Maine Road trip advice to Portland, ME

[Krown]

Hey fellas!

Since the thread I started 2 weeks ago made me discover incredible places during my last road trip to Burlington, here's a part two! Hooray

Five university fellows and I are heading from Montreal to Portland for the weekend (Friday to Sunday). I want your suggestion regarding the following points:

- Microbreweries that you would recommend for best beers
- Bars with good ambiance (with any kind of beer, we probably won't taste anything at that point)
- Awesome restaurants with good to decent beer
- Beers that we should bring back in Canada (I still have a few Frost DIPA, Heady Topper and Sip of Sunshine in my fridge from my last trip but its going down really fast)

We will probably also stop at Hillstead Farm on our way to Portland!

Cheers

 

[borealis]

Go to Maine Beer Company in Freeport a little outside of Portland. Lunch is the name of their IPA.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

I second Lunch. Plus LL Bean outlet campus is just down the street. It's huuuuge. You'll likely see Lunch in Portland anyways.

See if you can get HF Abner. It's great and usually easy to get.

For beers in Portland: Liquid Riot, Allagash, Oxbow, Banded Horn(The Mountain) and you might find Tributary(good beer and interesting brewer if you google him Todd Mott)

For bars in Portland: Novare Res (oddly they're having a Dieu du Ciel from Montreal event this weekend)and The Great Lost Bear

Off the beaten path and I've never visited but I've heard good things about http://www.ebenezerspub.net
Incredible Belgium list out in the middle of nowhere but kinda en route from Montreal to Portland

 

[labeeratory]

Grittys is also another good spot in Freeport

 

[kenoglass]

Bissell Brothers too

 

[pinemarten]

Liquid Riot is probably the most fun taproom and they have a huge selection of above average beers. I would say Lunch from Maine Beer Company is flagship beer of the area. You can get it on tap at several places in Portland. Sebago has this weird thing going on where not only is the beer mediocre at best, the staff are plenty happy to show you how much they hate being there. I would actually avoid Gritty's. You probably brew better beer than they do.

The Great Lost Bear is one of my favorite bars in the entire US. They close around 11pm so plan accordingly. Order the fries. They aren't fries at all, but they are wonderful.

There are two awesome restaurants - Duckfat and Eventide. There will be waits at both. They are worth the wait. Try to get on the list early at Duckfat for lunch. They have a poutine that will even impress Canadians. Eventide is just dinner. Otto pizza is a great place to get a slice and has a decent beer list. Becky's Diner not only has the best breakfast but also a great lobster roll and a few good beers.

 

[Brizzo]

Allagash tour is awesome-tons of oak. Bissel brothers makes awesome ipas, hit up foundation brewing and look for epiphany or wanderlust. I second grittys in Freeport but there is also one in the old port section of Portland. The Freeport location is my favorite brewpub and the food is good. Maine beers lunch IPA is solid, their mean old Tom stout is fantastic. Novare res is awesome.

Nosh kitchen bar has a good beer selection and the food is awesome.

 

[j1laskey]

Austin Street Brewery and Foundation Brewing are both located on Industrial Way (directly across from Allagash, in MBC's old space).

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

Liquid Riot is probably the most fun taproom and they have a huge selection of above average beers. I would say Lunch from Maine Beer Company is flagship beer of the area. You can get it on tap at several places in Portland. Sebago has this weird thing going on where not only is the beer mediocre at best, the staff are plenty happy to show you how much they hate being there. I would actually avoid Gritty's. You probably brew better beer than they do.

The Great Lost Bear is one of my favorite bars in the entire US. They close around 11pm so plan accordingly. Order the fries. They aren't fries at all, but they are wonderful.

There are two awesome restaurants - Duckfat and Eventide. There will be waits at both. They are worth the wait. Try to get on the list early at Duckfat for lunch. They have a poutine that will even impress Canadians. Eventide is just dinner. Otto pizza is a great place to get a slice and has a decent beer list. Becky's Diner not only has the best breakfast but also a great lobster roll and a few good beers.

I hardly go any other place than Eventide. They just do seafood perfectly. It's always packed but I always find good conversation with the strangers next to our table.

If you're lucky Maine Beer Co's best beer is Dinner. It's limited release but every so often on twitter I see restaurants serving. I was lucky to camp overnight and get a couple of cases.

Another pizza place is called Slab. Has anyone ever gone there? Read a lot of good reviews and they seem to have some good beers served.

Also, pray for cr*ppy weather. Novare Res has Cr*ppy Hour. When the weather gets bad it turns into happy hour

 

[j1laskey]

Also check out Sonny's http://www.sonnysportland.com/

I love this spot...never a wait, incredible brunch and lunch, and a great selection of local Portland beer on tap.

Outliers Eatery is great for dinner, and again a great beer.
http://outlierseatery.com/menu/

 

[Krown]

Thanks guys, there's a bunch of great advices in that thread! I wish I would have been quicker to do the post as I came back from this trip last Sunday. I will definitively go back in summer and try to hit the places I missed! An other few places that haven't been mentioned and that are worth visiting are Rising tide (good beers, amazing staff and fun tour) and oxbow for farmhouse beer lovers.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

The actual Oxbow brewery is 1hr north of Portland. I've been close to the area and want to visit it. There's a meadery close to it too. Not sure if it's good or not. Last time I was in the area it was a beer themed weekend. Visiting that place would have been pushing it. They have a farmhouse to rent on the property overlooking the brewery. I don't know it looks kind too close to comfort to the people traffic. But a nice place to crash.