2 Best Restaurants in Rangeley, Western Lakes and Mountains

Loon Lodge

$$$

Built as a summer home, this rustically elegant 1909 log lodge alongside Rangeley Lake on Rangeley village’s outskirts has been a restaurant and inn for much of its life; lovely lake views float beyond midcentury picture windows in dining spaces that were part of a porch. Locally sourced seasonal fine dining thrives with updated classics such as Moroccan-spiced rack of lamb with English mint and Indian curry spices, ginger-crusted tuna with Asian slaw, and desserts like skillet du jour. Reservations are recommended, though guests often enjoy waiting in the nestled-in, log-walled Pickford Pub, on the deck, or in the great room, which has a soaring fieldstone fireplace. In summer there are boat slips for lodging and dining guests and come winter, a ramp for those who snowmobile over on the lake. Guestrooms are well-appointed but lack TVs by design: Loon Lodge is touted as a place to unplug and relax between outdoor adventures.

American Dessert Dinner $$$
16 Pickford Rd., Maine, 04970, USA
207-864–5666
www.loonlodgeme.com
Known For
  • specials are big on less pricey comfort foods, as is the winter menu
  • six original guestrooms with gleaming wood walls on the second floor, two modern ones on the lower level, and four in a separate building
  • the restaurant menu is available at Pickford Pub, where folks grab a drink while waiting for a table in the dining rooms, often heading down to the lakefront lawn or the dock below that
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed late Oct.–late Nov. and Mon. late Nov.–late Oct., also Tues. early April–mid-May (inn open year-round)

Pine Tree Frosty

$

A summertime visit to Rangeley isn't complete without a stop at this cash-only snack bar—in business since 1964—for ice cream and simple meals like burgers and fries. Both hard and soft ice cream are served, as are sundaes, milk shakes, flurries, and banana splits. Nestled between Haley Pond and an overflow channel, everyone heads out back to feed and enjoy the ducks on the lakelike pond.