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    The Liberal Cup

    4.1 (370 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Pubs, Breweries
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    The Liberal Cup Photos

    Business Info

    THE LIBERAL CUP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Live music
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Liberal Cup

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    Lobster roll with fries
    Geoff D.

    Truly a place where everyone knows your name ... if you can endure the mug club process #IYKYK, great food specials, lots of local favorites. The food and the drinks are secondary to the friendships & the great local music

    Tasting paddle - small pours of all of them!
    Anne J.

    First stop of Day 4 on our New England Beer tour, and we found plenty of goodness here. Given the gorgeous August weather, we were happy to sit on the patio, as the inside is a tad heavy (low ceiling) and dark. Well hurrah - not only does Liberal Cup offer several styles of beer, but they execute all of them well. I don't love hop-forward IPA, and I really liked all of the IPAs here. The Tarbox Cream Stout was smooth and not bitter or over-roasted like most of the stouts I've had in Maine, and the cask ale was smooth and welcoming. Good stuff all around. Didn't try the food, but with a kid at college in the area, we have an excuse to go back and try it another time.

    Mussels
    James G.

    Great service, good quality and consistently great food. Never disappointed here. Mussels and calamari are always a good choice. Swordfish was sold out tonight but it must have been worth it to sell out by 7ish. Old school atmosphere at its best.. locals hangout after service.. always my go to backup plan!!

    Reason why, I done at this restaurant!! The mussels! So good!!!
    Vero G.

    Absolutely love this place! Atmosphere and dining experience is always so great! Waitress was amazing and attentive. The mussels in the cream sauce are something to order!!!

    Lobster Roll Special!
    Carolyn V.

    Update 2024 The Liberal Cup in Hallowell, Maine is a hidden jewel! Service was excellent and the food was fabulous. The $21.95 Lobster Roll special was outstanding - fresh and nicely portioned!

    a sign for a local coffee shop
    Neal E.

    We had dinner here one evening - our first evening in the Manchester/Augusta area. I ordered the Chef's Salad and my friend ordered the Onion Rings - which turns out is close to being a meal by itself! Huge Onion Rings and lots of them! Plus a number of beers! Ambiance is that of an old pub - our server was awesome! She answered all of our questions. There were lots of other things on the menu that I want to come back and try during the next visit to the area! #TheLiberalCup

    Full Monty Fish & Chips
    Sarah W.

    Never disappoints! The shepherds pie and the fish and chips are our go-to favorites! The bangers and mash are always good too. The service is good, we love the food, it's always consistent, and all my family members like it here, so it's an easy pick. It's always a good deal!

    Joke
    Arik C.

    Just left from having lunch here. Their "butcher cut" of the day was steak tips $20. On the special it came with some Spanish sauce and rice pilaf and veggie. Due to diet restrictions, I can't have the sauce and I hate rice pilaf. I asked the server if I could have the dinner option which was "butcher cut" and garlic mashed w veggies and she said no. I explained that I can't eat the sauce on the special. I asked if the meatloaf (dinner menu that comes with garlic mashed and veg) was being served and she said yes. So I explained my diet restriction, and asked if I could just have the mashed/veg. Same price and they already have it in the menu. I was served 4 tiny steak tips and a side of orange mush. I think it was sweet potato but was honestly not good. So I paid $20 for 4 steak tips. Joke we don't be back. Sometimes in hospitality we need to have understanding and make it happen - saying no bc you just don't feet like it is unacceptable.

    Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

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    1 month ago

    Beer cheese and pretzels are great, great beers. My husband drank enough beer to hang his mug in the rafters !!

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    7 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food and great beer. Place is a little tight when it's busy and they have live music.

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    7 months ago

    We got burgers and they were excellent. The service was slow, but the food was delicious.

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    1 year ago

    Friendly staff, classic delicious pub food, and an amazing drink list! Definitely recommend this place if you are in the hallowell area.

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    2 years ago

    Food was amazing!!! Great service and pricing!! Can't wait to stop in again the next time I'm in town.

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food and drinks are delicious, the service is great and this place has ambience to spare, highly recommend

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    When there's live music it's awesome. Service is acceptable. Nice atmosphere on the right night.

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Had great service at the bar. Good burger, excellent fries, and a decent IPA on tap. People were nice.

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    2 years ago

    Nice staff but crummy beer. Fair prices. Didn't eat here because we went elsewhere for better brews.

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    4 years ago

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    Easy Street Lounge - More interior

    Easy Street Lounge

    4.7(24 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    I love weird bars--they're my favorite. For a while I thought there weren't any to be had around…read morecentral Maine. Enter Easy Street. I would love to know where they get the decor for this place. I'd imagine a lot of flea markets (fabulous ones)? It's hard to pick my favorite decor item because there are so many, but it's somewhere between the chairs shaped like hands and the giant silver octopus tentacle under the T.V. Ooo and the corner with all the clowns! Drinks are strong and cheap. The bartenders are friendly. There's a patio, but it's a bit small. There are plenty of comfy chairs/couches. They have live music pretty often, so if that's your thing, you'll be happy there on weekend nights. The only thing is the space is kind of small for live music, so it can get really loud. This is an excellent chill option if you're in Hallowell and want to skip bars that tend to get a bit fratty like The Quarry Taproom. Highly recommend!

    I don't get to spend a lot of tine in Hallowell anymore since I moved away from the area in 2010,…read morebut it seems as though every time I do, we somehow end up at Easy Street. Friends of ours wanted to play some pool after we had dinner nearby at Lucky Garden, so we did exactly that. It was a slow night and no one was waiting for the table, so we played about 4 or 5 games and had a lovely time. The decor is awesome, the bar is clean, and the staff were friendly. I've always had a good time here, and I enjoy the artwork too!

    Photos
    Easy Street Lounge - The bar

    The bar

    Easy Street Lounge - Funky art

    Funky art

    Easy Street Lounge - Easy Street around Christmastime

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    Easy Street around Christmastime

    John Sullivan’s Pub

    John Sullivan’s Pub

    3.8(46 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    This is a favorite local pub here in Augusta. One of the few places offering up an Irish menu (it…read moregets busy quick on St. Patrick's Day!) Lots of beers on tap to try including local beer from some of Maine's finest and a good selection of mixed drinks and wine of courser. The food is standard pub grub. I've had eaten here for years and the food is consistent, portions are generous, and you certainly won't leave hungry. There are stick-to-your-ribs bangers and mash, the Guinness stout beef pot pie is popular (comes out with a puff pastry topping the size of your head), and this is one of the few places in Maine where you can get a Scotch Egg. I like the Cornish pasties myself - they taste like grandmas home cooking. I recommend starting with the highland bites with a tangy mustard sauce to dip in or the spinach artichoke dip with lots of tortillas. I was in a big group on my last visit and we all just ordered a bunch of apps and nom'd on them family style. Wings were amazing too, cooked well and seasoned perfectly. The servers are super friendly, your drinks and food comes out quickly, even when they are super busy. This makes a great lunch stop for working professionals in the downtown businesses. They offer live music regularly and on those nights it can get loud, not the best if you want intimate conversation. But, if you want rollicking Irish music around friends and beers - this is the place. The establishment is fairly large so they can accommodate groups, and there is a screened-in deck (that is also heated for winter dining). The atmosphere is similar to what you'd expect in a local Irish pub. TV's scattered around the place, the benches at the long large tables appear to be repurposed church pews so that's neat. They definitely have local regulars and the owner is usually around, everyone is welcome here and you will have a good time while eating and drinking with your crew! Plenty of free parking in lots, the street, and the nearby parking garage, handicap accessible.

    My Friends and I went here on 3/16/2023…read more Our waitress was sweet and welcoming. It was beautiful sunny day, so we all sat on the back deck. The food selections were diverse, ranging from Celtic European fare to pizza. I went with the "bare knuckle burger", which is made with their signature Guinness sauce. It was heavenly!

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    John Sullivan’s Pub - Highland Bites

    Highland Bites

    John Sullivan’s Pub - Fried Pickles

    Fried Pickles

    John Sullivan’s Pub - The Rachel..!

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    The Rachel..!

    Applebee's Grill + Bar

    Applebee's Grill + Bar

    2.7(56 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    The server Reese was excellent! Took care of us like family. The greeter sat us in a drafty spot …read more I didn't like that very much. The food did come out hot and delicious and overall I was 90% happy with everything except the seating! The decoration was Maine and local faire. It's nice to see local pictures of sports and activities! The pretzel and beer cheese is amazing! Nana likes the tomato basil soup and dad likes the French onion soup.

    This is not my first rodeo at an Applebees and after a long day of cheering competition, the family…read moreneeded some grub and this was their choice. Establishment is located in an area with plenty of private parking and adjacent to several a major retailers and a grocery store. The location is obviously understaffed when you have a 45 minute wait at the door, but you can count 8-10 tables that are empty. I feel bad for the staff when they work so hard, yet they can't fill the place to its full capacity. We waited about 35 minutes, but they take your number and you can sit in the car or inside where they will text you when your table is ready. I had the all you can eat appetizer option which boasted boneless wings, ribs and shrimp with fries. The ribs were 'ok', but I enjoyed everything else offered in the bottomless option. My wife enjoyed her burger and fries. They hit the temp on the burger perfectly. The kids enjoyed their pasta and irresistible-a-bowl taking home some of the leftovers since the portion was quite large. Staff was busting their butt and I was sure to tip to reflect that. If they can get the staff to support a full house, they will do much better and offer some relief to the waiters and waitresses who look like they had a long day, but had a great attitude and continued to smile throughout the entire experience. The only reason for the 3-stars and the wait with many open tables. Food was great, staff was friendly, but the location needs to work on getting to full staff to support their seating capacity.

    Photos
    Applebee's Grill + Bar
    Applebee's Grill + Bar
    Applebee's Grill + Bar

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    The Liberal Cup - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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