14 Best American Restaurants in South Portland

“If you have not eaten here it is a must. Make sure to ask for Sarah as she is a phenomenal waitress.“

“Sure, Mabel! Here’s a polished, friendly review letter you can use: --- Restaurant Review I recently visited this restaurant for the very first time, and I was truly impressed from start to finish. The food was so delicious that I actually found myself wishing I could get the recipes to make the dishes at home later. I ordered the chicken sandwich, and it was one of the most unique and flavorful sandwiches I’ve ever had. Every bite was incredible. My friend ordered the steak and cheese, and it must have been amazing because she ate every last bite of it without hesitation! The staff deserves special recognition as well. They were excellent, kind, and especially patient with my service dog in training, who is only five months old. Their understanding and welcoming attitude made the whole experience even better. Overall, this was a wonderful first visit, and I will definitely be returning. Highly recommended!“

“The best seafood I have ever had. Fresh! Hand breaded! Delicious! 🦞🍤🦀“

“Where else Can you go to get a great cigar sold by knowledgeable people, have a nice beer and a great meal? You can’t. This is the only place. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.“

“What a nice place with great tasting food and shakes! We will be back to try different menu items!!“

“We did take out the steak&cheese sandwich was excellent and I loved the fries“

“Fantastic choice on a day trip to South Portland!“

“This is a very popular family friendly restaurant. My husband and I both had great salads and the best steaks we have had in a long time. The salads were super fresh, the steaks cooked perfectly and the side veggies were delicious. The Strawberry Shortcake dessert was super good. Our server was wonderful. She was personable and professional. We never had to ask for refills on beverages, she was always on top of it. We had a really enjoyable dining experience.“

“Love their variety of drink & food choices! I have dined here multiple times and have always had a great meal! Also love the atmosphere! You quickly forget that you are eating in a hotel restaurant!“

“I would just like to tell a very short story about how my friend Rex who is 65 years old he is a homeless man out of the Portland area. I took him in to Denny's in Portland to get breakfast on a cold Winter's day in January 2022. We ordered our food with our server who was very rude and after eating our cold yucky breakfast my friend Rex was refused a bathroom to use and then the manager came out and told us for NO REASON, to leave and never come back! It was the worst experience because all my friend Rex needed was a hot breakfast he doesn't bother anyone and never sticks up for himself or creates a fuss! So in looking for another breakfast place to eat we found IHOP in Portland and from the start of walking into that restaurant was so nice and clean the hostess was amazing and sat us immediately with a smile our server Bethany she was amazing so nice and kind she took our order and treated us like human beings she was not judgmental and she took our order the same way she takes everyone's orders with a smile and gracious heart! My friend Rex absolutely loves his fried eggs and his bacon so we now visit the Portland IHOP twice a week. I had told the servers about what had happened to us with our experience at Denny's and the server from IHOP told Rex and myself that we were allowed at IHOP anytime and that they would love to have us!! I can't even tell you how much this warms my heart knowing that I can take my friend who has fallen on some hard times into a restaurant to eat a very nice warm meal and have the best servers in the best wait staff around us! You are amazing IHOP and we love you so much! We will be there every Tuesday and Friday for bacon and eggs comforted by the graciousness and smiles of everyone in the restaurant at IHOP! Keep on being the most amazing restaurant in the world because from my point of view you absolutely are! We love you IHOP thank you so much for your hospitality!“

“My husband and I came to Applebee’s recently, and we had such a wonderful experience! From the moment we arrived, everything was great, but what really made our visit special was our server, Cadea (the blonde-haired girl). She was absolutely amazing!

Cadea was incredibly kind, friendly, patient, and attentive throughout our entire meal. She made us feel very welcomed and comfortable, and she was always so sweet whenever she came to check on us. She never made us feel rushed, even when we took our time deciding what we wanted. Her patience and positive attitude really stood out to us.

You can tell that Cadea genuinely cares about providing good service. She was very professional while still being warm and personable, which made our dinner with my husband even more enjoyable. She made sure we had everything we needed and that everything was going well throughout our visit.

The food was also really good and fresh, and we were both very happy with our meals. The whole experience—from the food to the atmosphere to the service—was excellent.

We especially want to recognize Cadea because great customer service like hers deserves to be appreciated. Having someone who is so patient, kind, and welcoming makes such a big difference when you’re dining out. We will definitely remember her and would be happy to come back again! Thank you, Cadea, for making our visit such a pleasant experience! You did an amazing job, and Applebee’s is lucky to have you.“

“Food good but way too slow, was freezing inside…. If prepared to sit you will enjoy…“

“We had a great grandparent dinner at UNOs last night with three “greats” 86, 88, and 91 years old!!! Two grandparents and a three year old toddler completed our crowd. We began needing coffee and our server, Maci, was quick to say, “I’ll be happy to brew you a new pot…coming right up!” She was very good with our youngster, respectfully asking her if she’d like to order for herself, which she was able to do with the kid friendly menu bearing photos of each choice. Our pizzas were absolutely delicious and varied between deep dish, thin crust, and gluten free pies. Several of us had hot honey on the pizza, which…just sayin’…was extra tasty! The gluten free dough is the best I’ve ever had! Part of a successful restaurant experience is in the service. Maci took very good care of us, was attentive, personable, and speedy with our order. It was a pleasure to dine at UNOs! Thank you!“

“I was driving through Portland and googled a healthy fast food place near me. This place popped up and it was 4 mins away. Big open space. Clean. Friendly. Easy menu. Lots of good options. Love that is its locally sourced and healthy! Prices are very reasonable. Can’t wait to drive through again. 😁“