clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

24 Classic Restaurants Every Mainer Must Try

Follow this map to great rewards.

View as Map

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.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Fore Street

Copy Link
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.

Street and Co.

Copy Link
Fresh, simply prepared seafood dishes have been the hallmark here since the doors off cobblestoned Wharf Street opened in 1989.

DiMillo's on the Water

Copy Link
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.

Back Bay Grill

Copy Link
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.

Becky's Diner

Copy Link
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.

The Great Lost Bear

Copy Link
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.

Espo's Trattoria

Copy Link
This family-run Italian joint has served heaping plates of red sauce classics since 1972.

Muddy Rudder Restaurant

Copy Link
Overlooking the Cousins River, the Rudder has been a local favorite for fresh seafood since 1976.

Maria's Ristorante

Copy Link
Maria's, run by the Napolitano family since 1960, continues to serve up fine renditions of the Italian classics in a throwback atmosphere.

Pizza Villa

Copy Link
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.

Tortilla Flat

Copy Link
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.

The White Barn Inn & Spa

Copy Link
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.

Brunswick Diner

Copy Link
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.

Gritty McDuff's

Copy Link
Portland's original post-prohibition brewpub, founded in 1988, remains a great spot to grab a pint and some solid pub food.

Moody's Diner

Copy Link
Family-run for over eight decades, Moody's plies midcoast residents and tourists alike with simple, homemade meals and world-famous pies.

Pizza by Alex

Copy Link
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.

Rapid Ray's

Copy Link
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.

Red's Eats

Copy Link
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.

Ruski's Tavern

Copy Link
The no-frills tavern, opened in 1982, is a West End favorite for burgers and beer and hair-of-the-dog brunches.

Silly's Restaurant

Copy Link
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.

The Good Table

Copy Link
Affluent Cape Elizabeth is a bit of a culinary hinterland, but the Good Table has been a comfort food beacon for the town since opening in 1986.

The Maine Diner

Copy Link
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.

WaCo Diner

Copy Link
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.

Waterman's Beach Lobster

Copy Link
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.

Fore Street

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.

Street and Co.

Fresh, simply prepared seafood dishes have been the hallmark here since the doors off cobblestoned Wharf Street opened in 1989.

DiMillo's on the Water

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.

Back Bay Grill

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.

Becky's Diner

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.

The Great Lost Bear

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.

Espo's Trattoria

This family-run Italian joint has served heaping plates of red sauce classics since 1972.

Muddy Rudder Restaurant

Overlooking the Cousins River, the Rudder has been a local favorite for fresh seafood since 1976.

Maria's Ristorante

Maria's, run by the Napolitano family since 1960, continues to serve up fine renditions of the Italian classics in a throwback atmosphere.

Pizza Villa

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.

Tortilla Flat

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.

The White Barn Inn & Spa

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.

Brunswick Diner

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.

Gritty McDuff's

Portland's original post-prohibition brewpub, founded in 1988, remains a great spot to grab a pint and some solid pub food.

Moody's Diner

Family-run for over eight decades, Moody's plies midcoast residents and tourists alike with simple, homemade meals and world-famous pies.

Pizza by Alex

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.

Rapid Ray's

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.

Red's Eats

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.

Ruski's Tavern

The no-frills tavern, opened in 1982, is a West End favorite for burgers and beer and hair-of-the-dog brunches.

Silly's Restaurant

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.

The Good Table

Affluent Cape Elizabeth is a bit of a culinary hinterland, but the Good Table has been a comfort food beacon for the town since opening in 1986.