Rocco Smith
Portland, Maine, is known for its scenic city streets and waterfront walkways. The city is bursting at the seams with quaint shops and unique diners and taverns waiting to be explored by locals and visitors alike.
Home to over half a million residents, this area offers a plethora of mom-and-pop type diners and upscale restaurants to fit everyone’s dining style.
While seafood reigns supreme in the area, due to the influx of fresh catches taking place along its shores, Portland, Maine, offers a wide variety of dining options from steaks to fish to garden-fresh vegetables.
Mix these ingredients, and you are bound to experience food like you never have before.
The plethora of dining options combined with the freshest ingredients around, means pristine brunch options in the area are not in short supply. Check out my list of the best brunch in Portland below!
Hot Suppa
703 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102
Phone: 207-871-5005
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If you’re looking for a unique and down-to-earth brunch experience, Hot Suppa is your destination.
Established in 2006, Hot Suppa combines homemade dishes with modern cooking techniques for a decadent dining experience.
I started brunch off with a breakfast cocktail before diving into the made from scratch Corned Beef Hash.
If Corned Beef Hash isn’t your forte, you’ll surely enjoy the Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict complete with poached eggs, English muffin, and hollandaise sauce, which were also my favorite.
The Front Room
73 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-773-3366
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With an eye for reimagined American brunch staples, the laid-back dining at The Front Room will make you feel like you’re sitting in your grandmother’s kitchen.
The brunch menu offered at The Front Room is extensive with a menu offering to please even the pickiest of eaters.
I recommend starting your meal with a bowl of tomato soup topped with parmesan and croutons.
If you’re still hungry, move on to an order of steak and eggs where you can enjoy a 6 oz. new york sirloin with home fries, two eggs, and a piece of toast.
Union Restaurant
390 Congress St, Portland, ME 04103
Phone: 207-808-8700
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Upscale dining is the name of the game at Union Restaurant. Only serving the freshest ingredients from land and sea, Union Restaurant holds a high reputation with local diners.
With everything from honey harvested from their rooftop to local vegetables, meats, and cheeses, Union Restaurant will not disappoint.
In my opinion, pairing the Spicy Chicken Sandwich with the Dark Before Dawn coffee cocktail is your best option.
Complete your brunch with a warm loaf of coffee cake to take home and be prepared to come back every single day.
Bayside American Cafe
98 Portland St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-774-0005
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Voted as the “Best Brunch in Portland,” Bayside American Cafe on Portland Street is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy good company over even better brunch.
With a deck and patio seating in the warmer months, this neighborhood cafe presents a casual atmosphere with a historical feel.
While it’s virtually impossible to order poorly at Bayside American Cafe, hands down the best brunch offering on the menu is the Smoked Salmon Plate.
The chilled, house-made applewood smoked salmon topped with tomato, red onion, and fresh capers with a side of scrambled eggs and your choice of toast, locally made bagel, and herb or plain cream cheese is a delightful experience for your tastebuds. It may sound like a lot, but it’s sure to meet even the highest expectations.
Dutch’s Portland
28 Preble St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-761-2900
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Dutch’s combines traditional brunch offerings with not-so-traditional offerings on their extensive brunch menu.
With locations in Boston, San Francisco, Nantucket, and Portland, Dutch’s continues to grow its customer base as its popularity grows daily.
With breakfast sandwiches, pastries, breakfast classics, and traditional breakfast sides, deciding what to try off the brunch menu at Dutch’s Portland can be difficult.
However, If you were to ask me, I’d probably say the Spicy Chicken Biscuit covers all the bases.
Miss Portland Diner
140 Marginal Way, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-210-6673
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If you travel to various locations across the United States to find unique dining spots, you must add Miss Portland Diner to your bucket list.
The diner car restaurant was created in 1949 and played a cameo role in the Mel Gibson movie Man without a Face in August of 1993.
One of the more unique menu offerings is the signature Thai omelet. Complete with chicken apple sausage, mushrooms, spinach, and sriracha, you get a taste of Thai cuisine in a traditional American breakfast. A dish that was absolutely surprising the first time I ordered it.
Becky’s Diner
390 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-773-7070
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A vintage Portland waterfront eatery, Becky’s Diner is a town classic located on Hobson’s Wharf.
In existence since 1991, this quaint diner makes you feel like a local as the atmosphere screams Portland, and you are bound to find a handful of regulars scattered around.
Omelet’s, fruit bowls, homefries, pancakes, French toast, and egg plates complete the brunch offerings.
The Hobson’s Wharf Special is my go-to brunch order as the two pancakes, bacon, eggs, home fries, and toast leave you satisfied. In case they don’t, there’s no one prohibiting you to order it twice.
The Honey Paw
78 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-774-8538
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The Honey Paw offers international cuisine as the Korean-based menu takes you on a cultural adventure.
With Korean seafood offerings along with traditional Korean noodles, rice, and sweets, you’re sure to find something on the menu that screams your name.
Fried bread is my go-to when dining at The Honey Paw. The bread is served with pickled Fresno peppers, cured lemon rind, and topped with uni butter for a truly unique taste.
After enjoying the fried bread, I recommend choosing from one of the many noodle offerings including Kimchi Ramen.
Blue Spoon
89 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-773-1116
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Blue Spoon is an upscale restaurant ready to serve you an unforgettable brunch.
This chef-owned restaurant is a family affair as the husband and wife duo manage the restaurant while balancing family life with their two children. As if that wasn’t enough to peek inside the locale.
The Smoked Salmon Salad is complete with roasted beets, goat cheese, red onion, greens, and lemon for a citric seafood dish with an upscale twist.
I never regret pairing the salmon salad with an order of charred carrots or marinated olives for a Mediterranean feel.
The Sinful Kitchen
906 Brighton Ave, Portland, ME 04102
Phone: 207-536-0611
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On Brighton Ave, The Sinful Kitchen produces a cozy dining area where you can indulge in local delicacies that will make you want to come back for more.
Chef and owner, Dave Mallari outgrew his 20-seat restaurant and expanded by opening The Sinful Kitchen. In 2005, the restaurant won the “Best New Restaurant” award as polled by Portland Phoenix Readers.
Don’t just take the area locals’ word for it and try some of the delightful brunch offerings for yourself.
With everything from omelets to Belgian waffles to brunch burgers, The Sinful Kitchen has an expansive menu making it difficult to know what to order.
My favorite brunch offering is the Meat Waffle Pizza. You read that right! The Meat Waffle Pizza has all your favorite breakfast toppings piled on top of a Belgian waffle “crust.”
East Ender
47 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-879-7669
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Advertised as a neighborhood bar, East Ender is a classy establishment with a welcoming atmosphere. This fun and relaxing tavern combines seaside and rustic decor for a unique and charming dining experience.
Cold dishes at East Ender include everything from a cheese board to chicken liver mousse. For those that indulge in deviled eggs, try the deep-fried deviled eggs served with shallot jam and crispy garlic.
Move on from the cold dishes to hot dishes such as the homemade pickled sausage or the chickpea patty melt. No matter your brunch palette, East Ender is sure to challenge that pallet with something new.
Petite Jacqueline
46 Market St, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-553-7044
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Petite Jacqueline is on Market Street in Portland and is rich with history. An enthusiastic cook with French origins, Jacqueline would use market-fresh ingredients to wow the palette of those she served.
While Petite Jacqueline is no longer with us, her memory lives on through the stores and decadent dishes you find at her charming bistro.
Let the story of Petite Jacqueline tell itself through the dining options at Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm.
If it were up to me, I’d Indulge in a charcuterie platter while sipping on a Mimosa Royale. Or even enjoy a Duck Rillette Sandwich topped with pickled onions, mixed greens, and aioli.
Woodford F&B
660 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04103
Phone: 207-200-8503
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A relatively new option to the Portland dining scene is Woodford F&B. This neighborhood bar and dining room offers some of the freshest seafood along with burgers, steaks, and seasonal produce options.
If you want the full experience, before diving into your entree, select a bottle of wine to go with your meal from the expansive wine selection.
After sipping on your wine and enjoying an order of Ostera Caviar and Latkes, please give yourself a treat and get lost in the Steak Tartare complete with a raw egg yolk and grilled sourdough bread. A personal favorite.
Local 188
685 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102
Phone: 207-761-7909
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Brunch at Local 188 is available on weekends from 9 am to 1 pm, and it’s a meal you don’t want to miss. One of the key attributes that set Local 188 apart is their expansive bloody mary menu.
If you’re a bloody mary connoisseur, you will want to check out their menu of eight varying versions of the brunch beverage.
After placing an order for your unique bloody mary, head on over to the egg menu and place an order for the BBQ Beef Brisket and Eggs.
This dish includes all the staples like bbq brisket, eggs, home fries, and an English muffin. I recommend pairing it with a cinnamon bun for a complete brunch experience.
The Porthole Restaurant & Pub
20 Custom House Wharf, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 207-773-4653
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The Porthole Restaurant and Pub was recently named one of the Top 7 Spots for the Best Breakfast in Portland, Maine.
If that title doesn’t convince you to try out the join for brunch, the menu full of breakfast classics certainly will.
What I love about this place is the beauty that lies in its simplicity. I always enjoy an order of housemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy with two poached eggs or The Portholes version of steak and eggs. You can never go wrong with either.
Best Brunch in Portland
- Hot Suppa
- The Front Room
- Union Restaurant
- Bayside American Cafe
- Dutch’s Portland
- Miss Portland Diner
- Becky’s Diner
- The Honey Paw
- Blue Spoon
- The Sinful Kitchen
- East Ender
- Petite Jacqueline
- Woodford F&B
- Local 188
- The Porthole Restaurant & Pub
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re in Portland to take in the coastal views or to visit a close friend, enjoy everything the area has to offer by dining at one of the best brunch destinations in the area.
Enjoy an upscale dining experience at Union Restaurant, and you indulge in a spicy chicken biscuit sandwich.
Or relax and take in the history of the area while tasting a decadent omelet at Miss Portland Diner.
No matter if you are looking for classic American menu options like Woodford F&B, or international brunch cuisine at The Honey Paw, Portland, Maine has just what you need.
If you’re more interested in the seafood offerings in Portland, check out the freshest seafood restaurants in the area.
Did we leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave us a comment, and we’ll check it out!