R = Restaurants

According to the National Restaurant Association’s statistics for 2018, there are 3,227 eating and drinking place locations throughout the state of Maine. If you have a craving for a particular food item, there’s a good chance you can find it in a Maine restaurant.

Of course, our specialty is seafood which is often caught within hours of being on your plate. That’s what you call fresh! If you’re not happy as a clam about eating lobster, no worries. Your non-seafood options are endless — as are the types of places in which you can enjoy your favorite meal. A comprehensive review is beyond the scope of this post, but here is a random sampling…

One of my best childhood memories is of a trip to Dimillo’s Floating Restaurant during a summer visit with my grandparents in Portland. I still can taste the clam chowder which was topped with small, hexagonal oyster crackers. No matter your age, there is something special about eating on the water. The restaurant is a car ferry with a capacity of over 600 guests.

In order to get a reservation at The Lost Kitchen, a former grist mill in the town of Freedom, you need to send a postcard and hope to get picked in their summer lottery.

Looking for a small building, but a large plate? You should head to a diner. Maine is home to many — some of which are in very unique spaces. The Palace Diner in Biddeford is a Pollard dining car — one of only two remaining in the United States. It opened in 1927 and is one of our oldest restaurants. The iconic 1949 Miss Portland Diner is another example of a unique lunch car. Some other well-known diners include Moody’s in Waldoboro (if you’ve heard humorist Tim Sample, you know Moody’s!) and the A1 Diner in Gardiner.

We have restaurants that aren’t in buildings, like lobster shacks. Many will argue that Red’s Eats in Wiscasset is the most famous restaurant on Route 1 in Maine. Considering that the company’s tagline is “World’s Best Lobster Shack,” they’re willing to accept that claim to fame!

While there are plenty of restaurants that are national franchises, some of the most popular places to eat in Maine are those that offer both seafood and homestyle American comfort food. One of the secrets to finding a good option in this category is to look for a place that seniors frequent. That’s a sure sign that the food is delicious and the price is right. Our elders know the best places! One of my grandmothers enjoyed a weekly trip to one of the Maine family restaurants that fits this bill: Governor’s. They now have six locations throughout the state, but many don’t realize they originally opened as an ice cream stand. Don’t be confused by the name — there’s no political origin story. The founder used to greet every customer with a “Hi ya, Governor!” when they walked in the doors. The name stuck.

If you want an environment where the attire is a level up from a flannel shirt and jeans, there are plenty of high-end establishments, especially in Portland and other popular tourist towns.

If you have a “bottomless stomach,” best head to a buffet.

If you want to give your kids a fun memory, take them to a drive-in restaurant.

If you’re a world traveler and want to relive a favorite dish from another country, there are many restaurants with the best tastes from a variety of global regions.

Time for you to weigh in with your favorite eatery. Give your local restaurant some love and share it with the rest of us over on the Maine Features’ Facebook or Instagram account. Look for this graphic…

This post is part of my A to Z Challenge Series with the overall theme, “This Maine Life.” I am covering a Maine-related topic with a different letter of the alphabet every day except Sundays throughout the month of April 2020.