My Wife and I went here for dinner and a show for our 45th wedding anniversary. The entire building…read moreneeded work, it was sad to see, dirty windows with bugs in them and if you had a screen in your window it was filled with cobwebs and dead bugs, kinda killed any ambiance of looking out over the lake. You could see that there was a lot of water damage to ceilings and walls that was only partially finished. The entrace / portico to the restaurant, especially the ceiling, was loaded with bug nests and mold. It needed a good pressure washing and fresh paint. The drink menu was fabulous, soo many combinations. The appetizers selection was very nice, we ordered the fried goat cheese with fig jam, it was very tasy. My Wife ordered the pork tenderloin, that was marinated in soy and ginger with sauteed fiddleheads and rice. This was a complete disaster, the pork medalions were so over cooked, as if they were pre cooked and warmed up. If these were cooked to order whomever cooked them should be ashamed. My Wife and I could these often and are always tender, juicy with a hint of pink. These had nothing in common to what we cook at home, not tender and not juicy, the soy ginger was not a marinade but more of a reduction and spooned over the medalions, the salt was so concentrated my Wife ate 2 and could not eat any more. The rice, just plain steamed rice, the fiddleheads were cooked well but had zero flavor, a pitty as they are a blank canvas. I ordered the seafood scampi, I was really looking forward to this as I don't have pasta very often and have not had lobster in a couple of years. The pasta was home made pappardelle, it was more than al dente and was stuck together in clumps. The sauce had little flavor, the scallops were so so, the shrimp were over cooked as was the lobster, we ordered a fruit pie for dessert at intermission, it was mostly crust and, oh the whipped topping, guess what that was........ cool whip . We spent over $160.00. It was a a one and done for us unfortunately. We really wanted it to be better than it was. It could be a really nice venue but needs a lot of work and a seasoned chef who cares about what they do and can direct a young untrained staff.

Gorgeous location, atmosphere/ambiance. Great spot if you wanna get dressed up & feel like you're…read morestepping back in time. The duck wanton tacos were so bright, fresh & uniquely delicious! The roasted Brussel sprouts were yummy as well. The lamb chops were extra gamey tasting, but the risotto was to die for! Truffle tortellini were tasty but dry - the dish really needed at least a light cream sauce or even just a generous drizzle of EVOO... the apps & desserts took the spot light. We ordered desserts from the top secret Speakeasy Menu - grilled peaches w/a divine vanilla marscapone cream and then a decadently delicious turtle lava cake. Service was friendly.

A charming pub with a lovely over look of the river. The food was generally a bit overcooked but…read morestill quite good and not unreasonably priced. Coconut shrimp appetizer was really good.

excellent steak tips, fries and fried zucchini. 85 characters needed for a review? Why?read more

I go up to Sugarloaf once a year with my fiance and his family. We usually have lunch before we…read moreleave (we're about an hour away) and then have dinner after my fiance and his brother play a round. This time however, we didn't have lunch and my future mother-in-law ordered two sandwiches from Strokes as the rest of us explored the pro-shop. All I can say is wow! I would have never expected a club house to have such great food. Everything we had was great and the service was top notch! The servers were kind enough to package the food and beverages for us so we could take them out on the course and enjoy the round. Will definitely make an effort to patronize this place more often!

We drove up here just to see the area and Sugarloaf. We are so glad we read reviews of Strokes…read more We were quickly greeted and could sit anywhere with great views. We enjoyed their flatbread special and drinks from the bar. The menu is small but we were very pleased.

Bear Belly's have been open for a few years now, located in between Philips and Madrid on Route 4…read more We have tried a number of times to stop in but always off times wise. Today, we hit the nail on the head. Just opened for the day we parked in front. Walked up the stairs and read the sandwich board with specials. Walked in to a cozy environment with wood accents, musical instruments on the wall, local artists work on the walls (also for sale), tiny flower vases on each table was very inviting. We chose to sit at the bar. Bartender was happy to see us and gave us specials information and told us to just holler when ready. Menu had a good variety of food I chose the chili and hubby their smash burger. Kitchen is located directly behind the bar. It is sparkling clean! The stainless steel was glowing it was so clean, I LOVE that having worked in F&B. While waiting bartender made small talk which we like, not overly sharing but enough to feel seen. Chili came with homemade cornbread that was toasted and out of this world DELICIOUS!! Chili was really good too. Not too spicy, thick with diced tomatoes, tinier peppers, and nice pieces of meat. Wowza was that good. Smash burger did not disappoint either, hubby said it's one of the best burgers he has had. They have a full display case with their homemade desserts so you can see before you buy. I was stuffed so did not take up on the offer. We did get a glance at the chef when we came in and asked the bartender to please give our compliments to the chef! Make sure to check for their hours, they open later than other places on Saturdays. They have a food truck outside, maybe they cater? Lots of outdoor seating for the nicer weather. If you are in the Western Mountains of Maine, don't drive by, stop and grab some amazing food!

While visiting family in Maine, we decided to try Bear Belly's based on a recommendation from…read moreanother relative. There was plenty of parking, and the atmosphere was enjoyable--spacious, comfortable, and featuring an outdoor bar with live entertainment. Our waitress was attentive and provided excellent service throughout the meal. I ordered the burger with onion rings, while my wife had the pulled pork sandwich with fries and coleslaw. The burger was cooked perfectly, though the roll--similar to a ciabatta--was a bit too firm for a burger. The onion rings were fairly standard, likely the frozen battered kind. My wife enjoyed the flavor of her pulled pork sandwich but found the bun too soft. It almost seemed as though the rolls for our meals may have been switched. Her fries were unfortunately soggy, as if they had been sitting under a warmer. Overall, Bear Belly's offers a pleasant dining atmosphere and friendly service, though there's some room for improvement in the consistency of the food preparation.

Maine-style barbecue. I never knew this was a thing, but it makes so much sense. Fat and protein do…read morewonders for the body and soul when you've put in a full day of skiing and/or it's 10 degrees F or less out. Not to mention there's plenty of maple wood to be had in Maine for smoking. I don't have much of a basis of comparison to other Maine-style bbq places, but what I tried of the The Rack's bbq was excellent by any standard. I'm not sure I detect a huge difference from, say, Eastern South Carolina style 'cue. In fact, the sauce that my ribs (half rack of ribs with mac 'n' cheese, baked beans, coleslaw and cornbread; $38) came with would feel right at home in Eastern SC: vinegary with a touch of heat. The ribs had a wonderful layer of bark and were moist, but not fatty. They were not heavily seasoned or salted, which many of those in the know prefer since the quality of the meat can shine through. It did, here. Of course I didn't snap a photo of my meal -- I was so excited to eat, I forgot! -- but it came with a generous portion of mac 'n' cheese (pleasantly cheesy, but undersalted by our standards), baked beans (very vinegary, made with onions that could've been cooked to a softer consistency, but were enjoyable in their own right), a mayonnaise-y coleslaw (fair), and a tiny square of cornbread. The cornbread was southern style to my surprise and delight, not the fluffy, sweet, cake-like version usually passed off as cornbread in the north. I loved the slightly spicy, slightly sweet pickles that accompanied, as well. The Pardner had the kimchi beef short rib (shredded beef short rib in a kimchi beef broth served over seared sticky rice with chef's vegetable of the day, pickled carrots and daikon, hoisin bbq sauce, Korean bbq sauce, fried garlic, scallions and cilantro; $38). He mostly enjoyed the dish, but I found the texture of the seared sticky rice too hard and chewy, personally. There was more sweetness and less spice in the bowl than I personally prefer and would expect from the name. The vegetable of our day was broccoli, cooked crisp. One of my progeny had the smoked brisket sando ($26). I didn't try the sandwich, since it was inhaled in seconds, but I deduce it was good. The fries I snagged were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside -- great! The other progeny had a L'il Rippers (children's menu) grilled cheese with fries ($12). She enjoyed it, but evidently not as much as my mac 'n' cheese, ribs, and cornbread, which she heavily poached. There are many good local beers on tap, from clean taps based on what we tried. There's a hand-written menu in the back room by the pool table, which listed $5 specials. This restaurant, partly owned by Olympic snowboarder Scott Wescott (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Wescott), is clearly very popular. (There was a 20 minute wait on a Friday evening, even on the dregs of the Sugarloaf ski season.) I think it probably draws Carrabassett Valley Academy students, families, and staff, given that this well-known ski and snowboard school is just a short walk away. Customers are a great mix of teenagers and young adults, old people, families, Mainers and tourists -- and everyone seems to have a good time. The pool table, dart boards, and arcade are fun for kids of all ages. We were given a compostable (non-waxed) cardboard box for leftovers. Appreciate the planet-friendly approach. The bartender in the back room was great -- so nice and helpful. Wait staff were nice, but no-nonsense in that extremely competent Mainer sort of way. It's easy to see why The Rack is popular.

The Rack has always been the best Apres Ski bar in the east, serving up amazing live music and…read moredrinks that will have you struggling to make first chair. But in the past 2-3 years, their food game has gotten a complete make-over for the better. Our family's go-to is the Mexican Corn Street Nachos, add chicken, but recently we branched out more and let me tell you...it has not disappointed! Most recently, I had the Hot Pastrami Reuben (but had them remove the spicy components because #heartburn) and WOW, that was one of the best reubens I've ever had. not only that, but the pastrami itself was some of the best tasting pastrami ever. So juicy, flavorful, and not overly fatty. The BBQ is also phenominal. Maybe the post-skiing hunger and good beer selection makes me biased but hey....it really is good!

Love this small restaurant packed with big flavors served by really nice people. We always love…read morethe homemade pastas made with rich sauces. The family style house salad is simple and light - a good start to the meal. I got the pasta with sausage in a spicy red sauce - loved it. My wife ordered the chicken linen pasta. Everything was really good, though it could have used more lemon but otherwise delicious. We shared a bottle of the Barbera, which went perfectly with the food and our wallet (under $40). They are closing 10 April and will reopen Columbus Day weekend - we'll be back!!!

Hugs is always really good. The bread that they give you to start is to die for. The salad you also…read moreget complimentary is always great too and just a classic Italian. From the pastas, to the Parms, to the Piccata, you can't go wrong. I am a big fan of the Piccata, the havarti fritters, and the tiramisu! Such a great dessert. This place is so cute and tiny and quaint. It fills up super quickly, but is such a nice warm meal

We were trying to grab a bite after 7pm on a July Sunday evening but there were not many choices…read morein town. We walked into the tavern and were worried about its price and service. I got to say we were pleasantly surprised - this is probably the best value meal that we had in town. We had the chowder and it was a generous portion with lumps of fish. My husband had the fish and chip and it was perfectly done with a good quality piece of fish. I had the grilled Cesar which was good. My daughter had her pasta with butter and Parmesan and she gave a thumbs up and a yummy. The food did not come out fast and my daughter did get antsy.

Food, service and atmosphere were outstanding! A welcoming and great experience. Porterhouse…read moresteak was exceptionally good as was drink selections at the bar. Highly recommend!

Tries the Fiddlehead soup! Guess you need to look at the photo's. Would not pass this spot up if…read moreyour out this way!

I had the garden salad and the duck breast. Both were excellent, flavor and presentation. I did…read morenot get to sample their dessert because I was offered birthday cake baked by a friend of one of the employees (which was also excellent). Not what you might ordinarily expect to find in the restaurant and bar of a small motel.