What a hidden gem in a town i've never visited before. I decided to make it to brunch for mother's…read moreday weekend and i really can't recommend this spot enough for a delicious and down to earth meal with people you love. I think the space is very cozy, with an open kitchen and wood tables and bar. The cute little market in back is wonderful to check out before or after your meal. The staff is absolutely wonderful. So kind and making recommendations along with answering any questions you have. I think for the price of food you are really getting a great deal. Everything is made fresh in house from scratch which you can watch when you sit at the bar which i did. Watching orange juice wbu freshly squeezed and the donuts being put together from absolute scratch. The burger is definitely a great choice, I couldn't get over the house cut fries and the alna sauce was wonderful to dip them in. The burger was juicy and delicious and paired perfectly with the Volcanique red they had on the menu. My mother ordered the grits and eggs, this dish was cooked perfectly and had a house made salsa verde. The side of sourdough is a must get for shareable side. The house made jam was spectacular - they make every sauce and dip and spread in house and you can really tell. It elevates the meal so much. The drinks were a bit overpriced in my opinion but as someone who lives in Portland i wasn't surprised they were priced that way. The standout from the meal was definitely the sour dough donut. This was fried fresh to order and we had the seasonal flavor that was lime glazed and it was absolutely breathtaking! The crispy exterior with the fluffy inside was perfection - you have to order this. I definitely will need to come and check out dinner here. Highly recommend making the trek out!

A place like The Alna Store really does need to be located in rural Maine, a solid hour from…read morePortland. Everything about The Alna Store is so special--it's possibly the best meal you will ever have, while inside the most unpretentious building, an actual store that sells produce and specialty gift items. A place like this should be experienced as a planned outing, not just a restaurant that's happened upon. A James Beard Award winning restaurant inside what could have been my grandparents' barn, along with beautifully mismatched silverware and repurposed green wine bottle water glasses--what could be more Maine? On both visits we were so excited that we arrived about a half hour early for our reservation, yet were welcomed and promptly seated. The service is excellent, and the food is next level out of this world. I couldn't help but want the person I was with to try what I was eating so we could try to parse out the complex flavors in each dish. Is that a tomato base? Chives? Ginger? Cucumber? We enjoyed every bite of every plate. Both times we started with the gazpacho, at dinner it was served with a grilled/toaster piece of sourdough focaccia. Fantastic! My dinner entree was the grilled squash with roasted peppers and delicious, flavorful breadcrumbs, and fresh mint leaves--it was our favorite plate of the meal. We both had desserts (pictured), the cake looked impressive as it tasted, yet the berry crisp was our favorite. Everything at dinner was so fabulous that I had to return, this time for brunch. We started with a couple of cups of our favorite Tandem coffee, again the gazpacho, and this time tried the ratatouille. Again, the flavors! How do they do it? Everything looked and tasted as if it was prepared with care. One more observation, how mistakes are handled: the person I had brunch with was vegan and the ratatouille came out with cheese. Our server promptly recognized the error, brought a remade dish, and at the end of the meal brought a complimentary vegan sorbet and said that "mistakes are celebrated", which we appreciated. Because of all of the much deserved accolades The Alna Store has recently received (James Beard, New York Times), the parking lot was full of out of state plates from Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon, so be sure to make a reservation, and enjoy the people watching while you eat possibly the best meal of your life. We are so fortunate to live within an hour of this very special place. A solid five stars, please don't change a thing. I can't wait to try the fall menu!

Had an absolutely excellent dinner. Drinks and champagne were great. The Damariscotta Oysters were…read moreperfect. Steak and Frites was excellent. The wagu beef was so tender and perfectly cooked. The lobster bisque was smooth and delicious. The green salad was delish. The staff was attentive and efficient. We will go again!

Before I get into the issues we experienced, I will say that we had a great night. Our server was…read morefantastic, the space is beautiful, and some of the food was tasty. The issues were glaring though. We arrived early for a group reservation of 10 and started at the bar. The service was very slow and we got the sense that the bartender was frustrated that we showed up early with the idea to have a cocktail before our reservation. Bar service continued to be painstakingly slow throughout the night. The restaurant was somehow out of several of their menu options (despite the restaurant not being busy on a weekend day). Not the end of the world, but it left us asking some questions. The major issues really arose when our entree courses were served. They had somehow ran out of french fries, and you could see that in the portion size of the frites in our steak frites (the picture included in our review was our plate -- we had BY FAR the most fries out of those at the table who ordered steak frites). And they ran out of steak - one of the people at our party who ordered steak frites was served a hamburger (which isn't even on the menu). Overall, I thought that we overpaid for the food and if it wasn't for the good company at our dinner - I would have been very frustrated.

Everything was absolutely perfect, the service was flawless, big shoutout to our server Kerry who…read morewelcomed us with delight. The food service was amazing and the food itself... i can't put words on how delicious it was. I hight recommend this place

Dinner was delicious! Kaan was a phenomenal waiter as well. Would highly recommend and will…read moredefinitely be back! Great spot right on the water.

In a city that isn't exactly overflowing with special restaurants, this place has earned its spot…read moreas our local favorite. The food is consistently above average, well prepared, dependable, and the kind of meal you're genuinely happy you went out for. The menu is manageable rather than massive, which I appreciate. They know what they do well and don't hand you a small novel and ask you to make a life-altering decision before dinner. The drinks are... fine. Perfectly drinkable, but nobody needs to alert the James Beard Foundation. If cocktails are the main event for the evening, this probably isn't where you'll have a spiritual awakening. But the real magic of this place has always been the people. The wait staff somehow cross that line from "our server" to "they could be a friend," and that's something you can't put on a menu or manufacture with trendy décor. It's nice to genuinely enjoy the people taking care of you. It's locally owned, unpretentious, reliably good, and full of familiar faces. In a city with precious few places that have a personality (instead of a personality disorder) of their own, this one does.

I wanted to check out Linden + Front while I was in town because the food looked great! I came on a…read moreweeknight week night and chose to sit at the bar since I was dining solo. It seemed to be where most people were anyways. The bartender, I think named Greg, was awesome. Even though he was busy, he was quick and attentive. I ordered the filet cooked medium rare for dinner. It was slightly under, more on the rare side, but I didn't complain. Mainly because the couple next to me were non stop complaining and I just didn't want to be a bother. It was still delicious and I don't mind rare steak anyway. I will say, it had an amazing crust on it and was seasoned well. The sauce also paired really nice and wasn't too heavy. The baked potato was also delicious, and they made sure to salt the skin which is bonus points. Overall, I thought it was a cute little restaurant. I liked the vibe and sort of eclectic decor. Food was fresh and delicious. I would definitely come back if I'm ever in town again.

I ate here last week for the 3rd time and loved it. It's a splendid experience, beginning to end!…read moreFor the third time, my spouse and i came here for our wedding anniversary. How lucky that we've been in Portland at the same time these years! The sous chef who headed the kitchen that Sunday night was a delight to watch. They seemed to manage everything so well -- the kitchen ran smoothly and all relationships appeared amicable. The food, though, is why we've returned yet again! I've never had so much fun eating. Though we choose from the menu, each item is still a surprise because of the care and creativity of the preparation. The food is a feast for the eyes and my palate -- it's all so beautiful and also delicious. I've described Twelve to people as the most accessible of the nicer restaurants at which I've had the pleasure of dining. I can read the menu and know (basically) what I'm ordering! And yet, as I mentioned earlier, all the food still feels new to me. I've eaten broccolini with potatoes before, for example, but it's never been plated or tasted like this to me! The service is fantastic as well! My spouse and I don't drink much alcohol, but the individual who was describing wines to me (I was having trouble deciding on a glass) gave the most vivid descriptions I've ever received. Oh, and the explanations given as each dish was served were also helpful and interesting. My only suggestion for Twelve is to add hooks below the chef's counter (and maybe the bar is also lacking them?). At present, where is one supposed to put their bag while they're dining? My leather handbag was on the floor below me, which is definitely unexpected at most restaurants these days.

Very disappointing and misleading reservation experience…read more I had been planning this dinner for over a year. I dined here by myself the year prior and specifically wanted to return with my husband for a special celebration while we were visiting from out of town. Last year, I booked "bar" seating and was seated at the counter facing the kitchen. This year, I booked the same "bar" seating assuming it meant the same thing, only to arrive and be placed at the actual bar. The problem is that when booking dinner, the only seating options presented were "bar" or "table." There was no "chef's kitchen," "kitchen counter," or other option that would have made the distinction clear. Had there been, I obviously would have selected it. What made the situation worse was how it was handled. Both the host and general manager were incredibly condescending and showed very little empathy when I tried to explain the confusion. For a restaurant serving a multi-course menu and positioning itself around hospitality, I expected much better. I would never have knowingly booked a special multi-course dinner at a regular bar. What should have been a memorable celebration was ruined before it even began. After looking forward to returning for more than a year, unfortunately, I won't be back.

Food is ok. They do have a variety of vegetarian items which is nice…read more The outdoor seating is dirty. The tables were greasy and some without umbrellas although they are in the full sun. You pick your own table. We sat at one without an umbrella for a few minutes until a party left. We moved to that table until we were told to move back so a party that came in well after us wanted the umbrella. Later when we were almost done eating the host offered us another table. Oh well.... There are better places to eat.

The Lobster BLT was absolutely incredible the lobster was fresh, tender, and packed with flavor. It…read morewas easily the highlight of the meal! Overall, the food was amazing, and you have to try the Vernors ginger ale. Highly recommend! 4/5

The exterior entrance was beautiful. There are some nice Adirondack chairs outside the front and…read morestunning landscaping around. The flowers were stunning. Service was a tad slow, but we managed. I opted for some lobster bisque, crabcakes, and the Lawnmere flatbread. The soup was pretty good. There were large chunks of lobster in the soup. The garnish was a nice addition. The crab cakes were ok. The lacked a little flavor for me. The corn salsa was pretty good! The Lawnmere seemed like a good idea on the menu, but oddly it lacked flavor. I had high hopes for this flatbread. I feel like we missed a mark here. The crust was great. My key lime pie was delicious. The coconut really added to the dish. My son devoured his pub burger and had no complaints. My husband said his calamari and fish tacos were ok. The heirloom tomato salad was the best. The arugula has a nice taste to it along with the layer of ricotta cheese under it all. The flavors really blended well with this dish. The bathroom was 10/10 for me they had a theme and ran with it and I love it. The lobster themed wallpaper really made it overall we had a nice lunch. Nothing spectacular. Maybe dinner is the meal to have here. We went at 2pm for a late lunch early dinner.

Had lunch today here and the food was delicious and service was top shelf. Pet friendly outdoor…read moredining with lovely views. Would definitely dine there again. AND, the Aperol Spritz was perfection in a glass.

Just go! You'll absolutely love it. The beautiful location. The amazing food. The friendly owners…read moreand attentive staff. We live in Camden and this place makes us feel like we're on vacation when we're there! Added tip: go for brunch and have the donuts! One of our all time favorite things to do. Another tip... go early and walk around Clark Island before your meal. Just a great restaurant and a beautiful spot. We take our visitors there to show them how amazing Maine can be... a true gem!!!

Beautiful spot right on the water in Spruce Head, across from Clark Island, the road stops at the…read moreCauseway and you can hike the path over to the Island. Can't believe this is our first time here over all these years, but it is a bit off the beaten path. We got there at 2 on Sunday, so it was a limited brunch menu. Wish we would have known that! But had some excellent oyster from right off the water in front of them, a Bloody Mary and Fried Haddock!

If you're interested in wandering - go to WANDER! We had the mussels, the filet and the duck pasta…read more The food was delicious and the service was exceptional. It may be far from where I live, but I will be back. I will be back!

Had a family meal - indoors due to the cold weather…read more We especially enjoyed the Vignarola carbonara - rich but not too heavy, and the zucchini was firm as it should be not mushy. The smashburgers and fries were a hit as well. The vegetable Wellington was delicious- really didn't know what to expect but it was a cool take on a tired classic. The wines were reasonably priced - we had a Mas Josephine Côtes du Rhône, which paired nicely with the pasta.

Food and service were both amazing. My brother recommended Peppers. We were not disappointed. I…read morehave told some of my friends this is a "MUST" place to go. Will go back when I get back to Maine next year. They also had live music with was very cool.

We came in during dinner time with a large party. The restaurant wasn't overly busy, and the space…read morewas clean with really nice decor. The staff was top-notch--the hostess and our waitress were absolutely phenomenal and took great care of us. The live lobster tank was also a big hit with the kids! ​Unfortunately, the main reason we came--the seafood--was a huge disappointment across the board. The firecracker shrimp was actually very good, but that was the only high point. The calamari, clam strips, and fish and chips were all chewy, improperly fried, and lacked any crispiness. Multiple people in our party felt the exact same way about their meals. ​Given the price, the food quality just wasn't worth it. While the staff and atmosphere were fantastic, we won't be returning, and I wouldn't recommend it for a seafood dinner.