This was the best experience we could have ever asked for. Bartender Patrick who works on sundays was literally a saint. He was so fun and curated an amazing playlist for our group. We had an awesome time and loved this bar! read more

Maps is a pretty quintessential dive bar. They do take the name pretty seriously and stick to the theme- all types of maps on the wall, and globes on the table. Beers were cheap, we sat in a comfy couch, and listened to the juke box for 10 cent songs. A bunch of people came in and out so it was a happening place. Makes me want to open my own dive, thrift a bunch of map themed items, and call it a day. read more

Maps Bar - Vintage jukebox. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Portland, Maine

I love this bar! I was in Maine for three nights with my girlfriend on a vacation/looking at apartments trip and we came here every one of those nights. It was like someone designed a bar and playlist after my own heart. Nice on tap beer selection and delicious homemade cake! I mean the cake is really really good! Whoever decided to build a bar and make it look like the den of a really cool history professor is a genius. Also on a side note it's really clean probably one of the cleanest I hate to use the term "dive" bars I have ever seen. It's just a cool spot. Whoever owns this bar THANK YOU!!! read more

Maps Bar - Drinks with the wifey - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Nothing wrong with a beer, some prosecco and cake! The homemade chocolate peanut butter and carrot cakes were amazing. Comfy at the bar. Great music. Fun little place. read more

Really cool place to grab a drink and get away from tourists. They had a decent beer selection when I went and the bartender was chill and friendly. I enjoyed my pint and drooled over the cake in various display cases. They do have maps on the walls, so the namesake works. I dug the relaxed vibe of the place and would definitely return. I love finding little gems like this when I'm in cities I don't frequent enough to see everything. read more

Maps Bar - These pretzels are making me thirsty. Sweet digs. Lotsa maps. Hipsterish but fun. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Portland, Maine

A total accident that I ended up here but this bar is a phenomenal watering hole. Completely besides the awesome selection of records behind the bar, the free jukebox is amazing. My brother from Brooklyn, NY left saying 'That's the best bar in the world.' read more

Awesome happy hour deal, 32 oz pitcher of any draft for $10! We also enjoyed the English grilled cheese, so yummy. Unfortunately there was no cake, but the bar tender said his wife was away on a two week trip and cake would be back on the menu when she returned. A good enough reason to come back and enjoy the laid back environment here. read more

Maps Bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great little basement bar that has great beers and wines. My wife is a Prosecco drinker and they something that made her happy and a great IPA that made me happy. Lots of records and a record player behind the bar so our bartender was serving us drinks, playing music and making sandwiches from the creative grilled cheese menu. Not a very big place, but cozy and comfortable to sit and have a chat with your friends. read more

This is small divey, hipster bar with a British feel. There are a couple of couches, some stuffed chairs and seating around the bar. The seating is limited due to the small location. The décor has lots of cool maps, old records and jukebox that reads "piss off". The staff were friendly, polite and attentive. The menu is limited but delightful. They play great music, including classic sing alongs like don't stop believing. They have cake, grilled cheese, beer and 2 types of wine, red or white. The ghetto grilled cheese is the only one available after 9pm. It's classic soft white bread, gooey American cheese with plenty of butter and grilled to perfection. The white wine was smooth with fruity nose and a hint of sweetness. I would definitely come back for some of the scrumptious looking cake. read more

Adorable place, serving both wine/beer and tea/coffee/cakes (love the teapots!). The vibe was very cozy/eclectic/casual, like you were a guest hanging out in someone's (nice) basement. It's a great place to stop by- especially for the freshly made cakes, which are excellent. This place is pretty small (and loud- the jukebox has one volume apparently), so I'd recommend checking it out during off hours when it's not too crowded if you're looking to catch up with a friend or have a nice relaxing cup of tea. Check out the happy hours, good deals there. read more

Cute. Beer & wine only. Food is an array of super yummy-looking grilled cheeses and cake. Dimly lit with good music. Lots of cozy corner spots. Amazing jukebox. And of course, fab maps. Look forward to a snowy afternoon or two here. read more

MAPS, explorer scripture, representative of the expansive blue abyss. A she-devil who knows only broken hearts and lost souls. Measured in time not miles. Time stands still here. Steps down into a chic dwelling where you can imagine the world at your finger tips. Golden grapefruit ales and Foulmouthed brews fill your glasses. Speakers blare hip tunes above a record collection that rivals the one you tell your friends about. Cake's on the bar and the grilled cheese is behind it. 5 stars. read more

MAPS....the diamond in the rough. What a great little place to pop in for a drink! So much atmosphere here in such a small confined space but yet feels like you see new things every time you turn your head! We popped into MAPS for a cold beer on the recommendation that it was "the best" place for a beer, and we were not disappointed! The bar tender was awesome and chatty and just just made our whole experience there great! We started off by ordering a round of drinks and the strawberry ale caught my eye. Most places would have just popped the cap and said "here ya go!" But at MAPS the guy showed me the bottle (it was huge) and told me it was very sweet, like eating a strawberry shortcake, and was best shared. Since neither of the other three I was with was interested I chose my most favourite beer instead, Hoegaarden, which came in a Hoegaarden glass which was awesome. As we nibbled on some pretzel sticks the jukebox in the corner caught the eye of my companions so they asked the bartender if it was cool if they turned it on, and he said go ahead! After about 4 or 5 songs of our choice we let bartender chose from his stack of vinyls what to play. No we were getting hungry...time for a grilled cheese. OMG. We ordered up a blue cheese which was everything you could imagine it was! Yummy yum yum yum! Then of course round two of drinks...which included a perfect Franziskaner Weissbier that rounded off our experience at MAPS perfectly. I am not sure how long we were in MAPS for but we felt comfortable and relaxed the entire time and will be back! read more

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This grilled cheese game is stuuuuupid. Yall need to go here, it's amazing. The beer selection is also great with some free pretzles to boot

What a great place! So comfortable and cozy! It's a great place to begin or end the night. They have a great beer selection and a cool old-school vibe. read more

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Strawberry beer. This sums up my experience at Maps. If you haven't tried it, you are missing out. It's delicious, not too sweet, and refreshing. Oh, and the rest of Maps is nice too. It's a small place. It kind of reminds me of what I picture my grandparent's basement looking like in 1974-clean, with a lot of maps on the wall, and some vinyl rocking chairs. The menu is beer and wine and some snacks. I've only tried the pretzel, but I hear that the rotating layer cake and grilled cheese sandwiches are not to be missed. They also serve coffee and tea if you aren't in the mood for Strawberry beer...but I can't imagine that ever happening. read more

Maps Bar - Best. Beer. Ever. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Portland, Maine

Random mix of cake and drinks- but do not miss it. We tried the banana cream cake. Five stars.

I like this place a lot. They have a great atmosphere. Warm, cozy, beers and grilled cheese. They have an awesome local brew selection and friendly bartenders! The place is usually busy Fridays and Saturdays, but if you come any other day of the week it should be pretty easy to snag a seat. read more

Maps is so cool! I can hardly contain my excitement for this lovely new establishment in Portland. I think it has everyone's favorite things all in one place: great beer, coffee, tea, grilled cheese, soft pretzels, cake (!), and tons of vintage maps (!!). The service is great. The atmosphere is great. I'm not sure there is anything about the place that isn't great. Love, love, love, love Maps. read more

Cool old school vibe. Great vinyl selection behind bar,also free jukebox with a vast selection of tunes. Had a soft pretzel with 2 kinds of homemade mustard,also tried a classic grilled cheese,both excellent! Decent selection of craft beers. Excellent service from Aaron,who was intentive,and hard working,even when place wasn't busy. He was also more than willing to play some 80's punk rock for me from the vinyl vault! read more

I didn't know this place existed until I walked in the door. Great atmosphere and super friendly bartenders. I had a super delicious mocha (at 10pm) which was paired with a nice little piece of biscotti, yum. Fiancé had a GIANT piece of cake that was also delicious. The decor makes me feel like I'm hanging out with Steve Zissou and I love that. Planning on going back again... And again... And again. Definitely has the feel of Montreal bars... It's like it's your own best kept secret. read more

The tea sets are fantastic and the beer prices are spot on, my only complaint is that the (always awesome) music is so loud you can not hear the people you're with. I've gone back a few times to see if it was a one off but it's consistently impossible to hold a conversation. read more

5 stars for decor and being a place unlike anything I have seen. Small, cozy, intimate. Clean. Grill cheese was delish! Great beer selection. Good wine selection. Pretzel was awesome. It feels like your neighborhood bar! So glad we took the advice of a local and went! Must comeback for cakes! read more

One of my favorite little dives in Portland. Awesome atmosphere tucked into the basement level of a downtown building. Very small and intimate setting with limited seating and low lighting. Plenty of local craft beers to choose from, we had the Bissell Brothers IPA which is a favorite of mine. They have a deal during happy hour where you can get a 32 ounce pitcher of beer for only $10. They also have cocktails and wine selections. If you don't want alcohol they serve coffees, espressos, etc. and have cakes and sandwiches if you're hungry. Patrons are eclectic ranging from hipsters with arm sleeve tattoos to older individuals that look like they could be college professors. If you are in Portland I can not recommend Maps enough as a spot to stop in at. read more

One of my favorite spots in Portland! It's a chill place were you can sit down, have a beer and speak with other people! The music is usually good, (on one occasion it was really loud and obnoxious). The barkeeps are nice, the beer is acceptably priced for downtown Portland and they have a good selection. Did I mention they have cake? Well they have cake. read more

By far, my favourite bar in Portland. Beer, grilled cheese, cake and old records on the stereo. Maps is the shit! Small. Almost hipster but not quite. Cool trendy place. I live it. Totally chill. read more

Feels like home. The husband and wife duo who own and run the place are fantastic (he's from Vermont and she's from England). We sampled some beer and cider and were happy with what we chose. We orders the American and British grilled cheese along with a pretzel (3 of us shared and it was perfect pub food). We ended up also splitting a slice of delicious tripple chocolate cake. Perfect atmosphere and delicious food make this a true hidden gem. I'm an out of town tourist but next time I visit I'll be sure to go back. I wish them the greatest success! read more

What a gem! This place is so sweet and quaint, yet so cool all at the same time. The lovely husband and wife team make sure you feel welcome. It feels almost as if you're a special guest in their very own home. Great beer, homemade comfort food and fantastically hip vinyl spinning. read more

Amazing grilled cheese, espresso drinks and good prices on local beer. Awesome music on vinyl. Great service. We stopped in on a Friday night because I needed a snack after drinking at a couple other places. I'm from out of town but would come here often if I lived here! I'm hoping I get to come back here tomorrow!!!' read more

I've never been to any place like Maps, and that is what I love about it. They serve beer, wine, grilled cheese, and cake. I honestly want to kiss whoever came up with this amazing business model. The atmosphere is so cozy and welcoming, private, and great for long conversations with friends. The grilled cheese was delicious and I felt like we got a great deal on a wonderful meal. I went in the winter and left feeling marginally better about Maine in February. read more

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT MAPS! The atmosphere is delightful, the music while it could be turned down maybe two notches at times is wonderful, the CAKE, the CAKE, the CAKE is heavenly! It is honestly the best place in town for happy hour! The owners are sweet! If you visit Portland and do not visit Maps you are doing yourself an injustice. read more

Beer, dim-lighting and maps. The three basic human necessities. Can't ask for anything more in life.

Great vibe, good music, and awesome service. Also, beer and cake....what else can you ask for.

I don't want to tell you how fantastic this place is because I want to keep this bar all to myself. Great beer. Great music on the stereo. Cozy and intimate. read more

My husband and I stopped at Maps before the movies last Friday night. Wow! The reviews about the grilled cheese sandwiches are spot on - they are delicious!! I normally make plain, one cheese, grilled cheese at home so ordering a sandwich with multiple cheeses and added condiments was a stretch for me. Glad I took the plunge! Had a nice Bissell Brothers Substance to go with it. Perfect! read more

I happened to walk into this place because it's locate underground on a side street. This place is very cozy and lots of interesting decor. As much as I like the service and beer selection, it does not have food selection. It is definitely a cool place for a refreshing beer read more

It's well worth it to tie your trawl at this float a time and harbor at Maps for a draft or two. Think this place is for the saltiest of sailors, the most hardcore of cartographers? Might want to recheck your compass and find a new lodestone, because all signs point to Maps as the place for mates third thru first to come ashore. The hangings on the wall might prompt dreams of tropics and foreign atolls, but the beer brings you back to Portland's coast. read more

Good Food, Great Hosts, Awesome beer!

This underground bar is definately a spot I would meet up with friends and have drinks. It is the right amount of cozy and friendly and they are not trying to do more than what the space offers for them. The jukebox is stunning and I like the added touch in the restroom of the old trunks and travel style. I saw a wall of albums behind the bar, but could not discern what was there... perhaps you just ask if they have a certain something that you might want to listen to and if they have it they will spin it for you. The furniture is not all the same... the bar, a couch with a table and chairs for a living room type of spot, a wall with bench seats and tables with chairs opposite, some other sort of reclining "office" but cooler looking chair (you will know when you see them). So they have created a place where you can have a conversation in a more intimate individual setting. The menu is pretty off limits for me, but I did see someone's grilled cheese and it looked amazingly ooey and gooey and delish. There are currently 3 options of grilled cheese, a soft pretzel with mustard dipping sauce and cake of the day. read more

Oh gosh, just go here. Great atmosphere with really cool maps all around and a wonderful, clean bathroom. Doesn't get any better than this spot. read more