Glad we stumble upon this place to watch the English Premier League finals! It was an exciting morning with all the games on their various tv's. The beers they brew were mostly decent, not over the top in our opinion. We got two flights to try them all and liked Vacationland and Downeast Sipah best. read more

Great atmosphere and friendly, terrific, and helpful service from Hannah. Try the ginger lemon spiked seltzer if you'd like to try something unusual and delicious. If you like a drier cider, try the Freedom's Edge. If you've come for the beer, there's a nice selection. We didn't eat, but their menu selections sound delicious. read more

Good selection of beers; bartenders quite friendly. We stopped in here a few times for drinks and food. Although located in a tourist area, this spot still felt neighborly. Appeared to be a lot of locals in here. Food service was very slow due to under-staffing (according to waitress). I enjoyed my margaritas and the live music was excellent. Would come again. read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Chicken stacker sandwich - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

Gritty McDuff's is a hidden gem! This place encompasses everything you'd expect and enjoy from a pub experience. My family and I ordered multiple appetizers and fully enjoyed our meals. The bartenders were extremely friendly and my family and I couldn't stop talking about the personable wait staff. Mena was our waitress and she was AMAZING. She went above and beyond to even supply my family with a list of "must see" things in Portland, as we were from out of town on a weekend getaway. She was attentive, personable, and charismatic. Would definitely pop back in next time I was in the area! read more

*this review is strictly on the food because beer and service was great. I went in a few months ago and asked why the spinach and artichoke dip was taken off the menu and was told there was a new chef and the menu got switched up and a lot of favorite items were gone which was disappointing. Last night I went back and say that the menu said spinach and artichoke was back and was thrilled. I was beyond disappointed when it came out completely different than what I expected. It was bright green, tasted only of pesto and had zero artichokes. The current menu doesn't feel like a real pub menu to me anymore. Please change it back! read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

Stopped here to watch a bit of the Patriots game and enjoyed a couple beers and nachos. The nachos were great and a nice large portion for a group of guys. The beer was good but there were limited options. If you are an IPA fan this probably isn't the place for you but there is a full bar as well and the bartender, Molly, was awesome! She was friendly and did a great job managing the fairly full bar. We will definitely return next time in the area. read more

Like The Neverending Story, Limp Bizkit, and most girls that I've dated, some things are better left to memory. And I used to love Gritty's. It was my go-to bar for my entire 20's. But let's just be honest: Gritty's sucks. First, the good. The bartenders at Gritty's are amazing. Probably only Blyth has a more all star cast. It is worth coming to Gritty's just to chat with the staff. Also, basic mixed drinks are very strong and a good value. But Gritty's makes the worst beers in Maine. By far. If Gritty's was on the boat in the opening scene of Waterworld, Kevin Costner would still drink piss. They must realize that their beer is terrible because they offer Bud Light in a 12 ounce bottle. For $4. Chris Thompson must have an ownership stake. The menu is generic pub food. Last night, I ordered the nachos with grilled chicken. A heaping pile of thin, limp nachos arrived with barely a handful of shredded chicken mixed in. The bill nearly caused an aneurysm. The nachos were $22, including the grilled chicken as a $6 addition. With the explosion of the Portland restaurant and brewery scene, Gritty's is stuck as a relic. And like Weekend At Bernie's (come on, it's pretty bad!) it's best left as a memory. read more

I was there one time and will never go back. The place is unwelcoming and some of the employees there are extremely rude, disrespectful and completely unprofessional. One of the employee's started swearing and disrespecting me by calling vulgar name for absolutely no reason what so ever and when I spoke to the manager he did nothing about it. Horrible experience will not be returning ever. read more

Decent service but disappointed in the food. Burger was small, cheese on top was sad and only covered half the burger, and onion rings included chunks of fried green stuff. I'd had "meh" feelings towards this place in the past, but this recent meal was the nail in the coffin. read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Fried green stuff with the onion rings - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

I've always been a fan of Gritty's. Love the beer and food although the food pricing has gotten pretty high. This seems to be the case everywhere now though. read more

I mean we are locals and been here several times over the years. Shopping in the old port last night. Sure let's just grab a couple beers and food right?! Meh .. sometimes you just need to stick with what you know is good like beer and nachos. Decided on a salad which was super soggy and mushy. My partner had a haddock burrito. He likes haddock tacos so what could go wrong? Ya nope. Not good. He described our good and bill as we got ripped off. Again stick with what's known good. read more

OK, this may be a slightly sympathetic review, but we just got back from a New England vacation where we already had Gritty's more than once. We were excited to head to "the source" to try more on the final night of our trip. They get one star for being acommodating to my two young kids. Beers were very good, service was good. Had a nice view of the Old Port out of the back window. Don't recall eating much, but it sure looked good. It was the start of a great evening for our only night in Portland. We followed up with lobster roll at Linda Bean's, only a couple blocks away. For our only night in Portland, a great evening overall! read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - View of the Old Port out of the rear window - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

Standard expectations for a pub. Purpose is to drink beer and eat fried food. The lobster tacos were average at best, chilled lobster meat with very little flavor. Standing ovation for the Hail Mary lemons that Provided some flavor. I wasn't sure if I was eating friend shrimp, or if it was just the remnants of shrimp that a shark desecrated, because it was so small. The highlight of the meal were the classic and sweet potato fries. Which brings me to the original purpose of this place, to drink and eats fries. This experience left me feeling held at gun point by the restaurant demanding $60 and as a reward be given some bomb fries. But hey the pub was cool to look at and the service was polite. Only suggest attending if you're rockin' a solid 6/10 on the drunk-o-meter. read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Lobster tacos with the bomb sweet potato fries. - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

I gave it 2 stars because I like their beer. I have been here on 2 occasions this month and started at the bar and when my whole group was assembled moved to a table. Both times we wanted to order sine munchies and both times we were never greeted by a server. So, we finished our drinks and left. In all fairness, the first night we went there was a pub crawl, so maybe they were just really busy? The next time we went it was quiet, so I don't know what happened. read more

Great atmosphere and I think it's really cool that they brew their beer right below the pub so it's as FRESH as it can get. I tried the lobster roll and was not impressed. My husband really enjoy it though as well as some of the others in the group. I took a bite and just wasn't able to take another bite. It was ocean-y to me. Our group compared it to the Highroller Lobster Roll. Some liked Gritty's better, I'm sorry to say that I was not one of them. read more

We came in here twice on our three days in Portland.. Bar food and it's okay. They have plenty of seating once you discover the upstairs. Coming in from the alley side it appears like they have little seating. We ordered the lobster poutine which was delicious and different. The regular poutine was however not good. We came back for late night burgers. Grittys is a place to come when you are hungry and looking for casual. Something for everyone read more

We were in Portland for a getaway this past Summer and our hotel was directly across the street from Gritty McDuff's. After wandering around all afternoon we found ourselves here for drinks and dinner. This is an old school pub with all the feel of what a traditional pub should represent. Not a sports bar but a pub. There appeared to be more locals enjoying the place who knew one another versus a tourist trap. The staff were very attentive and we tried a variety of food items. The menu is not huge and covers all the core pub grub items one would expect for this sort of establishment. We tried a variety of appetizers including calamari that was excellent. I had a very satisfying Reuben sandwich while my daughter had the most incredibly flavorful mac and cheese either one of us has ever tasted. Our server was attentive to a peanut allergy as well which is always a plus. When I inquired about purchasing one of their brews and t shirts the server even opened up the gift shop for us after hours and let us take our time to select a couple of items. We will definitely return here on our next trip to Portland. read more

This underwhelming brewpub in Portland's Old Port neighborhood serves up decent wings, burgers, salads and other fare that gets the job done without much flair. We shared a plate of nachos and a burger and were pretty much done. They also brew their own beer, which is a drawback because the beer isn't very good. Try one of the house brews to be polite, then go somewhere else for better options. read more

Friendly servers and great food! Beers were awesome and the environment is fun to be in

We came here on a whim looking for a place to ear as we were all starving. The atmosphere was great, service was great as well and in regards to covid precautions everything was spaced out well. I'm not a big beer drinker but the my boyfriends got the Halloween beer they had and he loved it. The food was great I got the special of that day it was a Buffalo Chicken Wrap with ranch lettuce and tomato and it came with fries. My sister got a burger nothing too fancy with fries and my boyfriend got the fried chicken sandwich. All in all it was a great time with good food. read more

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I have been to Gritty's a few times over the years, both in Portland and their Freeport location. While this is a historic brewery in the area, their beer is not itself especially unique. They serve comfort food and have a lot of kid friendly options. Certainly not fine dining but has a certain old school charm. On my most recent visit my cask drawn Bitter was alright but not quite as good as Redhook or other bitters I like. The kids devoured their pretzels and kids food. In a foodie city like Portland this is a low key option. read more

We've been searching for a good pub and this place checked all of our boxes. Best Stout in town, and they brew all their own beer. Fantastic sweet pork nachos. We've been to a few dives and this one is definitely on the opposite end of that. They do a great job with the masks and to ensure everyone is safe and compliant. We will be back again! read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Bar area - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

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For one week, my family and I decided to join the local trivia circuit. Gritty's has a trivia night on Thursdays, so, six of us showed up to make a team. We sat upstairs and ordered a bunch of apps; fried pickles, chicken wings, chicken fingers, fries and beer (to start). It was not super crowded, yet it took about 20 minutes for someone to come to our table. We hung out for about an hour before trivia started at 7. There did not appear to be any happy hour specials, or at least none that were clear to new customers. Just before 7, our waitress told us that there were trivia night specials; nachos and smash burgers. This tipped us off for a second round. The nachos were actually really good and plentiful, easy to share. I didn't have a burger, but they seemed to be getting good reviews. The trivia game was fun. The crowd seemed like a bunch of regulars, which was cool and expected. The questions were pretty random, seemed to be run by a local radio station, and was not themed. The prizes were small gift cards to Grittys. Overall, it was a fun night, a solid 3 star part of my trivia-week-in-Portland-Maine quest. read more

Stopped in here last night. Beer could be better but we've been finding that with most of the beer in new England. Being from the PacNW we have incredible beer so we are a little spoiled. HOWEVER the lobster poutine is chefs kiss delicious the garlic Parm wings were also very good. Nice spot for a quick bite or appetizers. Service was quick and friendly. read more

A great spot if you are visiting Portland Maine great food and drinks also a good place to catch some sports read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

We stopped in Grittys prior to doing some shopping at Beans. I had the spinach and artichoke dip, which had a nice layer of panko on top. It wasn't the most flavorful, but what got me was the large portion size. They also give you PLENTY of chips. Usually we always have to order an extra side of bread or something, not the case here! My SO got a cup of chili and the shepherds pie. Again, huge portions! The shepherds pie comes in the shape of its own "pie." We left very full. Not to mention, the prices were great and the service was awesome as well. We will be back whenever we visit Freeport! read more

Crab dip was amazing! Hubby enjoyed his wings, he actually got more than he ordered. My blueberry beer and cider were delicious. Hubby liked his pub beer too. Liked the 90s music. A live band started as we were leaving. Traditional pub atmosphere that we liked, there were tables to sit at too. Big menu of food and selection of drinks. Bartenders worked hard and did great. read more

I had the worst meal of my life. I had fried clams that were undercooked and gooey in the middle. They made me sick to my stomach and I went home in the fetal position throwing up. The waitress was so rude she smacked the check down on the table while we were in the middle of eating and said "take your time". Clearly hinting for us to leave despite us still eating our gross meal. I am still feeling so gross and bloated. Also paid $20 for crap nachos so overpriced and bad. Really bad will not be returning. read more

Was greeted with rudeness the moment we got here. Waited over an hour for our food that was mediocre at best. Will not come again.

Parking garage across the street. Watch your step exiting on foot.

On a rainy late afternoon in Portland I wondered into Gritty's, as I tend to do when I'm in the area. Shrimp and Fries- this enormous plate of perfectly battered fried shrimp on top of a huge pile of perfectly cooked and seasoned fries was only $18. The cocktail sauce was perfect, cole slaw was a bonus. At first glance the fries look like any ¼" hand cut fries- but they were perfect. Service at the bar- the bartender was charming, smiled and poured the perfect SOS. Bathrooms- didn't smell like low tide. Perfect reviews aren't reserved for fine dining establishments; authenticity of simple but perfectly executed items goes a long way. So that's it; short, sweet and to the point...just like Gritty's. read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Shrimp & Fries - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

Good Food Great service. We have been here many times, it's always very good. The restaurant is quite comfortable and welcoming. I had the curried tofu wrap, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was. All of our group enjoyed the various choices the made. It's a regular visit here whenever we are in Portland, ME. read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Great lunch spot on Fore ST. - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

For my cousin's bachelorette party, our party of 12 stopped here for lunch. After having been suggested by many people who had been here before, we figured it would be a great spot for some pub food & drinks. They have long tables with benches which was suitable for us to sit mostly together. Our waitress was attentive & made sure we had everything we needed. I looked up near their bar to see a specials menu for the day. Their prices are pretty decent; I got a soup & half sandwich for about $9.00! I would love to go back if I venture in the Portland, ME area again. read more

The food was pretty decent here. Can't really rate the atmosphere because of Covid. Definitely followed restrictions. We got the Mac and cheese with jalapeños. The jalapeños were a nice touch, it wasn't super hot but not too bad. I got the Reuben. Best Reuben I've ever had . Love that the corned beef was shredded. Excellent flavor read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Haven't tried the food here, but alls I can say is their fish and chips looks, and smells even more heavenly! A local divey-esque bar with good happy hours, and a Member's program where you get your own mug and drink specials, this place is serving up some IPAs and not-your-average beers. Fun spot to check out, definitely will order that fish platter next time! read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Mugs decor galore - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

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We came here for a quick stop on our way to Bar Harbor. It was delicious! Shared the nachos and poutine. Portions were large and thank god, finally a place that puts enough cheese on each chip! So good. read more

We ended up at this place because we met locals on one of the ferry rides and this was recommended to us. The food was hands down the best meal I had in Portland!!! My fiancée and I are in complete silence I assure you that never happens. Prices were good and so were the drinks. If you are a beer drinker they have a lot of local beers on tap. Bartender was super nice and gave us a bunch of suggestions of places to stop at in the area and fun things to do read more

Update : Gritty I like to think my poor experience in January with the new menu was instrumental in you adding back some of our favorites. Typically one bad experience will keep me away especially with so many other options in Portland. But I did give you another shot and I'm happy to report both of our choices were excellent!! Thanks for changing the menu back!! I' m not sure when you update a review over 2 years old, what happens to the original but we have enjoyed coming to Grittys for several years now and always make it a stop during our stays in Portland. Sandwich options were always reliable and delish. And then we actually cancelled a coveted dinner reservation due to the timing of our day's activities in Portland and chose Grittys to grab a quick bite instead. The menu changed...,both our favorite options were gone . We should have stuck with a burger. The replacement for the Philly cheese steak now was a rare roast beef sandwich on a Standard bakery baguette. I had asked the waitress what happened to the cheesesteak and should have paid closer attention to her response and reaction when I ordered this new offering. I suppose since what a really came for was a hot sandwich of cooked steak and cheese, this choice was doomed from the start. I'll leave it at I'll never order the steak sandwich again Ditto for my husband's choice, a balsamic pulled chicken sandwich ... it was more like pulverized chicken .... I just didn't see the typical pulled shreds. I tried it and while the flavor was ok, the texture was off and he's a texture kinda guy. So disappointed that our "go to" for the last few years for a quick bite on busy day in Portland, fell so short. Sorry Gritty but Really miss the old menu. read more

Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub - Nice flight! - American Near Me - Portland, Maine

Stopped here for a beer and dinner while in town. It was pretty busy on a Friday evening but there were a couple spots at the bar. I really like the communal picnic tables in the large room but we chose the bar. The bartenders were very friendly and attentive. Helped explain all the beers and different flavors. I tried the original and it was really good. It had a nice golden color and lots of flavor. I also had the fish and chips. The haddock was perfectly cooked. Moist and flakey with a nice crispy, ale batter. It came with lemon and tartar sauce. It was very good. Nice portion with fries. I really enjoyed it. read more

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From the second you walk into Gritty's the smell of the brew takes over. The smell is happiness, the smell is best friends, the smell is coming home. The bartenders are great people and are very attentive. They never charge a cover and are always playing great live local music. The upstairs is great, if you want more privacy sit by the windows or in the back room by the bathrooms. Downstairs is a hidden gem if it's packed upstairs-you also get a great vantage point to people watch. Aka it's great to watch people try to walk on cobble stone after they've had a few. read more