40 mid-range places in Portland, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good restaurants in Portland, with real cooking and no surprise on the bill. All Portland food.
Tandem Coffee Roasters ★ 4.8
east-bayside · 122 Anderson Street, Portland, ME 04101
Tandem Coffee Roasters on Anderson Street, since 2012 from Will and Kathleen Pratt, is Portland's flagship third-wave roastery and East Bayside cafe.
Tip: Anderson Street is the working roastery and cafe; Congress Street is the brunch and pastry sibling.
Allagash Brewing Company ★ 4.8
north-deering · 50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Allagash Brewing on Industrial Way, since 1995 from Rob Tod, is Portland's flagship Belgian-style brewery, with free ticketed tours via the operator site.
Tip: Tours are free but ticketed via allagash.com. The taproom serves Bite Into Maine food in the same building.
Scratch Baking Co ★ 4.8
west-end · 416 Preble Street, South Portland, ME 04106
Scratch Baking Co in Willard Square pulls Portland's deepest Sunday bagel queue, five minutes from downtown but across the bridge in South Portland.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Sunday queues form before 08:00; pre-order online to skip.
Duckfat ★ 4.7
india-street · 43 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
Duckfat on Middle Street, since 2005 from Rob Evans and Nancy Pugh, is the Portland sandwich shop built around twice-fried Belgian frites cooked in duck fat.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-22:00. The Frites Shack on Washington Avenue is the quicker takeout window.
Cong Tu Bot ★ 4.7
east-bayside · 57 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Cong Tu Bot on Washington Avenue, since 2017 from Vien Dobui and Jessica Sheahan, a 30-seat Vietnamese room serving pho ga, banh xeo and cha gio spring rolls.
Tip: Wednesday to Saturday 17:00-21:00.
Speckled Ax Wood-Fired Coffee Roasters ★ 4.7
arts-district · 567 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
Speckled Ax on Congress Street (Bolinder roasting since 2007, shop since 2012) roasts coffee over an open hardwood fire from an Arts District storefront.
Tip: Daily 07:00-17:00. Ask the barista for the latest wood-roasted single origin.
Bissell Brothers Brewing ★ 4.7
libbytown · 38 Resurgam Place, Portland, ME 04102
Bissell Brothers Brewing at Thompson's Point opened 2013 from Peter and Noah Bissell, with the modern New England IPA program built around The Substance Ale.
Tip: The Substance is the flagship and available daily; rotating releases drop Thursday mornings.
Cong Tu Bot ★ 4.7
east-bayside · 57 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: Arrive at open (17:00 Wednesday to Saturday); the queue starts before the door unlocks.
Tandem Coffee + Bakery ★ 4.7
west-end · 742 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04102
Tandem Coffee + Bakery on Congress Street is the West End brunch shop, opened 2014 by Will and Kathleen Pratt, with biscuit sandwiches and house pour-overs.
Tip: Online ordering 07:45-10:15 for collection skips the line. Closes 13:00 sharp.
Scratch Baking Co ★ 4.7
west-end · 416 Preble Street, South Portland, ME 04106
Scratch Baking Co in South Portland's Willard Square pulls Portland's deepest weekend bagel queue, with house cream cheese, lox and Sunday morning lines.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Sunday queues form before 08:00; pre-order online is the fast lane.
Duckfat ★ 4.6
india-street · 43 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
Duckfat on Middle Street opened 2005 from Rob Evans and Nancy Pugh and rebuilt the Portland sandwich shop around twice-fried Belgian frites in duck fat.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-22:00. Long lines weekend lunch; the Frites Shack on Washington Avenue is the quicker takeout.
Cong Tu Bot ★ 4.6
east-bayside · 57 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Cong Tu Bot on Washington Avenue opened 2017 from Vien Dobui and Jessica Sheahan, a tight Vietnamese menu of pho ga, banh xeo and cha gio in a small space.
Tip: Wednesday to Saturday 17:00-21:00.
The Purple House ★ 4.6
woodfords-deering · 378 Walnut Hill Road, North Yarmouth, ME 04097
The Purple House in North Yarmouth, 20 minutes from Portland, opened 2018 from Krista Desjarlais with Montreal-style wood-fired bagels and sourdough pizza.
Tip: Friday to Sunday only; opens 08:00, closes when the bagels run out (usually early afternoon).
Boda ★ 4.6
arts-district · 671 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
Boda on Congress Street, since 2010 from Bob Wongsaichua and Dan Sriprasert, is Portland's Thai street food room with grilled meats, curries and noodles.
Tip: Daily 16:00-22:00. Reservations via their site; walk-ins at the bar.
Coffee By Design ★ 4.6
east-bayside · 1 Diamond Street, Portland, ME 04101
Coffee By Design on Diamond Street, since 1994 from Mary Allen Lindemann and Alan Spear, is Portland's longest-running independent roastery.
Tip: Daily 07:00-18:00. Bag-of-the-month subscription via the operator site.
Oxbow Blending and Bottling ★ 4.6
east-bayside · 49 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Oxbow Blending and Bottling on Washington Avenue, since 2014, is the Portland blending and bottling outpost of the Newcastle, Maine farmhouse brewery.
Tip: Original farmhouse brewery is in Newcastle, Maine (90 min drive). This taproom is the easier Portland city visit.
Novare Res Bier Cafe ★ 4.6
old-port · 4 Canal Plaza, Portland, ME 04101
Novare Res Bier Cafe in Canal Plaza runs deep into the night, with 25 taps of Belgian and craft beer plus charcuterie and pretzels until 01:00 weekends.
Tip: Hidden courtyard patio in summer. The bottle list rewards a long stay.
Blyth & Burrows ★ 4.6
old-port · 26 Exchange Street, Portland, ME 04101
Blyth and Burrows on Exchange Street runs vintage-inspired craft cocktails until midnight Wednesday through Saturday, with a Broken Dram speakeasy downstairs.
Tip: Walk in for the upstairs bar; the speakeasy fills earlier evenings.
The Purple House ★ 4.6
woodfords-deering · 378 Walnut Hill Road, North Yarmouth, ME 04097
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.
Tip: Friday to Sunday only. The everything bagel with gravlax is the canonical order.
Boda ★ 4.5
arts-district · 671 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
Boda on Congress Street opened 2010 from Bob Wongsaichua and Dan Sriprasert, with Thai street food: grilled meats, curries and noodles in the Arts District.
Tip: Daily 16:00-22:00; bookings via their site for the dining room, walk-up only at the bar.
Rose Foods ★ 4.5
woodfords-deering · 428 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Rose Foods on Forest Avenue opened 2017 from Chad Conley, a Jewish deli with hand-rolled bagels, house-cured lox, smoked whitefish and matzo ball soup.
Tip: Daily 07:30-14:00. Counter ordering; takeout moves fast at peak weekend brunch.
Rose Foods ★ 4.5
woodfords-deering · 428 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Rose Foods on Forest Avenue, since 2017 from Chad Conley, is Portland's Jewish deli with hand-rolled bagels, house-cured lox and matzo ball soup.
Tip: Daily 07:30-14:00. Counter ordering; takeout is fast at peak weekend brunch.
Bard Coffee ★ 4.5
old-port · 185 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
Bard Coffee on Middle Street, since 2009, was Portland's first dedicated specialty-coffee cafe and runs a rotating multi-roaster program with no house roast.
Tip: The Middle Street cafe is the only Bard site; subscription beans rotate through the cafe.
Foundation Brewing Company ★ 4.5
north-deering · 1 Industrial Way, Suite 7, Portland, ME 04103
Foundation Brewing on Industrial Way, opened 2014 by the Bonney and Mahaffey families, runs hazy IPAs, farmhouse beers and Detroit-style pizza.
Tip: Kitchen stops taking orders 45 minutes before close. Closed Tuesdays.
Goodfire Brewing Company ★ 4.5
east-bayside · 219 Anderson Street, Suite 6, Portland, ME 04101
Goodfire Brewing on Anderson Street in East Bayside, since 2017, runs hop-forward IPAs alongside crisp lagers and a German Kolsch (Dizzy Spell).
Tip: Taproom hours shift seasonally. Cans for takeaway from the cooler at all open hours.
Rising Tide Brewing Company ★ 4.5
east-bayside · 103 Fox Street, Portland, ME 04101
Rising Tide Brewing, founded 2010 by Nathan and Heather Sanborn and at 103 Fox Street since 2012, anchors East Bayside as a Portland craft pioneer.
Tip: The Galley kitchen is open through taproom hours. Family friendly, outdoor seating in summer.
Battery Steele Brewing ★ 4.5
north-deering · 1 Industrial Way, Suite 4, Portland, ME 04103
Battery Steele Brewing on Industrial Way, since 2017, runs hazy IPAs and barrel-aged wild ales out of the Allagash and Foundation neighbouring complex.
Tip: Side-by-side with Allagash, Foundation and Austin Street. The Industrial Way cluster is the easiest brewery crawl in the city.
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.
Tip: Counter ordering after 21:00 moves fast; takeaway always available.
The Honey Paw ★ 4.5
india-street · 78 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
The Honey Paw on Middle Street runs hand-pulled noodles, fried rice and pan-Asian small plates through to 22:00 nightly, the Big Tree late-evening stop.
Tip: Bar walks in until close. Book tables via Resy through 21:00.
Izakaya Minato ★ 4.5
east-bayside · 54 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.
The Front Room ★ 4.5
munjoy-hill · 73 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
The Front Room at the top of Munjoy Hill, since 2006 from Chef Harding Lee Smith, is the flagship brunch room with a full bar and Congress Street windows.
Tip: Weekend brunch fills 09:30 onward; OpenTable for the dining room.
Hot Suppa ★ 4.5
west-end · 703 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04102
Hot Suppa on Congress Street, founded 2006 by the Sabina brothers and under Nachreiner and Rodrigues since 2025, runs Southern brunch with andouille gravy.
Tip: Weekend brunch waits run 30 to 60 minutes; arrive at open. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00.
Rose Foods ★ 4.5
woodfords-deering · 428 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Rose Foods on Forest Avenue, since 2017 from Chad Conley, runs hand-rolled bagels, house-cured lox, smoked whitefish and matzo ball soup through the morning.
Tip: Daily 07:30-14:00. Online ordering for collection saves the queue at peak brunch.
Forage Market ★ 4.5
east-bayside · 123 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Forage Market on Washington Avenue runs Montreal-style wood-fired bagels and sourdough breads with bagel sandwiches, salads and soups in East Bayside.
Tip: Closes 13:00; bagels often sell out by noon weekends. Counter ordering, no seating in the small storefront.
The Holy Donut ★ 4.5
old-port · 177 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
The Holy Donut on Commercial Street pulls a weekend morning queue for Leigh Kellis's Maine potato donuts in rotating seasonal flavours, like wild blueberry.
Tip: Sells out by mid-afternoon. The Park Avenue site has same product, often shorter lines.
Lay Day Roasters ★ 4.4
bayside · 150 Preble Street, Portland, ME 04101
Lay Day Roasters on Preble Street in Bayside Portland, a small-batch micro-lot specialist with a rotating single-origin program and a quiet roastery cafe.
Tip: Rotating producer drops every few weeks.
Lone Pine Brewing Company ★ 4.4
east-bayside · 219 Anderson Street, Portland, ME 04101
Lone Pine Brewing on Anderson Street opened 2016 from Tom Madden and John Paul, with core IPAs (Portland Pale, Tessellation) and a pilot system for one-offs.
Tip: Same warehouse block as Goodfire and Oxbow Blending. Walk between the three for an East Bayside taproom crawl.
Austin Street Brewery ★ 4.4
east-bayside · 1 Industrial Way, Suite 8, Portland, ME 04103
Austin Street Brewery on Industrial Way, since 2014 from Will Fisher and Jake Austin, runs hop-forward IPAs and a clean German-style pilsner.
Tip: Shared Industrial Way building with Allagash, Foundation and Battery Steele. Park once and walk all four.
Definitive Brewing Company ★ 4.4
east-bayside · 35 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Definitive Brewing on Industrial Way, since 2017, runs a clean lager-forward program from a warehouse-and-patio taproom with rotating Fri-Sun food trucks.
Tip: Food trucks rotate at the patio Friday to Sunday. Family and dog friendly.
Green Elephant ★ 4.3
arts-district · 608 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
Green Elephant on Congress Street, since 2007 from Dan Sriprasert and Bob Wongsaichua, is Portland's all-vegetarian Thai kitchen by the State Theatre.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday lunch 11:30-14:30 and dinner 17:00-21:30; Sunday and Monday dinner only.