Our lovely Portland, Maine, has swiftly become an absolute rocket in the food and beverage department. Countless articles, hit TV shows, and an amazing word of mouth campaign has taken the Portland culinary scene and lifted it to an epic level.

All I have to say is "it's about time." Portland has been a great food and beverage destination for a lot longer than even the national media wants to give it credit for, and we locals certainly know that.

It's easy to get wrapped up spending massive amounts of time discussing and dissecting every little aspect about Portland's restaurant scene. Quite frankly, it deserves it. Whether it's downtown, the Old Port, Libbytown, or the West End, you will find excellent food and beverages.

With this being the case, it's easy for us to find our favorites. Maybe it's an established joint or perhaps its brand new, but either way, Portland is not lacking in great spots.

However, what about Portland's fine establishments that don't get as much attention? The breweries that stay under the spotlight. The bars that have the underappreciated moniker. The restaurants that deserve recognition, but seemingly always fly under the radar.

I decided to put together a list of many of those establishments. These 20 places are diverse in concept, culture, and location, but they all deserve the same thing: more attention and acclaim. Hopefully this post will make some folks aware that Portland is more than just the name brand and popular establishments.

How many of these have you been to? What is your favorite under the radar spot in Portland?

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