack is known to its devoted followers not just for excellent lobster rolls and fried clams, but also for its homemade pies. Almost 30 years old, it received the James Beard America's Classics Award in 2001, so it has become a summer visitor destination, but this is no tourist trap.
Opened in 1996, Fore Street is largely responsible for putting Portland dining on the map and sparking the rustic vibed, farm-to-table revolution that's taken hold since.
Opened in 1982 on a 200+ foot former car ferry, the floating restaurant continues to serve fresh seafood and classic Italian fare while also featuring one of the most underrated bars in the city.
A fine dining outpost in the Bayside neighborhood since 1988, BBG continues to offer one of the best culinary experiences in the city more than a quarter century later.
The waterfront diner has become a Portland institution since opening in 1991. Sure, the tourists have discovered it, but it's the local blue-collar crowd that you'll find there when the doors open at 4 a.m.
Many argue that Portland's original beer bar is still the best. Opened in 1979, the Bear — which changed its name from The Grizzly Bear years ago — now has over 70 taps serving craft beers from near and far. The food menu is extensive as well.
About as old school as it gets, the Regios brothers carry on the tradition that their dad started in 1965 and still use the same oven to bake their 10" pies, which should be washed down with a mini pitcher from the attached bar.
Occupying its perch on outer Forest Ave for over 30 years, Tortilla Flat may not be authentic Mexican but it offers up fresh, inexpensive food and drinks in a friendly environment.
Opened in 1973, the White Barn Inn pretty much sets the bar for Maine fine dining. How fancy is this place? For its 40th anniversary a couple years back, it offered a $40,000 cocktail containing a 4-carat ruby.
Whether it's breakfast for locals or late-night/early-morning sustenance for Bowdoin College students, this old converted railcar has served a vital role in the community since opening in 1946.
Hundreds of the 10" Greek-style pies fly out of the ovens daily at this Biddeford institution, opened in 1960. A visit is a bit like stepping back in time, in a good way.
Whether it's lunch, dinner, or late-night, Ray's, which traces its origins back to 1953, serves up fresh, quick food — from burgers and dogs to lobster rolls — at its landmark location on Saco's main drag.
Arguably Maine's most famous dining spot, this seasonal take-out lobster shack, at its current location since 1954, attracts huge lines but it's worth the wait as the big ol' lobster roll is worthy of the hype.
Silly's has moved, expanded, and changed ownership over the course of its near 30-year history, but the eclectic decor and scratch-made menu (which willfully accommodates pretty much any dietary restriction imaginable) has remained steady since the opening in 1988.
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