This spot is so fun and I had no idea there was something like it in Portland!! Came with friends…read morefor her birthday drinks and the vibe was so so cool. It really feels like you're in a dungeon or dark castle inside and there's surprisingly a lot of seating (indoors and outdoors). We were able to snag a booth indoors. There's candles everywhere which really add to the ambiance. The servers were attentive and fast and it was nice that they came to the tables to take our drink orders. We just got espresso martinis, which were pretty good. I'd definitely come here again to try the other drinks and enjoy the vibe!

Came here for after dinner drinks with some friends. We sat outside in the back area and it got…read morepretty crowded. The person helping us seemed to be very overwhelmed with all the people that were in the back area. I and another friend got mocktails and our other friends got real drinks. The inside of this bar is cool but kinda scary feeling. Feels like you are in a basement or a dungeon. It's dimly lit in the inside area. And has candles in the middle of the place with wax dripping down. The bathroom is kinda spooky too. And the sink you have to use a pedal and I could not figure out for the life of me how to get colder water to wash my hands. The water was super hot. I may want to come back here and try an actual drink and maybe experience the inside atmosphere. This bar is below and the restaurant called Roma Cafe.

Loved this spot! Perfect hidden gem with good food! Cheap bite. Burger (not photographed) was also…read moredelish! Lots of good sauces too. Lots on draft. Friendly staff

Wanted to find a nice kind of hole in the wall beer bar and just happened to walk down this alley…read moreand stumbled upon Mash Tun. I should have just checked on Yelp since one of my Yelp friends gave this five stars! I have to concur because I stopped her with my co-worker and my husband for a couple of beers and have to say two things: 1) they have a great beer list that rotates frequently, 2) the bartenders are top notch. You know sometimes you go to a cool beer place and it seems like the bartenders want to do ANYTHING but actually give you a beer in exchange for cash? This place is the opposite and it's wonderful. Very helpful with the beer list, suggestions, tastes, etc. They are also quick to offer another beer where as some places it seems like pulling teeth to try to get a beverage. It was lively but not slammed when I was there but I can tell these guys would manage great even if the bar was two or three deep with customers. Yeah, I thing the Mash Tun is one of the best beer bars I've been to and in a place like Portland that is in the top echelon of beer cities, that is an achievement to respect.

We finally got to Wayside Tavern and I don't know what took me so long! Oddly, there are so many…read morerestaurants not open on Monday's and I get it but it is the one night my friends and I can all meet up, so we are limited on trying new places. Wayside is definitely going to be in our rotation now. We each got an appetizer and entree and nothing disappointed us! The daily Crudo was a scallop dish that was amazing. We also had a cabbage salad that sounds so plain in the description but it was delicious and cabbage is not my go-to normally. I was able to try the smash burger and it lives up to all the hype I had heard about it. Staff was super friendly and prices were not crazy.

**November 2025: Thanksgiving Dinner**…read more I made a reservation through Resy about a week before Thanksgiving and was able to successfully secure bar seating for two. We got a text reminder as well as phone call reminder leading up to our reservation. On the day of our reservation we were greeted with a warm smiled and directed to our seats. Since we visited on Thanksgiving Day it was a prix fix menu which included the following: -Bread and Turkey Jam -Winter Squash Soup -Chicory & Arugula Salad -Roasted Turkey Breast -Braised Short Ribs -Ilma's Maple Bourbon Pie -Pumpkin Budin This menu was specifically made for Thanksgiving so I imagine guests who have to wait until the next Thanksgiving to enjoy the fare. What I can say is that the soup was my favorite and the turkey breast was not in the slightest dry. The short ribs were my friends favorite and we both loved the pumpkin budin. Service was polite and efficient and te music was upbeat and lively, despite the restaurant emiting a dark romantic vibe. I'm really thankful that they had reservations available and that the food was delicious since many restaurants in the area were already booked out. Thank you Wayside Tavern for a delicious meal!

My family (a couple of 30-something's with a 5 year old) meandered into Black Cow this afternoon…read morewhile walking downtown Portland. For being in the middle of the day on a Saturday, I was actually surprised it wasn't busier; however, with a starving kid it was a blessing. Service was quick and kind, but not overly frilly. The staff were pleasant and incredibly accommodating with my son (offering coloring books if he needed to be kept busy, etc). I loved the location, and the ambiance was stellar. I would love to come back as a date night so I could actually take in the space and really enjoy look over the options, rather than a quick glance so that we could keep our afternoon rolling. I got a chicken sandwich and my husband and son both got cheeseburgers. We split a large fry which was plenty for the three of us. Portions were reasonably sized for the price, and the dirty sauce I got on the side was delicious! The house-made soda was also delightful and refreshing. So, a 3 star is great for the the fact that I didn't really take my time to truly take it all in. But I definitely look forward to coming back and really soaking it all in

The perfect walk in burger joint in downtown Portland. We went on a Sunday night at 8 pm and we…read morewere able to get seated right away. The ambiance is a classic burger joint: music, loud chatter, etc, but it's perfect for the vibe. Our waiter was attentive, though not overbearing. The food was delicious. I got the crispy chicken sandwich and my wife got the cowboy burger. The buns on both were the star of the show, for us. Clearly handmade in the back, soft and chewy, yet sturdy enough to handle a hefty burger and sandwich. We also got the loaded fries, which were alright. For the price, I don't know if I'd recommend them again, just go with the regular fries. The texture of the fries was perfect, but the pickled onion/ground beef combination was not my favorite.

Wonderful service food was amazing. Loved the poutine and the grilled cheese. Good place to come if…read moreyou love French fry's!

We visited Duck Fat while on vacation in June. The restaurant is small and intimate, and very busy…read moreon a warm Saturday evening. The hostess was incredibly welcoming and accommodating despite there being a thirty minute wait. We had dinner prior to visiting, and only came for the poutine and milkshakes so we were in and out. The fries were crispy and flavorful, and the gravy was reminiscent of my mom's thanksgiving turkey gravy in the best way. The cheese curds added a nice salty garnish to an overall delicious dish. I also had the caramel duck fat milkshake to-go, which was a bit on the sweeter side but an interesting try nonetheless. Overall I would say Duck Fat is a great option if looking for a break from the local seafood restaurants. The menu is curated well, with a focus on what they do best.

Several more visits since my last review…read more Some things haven't changed: -- The beers are still great. Swish, Here's to Feeling Good All the Time, Nothing Gold, and Reciprocal are a formidable foursome. At any given time, you can usually get at least two, more often three, sometimes all four. -- You'd be hard pressed (pun intended) to find a better smashburger in Portland, but I'd also put it up against any regularly-offered burger I've had in Portland--smashed or otherwise. I love everything about it, from the high caliber of the beef to the fresh pillowy milk bun to the exhilaratingly strong cure of the bacon to the razor-thin cutting of the vegetables to the execution that gets even a smashburger burger juicy. -- I'm still not crazy about the wings. They have a frozen dinner feel to them. A few things, though, have changed: -- Full service now instead of having to order everything at the bar. That's a plus. -- The place is much more crowded-- including screaming tykes-- on the weekends. Not a plus, but can't fault a place for its own popularity. -- The fries are now the industrial strength coated kind. A big minus and a sad drop off from prior greatness, but better that than from an item off the main cast. -- You can now order beer cans to go from the table rather than having to get in line. A nice convenience. A few things to know: -- It's a surprisingly good option for vegetarians and pescatarians. The veggie burger and the grilled fish sandwich are both much more than solid. -- There's outdoor seating in front of the building and also to the right. -- The bar room to the right of the entrance is adults only, so if those screaming tykes get on your nerves, this is the place to be. -- You can still order beer at the bar if that's your preference over table service. Still a favorite, and the combo of beer, food, and space is tough to beat (Mast Landing and Maine Beer in Freeport are also somewhere in that echelon).

Bissell Brothers is about a good four and a half stars for me…read more We're in Portland for a couple of days and my boyfriend has told me how he's had a good experience at Bissell Brothers before while being in the area for baseball games with his buddies. He suggested we stop in for a late lunch when he picked me up from the train station that's basically around the corner. The place was mobbed inside for the World Cup final, but they still had outside seating available. We chose a quieter section with picnic tables where they had QR codes to order food and drinks from your phone. It's a craft brewery so why would I not try a beer? I got the lime lager. Light, crisp, a subtle tartness, no complaints there. For food we got fries with their house hot sauce, soft pretzels and the hot Maine maple chicken sandwich. The fries were deliciously crispy and the hot sauce had a nice kick to it. The pretzels with beer cheese and mustard were also tasty, however you might want to be careful with the mustard as it will really burn your nose if you eat too much of it at once. Lastly, the chicken sandwich was fantastic. It's definitely a messy one, but hits all the different flavor and texture notes that you're looking for in a good chicken sandwich. All in all a great experience. Good beer, good food, good service and definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

can't believe i am rating this place 5 stars as a seafood hater. i came here with family so that…read morethey could try the lobster rolls and was shocked to discover that i didn't hate my bite!!! truly the first piece of lobster that i consumed and didn't hate. my mind is blown. i wouldn't order one for myself but very impressed. wide variety of fun sauces as well. the whoopie pie is excellent!! the man that helped us was super welcoming and made the to go ordering process easy. cute store with merchandise, clean and bright.

I ordered takeout and had to wait about 45 minutes for my food, which was longer than expected…read more The lobster roll was disappointing. It tasted bland and lacked the fresh, buttery flavor I was hoping for. Considering the price, I expected much better quality and more flavor. Overall, it wasn't a bad meal, but I don't think it was worth the wait or the price.

Delicious food and fast service!…read more Not from the area so Google was our friend this Saturday afternoon to figure out a place to eat. Unknowingly when arriving to Portland, there was a protest that many businesses were closed for so pickings were slim for food.....that being said...SO glad we came across Little Tap House! We got there (three adults) around 4p and sat right down at the bar. I wish I would have taken a photo of how MASSIVE the mussels were. They were also just so delicious. The focaccia bread that came with it?? Let it soak up that juice because yes. Just yes. We also ordered the deviled eggs, fried calamari, clam chowder and some beers. The lemon pepper aioli that came with the calamari was very good. I'd chosen the raspberry sour they just put on tap and that was very good. If I'd gotten the bartender's name, I would absolutely give her a shoutout on here because she was great as well! I'd recommend this place to others!

Such a cute neighborhood bar across the street from the Holiday Inn By the Bay. Sat at the bar and…read morehad a Nonesuch Red Ale (from nearby Nonesuch River Brewing in Scarborough), which was great. Bartender was very friendly.