Restaurants in Brunswick
Recommended Restaurants by Groupon Customers
Chefs and mixologists at Plush West End pair a diverse assortment of ever-changing small plates with fine wines and specialty drinks. Like a hug from a princess, the atmosphere feels both elegant and welcoming, and the Portland Press Herald’s Elisa Doucette remarked that the "cushioned leather couches in the lounge area and deep-red walls create a dark, seductive setting that compels you to stay for hours." The restaurant shows its commitment to Maine-based merchants in a variety of ways such as the Angus beef sliders topped with locally sourced cheddar. Cocktail connoisseurs mix signature specialty drinks at the bar’s glass chilling station illuminated by fiery red under-lighting, and a VIP section calls to diners seeking privacy for a special proposal or a rendezvous with international spies.
At The Falmouth Sea Grill, chefs lavish seafood with inventive seasonings as patrons drink in sweeping views of Casco Bay and Handy Boat marina. Culinary artisans layer truffle oil and walnut-pesto mayonnaise on a variety of fishy fare, from ichthyoids such as flounder to crustaceans such as Maine lobster. Generously portioned entrees including kaiser and sourdough sandwiches team up with wilted chard and hand-cut fries to please patient bellies.
The Falmouth Sea Grill's patio seating and outdoor fire pit let the breeze tickle open-air diners, and the recently renovated multilevel interior dining area massages the senses with sapphire walls, blonde wood, and photographs of ships that escaped their native bottles. A reviewer for MaineToday.com praises the upstairs dining room’s “cozy fireplace” and “beautifully crafted wooden bar,” where tipplers can sip foam from draft brews crafted by local Mainer moose, postprandial ports, and cordials.
Hand-painted tables depicting colorful images of dogs, mustaches, and maps sit beneath lustrous, polished hubcaps in the dining room of Lisa's Legit Burritos, where founder Lisa Liberatore dishes up casual Mexican cuisine with finesse that earned her profiles in USA Today and the Morning Sentinel. Amid the eatery's diverse décor, the chef and her staff slow-roast chicken, beef, and pork with an eclectic potpourri of traditional Mexican spices such as chipotle peppers and chilies. The flavorful meats join salsa and cheese to mosey across tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and unadorned cowboy hats. A smattering of quarter-pound hot dogs topped with chili and fritos bolster the south-of-the-border selection, and sweets such as chocolate-covered jalapeños and a dessert burrito cradling cheesecake and berry preserves wrap up meals.
Lisa's Legit Burritos is also home to Book It, a bookstore of lightly used books whose proceeds benefit the Gardiner Public Library's renovation efforts. Guests can settle into a rocking chair to read the collection of tomes, which includes popular genres and flavors.
The chefs at Seasons Grille and Bar fry up early-morning egg dishes and sear steaks in the evening, drawing on fresh local ingredients to create an inventive menu of signature dishes. Early risers brandish forks at three-egg omelets and host mock United Nations meet-and-greets with french toast. Dinnertime diners coax taste buds into deep-sea diving with the seafood celebration's scallops, Maine shrimp, and mussels sautéed in a garlic vermouth broth, or the haddock provencal crisped up in sundried tomato olive tapenade. Pan-fried boneless chicken hides beneath a blanket of bubbly mozzarella, clutching linguini and tomato for security on the parmesan plate, and shrimp scampi flatbread pizza fuels conversation about news on a flat-screen TV. As patrons chow down, an exposed stone fireplace warms bodies and hearts simultaneously by using Chicken Soup for the Soul as kindling.
Schooners bob atop rippling waves outside of Joe’s Boathouse, casting aromatic ocean scents that accompany the fragrances of fresh seafood entrees and sizzling meats found on brunch, lunch, and dinner menus. Steel claw crackers and oiled Hulk hands wait in anticipation of Joe’s red-shelled crustaceans, which emerge from kitchens in 1.25-, 2-, and 3-pound portions. Charming umbrellas crown seaside patio seats, and picturesque vistas of the idyllic Casco Bay abound within Joe’s Dockhouse's indoor banquet room with bright wooden walls.
John Stowe embarked on a career in the restaurant business when he started bussing tables at a local inn as a teenager. After years he amassed a dossier that includes waiting tables, bartending, sampling cuisine throughout Europe, and cooking aboard a 115-ft. luxury schooner. The self-taught chef opened his own restaurant, Rustica Cucina Italiana, in 2006.
Black-and-white photographs line his eatery's crimson and cream walls, and black linen-topped tables support the weight of large portions of rustic Italian fare prepared to order with fresh ingredients. Pasta arrives curled around seafood, meatballs, or house-made Italian sausage and cloaked in herbaceous marinara or creamy parmesan alfredo sauce. Sandwiches fill diners with homemade focaccia during lunch, and crisp pizzas fill guests with warmth any time they're used as seat cushions.
