Eat well in Portland without overpaying: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Portland for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Amato's on India Street is the original 1902 Portland sandwich counter where Giovanni Amato invented the Maine Italian sandwich, served under ten dollars.
Try: Maine Italian sandwich, original recipe
Tip: The original 1902 location is the canonical one; the Maine Italian sandwich is the order.
Becky's Diner on Commercial Street runs the cheapest waterfront breakfast in Portland, opening 05:00 daily for fishing crews and the line behind them.
Try: Eggs and hash, short stack with bacon
Tip: Daily 05:00-21:00. Cash and card both fine; queues longest 09:00-11:00 weekends.
OTTO Pizza on Congress Street runs Portland's slice counter with unconventional pies (mashed potato bacon scallion, pulled pork mango) and classic margherita.
Try: Slice of mashed potato bacon scallion pizza
Tip: Open daily 11:00-22:00. Slice walks in; whole pies via phone.
Forage Market on Washington Avenue runs wood-fired Montreal-style bagels and bagel sandwiches under twelve dollars from the East Bayside counter.
Try: Wood-fired bagel sandwich
Tip: Closes 13:00; bagels often sell out by noon weekends. Cash and card both fine; counter only, no seating.
Tu Casa on Washington Avenue runs Salvadoran pupusas, baleadas and full plates from a small East Bayside counter for under fifteen dollars apiece.
Try: Salvadoran pupusa plate
Tip: Closed Mondays. The pupusa revuelta with curtido is the easy first order.
The Holy Donut on Commercial Street runs Leigh Kellis's Maine potato donuts under five dollars apiece, in rotating seasonal flavours including wild blueberry.
Try: Maine potato donut
Tip: Sells out by mid afternoon. Pair with a Tandem espresso for under ten dollars.
Duckfat Frites Shack on Washington Avenue is the takeout window with frites, fried snacks, milkshakes and beer under fifteen dollars, picnic-table seating.
Try: Belgian frites cone in duck fat
Tip: Seasonal April to October; cash and card both fine. Shared patio with Oxbow Blending next door, picnic-table seating only.
Public Market House on Monument Square runs seven food vendors under one roof, with Vietnamese, Mediterranean, Latin and soup counters around twelve dollars.
Try: Soup, banh mi, pupusa, sandwich
Tip: Daily 11:00-20:00. Counter order at each vendor; shared central seating.
Rose Foods on Forest Avenue runs hand-rolled bagels, lox bagels, pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup under fifteen dollars from Chad Conley's deli.
Try: Lox bagel, matzo ball soup
Tip: Daily 07:30-14:00; online ordering saves the queue at peak weekend brunch. Cash and card both fine.
Green Elephant on Congress Street runs vegetarian Thai lunches under twenty dollars: vegan coconut soup, mango curry and pad thai across from State Theatre.
Try: Vegan mango curry, coconut soup
Tip: Lunch Tuesday to Saturday 11:30-14:30; dinner from 17:00 nightly except Monday.