Jae S.

We came here Sunday Brunch after searching for brunch spots in the Bangor area. The interior decor of the restaurant and bar are modern with a moody chic color palette. We decided to do brunch on the rooftop since it was a beautiful day and it was a great call. I was worried it was going to be too chilly but they had all their fireplaces lit and we were seated by one, which made the dining experience warm and comfortable. Our server was young and very friendly, didn't catch her name, but she was handling orders, serving food and bartending all by herself. Service was slow but as expected with one girl handling three roles. For drinks, we ordered a house Bloody Mary which was loaded with a mini grilled cheese, bacon, shrimp, pickle spear, and lemon and lime for garnish. While the presentation was beautiful, my partner said it tasted watered down and did not finish. Not sure if the Bloody Mary mix was off or the ratio of booze to mix was off. I ordered a spiked latte with Jameson which was good except all the booze settled at the bottom of the glass. It would be nice to get a stir stick or some type or straw to mix this so the booze is evenly distributed when drinking. For food, we ordered the fried chicken and waffles and the pork belly Benedict. My fried chicken was good but it was advertised as Korean fried chicken and I could not tell why they called it Korean fried chicken. The gravy was tasty but the waffles were bland. Overall, presentation was nice and the fried chicken was the star of the dish. I would just want the fried chicken minus the waffles. My partner thought the Benedict was good except his pork belly was undercooked. It came with spicy beans which I stole from his plate and ate because they were so darn good! I've never had beans that had a kick of spice and flavor around here. If I could have my ideal dish, I would order the fried chicken with a side of beans but I digress. Overall, this is a good place for casual brunch and rooftop drinks and a romantic dinner in their first floor dining area.

Amanda R.

Row, row,row your Boat,right to Kanu! This is a modestly priced restaurant in Old Towne. I loved the feel of this place walking in, and the smell! We sat at the 1st floor bar and could see the chefs cooking. The food is phenomenal, the mussels were so tender and sweet I could've drank the sauce. The chicken was superb, they brine it and smoke it, I loved every bite! I will def be back and sit on the roof top patio next time!! Thanks for a great food journey.....ps get the milkshake!

Christy K.

I'd been hesitant to try Kanu due to negative feedback from friends in the area, but wanted to give it a shot. What a mistake. I will say, on a positive note the place is absolutely gorgeous. The ambiance and decor certainly doesn't make up for the overall very poor experience. From the moment we arrived, not much went right. I had a 10am reservation and was unable to add an extra person online, but based on availability when booking earlier that morning it didn't appear that it would be an issue so I called and left a msg to explain the change from 2 to 3 guests. The hostesses really struggled with this change (seems no one checked the voice mail), but they also asked me what my name was several times as I stood there. I even offered that we can sit wherever there's space available as they tried to figure out how to add one more guest to my reservation. We were seated at the 3rd floor bar as per my reservation and were served a bottle of water w a hinged lid. When I went to pour a glass of water, there was an obvious lipstick mark on my glass. My dining companion's glasses were not much better. Fortunately, we're were seated next to a tray of still wet glasses & could choose clearer ones for ourselves wiping them with our cloth napkins. There was also a pile of containers & other odds & ends at the end of the bar, which made it look more like a VFW bar vs a high end classy establishment. When taking our drink order, I asked about the "adult latte" on the menu. She told me she'd "just put some Jameson in it". I requested Bailey's as well, but as per the menu it seemed like there was a weekly special so I was thinking they had a plan vs just put some Jameson in it. Took 30 min to get the latte, a mimosa, and a basic coffee and we overheard the bartender/server calling downstairs for the foamed milk. Looked like coffee w Bailey's & Jameson to me and sloshed into the saucer so it dripped when I drank it. My bf was given 4 sweet & low packets for sugar in his coffee, which had a dirty finger print on them. I was like, um do you have SUGAR? She gave him one tube of organic sugar & 1 in the raw packet. Both crinkled up like they were pulled from the bottom of her purse. When ordering, we inquired about the ingredients in the Lobster Florentine Benedict special as my friend is gluten free. The server literally said, I don't really know what's in it but there are other GF options on the menu AND told us they have 4 options of GF bread, which seemed unlikely. I suggested she could check w the kitchen on those ingredients, which she did and confirmed no gluten in the Florentine. And no GF bread options but was offered a fruit cup instead of the bread, which was a great substitute. Food finally arrived at almost 11:30 (remember 10am reservation?), so almost an hour and a half later. My gluten free friend got a frittata that she didn't order (remember the Florentine question?); one of my poached eggs on the roast beef hash had runny whites - fortunately the other egg was fine. The server told me "that's just how they make em here" (lmao). Roast beef hash was a few cubes of beef w the deep fried potatoes. My boyfriend had the steak (medium) & eggs (over easy) which his medium steak appeared to be torched & over cooked. We also ordered the Banana & Buttered Rum pancakes to share. Be careful, the topping turns hard as a rock if you don't eat it immediately. Our mistake for thinking it could be shared as a dessert after eating our savory food. One a brighter note, the manager was very nice did apologize profusely and comped most of the order. I would not want her job, that's for sure. However, with proper training, most of these issues could be avoided in the future.

Claire B.

Grabbed brunch at @283kanu this morning. The interior is a mix of modern and vintage 1920s with statement wallpapers and dark wood furnishings. There's a more formal first floor dining room and then there's the third floor/roof bar and seating area. There's even a small section so you can see the view of Old Town. Service was very attentive. I ordered the sweet cream stuffed French toast (pic. 1) with a hazelnut drizzle. It also came with some home fries. Very decadent and sweet but perfect for someone with an intense craving for sugar. The Korean chicken and waffles (pic. 2) was also a big hit. The cinnamon waffle was topped with perfectly cooked fried chicken, a hot honey drizzle, and gravy. Mimosas were strong and very tasty. Drinks: 8/10 Food: 7.5/10 Ambiance: 7.5/10 Overall Experience: 7.7/10

Broderick M.

Everything about Kanù was impressive. Right when you walk in the door the first thing that catches your eyes is the decor. It's tasteful, modern and unique and definitely seems out of place for Old Town but it's fitting for the building. It feels almost as if you've stepped through a portal into a high end new York city restaurant. We made reservations for the counter on the rooftop and when you walk out onto the roof you're immediately struck by the space that surrounds you. It's clear that the every single detail has been considered; from the salt shakers to the tin backsplash on the bar to the unique dishes the food is plated on. We ordered the Buffalo chicken Brule which was served in a puff pastry bowl. After this experience in our estimation most foods should be served in a puff pastry bowl! The dip itself wasn't too spicy and was amazingly smooth and satisfying. It was definitely a 10 out of 10. We also ordered the mussels which were arguably some of the best we've ever had. The flavors were on point and the mussels fresh. The sauce was the type that you want to make sure you mop up every last drop with the foccia bread it's served with! Everything about this dish was impressive. We shared the woodfired wings and barbecue ribs. The ribs were the kind you need to eat with a fork because they're too tender to pick up. The sauce was just right and it was served over a bed of rice and beans and chorizo which paired perfectly with the ribs. The wings were woodfired which lended them a nice subtle Smoky flavor. They were awesomely tender and the Carolina Golden BBQ sauce was incredible. Lastly we ordered the blueberry waffle milkshake which was fantastic but messy! It was an impressive size. Can you describe a milkshake as beautiful without people questioning your sanity because this thing was bordering on a work of art. Everyone on the roof turned and commented to eachother as it was coming across the floor. It was topped with a quarter of a waffle and rimmed with crushed blueberry cake. Surprisingly it wasn't too sweet and the flavors were nicely balanced. The service was noticeably polished. The portions and prices match eachother well. Our only critique is that we had an early reservation and we were kind of surprised to learn they had run out out of all the desserts already. My girlfriend had been looking forward to trying the blueberry cake as the description on the menu made it sound out of this world. We are both really looking forward to returning to kanu again to try more of their menu because this experience was top notch!

Dominic H.

Food: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Ambiance: 10/10 Chairs: 5/10 for people with hips We will be back soon with friends for that roof top. Today my partner and I got to enjoy each other, great food, and got to watch the chef "meat man" make some beautiful dishes.

Nina P.

This place is a gem!!!! I haven't lived in Maine for 10 years and went home for a visit. I was looking for a new spot with a good menu and found Kanu. I was impressed that a restaurant of this caliber exists north of Bangor! We sat on the rooftop in a igloo which was perfectly tempered. The entire restaurant is very aesthetically inviting. It reminded me of a restaurant in Boston... hard to believe I was still in Old Town, ME. I was pleased when our waitress brought a basket of house-made chips to the table, they were the perfect snack while we chose our dinner selections. For appetizer we had the truffle Buffalo wings which were fantastic! For dinner I had the camp fire chicken and subbed out the beans for roasted squash, it was flavorful and perfectly cooked. My husband had the autumn harvest salad with pork belly- again perfect. My kids ordered from the kids menu and tried the hot dog, chicken tenders and French Fries (I grabbed a few couldn't resist)... their meals came with fresh berries which they loved! Dessert we shared the funnel cake and ice cream. My only regret is sharing this dessert, it was too good I wanted my own!! This place was a 10/10 and I cannot wait to go back!!!