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Oak & Ember

4.2 (34 reviews)
Updated over 3 months ago

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OAK & EMBER ATMOSPHERE

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Lisa W.

Located in a small Maine town you will find this down-to-earth and classy restaurant that offers unique starters, cocktails, entrees and desserts. I'm not a big Caesar Salad fan but I absolutely am when I'm at Oak & Ember, I get one at every visit (and I won't share this with anyone).

Orecchiette
Kim O.

Delightful location, it is nice to get out of Portland and have a terrific dinner! Our party started with the Caesar salad and burrata. The salad was massive, much more than I would expect for a pre-dinner dish. Flavorful, it was solid dish. The burrata was excellent, paired with butternut squash on crispy potatoes. Honestly it was my favorite of the night. The smoked brisket pappardelle was delicious, the homemade pasta was al dente which I totally appreciated. I would have like a few more of the 'greens' to cut the richness of the dish. The hake dish was a stunning plate and enjoyed. The mushroom ragu orecchiette with pesto was also amazing! We ended dinner with the olive oil cake with lemon curd. The cake was lovely, the curd was a bit sweeter than I would prefer but decent. We will be back!

Mustard House Ribs
Crystal C.

Loved everything about this place. The staff is so bubbly you'll want to make friends and hangout after. The modern farmhouse vibes with the restaurant laid out in different rooms makes you feel like you are at home. Candle light adds to the warm, inviting setting. There's plenty of space for group dinners, without feeling squished or confined. It would be a great choice for a business dinner. The food was elevated, flavorful, and plated beautifully... not what you'd expect out of little old Buxton, Maine. I'd 100% recommend Oak and Ember to people who are looking for fine dining without the hassle or driving to Portland. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

Mustard ribs!
R A.

This was a ridiculously delicious meal. We visited on our way through town and we're gobsmacked. Our favorite dishes were the burrata, the summer fritters, the mustard ribs and the pappardelle with short rib - we AND our kids ate ourselves silly. The service was superb, and the setting (a colonial farmhouse) was wonderful. I will definitely visit again.

Dined here for the first time last weekend and the entire experience was amazing. It's a beautiful, warm and very welcoming establishment. The food was absolutely outstanding. We ordered the pasta and steak They had such an unforgettable decadent rich flavor, nothing I've experienced before... Kudos to the chef. Our waitress Kelsey was wonderful and the owner so friendly. We are so lucky to have this high quality restaurant right here in Buxton. Can't wait to go back!!

Hailee F.

Would give it ten stars if we could. Our favorite local restaurant! The food is incredible. The service is outstanding (owner Shannyn and her husband Chris have the BIGEST HEARTS and know exactly what they are doing). The bartenders make incredible drinks and are super flexible and willing to try to craft something if what you're looking for isn't on the drink menu. The French fries, legendary. The best around. The bolognese... you won't find it better anywhere else. Everything has such incredible attention to detail and they truly DO NOT MISS! We come here weekly and are so so SO thankful Shannyn brought such a beautiful restaurant to Buxton!

Amaretto Sour on the rocks
Karen L.

Great service at the bar with amazing drinks before an amazing dinner in a the dining room.

Cesar salad
Jennofer M.

Tucked away in the city center, this cozy spot serves up inventive small plates with bold flavors and creative drinks. From seafood to vegetarian options, each dish is a delightful blend of ingredients and textures. The cocktails are equally impressive, crafted with unexpected flavors. With attentive service and a relaxed ambiance, it's a must-visit for a memorable dining experience. Next time we'll save room for dessert!

Wine shop
Danielle V.

Amazing new place in Buxton! The inside is quaint and cute, with a large bar. They also have outside seating with heaters. The ambiance is very cozy and the perfect winter spot. I had a pear martini and it was fantastic. They have a great wine selection with many interesting bottles for affordable prices. They also have a wine store in the back where you can buy bottles to go and those prices are great as well. The food was delicious. We got the rib appetizer and that was my favorite dish. I also got the bolognese and you could tell the pasta was homemade. They have a small menu but it looks like it will change seasonally with fresh ingredients which I love. The only bad thing I have to say is the service is pretty slow if you sit at a high top in the bar area. It was very busy and the bar tenders were taking these tables, so totally understand why. We met the owner and he was so nice. I will be coming back to try more of the menu, and get more wine!!

The cocktail menu
Rina A.

Love that this is expanding into Buxton with more upscale dish restaurants that way. They have their own parking lot and are easy to find. Inside has a colonial aesthetic and the seating is all divided up by walls throughout. I love the privacy it gives you and something different how they transformed it. The food was delicious and cooked perfectly. The meat came right off the ribs and perfect amount of mustard taste. I loved how they cut up the pork chop for you in slices, making it easier to dig in. Our waitress and hostess was friendly giving us good recommendations too. Well done!

Steak

We had an impromptu date night. I e been wanting to try this place. It's was really good food and drinks. We enjoyed the outdoor eating space.

Burrata cheese appetizer was heavenly
Kimberly C.

The food is in the top 5 of any restaurant I've ever been to. The service was good (we sat at the bar) and bartender was pleasant and attentive. The place has a rustic vibe with great ambiance. Definitely recommend!

Wine shop

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2 years ago

Great food, outstanding service, highly recommend. Our server was awesome, everyone at my table was impressed with the food.

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1 year ago

Amazing food and very friendly service. Such a cozy spot. Would highly recommend making the trip!

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Very slow kitchen and bar service for a Wednesday with only six tables full. Food and drinks were great though.

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2 years ago

This place was so good! Ambiance was amazing. Drinks were so delicious and the food was SO GOOD! Check this place out!

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Ask the Community - Oak & Ember

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Cava

Cava

4.3(427 reviews)
40.4 mi
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I honestly am not sure where to start and end with my wife and l anniversary dinner at Cava this…read moreevening. My wife and I have close to or more than 1000 dining experiences in our time together. If Cava wasn't the best overall, it was an extremely close second. Our server Dan was awesome from start to finish. On point, Attentive, professional, and exceeded expectations on every level. Cava is a very intimate dining experience with a warm comfortable indoor and outdoor seating option. It is also very practical as a stop before going to the Music Hall, an important date or like us an anniversary. Cava is unlike many of the places we have visited over the years in the food category. Every course was exceptionally prepared, thoroughly thought out and professionally executed with excellent plating. I won't go into detail on every dish but suffice it to say there was enjoyment with every mouthful of every course. I ordered: Espresso Martini An Italian Pinot Grigio (with dinner) We shared the charcuterie plate First course - Mussels Second Course - Italian Meatball dish Third Course - Braised Flank Steak Fourth Course - Torte My wife ordered: A wonderful Rum with blackberry cocktail An Italian Pinot Grigio(with dinner) First Course- Warm Potato Soup Second Course- Stuffed and wrapped dates Third Course- Shrimp with Polenta Fourth Course- Blueberry Cheesecake

Located in a cute alleyway of Portsmith New Hampshire. Definitely grab a table out on the patio to…read moreenjoy the fresh air and ambience. I would recommend making reservations. We snagged a last-minute reservations and had the chefs tasting menu. We enjoyed everything!

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Cure - Espresso stout braised short ribs

Cure

4.5(724 reviews)
40.5 mi
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Had another top notch meal at Cure. It was super chilly and we were eating outside (with heaters…read morebut still quite cold). We started with lobster bisque to warm up and it was spot on. Our drinks & corn bread were delicious as well. By the time our mains were coming up our waitress had secured us a spot inside to eat them. She was lovely & we were grateful! It's a solid choice when in the area.

I was super excited when I saw the reviews for this restaurant as well a Phantom Gourmet video…read morepraising it highly. I decided to make a reservation to take advantage of their special promotion during Restaurant Week. I made a reservation through Open Table and our table was ready when we arrived. Place is small but tables are well spaced to allow for privacy. We were presented with their restaurant week menu as well as a limited regular menu for add-ons. Our order was taken in a timely manner and with a smile. I started with the coconut carrot ginger soup for my starter. I added a grilled bread basket with butter as it is not included with your meal and I like bread with my soup. The soup was a decent soup and the bread was slight charred in places. As for my main course, I went with the braised short ribs served with polenta and roasted root vegetables. The red wine demi glace was good and the root vegetables were inconsistently roasted as some were a little too hard and some mushy. Short ribs were not consistently seasoned as I got salty in some bites and well seasoned in others. I was disappointed that my short ribs were stringy as well and that was not what I expected. The dessert was an apple tart. The shell was somewhat hard and difficult to cut into with the spoon provided. Flavors were good. My overall experience was that it was just ok but nothing stood out to me as out of the ordinary or special about it. So go if you want to and maybe your experience will be better than mine.

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Cure - Bar area

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Moxy - Whoopie Pie Sliders

Moxy

4.1(471 reviews)
40.4 mi
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We made a same-day reservation at Moxy, not knowing it was restaurant week. The interior was cozy…read moreand colorful, and we were seated in the upstairs area, so we had a balcony view of the bar. For drinks, I got a glass of Malbec (which was very nice), but they also had many enticing cocktails and mocktails. The restaurant week menu consisted of 4 pre-fixe courses. For the first course, I chose the Salmon Tartare, which was fresh and tasty. It wasn't very salty, which I appreciated. I also tried my friend's carrot soup, which had a nice creamy texture with crunchy peas for contrast. For the second course, I chose the Mushroom Labneh. This one was awesome! Next was the Chicken Thigh, which was so juicy and paired well with the garlic sour cream. I also loved my dessert - Griddled Corn Muffins with wild blueberry compote. Service was friendly and seamless, and we left full and happy. Highly recommend for dinner!

Restaurant Week in Portsmouth was the perfect opportunity to try out Moxy. Plus an added bonus of…read more$42 for a 4-course meal made it more interesting. We found street parking close to the restaurant so that was great while paying close attention to the fact that street parking is not free in the area until 8 pm. I made a reservation and we were seated right away after we entered the restaurant. Our table was situated on the first floor so the area was small but we had enough space between table to have a private conversation. I started out with salmon tartare and it was my least favorite of all. I found the pita to taste somewhat stale and I ended up not eating it. Salmon was good but I did not find that cream cheese added to the dish. It might be a matter of personal preference but I wished I started out with something else from the menu. My shrimp scampi was delicious and I would come back for this dish. Pasta and sauce were great and shrimp were a nice size. I then went with the beef stew. I found the pastry to be somewhat salty but it balanced with the stew that was slightly underseasoned. Maybe it was intended to be that way. It was a decent dish overall. I loved the strawberry panna cotta. Their rhubarb chutney was beautiful and the dish was a great way to end my meal. I would come back to this restaurant in the future to try out their regular menu.

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Moxy - Inside

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Moxy - Salmon tartare

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Eventide Oyster Company - Oysters

Eventide Oyster Company

4.2(4.4k reviews)
12.7 mi•East Bayside
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Came to eventide to try their famous lobster roll while on a trip to Maine. The ambiance and…read moreservice were great! But the lobster roll a little disappointing it was very "fishy" tasting and the roll was not what you normally expect more of a soft steamed bun. It's also very small but the price is about what you pay everywhere for a lobster roll. I'd recommend going to high roller or if the food truck bite into Maine! It's much fresher tasting lobster.

Amazing food, great service and a wonderful atmosphere. Cute little space, we sat inside as it was…read morea little cool out today and this was stop one for our afternoon shopping and eating our way through Portland. Had a can of Asperol - Argonaut to go with, happy with this beverage choice! The Lobster Roll - melt in your mouth. The bun was so light and fluffy, the lobster was so incredibly tender and flavorful. Generous amount of lobster on each one! Truly a wonderful culinary experience!! The Clam Bun - delicious flavor, nice crisp fried clams. Less generous amount of clam on this bun, but still delicious. They substituted pickled jalapeños for the Fresno peppers that usually come on it, but it was still a good flavor combo. Would gladly come here again! And would definitely have another lobster roll!!

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The Oar House

The Oar House

3.3(297 reviews)
40.3 mi
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We were looking for a waterfront restaurant for a late lunch on a beautiful sunny day. As expected,…read morethe wait was about 25 minutes for some of the other places that are side by side. We decided to walk down a little further to The Oar House and they had outside seating available right away. The best part is that they have less obstructed views of the river. I started with a mocktail - bliss basel lemonade. It was an ok drink. We started with the tempura fried shrimp. This was a great appetizer and one I would have again. I really liked the sauce as well as the pickled vegetables. For my main, I went with the fried fish tacos. Although they fell apart as soon as I picked them up, they were good tacos. Fish was nicely fried and I liked their pineapple pico de gallo- very fresh and tasty. This restaurant also has parking for their customers. This is an added bonus as we parked and paid for street parking. We will keep this in mind for next time!

Nothing like outdoor dining on a beautiful warm day overlooking the river in Portsmouth. Oar House…read morea great location and nice outdoor eating area across from the main restaurant. Staff were super friendly and we were seated right away. Started with a Basil Berry Bliss to sip on while deciding on food. Although the menu describes the drink as a strawberry Basil lemonade, did not really taste the basil, which was disappointing. The drink was refreshing and tasty so still a win. Decided on the Tempura Fried Shrimp and the Beer Battered Fish and Chips. The appetizer was deeeeelicious. Although the tempura breading wasn't crispy like you'd expect, the light Asian sauce they use with the pickled vegetables was an awesome combination. Perfect for open air dining as it's light and not too filling. The fish and chips were nicely crunchy with a flaky and moist fish fillet inside. The chips, more like a small potato wedge, were a standout. Nicely seasoned and fried with that soft pillowy potato inside. Fish was well cooked and the tartar sauce a nice accompaniment. Slaw was bland and didn't really add anything, disappointing. Overall a good experience, even if a bit pricey for what you get. Definitely taking advantage of the parking in front of the restaurant next time but the outdoor dining is a must!

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Ristorante Massimo - Bar area

Ristorante Massimo

4.2(332 reviews)
40.4 mi
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Went for an anniversary dinner, food was delicious. Service was lackluster. Evening started great…read morebut spiraled from there. My SO went to the restroom and the bartender asked me if we were celebrating anything and I told her it was our 7 year anniversary, she mentioned bringing something out for us, unexpected but appreciated. Meatball appetizer along with an appetizer size portion of a pasta dish, and the smoked duck small plate. All very good. From there it went downhill. Neither bartender checked in for about 30 minutes while we waited for our main course. Espresso rubbed duck was very flavorful and delicious. After the main nothing was brought out, so at that point I was a little frustrated so we went on our way. Food was great, service started good but then disappeared. Definitely would not return for an occasion.

I've dined at Restaurant Massimo many times, and it never disappoints. The food is consistently…read moreexcellent, and this evening's service was truly outstanding. Our waitress was exceptionally knowledgeable--not only about the menu, but also the wine list. Service at Massimo is always strong, but she genuinely stood out and elevated the entire dining experience. We started with the corkscrew pasta with wild mushrooms, finished with a delicate touch of shaved truffles. It was absolutely delicious--the sauce was light, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. It works beautifully as either an appetizer or a main course. For entrées, the pan-seared cod was as impressive as it was visually appealing--perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The veal was also excellent. Their veal saltimbocca offers a slightly different and very enjoyable twist; instead of the traditional sherry, it's prepared with Marsala wine, giving the dish a subtly sweeter and richer flavor profile. I also highly recommend the arancini. You receive two per order, and they're outstanding--crispy on the outside and rich and satisfying inside. The atmosphere at Restaurant Massimo is both relaxing and romantic, making it an ideal spot for a special night out or an intimate dinner. Consistently great food, exceptional service, and a warm, inviting ambiance keep me coming back.

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Ristorante Massimo - Bar area

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Ristorante Massimo - Cannoli

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Oak & Ember - poke - Updated May 2026

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