Made another stop here (on purpose this time) and was even more impressed! Glad we called ahead earlier in the day to reserve a table as the restaurant was bustling on the Friday before Christmas. Love the cozy vibe of the interior so much! I opted for the short rib wrap with potato leek soup, and my husband and his friend both got the all you can eat fish and chips. We were all very satisfied with our choices! Can't wait to stop here during my next visit to Maine. read more

River Drivers Restaurant - Chicken sandwich with bacon and a side of poutine - American Near Me - Millinocket, Maine

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River Drivers Restaurant is part of NEOC (New England Outdoor Center), Ktaadn Resorts. It is a separate building from other pieces of the property and is a bit off the paved road on a dirt road. My friend and I came here for dinner and really enjoyed this place. First, the service was amazing. Our waiter was so nice, so attentive, and extremely helpful in terms of describing the foods and helping us choose beers. A lot of their draft beers are from the brewery they have on the property (Knife Edge Brewing). My friend and I liked their Blond Ale and their Moon Shadow Session IPA. The IPA was slightly citrusy, crisp, cold, and refreshing. Exactly how you would want a beer. For the food, we had the crab cake appetizer, the caesar salad, and the seafood pappardelle (pasta). Everything was absolutely delicious. The crab cakes were wonderful. Flavorful but not grossly fishy, soft, and the sauce accompaniment was great. My friend and I split the caesar salad and the pasta, so the portions you see of those in my pictures are HALF of what they actually are. The caesar was solid -- a nice sauce and clean, fresh romaine. The croutons seemed homemade and were really good. The pasta had three types of seafood -- shrimp, scallops, and Maine lobster. All delicious and with a tasty garlic lemon cream sauce . It was a good amount of seafood as well. I highly recommend this place. It's a little off the beaten path but well worth it!! As a plus, we spotted a wild fox while driving through the property to the restaurant! read more

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We made it in for Mother's Day for an amazing meal. Thank you so much to our waitress Alaina for being super helpful with our questions and big thanks to the kitchen for being accommodating. We were able to substitute veggies for the fruit for the special which was awesome. We know it was a busy day and really appreciate allowing modifications no problem. We love this location. It's a super convenient spot and absolutely gorgeous view. The landscaping is beautiful. The food and service was really good. Can't wait it go back. Our camp is soo close, so happy for this area having all these new businesses we can enjoy. read more

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We called ahead and they were able to accommodate our party of 20. Our server Tracy was attentive and funny which was great with our group. They sat 14 at one table and six more of us at the next table in the wine room. There is not a huge selection on the menu but everyone enjoyed their meals. It is located on a dirt road winding through ski mobile trails. We went on an evening after a snowfall and it was very pretty. The place itself inside was not as rustic and cozy as I'd imagined from the look of the outside but perfectly acceptable and clean for a && establishment. At our table we ordered a couple ribeyes. Thinner and fattier than what we expected A winter salad which was aaaaamazing, hanger steak and salmon with rice noodles. Everything was very good Will def be back. read more

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Great food, service and beautiful surroundings by a lake. We got the rib eye special which was delicious. And incredible desserts. Our server was friendly and helpful. Lovely time. read more

we drove up from Bangor for Valentine's Day and were not disappointed. the food was fantastic, the services was quick and friendly. our waiter, Jeff, was very attentive and made sure we had a good experience. definitely worth the hour and a half drive! read more

This place was GREAT! It's a lovely restaurant, practically in the middle of nowhere. My husband and I had dinner there. I love nachos and decided to make a meal of the Katahdin nachos. They were outstanding. My husband loved his gourmet burger. The view of the lake and of Mt. Katahdin was fabulous. I highly recommend. read more

What a gorgeous spot! We came here a couple times while camping in Baxter- not far from the park entrance. Holy smokes, what a view. And what kind staff. Abby, Robin, thank you for making us feel like friends! This is a little drive into the woods, and they have a gorgeous mountain view. My favorite thing about this spot was that we came in to check it out, wash our hands, and grab a drink, and they were SO kind to us. They let us wander the property, admire the mountain, put our feet in the lake. These are seriously the kindest people I've ever met in my life. We came for the fish bake dinner- and everyone loved their food! They did overcook the steak- but everyone was still very happy the the flavors! No biggie. Nachos were kinda so so- no real cheese- be ready for that. but the drinks were killer and our server was so amazing. It's beautiful in here, and it's amazing people. Great for drinks, great for views, and making new friends. Check out the big mounted moose! They have a full herb garden where they grow plants, and those plants go into your food and drinks- it's absolutely amazing. Truly incredible. It's a must-stop! read more

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Had a wonderful dinner after a day in Baxter State Park, but got food poisoning from eating here. Got the Mac n' Tomatoes which was fantastic, but did make me very sick. Great service, beautiful view, but giving it 3/5 because food poisoning. read more

Stumbled upon this sign while driving to katahdin. So we checked it out. They have cabins in the wood (camp for Mainers) with an excellent restaurant that has a view out to the millinocket lake and Baxter peak. Doesn't get any better than this, you think? It does!! The lady at the front desk suggested we make reservations for dinner when we enquired about the food. She also let us walk around the lake and described about the trails Before we decided to even eat there. When we did come back , she held a table outside in the shade with a wonderful view of the lake(they did have tables inside but she insisted we wait for the previous guest to leave so we can have the wonderful table outside) . How awesome is that!!! The server was equally great, (Shorey) she checked on our tables quite a few times, made us laugh and was very friendly. We are hoping we can book one of their cabins in the future. read more

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We went here for dinner after hiking Mt Katadhin and the Knifes Edge. Food was absolutely delicious! Big portions of well crafted foods. The service was outstanding. We had a great waiter! We will be back read more

River Drivers has the best all you can eat fish fry Friday. I get so much fish, I have never asked for more. It is always cooked to perfection. Waitresses encourage customers to get seconds, but there is no way possible I could eat another bite. It's nice to just look out the window at the pretty scenery and unwind after a long week. read more

Delicious food, great service & relaxing dining experience, reasonable prices & awesome views

This was a fantastic find! Food was fantastic - poutine, ribeye steak and scallops, and the staff were friendly, courteous and prompt. And the breathtaking views of Lake Millinocket were amazing! read more

Lobster bisque was the best I've ever had!! Simply amazing food, drinks, ambiance and service!

Great lunch today. We rode our sleds in and this place was busy. Service was excellent ! The had a wonderful menu. I ordered the lobster and crab cakes and they were delicious. The chicken nachos with homemade age chips were outstanding! I The atmosphere is really nice. There's a view of the water (which was frozen) and it was lightlysnowing. Huge beautiful windows to enjoy the scenery. Definitely worth the trip! read more

Unfortunately I left my phone back at the cabin so no pictures to share of the amazing food! This place is such a gem! Smash burgers? When have you ever noticed those on a menu? I had a smash burger back in Texas at a school cookout. The smash burgers were delicious! The fries were so good and you have a choice of sweet potato or regular fries. We also tried the nachos with brisket. So good! This place is worth it and I wish we had eaten here more while at our cabin on the lake! Great views too if you eat outside read more

Excellent fare, scenery, service and reasonably priced. My salmon had a nice crust on the outside for mouthfeel and flavor, but the inside was still moist and delicate in flavor. House salad was as locally sourced as possible - their own gardens 100 feet outside the restaurant. I can't recommend it enough. read more

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Lovely grounds give a great view in this restaurant. I ordered the salmon sandwich with fries which was delish. And they even had yellow mustard for my fries! Service was friendly and spot on. Thanks! read more

River Drivers Restaurant - Salmon on a bun - American Near Me - Millinocket, Maine

Bottom Line: One of the VERY few high quality restaurants in Millinocket, this place takes awhile to serve but when they do, presents great food that I'd return for in the future. Also awesome view of the lake! Food: We ordered a bunch and totally worth coming for. - Knife's Edge Smashburger: why get a BURGER when in Maine? Seafood, amiright? Nahhh, this double patty burger is actually worth it! Topped with pub cheese. Really sweet and tasty caramelized onions and I wanna say homemade pickles. This burger and fries were worth the $18. Would order again. - Lobster bisque: so much flavor, LOTS of lobster (esp if you get the bowl), and rich! We couldn't finish it between two people so we passed it around with our group. 100% should order. At least a cup. - Crab Cakes: nothing special, I could live without these unless you're craving them. - Caesar Salad with Salmon: Underdressed romaine lettuce with actually tasty homemade croutons. Wish we asked did more dressing. Salmon was well seasoned and crusted on the grill. Maybe a tad bit over cooked by some standards. - Fried Cauliflower: Basic. Nothing special. - Fish and Chips: pretty good actually! But beware it's costed with Panko, not traditionally breaded as you'd expect. Takes the normal texture out of it but good overall. Drinks: lots of beers to choose from! Beware N/A at the bottom stands for NON-ALCOHOLIC!! Service: Good luck coming without a reservation. We had a party of 8 with a reservation and it took them an extra 25 min to seat us. And then took awhile to serve us and such. Overall they're great but seemed a bit busy and all over the place. They also have WEIRD hours so beware. Final Thoughts: 100% would return. Some plates are hits and some are fine. None are misses. The Burger is well worth it. Fish and chips were pretty good. Lots of beers and cocktails. Just make sure to get a reservation!! read more

River Drivers Restaurant - View from the patio at sunset. I mean...cmon! - American Near Me - Millinocket, Maine

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We brought our infant son here after a day of exploring and the staff were so amazing. By far the best dining experience we've had with him. Everyone was so friendly and played with him while we enjoyed our meal. 10/10 would come again with my family. read more

So - I must confess, I may be a bit biased. I used to work here...well, not this location, but at the original place before they moved. With that said, let's start with location! It doesn't get any better than this. You are on Millinocket Lake with a view of Mt. Katahdin. Anytime of year, the view here is amazing. On this visit, I tried the crab cakes and poutine. While the poutine was just okay, the crab cakes were perfect. The lemon dill remoulade was a perfect pairing - especially on this sunny, hot day. I also had a small bite of my mom's Fish and Chips. It was delicious. And my mom, who is a fish snob, says it's the best she's ever had at any restaurant. So much so, she gets it every time she comes. She claims she'll try something different next time. While I didn't have one on this visit, I will say I used to be obsessed with the desserts here. The flourless chocolate torte was to die for. And the creme brûlée is amazing as well. And, they are somewhat famous for their Ooey Gooey Cake. If in Millinocket, a visit here is worth your time and money (dinner is on the pricey side). And - while here you can inquire about white water rafting! A ton of fun on a hot summer day! read more

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Great find in the north woods if Maine! Returning home from whitewater rafting on the Penobscot, looking for a breakfast place. Beautiful building on the lake, great menu and very welcoming staff! Would love to check it out for dinner! read more

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Delicious food, the service was top notch. Our waiter was seriously one of the nicest guys. They were super nice when we wussed out on being on the deck because of the misquoto's. Fried cauliflower with ranch was delicious and my coworkers fish and chips looked awesome. I got the blackened salmon sandwich and I thought it was top notch. That blueberry vodka cocktail was no joke. read more

Wow so delicious! We were skeptical after checking into a not so nice motel in Millinocket and driving down the dirt road but so glad we did. Very nice people, great view and delicious food and drinks. We had the maple syrup Old Fashioned and lobster bisque and lobster Mac and cheese. The best ever!! So good! Go here! We would have booked a night here to but no dogs allowed. Too bad. read more

Food was delicious & staff was welcoming and friendly. We had the poutine for our appetizer. My husband had the fish & chips (with sweet potato fries) and I had the smash burger & house salad. Definitely one of the best burgers I had tried. read more

River Drivers Restaurant - Smash burger (no bun) & house salad - American Near Me - Millinocket, Maine

The restaurant is situated in a beautiful garden by the river. Classy decoration and the NEOC is part of the restaurant where you can rent bikes for mountain biking. We went there twice both for breakfast and dinner after a 6 days canoeing trip. Easily the best restaurant in the area! If you are looking for a treat after Katahdin or your canoeing trip, this is the place to be! Get the haddock tacos, amazing! read more

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Made an 8 pm reservation thinking that was plenty of time for hiking katahdin. Not so much! But they were flexible with us showing up 10 minutes late. Very friendly service and the food was really good! Three of us had the scallops and they were gourmet and generous. Poutine, chicken wings, burger and flatbread were "the bomb" say my kids. A great reward after a grueling hike! read more

10/10 the people, the setting, the LOBSTER BISQUE! Loved everything about our time here and can't wait to visit again!!

Great lakeside dining, fabulous view, friendly/knowledgeable staff (especially Bella), incredible food..... super fresh!

Very friendly service all around. My daughter ordered a fried chicken sandwich and our waitress gave us a heads up on the hot honey and had it placed on the sides. Seafood was super fresh, and the burgers are what you would find at a high end restaurant in a major city. Just outside Baxter State Park, with NO cell reception River Drivers is an absolute gem. Great Maine beer tap list, and awesome cocktail menu. read more

Five stars for the view and the service! After camping two nights in Baxter and hiking Katahdin the day before, we were in need of a yummy and hearty breakfast, and River Drivers was the place to be! They just had a wedding so there was still some setup leftover from it. We were informed that whenever they do a wedding, they always have a buffet in the restaurant for all restaurant goers. The breakfast buffet had bacon, sausage, eggs, tater tots, pancakes, French toast, muffins and pastries, watermelon, juice, and good Carrabassett coffee - only $9.50 a person, and we were able to get seconds when more fresh food came out - yes please! Everything tasted better with the beautiful view from the outdoor patio seating looking at the lake and mountains on a gorgeous morning. Our waitress (didn't catch her name!) was amazing - so friendly and informative about the park with suggestions for future visits, going above and beyond! read more

This place seemed to be struggling a bit with staffing. Been going here for years. Consistently great food! When we arrived at 5pm, the staff struggled to figure out a plan on where to seat us. They had a table for two reservation at 6 but were hesitant to give us that table. Fortunately there were two seats at the bar and we were out of there by 5:45 so had plenty of time to use the table for two. The three ladies in front of us also got quite a run around when trying to get seated. Service was also slightly slower too. In their defense, there was a small event at 5:30 but it didn't seem like they were in the front dining area at all and as an manager, these are all things to plan for. I started with the cauliflower app and hubby had a cup of lobster stew. Both excellent. The cauliflower app is huge, so expect to take some home! We both had the knifes edge smash burger. It was pretty good. I've had it one other time and it was better the last time. This time there was barely any cheese on it and it was barely seasoned. Sweet fries with mine. They seemed fresh cut and well cooked (crispy and not overdone). Hubby had reg fries which also were fresh cut and perfectly cooked. Watch for hours on this place when not in peak season. We went Wednesday night too and were turned away for a special event. read more

We heard great things about this restaurant so we planned our 1st Anniversary dinner here. We even called ahead and asked the chef to prepare a small cake in the same flavor of our wedding cake. My husband spoke to the chef and she said that she would call back to confirm. After multiple calls over a 2 week period that were not returned, there was no cake when we arrived. Half our party ordered hamburgers as we came before the 4pm entrees were available. The burgers were way over done and very dry. We left very dissatisfied with our food and the overall experience. read more

Tasty blackened fish tacos & vegetarian tacos, (unfortunately loaded with mayo/cream sauce, so not vegan). Homemade bread with olive oil served before the meal. A few other vegetarian options. Attentive server. Pretty flower & veggie gardens to walk through after dinner... follow the path down to the water for a lovely sunset view. Indoor & outdoor seating. read more

River Drivers Restaurant - American Near Me - Millinocket, Maine

Lobster Bisque. No more needed to be said!! This place is easy to find and parking is a breeze. The atmosphere of the place is charming and welcoming. They have a cute little fire pit going on out back. Service was good and the place was clean. But the Lobster Bisque- the best we have ever had. It was thin and not like all that other thick creamy stuff. It has favor and loads of Lobster. Gotta try it. read more

This restaurant has a wonderful chef who will work with you to make items not on the menu. Specifically, we asked for vegan items, and they did a great job. Recently, a friend also went and was treated to two types of vegan tacos, not on the menu. And, the service is excellent. read more

The most amazing fall salad, we decided to return the next day as well. I had the salad and added blacked haddock which was so flavorful. We also had the scallops and their burger your way which my husband said was great and he is known for his burgers. The wait staff was helpful and pleasant. Well worth the drive and the view is spectacular. read more

My boyfriend and I just spent Memorial Day weekend in Millinocket. Since we were going on a moose safari out of NEOC, we decided to eat at River Driver's for dinner. Very glad we did! Both our meals were fantastic! Fresh, tasty, creative & delicious. We each had a Chicken Pesto sandwich and shared an order of beer-battered onion rings. The sandwiches were mouth-watering and the onion rings were easily the BEST I've ever eaten ~ light and non-greasy with an exceptional flavor, served with a terrific dipping sauce. Since our dinner was so wonderful, we ended up also have breakfast and lunch there over the weekend. Between the burger, the fried tomato BLT, the fries, the breakfast sandwich and the beer, we were overall extremely pleased and satisfied with every single dish. The view is magnificent, the restaurant is clean & cozy and the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Prices were reasonable and service was prompt and professional. Eating at River Driver's was one of the highlights of our trip. Wish we lived closer! read more

Located on the shores of Millinocket lake with a beautiful view and waterfront gardens this little hidden gym is worth the drive. I recommend it to all my Airbnb guests on Friday night for their wonderful fish fry. The staff is friendly and helpful. In warm weather they have a patio dining which is quite nice and they keep a wood fire going even In summer so the smoke keeps the mosquitoes and black flies away. The well-stocked bar will provide you with your beverage of choice. Highly recommended. read more