24 Hours in Portland Maine – The Best Eats

Want to get your eat on in Portland, Maine? With only 24 hours to hunt out and taste the best, I have a round-up of restaurants that you can’t miss – and you may be shocked at just what made the cut.

From rehabbed gas stations turned organic coffee shops, breweries, bars, and dockside hand stretched pizza, Portland Maine is an unexpected foodie treat. I didn’t expect a popping college town with brick and mortar shops making it work along the Atlantic coast when I heard I’d be passing through.

I was thinking of those classic small beach towns with a french fry stand and not much more than a diner or handful of chain establishments to pick from. The city of Portland was alive and crowded with a love of farm fresh and hand made.

There was a Thai place on every corner and a thousand other options depending on what you were craving. Even the street vendors had flare as a gourmet s’mores cart caught my eye as I was making my way through the town.

Must Visit Places in Portland, Maine

Hot Suppa: 703 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102 

Sitting down for a weekday breakfast is anything but boring in the trendy town of Portland. I walked into this bar at 9 AM on a Thursday to find a line waiting to be seated and the bar already packed for the day. I eased myself into a spot at the bar and promptly ordered an iced coffee from the tender and asked what the best options were.

I went with her recommendations, the omelet and the grits. The omelet was good. Not write your mom, best breakfast ever omelet, but good and packed with cheese and spinach. The grits though, my side for the dish, did not disappoint. They were smooth and creamy. As I was sitting eating, a waiter updated the daily menu to include a crazy twist on a Monte Cristo that I am both grateful and disappointed that I didn’t catch sooner. The locals tell me that lunch there is a must to try too.

Don’t let the name fool you, Hot Suppa is way more than a bowl of classic comfort soup.

Salvage BBQ: 919 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102

Yeah, you read me right. A smokehouse in Portland Maine. One turning out brisket and pork, hushpuppies and their own pickles. With something like 20 hot sauces on the menu, I made it a point to taste test a fair portion of them. Everything from local blueberry bbq sauce to some claims to flaming hot BBQ.

They even have vegan options. The mac and cheese was thick and heavy, just like a proper mac and cheese should be. But most of all, my brisket had a killer smoke ring and was pretty killer. A rare find so far north a varied beer list and some classic hearty pub fare on the menu.

Gitty McDuffs: 396 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101

When on the hunt for local food, I always stop at a brewpub or two. I found myself dining with a friend in an alleyway / dining room at a local watering hole that had double stacked club sandwiches, hearty burgers, and fries. Wanting the best of all things, I went in for a hefty portion of sweet potato smoked pork fries. It wouldn’t be proper with a carafe of ranch on the side to dip into. It was pure shame and gluttony. And I enjoyed every moment of it. Not red carpet or gourmet, classic bar food.

Beals Ice Cream: 12 Moulton St, Portland, ME 04101

A local friend and business owner recommended I not miss Beals Ice Cream and I’m glad I didn’t. Right in the center of downtown Portland, it’s easy to see why this is a fun must try as you walk in and out of cute clothing stores, second-hand bargain shops, or artisanal salt boutique. You step into the teal colored stamp in time, oohing and ahhing over potential creamy flavor combos in classic childlike style.

I got a scoop of a signature flavor, Coconut Almond Bar, in a cone and my inner child was totally happy with large chunks of whole almonds and flecks of dark chocolate as it quickly melted in the summer heat. It was worth the short wait in line, but then again, ice cream usually is.

Lord knows, this girl couldn’t pass up a chance at a lobster roll while she was in town either. To be honest, it wasn’t all that…. But that’s ok cuz I think I did enough damage without the coastal Maine standby.

 

When in Maine, right? Shucked out $20 bucks for this hoagie sized monster from the sea. Was it worth it? I’ll let you decide 😉 #girlcarnivore #onmytable #visitmaine #mytravel #yahoofood #buzzfeast #huffposttaste #nomnomnom #delish #yum #goodeats #eatlocal #delish #forkyeah #instafood #instayum #foodbeast #shoplocal #sponsoredtravel #travel #market #travelmore #travelstoke #wanderfar #foodie #foodtravel #higginsbeach A photo posted by girlcarnivore (@girlcarnivore) on Aug 1, 2015 at 10:30am PDT

If you’ve enjoyed this travel review or any other adventures on Pass The sushi, let me know where you found us in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagram @passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter & Facebook.