For a peninsula city, the choice of waterfront dining remains slim. Luke’s Lobster and EVO X are the two prime spots where you are at the water’s edge. The former is easily accessible. But plan for a long walk down Portland Pier from Commercial Street to the end because whatever parking that’s available on the pier is choice, with few options to find a spot. The same might be true for EVO X, on the grounds of the former Sprague compound, the Fore Points Marina, 443 Fore St. Last year you could park in an adjoining lot, but that’s now filled with construction vehicles as the site is slowly being developed with an office building (Sun Life), a retail center (where Portland restaurant EVO will re-locate to); hotel and residential condos and rentals are still far off in this 10 acre development marvel in the city’s Eastern Waterfront.
The view for city waterfront dining doesn’t get much better than Luke’s Lobster on Portland Pier, Circa summer 2020
There’s a few restaurants off Commercial Street that offer views of the harbor but they’re not the same as eating at the water’s edge. Co-developer Case Prentice says that EVO X will be open today. But when I went there yesterday it looked far from ready for its seasonal debut. Time will tell. Still it’s worth waiting for since chef Matt Ginn of EVO fame oversees the food prep at this formidable food-truck kitchen.
The scene at EVO X at Fore Points Marina last year pre pandemic in the developing 58 Fore Street waterfront village; a great spot, waterfront panorama is sublime
Waterfront dining so sought after at lunchtime and dinner hours happens more so beyond city limits. The Dockside at Handy Boat (formerly the Falmouth Sea Grill) is the closest spot outside the city to get a table waterside. I’ve yet to go this season, but they’re open inside and out. The Royal River Grill, at the end of Route 88 in Yarmouth is open inside and out though the vistas from this good dining option are not as panoramic overlooking the Royal River. Others worth considering are ocean-hugging The Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth, the Cape’s Inn by the Sea’s deck-side dining, and the Black Point Inn on Prouts Neck has a gorgeous dining porch on the ocean.
For a true urban waterfront dining don’t forget about the Eastern Prom where the ever-expanding lineup of food trucks is very enticing indeed and you still get a water view.
Food trucks line the avenue along the Eastern Prom overlooking the park
Freeport dock where Harraseeket is located on the harbor
This lack of readily accessible or open establishments is still fairly slim in late spring and this fact led me to Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster, a typical seasonal lobster pound on Freeport Harbor, where I had the plumpest fried clams this side of Midcoast to Downeast. My yen for a clam role was fully satisfied. Even though the menu says strips only for the roll , I asked for bellies and they readily complied.
Early on the line was short but grew quickly after noontime at Harraseeket Lunch
I arrived before noontime, a good time slot if you want to avoid the typical summer wait. This is still a mom and pop pound, which has been serving since 1970. The food improved greatly in the last few years, especially so in the fried-clam category–big, plump and briny. Not that it made much difference in healthy eating, but I ordered onion rings instead of fries with the clams. You have a choice of middles instead of rings and what arrived was a mix of well breaded bits of each. While the best fried onion rings are still at Five Islands at the end of the Georgetown peninsula, the Harraseeket variety were excellent, with crispy breaded coating.
The prize: fried clam roll chock full of whole clam bellies
The whole tray full of food cost under $20 and well worth the extraordinarily scenic ride down South Freeport Road: farms and stone-walled flower-hinged houses ring the road in true Maine scenic fashion.
Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster, 36 Main St., South Freeport www.harraseeketlunchandlobster.com 207-865-4888
Rating: Excellent and the closest lobster pound to Portland
Ambiance: Typical lobster pound atmosphere
Waterfront: not panoramic but picture-book harbor setting
Price: Moderate
Parking: Onsite but limited
