Ship&#x27;s Cellar Pub

We had the pleasure of going to a pop brunch at the incomparable Central Restaurant in York today…read more They're only open on Sundays a few times a year and over the last few we haven't missed one! When we entered it was packed along with its sister the Bar Next door. As always we were greeted like royalty. As the owner Kiersten greets every one! Our incredible server recommended the Shrimp and andouille sausage with grits! Spicy and hot, the most delicious dish I've ever enjoyed ! Me wife had the clam chowder almost like a bisque that was out of this world. This my favorite place for a dining experience !!

What a. Delightful experience. The food is delicious and the staff has all been warm and inviting…read more Great restaurant with all the boxes checked.

Central Restaurant & Bar

Haddock Milanese

See all

The Bar Next Door

The Black Birch

4.6(368 reviews)

6.5 mi

We frequently pass through Kittery, often stopping at Kittery Trading Post and Bob's Clam Hut, but…read moreon this trip we ventured off of Rt. 1 and discovered a little hidden gem...The Black Birch. This quaint gastropub doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside, this seems like a place where locals are regulars and tourists are happy to get a table at this "no reservations" joint. It's dark inside (no photos) and a little cramped. The bartenders are serving double duty mixing and pouring drinks while also playing DJ and spinning vinyl records. And it felt like everyone inside was exactly where they wanted to be at the moment...enjoying each other's company and sharing drinks and food. The menu is about the size you would expect from a small kitchen - a fair number of appetizer dishes meant for sharing, and a handful of entrees, ranging from casual to a bit more refined. The grilled cheese and tomato soup ($19) was made with a hearty artisan bread that hit the spot on a chilly evening. Similarly, the coq au vin ($26) was classic comfort food, with perfectly cooked smashed fingerling potatoes surrounded by a rich, decadent reduction sauce smothering meaty mushrooms and soft pearl onions. Note, the coq au vin did take a long time to prepare, so not the dish to order if you're in a hurry. A couple of not-too-sweet lemon ricotta donuts (with chocolate sauce) was a great way to end the meal.

We celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary while touring New England…read more We actually just happened upon this place because the first restaurant that we went to, across the street, was out of a couple of dishes that my husband wanted. Well, I'm happy that they were because dinner here was SOOOO good! The bartender helped us choose a bottle of champagne to start. We shared everything. One of each of the deviled eggs each. The maple cranberry was interesting. The sour cream chive one was to die for! The ricotta gnocchi was elegant and fluffy. The sauce made it over the top. The ribs were good, but I'm a Midwest girl. They just don't compare to back home. The clam linguine was seasoned perfectly. It was quite filling. We ended with the Apple Olive Oil cake with maple ice cream. The cake itself was quite dense and dry. The ice cream helped. I would not order this dessert again. Service was quite SLOWWWW, and for no reason as they weren't very busy while we were there. There were long gaps between courses and then once we were finished we kind of just sat there for a while. The food was worth it but something is not running efficiently and could be improved. Still giving 5 starts because it was so good and everyone was welcoming.

Record player playing Marvin Gaye

Mussels

See all

Food For Thought

I don't even know where to start! I saw a TikTok about Food for Thought, specifically their…read moreCogdon's doughnut grilled cheese which caught my attention. So I looked them up and saw the adult happy meal on the menu and knew I had to try them. An hour and half drive was 100000% worth it!!! The entire building is small but feels very inviting and comfortable. The atmosphere is iconic with out of this world 90s cartoons painted on the walls. Even the bathroom had a touch of this nostalgia and whimsy (trust me look in the bathroom mirror for an amazing little touch). The staff were equally amazing and truly wonderful. I am currently pregnant and being very careful about what I eat so my husband asked the bartender/waiter if the feta is pasteurized. Most people would have simply said I don't know and moved on but this fellow went and asked the kitchen if the feta is pasteurized (it is). It's little things like that that make us want to go back. Now on to the star the food and drink! We had the soft pretzel which comes with beer cheese and stone ground honey mustard and the fried feta. The pretzel was great and the beer cheese was also great but the feta was indescribable. Every aspect of the feta was perfect and a true umami experience. I got the adult happy meal (a smash burger, chicken nuggets, and fries). It also comes with a toy which is just cherry on top status. The burger was fantastic BUT the fries and nuggets were crazy good. My husband got Flo's Double Burger and he had eaten half of it before I got mine out of the box. He would have eaten two of them if he wasn't so full! He also got the I gotta say... today was a good day sour ale. He loved it and enjoyed it enough we left with a four pack! This is the perfect Maine hidden gem and we will be back soon!

Food was pretty good, drinks were quite good, but service was unfriendly and dismissive. Servers…read morewere more interested in doing shots behind the bar than being attentive and friendly to their customers. And.. WTF is a $4.93 SUSTAINABLY FEE??? We were not told about that.. just appeared on our receipt! REALLY DISAPPOINTED in that place. We have vacationed in Cape Neddick for several years, and this was our first time at Food For Thought. Know they are new, and we were so looking forward to an enjoyable experience at this restaurant. We will never go back there... beware! They obviously don't care about their shitty attitude!

Nashville Chicken Snack Wrap

Lobster Roll Flight

See all

Burrito Bowl

Liars Bench Beer Co

4.7(80 reviews)

8.0 mi

I felt like messages were being sent to me to visit here. The night before, at dinner at a nearby…read morerestaurant with local friends, one of them was drinking a Liar's Bench beer which he let me sample. It wasn't my preferred type of beer, but I found it tasty and refreshing. The next morning at breakfast at a restaurant in town, there were small signs on the table for their beers. So that afternoon, I went to Liar's Bench for lunch. I appreciate the messages the universe had sent me. Apart from a challenge getting parking at lunchtime, with several spots in the lot reserved for nearby Murray's Plumbing, there's much to like about Liar's Bench (and that's no lie). The beer selection is varied enough that I was able to get a very satisfying flight. My local friend had suggested I order whatever was the chef's special of the day (which today was a specialty burger), but we instead opted for the BBQ platter for 2, with a large amount of pulled pork, slaw, potato salad, and Texas toast. We sat at the bar and had great service and conversation. I can see why this is a popular lunch destination. Another bonus for me is that Liar's Bench is the closest brewery to a hotel at which I often stay when I'm in Portsmouth, making this a new destination for me when I'm in the area.

Small business tucked off a side street near downtown Portsmouth. Don't come here looking for a…read morebeer from the grocery store. They do offer some wines. ciders and N/A options, but their main fair is there stuff on tap. I ordered an all IPA flight (which comes in 4s) [for $10!!!!! Well worth it!] * Young Upstart: 6.6% ABV - a bIt muted for an IPA * Bernuda Tattoo: 6.9% ABV - slight more hoppy than the Y.U * To Vera: 7.5% ABV - fruitier notes as a Hazy WCIPA * Nielsen Schmielsen: 7.7% ABV - as a double, this is quaint As for food, they have a small selection of snacks, sandwiches and "tube meats" and some shareable. the music is good, not mainstream stuff. and the v8be is very neighborhood spot. Come foe the drinks, maybe a snack, but come during the warmer months, as I'm sure the patio opens up and it's a much better scene. Wait staff could be a bit more engaging. Overall, I'd come back to try the food, it's unique to see "tubed meats" on the menu. I'm getting a lot of German influences when. it comes to the menu.

Bar and dining area

Tokyo Dog - platonic ideal of bar food

See all

Oktoberfest

Cure

4.5(723 reviews)

•$$$

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.

Bar area

French Onion Soup

See all

Espresso martini & a sazerac

Earth Eagle Tavern

4.4(335 reviews)

Fun beer bar off the beaten path in Portsmouth. Good bartenders. Tasty pretzel app that was fresh…read moreand delicious. Small outside space as well. Excellent beer selection.

Wonderful people and great beer ! Loved the outside mural. Cheeseburger was delicious and cooked…read moreperfectly. Parking was difficult but it was worth it.

See all

Evening in the beer garden at Earth Eagle Brewings Portsmouth. Now open for the summer/fall 2025.

The Wilder

3.9(264 reviews)

My brother, his wife, and I were bar hoping and I'd say this place's ambience was amazing. We got…read moreour drinks and were able to take a seat. We didn't get anything to eat as we already previously ate, but the staff were very attentive in how we were doing with our drinks. Definitely would come again.

I was really impressed by this place! Still thinking about it months later. We went for brunch and…read morehad a great time. I had a pancake that was made out of cornmeal and stuffed with cheese. Absolutely delicious and so inventive. Everyone was very happy with their plates. Overall will be back again and recommend for a nice sit down meal. Sad to have seen the Coat of Arms close but delighted that such an excellent restaurant as The Wilder took its place. Such a great vibe inside as well

Duck Rillette

See all

Stoneface Brewing

4.5(108 reviews)

9.3 mi

SOME breweries have GREAT beer, But no food or mediocre food. Some breweries have great food but OK…read morebeer. Stoneface has GREAT Beer & DELICIOUS food.. Served by friendly staff. They have reasonable prices too. As a flight attendant, I go to a LOT of brewery/restaurants across the country.. Very few have Amazing Beer AND food worthy of a visit for both.

We came on Valentines day for a quick drink prior to our dinner plans. We each had one of their…read morecraft beers and split an everything pretzel. Though I wasn't that impressed with my beer, the pretzel was served warm and soft but smaller than anticipated. The have free popcorn up for grabs which we took advantage of. Decent seating inside, although their was a wait. They serve food but we just kept with the pretzel. Small parking lot out front but if you drive further down the street to their back lot, there is a bit more spots there.

Ahi Nachos

See all

Nice Thing, a New England IPA.

The Corner Pub

4.4(23 reviews)

6.4 mi

We didn't try their food menu just their cocktails. We ordered an espresso martini and a gin…read morecocktail. The cocktails were standard and nothing to rave about. I heard their food is pretty good though. I would recommend this place if you're looking for quick drinks and pub fare.

Service was friendly, she was alone and very busy. Saturday here must be because it's a local spot…read more Come for casual eats.

FREE Pool!

See all

3 fire pit tables on the patio

BRGR Bar

3.9(589 reviews)

Food was great, nice atmosphere and drinks. However, the real stars were the waiters. All of them…read morewere friendly, outgoing, and polite. Great restaurant, would DEFINITELY recommend

It's exactly what it sounds like, and good at exactly what they claim to be good at…read more Excellent tasting burgers, perfectly fried home-fries and good beer. There is a pub kind of atmosphere, comfortable seating (tables at just the right height to comfortably rest your elbows on) and a large seating area, so you probably would not have an issue getting a seat. Service was prompt and very nice, possibly helped by the fact that it was relatively quiet when we went. Overall, for what it is 10/10!