I know it seems rough to give three and a half stars, but rounding up to four doesn't seem quite…read moreaccurate. I think the problem is that it's been given a pass for so long that now it's reputation is untouchable, and this unfortunately is going to be a humbling post. It was highly recommended to us by our hotel during our stay in Rockland, and we went the first night, of which they were booked out but no problem at all, it smelled so good we decided to make reservations for the subsequent night. So we did. Mind you, let me caveat and say it's also always a challenge to eat at Italian restaurants, because it means that someone has to make a sauce that's better than you can make it home, and that's normally not the case, save a few exceptions. So we came back, excited, and ready to be blown away, because of the house made pasta, because of the amazing aroma, and because of the beautiful ambience. However, all of our meals fell short. Spaghetti & meatballs, the meatballs were quite dry and somewhat crumbly, and the sauce while yes fresh still had no flavor. The pasta, which was probably most of the excitement for eating there did not taste as delightful as you know fresh noodles should taste. Pizzas were just ok, and although the eggplant Parmesan was cooked well, again the same sauce was used to flavor it and was still non descript. Our server was phenomenal in good news, checking In repeatedly, saw the uneaten meatballs, and asked if there was a problem, which I just replied they weren't quite what I expected. Also, the vibe in the restaurant was amazing. So if anything I would go for that, but food would not recommend.

We came here on a whim while visiting and it did not disappoint. Our server Hyatt was so attentive…read moreand so kind, it was lovely. The food was really great as well. We had the carbonara and the margherita pizza. Both were quite delicious. The carbonara was genuinely one of the best I've had in some time. The pizza was light and not overtly heavy or dense. Definitely great for sharing. I do recommend either getting a reservation or preparing for a wait as they were quite busy the entire time we were there. Overall though the vibe was great and I would definitely go back when in town

The food and service are outstanding! This five star restaurant has homemade pasta with delicious…read moresauces. After ordering they promptly bring over hot homemade bread asking if you would like butter or the basil infused olive oil. Wow. What a treat! The bread with that olive oil could have been our meal. Luckily we held ourselves back. For the main course I had the cavatelli saltimbocca and my husband had the eggplant parmigiana. Delicious! Nothing was left with these generously portioned meals. The fresh pasta was cooked perfectly in a flavorful pancetta cream sauce. This restaurant is not to be missed.

The entrees, apps and salads were so delicious. We started with the shrimp polenta and it was a…read morehit. We then had Caesar salads and again so yummy. The staff were very friendly and helpful. This place could be a goldmine for the owner on food and location alone. Inside the restaurant feels like a divorce. Half the restaurant is red and half is white. It should all be red and black. Put a tv behind the bar and you'll have a wait every night.

Primo is one of the best restaurants in Maine and would be outstanding in any big city, well worth…read morethe half-hour drive from our summer house in Friendship. We always make a reservation but they do reserve some seats at the bar for walk-ins. On our last visit, I started with the stuffed zucchini blossoms. Not to brag, but I once won a cooking contest in NYC for "best appetizer" with my own stuffed zucchini blossoms, so I order them whenever I see them on a menu. These were better than mine. The secret was the breading: chick pea flour instead of the cornmeal I always use. Then I enjoyed the fresh, local, rare tuna--perfect! My husband had an elaborate beet salad, then steak. He was very happy. Service is friendly and professional, with thoughtful recommendations for wine pairings. Highly recommended.

My wife and I have been celebrating as many anniversaries as we can at Primo. With the exception of…read more2020 and 2025 we haven't missed a year. However. This year made us realize that this is our last year. It was our 25th and we were looking forward to it. It started with the hostess who was annoyed that we showed up 7 minutes early for our reservation and told us they were running on time and to take a walk in the garden and come back at the exact time of our reservation. Which we did. We were seated by the manager who seemed impatient. He handed us the menus and walked off. A detail I didn't consider until I noticed that the other manger handed the menus and went over some drink specials and menu specials. Our server was nice in the beginning although seemingly distracted. We found out a little later they had a wedding party upstairs and the kitchen was behind. We didn't mind because we were there for the experience as much as the food. However as the night rolled on and things took longer and longer, the staff seemed more and more annoyed with us for ordering our meal. By the end of the meal, our server asked if we wanted a cheese or dessert service and seemed very annoyed when we said yes. At this point we were 2 1/2 hours in and they wanted us out. However, we were still there because it had taken so long for our service and food. In the end we split a strawberry shortcake, which was very good, I had a coffee, and we got out of there. They wanted us out and we didn't want to stay any more. What is sad is we have been celebrating our anniversary for 20 years there as often as we can and this, our 25th was the worse experience we have ever had and we won't return. It broke our hearts.

The general store is in a perfect location and has parking for a quick lunch…read more We had two 7 napkin cheeseburger's that hit the spot. We used 10 total napkins We called ahead and they had them ready for us before visiting the light house.

A quaint little store with friendly service, nice selection of gifts, cold drinks, and of course,…read morean amazing burger! We all had the 7 napkin burger. The burger meat itself was a great flavor, with the toppings of tomato, pickle, lettuce, ketchup, mustard and onion (they grilled the onion upon our request, which added to the flavor we all enjoy). Definitely needs 7 napkins! We enjoyed our take out burgers at the picnic tables available outside. We got a couple fudges for dessert later and it was good, basic fudge. The only thing we didn't care for was the almost puréed texture of the coleslaw. Overall, a must-stop gem of a place.

The Southend Grocery is a gem. With its sandwich and pizza counter and wide variety of groceries,…read morebeer, and wine, you are bound to leave with more than you came in for. Lovely people and good prices make for a satisfying adventure.

Worked in the area years ago and always went here for a crabmeat sandwich. I live in Maine and have…read moreaccess to allot of places but Southend is the best by far. They were out of crabmeat so I asked the nice lady behind the counter what she would recommend . She said she liked their Italians. I had Roast beef , cheese, lettuce and pickle. I now have a favorite place for Italians. The fillings were abundant, the bread was not too thick , not soggy, with really fresh meat and veggies. The sandwich was served really cold which is appropriate but not always the case at other shops. The small is plenty for two people looking to just eat a little something and under 10 dollars. They sell different goods, grocery, spirits. Cashing out the lady was very pleasant and wished me a great time on my coast ride to Belfast. If you are in the area vacationing or looking for a hidden gem this is it. You are welcome.

On the fence between 4* and 5*, rounding up because they're a local small business and such. I also…read moredidn't try their bread, which would usually be a deciding factor for me. Stopped in to get some snacks to eat while hiking: in keeping with local produce, got a blueberry bran muffin and a maple bun whose name I forget. The ingredients were great quality: you could taste the freshness of the blueberries and the purity of the maple syrup. The question, for me, is whether the baking elevates these ingredients beyond if I'd just had blueberries and maple syrup. About that, I'm not sure.

On a recent cruise we had a port stop in Rockland, ME. Instead of doing an excursion we decided to…read moredo one of those "go down this street and right" excursions where you make everything up as you. Since it was between breakfast and lunch we decided to stop into Atlantic Baking for a coffee and a pastry. Atlantic Baking is an unassuming shop right along what I'm going to consider a main street through Rockland. Not necessarily THE main street, but the Main-est we saw, so I'm sticking with that. Inside are several cases of pastries, breads, rolls, donuts and other baked goods that looked at me as if to say "I dare you". There was a cinnamon roll-ish thing that looked really good, and a Vanilla latte are what talked to me most. The staff (two young ladies on this morning) were busy hustling and, even with that, were helpful as they tried to keep taking care of customers. The vanilla latte was SUE-PERB, albeit a bit hot for my taste (had it let is cool first). As we sat having our halfway-between-breakfast-and-lunch-but-not-really-brunch snack there was a steady stream of customers, I'm guessing about 50/50 regulars and cruisers. Aside from pastries, coffees and teas, there's a cooler with canned/bottle beverages for the on-the-go beverage drinker. With as much activity as was going on during our visit you'd think it'd be difficult to keep clean, but there was a gentleman who came out frequently to take care of emptied tables, trash, etc. There are windows into the baking area, proving that they've got nothing to hide. Most everything is made on site with fresh, natural ingredients by people who take pride in what they do. Atlantic Baking is a charming place and a nice stop for a mid-morning snack

Wonderful vibe, awesome food too! I don't typically write reviews but the pictures from the other…read morereviews didn't do it justice! The service was excellent too. 6 out of 5 experience! Incredible experie Starter: peppadews Soup: kale, chorizo and potato soup Dinner: blue cheese butter beef tenderloin Crab pasta (forget the full name)

Six of us enjoyed a fabulous dinner last night . We were in the back room which was perfect for…read moreconversation. Sharing appetizers was yummy . The bread and butter with Parmesan ~ simple and delicious. Our favorite was the beet and carrot salad . Three friends had the halibut with a coconut milk and carrot sauce ~ fabulous ! I'm still dissecting the sauce to recreate it at home.. Two of us had the crab risotto.... Amazing as well . One friend had the swordfish with a blueberry sauce . Local seasonal ingredients prepared perfectly in a tiny kitchen . The woman has owned this gem of a spot for 22 years . Her talent and creativity is astounding. The staff is friendly and professional. Great cocktails too . We were too full for dessert but the selection was tempting . Make a reservation and go enjoy a talented chefs creations

Garlic Knotts were doughy and filled with flavor…read more Main entrees were fantastic, I am not a fan of chicken typically, and the chicken was cooked perfectly on both dishes. Moist and full of flavor. The chicken piccata sauce was EXCELLENT. Found myself eating it with a spoon when the dish was done. The special with seafood was also tasty. Seafood was cooked well, and was an enjoyable dish Lemon ricotta cheesecake was also delicious. Everything had a great presentation and staff were super accommodating answered all of our questions, and provided an excellent experience and 5 star service. I recommend giving this place a try. On top of everything else the dishes are reasonably priced!

Talk about a view! There's nothing better than eating a meal while looking out at sail boats on the…read moreocean and watching golfers playing golf on the beautiful golf course. The food was excellent, my wife and I both got a pizza. We also got the garlic knots as an appetizer and those were very tasty! Prices were very reasonable. Our waiter was a little slow and very quiet.

8/7/2024 After eating fish and lobster all week we needed…read moresome pizza for a change. The pizza was exactly what I would expect from a Pizza Hut. Due to understaffing, all orders were all Togo. So we got it back to the campground and it was still piping hot. Breadsticks were tasty as well but more importantly the staff tonight deserves a raise. The 2 young ladies and the one gentleman were working their tails off. Management should take notice of who is keeping their doors open. Thank you for sufficing our late night craving. D&L

Definitely the best service I've ever had! We went to VIP auto and they told us about Chinese food…read moreand we said, ew, not today. So we saw the red hut, and said, no one out pizza the hut! Best pizza ever. We order a pizza that they slightly messed up and their customer service made up for it and more when they have a whole new pizza just how we originally wanted it! The flavor, phenomenal, the tv, phenomenal, we watched the fish show (absolute block buster). Window seat very nice.

You have to wait at the counter while staff puts away a order and talk. Then after 3 times of…read moreinforming cashier you want 3 of something, you get a rude comment of "Pardon me". They need some re-training in customer service.

Be prepared to show multiple forms of ID if you're not from Maine, don't know why. They will refuse…read moreyou alcohol even if you are clearly of age with valid state ID just not from Maine.