Cheap Places to Eat in Sebago Lake

"Somewhere that you can split a few pies with your friends, or just grab a slice on the nights when one drink turns into four. In Portland, that’s Otto Pizza, which makes some of the best and most interesting pies in the area and is slowly taking over New England. Here you’ll find pizzas topped with everything from cheese tortellini to chicken, pear, and fontina, but make sure to try The Masher, with mashed potato, scallion, and bacon."

"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. Otto Pizza truly has something for every member of the family!. In addition to their laidback vibe and their kid-friendly facilities, Otto pizza also boasts a wide selection of pizzas, some of which are said to be among the best in the country!"

"Great on-the-go, by-the-slice pizza with creative topping combinations and a perfect crust. Be adventurous and try the Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Cranberry or the White Bean, Roasted Tomato, Herb & Red Flake. Numerous locations in Portland."

"Bite Into Maine serves six types of lobster rolls, including a Connecticut-style one with hot butter, and others tossed with chipotle or wasabi mayo, and they’re some of the best in Portland. Regardless of when you go, both of their locations will be slammed (there’s a second trailer located at the Allagash Brewery), and each roll will cost you just under $20. But if you’re truly on a quest for the most Maine experience possible, making the 15-minute drive to this food truck parked next to a lighthouse at Cape Elizabeth is a must."

"Bite into Maine has two locations in Portland, and they almost always have a line. Here you can get six different types of lobster rolls that are all under $20. Bite into Maine has a food truck next to the lighthouse at Cape Elizabeth, and it is worth the drive."

"There’s no wrong place to eat pizza, except for maybe in your bed or an empty bathtub. But you won’t find a more ideal spot to have a few slices in Portland than at Flatbread Company, which overlooks the Casco Bay. The Portland location of this Northeast chain has a huge dining room that’s good for groups and families with kids, but you’ll want to try to get a table on their dock when it’s nice enough to be outside (which, by Portland standards, is anytime there isn't snow falling from the sky)."

"When you visit the Flatbread Company, you can expect great pizza while overlooking Casco Bay. The atmosphere and food are perfect. There are a handful of seating options to fit the needs of their guests."

"It’s winter with a capital W in Portland, Maine—with cold temps and COVID challenges combined—but in true Portland style, our resilient restaurant community powers on, cooking up creative world-class fare along with inventive ways to serve us lucky diners. From curbside pick-up, takeout, and special pantry offerings to cook-at-home kits, to-go cocktails, and heated outdoor patios, there are many delicious ways to support the local food scene while following state guidelines and keeping safety top of mind. Here is our salute to Portland’s best new restaurants, including brave new stars, as well as faves from the past five-ish years."

"Boone’s Fish House and Oyster Room serves the finest Maine seafood in a historic setting on Portland’s Commercial Street, which has been named one of the best streets in America by the American Planning Association. Boone’s has been a seafood restaurant since 1898 and is currently owned by Harding Lee Smith, a Culinary Institute of America trained chef with experience in Italy and Hawaii. Harding’s faithful restoration of Boone’s includes original Douglas fir beams with a roaring wood fire and tables and booths in beautiful cherry wood."

"There are few things more enjoyable than the opulent, focused essences of a great Cantonese stir-fry, resulting largely from what cooks from this region of China refer to as wok hay, which translates roughly to "the breath of the wok." This is evident in Empire’s kale and noodles, which essentially takes four ingredients and transforms them into magic, as it also is in their chicken and salt cod fried rice. The dim sum menu is best enjoyed with a Dragon Milk, made with jasmine-infused gin, cream of coconut, pandan syrup and club soda. If you order the hot-and-sour soup, be sure to ask for a side of the housemade chili sauce."

"The gist: Nearly 100 paper lanterns cast a warm glow over the slim, two-tiered space where owner Qi Shen offers a wide array of authentic regional dishes from China’s Sichuan province. The food: The menu includes the sorts of tongue-tingling málà dishes many American food enthusiasts know and love, but there are plenty of tamer options, too. Shen makes everything from scratch, including her own chili oil and doubanjiang—a fermented chili bean paste that gives dishes like double-cooked pork (tender flash-fried pork belly with leeks) their well-balanced, salty fermented flavor."

"The gist: Husband and wife Randy and Ally Forrester ran Osteria Radici in Allentown, New Jersey, where they were recognized with two James Beard nominations, before moving to Portland to open this pizzeria in July 2020. The food: Randy forms his naturally fermented dough (read: yeast-free) into thin-crust rounds that, once baked, offer a pleasing subtle tang and nicely charred chewy edge. Go basic with a classic margherita or try a more complex pie."

"Based on Munjoy Hill in Portland’s East end, Blue Spoon is a chef-owned restaurant that focuses on fresh market-driven ingredients and regional produce to create seasonal Italian and American cuisine. The vibrant, social restaurant is owned by chef/owner Will Lavey and his wife Liz Koenigsberg and has a comfortable dining space with modern décor and large windows that flood interiors with natural light. The menu features signature dishes like Angus Beef Tartare, Pan-seared Bavette Steak, Seafood Stew, and Risotto, and a variety of casual wines, craft beers, and classic cocktails are available to enjoy with the food."

"Located within the Press Hotel across from Portland's City Hall in the heart of Portland's Old Port, Union Restaurant is a sophisticated, yet casual eatery and bar that serves creative and elegant cuisine and house cocktails in a refined setting. The contemporary American farm-to-table restaurant led by Maine native Chef Josh Berry serves a thoughtfully designed menu of market-driven cuisine using fresh locally sourced ingredients. Signature plates include local Norumbega oysters with kimchi caviar, grilled asparagus with goat cheese panna cotta, poached salmon topped with Kalamata olives, local skate, Maine lobster beurre monté, and desserts of Maine maple pudding, and coconut custard tart."

"There are few things more enjoyable than the opulent, focused essences of a great Cantonese stir-fry, resulting largely from what cooks from this region of China refer to as wok hay, which translates roughly to "the breath of the wok." This is evident in Empire’s kale and noodles, which essentially takes four ingredients and transforms them into magic, as it also is in their chicken and salt cod fried rice. The dim sum menu is best enjoyed with a Dragon Milk, made with jasmine-infused gin, cream of coconut, pandan syrup and club soda. If you order the hot-and-sour soup, be sure to ask for a side of the housemade chili sauce."

"The Treehouse is an intimate eatery with unique treehouse-style decks where visitors can dine outdoors surrounded by woven tree boughs strung with fairy lights in the summer months. The restaurant serves Mediterranean-inspired comfort fare and a variety of creative cocktails and causal wines and offers the perfect place for a special celebration or romantic dinner beneath the stars. The menu features delectable dishes like wild mushroom flatbread, three-fish salad with littlenecks, shrimp and mussels pan-fried Brussels sprouts, Maine crab cakes, and juicy pork tenderloin with blueberry-ginger glaze."

"Located in the elegant Hyatt Place Portland in the Old Port, Evo Kitchen + Bar is a stylish Middle Eastern bistro that specializes in Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, bring the bold taste and flavors of the region to the heart of Portland. Boasting a chic, energetic vibe, Evo serves a seasonal menu of creative riffs on classic cuisine prepared with locally sourced and regional ingredients with dishes like Pork Sausage with Halloumi, Beef Kibbeh with Yogurt, Chicken and Onion Dolmades, and Skirt Steak. The cuisine is accompanied by craft cocktails made with fresh, local ingredients, five local Portland draft beers and a wine list featuring a wide variety of wines from around the world, including Greece, Spain, and Crete."

"This trendy eatery puts a Mediterranean spin on classic Maine dishes. Floor-to-ceiling windows make it great for people-watching, and you can also see the chefs working their magic in the open kitchen."

"While Tandem Coffee Roasters had already established its presence in Portland — offering a wide range of highly complex, single-origin coffees — the arrival of pastry chef Briana Holt took its recognition to an entirely new level. Situated in the West End, the bakery completely redefines the level of pleasure one can attain from biscuits with butter and jam, while producing equally superlative pies, cakes and scones, to name just a few selections. Most Portlanders have memorized the best times of day to procure their breakfast sandwich on a biscuit, which goes quite well with one of the lattes steamed with housemade almond milk."

"It would be extremely wise of you to choose a hotel or Airbnb near one of Tandem’s two locations (we’re partial to the Congress Ave one). That way, you don’t have to waste time before you stand in line for what will be a magical, caffeine and pastry-filled morning. You can even skip the line by ordering online for pick-up at a separate window and take a seat on their covered benches to enjoy Portland’s best coffee shop each morning."

"It can’t be all lobster all the time, but good thing there are places like Quiero to break up the barrage of seafood. This Latin cafe serves baked sweet and savory empanadas, tamales, Cubanos, and Colombian hot dogs, just to name a few of the best things on the menu. Their quick counter service means more time to check things off your Portland to-do list too, like heading across the street to the historic district and Western Promenade or the Portland Museum of Art."

"Artemisia Cafe is one of the top brunch restaurants in Portland, ME. You can find all of your classic brunch foods on the menu and feel at home in the environment. This little spot is beautiful to visit, and it opens a bit earlier than most places in Portland, so you don’t have to wait until 11 a.m."