Everything we ordered was incredible. We definitely ordered too much but I'm so glad we got to try it all. The rolls are a must! The view was also a special treat. read more

We had gone to Street & Co. the night before so we were jaded. I had a half-dozen littlenecks that were well shucked and tasty. My wife had the heirloom tomato/plum salad that was meh. For the mains, she went with the potato crusted cod and I had the seafood stew. The cod was underseasoned. The stew was overseasoned (salty) and comes out in a (probably) carbon steel saucepan that really retains the heat and ends up overcooking the seafood. I had read that the stew is salty but I guess that is what the chef intends. We went to Gorgeous Gelato for dessert. This was a disappointment. read more

Good food and attentive service. Pricier than it needs to be though. The whole fish (fluke) dish was a tasty surprise.

Had an early dinner at Scales this week on our trip to Portland. The restaurant was a little difficult to find, but once we found it, we were very pleased with our meal. Some of the best mussels and oysters we had in Portland. The outdoor seating was completely covered, and our waitress was very nice and professional. Definitely a must try in Portland! read more

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Service was amazing, but the food delivery was awkward where two dishes came out and then we waited for third entree for a bit. Food was good, but that restaurant was LOUD and overwhelming . I could not hear anything across the table. read more

Best seafood restaurant I've been to in a very long time!!! The atmosphere was both casual & dressy...open but cozy...dim lighting but no need to put on your camera light...very clean, even the bathrooms...pricey but worth every dollar...staff were friendly, our waitress was Sandra...DEFINITELY will return when back in the area. My apologies for writing this review so late. We attended the first weekend in March. read more

The food and service were great! When you approach the entrance it seems like a smaller space but once you get inside you realize it is much bigger than expected...so, of course, the ambiance is a little loud but not in a bad way. Just a good social buzz humming around the place with people enjoying themselves. For food we had the... Ramp Rolls | this was delicious buttery goodness Endive & Stilton Salad |very fresh & simple but delicious the crunchy prosciutto was a great addition Tuna Crudo | tuna was unbelievable...the fennel chili crisp was bursting with flavor Pan Roasted Halibut | Very simple straight forward dish but my word - it was cooked perfectly and the hazelnuts was a nice touch of crunch with buttery fish Butterscotch Sunday | Interesting dessert that was clearly a house favorite. Every table seemed to order one. This was pretty damn good dessert and the popcorn kernels was a really interesting twist Strawberry Cheesecake | This was meh. Not great. Not the worst. PASS. Lastly, we were visiting from Houston, Texas and while we knew about Scales we weren't able to get a reservation so we just moved on. Well, when we arrived everyone said you gotta go to Scales. My wife called at 4pm day of and the hostess was so accommodating she was able to squeeze us in at 8:30pm. Also, our waitress was awesome and gave some great recs for the rest of the trip. Thank you, Scales! We had a great experience. read more

Excellent wine list. Excellent lobster. Beet salad and service were great. Noise level not so great. Lobster roll bun was absolutely soaked in butter. I couldn't eat more than one bite. Ease off on the butter! Overall, pricey but good. read more

Some pretty good food overall! The halibut had an amazing sauce, although the halibut was over cooked. The octopus was 10/10, I would go back just for that! Oysters and the bread were delicious! read more

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Did a trip from Portland ME to Boston MA and then Newport RI. This was the best food we had the entire trip. The atmosphere, mussels, glover rolls, drink's, all fish dishes incredible!! Second time there will be back for sure!! Shoot out the staff all very good! read more

Love this place. The atmosphere the staff and the food is amazing. They assist with any food allergies and explain their take on fresh food. Always a good place to eat if you find yourself here. While they do seafood they do have land options like steak or duck (seasonal). Make sure you save room for dessert read more

Scales - Butterscotch popcorn Ice cream - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Food, service and ambiance are all above average but it's a bit too pricey and the food not to the level of excellence to warrant 5 stars. Needs to be better than above average to get 5 stars and be as expensive as it is. read more

The food was very good. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the management. They let 8 people sit at a six person table right next to us with 2 people at the end of the table. My husband had to sit sideways to eat as to not keep getting hit in the shoulder by the all of the servers trying to get past this table of 8. I complained to Adam, the manager. His response was we take 7 at that table. I said there are 8 and he said that he can count. Not the kind of attitude from a manager that I would expect after I just spent $265.00 for dinner. read more

Such a nice place! Pricey but so Worth it! Literally every dish did not miss. Staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Loved it being right next to the water! Make a reservation. read more

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The food was fantastic. The service was great. The Ambiance was very good as well. This was the second time I've been there. This time I brought the girlfriend and she loved it as well! read more

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Incredibly fresh seafood cooked to perfection! Definitely on the pricey side so save this for a special occasion! Tuna Crudo ($17) Fresh clean slices of tuna. Fried shallot added a nice charred flavor. Lemon aioli was smooth and creamy. Good but wasn't mind blowing. Bangs Island Mussels ($15.50) Generous serving of fresh, plump mussels. If you like a sauce that's strong in alcohol flavor, you'd like this. Personally it was too strong for me, but my friend enjoyed it. Grilled Octopus ($17) Perfectly cooked octopus, not rubbery at all. Yuca was crispy and tasty. Chorizo and hazelnut vinaigrette was alright. Fish & Chips ($27.50) Fish was fried well - crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. It tasted delicious with the tarter sauce and smoked jalepeno aioli. Opted to replace fries with a salad which was good, but nothing special. Scales Warm Buttered Lobster Roll (market) Excellent combination of ingredients. Each component was cooked perfectly: buns were buttered and toasted, lobster were warmed in generous coating of mayo, coleslaw was refreshing, and fries were seasoned perfectly and crispy. read more

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This was one of the best meals I had in Portland. Not pictured is the lobster roll I inhaled immediately. The oysters are from different local areas and I was surprised to find out that there was such a difference in taste! I was glad to have ordered the dozen to split with my date since we could try it with either the cocktail sauce or the mignonette. The scallop appetizer was also amazing. It had some fire roasted corn that was such a perfect accompaniment to the scallops. Definitely make a reservation. I was glad I took the 9pm dinner rez and just enjoyed some drinks and the oysters at the bar while we waited. It was worth the late dinner! read more

Scales - Oyster flight with house cocktail sauce, seaweed mignonette and lemon. - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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We stopped by Scales before a show at the Merrill auditorium. Everything was so good! I definitely recommend the cloverleaf rolls and lobster roll. One of the best lobster rolls I've ever had! YUM. The bun was perfectly buttery and toasty. The restaurant itself is also really nice looking inside. Great vibes overall. Definitely make a reservation at least a month in advance to get a good time slot. read more

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Excellent food, service, and atmosphere! Great wine selection, and don't skip dessert! read more

Had a beautiful meal at Scales while visiting Portland. I had the halibut and my husband had the scallops...both were excellent, as were our appetizers and dessert. The atmosphere is elegant but modern with great views of the docks. No wonder all of the locals we've talked to on our visit urged us to go to Scales! Don't miss it! Tip: we didn't make reservations in advance of our trip because the Yelp reviews, while good, didn't particularly stand out to me. (Can't believe we almost missed out on this incredible place!) I suggest making reservations in advance but, if you fail to do so, show up right at 4 PM and go to the hostess stand to see if they can squeeze you in that evening. Apparently, they set aside a certain number of seats for walk-ins each day. It worked for us! read more

Second time here. Different season. This place was packed the day after Christmas! People still being seated at 9! We sat at a table with a view of the wharf. It was lovely. Staff is courteous and kind and knowledgeable. We used valet for the car - nice guy. Food was delicious. We had appetizers - cauliflower and the salt cod croquettes. Both amazing. Fish stew was well received. Fish and chips also good. Two orders of halibut. Amazing! Wine and mixed drink good as well. A lovely space with high ceilings and lovely clean decor. Happy people everywhere. I loved the table we were at but I must say that I enjoyed sitting at the bar last time as well. Watching the staff prep the oysters was an experience itself. You can't go wrong here. Recommend once again! read more

I was not hungry and ordered for the sake of just trying something, but I couldn't stop until all was gone. read more

Scales - If I could, I would lick this plate clean. - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The food was out of this world, and our waiter was extremely professional and knowledgeable. We ordered the Seared Scallops and the Pineland Farm Bavette Steak. Both were incredible. If you're going to sit on the patio, be prepared for annoying rave music from the bar on the pier across from Scales. Takes away from the amazing meal. I'd highly recommend a reservation, and do it far in advance. They book up very quickly. read more

My cousin got a reservation at scales and I really enjoyed the experience! The house special rolls were honestly some of the best bread I have ever had at a restaurant so you cannot go here without ordering them. For my meal I ended up getting the mussels starter, which was absolutely delicious. I also got a hassle back potato which was yummy but I probably could have gone without because the mussels were genuinely so filling. I also got a clam chowder, which was delicious as well. The restaurant itself has a super cool live inside with very high ceilings and then open kitchen where you can see all of the fresh seafood on ice. While the menu is probably on the higher price side it is really good and I would recommend for a special event or a nicer date night. I would also recommend going here with at least a couple other people because there are a lot of fun things on the menu that you could try if you have a group to share. read more

Scales - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Amazing seafood restaurant located right on the water! Food/Drinks: - Strawberry Fields (Vodka): Fruity, light drink that's great for summertime! - Grilled Octopus: Not a huge portion size, so it would be good if you're sharing with one other person but for a big group, you will only get a single bite. Great flavor and not rubbery at all. - New England Cornbread: Love me some cornbread. Don't forget to dip in the chili-honey butter! - Pan Roasted Halibut: YUMMYYYYY!!! Perfectly cooked in brown butter with a great texture crunch from the hazelnuts and the scrumptious potatoes. I would definitely order this again! - Seared Scallops: My friend got this, and I was SO impressed by the portion size. Typically, you only get 3 tiny scallops when you order a dish like this. There were so many HUGE tasty looking scallops with large pieces of applewood smoked bacon. Service/Ambiance: Beautiful airy interior with warm lighting and great views. Staff was friendly and attentive, and the food came out quickly. Great for date night and larger groups. Overall: Would highly recommend if you're ever in Portland! read more

The restaurant's policy requires ALL members of a party be present before a party can be seated. If you're a party of 10 but only 9 people are present - you won't be seated. The restaurant's policy requires all members of a party be present before food orders will be taken as the kitchen staff require appetizer and entree orders be taken at the same time. You are allowed to order drinks but not appetizers. The food is average at best. The clam chowder I ordered was thin and watery. The fried scallops I ordered were ok, but far from being worth the price. The wait staff were attentive and pleasant. This was my first, and will be my last, time dining at Scales. There are far better seafood restaurants in Portland. read more

We had a reservation for 7pm Friday night and the restaurant was nice enough to call us to ask if we wanted to change our reservation to inside because of the rainy weather. We arrived at 4pm and were seated promptly. The decor was beautiful! Tons of windows allowing natural light had it not been overcast. Appetizers: bluefin tuna crudo - was amazing! Very high quality and lean tuna with flavorful chili oil. Oysters - local Maine oysters which were medium sized. Were also good and not too grimy tasting. Fried squid and spicy peppers - basically calamari. Was good but nothing special. Entrees: grilled swordfish - was super tender and probably the best swordfish my boyfriend had ever had. It was cooked with beautiful fall flavors. Scallops - was AMAZING. Good portion also. Was cooked beautifully with bacon and brussel sprouts. Side: loaded hasselback potato - basically a baked potato. Good but nothing special. Overall, we loved our dining experience here! The service was good without being too overbearing and the food was incredible. read more

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Tuna crudo was delicious. Would definitely order the halibut. Great ambiance. Would come again read more

Scales - Open kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Oh my goodness what FABULOUS food AND service!!! Despite horrible weather, the place was very lively and packed with lovely people! The half shell raw oysters were such a delicious appetizer - the two selections from Damariscotta, ME were my favs! My friend and I split the Baked Haddock in brown butter and the seared scallops so we could try both - both were noted as their top choices on the menu by our great waiter. Both dishes rated a 20!! The cocktails and wine selection were also great!!! Such a great atmosphere if you love lively, fun and delicious!!! read more

Expensive seafood restaurant with an urban feel that is right on the water in Portland Inside of the restaurant the space is all open, which means that there are no walls in the entire place. Although this is a cool concept, the result was a restaurant that was extremely loud. Additionally, the side of the restaurant that was by the water was comprised of all windows but due to where the sun was in the sky I was blinded for the majority of my diner here Though the environment of the place left much to be desired, the food was delicious. I got the halibut dish and a strawberry custard for desert, and both were fantastic. I also got one of their appetizers which was sort of like buttered toast, and it was delicious as well They also have a enormous wine selection in addition to a few other drinks as well. I tried one of their cocktails and it was pretty tasty Valet parking read more

I'm reluctant to write a glowing review of Scales for the selfish reason of wanting greater access to reservations for myself! But truth be told - Scales is my favorite restaurant in Portland, here in Maine - and everywhere else throughout my travels to all 50-states and 86 different countries. I LOVE Scales. The restaurant ambience is classy & smart without being pretentious. The food is perfectly sourced & prepared without putting style before substance. And the staff are all friendly, positive, knowledgeable - with A+ customer service without being obtrusive. Everything on the menu is epic - but I highly recommend you start every Scales meal with a sampling of their home-made breads; Ramp cloverleaf rolls, cornbread or old fashioned Brown Bread!! Also - the "Loaded Hasselback Potato" qualifies as a culinary art form! (I almost hate giving specific menu mentions as everything is wonderful at Scales!) Final Pro Tip: Book your Scales reservations weeks in advance, especially in the summer! Enjoy! (I'll be at Scales myself tomorrow night!!) read more

This restaurant made the trip to Portland worth it! Truly exquisite from start to finish. The mussels are to die for. The Branzino was the best I've ever had. We were also impressed by everything else, including tuna crudo, the scallops and the lobsters. The restaurant is warm and relaxing and the service is on point. We had no complaints about this one! read more

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We went to Scales for our last vacation meal in Maine, certain it would be delicious and special. We were sorely disappointed. The atmosphere is a nice mix of old seafood house with modern airy touches. The server was courteous but unhelpful. Our first impression from the server was being told that we have to order everything at once. This made it feel more like a Red Lobster than fine dining. It made the whole meal seem rushed and like they were just trying to turn our table quickly. Nonetheless, we were forgiving of this given how busy and popular they are. We figured the food would be worth it. However, we were wrong. The fried squid and cherry peppers came on a bread plate (I.e., very small) of soggy romaine. It was ok. The scallop entree was ok but one of the scallops was so undercooked that our guest had to spit it into a napkin and, understandably, lost her appetite. The Bavette steak was drowning in gravy and sliced incorrectly in the kitchen so that each bite felt like eating shoe leather. The halibut was unseasoned (I.e., not even salted) and swimming in butter. The potatoes accompanying the steak and halibut were good. The seafood stew was fine but when three of the four of us were unable to finish our meals because the food tasted bad, we were very disappointed overall. There are so many nice people in Portland, to have a snobby wait staff is disappointing. Overall, I would not recommend anyone go to Scales. There are other wonderful restaurants in the area where we were made to feel welcome, had much tastier food, and paid a more down to earth price. Find those places. read more

After visiting 4 places that had more than a 4 hour wait we were given a reservation within 20 mins here. It's a huge place and has tables 6 feet apart. We got a waterside table too. They have their water tanks upfront in case you are interested. We started off with the oysters - they gave us three of their selection- local and fresh. Then we took the cornbread that cake with a honey chili butter that was excellent. (I will steal the idea and make it sometime) I ordered the fish and chips and asked For salad as a side. The fish wasn't oily, it was perfectly flaky inside and the batter was just right. The fries were excellent. Potatoes were the rig hut amount of crispy and cooked. Their dipping sauces were great too. My partner ordered their scallops and tbh I wasn't sure why it came with a ton of other things. I was pleasantly surprised to taste it. The bacon and the corn and cream tasted beautifully and did not overpower the scallops at All. It is on the saltier side however. Rich, indulgent meal. Will be back here if I'm visiting again! read more

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Everything was delicious from the soup to the scallop crudo to the halibut and swordfish. Will definitely be back!

We had dinner here a couple times while visiting and the food is absolutely amazing. The scallops and mussels are must try , you will not be disappointed. Fabulous food , wonderful service and an amazing view.. read more

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Delicious! Very upscale. Started with a decent old fashioned...the. I had then pan roasted lobster, which was delicious. But....I have celiac and asked For potatoes instead of the bread. The server said absolutely no substitutions(?!?!?) and then went to point out none of the sides were gluten free. I had to PLEAD with her to ask her manager, which she eventually did...and then charged me $7.25 to sub potatoes for the bread. Seriously--ASSHOLES! But the food was delicious. Just know, assholes at Scales who do NOT accommodate food allergies, especially celiac. read more

Scales - Pan roasted lobster - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

Had a lovely meal and our group of four showed up with no reservation on a busy Thursday evening and were promptly seated. The menu is extensive and you can't go wrong with any selection. A special shout out to our server Duncan!!! Knowledgable, professional, kind and attentive. A great meal in a great spot. We will be back. read more

I chose this restaurant because it was the only one in Portland that served whole steamed lobster in a nice, sit-down setting. The lobster and the vibe did not disappoint. We ate... *Whole lobsters: This was spot on. So fresh and also just so fun to crack it all open ourselves. I'm not usually a big fan of cole slaw, but this was tangy and refreshing. It also came with a moist, slightly sweet piece of cornbread. *New England Clam Chowder: This was maybe one of the best clam chowders I've had. Pure, clean, creamy and full of clams. The atmosphere is lovely - the interior has bay windows that let a ton of sunlight stream in and look out onto the dock. The outdoor patio is bright and sunny, and has heating lamps for those colder days. The service was wonderful! Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. When my lobster had a bit of uncooked roe inside (black!), the server offered to bring a bowl of hot water to rinse it off in. read more

Scales - Lobster!!! - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Incredible food. Just had the pan roasted lobster. Best lobster I've ever had. Perfectly cooked, probably a 1 3/4 pounder. Sauce is worth licking the plate for. Great atmosphere. Service was perfect. I would absolutely eat here again. read more

Scales - Bar seating - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Maine

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