Hungry? These 30 Southern Maine Restaurants Belong on Your Bucket List

One of my favorite things to do in this great state is hitting the road and exploring new restaurants. My wife and I love taking trips based on recommendations we’ve found in reviews, articles, social media, the station's website, or just good old-fashioned word of mouth.

It’s a fun little adventure that gets us out exploring the state, and, most importantly, always keeps the ol’ palate satisfied.

Are there Great Restaurants Statewide in Maine?

While traveling through the state, we’ve discovered amazing diners, great pubs, outstanding sandwich shops, perfect pizza parlors, and delicious cafés. Maine is certainly not lacking in great places to enjoy a fine meal.

Palace Diner via Facebook

We spend a lot of time discussing and dissecting every little aspect of the Maine restaurant scene. Whether it’s Portland, the surrounding area, Bar Harbor, the Midcoast, the Western Foothills, or the Southern Coast, this state is an absolute gold mine.

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some places that are truly bucket list-worthy—spots that attract not just locals but plenty of folks from northern New England and beyond. That would be Southern Maine. These are the restaurants people consider can’t-miss—perhaps for the food, the views, the tradition, or maybe a little bit of all three.

So, we put out the call for the joints folks say are bucket list-worthy—the restaurants that help shape the Southern Maine community, are truly can’t-miss, and keep our stomachs full.

Isa Bistro via Facebook

Now, thanks to our stations’ social media pages, we can finally put names to those establishments.

READ MORE: Tacos, Tortas and Tres Leches: This South Portland, Maine, Hidden Gem Has It All

What are the Most Popular Bucket List Restaurants in Southern Maine?

Below is a list of 30 of those restaurants that were suggested to us. They vary in size, concept, and location. Some have opened recently, while others have been community staples for years. But all of them are true Southern Maine originals.

You can see the entire list below. Hope you’re hungry, I know I am.