Where to Get Iconic Eats in Bangor, Maine

Do you want to know where to get that excellent dish? Several restaurants around Bangor have a dish they are famous for statewide. A traditional New England boiled dinner, Yankee pot roast, fiddleheads, or another.

Maine restaurants that serve an iconic and original dinner.Photo bythe author using PowerPoint Design Creation

Some of those include Downtown Bangor’s Fiddlehead Restaurant, Dysart’s Truck Stop, the Kobe Ninja House, and McLaughlin Seafood Inc. “Mainely,” we want to look at how they make these other-worldly dishes.

Everyone knows if you want a massive plate of Yankee Pot Roast followed by a world-famous wild Maine Blueberry Pie adorned with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you go to Dysart’s.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Dysart’s and places to reveal a few secrets about how they prepare their “special” dish. They probably won’t use all their secrets or the entire recipe but let’s see what we can find out.

If you’re hungry, you might want to grab a light snack because we will talk about many comfort foods, desserts, and fine wines to whet your appetite. So, get something to carry you through, and you can head out to one of these places when we’re finished.

Getting to Dysart’s from I-95.Photo bythe author. Google Maps screenshot.

Although there are more Dysart's open across the state, these are the closest to Bangor.

Dysart's Yanke Pot Roast.Photo bythe author. Screenshot from Food Paradise YouTube Video

Dysart’s Yankee Pot Roast & Maine Blueberry Pie

The pot roast at Dysart’s is king. Dysart’s Restaurant is a legend in itself. It’s been there at 530 Cold Brook Road in Hermon, Maine since I was a kid in 1967. You get a massive plate of pot roast and sides. Don’t worry about a steak knife; you won’t need one, just cut it with your fork. It’s that tender and smothered in brown gravy.

Here's the recipe if you want to try making it at home.

Dysart's on Food Paradise

Despite the narrator starting by calling it “Banger” (there is an “O” in Bangor), the rest of the video is pretty decent and informative.

Catherine Nicole says, “God how I miss their food. And now I wish I had tried more of their recipes, like the pork roast and bbq ribs. It all just looks so good. I loved their egg white spinach, tomato & feta cheese omelette. Yum! And their purpleberry pie! Delicious!”

Dysart’s Truck Stop is open 24/7, though the restaurant has limited hours on Saturday and Sunday from 6 am to 8 pm. Call (207) 947–8732. Facebook Page

Fiddleheads, Canadian bacon, & cornbread.Photo bythe author.

Fiddleheads Restaurant

Fiddleheads, of course, but what about their delicious appetizers like potato gnocchi or chicken dumplings? OMG, this is a foodie’s Heaven on Earth. But wait, there’s more.

The Fiddlehead Restaurant’s chef and co-owner, Chef Mel, recently competed in the nationally syndicated chef’s competition, Chopped. The following is a video by NEWS CENTER Maine uploaded to YouTube.

Bangor chef competes on ‘Chopped’

Their mission: “Eat local, eat inexpensively, eat well. Those are the goals of The Fiddlehead Restaurant, a recent arrival on the downtown Bangor food scene.”

Unfortunately, there are rumors the owners are looking to sell, so if you haven't been, you better get there soon.

Fiddlehead is located at 84 Hammond Street in downtown Bangor. Their hours are Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 9 pm, Saturday from 5 to 10 pm, and Sunday from 5 to 9 pm, but the bar is open until late. Call (207) 942-Eden (3336) for reservations and information about private dinners and special functions. Facebook Page.

A bright and beautiful plate of Sushi.Photo byBruno Marques Designer — Pixabay.

Kobe Ninja House

Sushi, Hibachi style lobster, chicken, Scallops, Salmon, Shrimp, Maki rolls, spiced yellowfin tuna & Kobe beef served just the way you like it. This place is unlike many other Japanese restaurants because they grill steaks to perfection and plate them with amazing noodles and sushi at your table.

It’s not just dinner but also entertainment with your very own Hibachi chef.

Kobe Hibachi, Bangor, Maine

Kobe Ninja House's traditional Japanese grill and sushi is located at 829 Hogan Road in Bangor. Their hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 9:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 10:30 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 9:30 pm. Call (207) 992–9983 for take-out.

Facebook Page.

McLaughlin’s Seafood Restaurant take out from their Facebook page.Photo bythe author with PowerPoint Design Creation.

McLaughlin Seafood Inc.

It wouldn’t be a Maine story if we didn’t discuss at least one seafood restaurant, though there are many in Bangor, Maine. Whether you crave baked, steamed, boiled, grilled, or fried, McLaughlin’s has fresh seafood like crabmeat and lobster rolls, followed by some of the best desserts available in Bangor. How about a bucket of steamed clams or mussels with a tub of butter and an ear of corn on the cob side? You can have today’s fresh catch cooked the way you want it!

Take Out Menu.

Best Lobster Roll in Maine | Where to Eat in Maine

Look for McLaughlin’s Seafood at 6:01 of this video by The Megan Daily. If I were doing seafood restaurants, the Eagle’s Nest in Brewer would be here too. But the reason I chose McLaughlin’s is that they do so much more than their restaurant. You can find McLaughlin’s prepared, frozen, and canned seafood worldwide.

McLaughlin’s is located at 728 Main Street in Bangor. Their hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 9:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 10:30 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 9:30 pm. Call (207) 942•7811 for take-out. Facebook Page

Saturday’s Special.Photo bythe owner — Facebook.

Final thoughts

Foodies from around Maine and the hungry flatlanders will want to check out one or all of these restaurants and their iconic meats, eats, and treats. It’s Maine comfort food at its finest.

“Maine — The Way Life Should Be!”

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About the author

Stephen Dalton is a native of Old Town, ME, and a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. He is a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Top Writer in Travel, Food, Fiction, Transportation, VR, NFL, Design, Creativity, Short Story, and a NewsBreak Community Voice Pro.