This is the spot for the best food, atmosphere & service in western Maine..cash is king.read more

A diamond in the rough! This was an amazing find!! The wait staff and owner were so nice and made…read moreyou feel like you were at home. The restaurant is very casual and quaint. The menu isn't overloaded, so choosing a dish is simple. They have an option to fit everyone and as the name says, they're are little salt-n-pepper with a twist of sugar. Very unique and the food is delicious, from the appetizers all the way to their desserts! If you're in the area, definitely stop by here! You'll be glad you did!

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!

Perhaps it was our mistake for not ordering the burger. That seems like what everyone gets excited…read moreabout, here. What we had, instead, over the course of a few visits: four different pizzas, three different salads, a few sandwiches, and lots of different beers. The pizzas were made with a thicker-style crust, I guess what might be called Greek-style in CT: thicker than a NY-style crust, thinner than a Chicago-style crust, and middle-of-the-road glutinous. Toppings were in good balance, a not-overly-sweet tomato sauce topped with just the right amount of cheese in our view. Pepperoni comes in wide strips cut from sandwich-sized slices, and versions we ordered with peppers or olives came with a fair amount of each. Our contingent of pizza snobs enjoyed, but did not love these pies. Sandwiches were pretty spendy, but appeared to be nicely filled, e.g. with chicken salad or deli meat, cheese, and veggies. The primary consumers said they were "okay." The three salads we tried (Cobb, beet, and King's Bag) were weak: so wimpy and mediocre for the price. (The ones down at D'Ellie's were far better!) I would emphatically not get these again. A few of our beers tasted as though they'd come from taps that hadn't been properly cleaned in a while. (Others were fine.) We hear there's a robust apres ski / evening scene here at times.... and the restaurant sure smells like it! It sounds like this restaurant has some strengths, which I guess we didn't quite hit. I'd come back with friends for apres ski drinks -- but probably not so much for the food (unless those drinks need absorbing).

The Bag is an iconic part of Sugarloaf! It's got the best Après Ski vibe,…read more and it's a fun place to meet up with friends and grab a beer and watch the skiers. The food is delish, whether a Bag Burger or their Bag Monster pizza, you won't be disappointed. Michele makes the desserts and greets you as you enter! The bar service is always the best, Lisa watched our kids grow up there! It's like Cheers, where everybody knows your name!

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.

Stephanie is a great asset to this local staple! Great food and GREAT Bloody Marys!!!…read more I highly recommend this spot when you are in the neighborhood

We returned here to have a wonderful lunch meal. We found this place 2 years ago passing through…read more We were looking for a good lobster roll before we left Maine this time. They have a crab lobster roll that is very good. The fries were good also. The service was very efficient, professional and friendly. Very knowledgeable. We will come back if in the area again.

Love Love Love Love this place! Great food, great service and wonderful setting on the Kennebec…read moreRiver. The deck is so nice for dining out on.

On our way to Montreal we stopped for lunch. Beautiful view of the river and outside dining. Food…read morewas excellent. Many choices and the french fries were hot and crispy and I'm not a french fry fan. Healthy options are unique sandwich choices made for a delicious meal!

We stopped here on a recommendation from Rubys on the Road, on our way to Rangeley State Park. I…read moregot the smash burger, my husband got the taco, and our kids got hotdogs and fries. All was tasty, if not a little expensive. They have a little bit of indoor seating and a bunch of tables outside.

Great Mexican food and burgers. The staff is just so pleasant it fun just talking to the.read more

Fresh food and fast service, they even bring the food to your car. There are some tables on…read morepremises if you prefer to get out of the car. This place is hard to find, it is on a gravel lot behind a green building on Main Street. The fries are hand cut and salted to perfection. You can tell the burgers are fresh made and definitely not frozen. Be sure to ask them to toast the bun

The Worster House is a food trailer parked in a gravel lot behind 32 Main Street. They offers…read moretacos, nachos, burgers, hot dogs, chicken (wings, tenders), grilled chicken sandwiches, fries, salads, comfort dinnahas (ribs, Ny sirloin, steak tips, lasagna, bacon wrapped meatloaf). I stopped by The Worster House trailer for takeout on a rainy day. I ordered the Taco Bowl ($10 plus tax on special), which was brought out to my vehicle in about 5 minutes. The taco bowl was essentially a taco salad which had ground seasoned beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, taco sauce in a deep fried tortilla bowl. The meat had good flavors with all of the mix of taco ingredients in the firm crispy edible tortilla bowl. I enjoyed this taco bowl in my vehicle before heading out of Madison. There were other things on the menu that sounded great, which I would order on another visit including the chili cheese dogs and meatloaf.

We passed this place and noticed there were a number of cars and ATVs there. We turned around and…read moreparked. This place must be very new because there were paper signs telling us where the entrance was. Our hostess greeted us and cleaned a table on the deck with a nice view. The menu was limited due to COVID and appeared to be amateurishly printed. I ordered their special house hamburger and my wife ordered the haddock sandwich. Both came with French fries and we ordered fried pickles on the side. Both meals came around 10-15 minutes later. My wife said her haddock was very good and she gave it a 4 out 5 stars. I ordered my burger medium well and it came out well done. Most restaurants cook burgers to one level more done than you order. I actually wanted a well done burger and ordered it medium well on purpose. Overall the meals were good. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful and that made the experience even better. Errol, NH is such a tiny place, you don't get much choice in where to dine. We enjoyed our meal and will definitely keep this place on our list.

Stopped here on an ATV ride from Jericho. Great food, Buffalo wrap nice was crispy and had a great…read morekick to it. The hand cut fries were great. The atmosphere was so chill with classic country music playing and cozy cabin feel. Loved it here!

Girls annual fall trip for shopping and lunch found me at a new restaurant. The Backstrap has been…read morehere awhile but we have always drove past thinking it was more of a market. The ladies highly recommend so here I am. Ample parking and easy to read signage from the road, they are handicapped accessible. We sat at the bar with our backs to the door. Atmosphere is rustic with two seating areas, one for larger parties. Drink specials menu came with regular menu and specials. I ordered the House Margarita with Blueberry. The ladies had seltzer and a beer. We ordered the Smash burger, the Roast Beef melt, and the Ramen. There was a chalk board hanging on the wall which had the meat and fish options for sale! So they do sell meats and fish but are more of a restaurant! Got it! The food came out in a timely fashion and looked great! The Ramen especially looked delightful! My Roast Beef melt was good. A bit greasy but that's to be expected with melts, cucumber salad was delicious, the fries were crispy and tasty. Smash burger was Huge and very delicious or so I was told. Bartender was wonderful making sure we had what we needed as well as providing drinks for the wait staff. Everyone was having a nice meal on a rainy Saturday in September. I definitely will be back with my husband when we drive over from Rangeley. May even grab some Game sausages.

Friendly service & a great group of locals greeted/welcomed our large party of 15. The food was…read moreyour yummy, usual bar & grill fare. I had their Backstrap Burger which was very juicy & delicious! Their shoestring fries were awesome!! Others were happy with the fish sandwich and fish & chips and their speciality pizzas like the Big Mac pizza caught rave reviews.