The food was okay, nothing great. The waitress was the bartender. There was one other person there so that should have been our sign to move on.
Danielle V.
This would be the perfect sports bar if they could figure out their TVs. They have sooo many of them across the whole bar but they can only put every TV on the same channel and they don't even know how to change the channel half the time. It's so distracting for all of them to be the same thing. If they could figure this out I would move this up to a 4. They have a large bar and they do live music some nights. I have tried some of their appetizers and they are good, not great but def good bar food. They have some good interesting drinks. I had a martini and it was decent. They also have an outside seating area which is nice in the summer. Cool spot to stop for a drink and app and maybe some late night music or karaoke sometimes!
Sarah C.
Visited while on vacation in Portland. It was one of the only places we could get into on a busy Sunday night. Just a casual bar to enjoy drinks and a quick bite with standard bar food. Cheeseburger and fries were good and service was excellent. I would recommend for a lowkey dinner or drink in the area.
CatieV22
Easily found in the middle of old port. Bar area is nicely laid out and has a spot for live music. The restrooms are not handicap accessible.. and are tiny but at least clean. Drinks are decently priced and food was good, good atmosphere with exposed brick and woodwork. Some outdoor seating available.
Brian W.
Went. back again today and am bumping this up a star just because the bartender George, treated us right. Good place to go to watch a game that isn''t too crowded.
Mark H
Had dinner reservations there just before attending a show at the Merrill Auditorium. Nice facility and location. Great staff. Meals were well prepared and delicious. We particularly enjoyed seeing the staff preparing the meals as the kitchen was wide open for viewing. Will definitely return.
marilynwebb42
Great after work stop for HH cheap drinks, the HH menu could be updated, I usually get the duck flatbread. Had dinner here last week and was very disappointed. I ordered the duck, it came on a bed of mushrooms and potato (or parsnip) puree that was barely warm. My companion ordered the ribeye it was burnt so bad it looked like a big black charcoal on the plate. Pay attention don't take your clientele for granted, there are so many excellent dining options in Portland.
NHjo
I had the Happy Hour cabernet wine and their Grill Room Salad (iceberg, spinach, carrots, hard-boiled egg, blue cheese, crispy onions, herb vinaigrette). Both were excellent. Nice atmosphere, top-notch service. Someday I'll try one of their steaks, which were highly recommended by an acquaintance.
David B.
George was a very professional and friendly bartender. This is what's driving the stars. One recommendation to this bar if they want more people to hang out is to play the TV sound of a football game vs Christmas music on a Sunday.
J8057RQrandym
The Grill Room has had a good reputation of being a restaurant known for service and great food so that is why I selected it over the dozens of restaurants in the downtown Portland area. I am sorry to say that I won’t go back or recommend it to others. We were greeted by the hostess but while she was checking us in, another employee stood next to her and ignored our presence while using her phone to text. Does the chef or owners have stock in potato farms? The three entrees that we ordered were significantly disproportionate in the amount of fries that came with the meal when compared to the primary offering. Although we all laughed at the huge amount that no one could possible consume, we also wondered as to why the expense of the meal was so great. Our server was polite and cordial throughout our meal. We recognized that it was not her fault for the preparation of the meals so did not penalize her when providing a gratuity.
My wife and I recently visited Portland, Maine for first time. A server where we had lunch recommended the Grill Room for great steak dinner. She was right. The food was terrific, wines where great, and so was our server Matthew. The Grill Room has a comfortable atmosphere and vibe. Would highly recommend you visit when in Portland Downtown waterside area.
281darlenep
We enjoy stopping by this bar for happy hour. Everyone that works there is super nice. They have house specialty drinks that are interesting and delicious. Their wine selection is limited but good. Their bar is well stocked and the nicest surprise was how good the food is. Have had several menu items and never disappointed. So glad we found this place!!
Eric S.
Great night at the bar! Sarah was awesome! Great atmosphere and friendly service!!!
Kimi L.
Stopped in to watch the football game! Service was a little slow but we had a great time! Food was good and drinks were great. I love the pumpkins beer with the pumpkin spice sugar rim, so good!
michaelsQ8220UJ
We had to wait a while to get served. Once we did the food and drinks were great. It was lively inside and plenty of TVs to watch sports on as well.
The food was okay, nothing great. The waitress was the bartender. There was one other person there so that should have been our sign to move on.
This would be the perfect sports bar if they could figure out their TVs. They have sooo many of them across the whole bar but they can only put every TV on the same channel and they don't even know how to change the channel half the time. It's so distracting for all of them to be the same thing. If they could figure this out I would move this up to a 4. They have a large bar and they do live music some nights. I have tried some of their appetizers and they are good, not great but def good bar food. They have some good interesting drinks. I had a martini and it was decent. They also have an outside seating area which is nice in the summer. Cool spot to stop for a drink and app and maybe some late night music or karaoke sometimes!
Visited while on vacation in Portland. It was one of the only places we could get into on a busy Sunday night. Just a casual bar to enjoy drinks and a quick bite with standard bar food. Cheeseburger and fries were good and service was excellent. I would recommend for a lowkey dinner or drink in the area.
Easily found in the middle of old port. Bar area is nicely laid out and has a spot for live music. The restrooms are not handicap accessible.. and are tiny but at least clean. Drinks are decently priced and food was good, good atmosphere with exposed brick and woodwork. Some outdoor seating available.
Went. back again today and am bumping this up a star just because the bartender George, treated us right. Good place to go to watch a game that isn''t too crowded.
Had dinner reservations there just before attending a show at the Merrill Auditorium. Nice facility and location. Great staff. Meals were well prepared and delicious. We particularly enjoyed seeing the staff preparing the meals as the kitchen was wide open for viewing. Will definitely return.
Great after work stop for HH cheap drinks, the HH menu could be updated, I usually get the duck flatbread. Had dinner here last week and was very disappointed. I ordered the duck, it came on a bed of mushrooms and potato (or parsnip) puree that was barely warm. My companion ordered the ribeye it was burnt so bad it looked like a big black charcoal on the plate. Pay attention don't take your clientele for granted, there are so many excellent dining options in Portland.
I had the Happy Hour cabernet wine and their Grill Room Salad (iceberg, spinach, carrots, hard-boiled egg, blue cheese, crispy onions, herb vinaigrette). Both were excellent. Nice atmosphere, top-notch service. Someday I'll try one of their steaks, which were highly recommended by an acquaintance.
George was a very professional and friendly bartender. This is what's driving the stars. One recommendation to this bar if they want more people to hang out is to play the TV sound of a football game vs Christmas music on a Sunday.
The Grill Room has had a good reputation of being a restaurant known for service and great food so that is why I selected it over the dozens of restaurants in the downtown Portland area. I am sorry to say that I won’t go back or recommend it to others. We were greeted by the hostess but while she was checking us in, another employee stood next to her and ignored our presence while using her phone to text. Does the chef or owners have stock in potato farms? The three entrees that we ordered were significantly disproportionate in the amount of fries that came with the meal when compared to the primary offering. Although we all laughed at the huge amount that no one could possible consume, we also wondered as to why the expense of the meal was so great. Our server was polite and cordial throughout our meal. We recognized that it was not her fault for the preparation of the meals so did not penalize her when providing a gratuity.
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife and I recently visited Portland, Maine for first time. A server where we had lunch recommended the Grill Room for great steak dinner. She was right. The food was terrific, wines where great, and so was our server Matthew. The Grill Room has a comfortable atmosphere and vibe. Would highly recommend you visit when in Portland Downtown waterside area.
We enjoy stopping by this bar for happy hour. Everyone that works there is super nice. They have house specialty drinks that are interesting and delicious. Their wine selection is limited but good. Their bar is well stocked and the nicest surprise was how good the food is. Have had several menu items and never disappointed. So glad we found this place!!
Great night at the bar! Sarah was awesome! Great atmosphere and friendly service!!!
Stopped in to watch the football game! Service was a little slow but we had a great time! Food was good and drinks were great. I love the pumpkins beer with the pumpkin spice sugar rim, so good!
We had to wait a while to get served. Once we did the food and drinks were great. It was lively inside and plenty of TVs to watch sports on as well.