4 Best Restaurants in The Yorks and Cape Neddick, The Southern Coast

On an islandlike peninsula overlooking York Harbor, this restaurant has plenty of seafood on the menu. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the stepped modern dining space transport diners to the water beyond—every seat has a water view. Popular dishes include haddock stuffed with Maine shrimp, as well as grilled ribeye steak, smoked pork belly, seafood chowder, or crab cake spring rolls. Lighter fare is served in the cozy mahogany bar. The Dockside Restaurant is part of a 7-acre property with guest rooms and suites in several buildings, from a grand 1895 summer home to condo-style quarters.

Yes, it seems crazy to highlight a hot-dog stand, but this is no ordinary place—who would guess that a hot dog could make it into Saveur and Gourmet magazines? There is something grand about this shabby, red-shingle shack, where the classic dog has mayo and a special sauce—consisting of, among other things, onions and molasses (you can buy a bottle to take home, and you'll want to).

If you've had about all the fried seafood you can stand, try this intimate spot that focuses on creative cuisine served with flair. There are lots of seafood, poultry, and meat options, homemade pasta choices, and always a few vegetarian dishes (special requests like gluten-free are happily accommodated). Menu offerings include toasted peppercorn-seared sushi-grade tuna, served with coconut risotto on gingered vegetables, and pork served with a sweet pear-cream sauce. Even the breads and most desserts are made by the chef. Entrées include really large dinner salads with fruit and nuts as well as veggies atop the greens.

People line the windows to watch Goldenrod Kisses being made the same way they have since 1896—and thousands of pounds are made every year at this York Beach classic. Aside from the famous taffy (there's penny candy, too), this eatery is family-oriented, very reasonably priced, and a great place to get homemade ice cream from the old-fashioned soda fountain.