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    Back River Bistro

    4.7 (34 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 8:30 PM

    Back River Bistro Photos

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    BACK RIVER BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

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    Trendy
    Outdoor seating

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    Olive oil cake
    Sarah W.

    I've now been to Back River Bistro two times for dinner and both were phenomenal experiences! The food was original, fresh, and delicious. The atmosphere is intimate and nicely decorated. And the service was personal and attentive. On our second visit, our waitress (one of the co-owners, Corrinna) even remembered us from our first visit! It is clear that every little detail of this establishment has been well-planned and thought-through. From the neatly rolled cloth towels available in the restroom to the resting dishes for silverware on the table, tasteful presentation and sustainability have been seamlessly married throughout their operations. When we placed a drink order with our waitress, the bartender brought them over and knew whose drink was whose without needing to ask. Its these small details that really make the experience! Back River Bistro's menu is updated often (about every three weeks according to Corrinna) and revolves around locally-sourced ingredients. At our most recent visit, the special was a delicious and unique take on cacio e pepe using green beans because they had access to plentiful amounts of fresh green beans. Each time we have been, we have thoroughly enjoyed our food and loved the opportunity to try new and exciting dishes! We will definitely be back!

    David L.

    Owner operated restaurants are some of my absolute favorites. I ordered quite a lot here. Very quaint location, presentation on all the food was excellent, as was the service. I hate mushrooms normally, but the mushroom toast was probably my favorite item I ordered. Bread was delicious and the mushrooms were not overwhelming in flavor. The texture of the toast combined with the variety of mushrooms was perfect. Octopus appetizer was also good, they cooked it well and it didn't have a chewy or unpleasant texture. Flavor was very satisfying, a little too savory, but I would order it again. The carrots were also delicious and very well cooked, another favorite. The potato appetizer was also very good. The exterior was crisp and flavorful, interior potato was soft, but not mushy. I went with the braised beef with gnocchi. I was very excited about this after the appetizers were so good. It was good, not great. The gnocchis were great, the beef was a little salty and the dish was a bit too heavy on the green onions or chimichurri, or whatever that flavor was. The toffee dessert was the only thing I didn't like. Far too much sauce, made the whole cake too mushy. Overall excellent.

    Tuna Crudo
    Josh K.

    So glad we found this gem! Booked a reservation for our 15th anniversary and each dish was superb. The tomato tartare was like a deconstructed BLT, and the panzanella was light and fresh. $2 oysters and half price bottle of wine was a nice surprise (Wednesday special) which we took advantage of. My wife got the tuna crudo to start, which she found a little soy heavy but for my taste was just right. I chose the ribeye for my main which was a perfect medium rare, and the sauce added a layer of complexity (and killer with the mashed potatoes), with the potato pave complementing the steak. My wife got the trout - delicate and flaky with lovely lemon herb flavors along with green beans and tomatoes made for a lovely summer dish. We are already telling our friends, can't wait to be back!

    cosmo on patio

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    3 years ago

    Had a delicious Cubano sandwich and chopped salad for lunch. Warm reception and enjoyed talking with Kennedy.

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    3 years ago

    Great food, spectacular service. The staff remember us each time. The Black Card Club gives us priority seating even at the last minute.

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    Back River Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

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    Water Street Kitchen and Bar - Sautéed mussels

    Water Street Kitchen and Bar

    4.3(165 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Service was awesome! Macy was sweet. Sorry she was working on Valentine's Day Thank you for the…read moregreat drinks!

    **November 2025: Friday Early Afternoon Visit**…read more My friend and I were wandering Wiscasset and were in need of a restroom. We couldn't find one and decided to dine in to use their facilities. I think we were among the first diners and realized that the restaurant was really nice and had such a wonderful view of the water. Our server was incredibly kind and hospitality. She informed us that the soup of the day was clam chowda to which both of us wanted right away. The chowda was flavorful and had a good amount of clams (many other restaurants choose to load it with potatoes, but not this one!). The soup does lean more brothy versus gravy-like which is a personal preference but taste wise it was still soothing. The menu had a lot of really great seafood options so I decided to try their Maine mussels. Our waitress said that the broth was really wonderful and would pair nicely with garlic bread which I also ordered. The entrees came out pretty quickly and the serving size of my mussels was double what I thought it would be. The mussels looked massive and the meat was as fresh mussels should taste. It was an excellent dish. The garlic bread would be a great vessel to soak up the mussel broth, but I felt that the bread was a little thin and slightly over-toasted to really soak up the broth. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the overall experience and it does feel like a local spot.

    Photos
    Water Street Kitchen and Bar - Perfect!

    Perfect!

    Water Street Kitchen and Bar - Brussel sprouts, mussels

    Brussel sprouts, mussels

    Water Street Kitchen and Bar - Blueberry mojito | #intenselypassionatephotography

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    Blueberry mojito | #intenselypassionatephotography

    Montsweag Restaurant - The House Focaccia Bread - Herbed Focaccia served with marinara, whipped Honey & Lemon zest Ricotta, and house Pesto

    Montsweag Restaurant

    4.2(277 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    We dropped in at 5 on our way to Gardens Aglow not thinking we needed reservations, but they were…read morefull. We got two seats at the bar and had amazing food and drinks. Crock of onion soup is made with Beal broth and was super delicious. My wife had the Waldorf salad and she loved it - she said the dressing needed something, probably salt. I had the fried chicken dinner with garlic mashed and roasted carrots. They fry a whole breast from a small chicken, delish!, black pepper gravy on the side and the mashed potatoes were scrumptious. We stop here a few times a year and it never disappoints Garyd

    We were in Boothbay for Gardens Aglow and honestly weren't sure if we wanted to make the 30-minute…read moredrive out to Montsweag at first especially after a long day. But every restaurant in Boothbay had over an hour wait, and I can confidently say I am SO glad we couldn't get a reservation anywhere else because it led us here. We got a reservation right away, were seated early, and everything from start to finish was incredible. The food tasted so fresh and flavorful, the drinks were amazing, and the atmosphere was perfect . Cozy but still lively with live music. Truly one of those places where nothing misses. I'm from out of state and already planning to come back next year just to eat here again. I honestly can't say enough good things about Montsweag. So worth the drive and then some!

    Photos
    Montsweag Restaurant - Bar area

    Bar area

    Montsweag Restaurant - Classic Fish & Chips - Beer battered Fresh Atlantic Haddock served with French Fries and Coleslaw

    Classic Fish & Chips - Beer battered Fresh Atlantic Haddock served with French Fries and Coleslaw

    Montsweag Restaurant - Stuffed haddock

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    Stuffed haddock

    Easy Street Lounge - More interior

    Easy Street Lounge

    4.7(24 reviews)
    20.1 mi
    $$

    I love weird bars--they're my favorite. For a while I thought there weren't any to be had around…read morecentral Maine. Enter Easy Street. I would love to know where they get the decor for this place. I'd imagine a lot of flea markets (fabulous ones)? It's hard to pick my favorite decor item because there are so many, but it's somewhere between the chairs shaped like hands and the giant silver octopus tentacle under the T.V. Ooo and the corner with all the clowns! Drinks are strong and cheap. The bartenders are friendly. There's a patio, but it's a bit small. There are plenty of comfy chairs/couches. They have live music pretty often, so if that's your thing, you'll be happy there on weekend nights. The only thing is the space is kind of small for live music, so it can get really loud. This is an excellent chill option if you're in Hallowell and want to skip bars that tend to get a bit fratty like The Quarry Taproom. Highly recommend!

    I don't get to spend a lot of tine in Hallowell anymore since I moved away from the area in 2010,…read morebut it seems as though every time I do, we somehow end up at Easy Street. Friends of ours wanted to play some pool after we had dinner nearby at Lucky Garden, so we did exactly that. It was a slow night and no one was waiting for the table, so we played about 4 or 5 games and had a lovely time. The decor is awesome, the bar is clean, and the staff were friendly. I've always had a good time here, and I enjoy the artwork too!

    Photos
    Easy Street Lounge - The bar

    The bar

    Easy Street Lounge - Funky art

    Funky art

    Easy Street Lounge - Easy Street around Christmastime

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    Easy Street around Christmastime

    Whale's Tale Restaurant & Seafarer's Pub

    Whale's Tale Restaurant & Seafarer's Pub

    4.4(37 reviews)
    11.6 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    This was my least favorite food experience on my recent trip to the Northeast. C chose it, let's…read morehope she misses reading this review. Miserable is the best way to describe my experience. I was already in a foul mood, walking in here set me into straight sensory overload. It's a bar where they sing. I am unable to get inebriated enough to enjoy bars where they sing any longer. Call me miserable, maybe I suppose. In addition to the merry old fella belting it out on the mic, we had the joy of having some drunk guy in a large group behind us try and out sing him without a microphone. He even challenged the old guy singing to a form of a duel. Anyway I was so off, I cannot remember anything about my server at all. Nothing. I do remember almost screaming and running out. I sat there trying not to lose it while my wife had the time of her life. Every song made it worse, everyone else is singing, I am dying. When the guy took a break, guess what, dickhead from the crowd goes up and takes over. Shots helped at this point and the weed is kicking in well at this point. Now I'm hungry... My food was inedible and I'm pretty sure incomplete as well. The worst flatbread in the history of flatbreads. C's looked pretty good actually so I am sure her experience was quite different than mine. I hope to never return. '25 - extra

    Was first quiet dinner we had. Food was great. Service was great even though the servers said it…read morewas her first day. She did great sat outside great view.

    Photos
    Whale's Tale Restaurant & Seafarer's Pub
    Whale's Tale Restaurant & Seafarer's Pub
    Whale's Tale Restaurant & Seafarer's Pub

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    Back River Bistro - seafood - Updated May 2026

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