15 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.“

“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!!“

“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!“

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

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

“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've been coming here since they first opened, and I don't think they've ever replaced the seating! Every. Single. Booth cushion is deflated with wonky springs. Terribly uncomfortable and they also keep you too low in relation to the table. REPLACE THESE PLEASE, and maintain as needed!

I don't care for cowboy kitsch.

HOWEVER! While it's true that I sometimes have to send my steak back because it's not the correct temp, this place, compared to every other place I've been in greater Portland, including Texas Roadhouse and non-chain $$$$ places, has the best SIRLOIN steaks and at the most affordable prices. Their baked potatoes and sweet potatoes are always excellent. I love the crispy brussles, too.

Here's a secret for seafood lovers: They have excellent salmon, also affordably priced!

Bottom line, come for the food and down-to-earth prices and focus on your dining partner and conversation. The wagon wheels and such won't even be noticed.“

“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.“

“I love this restaurant for existing here so much. It's so convenient for dietary restrictions that the fast-food restaurants completely ignore when you need to be able to drop in and go.

A tip for this particular location by Olive Garden in South Portland: depending on time of day & day of week, it can be way better to go around the mall to and come in behind through the entrance off the Clark's Pond parking lot rather than deal with the congestion in front of the mall and that right lane that kicks in at Books A Million where you're wondering if people are just fully parked and texting, as long as it can take to get moving sometimes.

Definitely worth the traffic, whichever way you go. The b.good sauce is great with the sweet potato fries.“

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

“First time visiting UNO and have to say Noah is a great host. He took time out to explain the menu, in particular the types of pizza and the options for each.

We tried the pizza skins for an appetizer followed by a Detroit style chicken and bacon pizza. Both were delicious but the portions were large so ended taking a few slices away.

Service was prompt and Noah kept us both amused and topped up with drinks.

Would definitely recommend and hope to return in the future if opportunity allows.“

“Our waitress Riley gave us exceptional service that was kind and accurate. All of the food came out correctly in a timely fashion. Riley checked on us and was quick to help. Hopefully, all BWW staff can live up to her high standard of customer care!! We appreciate it, thanks again.“