19 Best Restaurants in The Mid-Coast Region, Maine

Set within the gracious Federal hotel, 555 North is the rebirth of chef-owner Steve Corry's popular Portland restaurant, which closed in 2019 after an 18-year run. Diners will find the same exceptionally creative, seasonal approach to food as well as a sophisticated but relaxed atmosphere. The menu always offers distinctive and sometimes whimsical preparations of local seafoods, meats, and vegetables as well as memorable desserts.

The menu at this late-afternoon-into-late-evening spot is limited and changes frequently, but it's always good. Order a small plate or charcuterie board, or go bigger with something like risotto, ramen, or seared pork shoulder with roasted shallots and toasted pistachios. Sunday brunch is popular, thanks to such choices as molasses pancakes, deviled eggs with smoked trout, and gougeres served with candied bacon. Accompany your food with a cool craft cocktail, Maine beer (several on draft), or a glass of wine.

Located at Linekin Bay Resort, this casual, mostly outdoor restaurant offers a serene waterside setting coupled with fresh lobster rolls, haddock BLTs, mussels, crab cakes, crudo yellowfin tuna, fish tacos, and clams linguine. There are plenty of meat, gluten-free, and vegan options, too. The resort and the restaurant are only a few minutes' drive east of downtown Boothbay Harbor, but the chill atmosphere seems a million miles away. There's often live music on weekends.

The dining room at Monhegan's iconic Island Inn serves breakfast and dinner to the public as well as to guests. The breakfast menu includes eggs, pancakes, and granola. At dinner, steamed lobster is always on the menu; other fresh seafood choices may include halibut, salmon, swordfish, and paella. There are also steaks and other meats, plus a vegetarian dish. 

Yachts in the marina nose right up against the outdoor dining deck, and large windows frame the harbor in the elegant indoor dining room and casual bar. Complementing the views are the exceptional sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and tacos served at lunch and the oysters, lobster, sushi, and steaks served at dinner. If it's a special occasion, go for the ultimate surf-and-turf meal: a 10-ounce Wagyu strip steak with butter-poached lobster.

Pull your car up under the green awning and turn on your vehicle’s lights to catch the attention of the 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. Your order will be brought to your car or, if you prefer, to a nearby picnic table. It’s as fun as it sounds!

At this restaurant in an adorable building just off Main Street, the acclaimed crab cakes and the oysters fresh from the Damariscotta River are good bets, but so are the steak-and-ale pie, seafood stew, and fish-and-chips (made with fresh haddock that's sautéed rather than fried). With exposed-brick walls and low, wood-beamed ceilings hung with pottery beer mugs, the downstairs is a snug place to enjoy a Maine craft ale.

Cheeses, charcuterie, seafood, breads, and more from Maine's premier food producers and artisans go into the selection of small plates on the menu, which also features craft beers, wines, ciders, spirits, and Maine-made sodas. Open every afternoon from spring through fall, the center not only showcases the bounty of Maine, it also offers classes, workshops, and meet-the-producer events throughout the season.

In a large, historic, handsomely renovated brick building, Newcastle Publick House serves delicious comfort food in a pleasant dining room and welcoming bar. Specialties include fresh oysters prepared several ways, a selection of burgers, and one of the best French onion soups around. There is often live music.

Chosen as Maine's best tasting room by readers of Down East magazine in 2021, Odd Alewives is set in a beautifully restored old barn that's a cozily rustic place to grab a bite and brew, whether you're a beer aficionado or not. The beers—some of which feature herbs and flowers grown on the farm—range from saisons and farmhouse ales to a dark black ale; food offerings, which vary from week to week, include pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven, tacos, and meats cooked on an Argentinian wood-fired grill.

On the wharf a few steps from the boat landing, The Barnacle serves espresso and a selection of coffees from Monhegan Coffee Roasters along with baked goods such as scones and brownies, and ice cream. For lunch, choose from prepared sandwiches, chowders, and salads, which you can eat at a picnic table or take with you. If you're having dinner at the Island Inn, you can pick up wine or beer to accompany your meal here.

Just off Route 131, this family-friendly eatery is a community favorite. You'll find good local fare, such as fish-and-chips, mussels, chowder, pastas, burgers, and a haddock Reuben.

The restaurant at the atmospheric Craignair Inn—along a narrow lane in Spruce Head, about 8 miles northeast of Tenants Harbor—serves dinner four (winter) or five (peak season) nights a week. Enjoy your fresh, well-prepared seafood or meat dishes in the main dining room, in a gallery with a fireplace, or on an outdoor deck overlooking the water. The very popular Sunday brunch features classic pancakes and egg dishes, as well as more creative options such as a wild mushroom strudel or a house-cured salmon tostada.

The cinnamon and sticky buns served at this little log cabin are the stuff of sweet dreams. Grab one while they last every morning, and pair it with Maine-roasted coffee or one of the espresso drinks. You can also pick up prepared lunch options and dinner entrées.

With a welcoming, small-town atmosphere, this little café is popular with locals. Served at both lunch and dinner, the menu includes salads, sandwiches, burgers, and a few entrées such as fish-and-chips, baked stuffed haddock, and scallops au gratin. 

What started as a candy shop over 30 years ago has grown into a Wiscasset staple featuring baked goods, coffee, wine, craft beer, cheese, and more. All of the "treats"—scones, cookies, croissants, muffins, cakes, sweet buns, babka, coffee cake—are baked right here every day. You can also order sandwiches or wraps and pick up prepared meals to go. There's a good selection of fine condiments for sale, too.

This outlet of a Kittery-based bakery sells unusual artisanal breads such as Sicilian green olive with hot cherry peppers or red pepper hummus with sesame seeds and garlic, as well as classic sourdough, whole-wheat, pumpernickel, rye, or oat-and-honey loaves. You can also grab a giant cookie or muffin-size cake to munch on while wandering between the outlet stores.