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An old gas station in its current form, transformed into a bakery. The overhang protects a small patio area from the rain, and the windows are lit up glowing orange in dusk.
The Tandem bakery used to be a gas station
Tandem/Official Website

Where (and What) to Eat Outdoors in Portland, Maine

From patios at cafes and breweries and izakayas to the sands of nearby beaches, Vacationland’s biggest city boasts a number of excellent al fresco dining options

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The Tandem bakery used to be a gas station
| Tandem/Official Website

As spring slowly approaches, and as eaters begin itching to get outside and dine al fresco, patio dining in Portland, Maine is re–emerging. The City of Portland has expanded its rules for outdoor spaces, which means diners will find more open-air options than in previous years. After a snowy (and freezing cold) winter, who doesn’t want to take advantage of as much time in the sun as possible?

Head to South Portland for great pub food and beer, East Portland for BBQ and Tex-Mex, West Portland for French and Spanish food, and more. (Portland isn’t only lobster rolls, after all. But by all means, head to Eventide, Highroller Lobster Co., or the Lobster Shack at Two Lights — when it reopens in May — sit outside, and devour a lobster roll. When in Maine...)

For folks who still don’t feel comfortable dining out, many of the restaurants on this map offer takeout and delivery. Grab something to-go, along with a bottle of something good to drink (the Juice Caboose, which delivers wine to people’s doorsteps, is a great new addition to the Portland food and beverage scene), and dine outside on a sunny patch of grass, or even a stoop.

Without further ado, here’s where (and what) to eat outdoors in Portland.

See also: The Eater Boston Outdoor Dining Guide for 2021

Please note that a number of restaurants in Maine have resumed dine-in service. However, this should not be taken as an endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: For updated information on coronavirus cases in Maine, please visit the state’s coronavirus website.

Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines. Visit the state’s website for up-to-date information about COVID-19 safety guidelines for restaurants.

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Woodford Food & Beverage

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Just minutes from the peninsula, Woodford has always had one of the best patios in the city, and it’s only gotten better in the past year. Woodford’s patio is covered and heated, and offers a menu that includes a number of its greatest hits, like the downright dreamy burger. Also not to be overlooked: Parisian gnocchi, and Maine crab cakes. Woodford Food & Beverage quickly established itself as an instant classic when it opened five years ago, and it certainly hasn’t lost its touch since converting to outdoor only.

Woodford Food & Beverage is open for patio dining (reserve here), takeout, and limited delivery.

Rising Tide Brewing Company

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One of the city’s most beloved breweries, Rising Tide has taken year-round outdoor dining to the next level. Eaters can sit around one of the brewery’s many fireplaces, or nestle underneath its big tent, which is fully heated. Rising Tide has also recently partnered with Fire & Co., a food truck that specializes in wood-fired comfort food. Expect sandwiches, oysters, and pizzas that go great with every sip of MITA.

Rising Tide is open for outdoor dining and takeout.

Izakaya Minato

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Sit along Washington Avenue and watch the bustling crowds wander along one of Portland’s busiest streets. The whole menu at Minato is exciting, and no one would blame you if you just ordered one of everything. The Japanese fried chicken (which locals refer to as “JFC”) is one of its most popular dishes, but don’t sleep on the sashimi, which is always rotating, and never fails to satisfy. Minato stocks Dear Dairy Ice Cream for dessert. It’s made locally, and boasts an array of interesting flavors, such as pandan yuzu.

Izakaya Minato is open for outrdoor dining, weather permitting.

Terlingua

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Terlingua has been doing BBQ and Tex-Mex on Washington Avenue — one of the city’s more happening streets — since 2015. The restaurant moved into a larger space in 2019, and got a larger outdoor dining setup in the process, too. The patio and deck at Terlingua is the perfect setting for dining on brisket, ribs, queso, and the restaurant’s daily BBQ board. Diners can also grab food to-go from its new market to recreate the Terlingua experience at home — or at the beach.

Terlingua is open for outdoor dining (reserve here) and takeout.

Cocktail Mary

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This sweet little cocktail bar sits on the lower half of Munjoy Hill. Cocktail Mary is currently offering takeout one day a week, but plans to reopen its outdoor space in May. Check its Instagram for updates.

little woodfords

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Set inside a tiny white building with pink trim, Little Woodfords is where one stops to grab a cup of excellent coffee and a pastry before wandering around the East End. It has a small patio just off to the side if one wishes to hang around for a bit and watch others come and go. Make sure to check out its featured drinks, which are based on the current astrological star sign. The pastries come from a rotating list of superstar local bakers, like Chaval’s Ilma Lopez (see below).

Little Woodfords is open for outdoor dining and takeout.

Tandem Coffee and Bakery

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You are almost guaranteed to see a line outside Tandem’s West End bakery and coffee shop, and for good reason — the baked goods coming out of the kitchen never miss a beat. An eater can’t go wrong with anything baker Briana Holt puts on the menu. If you go later in the day, don’t miss Tandem’s sandwiches, which are some of the best in the city. Snack under the old gas station overhang, or wander through the West End — which is home to some of the city’s most impressive architecture — with coffee and pastry in hand.

Tandem is open for takeout, and has benches and picnic tables set up out front.

Diners have several outdoor options to choose from at Chaval. Eat on its heated patio — which is adorned with a mural from local painter Tessa G. O’Brien — or relax in one of its private ‘greenhouses,’ where you don’t have to worry about the elements while enjoying your meal. This neighborhood brasserie serves French and Spanish cuisine, and attracts locals and tourists alike, making it one of the West End’s most popular destinations. And whatever you do, make sure you save room for co-owner Ilma Lopez’s desserts.

Chaval is on spring break until April 19. When it resumes, it will be open for outdoor dining (reserve here) and takeout.

Foulmouthed Brewing

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Venture over the bridge and into South Portland, where the dining scene has been growing. At Foulmouthed Brewing you’ll find a variety of excellent beers and tasty pub food that holds its own against anything Portland has to offer. Get it to-go, and take it down to one of the neighborhood’s many great beaches or waterfront parks for a view of the ferries and sailboats that glide into the city from Casco Bay.

Foulmouthed is open for takeout and delivery.

A white beer can decorated with green, red, blue, and yellow flowers, sits adjacent to a burger, topped with lettuce, tomato, and thinly sliced onion rings. The table on which the beer and burger sit is covered with a blue and white checked tablecloth. Foulmouthed Brewing/Official Website

Woodford Food & Beverage

Just minutes from the peninsula, Woodford has always had one of the best patios in the city, and it’s only gotten better in the past year. Woodford’s patio is covered and heated, and offers a menu that includes a number of its greatest hits, like the downright dreamy burger. Also not to be overlooked: Parisian gnocchi, and Maine crab cakes. Woodford Food & Beverage quickly established itself as an instant classic when it opened five years ago, and it certainly hasn’t lost its touch since converting to outdoor only.

Woodford Food & Beverage is open for patio dining (reserve here), takeout, and limited delivery.

Rising Tide Brewing Company

One of the city’s most beloved breweries, Rising Tide has taken year-round outdoor dining to the next level. Eaters can sit around one of the brewery’s many fireplaces, or nestle underneath its big tent, which is fully heated. Rising Tide has also recently partnered with Fire & Co., a food truck that specializes in wood-fired comfort food. Expect sandwiches, oysters, and pizzas that go great with every sip of MITA.

Rising Tide is open for outdoor dining and takeout.

Izakaya Minato

Sit along Washington Avenue and watch the bustling crowds wander along one of Portland’s busiest streets. The whole menu at Minato is exciting, and no one would blame you if you just ordered one of everything. The Japanese fried chicken (which locals refer to as “JFC”) is one of its most popular dishes, but don’t sleep on the sashimi, which is always rotating, and never fails to satisfy. Minato stocks Dear Dairy Ice Cream for dessert. It’s made locally, and boasts an array of interesting flavors, such as pandan yuzu.

Izakaya Minato is open for outrdoor dining, weather permitting.

Terlingua

Terlingua has been doing BBQ and Tex-Mex on Washington Avenue — one of the city’s more happening streets — since 2015. The restaurant moved into a larger space in 2019, and got a larger outdoor dining setup in the process, too. The patio and deck at Terlingua is the perfect setting for dining on brisket, ribs, queso, and the restaurant’s daily BBQ board. Diners can also grab food to-go from its new market to recreate the Terlingua experience at home — or at the beach.

Terlingua is open for outdoor dining (reserve here) and takeout.

Cocktail Mary

This sweet little cocktail bar sits on the lower half of Munjoy Hill. Cocktail Mary is currently offering takeout one day a week, but plans to reopen its outdoor space in May. Check its Instagram for updates.

little woodfords

Set inside a tiny white building with pink trim, Little Woodfords is where one stops to grab a cup of excellent coffee and a pastry before wandering around the East End. It has a small patio just off to the side if one wishes to hang around for a bit and watch others come and go. Make sure to check out its featured drinks, which are based on the current astrological star sign. The pastries come from a rotating list of superstar local bakers, like Chaval’s Ilma Lopez (see below).

Little Woodfords is open for outdoor dining and takeout.

Tandem Coffee and Bakery

You are almost guaranteed to see a line outside Tandem’s West End bakery and coffee shop, and for good reason — the baked goods coming out of the kitchen never miss a beat. An eater can’t go wrong with anything baker Briana Holt puts on the menu. If you go later in the day, don’t miss Tandem’s sandwiches, which are some of the best in the city. Snack under the old gas station overhang, or wander through the West End — which is home to some of the city’s most impressive architecture — with coffee and pastry in hand.

Tandem is open for takeout, and has benches and picnic tables set up out front.

Chaval

Diners have several outdoor options to choose from at Chaval. Eat on its heated patio — which is adorned with a mural from local painter Tessa G. O’Brien — or relax in one of its private ‘greenhouses,’ where you don’t have to worry about the elements while enjoying your meal. This neighborhood brasserie serves French and Spanish cuisine, and attracts locals and tourists alike, making it one of the West End’s most popular destinations. And whatever you do, make sure you save room for co-owner Ilma Lopez’s desserts.

Chaval is on spring break until April 19. When it resumes, it will be open for outdoor dining (reserve here) and takeout.

Foulmouthed Brewing

Venture over the bridge and into South Portland, where the dining scene has been growing. At Foulmouthed Brewing you’ll find a variety of excellent beers and tasty pub food that holds its own against anything Portland has to offer. Get it to-go, and take it down to one of the neighborhood’s many great beaches or waterfront parks for a view of the ferries and sailboats that glide into the city from Casco Bay.

Foulmouthed is open for takeout and delivery.

A white beer can decorated with green, red, blue, and yellow flowers, sits adjacent to a burger, topped with lettuce, tomato, and thinly sliced onion rings. The table on which the beer and burger sit is covered with a blue and white checked tablecloth. Foulmouthed Brewing/Official Website

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