Hello all - I have a few days upcoming in Portsmouth, NH. We’ll be using a house near downtown there for excursions to Ogunquit and Portland, and to Boston. But we’ll also be eating several meals in Portsmouth.
If you have any local favorites for any of breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I’d be happy to hear of them. We eat pretty much everything and will have a car so further excursions for places you enjoy are fine, too.
Thanks much.
I hope you saw this incredibly useful post about Portland, ME: Portland Maine Breakfast & Lunch Spots 2022.
Have a great trip!
Anju Noodle Bar (lunch and dinner, just across the river in Kittery) remains an area favorite. We usually make a meal out of whatever appetizers appeal that day, with the cauliflower as a must-order.
I haven’t spent much time in Portsmouth proper recently but I do remember good dinners from Moxy’s (creative regional and seasonal tapas-style plates, on my list for a re-visit) and Black Trumpet (their adjacent Stock & Spice shop was also good).
Portsmouth is a great town for walking around and exploring. Looking forward to hearing about what you find!
Thanks Both (@GretchenS and @T.B). Not sure yet of the timing for Portland because we’ll hit Ogunquit on the way up (the other couple has never seen the Marginal Way). If we get started early enough though, we should be able to get to Portland in time for lunch.
Ditto on anju @T.B.
Keep in mind that traffic can be positively brutal heading up north.
Glad you will be visiting! I’ll chime in with a few lunches we’ve enjoyed in Portsmouth and Portland so far this year.
In Portsmouth (NH) we have made a lunch stop at Row 34 numerous times over the years on our way up to Maine. Their oyster sourcing is impeccable, and their lobster rolls are among the best you’ll find anywhere. (That said, this year the prices of lobster rolls most everywhere blow my mind. So I will offer a less stratospherically priced, top-notch option in Portland.) Row 34 is also deservedly known for its curated selection of beers that you won’t find everywhere.
Photos from an oyster, fish sandwich, and fish taco lunch that we had at Row 34 back in March.
In Portland (ME) twice this year we have enjoyed a stop at Bite Into Maine’s Diamond Street location. Lobster rolls here are top-notch, with tender, fresh lobster (rubbery lobster is, sadly, a thing). Note that this location is not at all picturesque, but it is within a short walk of great coffee (Coffee by Design) and a trio of taprooms (Rising Tide, Austin Street, and the gluten-free Orange Bike).
A recent July lunch. Melted butter is an option here, which I think everybody should experience at least once:
Another stop in Portland that we enjoyed tremendously was Terlingua. Wanted to go for years, and back in March finally had the chance. The two of us shared this app of deviled eggs and a barbecue platter. We felt very well-fed.
Note: Getting a parking spot on Forest Ave. can be tricky, so our server suggested trying the streets behind Terlingua next time. Haven’t tried this tip yet though.
No pic, but if you find yourselves strolling in Portland a stop at Gorgeous Gelato is a treat. (I’m an admitted gelato snob so not a fan of the better known Gelato Fiasco, which just doesn’t do it for me.)
Only offering recent personal experiences but there’s so much more! For Portland (ME), you can find an extensive list of restaurants and info at Portland Food Map.
P.S. Echoing what @digga notes above regarding traffic. We try to avoid peak travel hours to maintain happiness. Lots of fellow vacationers on the road during these peak summer weeks. Especially on weekends.
I third the recommendation of Anju—I love their Fresno chile hot sauce, too, which you can buy by the bottle. I guess I can second Row 34 too—I haven’t been to the Portsmouth location, but the Burlington one is great.
Conveniently, Anju is on the same block as Lil’s Cafe, where the crullers are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had. If anything that’s an understatement; we drive an hour and a half each way several times a year to get them. There’s also a terrific butcher shop right there—a little less useful if you’re on vacation, granted. (The house made bologna is so good, though.)
That’s Kittery stuff, but in Portsmouth proper I really really like Durbar Square, the Nepali place. Probably the best meal we had when we spent a week there last summer. The momos there are a must; I also really like the house pickles, but they’re heavy on the mustard oil, too much so for my wife.
I also like the Lobster Pound in Rye. We wound up there by accident after the first two places we tried to get a lobster roll were insanely busy. The lobster grilled cheese comes with a little cup of bisque for dipping, and was just … so much better than I expected.
Colby’s Breakast and Lunch is quite good for blueberry pancakes and corned beef hash.
And this from friends who live in the area – one of our local lobster in the rough places that are on the water. One of our favorites is Morrisson’s, where you bring your own beverages and sides. It’s on the Kittery Side, overlooking Portsmouth, bare bones dining, but the lobster is local, fresh and good. In Kittery Point, the Wharf at Pepperrell Cove provides dinner with outside dining overlooking the cove, the lobster boats and Wood Island Life Saving Station, as well as Whaleback Lighthouse. The outdoor dining is casual and friendly and the food is good. Chauncy Creek Lobster Pound is also on the water, and at high tide you’ll see kayakers paddling past the picnic tables, providing you with some entertainment while you dine on lobster, steamers and chowder. It gets busy, so anticipate a wait, and be sure to BYO sides and beverages.
I;ve written up a number of places in Portland and South Portland. Scratch Baking has great bagels (although a lot of fennel, of all things, on the Everything). Gilbert’s Chowder House in Portland has excellent, Becky’s Diner in Portland a good breakfast, and the Saltwater Grill in South Portland has very good seafood. Holy donuts stink on ice. I should also mention Wilson County Barbecue, which cooks whole hog over wood – no gas. https://johntannersbbqblog.wordpress.com/?s=portland
Colby’s closed last September, according to the owner it was due to staffing issues.
It’s a shame. Staffing has been a huge problem for many restaurants. things seem to be improving now, but too late for many
