porthole restaurant & pub

food not like it use to be!...dog park restaurant.... i have been eating at the port hole for quite sometme, its always been one of our favorite restaurant...no more.!!
thisrestauranthas changed chiefs, and what a mistake it was.!
the mushroom bisque soup had so much pepper in it that after a spoonfull i picked out at least 6 or 7 pieces out of my mouth..
i returned the bowl and from what i understand the clam chowder was the same.
the fish in the haddock sandwich was the size of a credit card and was fried to death,
that also had a ton of pepper in the batter.
there was little french fries on the plate.
after the meal we were both still hungry and have never felt that was before....
i guess the pet policy has changed at the portholerestaurantbecause the day we went for lunch we counted 6 dogs on the deck most sitting on the picnic table benches..
i love dogs but there is a time and a place to bring your pets, arestaurantisn't one of them... unless it is a special need pet.!!

we don't plan to eat there anytime soon.!!
what a shame.!!!

my first excursion in maine brought me to this portland eatery that was nestled on the harbor. intent on having lobster and still being on a budget i intended to order a lobster roll but in lieu of that staple not on the menu i settled for the lobstah sandwich. i loved the lobster meat. it tasted fresh and had a pleasant texture to it. unfortunately the toast was too brittle that the sandwich broke apart when i was half-way through. i enjoyed the soggy spicy fries that accompanied the dish even if they were a little bland. perhaps the best part came first as the clam chowdah was to die for. best i've ever had and i'm originally from new england! the ambiance was adequate and no-frills. it would have been better to sit on the patio facing the oil tanks sitting in the harbor but i had to charge my cell phone so i could write my first evahrestaurantreview.

thisrestaurantscreams maine. i should know because i have spent a little over 48 hours in vacationland. this is the way lobster rolls should be. also stupid good prices during happy hours. it's on a wharf for gods sake. eat here and often.

the only time i visited portland, i was taken to the portholerestaurant& pub after a lot of pub hopping and beer, wine, gin, and mead tasting. and i was itching to have some of maine's famed lobster.

we got to the pub a little late in the afternoon, and the weather quite nice and we decided to sit outside, which also overlooked the ocean, and had fishing boats docked by the side. no sooner had we finished placing our order did the weather decide to take a sharp turn towards the lower end of the thermometer. there was quite a nip in the air, and it helped that a friend of mine e worked part time here - she was able to make some good recommendations to us.

of course we ordered the lobster; in fact, we ordered two. one for me, and the other one was shared between three others :) we also ordered a lobster roll, and a portion of chicken wings. the wings were good to nibble on, and really, these were mainly for a friend who is allergic to crustaceans. the lobster roll was bloody brilliant! sweet and creamy, it was an awesome roll filled with a lot of lobster meat - they really meant business. and then there was the lobster itself. words won't do justice to how amazing it was. it was, everything, that a good lobster is made out to be. simply amazing! if you want to enjoy a good lobster with a nice view, this is one of those places for sure!

in need of a great, satisfying lobster roll before leaving maine, the monster drags himself over to the portholerestaurantdespite not being the least bit hungry. on the water, views of the boats in harbor on this grey november day, it’s warm inside and filled with people at the bar watching football, digging on food like steamers and chowder and having a beer.

nice little tucked away restaurant. the porthole is a nice littlerestaurantright on the custom house wharf in portland. it was a nice day in late may, so we were able to take advantage of the outside dining. i had the fish sandwich and my friend had the fish n chips. the filets were crispy and had a nice batter with fresh, moist white fish inside. service was a bit slow, and my friend ended up going inside to ask for malt vinegar because our waitress never brought any. this is definitely a slow-pacedrestaurantand not a tourist trap. good dining experience if you are not in a rush.

what a disappointment.... after hearing about the porthole, both on diner's, drive-in's and dives and in bon appetit magazine, i figured it would be a place worth checking out. loved the atmosphere at first, the place has been around since 1929 and has tons of character. however the service left a lot to be desired. it took over an hour for our meal to come...and it was only lunch time. i wouldn't have minded the wait if our server was actually friendly. how long does it take to actually notice your customers and realize they need menus? and when she took our order, she wouldn't let me substitute my fries for a salad. after our appetizers came, she didn't even take the dirty plates away. finally, the entrees arrived. i was really looking forward to their take on a lobster roll, but they ran out of the brioche bread it was supposed to come on. ok, no big deal, i tried it on rye instead. although it was homemade and extremely fresh, it just didn't compliment the lobster the way buttery brioche would have. also, because of the large size of the slices, there wasn't enough lobster to compensate for it. the meat itself was good, composed mostly of claw and lightly coated in a homemade aioli. but, it was overwhelmingly salty. for something that sounded so good, it really was a let down. in fact, the whole place was a let down. for arestaurantthat has received so much praise, i was thoroughly disappointed.

good food, no wait, great prices, hot coffee, and plenty of portland character. i have been many times, but a recent visit solidified my love affair. nothing special happened, just that moment where you know- yes, yes i can eat brunch here many times. you've had that moment, right? my recent plate of biscuits and gravy wasn't even my favorite (i've yet to meet arestaurantversion that beats my bittman cheddar biscuits and sausage gravy ), but for the price ($5.99), i'm willing to let it go. the biscuits were great, the sausage was spicy, but the surrounding gravy tasted a little like... soup. maybe the addition of celery and onions are to blame. their eggs fl