One of my favorite cafes to work from. I love how spacious it is. The tables are large, the couches…read moreare comfy, clean and perfect spot to work remote or study. I stayed for hours and loved every minute. The art on the walls add a perfect touch to the calm atmosphere. A cafe filled with local goods and organic fare. Walking distance to the harbor and downtown.

Stopped in to grab and coffee and was very happy with this cute cafe. I didn't try any food but it…read morelooked good. Got a quick coffee but looked around at all the snacks they had to offer. Lots of different options. Great lunch spot!

My daughter and I stopped here on a whim while passing through town. We were delighted that we made…read morethis choice. I had the beef noodle bowl and my daughter had the sweet and Buddha bowl. Both were delicious. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the service was great. I would definitely eat here again and recommend to oth

The chai and kitchari were a little overdose on spices (not subtle.. like a bunch of powder spices…read moreadded to liquid.. not brewed chai as in authentic). I wondered if ghee was used in kitchari. Friendly staff, relaxing ambience for gathering with friends. I look forward to trying their other items in menu.

Stopped by for a quick breakfast. I ordered pickup and it was ready and on the pickup shelf when I…read moregot there. Everything was neatly packaged. PB&J Smoothie: my go to flavor for smoothies. Pretty standard texturally and flavorwise. Be sure to mix in the peanut butter that's smeared on the side of the cup! Smoked Salmon Toast: I enjoyed the cashew cream cheese. You can taste a hint of cashew but the texture is definitely creamy. I loved the smokiness of the salmon with the brininess of the capers and pickled onions. The bread held together. Unfortunately, according to their Instagram, this is their final season! Hopefully they are focusing more on their sister/neighboring restaurants The Annex and Side Street Cafe or opening a new concept.

Excellent fresh food. We had a really nice takeout lunch from Thrive. We had two smoothies…read morestrawberry based and spinach based --and they were very good. Our Thai peanut sauce soba noodle carrot salad was delicious. We had a nice breakfast burrito as well. All in all, really good food

10/10, no notes!! I got their new Dragon Fruit Smoothie, and…read morewhole pricey for the large, it was to die for! This is the perfect place to stop before hitting the rail trail. Very cute central location in Hallowell, with fast and friendly service.

We stopped for a late lunch and had a the Asian Fusion Bowl, the Southwest Fiesta Bowl, and a mango…read moresmoothie and berry banana smoothie. As expected, the menu was healthy and vegetarian and vegan friendly; the default for the smoothies was coconut milk. The brick café was flooded with natural light and maintained its historic Water Street, Hallowell bones. Counter service was efficient; the server politely told us they were closing in a half hour, which wasn't a problem. The only note was the loud country / Christian music. I realize this is subjective but we agreed it detracted from the experience. Otherwise, Juiced is a solid place to stop in Hallowell.

Nice little natural foods store with a bunch of aisles full of non-perishables, some produce in the…read morefront, and a counter for ordering food. We bought some wild blueberries there and walked around the store to take a look around. We didn't see too much gluten-free at the counter, but everyone there was nice. The blueberries were pretty good; we ended up picking up some more at a farmer's market that were tasty too.

There is no guarantee of great customer service anywhere. But the apparent free fall in customer…read moreservice at A & B Naturals stings. For years, this store has been an oasis of good vibes, healthy food and employees who seemed genuinely aligned around better food, better health, better community and a better kind of commerce -- one that puts people and community first. What I experienced in mid-July 2026 felt more like the customer service I'd expect from a cranky big-city bodega employee pushing scratch tickets, vodka nips, cigarettes and herbal Viagra at the register. I'm a longtime, loyal A & B Naturals shopper. But maybe not anymore. I recently learned that more than $300 in receipts I had carefully saved for redemption through the store's loyalty program are now worthless. I always liked being able to redeem old receipts for a modest discount on future purchases. Apparently, that program changed during the dead of winter. Under the new rules, only receipts from the same calendar year can be redeemed. As a 20-plus-year summer resident of MDI, maybe I missed the 2025 messaging. I assume there was some warning. But the change landed harshly for someone like me who had saved receipts in good faith. What bothers me is that A & B Naturals apparently gave longtime (summertime) customers no grace period or soft landing -- no window to redeem older receipts before making them worthless. It feels abrupt and unnecessarily unfriendly to loyal shoppers. But that alone wouldn't bring my review down to two stars. What really gets my goat is how ONE employee treated me when I expressed disappointment about the change. Let me be clear: I love the A & B Naturals staff. Most are salt of the earth. They represent a diversity I celebrate, and they are a big reason I've shopped there for years. The nutritionist, in particular, is amazing -- knowledgeable, patient and genuinely helpful. But one bad apple can ruin the cart. An older employee named Katherine met me at the counter and was defensive, smug, condescending and rude. She told me I was the first person ever to complain about the new loyalty rules. When I asked to speak with the owner, her response was: "It won't do you any good." When I told her I was disappointed by both the loyalty change and the way she was treating me -- and that I was considering leaving a review or writing a letter to the editor -- she again essentially told me it wouldn't matter and nobody would care. Her tone and demeanor made it clear she wasn't interested in hearing me out or de-escalating the conversation. Quite the opposite. I felt dismissed and talked down to. There was no acknowledgment that a longtime customer might reasonably be disappointed, no sympathy, no attempt to explain the change constructively and certainly no effort to preserve goodwill. Maybe I missed the notice about the loyalty program. Fair enough. But good customer service isn't about always giving the customer what they want. Sometimes it's simply about listening, showing a little empathy and treating a loyal customer like their business still matters. That part should never expire.

I'm so glad to see that Ann's Book Bistro is open again. We went last night and sampled their new…read moreTapas menu and were blown away. We had their tomato fennel soup, slow cooked pork tacos with pickled veggies, and their Sparta (Greek) salad and finished with their special banana nut sundae. Finally we had a unique cocktail with chocolate tequila, Gran Marnier and Tia Marie (addictive!). All were unique and outstanding. It was also nice to see that the restaurant was packed and their unique atmosphere was hopping. We'll be back soon!

There are many terrific dining options in Damariscotta/Newcastle. But the no-doubt winner in the…read moremost underrated restaurant is Ann's Book Bistrot. We've met three groups of friends there in the past 10 days and sample pretty much everything on the tapas menu. Pork souvlaki, lamb ragu, Indian butter chicken, lamb burger, brie brûlée, bistro sesame noodles, tomato fennel soup--all of it fresh, delicious, all brilliantly presented. Quiet, comfortable at-home dining area makes for a perfect setting for perfect meals we and our dinner pals have enjoyed. Ann's Book Bistrot is just a couple of miles outside of downtown Damariscotta and well worth the trip.

I love these protien shakes and energy teas! Amazing flavors to choose from. Friendly staff!read more

Noticed this place while walking around after a visit to Reny's. Wife was excited for a smoothie…read morebut we did not get to try due to the fact that we did not feel like unlacing our boots. Apparently they leased a spot in the plaza that has delicate flooring material because no shoes are allowed. Two stars just for offering a healthy smoothie option.