Tripadvisor reviewers voted this Maine restaurant the "best everyday eats" in the country

Photo byLily BanseonUnsplash

There are restaurant critics and then there are restaurant patrons. While a critic may be able to tell you about the mouthfeel of the foraged mushrooms, patrons will tell you whether or not the truffle mac and cheese is really worth the price tag.

So when a restaurant averages a 5-star rating from 2,902 patrons, it's worth taking note.

In 2022, Tripadvisor reviewers decreed Timber Kitchen and Bar in Bangor, Maine to be the best restaurant in America in the Everyday Eats category.

Timber Kitchen and Bar has a distinctive look that is inspired by the city's roots as the lumber capital of the world.

The restaurant looks like an upscale cabin with multiple different types of wood incorporated into the design. There's a plastic light-up moose head on the wall. The hostess desk has a tree stump as its base.

While it's unpretentious, the restaurant is aiming for a casually upscale vibe with its clientele, describing their preferred dress as "loose-tie." As the website says: "we combine class and hospitality to give our guests the best dining experience in Bangor."

The menu follows this protocol as it's filled with elevated comfort food such as Buffalo chicken dip with smoked local cheddar and harissa peppers, crab cakes with fire-roasted tomato and corn salsa, Scottish salmon salad with a moonshine glaze, and a Downeaster burger with a fried hen's egg.

As the ratings would suggest, diners are happy with both their meal and the service:

The rib eye was the best I've ever had, but everyone else was completely satisfied with their selections as well.

Drinks were amazing and dinner was delectable (Timber Burger with sweet potato fries and Pan-Tossed Camp Noodles carbonara). Dessert was the "cherry on top" so to speak as one was included with the Brick Oven Chocolate Lava Cake.

From the moment we arrived the staff made my wife and I feel like valued customers. Amazing atmosphere. Divine food and drinks.

So long, restaurant critics. It looks like TripAdvisor reviewers know good food when they experience it.

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