Portland, Maine: Local Brewery Tour
Dive deep into the local brewing scene on this tasting tour to three local breweries in and around Portland, Maine. Choose from a variety of unique tour options to sui...
Tu Casa Restaurant is a latin american restaurant in East Bayside, Portland.
Editorially verified July 5, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: A Salvadoran kitchen on Washington Avenue serving pupusas, baleadas and pollo encebollado outside the Old Port radar. The East Bayside Latin lunch favourite.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The pupusa revuelta with curtido is the easy first order.
Dive deep into the local brewing scene on this tasting tour to three local breweries in and around Portland, Maine. Choose from a variety of unique tour options to sui...
Savor a Maine seafood luncheon and learn about Portland’s iconic working waterfront with a knowledgeable local guide.
Glide through the pristine waters of Casco Bay on Bagheera, Wendameen, or Timberwind sailing ships, and experience Maine's historic craftsmanship on this sailing boat ...
Address: 70 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Maine & Loire on Washington Avenue in Portland is a wine-shop counter with the city's deepest natural-wine selection from the Loire and beyond, no tipping.
Why locals love it: A wine-shop counter on Washington Avenue with last call 17:00. Walk-in, no tipping, the city's deepest natural-wine selection from the Loire and beyond.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday 12:00-18:00. Counter service only; no bookings.
Cong Tu Bot is a 30-seat Vietnamese room on Washington Avenue in Portland, no reservations and a James Beard finalist 2022 for Best Chef Northeast.
Why locals love it: A 30-seat Vietnamese room on a Washington Avenue corner. No reservations, no instagram queues, but James Beard finalist 2022 (Best Chef Northeast).
Tip: Arrive at open (17:00 Wednesday to Saturday); the queue starts before the door unlocks.
Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue in Portland runs binchotan-charcoal yakitori and a sake list from a 2026 James Beard finalist for Best Chef Northeast.
Why locals love it: A small Japanese izakaya off the Old Port tourist track, with binchotan-charcoal yakitori from a 2026 James Beard finalist (Best Chef Northeast).
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.
Maine & Loire on Washington Avenue in Portland is a wine-shop counter with the city's deepest natural-wine selection from the Loire and beyond, no tipping.
Why locals love it: A wine-shop counter on Washington Avenue with last call 17:00. Walk-in, no tipping, the city's deepest natural-wine selection from the Loire and beyond.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday 12:00-18:00. Counter service only; no bookings.
Speckled Ax on Congress Street in Portland is the city's wood-fired coffee roaster, roasting over open hardwood flame and vanishingly rare in the country.
Why locals love it: Portland's wood-fired coffee roaster on Congress Street, hidden in plain sight. Coffee roasted over open hardwood flame, vanishingly rare in the country at scale.
Tip: Daily 07:00-17:00. Ask the barista for the latest wood-roasted single origin.
Scratch Baking Co in Willard Square pulls Portland's deepest Sunday bagel queue, five minutes from downtown but across the bridge in South Portland.
Why locals love it: A South Portland bakery in Willard Square that pulls Portland's deepest Sunday bagel queue. Five minutes from downtown, but most visitors never cross the bridge.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Sunday queues form before 08:00; pre-order online to skip.
Cong Tu Bot is a 30-seat Vietnamese room on Washington Avenue in Portland, no reservations and a James Beard finalist 2022 for Best Chef Northeast.
Why locals love it: A 30-seat Vietnamese room on a Washington Avenue corner. No reservations, no instagram queues, but James Beard finalist 2022 (Best Chef Northeast).
Tip: Arrive at open (17:00 Wednesday to Saturday); the queue starts before the door unlocks.
The Purple House in North Yarmouth runs wood-fired bagels and sourdough pizza Friday to Sunday, 20 minutes from Portland and selling out by early afternoon.
Why locals love it: A wood-fired bagel and sourdough pizza house in North Yarmouth, 20 minutes from downtown. The bagels routinely sell out by early afternoon.
Tip: Friday to Sunday only. The everything bagel with gravlax is the canonical order.
Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue in Portland runs binchotan-charcoal yakitori and a sake list from a 2026 James Beard finalist for Best Chef Northeast.
Why locals love it: A small Japanese izakaya off the Old Port tourist track, with binchotan-charcoal yakitori from a 2026 James Beard finalist (Best Chef Northeast).
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.