Maine Eats guide · checked October 2026
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31 Maine restaurants, bakeries, shacks and dairy bars with James Beard honors or 40 or more years at the same address, each checked in business in October 2026 going by its own site or menu, Maine news, or a town or chamber listing.
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What makes an icon
A place is here for a James Beard Foundation honor (an America's Classics award, a win, or a nomination or semifinalist nod) or for 40 or more years at its current address, checked against its own history page or local news. 10 of the 31 have James Beard honors and 22 have been at their address for 40 years or more. Honors are facts from the James Beard Foundation's own award records, not ratings.
The 31 on this list
The longest at the same address: Black Point Inn in Prouts Neck (Scarborough), there since 1878; Pentagöet Inn in Castine, there since 1894; The Goldenrod in York Beach (York), there since 1896; WaCo Diner in Eastport, there since 1924. Maine's oldest restaurants has the 22 places with 40 or more years at the same address.
How we made the list: we looked up each place in October 2026 and kept it only when a 2025 or 2026 source showed it in business at that address: its own site or menu, a dated post, Maine news reporting, or a town or chamber of commerce listing. A shack or stand that posts its opening and closing dates has them printed beside it; one we couldn't source this year was dropped. No review site fed into it, the order is by region and town, and no rating decides anything. Call ahead, since hours and menus shift. Our sources are on the about page.
Jump to a region
- Maine Beaches (7)
- Greater Portland & Casco Bay (9)
- Midcoast & Islands (2)
- Downeast & Acadia (7)
- Lakes & Mountains (3)
- Maine Highlands (3)
Town pages: Portland, Bangor, South Portland, Bar Harbor, Lewiston, Biddeford, Brunswick, Augusta, Auburn, Scarborough, York, Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit, Waterville, Kennebunk, Kittery, Wells, Westbrook, Ellsworth, Saco, Kennebunkport, Wiscasset, Damariscotta, Cape Elizabeth, Mount Desert, Rockland, Camden, Freeport, Boothbay Harbor. Region pages: Maine Beaches, Greater Portland & Casco Bay, Midcoast & Islands, Downeast & Acadia, Lakes & Mountains, Kennebec Valley, Maine Highlands, Aroostook County.
Maine icons: questions
Which places here have James Beard honors?
Bagaduce Lunch in Penobscot (America's Classic), Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland (James Beard winner), Fore Street in Portland (James Beard winner), Nezinscot Farm in Turner (America's Classic), Norimoto Bakery in Portland (James Beard winner), Primo in Rockland (James Beard winner), Scales in Portland (James Beard winner), Standard Baking Co. in Portland (James Beard winner), The Quarry in Monson (James Beard winner) and Zu Bakery in Portland (James Beard winner). James Beard Foundation and James Beard Award are trademarks of the James Beard Foundation.
Is the Icons order a ranking?
No. In the web search and the app, the Icons guide puts the most honored and longest-running places first, using the honors and years above. It isn't a rating of the food, and we never show it as a score.
Why isn't a famous place here?
We add a place only after checking it against a 2025 or 2026 source and confirming its honor or its year at the same address. A place that moved counts from its move. Tell us about one at nick@eatsranked.com.
Maine Beaches
7 places, by town. See the Maine Beaches page for the region's other guides.
The Clam Shack
2 Western Ave, Kennebunk
Lobster rollClam shackSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; fried seafood; fresh-squeezed lemonade · Season: seasonal; check before you go · At this address since 1968
Takeout seafood shack on the Kennebunk River bridge by Dock Square; its lobster rolls use chilled meat with mayo on the grilled bun, warm butter, or both.
Nunan's Lobster Hut
9 Mills Rd, Cape Porpoise (Kennebunkport)
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: boiled lobster dinner; lobster stew; lobster roll; homemade pie · Season: May 21 to October 17 (2026 season) · At this address since 1953
Family-run Cape Porpoise lobster hut serving lobster dinners in the rough from 5 pm; no reservations, no credit cards.
Barnacle Billy's
50-70 Perkins Cove Rd, Perkins Cove (Ogunquit)
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: boiled lobster; lobster roll; clam chowder; rum punch · Season: April 10 to October 25, 2026 (also April 3-5) · At this address since 1961
Tower family lobster place on Perkins Cove known for boiled lobster with drawn butter and its rum punch; Barnacle Billy's, Etc. is the table-service sibling at the same address range.
Martel's Ice Cream
757 Portland Rd, Saco
Dairy barSeasonal Known for: homemade ice cream; Maine Mud ice cream; waffle cones · Season: seasonal; check before you go · At this address since 1986
Route 1 ice cream shop across from Funtown Splashtown with 40-plus homemade flavors and two mini golf courses.
Scoop Deck
6 Eldridge Rd, Wells
Dairy barSeasonal Known for: homemade waffle cones; Blueberry Crumble ice cream · Season: seasonal; check before you go · At this address since 1983
Busy seasonal hard-serve stand in a barn with 60-plus flavors and homemade waffle cones.
Fox's Lobster House
8 Sohier Park Rd, York Beach (York)
Lobster shackBlueberry pieSeasonal Known for: boiled lobster; lobster roll; Maine blueberry pie · Season: April 29 to October 18 (2026, its 61st season) · At this address since 1936
Oceanfront lobster house next to Nubble Light with dining rooms and a take-out picnic patio; lobsters are boiled in its own pound and the owner bakes the blueberry pie.
The Goldenrod
2 Railroad Ave, York Beach (York)
Dairy barSeasonal Known for: Goldenrod Kisses saltwater taffy; homemade ice cream; griddle cakes · Season: mid-May to Columbus Day · At this address since 1896
Short Sands candy shop, ice cream fountain and restaurant where Goldenrod Kisses taffy is pulled in the front windows; more than 135 ice cream flavors.
Greater Portland & Casco Bay
9 places, by town. See the Greater Portland & Casco Bay page for the region's other guides.
Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster
36 Main St, South Freeport (Freeport)
Lobster shackLobster rollWhoopie piesSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; cooked lobsters; steamed clams; whoopie pie · Season: May to October (last day of the 2026 season: Columbus Day, Oct. 12) · At this address since 1970
Family-run lunch counter and lobster pound on the South Freeport working waterfront; lobster rolls, cooked lobsters and its own whoopie pies, BYOB.
Cook's Lobster & Ale House
68 Garrison Cove Rd, Bailey Island (Harpswell)
Lobster shack Known for: lobster; lobster roll; clam chowder · At this address since 1955
Waterfront lobster house on Garrison Cove next to the Cribstone Bridge, grown from a 1955 take-out stand; stays open through the winter.
Eventide Oyster Co.
86 Middle St, Portland
James Beard winnerLobster rollOyster bar Known for: oysters; brown butter lobster roll · At this address since 2012
Big Tree Hospitality's oyster bar in the Old Port, known for its raw bar and a brown-butter lobster roll.
James Beard: Best Chef: Northeast 2017 (winner): Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide Oyster Co.; Best Chef: Northeast 2015 (nominee): Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide Oyster Co.; Best Chef: Northeast 2016 (nominee): Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide Oyster Co.
Fore Street
288 Fore St, Portland
James Beard winner Known for: wood oven roasted mussels; turnspit roasted pork loin; Maine oysters · At this address since 1996
Wood-fired Old Port restaurant (brick hearth with oven, grill and turnspit) opened in 1996 by Dana Street and chef Sam Hayward; the menu changes daily.
James Beard: Best Chef: Northeast 2004 (winner): Sam Hayward, Fore Street; Outstanding Restaurateur 2026 (winner): Dana Street, for Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co. and others; Best Chef: Northeast 2002 (nominee): Sam Hayward, Fore Street; Best Chef: Northeast 2003 (nominee): Sam Hayward, Fore Street; Outstanding Restaurant 2009 (nominee): Fore Street
Norimoto Bakery
469 Stevens Ave, Portland
James Beard winner At this address since 2021
Atsuko Fujimoto's bakery on Stevens Avenue, walk-ins only.
James Beard: Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker 2024 (winner): Atsuko Fujimoto, Norimoto Bakery; Outstanding Baker 2022 (nominee): Atsuko Fujimoto, Norimoto Bakery
Scales
68 Commercial St, Portland
James Beard winner At this address since 2016
Dana Street's restaurant on Maine Wharf off Commercial Street, serving dinner nightly; sister to Fore Street and Street & Co.
James Beard: Outstanding Restaurateur 2026 (winner): Dana Street, for Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co. and others
Standard Baking Co.
75 Commercial St, Portland
James Beard winner Known for: baguette; croissant; morning bun
Dana Street's bakery, in the same building as Fore Street, baking breads and pastries daily.
James Beard: Outstanding Restaurateur 2026 (winner): Dana Street, for Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co. and others; Outstanding Baker 2018 (nominee): Alison Pray, Standard Baking Co.
Zu Bakery
81 Clark St, Portland
James Beard winner Known for: croissants; sourdough bread; baguettes; focaccia · At this address since 2022
Barak Olins's small West End bakery, baking through the day with grain milled in house.
James Beard: Outstanding Bakery 2024 (winner): ZU Bakery
Black Point Inn
510 Black Point Rd, Prouts Neck (Scarborough)
Seasonal Season: dining May through October · At this address since 1878
Classic 1878 beachfront hotel on Prouts Neck; its Chart Room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on the porch over Saco Bay in season.
Midcoast & Islands
2 places, by town. See the Midcoast & Islands page for the region's other guides.
Primo
2 Main St, Rockland
James Beard winnerSeasonal Season: Into the first week of January; its site lists hours for July through the first week of January (spring opening date not stated) · At this address since 1999
Farm-to-table restaurant on its own small farm in Rockland; chef-owner Melissa Kelly, Italian and Mediterranean cooking, menu changes daily.
James Beard: Best Chef: Northeast 2013 (winner): Melissa Kelly, Primo
Moody's Diner
1885 Atlantic Highway, Waldoboro
Whoopie piesBlueberry pieDiner Known for: blueberry pie; cream pies; whoopie pies · At this address since 1934
Family-run Route 1 diner known for its pies, baked from Bertha Moody's recipes, and its whoopie pies; open just about every day of the year.
Downeast & Acadia
7 places, by town. See the Downeast & Acadia page for the region's other guides.
The Dairy Port
79 Main St, Bucksport
Dairy barSeasonal Known for: house-made soft serve; Gifford's hard ice cream; sundaes; shakes · Season: opened March 28 for 2026; open daily in season · At this address since 1954
Walk-up ice cream window in a narrow historic storefront on Bucksport's Main Street, across from the harbor and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge; known for its daily soft-serve flavors.
Pentagöet Inn
26 Main St, Castine
Known for: pub and wine-bar small plates · At this address since 1894
Queen Anne Victorian summer hotel in Castine village with a cozy pub and wine bar serving small plates most evenings.
WaCo Diner
47 Water St, Eastport
Diner Known for: diner breakfast and lunch; Schooner Room dinners; Tex-Mex Tuesday dinners · At this address since 1924
Downtown Eastport diner with a full bar and a waterfront deck, plus the Schooner Room dining room for dinners.
Jordan's Snack Bar
200 Downeast Highway, Ellsworth
Lobster rollDairy bar Known for: lobster roll; Big Jim triple cheeseburger; shrimp and scallops; soft serve · Season: now open year-round · At this address since 1981
Ellsworth snack bar on the Downeast Highway with seafood, burgers and weekly soft-serve specials, a playground and game room, and Wednesday-night cruise-ins.
Abel's Lobster
13 Abels Lane, Mount Desert
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster; clams; traditional Maine seafood · Season: May 17 to October 20 per its page (year not given); opened May 15 in 2025 · At this address since 1939
Seasonal lobster pound and clam house with a dining room and waterfront seating in Abel's boatyard near the head of Somes Sound.
Bagaduce Lunch
145 Frank's Flat, Penobscot
America's ClassicClam shackSeasonal Known for: fried haddock sandwich; fried seafood; ice cream · Season: summer only; opened May 14 for 2026, generally through Labor Day · At this address since 1946
Counter-service seafood shack with picnic tables over the Bagaduce River reversing falls, run by the same family for three generations; James Beard America's Classics honoree in 2008.
James Beard: America's Classics 2008 (winner)
Beal's Lobster Pier
182 Clark Point Rd, Southwest Harbor
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster dinner; lobster roll · Season: restaurant closed from October to May; opened May 15 in 2025 · At this address since 1969
Restaurant on a year-round working lobster pier on Southwest Harbor, where lobstermen unload their catch beside the tables; it also ships lobster nationwide.
Lakes & Mountains
3 places, by town. See the Lakes & Mountains page for the region's other guides.
Labadie's Bakery
161 Lincoln St, Lewiston
Whoopie pies Known for: whoopie pies · At this address since 1925
Century-old bakery in Lewiston's old Little Canada neighborhood, built on whoopie pies; retail counter open weekday mornings and ships nationwide.
Nezinscot Farm
284 Turner Center Rd, Turner
America's Classic Known for: house-baked bread; farm cheese; café sandwiches and soups; whoopie pies and doughnuts; bread; cheese; doughnuts · At this address since 1987
Organic dairy farm with a café, bakery and fromagerie that cooks with what the farm raises; named one of the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics in 2023. Café open Wednesday-Sunday.
James Beard: America's Classics 2023 (winner): Nezinscot Farm, Turner
Kawanhee Inn
12 Anne's Way, Weld
Seasonal Known for: dinner in the lodge dining room (menu changes) · Season: summer and early fall (opening day June 16 in 2026) · At this address since 1929
Rustic 1920s lodge on Webb Lake with a public restaurant in its fieldstone-fireplace dining room and enclosed porch.
Maine Highlands
3 places, by town. See the Maine Highlands page for the region's other guides.
Dysart's Restaurant & Truck Stop
530 Coldbrook Rd, Hermon
Blueberry pieDiner Known for: blueberry pie; baked beans; homemade bread; breakfast all day · At this address since 1967
I-95 Exit 180 truck-stop restaurant known for big plates, daily baked beans, homemade bread and pies; the restaurant ended 24-hour service in 2019 but the truck stop stays open around the clock.
The Quarry
15 Tenney Hill Rd, Monson
James Beard winner Known for: American fine dining with Filipino flavors (menu changes every two weeks)
Chef-owner Marilou 'Lulu' Ranta's fine-dining restaurant, which also feeds Monson Arts residents; won the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality.
James Beard: Outstanding Hospitality 2023 (winner): The Quarry, Monson
Pat's Pizza
11 Mill St, Orono
Known for: pizza; spaghetti and meatballs · At this address since 1931
The original Pat's Pizza, a University of Maine institution on Mill Street that began as Farnsworth's Cafe in 1931 and turned to pizza in 1953.