i have been to ruski's a dozen times years ago, but haven't returned until recently. beth and sean were great and hospitable as always! they gave us a birthday shot for coming during a birthday weekend, thank you! i never tried fried haddock for breakfast but was really impressed. fresh fish, good portion of eggs, perfect homefries and toast. the french toast was could have been slightly cooked more, but everything was great overall. their joe malone is a great pregame start to the day and they have excellent mimosas! just enough: 5/5 galley breakfast: 5/5 french toast: 4/5 joe malone: 6/5 ruski's is a gem dive bar that has the perfect hangover breakfast. there's always a crowd! ambiance: 5/5 food: 5/5 drinks: 6/5 service: 5/5 ruski's tavern: 5/5 read more

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This place has been a Portland staple for as long as I can remember. The first time I came here was about 12 years ago after a night out, and I still remember having one of the best brunches of my life. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that my second visit wasn't until just a few days ago. This place is truly special. They've kept their prices reasonable, the food is absolutely delicious, and the staff are some of the warmest, most welcoming people around. Even the customers add to the charm -- such an interesting, genuine local crowd. What an amazing neighborhood spot. I definitely won't wait another 12 years to come back. read more

Ate at Ruski's for the first time last night. The bartender/server was really great and really knew her stuff on managing the house. Solid nachos, oven baked just right before serving with plenty of guacamole, sour cream and salsa. They had a special .....Sloppy Joe's! And it wasn't the typical molassesy type.. the sauce had a great bite to it. Also at our table...a classic hot dog, wedge salad w/chicken, and a chili cheeseburger. Next time, we're going for the breakfast all day it's ....we definitely coming back! read more

can never go wrong with ruskis my favorite snow day bar, great bar food and a portland institution read more

Ruski's Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Maine

First time here. Service was quick and friendly, portions generous and excellent flavors!! Highly recommend!! read more

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Recently moved to the area and have been meaning to try this place. Breakfast was delicious! Everyone was so kind and welcoming, even to my Southern family with strong accents! Very reasonably priced compared to other breakfast on peninsula and hearty portions! My mom loved her Benedict and said the mimosa was stronggg. Do not miss their house made hot sauce! Will be back! read more

Typical dive bar if you like cheap beer and fried bar food. Enjoyed our visit here. Nice bartender. She was short staffed and had to take care of the whole bar. read more

I don't want to tell anyone how good it it so I always have a spot ! food is great , and a great value , drink are perfect , read more

When we walked into the restaurant, it was full. One gentleman was sitting at a six top by himself and he offered to go to the bar so the three of us could sit together. The people there are nice. The bartender was very friendly and the food was good! Plus, it's just an awesome old bar. read more

Monica, the owner, is a GEM of this dive bar in Portland (oldest bar in the area). Great vibes equipped with touch tunes, TVs, and a full bar / food menu. Our favorite stop! read more

Ruski's Tavern - TVs and bar - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I've loved in Portland for a number of years and has never been to this landmark. Decided it was time so headed over and check it out. On street parking wasn't difficult to find luckily. Walked in and found several seats at the bar. Bartender acknowledged us and let us know he would be with us shortly. Friendly and helpful staff. We were glad center a menu and we chose the crab cakes. Was a little worried about since 75% of cooks cook crab with old bay seasoning which is not my favorite. Pleasantly surprised when they came and were super crispy and hot! No old bay yay!!! Very tasty with my ice cold beer. Decor is interesting to look at and people gathered there were having a good time all around. Definitely will be back to check out more menu items as well as the vibe. read more

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Favorite dive bar in Portland, Maine. It's cozy, with just a few TVs. During football season they were accommodating to play Buffalo Bills games for me. Good place to grab beers with your friends if you live in the West End. Solid selection on draft. I like the apps and they have solid burgers. What's more impressive is coming in the morning after a long night. This place makes surprisingly excellent eggs Benedict. There's a 5% discount if you pay with cash (as of 2024). Bartenders are nice, but not overly so. They are forward and get things done-I appreciate it, especially when I'm there alone and don't want the small talk. I recommend coming here. I feel like it's one of the last of its kind (divey bar) in Portland. read more

We stayed at an AirBnB just up Clark St. so we had to stop here for a beer and a lite lunch, as we were intrigued by the reputation. This place has some serious history, but honestly it reminded me of so many taverns in Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. They have some nice beers on tap. I ordered a PBR, and the keg must have been freshly tapped because it had serious foam. The downside: it was warm. I ordered a clam cake, as I had never heard of such a thing (pictured below). It was mostly deep fried bread crumbs. My wife had a special: chili made with sweet potatoes and eggplant. I tasted it and it really was pretty good. The server wasn't particularly friendly, and we only saw her when we flagged her down. Meh, it's a crowded dark tavern. read more

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This is a neighborhood bar that is small and friendly. I was visiting the area and we decided to take a drink break mid afternoon as we were gathering for Thanksgiving and needed to check out the digs. There were a few people there having lunch and others having drinks like us. Certainly friendly people smiling and joking around. The music was loud heavy metal and then some classic rock. Didn't bother us although a few times we had to rock out to the tunes. I heard that the food is pretty good so next time I am in the neighborhood maybe we can check it out. read more

Ruski's Tavern - a pint of beer - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The hangover cure all but if you don't drink still a great place!! Staff is very attentive and personable! We're not a big breakfast food fan so when I find a place that will serves lunch/dinner food early I'm all for it. Fired off with the bbq bacon burger which was just fantastic, juicy, fully dressed we did add mayo because we love it making it everything I needed. The Thai chicken wings were perfectly cooked / seasoned with plenty of Thai sauce! Finished off with a Caesar salad that was perfectly dressed! I was a big fan of the croutons. Had a bloody marry to offset the HANGOVER which was a great pick but the pepperoncini was too much for my sensitive stomach. My partner got a coke which was the perfect balance of bubbles and syrup. Overall we had a blast! This is a great spot to drink, hangout, and eat delicious comfort food! read more

Ruski's Tavern - Bbq bacon burger - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Great ambiance . It's a true neighborhood bar with pleasant local people of all ages, very friendly , great service & the best lobster roll in Portland !! read more

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Ruski's really has been around forever and is a West End staple. Despite my in-laws frequenting this place for years, my first time going in myself was Memorial Day weekend, when we were jonesing for brunch but all our usual places were closed. Even though Ruski's was absolutely mobbed that day, and the wait time was insane, I'm still really glad we stuck it out. It's such a fun little dive bar, and the food was surprisingly good for a place that is open an astonishing 15 hours per day. I got the biscuits and gravy, and oh my gosh, I'm still thinking about it. It was a massive portion with perfectly seasoned and spiced sausage gravy full of big chunks of sausage. I couldn't stop eating it. My husband got the fried fish breakfast platter, which had surprisingly well-fried fish and tasty breakfast potatoes. The only thing I didn't like on his plate was the obviously store-bought, sickly sweet tartar sauce. Service was surprisingly great despite how busy they were. Our waitress was very sweet, and for a second, we felt like we were in a diner instead of a dive bar. I've heard lots of great things about their bar food at night, and I can't wait to come back. read more

This is an excellent dive bar. Super small inside filled with locals, but it is worth stopping in. Be warned, breakfast on Sunday is slammed. There's no real waiting area so you have to sort of hover around. The staff handles the stress of being busy, but don't be in a hurry if you come here. It's pretty loud, so you'll need to speak up. Sometimes the music system and jukebox play at the same time which put you in sensory overload. I did say it was a dive bar... The decor inside is fantastic, The Duke and King watch over while you imbibe. Excellent Shrimp Benny, house made biscuit, and Bloody Mary was tasty. read more

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Went for breakfast this weekend and what a fun cozy spot. If you're looking for lots of frills and fancy cocktails you'll have more fun across the street but if you're looking for a bloody mary and eggs and toast this place is great. The staff was super fun and attentive. The breakfast was good (I got eggs, toast, sausage and a side of baked beans). The bloody mary was passible but not as flavorful as it could have been. Parking was a pain but after circling the block found a spot. Worth popping in. read more

Great neighborhood pub with great food been going there for years is my go to place when people come to town?

Ruski's is a locals bar, but they were all friendly to us for brunch, especially Sean (sp?) the bartender. Highlights include him taking the time to talk to my three year old, get him quarters for the candy machine, and serve him a bar cup like us with a baseball on it. Brunch with mimosas was delicious. Haddock was some of the best fried fish and seasoned potatoes I've ever had. Everyone else got more traditional breakfast food that was good and large portions. Really well maintained for a old bar open late and early. read more

Such a fun dive bar with decent bar food, and great brunch. The brunch food and mimosas are on point for a great price. The dinner/ lunch food is also really good and cheap. This is def a dive bar with strong drinks and bar food! Fun vibe, and a local spot. read more

I've been going to this place off and on for ever. I love local divey places, but this one has never really done it for me, the vibes are slightly off. Still, it's one of the few remaining old school bars in Portland. The food is edible and they pour strong. read more

Great drive bar with shockingly good food. Feels like being transported back to Portland from the old days.

My first time visiting RT's. My friends have been and suggested we go for brunch. Not a big place, but very big with character. Rustic look with bar, table and high top seating. FCFS seating (First Come, First Serve). The staff are friendly, but one in particular is very direct and sassy. I liked it and it made me smile. She is the history of RT's and tells it like it is. No problem with that. We were a group of 6 so, seating was cramped, but we fit in and enjoyed the food. The menu for brunch was diverse and met the needs of our group. The food came out pretty fast. I definitely would visit again for brunch and maybe a drink one night. Thanks read more

Went there with three friends. Ordered food - 90 minutes later they hadn't even STARTED making the food. Left and scrambled to find something to eat. Never coming back. Would post a photo if they had given us ANY food. read more

Excellent food!! I would have never guessed that.. I grew up in Portland and up to a few wks ago,never even crossed my mind to go visit.. I read the many reviews,it was right on! Excellent,BIG breakfast items,and Bloody Mary's,Mimosas or anything you'd like,anytime of the day to wash it down! I'll be back to try out the lunch menu.. Something very special about places that serve breakfast all day.. Huge omelets,great eggs Benedict... And the prices are so reasonable.. Great,local,casual cuisine! read more

Good food. Cool dive for atmosphere. Fun clientele is solid. Staff is friendly and chairs.

This is a great neighborhood bar, It has an interesting history, too. I had a good time, had the ultimate burger which huge and delicious. Try it! read more

Ruski's is a legendary dive bar with pretty damn good bar food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all solid. The atmosphere is unique and the bartenders are sassy in the best possible way. This is easily one of the better places to cozy up for a few drinks or stop in for a nightcap. My only knock is that they used to be open until 1am and they close earlier now (around 10 or 11.) Its definitely the kind of place that should be open until 1am! read more

Great neighborhood bar! Cold beers! Tasty wings! Friendly atmosphere! I really like this place!

Great place for breakfast. I had the French Toast with sausage and eggs. Very yummy. Eggs cooked perfectly. Perfect Salty/ Sweet balance. The drinks are strong, the service is warm and the music will keep you bopping. The fish and chips pretty phenomenal as well. read more

Was good the first time I went. Recently went seems to have gone up on price. Food is good just had better value prior. Right now just like any other bar read more

If you're looking for a place that will give you fried cheese as you cry into your beer about the current state of America, this is it. An old Irish pub with sassy servers, it's as good as it gets for locals. Get pancakes at 6pm while you put on a depressing Johnny Cash song on the juke and see one hundred feet of snow outside the windows. It's a classic. Friendly locals place. Good food, drinks, and just grungy enough to keep pretentious tourists away. read more

I do like the atmosphere here and I've always enjoyed any food I've ordered here. I stopped my today just for a beer. They have a decent draft selection and some domestic beers on special. Ruskie's is an old bar that has an old school feel... with a slightly hipster crowd. Definitely not the neighborhood bar it was when I was a kid (I grew up a block away). It was the bar you could find your parents at on a Friday night or playing darts at with their friends. It's a younger crowd these days. Bar itself is pretty small, but there are plenty of tables. Bartender got me a cold draft quickly and they let you run a tab. They also except cards, which is great. read more

Ruski's Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Maine

Love this place. Great spot to grab dinner and a drink, & also an awesome breakfast! Staff is friendly and made our experience nothing but great. This is the new go-to. read more

Delicious breakfast on Portland's West End Really good Bloody Mary's Can't go wrong with the Hangover Special Highly recommend read more

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Would rather give it 0 stars. Went there recently and waited an hour for food and the bartender barry checked and it hadnt even been started, he forgot to give them the ticket. He was too busy flirting with anything with a pulse. Disgusting place, holes in the bathroom floor with piss leaking down. Warm beer from the tap, will never go back. read more

Food is awesome and so isn't the staff If you like cozy places and good food.. this is for you read more

Fantastic atmosphere, beer, food and Playlist! One of the last classic neighborhood bars in existence.