In-laws moved to Augusta a decade ago. They are chain restaurant afficionados of which Augusta has plenty. We're always underwhelmed.
For a meal out for four adults (18 to 55) that didn't include the older folks, we were so glad we found this unique place at the opposite end of the spectrum. State Lunch is hands down the best restaurant we've experienced in Augusta and possibly tops in Maine for us. We will make it a point to go there every time we are in town.
Not cocktail people but the beer selection was excellent. The KIT non-alcoholic IPA was the best NA beer we've had (and we've had a lot).
Calamari appetizer was great to share. We ordered specials which were fantastic. Desserts were decadent. Having no decaf was odd... we don't drink caffeine after noon. Minor complaint.
Service was great. The place looks fantastic. The vibe was cool and relaxed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Theresa Nguyen
Cute place! Love the atmosphere. The cocktails were delicious and creative; I had the Blooms Tall Tails and also the Lovitts pie drink. We got ramens, which we found was the origin of the restaurant. Not the most amazing ramen broth, but the noodles and pork were awesome. Waitress was super sweet :) one meal and a drink can easily run you minimum $40
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Serena Barrett
Amazing atmosphere, food was great. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike D
Great food, specialty drinks. PLEASE bring back the all American burger 🍔 it was the best in the state 🏆
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jason Pauley
While not the easiest place to find, State Lunch is worth the hunt. Both food presentation and the atmosphere are pleasing to the eye. However, the visual satisfaction does not surpass that which actually matters most - the marriage of flavors. While Portland may be known for its great eateries, State Lunch makes Augusta an unexpected food destination.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steve Springer
A Maine staple for our family. Excellent food, service and venue. They mix up the menu from time to time so you're always able to sample something new.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Hochberg
Meh. I’m not sure what all the hype about this is. Many of the reviews seem like they were written by the same person to me. If you are after bar food give it a try. Otherwise maybe move on.
The good: - Service was very good. Our waitress Bailey, was very nice, helpful, attentive, and friendly. - Beer - I had a great beer. Local and tasty. - Atmosphere - bar pub. We like that vibe. Doesn’t affect the food obviously but it’s worth noting it was quiet enough for conversation. - Salad and burger were good. Not great.
The not so good: - Brussel sprouts were (we think) boiled. They were overcooked, and soggy, and kind of tasteless. I’d pass on these for sure. - Fries - had potential but ours were pretty soggy. Our view - it’s pretty hard to screw up fries. A bad sign if you can’t get those to the table hot and crunchy. - while the salad was good (not great), the chicken was a bit dry and barely luke warm. Also kind of hard to screw up - a plain grilled chicken breast.
The two teenagers next to us each ordered the fries and plate of wings. The wings looked pretty tasty and the plate was generous. It’s possible they were very good. We should have asked.
Our take overall - pass on this place if you’re just passing through Augusta.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Brian Keeffe
Great Drinks!!! But they took the best thing they had off the menu. Bring back the Chicken Milanese!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Andrea Carreira
A+ fabulous experience! The entire staff was friendly and engaging. We came up from RI and Augusta was a quick pass through. After a four hour drive, this place was exactly what we needed. The food was amazing and came out perfectly (both of us needed slight modifications of the original menu item we chose) and our drinks...well we stayed for two because they were so carefully created and delicious. Our server (I hate that I can't remember her name) was extremely knowledgeable on everything, had great recommendations and was lovely from start to finish. The atmosphere is super cute. Its a small, intimate place. Go there now! You won't be sorry.
Top notch down town gem restaurant great food great staff pork chops 10 out of 10. Would recommend anyone for a great date night spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric
This was one of the best stops for food during our Maine vacation. We came in expecting small food dishes and good cocktials. We ended up getting OUTSTANDING food and OUT OF THIS WORLD cocktails.
The staff were super welcoming, treated us like family, and really made the experience great.
I got a smash burger while my wife got a fancy salmon bowl. Both were extremely filling and perfectly cooked.
The cocktails were perfect, well presented, and delicious.
100% worth the stop if you are anywhere near Augusta. I would 100% go 1hr+ out of the way to come enjoy an evening here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shirley Jones
This place is so hip and trendy, definitely has a very very cool vibe, great service, and a beautiful bar with very tasty beverages. And the food is not only beautifully prepared you can taste the quality of the ingredients. We just discovered this two days ago and came back for one more dinner before we leave to head back to Florida tomorrow morning - Don’t pass this up. You’ll have a great evening all the way around 🙌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joseph Hammack
Love the outside dinning. Great service staff
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Rich LaDuca
Quick lunch... Got the soup pho... Found it to be bland.
In-laws moved to Augusta a decade ago. They are chain restaurant afficionados of which Augusta has plenty. We're always underwhelmed.
For a meal out for four adults (18 to 55) that didn't include the older folks, we were so glad we found this unique place at the opposite end of the spectrum. State Lunch is hands down the best restaurant we've experienced in Augusta and possibly tops in Maine for us. We will make it a point to go there every time we are in town.
Not cocktail people but the beer selection was excellent. The KIT non-alcoholic IPA was the best NA beer we've had (and we've had a lot).
Calamari appetizer was great to share. We ordered specials which were fantastic. Desserts were decadent. Having no decaf was odd... we don't drink caffeine after noon. Minor complaint.
Service was great. The place looks fantastic. The vibe was cool and relaxed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cute place! Love the atmosphere. The cocktails were delicious and creative; I had the Blooms Tall Tails and also the Lovitts pie drink. We got ramens, which we found was the origin of the restaurant. Not the most amazing ramen broth, but the noodles and pork were awesome. Waitress was super sweet :) one meal and a drink can easily run you minimum $40
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amazing atmosphere, food was great. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food, specialty drinks. PLEASE bring back the all American burger 🍔 it was the best in the state 🏆
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
While not the easiest place to find, State Lunch is worth the hunt. Both food presentation and the atmosphere are pleasing to the eye. However, the visual satisfaction does not surpass that which actually matters most - the marriage of flavors. While Portland may be known for its great eateries, State Lunch makes Augusta an unexpected food destination.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A Maine staple for our family. Excellent food, service and venue. They mix up the menu from time to time so you're always able to sample something new.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Meh. I’m not sure what all the hype about this is. Many of the reviews seem like they were written by the same person to me. If you are after bar food give it a try. Otherwise maybe move on.
The good:
- Service was very good. Our waitress Bailey, was very nice, helpful, attentive, and friendly.
- Beer - I had a great beer. Local and tasty.
- Atmosphere - bar pub. We like that vibe. Doesn’t affect the food obviously but it’s worth noting it was quiet enough for conversation.
- Salad and burger were good. Not great.
The not so good:
- Brussel sprouts were (we think) boiled. They were overcooked, and soggy, and kind of tasteless. I’d pass on these for sure.
- Fries - had potential but ours were pretty soggy. Our view - it’s pretty hard to screw up fries. A bad sign if you can’t get those to the table hot and crunchy.
- while the salad was good (not great), the chicken was a bit dry and barely luke warm. Also kind of hard to screw up - a plain grilled chicken breast.
The two teenagers next to us each ordered the fries and plate of wings. The wings looked pretty tasty and the plate was generous. It’s possible they were very good. We should have asked.
Our take overall - pass on this place if you’re just passing through Augusta.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Great Drinks!!! But they took the best thing they had off the menu. Bring back the Chicken Milanese!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
A+ fabulous experience! The entire staff was friendly and engaging. We came up from RI and Augusta was a quick pass through. After a four hour drive, this place was exactly what we needed. The food was amazing and came out perfectly (both of us needed slight modifications of the original menu item we chose) and our drinks...well we stayed for two because they were so carefully created and delicious. Our server (I hate that I can't remember her name) was extremely knowledgeable on everything, had great recommendations and was lovely from start to finish. The atmosphere is super cute. Its a small, intimate place. Go there now! You won't be sorry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chicken and waffles !!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Top notch down town gem restaurant great food great staff pork chops 10 out of 10. Would recommend anyone for a great date night spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was one of the best stops for food during our Maine vacation. We came in expecting small food dishes and good cocktials. We ended up getting OUTSTANDING food and OUT OF THIS WORLD cocktails.
The staff were super welcoming, treated us like family, and really made the experience great.
I got a smash burger while my wife got a fancy salmon bowl. Both were extremely filling and perfectly cooked.
The cocktails were perfect, well presented, and delicious.
100% worth the stop if you are anywhere near Augusta. I would 100% go 1hr+ out of the way to come enjoy an evening here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is so hip and trendy, definitely has a very very cool vibe, great service, and a beautiful bar with very tasty beverages. And the food is not only beautifully prepared you can taste the quality of the ingredients. We just discovered this two days ago and came back for one more dinner before we leave to head back to Florida tomorrow morning - Don’t pass this up. You’ll have a great evening all the way around 🙌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love the outside dinning. Great service staff
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Quick lunch... Got the soup pho...
Found it to be bland.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
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