Carbonara Ramen (3/10): There's too much to say about this dish... More expensive than even stores specializing in ramen. Neither rich nor creamy like carbonara. Way too much black pepper. Insane salt overload. It felt like a teenager experimenting with adding everything in the spice cabinet to their noodles. Do yourself a favor and avoid this at all costs. Crispy Eggplant (4/10): The texture was good. Still a tad on the salty side. It felt like they didn't cook off enough of the sake, because that's all we could taste. The dish felt very one-note, with the flavor of sake overwhelming everything else. BEC Okonomiyaki (7/10): Like everything else, it was too salty. This was the best dish we had, but I guess that doesn't mean much. I liked the cheese and bacon. All of the ingredients came together pretty nicely. Karaage (7/10): Karaage was fine. Not bad, not amazing. I've had lots of better karaage. This restaurant is way too overpriced to be serving mediocre to bad food like this. The BEC okonomiyaki was a bright spot among some pretty sad dishes. I would not come back. Service was okay. We came on a Monday night and there was plenty of seating. read more

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Insanely good barely describes the eggplant we started our meal with. We also loved the chicken thigh skewer! The cocktails were also exceptionally delicious. read more

Bar Futo - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Very disappointing. Two shiitake skewers cooked inconsistently, one is too charred one is almost raw. Chicken was too charred. For the pork skewer the coating was way too thick. Okonomiyaki was descent but toppings are layered so much that the bonito looks still and dead. Also, way too much miso and the eggplant. read more

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Excellent & fast service. Large menu of sake & beer. We just grabbed a few skewers of meat but they were all cooked well. They were flavorful & tender. We would definitely frequent this place if we lived in the area. They had a decent size outdoor seating without metal chairs like most places. read more

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Stopped in on a Friday night and was able to snag some bar seats. My sister and I ordered a few skewers (elote, pork belly, and Big Mac) and doughnuts to share. Only about half the restaurant was filled when we ordered but It took about 45 minutes before the skewers came out. Our favorite was the elote. We were expecting corn on the cob, but it was baby corn that was packed with flavor! The Big Mac was a close second. The meat was doused in the special sauce and shredded lettuce. It had some sneaky heat at the tail end of the bite. It was a really satisfying combination. The pork belly was much chewier than we expected, perhaps a bit over cooked, but again, loaded with strong flavors. The doughnuts we shared for dessert came out warm and literally melted in your mouth. Highly recommend! Bar Futo delivered a party in our mouths. No salt and pepper needed on these tables because everything comes out perfectly seasoned. I'm excited to return and see if they get the wait times down a bit. The 45 mins for the food, followed by having to wait a long time for our check is what held it at a 4 star experience for me, BUT I think the food itself is 5 stars. read more

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The restaurant is centrally located and has a nice spacious interior. We came here as a larger group. Food is good. There are good options and selection to try from. I ordered a new yakitori and made it a bento. The mushroom skewer was good. The shiitake mushrooms were very good and the pork belly was also very rich tasting. The fish was my least favorite. The Bento came with half a soy egg and pickled veggies and rice. I also got a tea that went well with my meal. Service was fine. There were a couple items that got missed when we first ordered but we appreciated that our larger group was accommodated. read more

Bar Futo - Grilled fish, pork belly, mushroom - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Hubby and I were ready for some Asian food at this point. We'd been traveling for a few days and needed something to scratch that itch. I booked our final dinner here but came with kind of low expectations: It's gonna be a buncha hipsters trying to make a very traditional Japanese food cool and modern. They're also only gonna have the most basic of meats, blah blah blah. Happy to report, we were sorely mistaken and ended up having a great dinner here. The place is hip and modern, the bar seats could be a bit more comfortable but just like a traditional izakaya, you're usually crammed into tight spots so I guess that's part for the course lol. Near where we sat, they had movie posters in Japanese. We started with a couple cold dishes (cold tofu, fluke crudo), in between got a lot of the grilled skewers. The real gems, though, are from the secret chicken menu. Definitely try everything from the secret chicken menu. They will run out (bummed we couldn't get more than 1 skin skewer though) so try to get them all early on! We ordered the garlic beef don and perhaps that was the only thing we weren't super excited about as it did land on the sweeter side. We ended up closing out with a small lemon kakigori. It ended up being too tart for hubby but I loved it with the merengue on top. Service was leisurely - Our guy was in charge of the entire bar so he probably didn't come around as much as we'd liked but we didn't end up lacking for much with the support staff that floated around. Great dinner overall. Check it out! read more

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This came recommended by EVERY article we read about the Portland food scene, so we came here for dinner on our first night in town. We didn't make a reservation, but showed up right when they opened and got seats at the bar. My husband and I got the crispy eggplant, Hokkaido corn, pork belly skewer, and chicken katsu. I wasn't a big fan of the Hokkaido corn, but I'm also not the biggest fan of corn on the cob. Everything else was incredible and full of flavor! The cocktails were also quite good. I got this cosmo cocktail and the genmai martini (martini with Japanese gin), and was quite pleased with both. The presentation of the martini was also A+. Our server at the bar was so personable and the vibes were impeccable too. Would definitely return! Just not on this trip because we have so many other restaurants to try. read more

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Popped in last night because we had a gift card and you only have 2 more weeks to use them! Got a few of their classic highballs which were a delight, come apps, (they were out of scallops) and some ramen. My husband and I both got the chicken ramen which was warming although the meatballs were a little overcooked. I got a few oysters which were so good, as well as the okinamyaki (sp) and the pork appetizer. I thought it was all good. The service was friendly but a little slow (it was JAMMED on a friday night so get reservations!). Tasty food, hip spot, will be interested to see whats next. read more

Second visit to bar futo and it did not disappoint. The cocktails are fantastic - highly recommend. We tried some old favorites (crudo, eggplant) but also a special or two! read more

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Wow! What a great surprise our last night in Portland. We were kind of lobster-ed out so we wanted something fresh and different and Bar Futo delivered. Starting with cocktails, my husband had the Middle Child and as a mezcal lover, he highly recommends. You MUST have the crispy eggplant. I could eat that for days. Everything we tried we liked but the highlights were the eggplant and the DIY hand roll. The spicy tuna with fresh wasabi was perfect. Service was fast and friendly. The waiter had GREAT suggestions. Recommend sitting at the chef's bar! Really fun. We went on a Monday and it was very chill and had no wait for a table. read more

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I am going to leave this at a generous 3 stars until we can (maybe?) return and try something else, because our brief visit to Bar Futo the other day left so much to be desired, and I'd love to give them the benefit of the doubt. This place was recommended to us as a good spot to stop in for a quick drink and snack while walking around Portland. Maybe the person that recommended it to us thought we were tourists, because holy moly, the price vs. portion ratio here is comical. The server did warn us that the skewers are very very small and recommended ordering a few, or making it into a box for $6, which is really just adding rice to an order that is steeply priced already. The skewers are $7 - $9 each, but based on the size and lack of anything to accompany it, they should be $4 - $6. The chicken oyster skewer went down in 3 bites and the pork belly was slightly more substantial. I know the cost of food is going way up, but this specific menu style just highlights the need to find creative ways to offer reasonably-priced food. Even give us some lettuce and pickled veg to round it out? Its just a sad-looking $18 on the plate. Beyond the ratios, the skewers were pretty good and the chu chu shot was tasty. Nice little patio on the street. Service was cold and probably irritated that we were chuckling over the size of the portions. I imagine we will return sometime and try something else on the menu. Especially if someone else is paying. read more

Bar Futo - Chicken oyster skewer and pork belly skewer - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Excellent spot! $1 oysters for happy hour were great and the wasabi ice is a must. Cowboy burger was a unique take and would recommend. Clean, modern ambiance, and delicious options. Excellent service! read more

I feel like Brett F. described exactly how I'm also feeling about all these fancy, new, sleek, small plate restaurants - fatigued. Like, how many can one city have?! That being said, I did enjoy my time in here. It's expensive, and very limited for vegetarians. But, the whiskey highball was out of this world - and so was the fried eggplant. The sauce they use is truly incredible. Worth that price? Maybe once in a while. This definitely is in a touristy spot and will draw in the wealthier crowds, but it was fun to check it out. It didn't get too loud though it was busy - notably good acoustics - and I'd probably bring friends from out of town here if I was trying to be the ~impressive~ local. Worth a stop in if you're a foodie; skip if you're really hungry and don't want to attempt to fill up on small plates. Here's hoping regular serving sizes are back "in" soon! read more

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Bar Futo is objectively a good restaurant, but I think I've reached a point of fatigue. All these new small plate openings are blending together. Slick, luxurious interior? Check. Smaller plates meant for sharing, in the $12-$20 range, along with a couple more expensive entrees? Check. Creative $14 cocktails? Also check. Leaving a little full, a little buzzed, and with a much lighter wallet? Definitely check. In this instance, $138 (post 4% kitchen fee, tax and tip) for two people having two drinks each, eggplant, shrimp tots, and two skewer orders. The difference with Bar Futo is, the menu didn't personally wow me. I rarely crave eggplant (though it was good), or tofu, or a rice bowl. The shrimp tots were fine. The skewers were easily the highlight, especially the duck breast ($14). The presentation with the prune sauce was stunning. Both the Plum Diary ($14, a variation of a bourbon negroni) and Moon Landing ($12, mostly Japanese liquors that were novel to me) were excellent. I appreciate that Bar Futo is a gorgeous spot with good food, cocktails, and likely the most extensive sake menu in the city. But for the price, I have other favorites. read more

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Absolutely amazing! I definitely recommend checking our Bar Futo if you're in the Old Port. The staff was so friendly and helpful, especially Bryce & Meredith. Our drinks were delicious and they had a great cocktail menu to choose from. For food we got the wings & chicken thigh skewers. Both were absolutely fantastic and we have not stopped thinking about them since. We can't wait to try more of the menu. We will definitely be back! read more

Bar Futo - Chicken Wings - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

The laidback, dim ambience and excellent service make a great experience at Bar Futo. The style is small plates, most well known for their skewers and modern American take on Japanese dishes. My friends love the karaage chicken. I have tried the chicken thigh, Big Mac, pork belly, tsukune skewers, which were good -- I don't really get the hype with the Big Mac ones. However, the prices are $$$ for very small portions. Drinks are excellent. read more

The food was delicious as were the drinks. My daughter and I enjoyed the friendly, helpful service . read more

Bar Futo - Spicy tuna Don and koji cured Denver steak - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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WAYYYYYYYYY too salty and heavily sauced - and far too many different sauces on each dish. The tuna tartare was literally pale (almost white) and not a beautiful deep red. Not sure what all the hype is about with this place. Probably because it's a niche tourist trap place. Head to Fore St. restaurant if you want delicious cuisine. read more

Everything we had was delicious. The issue I have is the same that I have with many "small plate" establishments. The waiter/waitress recommends sharing plates, then each plate comes with an odd number of pieces on it! read more

Bar Futo - Menu - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Had the most interesting cocktail here and loved it! Mezcal with chili oil and sesame oil. Spicy but refreshing af. Also loved the crudo. Cool vibe with the pink lights and the bartender was super friendly! read more

Bar Futo - Mezcal drink with chili oil - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The food was PHENOMENAL! The service was outstanding - everyone was so great to us and we tried most of the menu! Sitting at the bar watching the cooks work their magic was a great experience! read more

Another small plate, great cocktail bar in Portland. Many of the new restaurants in Portland are very much the same. We tried a few different dishes and I was underwhelmed. They weren't bad but they weren't amazing. Pricey spot. They do have outdoor seating and a large bar. Overall for the price I would spend my money somewhere else. read more

Bar Futo - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Had an amazing meal at Bar Futo, one of our favorite restaurants in town. The food and service are always top notch! A quick rundown of the food we had... Fluke crudo: a must! We get this everytime. Such a light and flavorful dish. Served in a sesame sauce with cucumber and pear. Big Mac skewer: Best burger in town! That might be controversial given it's a skewer, but honestly tastes like the best burger you've had. One of my top bites in the city. Chicken katsu: another must. Perfectly fried everytime, and comes with some light accoutrements. Short Rib Skewer: on special today. Enough said, this rules, get it! Kimchi Gnocchi: this is always good and an interesting take on pasta. I love the salty funk kimchi brings to the dish. read more

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As many others have stated, I am tired of the new crop of sleek interior, slightly Asian inspired, overpriced small plates restaurants in Portland, and Bar Futo is exactly that. I think the menu is supposed to be Asian inspired, but to me it lacks focus. I mean, we had gnocchi with kimchi in it, but the kimchi was more like an after thought. The taste and presentation of the food is objectively good. Nothing we ate tasted bad. The problem is the portion and the price do not align. $12 for almost 2oz of chicken breast with a sauce on it? $22 for a small Uni toast? When I can go to Yosaku and get a pile of Uni for $9? No thank you. If you are a rich almond Mom or tourist looking for a hip experience, this is the place for you. If you are a hungry local, I would not recommend Bar Futo. read more

Bar Futo - a glass of wine and a note on a table - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Food was ok (just ok) - Service Zero. Price normal for what it was trying to be. Would not recommend. Tuesday evening, Party of 5 before the evening rush and the many servers and staff all feel apart. Left us for 30 minutes after taking desert order left table dirty and we started asking @ 45 minutes just for the check and that took an additional 10. No communication and original waitress never returned - to ask or update busy taking orders from other tables. No excuse. Portland has too many places. Prediction will NOT survive. read more

Let me tell you a story about sushi and how it's created. Nuh... this venue will tell you how it's done. It's delicious, good ambiance and staff that makes you feel VIP. ALL I CAN SAY is prove me wrong. read more

Amazing food and service. We went here for Valentine's Day and experienced one of the top 10 meals of our lives (and I've been to a zillion places to eat, so this really really means a lot). Everything was top-notch with the flavoring, the portions, the tastes, the textures, the service, etc. I got the sake pairing and not only were the pours very liberal, the sakes they chose exquisitely paired with each course (the mushroom sake was especially taste-bud popping). Pictures of our courses are below. The dessert course was a huge lemon ice with lemon meringue pie in the middle - very fun presentation. We left feeling very sated and pleased. We will be taking family and friends here as often as we can. Yes, it is expensive, but it was absolutely worth it for the experience. read more

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Tight robatayaki menu ( grilled skewers ) and cocktails menu. Make sure that you make reservation because they are packed. My suggestion is seat by the bar, that's when the fun is. Ask the bartender for recommendations and have an open mind. Solid cocktails read more

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Scrumptious food, dessert and drinks This place just opened 2 nights ago and it is a must go to!! Loved everything we ordered. 10/10 will be back! read more

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Went here on a date night and it was the perfect spot. The staff was really friendly and attentive! They suggested a myriad of dishes for us to try and really made sure we didn't under or over order. It was a great place if you're someone who loves to share food and try a little bit of everything. Def will come back read more

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Honestly, I had no desire to go here for a while. I had heard complaints about the "small plates", it was featured on several, "must eat here" lists, and even with their Big Mac skewers, the whole thing seemed a little pretentious. Well, I was wrong. It helped that it was an off-season weeknight so the vibe was extremely chill; just a handful of people and we were able to ask the bartender food, bev, and happy hour questions (super knowledgable on all!). The "small" plates must depend on what you order, because the "umami hot chicken bites" was a pretty big ol pile of delicious, fried chicken nuggies. The grilled shishitos were also decent sized and some of the most delicious I've ever had with the horseradish ranch and furikake?? Are you kidding me? So good. The chicken liver mousse comes prepared as a toast with some accoutrement and it was just okay for me, dining partners loved it. Now, if you're expecting their skewers to be enormous, you will be let down, but for $7, the chicken thigh with smokey honey mustard and that charcoal-y flavor was so satisfying. Beer prices are a little high, drink prices are average if not decent for what goes into them, and there's sake and whiskey galore. There's also a decent happy hour, at least off-season. If you visit, and you're not full-on ballin out, I'd advise you to pick a lane: if you want a meal, get fried chicken, shishitos, and any one of their "larger" dishes: ramen, gnocchi, katsu. But I would also strongly advise just going for some insanely delicious snacks as a pre-meal fun stop. read more

The staff was warm and friendly but the food was average. The skewered scallops were barely cooked...mushy, awful. I do not recommend. The favorite item was the avocado salad. My son and daughter in law live in Portland and said the menu had completely changed since their last visit and were disappointed. Maybe it was a bad night. read more

Absolutely smackin. Crispy eggplant, veggie ramen and skewers (pork belly, Big Mac, chicken meatballs), were all insane. Much more to try next time too. Drinks on point read more

This is my second time visiting Bar Futo and wow there is a lot to unpack here. The flavors are so unique and unlike anything else you'll find in Portland. You cannot leave here without trying the crispy eggplant. Both times our servers were excellent and attentive! The portion sizes are pretty small for what you pay for, however, visiting during happy hour is great if you're short on cash. read more

Sat at the bar by the kitchen, for two people, it is a great way to watch the dance and the magic. A dedicated group of artists and performers. In order of fabulousness Crispy Eggplant Fluke Crudo Big Mac Shaved ice with strawberry Pork belly skewers The only item that was meh was the pork belly. The crispy eggplant was perfection. Truly pulling out a texture and a flavor that was previously unavailable. The fluke and the Big Mac are so different and both delicious. Plate size. It is perfect. Much more and it would have been too much. It was a great meal! read more

Very expensive and not worth it. Cost $50 and we were still hungry so ordered a pizza. Depending on the dish sauces were either too salty or too much sugar. And too much sauce in every case. With so many options I suggest going elsewhere. read more

Sitting on the outdoor patio was amazing. The drinks were delicious. I highly recommend the steak... it's VERY well seasoned and probably my favorite dish there (we tried the crispy tofu, the crispy eggplant, the chicken shoulder and the Big Mac skewers) read more

Was able to get Resy reservations same day for this new restaurant, which I appreciate. We booked for the dining room but we were seated at the counter, which offers a great view to the kitchen. The reason I'm not going back for dinner is the price of this place, which I could probably handle if I didn't feel like we were being rushed out of the restaurant. Our bill came to $138 for 2 people, and after less than 40 minutes, it felt like we were supposed to vacate if we weren't ordering more food, though we still had our second cocktails to drink. I'm still somewhat confused by the experience. When paying high prices, I expect to have a leisurely dinner, the experience matters as much as the food. Anyway, the food does taste really good (crispy eggplant!) and wonderful cocktails, but I'd only go back for a cocktail and a snack, it's definitely not a dining experience. And if you don't like to linger, this is the place for you! read more

It was our first time in so my fiancé and I tried a handful of things. (FYI- as many other reviewers shared, dishes hit the table as they're ready, not in a particular order which isn't ideal but everything came fairly quickly so that was nice). - Tuna Tartare (this was a special so I imagine it's not a permanent menu item?). Had really great flavor unlike any other tuna tartare I've ever had, however, the portion is very very small. Seemed a little pricey given the portion size. - Chips & dip- simple and tasty, my fiancé loved these! The bbq chips are well seasoned and the onion dip had nice flavor and comes cold which I liked. - Koji cured Denver steak- DELISH. Meat was tender and perfectly cooked (medium rare), and the sauce is *chef's kiss*. They will tell you this is a "bigger" portion better for sharing (compared to other menu items, yes, I would agree), but I would say this is a good sized serving for one person. - Futo Wedge - I asked if I could get this chopped but the waitress made it seem like they couldn't accommodate? I get the presentation style is wedge but I find wedge a bit messy to work with... if I have to cut it anyways why not allow patrons to request it comes chopped? The lettuce wedge itself was still wet (from being rinsed) which watered down the dressing. Other than that, the flavors were great. - Paneer skewer - if you like paneer this was straightforward with a nice sauce on top. I enjoyed it. - Big Mac skewer - the skewers hit the table last, so compared to everything else we ate ahead of this, this fell a bit flat taste wise. Yes, it is pretty darn close to the taste of a Big Mac, but the shredded lettuce was also still wet which watered down the Big Mac sauce. - Lemon Meringue Kakigori dessert (half size) - this was my first time trying Kakigori, and this particular combination was kind like frozen lemonade + meringue and lemon custard, and little bit of cookie inside. It was an interesting combo. I enjoyed that it was a lighter dessert option, and the lemon was refreshing. Not sure if I'm a big Kakigori fan, but I'm glad I tried it. The serving was generous, so a good value for the price. Overall, it was a good experience. My only real gripe (other than the west lettuce) is the restaurant got warm fairly quickly due to the open kitchen layout (and we sat on the opposite side of the kitchen). I get this is a design choice but I'm not a big fan. If you like that kinda thing, you can sit at a bar seat with a close-up kitchen view. read more