6 hidden gem restaurants in Maine to add to your summer dining list

By Emily Burnham, Bangor Daily News Staff

Portland has its much-vaunted food scene. Bangor’s downtown is full of bars and eateries. And popular towns along Maine’s coast are packed with well-known places to eat. 

But if you want to try something that’s a little off the beaten path, take a trip to one of these restaurants scattered through the state — beloved by locals and folks from away who are smart enough to know that there’s much more to Maine than the places tourists always go.

Toddy Pond Farm, 174 Carver Road, Monroe

Let’s face it: you’re not going to get a reservation at The Lost Kitchen in Freedom. But you don’t need to, because a few miles down the road in Monroe is Toddy Pond Farm, where on the weekends and for considerably less money, you can enjoy gorgeous farm-to-table food in a picturesque rural Maine setting. The pre-dinner cocktail hour in the orchard has some of the most immaculate vibes in the Midcoast. You definitely need a reservation, but you don’t need to send it in on a postcard. And you’ll fit right in in jeans and a t-shirt. 

Pickled Wrinkle, 9 East Schoodic Drive, Birch Harbor

After an afternoon spent scrambling over the granite at the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park, lunch or dinner at the Pickled Wrinkle in nearby Birch Harbor is mighty tasty. This bar and restaurant is prized by locals for its top-notch burgers and pizza and selection of craft beers and strong cocktails. There’s live music on the weekends, a regular selection of specials featuring Maine ingredients like fiddleheads and locally caught fish and the people are extremely friendly. The restaurant itself is named for a Maine delicacy — a whelk, a sea snail that’s pickled and, naturally, called a pickled wrinkle. 

Peace, Love and Waffles, 1282 Bangor Road, Dover-Foxcroft

Bangor Daily News reporter Valerie Royzman, who often covers Piscataquis County, says that the name of this restaurant doesn’t lie: the waffles here are, indeed, full of peace and love. The restaurant opened a few years ago and has quickly developed a following as a cozy, uber-Instagrammable breakfast and brunch spot in Dover-Foxcroft. Sweet or savory, there’s a waffle for everyone here — from blueberry cheese or black forest to chicken pot pie, Tuscan mushroom and polenta and waffles and gravy. 

Monson General Store, 12 Greenville Road, Monson

The Monson General Store is, at first glance, more of a store than an eatery, with a wide selection of groceries. But the full-service deli in the back of the shop crafts epic sandwiches ideal for shoving into your face after hiking, biking or paddling around the area. Nobody will blame you for wearing your reuben or Thanksgiving sandwich — made with Pineland Farms meats and cheeses and served on house-made bread — on your shirt afterwards. Consider it a badge of honor. 

Ancho Honey, 6 Wallston Road, Tenants Harbor

You might expect a tiny Maine fishing village in Knox County to feature an all-seafood lineup of eateries, but Ancho Honey in Tenants Harbor has much more to offer. There are fried fish sandwiches, to be sure, both classic or dressed up with things like Thai slaw or deep fried pickles and Cajun aioli. There are also fried chicken sandwiches, burgers, brisket sandwiches and house-made clam dip and pimento cheese. Owner Malcolm Bedell also opened a sister restaurant, Honey’s Fried Chicken Palace, last month in Camden. 

The Blind Pig Tavern, 266 Water Street, Gardiner

BDN outdoors editor Julie Harris swears by this restaurant in downtown Gardiner, to be paired with an after-dinner stroll through the city’s riverside park. It’s family-friendly while still being plenty of fun for grownups — its cocktail menu is especially noteworthy, with fun takes on margaritas, mojitos and sours. You can chow down on a burger or pasta dish, or try one of its more creative menu items, like a whiskey cardamom pork belly appetizer or a sous vide brown sugar and thyme pork chop.