19 Best Restaurants, Mid-Coast Maine: Rockport, etc.
OK, we’ll admit it…we love everything about Maine, from the amazing freshest seafood and homegrown vegetables, from local farms, to the delicious homemade ice cream. Especially, we like Mid-coast Maine. Here’s a partial list of the best restaurants including our all-time favorites, a few farm-to-table places, lobsterman co-ops, small breweries, one award-winning chef and a couple of nominated chefs, some great breakfast diners, and a couple of cool places to visit. I’ve also included the story behind the hardest “farm-to-table” restaurant to get a reservation.
The Mid-coast Maine area is a series of small towns with great locations, often with jaw-dropping ocean and harbor views. When most people think about Maine, they think local ingredients, live lobsters, and the famous “best in the United States” lobster roll. To see other areas of New England and additional information about other areas in Maine we suggest you visit our New England Post.
Who doesn’t love lobster?
So let’s start there. Known for its long lines, Red’s Eats in Wiscasset , there’s a reason people wait for so long. However, there’s a new kid in town, with even more rave reviews, located on Spruce Head Island in South Thomaston. Here is the site of McLoon’s Lobster Shack, named the #1 Lobster Roll in Maine by Yankee Magazine years ago. They serve not only crab rolls, but also lobster rolls and Lobster Rolls Royce!
Another great setting for lobster rolls is Shaw’s Fish & Lobster Wharf in New Harbor. They even have live entertainment on some nights.
But before you continue, head out to two of my favorite spots. As you drive from Brunswick to Harpswell, you will pass a wonderful place to whet your appetite…the Giants Stairs Trail. The rock formations are a geologist’s dream. They are composed of mud which formed the original sedimentary rock, later crystallizing into quartz and garnet. Take a short walk here to take it all in.
After you have your walk, continue to Dolphins Marina & Restaurant at Lands End, a particularly beautiful setting. The dining experience is pure Maine, with clam chowder, fried clams, fried haddock sandwich, lobster stew and Gifford’s Ice Cream with Maine blueberry pie.
Just around the corner in Cook’s Corner, Brunswick is a similar perfect place, Cook’s Lobster & Ale House. There is both outdoor seating during the good weather but also the cozy dining room. You will love both the food from their delicious Maine menu as well as their fantastic view. Plus there is live music on most weekends!
Lobster, crab, shrimp, mussels, fish. Yum!
For a truly authentic lobster experience, you must search for lobsterman co-ops. Lobstermen unload their lobsters here and cook them in small shacks on docks, often with picnic tables. We love to grab a salad and a bottle of wine and enjoy fine dining as nature intended! A couple of suggestions for you: Round Pond Lobster (in Round Pond, of course!) and South Bristol Co-op. But follow many Lands End roads and you might find them.
Shannon’s Unshelled’s slogan is “Fresh From Trap to Table”. This is a wonderfully typical local lobster shack whose menu includes chowders, lobster rolls and shrimp, clam and haddock baskets. Each basket is served with French Fries and Maine blueberry coleslaw or seaweed salad. They also offer hot dogs and chicken tenders for the non seafood eaters. If you still have room, get a Maine Wicked Woopie Pie for dessert!
Do yourself a favor and find the Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine. You will find not only gardens but gigantic trolls made by the world-famous Danish artist Thomas Dambo! They are friendly, mysterious, and mammoth recycled sculptures. See more on our post on our favorite gardens.
Mid-Coast Maine Lighthouses?
Most people want to see lighthouses while they are in Maine. Take a right-hand turn to Pemaquid Point where you can visit the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in New Harbor. Not only will you visit this lighthouse, you will enjoy the crashing waves and that amazing salt air smell! You may even be able to climb the tower! While there, some like to visit the Pemaquid Seafood Co-op with that gorgeous view.
Do you like Maine Oysters?
Next, one of the best places for oysters at a reasonable price, if you’re willing to do a little work yourself. When you are in Damariscotta, follow the Maine Oyster Trail on the Damariscotta River. This is the place where fresh and saltwater meet, with tidal flows as much as eleven feet. Referred to as the “Napa Valley of Oysters”, this river stretches 12 miles from Damariscotta to the Atlantic Ocean. We learned how to shuck oysters (it’s not that hard) from the folks at Glidden Point Oyster Farm in Edgecomb. They also sell beer and chips. Yum.
Mid-Coast Maine Authentic Maine Diners
What else is quintessential Maine? The local diner!
A longstanding and perhaps most well-known is on Route 1 in Waldoboro: Moody’s Diner. Open all day, it has the best breakfast ever and the pies are award-winning in my book. We usually can’t decide between eggs or coconut cream pie. Sometimes we have both!
Not too far from Moody’s, also on Route 1, you will find Round Top Ice Cream in Damariscotta. There is always a happy crowd, waiting for their cones and locally-made ice cream. Yet another diner we hear great things about but have yet to try it is Rockport Diner. This cozy spot is known not only for their wonderful breakfasts, but also their delicious lunch and dinner.
Before you leave Damariscotta, visit one of everyone’s favorite restaurants, Damariscotta River Grill at 155 Main St. Great vibe, great service and great food! That explains why both the visitors and the locals love this place.
Mid-Coast Maine: Camden
Now we head to the Rockland/Rockport/Camden area. Most people consider these three places to be the definition of Mid-coast Maine. Camden is a town on Penobscot Bay. Camden has 19th-century homes, its Opera House and the highly protected harbor (on three sides). You will notice the towering Mount Battie, one of the Camden hills. Camden is upscale with shops and restaurants to match. There are so many restaurants, there won’t be enough time to try them all.
Many associate Camden with the Sailing Schooners. Why not take a quick sunset cruise on the Appledore II and see gorgeous Penobscot Bay? We did this through Get Your Guide and it was wonderful. Plus we were able to get some great pictures of Curtis Island Lighthouse, right at the entrance to Camden Harbor.
I suggest the long-standing Peter Otts on the Water with its signature lobster corn chowder, Peter’s original recipe. If you’ve had a little too much lobster (is that even possible?), try Long Grain Restaurant which features Asian fusion. Using the freshest Maine seafood, this restaurant is a perfect place to sample Thai, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Japanese flavors. Chef Ravin “Bas” Nakjaroen and his wife Paula Palakawong are from Bangkok. Bas was once a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef.
Mid-Coast Maine: Rockport
Heading slightly south, you will reach the sweet town of Rockport, Maine. We found 18 Central Oyster Bar & Grill. Self-described as locally sourced + crafted with love, this is a popular place, the top dog of Rockport. With its full bar, you need reservations not only for the dining room but also for the bar. It is hopping with locals and tourists alike and everyone has a wonderful experience at this great place.
Maine’s Most Exclusive Restaurant
But before we go to Rockland, Maine, let’s take a 17-mile detour to the small town of Freedom, Maine. Far removed from the lobster pounds and Route 1 gift shops, this sweet town prides itself on its Goosepecker Ridge Invitational (a combination pig roast and golf tournament).
Why do I mention this? It’s about Lost Kitchen, this ambitious restaurant in an old gristmill. Chef-owner Erin French has made this experience one of the most unique and exclusive dining reservations experience. Because of the popularity of this true farm-to-table restaurant, as well as her nomination by James Beard as Semifinalist Best Chef, this tiny restaurant enjoys phenomenal fame. So much so that each year nearly 20,000 reservation hopefuls apply by postcard (!) for the roughly 4600 covers over the following year.
So far, she has not selected us, but we have made her amazing meatloaf from her cookbook “The Lost Kitchen”. It is simply delicious food. Subsequently, she has published another book, “Finding Freedom” and about to publish “Big Heart Little Stove”. So while you’re in Maine, send her a postcard, hoping to come back again next year! Here’s a link to Erin French’s cookbooks on Amazon:
Mid-Coast Maine: Rockland
Finally, to Rockland, Maine. Chef/owner John Stowe started Rustica Cucina Italiana at 315 Main St. in 2006. His wonderful restaurant, working with fresh and authentic ingredients, is authentic Italian and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
If you have the time, visit the nationally recognized Farnsworth Museum, featuring one of the best American art collections in the nation.
Top Mid-Coast Maine Restaurant: Primo Restaurant
Now, our absolute favorite restaurant in this mid-coast Maine area: Primo Restaurant. Founded by James Beard award-winning Chef Melissa Kelly (pictured below) in 2000, this is true farm-to-table. After you park your car, wander to the old Victorian house and pick up some bacon-flavored popcorn. Walk through the 4.5-acre organic farm. You will see fruit trees, vegetable and herb gardens. Check out the pigs, free-range chickens, and ducks, all destined for the menu. Primo doesn’t waste anything. Anything not grown here Primo buys from neighboring farms.
This is a wonderful restaurant, one of the best places you can go. Since the fruit and vegetable gardens change with the seasons, you have an ever-changing menu, fresh from the farm. The wine list is, not surprisingly, perfect. If you want a quick bite or casual dining, go upstairs where you will find oysters and occasionally live music. Having had success in Rockland, Melissa now has a restaurant in Orlando in the JW Marriott Grand Lakes Hotel. If you can’t get to Rockland, go to Orlando.
So now you’ve seen some of our favorite restaurants in Mid-Coast. If you’d like to see more, see our Restaurants post for how we find these restaurants as well as how we rank them.
Plan your next trip and enjoy!
