Portland, Maine: 5 Foods You Need To Try

Right before heading back to Spain, I made a quick stop in New England for a friend’s wedding (shout out to Emily & James!). Matt and I decided to make a vacation out of it, so we spent a few days in Portland, Maine, in advance of the wedding weekend.

We were soon joined by my two best friends from college, Hanna and Carson, who are two of the most dedicated foodies I know. When I think about what we did in Portland, so much of it was food-related that I realized I needed to make this a post all on its own. So… these are the top 5 Portland, Maine foods you need to try!

1. Lobster Roll

What’s a trip to Maine without eating some “lobstah”?!

Soon after arriving in Portland — before the rest of our friends arrived — Matt and I took a walk along the waterfront. He immediately noticed the place where he’d eaten a lobster roll last time he was in Portland, aptly named Portland Lobster Company. So we decided to stop for lobster rolls and lobster chowdah.

But pretty much every other restaurant we ate at in Portland also had lobster rolls, and sometimes with their own spin! Another place, Highroller Lobster Co, had plenty of variations to keep it interesting.

2. Oysters

“We’re from the landlocked state of Missouri,” Hanna announced to our waiter at Eventide Oyster Company on our first night in Portland. What she was trying to say: we’d never eaten oysters before. Can you blame us? I wouldn’t trust an oyster I came across in the Midwest.

Anyway, we decided that Portland was the place to try them. We ordered six of them, consulting with our waiter on which types amongst the many options to choose. I was very nervous, and my glass of wine gave me the additional courage I needed to follow through. But in the end, I liked them. They’ll probably never be part of my regular food rotation, but they’re worth a try.

3. The Holy Donut

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Holy Donut (@holydonutmaine)

I’m not ashamed of how many Holy Donuts I ate over the course of the weekend. My friends and I went when we were in Portland — we ordered a dozen to split. We were warned the line might be long, but our problem was that the line was moving too fast for us to decide! Some notable flavors: Maine Apple (favorite), Dark Chocolate/Sea Salt, Maple Bacon, and Chai.

Out of my friends, I was the only one who was able to finish both. And I scarfed down one of the leftovers later that night. And then… Emily and James served them at their wedding (which was 1+ hours away in NH) instead of cake! So, it’s clear that the Holy Donut is a New England staple.

4. Duckfat Frites Shack

Our Airbnb host in Portland, Liz, met us at the door with a smile and a TON of recommendations. One of her recommendations was Duckfat Frites Shack — but with an extra secret.

Apparently, Duckfat is wildly popular… and visitors can expect to wait quite a while to order and receive their food at its main location. But at one of Portland’s breweries, Oxbow Brewing Company, there’s a small Frites Shack window. You can order several of their menu items, including their most popular dish: Poutine with Duck Confit. It includes duckfat-fried fries, cheese curds, chives, and duck gravy. Though I’m not a huge fan of gravy — and therefore, didn’t think I’d like poutine very much — we decided to order it anyway. And it was delicious.

5. Becky’s Diner

I was intrigued by this place, and not only because it shares a name with one of my sisters. But I kind of love diners, and I love breakfast, so stopping here on our way out of town made a lot of sense.

It’s one of the top-rated restaurants in Portland, and for a Saturday morning, it was crowded as expected. We had to wait about 25 minutes to be seated, and we ended up at one of the counters — which was actually great! Behind the counter was a very tiny galley, but we had a personal waitress who was always available. Matt had a blueberry waffle, which was one of the day’s specials, and I had a homemade-hash omelet. I’d categorize the menu as “especially good” diner food. I mean… I’ve never seen a Lobster Omelet on the menu before! I can definitely understand why it’s so popular with locals.

 

What else would you add to my list of food experiences in Portland, Maine? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

Originally Published on October 16, 2019.