10 new american rooms in Portland we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Portland | New American across every city.
New American is Portland's signature register, the style that earned the city its national reputation for ingredient-driven cooking off the boats and farms of Maine. Fore Street on Fore Street in the Old Port is the founding room, with its open wood-fired hearth, while Central Provisions nearby turns out a roving small-plates menu across two floors. Twelve on Thames Street in East Bayside represents the newer, more formal wing of the scene.
Fore Street ★ 4.8
old-port · 288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Fore Street opened 1996 in a converted Old Port warehouse and built modern New England cooking around a wood oven, open hearth and turning spit.
Twelve ★ 4.7
east-bayside · 115 Thames Street, Portland, ME 04101
Twelve at Portland Foreside since 2022, now led by Chef Hannah Ryder, runs a Maine-ingredient tasting menu around an open kitchen on Thames Street.
Central Provisions ★ 4.7
old-port · 414 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Central Provisions at the top of Fore Street, opened 2014 by Chris and Paige Gould (Beard nominee), runs small plates of crudo and pork belly.
Fore Street ★ 4.8
288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Fore Street has been Portland's flagship wood-fired dining room since 1996, with a wood-burning oven, open hearth and turning spit at the kitchen's heart.
Central Provisions ★ 4.6
414 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Central Provisions at the top of Fore Street, opened 2014 by Chris and Paige Gould (Beard nominee), with rotating small plates of crudo and pork belly.
Duckfat ★ 4.5
india-street · 43 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
Duckfat on Middle Street runs duck fat fries, panini sandwiches and beignets to 22:00 daily, the Old Port late-night sandwich-and-fries stop after the bars.
Forage Market Bagel ★ 4.8
east-bayside · 123 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Forage Market on Washington Avenue runs wood-fired Montreal-style bagels and bagel sandwiches under twelve dollars from the East Bayside counter.
Tu Casa Pupusas ★ 4.7
east-bayside · 70 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Tu Casa on Washington Avenue runs Salvadoran pupusas, baleadas and full plates from a small East Bayside counter for under fifteen dollars apiece.
The Holy Donut ★ 4.6
old-port · 177 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
The Holy Donut on Commercial Street runs Leigh Kellis's Maine potato donuts under five dollars apiece, in rotating seasonal flavours including wild blueberry.
Duckfat Frites Shack ★ 4.5
east-bayside · 43 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Duckfat Frites Shack on Washington Avenue is the takeout window with frites, fried snacks, milkshakes and beer under fifteen dollars, picnic-table seating.