Maine is one of the great seafood destinations in America – cold, clean waters producing the world’s best lobster, oysters, and groundfish. After three decades running Maine’s resource guide, here is how to eat the best of it, from lobster pounds to Portland’s chef-driven tables.
The best seafood in Maine is lobster – eaten as a lobster roll or whole-steamed at a working lobster pound – along with fresh Damariscotta oysters, whole-belly fried clams, haddock and fish chowder, and Portland’s celebrated chef-driven seafood. Each is covered below.
1. The Lobster Roll
The Lobster Roll is the signature Maine seafood experience. Maine’s most famous dish – fresh lobster meat in a buttered, toasted bun, served cold with mayo or warm with butter. Red’s Eats in Wiscasset is the most famous, but the whole coast competes. See our full lobster roll guide for the best spots. Read more.
2. Whole Steamed Lobster at a Lobster Pound
Whole Steamed Lobster at a Lobster Pound is the most authentic way to eat Maine seafood. Pick your lobster live and eat it at picnic tables overlooking the water at a working lobster pound. Young’s in Belfast, Thurston’s on Mount Desert Island, and Five Islands in Georgetown are classic examples.
3. Fresh Maine Oysters
Fresh Maine Oysters is the best cold-water shellfish. The Damariscotta River region produces some of the finest oysters on the East Coast. Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland is the famous spot, but the Pemaquid and Damariscotta area is the source.
4. Fried Clams
Fried Clams is the classic Maine seafood shack meal. Whole-belly fried clams from a roadside shack with a screen door are a Maine summer institution – best eaten at a working waterfront with a view.
5. Fish Chowder & Haddock
Fish Chowder & Haddock is the traditional Maine catch. Beyond lobster, Maine’s cold waters produce excellent haddock, and a proper Maine fish chowder – milk-based, chunky, unfussy – is a coastal staple in every harbor town.
6. Portland’s Chef-Driven Seafood
Portland’s Chef-Driven Seafood is the best modern Maine seafood scene. Portland has become one of America’s great seafood cities, with James Beard-recognized restaurants turning Maine’s catch into something world-class. The best place for creative, contemporary Maine seafood. Read more.
Best Seafood in Maine: FAQ
What seafood is Maine known for?
Maine is best known for lobster – eaten as a lobster roll or whole-steamed at a lobster pound. It is also known for fresh oysters from the Damariscotta River, whole-belly fried clams, haddock, and fish chowder from its cold Atlantic waters.
Where is the best place to eat seafood in Maine?
For traditional seafood, eat lobster at a working lobster pound on the Midcoast or Downeast coast. For creative, chef-driven seafood, Portland is one of the best food cities in America. The Damariscotta area is the place for oysters.
When is the best time for Maine seafood?
Summer into early fall is peak season, when soft-shell lobsters arrive (sweeter and easier to pick) and the lobster pounds and seafood shacks are all open. Oysters are at their best in the colder months.
See our full Maine lobster roll guide and best things to do in Maine. MaineGuide.com has been Maine’s resource guide since 1995.
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