Went here for brunch today with a few friends and must say that I was very impressed. The staff…read morewas friendly and the space was quaint as one would hope for in an historic inn. I ordered the breakfast sandwich which was atypically served on slices of bread as opposed to an English muffin, but it was fantastic! The eggs were fluffy and delicious, and were complemented by a buttery lemon sauce that made the whole dish. Highly recommend.

This is a cozy place on grey days and has outdoor seating in beautiful weather…read more With an interesting menu and great drink options, you'll have lots to choose from. High end dining and professional but friendly service make for an enjoyable evening (As Bowdoin parents, it's a short pretty walk to campus and you might spot a polar bear working there!)

Fantastic gourmet shop to grab key things you need for entertaining: wine, cheese, salami, &…read morehousemade dips for your charcuterie, the tastiest crispy chips. Don't miss the frozen case featuring Afterglow ice cream sandwiches made in Maine. People will fight over the Classic sweet cream between brown butter chocolate chip cookies. The restaurant no longer has regular hours. But their Wiener Wednesdays featuring inventive hot dogs, along w/ curated pop-ups are not to be missed. They're really community-minded, so great local stop.

If only I lived closer... I'd be at Vessel & Vine ALL. THE. TIME…read more I've been a huge fan of this wine store for years. It's got so much character, and the people running it are some of the nicest humans ever. I don't think I've ever left without a smile on my face, or without a bottle (or two) of something new and interesting. Their selection is incredible; not just wine, but also vermouths, Campari, and even pasta and bread?! Like, what don't they do? And the vibes??! Perfection. In the winter, it gives a mix of Scandinavia and Spain, and I'm so here for it. Oh, and they have a full wine bar with pours and bites. Just go... you'll thank me later.

First time in this place even tho it's very close to where I work. Met a friend there recently for…read morea girl date to catch up on life. The interior is beautiful. The brick work, and art work on the walls is quite lovely. The hostess was amazing. I never got her name but she was so friendly and informative. Said we came at a good time before "after work rush" Here's where I felt things didn't go so well. We placed our order for a couple of entrees and tossed in an appetizer. The place was NOT busy and everything came out at the same time. Huge faux pas. After that, our server must've visited us a dozen times asking if we needed thing. I jokingly said "we're good just leave us alone" It's a huge turnoff to be hounded and not have your orders timed appropriately. ‍sorry not sorry. You wanna be semi-fancy, your service needs to reflect that Now food. I ordered the Porchetta Bahn Mi, friend had a wild rice beet salad? The app was fried pickles. Bahn Mi was ok. Every "handheld" is served on brioche so that was a bit of a turn off for a Bahn Mi. Half the part of them being delicious, is the bread itself. I didn't taste the friends salad but looked inviting. The pickles didn't seem cooked enough? Not very crispy. Maybe that's why everything came out all at once. I might give this place another chance

I was born and raised in Maine and come back a couple times a year to see my mom here in Brunswick…read more I hadn't been yet to the Ram and Bull which took over a previous restaurant spot, and decided to give it a try based on the fact that one of their weekly specials was lobster stew. Let me be clear, I am typically disappointed over and over by the lobster stew I have in Maine. In my mind, it should be classic, with milk, butter, Sherry, and lobster meat. I've been searching for this version from my childhood for the past 30+ years and I finally found it here. Have they added a tiny garnish of rosemary to the top? Yes. Does it make me angry or detract from the sweet perfect flavors of the stew? No. And the lobster meat in the stew was tender, as it should be, rather than having simmered way too long and being tough and chewy. Their crabcakes also were nice and generous, although I don't love the spicy remoulade (I feel it's too strong for delicate crab flavor) and the texture was a bit soft for me. I'm looking forward to being back during my stay and trying more items from the menu! Oh, and don't sleep on the service here, it was excellent. From several people asking me how my meal was or just saying hello, to the amazing Travis behind the bar with his big fabulous personality. Yay!

Irish bars - where the Guinness flows like milk and honey and the crash of broken glass hitting the…read morefloor gets a "heeey" with glasses raised - the beautiful brogue compliments and politeness (es) male bartenders with a welcoming smile and in-depth knowledge of the Irish golfers and soccer teams - but that's not here at all. I'm hanging on to the hope that my 4 stars will not have to be updated as the scales of bar justice can only tip downward hence forth. Perhaps I have a false sense of self - but I'm a freakin great customer - I spend hundreds of dollars a month on eating, drinking and making Merry at the midcoast Maine bars - y'all business owners better take notice of me and respect the badge, my writing power and my posse - cause I'll turn you out if I must. And when beady eyes behind the bar set upon me, they're not saying"welcome back valued customer" they're saying "it's him again" the concentric circles, the common center must not be broken with new faces and new money - Be the region between the two concentric circles - I think it's called annulus, be that, not an assulus. The folks at the bar are quite the opposite, they're friendly and engaging- one guy was dancing to live music, caulking around the AC while drinking drafts and discussing Him Morrison with me as I sat alone in a dark corner. This is what Irish bars are - just gotta inform the barmaid- only one, the other is quite nice - and the big guy - I'm betting a shit of Jamison that he's the owner- always running around the back, cooking up great meals - try his Steak and Cheese, the twelve inch pizza which beady eye called "fourteen" - duh - is $9.00 and big guys got a heavy topping hand, smothering that pie with the pepperoni that does that high heat trigger shaped twist - like a tulip pedal holding the little droplets of oil inside.

I went on a Monday evening, about 7:00, because there were so few restaurants open. What a…read moredisappointment! We wanted dinner. The bartender said we could order food even though it was really slow and the band had stopped playing. We ordered cheese steaks sandwiches. We asked what came with the sandwiches and we were told tater tots. It took almost 40 minutes to get our food. We had to wait about 5 minutes for the ketchup and there were no tater tots. We got a bag of chips and were told they were out of the tater tots and French fries. No respectable Irish bar would not be able to serve fries or some form of potato with a meal. The bar had about 10 people in the bar and they were all pretty drunk. It is not a fun pub but a place with some sad drunks.

We first came to Moderation when they first opened a few years ago. Have not been back since (not…read morebig beer drinkers - but we love a good brewery vibe) and have been waiting to try the new former Brunswick Fire Department location. It was awesome! Welcomed by the owner and found some yummy beer options. My sister was visiting and she isn't a beer drinker at all but tired (and liked!) the fruity spritz - it is frankly a great option to serve in a brew pub. I had the Oyster Lager - dark but not heavy tasting. Wayne went for their1856 Lager and my brother in law opted for the Champs Lager. All good - and bonus - Dog Haus was the food truck so we enjoyed the following: Wayne had the House Dog with sauerkraut, mustard, grilled onions & celery salt. I had the same but with caramelized onions instead and no sauerkraut. Bill totally enjoyed the OG dog, with maple mustard & curry ketchup, They also allow you to substitute a red snapper (you know, a traditional Maine dog!) for the beef one. All in all it was a great afternoon, sitting in the doors of the brewery, chatting and enjoying hot dogs and beer!

Attended an event here in support of a local historical society. I must admit I am not sure I…read morewould have visited otherwise, but I was pleasantly surprised. The brewery occupies our town's retired fire station. They have done an admirable job of repurposing the building while also preserving much of the historic building. The service was subdued but pleasant. I did not try any of their own beer, but enjoyed some of their other offerings. Definitely worth a visit.

We took advantage of Flight Deck Brewing's Air Show package and spent most of Saturday camped out…read moreat their ample picnic tables, enjoying the air show. Our Pesto Caprese With Chicken sandwich was more than enough for two hungry people: Delicious, visually appealing, and arrived quickly. We included two on-tap beers with our order (P3, Hazy IPA) that were also delicious and poured ASAP when we placed our food order. There is ample parking and lots (and lots) of outdoor seating (some of it covered for Sun protection and for cooling off.) There was a misting fan running, too. Service was very hospitable, and no long lines for food or beverages. The cost of eating and drinking here (on a special event day no less) was very welcoming: Our tab surprised me, and I more than made it up on the gratuity (which I hope you do, too.) These people are working hard, and some of them are in front of a blazing pizza oven. My only regret: I forgot to purchase beer to take home. I will remedy this shortly.

We've visited Flight Deck Brewing a few times now and it has quickly become one of our favorite…read moreplaces. There are so many seating options inside and outside, and the outdoor space is especially great. They have covered areas that keep you comfortable in rainy or cold weather, and there are always fun activities happening outside. The beer is consistently good. We haven't tried one we didn't enjoy. The pizza and sandwiches are also really solid and perfect for grabbing a quick lunch. The service is always fantastic. Every person behind the bar has been friendly and welcoming each time we've visited. One of the things we appreciate most is that they allow dogs inside. Our puppy loved relaxing while we enjoyed our food and drinks, which makes it such an easy spot for dog owners. The location on a former military base adds a really unique atmosphere, and they do a great job leaning into that theme with thoughtful details throughout. Overall, it's a great place with great beer, great people, and an inviting atmosphere. Highly recommend. Cheers!

Food is good, but oh my lord I waited over an hour for my order. a plethora of customers who…read moreordered after me were served before me. I wonder if it is because I ordered an impossible burger. bias against vegetarians? who knows but I expect improvement.

Good 'ole Magee's. I couldn't count the number of nights we'd spend in Smith Union lounging on the…read morecouches munching down on grub, catching live performances or throwing back a beer. If you're on a Bowdoin College tour, aside from the must try A-rated student dining halls, this is the next best thing. Microbrews, falafals to die for and the only place open in Brunswick past 10 p.m.. A student classic in the middle of nowhere.

Beautiful space, historic solid building with high ceilings, stately almost Euro feel. Kind of a…read moreclassy-hip vibe. One of the relatively rare spaces which combines coffee/morning feel with nighttime cocktail refuge in one big room. You could chill and read or work on laptop and yet it also can be a more low key nightlifey hang at night. Excellent menu of select food items and fantastic drinks. The breakfast sandwich I got on Portuguese roll was well prepared and one of the best deals I think in Greater Portland area (please don't raise the prices cause I wrote that!). Their lattes and what not are superb. They have live jazz on Sundays during brunch time. It feels like a little slice of Portland or Cambridge MA or (name your much larger cool city) in the middle of Brunswick. I'm a fan!

We came here during my bachelorette weekend and, at first, had a wonderful experience. Our server…read morewas friendly, attentive, and even surprised us with a complimentary glass of bubbly when we paid our tab after two drinks. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and we left with a great impression. We decided to check out the bar across the street, but it wasn't our vibe, so we called it a night and walked back to The Abbey. Their patio was empty and well lit so we decided to sit there while we waited for our Uber. Our server immediately came out and told us they were closed and that we couldn't sit on the patio, promptly closing the door and shutting the light out on us. While disappointing, we understood. The part that left such a bad taste in our mouths happened next. As a group of young women, we were standing outside when a group of loud, rowdy men across the street started making us uncomfortable. We genuinely felt unsafe. We went back inside and politely asked if we could wait indoors for our Uber, explaining that we didn't feel safe outside. Instead of showing any concern, the bartender looked at us and said, "Oh, that bachelorette party? No." The bar was still full of customers, and we weren't asking to order more drinks or stay all night. We simply wanted a safe place to wait a few minutes for our ride. After how warm and welcoming they had been earlier, the complete lack of compassion in that moment was shocking. Customer service isn't just about being friendly when you're serving drinks. It's also about treating people with basic human decency when they tell you they feel unsafe. Unfortunately, our final memory of The Abbey wasn't the complimentary champagne or the great service at the beginning of the night. It was realizing that, when it actually mattered, our safety wasn't important to them.

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.

Excellent bar tender, wish Neat was near my home, I'd be a regular . Dark, very chill place…read more Bartender is excellent, makes great drinks, and is super friendly.

I can't help myself...we had the "neat"-est experience at Neat in Boothbay Harbor…read more I first came across Neat in a local magazine and added it to my running foodie list. During a recent off-season trip to Boothbay, we finally stopped by, and I was genuinely surprised this little whiskey bar exists right in the middle of town. It's a sub shop during the day, but after hours it becomes this moody, intimate and cozy space with a huge whiskey selection. I'm a big whiskey fan (not an expert by any means, just a fan), but my husband isn't, so this could've gone either way. To my surprise, the vibe was super relaxed, and by that I mean not even a hint of pretentiousness (that whiskey bars are sometimes known for). The bartender, who also owns the place, was so welcoming and friendly, helpful, and running the whole thing solo like a pro. The whiskey list was wild (it just seemed never-ending), and the cocktail menu had plenty of options for non-whiskey drinkers too (my husband loved his drink!). Plus, sipping drinks while looking out at the harbor?! Can't beat it.