We are spoiled for good food here in Portland, and if you work here, like I do, you have most…read morelikely tried almost all the lunch options available (and there are a LOT of lunch options). I have a few favorites, but at the top of that list is Cera. Cera is NOT your average sandwich and salad shop. Their food is inspired, fresh, and will absolutely get you through the day. My favorite item on the menu is the Indonesian Seoul Food wrap - Korean steak, veggies, and peanut sauce all wrapped in grilled naan. I love their meat options, prepared by people who understand how to cook meat properly. The Great Cow Caper salad fed me for two lunches, and the tender, well-seasoned grilled steak was the highlight of the dish. Cera embraces its meat offerings, and also has some outstanding vegan options. The restaurant is super clean and the staff working the kitchen are usually hopping. Cera delivers, but they don't list their specials online. If I hadn't stopped in to get a seasonal lemonade (blood orange) I would not have seen the Tuna Poke special, and that would have been a shame. Cera also has a rewards program!

Very clean and cute coffee shop across from Monument Square. I got an order of pita bread with…read moretzatziki. We sat outside while the pita was being warmed up. Staff brought our order to the table. One of the best snacks I've had. Garlicky flavor with extra thick yogurt and small pieces of cucumber. It was yum. Limited street parking and lot parking available.

My family and I have been here a number of times and always had a really solid experience. The…read morestaff is always super friendly and the vibe inside and out (weather dependent) is always great. Today, we indulged in blueberry muffins and fruit parfaits (both of which the kids devoured and I personally enjoyed as well), a ham and cheddar breakfast crepe (absolutely amazing!!!), and avocado toast (my wife, who has celiac, was quite disappointed in aside from the onions) for food. To drink, my kids were able to get juice boxes (apple and fruit punch). I got the iced dulce de leche latte, which was pretty good though had a little bit of a different flavor that took some getting used to. My wife got the Maine maple latte, which she said was really good. Being dedicated gluten free, they definitely have some challenges, especially with baked goods, that most places don't have to deal with, so I'm willing to cut some slack here. All in all, there's definitely some gems here but other things could use a little work. We'll definitely go back but maybe not our first choice to go out of the way for.

I've never been to Roots before and was excited because I've heard good things about it. I just got…read morea Cold Brew with sugar free vanilla flavor. I didn't enjoy the coffee at all. Maybe it was the coffee, maybe it was the addition of sugar free vanilla, but I didn't drink it. The ceilings are extremely high. They most definitely should have some noise-dampening panels or something to make it a bit quieter in there. There was a family there when I went that was treating this small coffee shop as a daycare, which made my experience even more disappointing. The screams were echoing throughout the cafe, and I ended up sitting outside for peace and fresh air. The outside seating area is nice. Overall, not a great first experience for me, but maybe their food is better than the coffee?

The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. *…read moreGreat food and friendly service. * The food was very good, and the service was outstanding. * Delicious food with fast and courteous service. * Excellent food and amazing customer service.

Excellent, very friendly service, above and beyond in my opinion…read more The atmosphere is comfortable and the building itself is mucher bigger inside than it appears outside. There's also a full bar in the back. I had a small greek pizza, and a side of spanakopita, and it's all homemade. Very delicious, very satisfying, I'd definitely return again.

Food was so good crispy exterior with juicy turkey inside. Loved my panini. Filling and indulgent.read more

Basic cold sandwiches, Endless Summer and Good Fella, that were good and okay; price seemed high…read more Good friendly service. Ate in their side room since front door outside seating was occupied.

Five of us went to Sebago Brewing for my daughter's birthday and had a great experience. Two people…read moreordered burgers, one had the steak and shrimp, and I had the veggie burger. It was one of the best veggie burgers I've had! It was made with real vegetables and beans in a crispy panko crust and topped with lettuce, tomato, and pickled onion, with pickles on the side. The potato wedges were delicious too. I ordered the crema on the side and preferred mayo instead. We ate outside so my granddaughter could run around and play. There are dirt and grassy areas, as well as a cornhole game, so it was a nice, relaxed place for our family. With our meals, two waters, and two sodas, the total was around $100, which we thought was reasonable. We'll definitely be back!

OMG. Absolutely perfect visit tonight. Sat at the bar and Rich hustled his ass off the entire…read moretime. Food selection was perfect and pricing was expected. Service was great. Beer selection was good as well. Had the garden salad with steak and steak was cooked to perfection. We will be back! Couldn't rate this place any higher. Kicked ass!

I've been here a few times now and as delicious as the food is, the prices are crazy, especially…read morefor that portions and compared to other poké places. I'm a huge fan of poké, especially a spicy tuna bowl. The options here are more limited and more expensive than other places around the state. The service is ok, but not very friendly. The space is clean and I appreciate the number of unique drink offerings, but I won't be frequenting here very often.

I'm spoiled when it comes to Poke. When I'm in Hawaii, I get my poke at Foodland. Yes Foodland!…read more I've been to many poke places in the mainland and for some reason this hits the authenticity of Hawaiian Poke. I ordered the Hawaiian Original with extra protein. Loved every single bite. Will definitely come back when I'm here for business!

The pizza and beer is always on point here! We got a pepperoni Detroit style pizza and a cheesy…read morebread, along with delish beer for each of us. My daughter's first beer outing and she ended up liking the one of the sours.

Foundation is a great stop for some delicious (local) beer and food!…read more Nestled into a really cool neighborhood in Portland, where there are several local breweries, it is a hallmark that offers pizza, wings and delicious beer!

Great food, service and ambiance!…read more Love it! Pops ,....,.........,,,........,,a lot of fun.... ....

This is one of our go-to spots. We usually sit at the tables, but Ben behind the bar makes…read morefantastic margaritas and is always great. The drinks and food keep us coming back, and we also appreciate that we can usually get in and out within about an hour without ever feeling rushed. That said, the last two times we've gone our table service has been disappointing. We had two different servers, and both experiences felt pretty cold and unfriendly. The interactions were brief and came across as rude, which was surprising because we've had such positive experiences here in the past. It's honestly a bummer because we really do love this place and will absolutely keep coming back. I'm hoping these last couple visits were just off nights, because Rio Bravo is usually one of our favorite spots around here.

Food was good but the wait was ridiculously long. The restaurant was almost empty and still it…read moretook over 30 minutes for a steak and cheese. No apologies for the long wait when the food finally came out. One and done for me.

Ahh, the sign of a butchers cleaver. I am not sure what this provokes in most people, but as I've…read moresaid before, Stephen King gives me the heebie-jeebies. So for me, the butcher cleaver represents something tasty--except for when the shmuckabaloos haven't a clue what they are doing. Fortunately, this tasty little joint, Miller's Market up in Gorham, Maine, knows what they're doing! I'd been cruising the highways, riding the coast of Vacationland for some time now, and somehow, someway, ventured a bit further inland. Once I saw the burnt-orange cleaver in the window, I knew I'd have to give it a try and see if these hullabaloos knew what they were doing. I was greeted with a "Hey, how you'rrrr doin'?" The soft, rolling extension on the r made me feel right at home in Maine. Jeezum crow, you Mainers speak funny. But by golly, you are a lovable bunch of hillbilly farmers and fisherfolk. Anywho, I ordered myself a chicken Caesar wrap--wanting to feel nourished, but not to the point of comatose. Salad in a wrap--a genius way to feel healthy. Mind over matter. "Hand-cut fries or hand-cut chips?" the counter guy asked me. Now, I love a fry, but I'm feeling crunchy in these overcast late-April days. I hesitate, and somehow this mind reader behind the counter could sense it. "I can see you want the chips, but you gotta try these fries. Why don't I give you a little of both?" he says to me. Now I'm looking at him cockeyed--just another Mainer who seems to be able to read a man's soul. Well, I am here now--no turning back. And then my eyes widen when I spot a tasty crème soda in the fridge next to the register. My lucky day. Crème soda--the most underrated of all sodas. What's not to love? Creamy and poppy all in the same bottle. This guy seems nice, and I am in no rush, so I say, "Hey, throw it on my tab. I'm going to be a while. After I eat, I'm going to write something!" I pull up a spot without paying and know that there's no expectation to do so--at least not right away. Good ol' Maine courtesy, as good as this blueberry Jalapeño salsa from Pemberton partners, which I can apparently purchase at Millers Market, where it just ain't sangys it's home goodies too. I open up my futuristic-typewriter and get to work on my latest novel, but can't seem to find a single word. I glance at the menu--buffalo chicken pesto sandwich. Hard tellin', not knowin'. Mainers--brilliant folk when it comes to food. Pesto and buffalo sauce! Never had it, but I need it. That's bound to be tasty--as warm buttah' on lobstah. "Hi, I'll take my butter with lobster, please."--how it should be ordered. Dee-EEE --licious. You Mainers are shaking your heads right now, pesto and buffalo is probably a common thing round these parts, from ya? Nope I ain't and the rest of the country is far behind on the trend of the buffalo/pesto combo, I can promise you that. Then my food is brought out to me. It looks tasty--but the fries have me skeptical.... Find out how it all turned out at https://ryanccurtis.com/blog/timeless-fries-at-millers-market/n19c63

Bird & Co is my go to for " Artsy fartsy" tacos. Are they authentic Mexican tacos?? not exactly…read more Are they delicious? For sure. I love the Bahn Mi taco; the pork belly; and the Cubano. They're fun and yummy. I've never had a bad taco there, actually. At prime time, getting a seat there can be daunting, and parking can be hell, but not worse than on the peninsula. The drinks are all good, and the service is always friendly. Super cute interior, and getting an outside table on a nice day is a treat.

Bird & Co is hands down one of my new favorite spots in Portland. The margaritas are outstanding,…read moreespecially the strawberry jalapeño. It's the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and refreshing. The tacos are absolutely incredible, and every single one I've tried has been delicious. My personal favorites are the Tijuana, Pollo Diablo, and the fish taco. No matter what you order, taco 'bout a great meal. The outdoor seating is adorable and the perfect place to enjoy a sunny day. Our waiter was fantastic, offering great recommendations that did not disappoint. As if I needed another reason to love this place, they're on DoorDash, which means I can get my favorite tacos delivered to work. That's a win in my book. Great food, great drinks, great service. I'll definitely be back... again and again.