10 Best Restaurants in Portland, Maine

Arguably the best-known among all of Maine's many outstanding breweries, Allagash was one of the state's pioneers, first opening in the '90s with its signature Belgian-style wheat beer, Allagash White. There are plenty of other styles to discover at the brewery, including wilds, sours, barrel-aged brews, and special seasonal concoctions on tap, and when hunger strikes, there's a Bite Into Maine’s food truck on-site, where you'll find burgers and excellent Maine staples like lobster rolls and whoopie pies. It's a bit out of the way from central Portland, but the above, plus a fun and friendly tasting room, make the brewery well worth the small trek.

Housed in a former bakery building, this small and local coffeehouse company pours specialty coffee employing unusually high standards for environmental and economic sustainability. Flavor-wise, the sturdy coffee is brewed from beans they roast themselves, which have become a staple in many locals’ home kitchens. In this space they also bake up quirky and creative baked goods—everything from vegan poptarts to rich daily quiches.

A regular stop for pie lovers around the city, Two Fat Cats bakes up delectable bourbon pecan, sour cherry, and coconut cream masterpieces. Meanwhile, the bakery’s whoopie pies rely on light and fluffy, hand-scooped chocolate cake batter and a filling that’s based on whipped vanilla buttercream, not the more typical marshmallow. The signature pie is made with wild Maine blueberries sourced from Maine-based and family-owned Wyman's. A second shop is located at 740 Broadway in South Portland.

For some of the best Mexican food in town, head to this fun, hip spot where the flavors are as vibrant as the turquoise, yellow, and fuchsia decor and the guacamole and salsas are made fresh daily. Wash down achiote-seasoned fish tacos or a citrus-and-cumin-marinated chicken burrito with a lemon-hibiscus refresca (cold drink) or a house margarita.

The Speckled Ax serves up a seriously delicious coffee, whether cold brewed or piping hot with frothy milk. The secret to the richness of the beans is the painstaking roasting process, using a vintage Italian Petroncini roaster fired with local hardwood—ask to take a peek at that contraption while you wait for your drink.

Don't pass up a chance to try these sweet and savory, all-natural, Maine potato-based doughnuts glazed in flavors such as dark chocolate--sea salt, maple, pomegranate, triple berry, and chai, or stuffed with delicious fillings like bacon and cheddar, or ricotta. There are always new inventions, too, such as salted chocolate caramel and key lime pie.

This no-fuss counter-service spot, opened by longtime wholesale purveyors of Island Creek Oysters (from Duxbury, Massachusetts), serves seriously fresh shellfish and excellent Maine microbrews (and wine) on tap. A clutch of imported, tinned fish and house-made pickled items that pair very well with oysters are also available.