Thank you for making my father's 60th birthday amazing and unforgettable! Nick is an awesome host. Wonderful establishment in Brunswick. Most definitely will be back.
This is an excellent little restaurant and a great addition to Brunswick. The interior is comfortable and unpretentious, and the sound level is moderate. We had the Brussels sprouts, risotto with black trumpet mushrooms, and grilled char, and everything was nicely presented and without fluff—just good ingredients very well prepared, with sides that complemented the entree. Again, unpretentious and very good.
Raw Vegan Guru
Best talented and skilled chef team I have ever experienced. Professionally plated dishes, creative unique recipes, overall great cuisine, and pricing. Exceptional service and excellent timely experience. A must go to in Maine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pascal Daout
$122 ($103 + tips) for 1 appetizer, 2 entrées, and a can of cider is a little much for Brunswick Maine. We started with the $21 foie gras special. It was good, but the toasted bread it came with was too dry and hard to chew and tasted stale. I had the $26 risotto +$6.50 for 3 overcooked grilled shrimps, risotto had good flavor profile. My spouse had the $35 steak frites. It was cooked right, but the fries were luckwarm and nothing to write home about. The presentation of the dishes was just ok. The $7 Maine canned cider was just ok. The service was ok. The atmosphere was a little chilled even with the 2 floor heaters running. A little disappointing overall...
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Chris
Classic bistro food well prepared and presented. Not inexpensive but worth the money if you are after a fine dining experience in relaxed setting. Compare to 555 North if looking for fine food in Brunswick; different ambiance, similar quality.
OhDear
I sooooo badly want to love this restaurant, but I don't. The room was cold and drafty. Love the sailboat airlock attempt.... but it doesn't work. They offer a fairly limited menu and I applaud them for trying to work w local vegetables here in a Maine winter climate. I shared the winter escarole salad with my dinner companion and it was truly delicious. Loved the combo of the blue cheese with the orange sections and the citrus dressing was perfect. Light and delicate. It was the high point of the meal. Bravo! Also, I ordered little necks on the half shell. They wre sadly badly opened and full of shell bits. ( Otherwise delicious and fresh, tho). Since I can't eat large portions, I ordered the steak tartare. It was almost good - but sadly very overdressed and, I believe, it was to be served with an egg yolk? That was missing. The dressing was nice but too sharp, salty, and strong. Dressed with a lighter hand, it would have been v nice. The crostini served with it were way over toasted and shatteringly too tough and crunchy. I also had a mediocre Pinot noir. We did not order dessert.
DonB
My negative experience with the restaurant that preceded Maine Street Bistro is why I hadn't eaten at this establishment before. That experience might have colored my now glowing opinion a little, but every dish and entree was excellent. I had the Steak Frites and it had great flavor and was tender. My only complaint was there were a couple parts that were not chewable, some type of connective tissue. The Gnocchi Bites, Garlic Panisse, Seafood Fritters, and cabbage & lentil soup in mushroom broth were amazing. Such great flavors. I brought in birthday cupcakes and they put a lit candle and presented them to the table and birthday girl. It was a great experience and the prices were reasonable. The restaurant was a little cold when we first got there, but was toasty warm by the time we ordered and got our food. I highly recommend.
manyhappyreturns
We were so disappointed with our experience this past Friday evening. To begin, the cold draft that swept over us every time the door opened meant that we kept our coats on throughout the entire meal (the owners should consider enclosing the entry with more than a loose, hanging curtain). We would have cheerfully endured the chill if the food that followed proved warm and comforting. Sadly, it did not. The shaved Brussels sprouts and baby kale Caesar was both under-dressed and underwhelming. All the elements that bring a Caesar salad to life — a bright, tart, garlicky dressing bathing crisp greens — were missing. This version reminded us of bagged salads pulled from a grocery store shelf, albeit for five times the price of those salad kits. The steak frites and grilled monkfish that followed were, in turn, flavorless, tough, and unremarkable. The best part of the entire meal: the frites. We polished those off, barely picking at the rest of the food on our plates. There is a great deal of potential in the space and vision of Maine Street Bistro, but none of it is realized. The owners would do well to turn up the heat in the kitchen AND in the dining room.
alphonso ripa
By far the best food in Brunswick.Worth a trip no matter the distance you might have to
My family and I had a great experience. Staff was excellent, our waiter Nick was fun and attentive to our needs. The food was great, we especially enjoyed the mussels and the Cajun fish special. Thank you, we will be back!
Ate here for the first time this evening and we were both very happy with our food. I had excellent Mere Point oysters to start; my husband had the carrot salad which he thoroughly enjoyed. Then we both had the cod with smoked mussels and leeks. Very good!! We will definitely return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maura
Love this place. Food is fantastic and I love the menu selections. My only complaints from last night were: 1. Very cold sitting in the window and by the door. The curtains at the door help but are not enough. Need window coverings to keep the cold out in the winter. 2. The 4th person in our party was served a good 5 + minutes after everyone else. Made the start of the meal a bit awkward.
DeeV
Great addition to the Brunswick food scene. Wonderful dinner. French onion soup superb. Cassoulet divine. Steak Frites, steak delicious sadly frites over fried. Highly recommend but it was a frigid Maine evening, the curtain around entrance helped but a couple of space heaters would have been welcome! Having opened in May of this year the Maine winter is a new experience and we wish them every success.
Otisfield
Food superb, wait staff excellent, setting charming. But it is a refrigerator in cold weather! Somehow there has to be more heat to make you want to linger over your delicious meal! 2stars for overall experience due to temperature; 5 stars for everything else.
JorgeA
Everything about it was very good. The food was delicious, nicely grounded in a French style but with interesting twists. The chicory salad was fresh, delicious and layered with sweet, tangy, green, sharp and bitter flavors. Lamb shank with beans was mammoth and too much for one. Steak frites was much more refined than most versions, though I do like the classic style too. The meat was very good quality, tender and perfectly medium rare.
Thank you for making my father's 60th birthday amazing and unforgettable! Nick is an awesome host. Wonderful establishment in Brunswick. Most definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Escargot Toast, Steak Frites, Fries
This is an excellent little restaurant and a great addition to Brunswick. The interior is comfortable and unpretentious, and the sound level is moderate. We had the Brussels sprouts, risotto with black trumpet mushrooms, and grilled char, and everything was nicely presented and without fluff—just good ingredients very well prepared, with sides that complemented the entree. Again, unpretentious and very good.
Best talented and skilled chef team I have ever experienced. Professionally plated dishes, creative unique recipes, overall great cuisine, and pricing. Exceptional service and excellent timely experience. A must go to in Maine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
$122 ($103 + tips) for 1 appetizer, 2 entrées, and a can of cider is a little much for Brunswick Maine. We started with the $21 foie gras special. It was good, but the toasted bread it came with was too dry and hard to chew and tasted stale. I had the $26 risotto +$6.50 for 3 overcooked grilled shrimps, risotto had good flavor profile. My spouse had the $35 steak frites. It was cooked right, but the fries were luckwarm and nothing to write home about. The presentation of the dishes was just ok. The $7 Maine canned cider was just ok. The service was ok. The atmosphere was a little chilled even with the 2 floor heaters running. A little disappointing overall...
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Classic bistro food well prepared and presented. Not inexpensive but worth the money if you are after a fine dining experience in relaxed setting. Compare to 555 North if looking for fine food in Brunswick; different ambiance, similar quality.
I sooooo badly want to love this restaurant, but I don't. The room was cold and drafty. Love the sailboat airlock attempt.... but it doesn't work. They offer a fairly limited menu and I applaud them for trying to work w local vegetables here in a Maine winter climate. I shared the winter escarole salad with my dinner companion and it was truly delicious. Loved the combo of the blue cheese with the orange sections and the citrus dressing was perfect. Light and delicate. It was the high point of the meal. Bravo! Also, I ordered little necks on the half shell. They wre sadly badly opened and full of shell bits. ( Otherwise delicious and fresh, tho). Since I can't eat large portions, I ordered the steak tartare. It was almost good - but sadly very overdressed and, I believe, it was to be served with an egg yolk? That was missing. The dressing was nice but too sharp, salty, and strong. Dressed with a lighter hand, it would have been v nice. The crostini served with it were way over toasted and shatteringly too tough and crunchy. I also had a mediocre Pinot noir. We did not order dessert.
My negative experience with the restaurant that preceded Maine Street Bistro is why I hadn't eaten at this establishment before. That experience might have colored my now glowing opinion a little, but every dish and entree was excellent. I had the Steak Frites and it had great flavor and was tender. My only complaint was there were a couple parts that were not chewable, some type of connective tissue. The Gnocchi Bites, Garlic Panisse, Seafood Fritters, and cabbage & lentil soup in mushroom broth were amazing. Such great flavors. I brought in birthday cupcakes and they put a lit candle and presented them to the table and birthday girl. It was a great experience and the prices were reasonable. The restaurant was a little cold when we first got there, but was toasty warm by the time we ordered and got our food. I highly recommend.
We were so disappointed with our experience this past Friday evening. To begin, the cold draft that swept over us every time the door opened meant that we kept our coats on throughout the entire meal (the owners should consider enclosing the entry with more than a loose, hanging curtain). We would have cheerfully endured the chill if the food that followed proved warm and comforting. Sadly, it did not. The shaved Brussels sprouts and baby kale Caesar was both under-dressed and underwhelming. All the elements that bring a Caesar salad to life — a bright, tart, garlicky dressing bathing crisp greens — were missing. This version reminded us of bagged salads pulled from a grocery store shelf, albeit for five times the price of those salad kits. The steak frites and grilled monkfish that followed were, in turn, flavorless, tough, and unremarkable. The best part of the entire meal: the frites. We polished those off, barely picking at the rest of the food on our plates. There is a great deal of potential in the space and vision of Maine Street Bistro, but none of it is realized. The owners would do well to turn up the heat in the kitchen AND in the dining room.
By far the best food in Brunswick.Worth a trip no matter the distance you might have to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Carpaccio, Cheesecake, Steak Tartare
My family and I had a great experience. Staff was excellent, our waiter Nick was fun and attentive to our needs. The food was great, we especially enjoyed the mussels and the Cajun fish special. Thank you, we will be back!
Restaurantji Recommends
Ate here for the first time this evening and we were both very happy with our food. I had excellent Mere Point oysters to start; my husband had the carrot salad which he thoroughly enjoyed. Then we both had the cod with smoked mussels and leeks. Very good!! We will definitely return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place. Food is fantastic and I love the menu selections. My only complaints from last night were: 1. Very cold sitting in the window and by the door. The curtains at the door help but are not enough. Need window coverings to keep the cold out in the winter. 2. The 4th person in our party was served a good 5 + minutes after everyone else. Made the start of the meal a bit awkward.
Great addition to the Brunswick food scene. Wonderful dinner. French onion soup superb. Cassoulet divine. Steak Frites, steak delicious sadly frites over fried. Highly recommend but it was a frigid Maine evening, the curtain around entrance helped but a couple of space heaters would have been welcome! Having opened in May of this year the Maine winter is a new experience and we wish them every success.
Food superb, wait staff excellent, setting charming. But it is a refrigerator in cold weather! Somehow there has to be more heat to make you want to linger over your delicious meal! 2stars for overall experience due to temperature; 5 stars for everything else.
Everything about it was very good. The food was delicious, nicely grounded in a French style but with interesting twists. The chicory salad was fresh, delicious and layered with sweet, tangy, green, sharp and bitter flavors. Lamb shank with beans was mammoth and too much for one. Steak frites was much more refined than most versions, though I do like the classic style too. The meat was very good quality, tender and perfectly medium rare.