Food Maine is Known For (Lobster and Beyond)

The food Maine is known for includes lobster, of course. (Steamed lobster and lobster rolls.) But do you know the other foods that this gorgeous state is known for? We spill the beans after visiting and eating our way through the state as we road-tripped along the coast!

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Maine Blueberries

We had no idea blueberries were such a big thing in Maine until we visited! And by “big thing,” we mean they're everywhere. We're certainly not referring to their size, because they're small.

The actual size of the blueberries in Maine is petite and smaller than the usual blueberries you'd get in your grocery store. They are also less sweet. Our first glimpse into their delicious blueberries was aboard our Maine Windjammer Cruise, on American Eagle.

The first morning we were on board, the chef made scrumptious blueberry pancakes. Our next taste of blueberry pancakes was during our stay at Atlantean Cottage Bed & Breakfast in Bar Harbor, and they blew us away then too.

We loved the blueberries in Maine, and I couldn't get enough of them. We had this fruit Maine is known for mixed in muffins, pie, ice cream, donuts, and cocktails when we were there.

And, needless to say, we loved the variety they grow. (We found it to be less sweet than the commercial blueberries in large chain grocery stores, but we know they can range from tangy to sweet in Maine.)

Dan and I took a food tour in Portland, Maine, with Maine Foodie Tours. The first food of the tour was a blueberry muffin. I thought, “That's interesting that they would start with such a common food.”

But as soon as we tasted it, we were once again blown away by the taste the Maine blueberries gave the pastry. It was so superior to any other blueberry muffin we'd ever had!

Maine Donuts

There are a lot of Dunkin' Donuts shops in Maine. But we're not talking about the franchise's donuts when we say Maine is known for their donuts. We're talking about local mom-and-pop donut shops. Donuts in Maine are made with a potato base, not a cake base.

We went to the famous shop Holy Donuts in Portland to try this sweet food that Maine is known for. And it was so good! I couldn't believe how much I liked them.

You would have to drive from Portland to Holy Donuts if you're staying near the Old Port (where most tourists stay), since it's a solid mile away (unless you're game for a morning walk), but it's worth it.

They have many flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, margarita (which may have been seasonal), coconut, and more. There were four blueberry varieties, alone!

I got the Maine Blueberry, which was a blueberry donut with a blueberry glaze. And Dan got a vanilla glazed donut. Granted, Dan didn't think it was as amazing as I did, and he definitely preferred my donut flavor to his. But I thought it was great and, even as I sit here writing this, I would love another one.

You'll have to try it for yourself and let us know what you think!

If you want to skip all the donut lines and have some samples to maximize what you try (and there was certainly a line when we got to Holy Donuts), sign up for a Portland donut tour.

Haddock Fish, a Type of Cod

Haddock was everywhere in Maine. If there was a lobster roll on a menu, odds were they were a haddock option too.

This food Maine is known for is a flaky, white fish. It's very similar to cod, whether you have had it on a sandwich or fried, as a component of fish and chips. But perhaps haddock is so similar to cod because it's a member of the cod family!

Haddock is very agreeable and mild in flavor.

Seafood and New England Chowders

We had several bowls of warm chowder soup in Maine. We were there in June, but it got cold and windy out on the water during the summer. There were even some chilly coastal nights on land. Soup was the perfect comfort food for us!

We had New England Clam Chowder most often of all the chowders we tried, and it was divine. We also had a seafood chowder once, which was great. Maine is known for its chowders (or “chowdahs,” if you're from Maine!) and you must try them while you're there. We never had a bad bowl.

Maine Lobster: Steamed in the Shell and Lobster Rolls

Whether you like to crack your own lobster in the shell, for the experience, or eat it on a roll with some butter, there's an abundance of lobster in Maine. While the price of lobster fluctuates with the market, expect to pay beaucoup bucks for a lobster roll and a fair amount for lobster in shells, too.

It's very likely that wherever you go, you will simply see a “market price” on the menu instead of a fixed price or a permanent dollar amount, reflecting price fluctuations driven by supply and demand.

Maine Lobsters, Steamed in the Shell

The one time we had steamed lobsters in their shells was in Maine, aboard our Maine Windjammer cruise on the American Eagle Schooner. This was during the first part of our trip to the state. The lobster we had aboard American Eagle was so incredible that we opted not to have steamed lobster again during our trip so as not to tarnish the golden memory.

Maine lobster is phenomenal, and it's the freshest you'll ever get. 90% of the lobster in the United States is from this state, and you're at the source.

You'll see hundreds of lobster boats in harbors during your coastal Maine vacation. And if you go out on the water, you'll see countless lobster buoys bobbing in the water, everywhere. Lobstering is truly ingrained in the coastal Maine community.

Restaurants in Maine commonly have tubs of ocean water on display, where live lobsters are waiting for diners to order them. They pull them out of the water and cook them to order, serving them immediately. If you want to cook at a rental on your vacation, like an Airbnb or VRBO, you can go into a seafood market and have your pick of the recent catch, whether soft shell or hard shell, weighed by the pound.

Sometimes seafood markets will have two lobster options: soft-shell lobsters and hard-shell lobsters. Softshells cost a bit less than hard shells, and they're easier to crack open. We explain more of the differences between the two lobsters below.

Soft Shell Lobsters

Lobsters grow by molting their shells, and as they grow, they make a new shell. Softshell lobsters are the lobsters that are between shells.

They're the same type of Maine lobster as hard shells, but they're usually less expensive. This is partly because they're not good lobsters to ship long distances. They can only survive out of the water for less than 24 hours. Softshell lobsters, therefore, have to be sold locally. (In Maine, you'll find that restaurants and seafood markets keep lobsters in ocean water baths on site, and they're not traveling more than a couple of miles to get to the place where they'll be sold.)

When it comes to soft shell lobsters, or “new shell lobsters” as they're sometimes called, often their claw meat hasn't grown into its new larger shell. Softshell meat usually has more water because ocean water permeates the shell and its cavities more readily. This can also help marinate the meat a little more and tenderize it.

We found the soft shell lobsters we ate during our lobster night aboard our sailboat to be awesome – and very tender. They truly were outstanding – and this is from two people who don't normally go “gaga” for lobster.

Hard Shell Lobsters

These lobsters are able to survive out of the water for just less than double the time of soft shell lobsters, which ends up being approximately 48 hours. The meat of hardshell lobsters fills their shells because they have fully grown into them.

This means that it's firmer, denser meat, and perhaps less salty too, because less water has gotten into their shells due to the lack of space inside.

Food Maine is Known For Most: Lobster Rolls

The other thing you see everywhere is Maine lobster rolls! Or “Lobstah Rolls,” if you're local and have an accent!

There's not much to them: they're simply lobster meat on a brioche bun (a short, hot-dog-style bun). Sometimes it's lightly tossed with mayonnaise, and there's a side of melted butter to dip it in as you get with shelled lobster.

We had three lobster rolls during our trip to Maine: each one tasted a little bit different and was prepared slightly differently, but overall the similarities remained, including the price.

Lobster rolls are expensive, which is something we didn't know before we visited Maine for the first time.

Expect to pay anywhere from $26 to $35 for a Maine lobster roll. Why does this food Maine is known for cost a premium? It is because the rolls are packed with lobster meat, and someone had to do the work for you to get the meat out of its shell.

The first time we saw the price of one lobster roll, we figured the small lobster shack in Rockland, Maine, was just a bit pricy. Perhaps we'd find a less expensive lobster roll elsewhere. But no, it was not a one-off fluke! We realized it was simply what they cost. This is why we now know that even the prices for lobster rolls on Goldbelly are great.

Lobster rolls seem small, but don't let the size deceive you; they're very filling. After the first roll I ordered solo, we decided we'd split future rolls between the two of us, which was the perfect amount of food for each of us for lunch.

You'll find cute lobster shacks on the side of the road in Maine or in the center of town. You'll also find restaurants that serve lobster rolls as a menu item and those that center their menus around them, like Highroller in Portland on Exchange Street.

Mussels in Maine

The mussels in Maine were delicious. They were pretty much an option on every restaurant menu that served seafood.

We had incredible mussels at Blyth & Burrows in Portland and then at Scales restaurant in the same city the next evening. Scales source their mussels from Bangs Island Mussels, just next door to them on the wharf where they're located. They were huge and delicious.

Maine Oysters

Another food Maine is known for is its oysters. We usually prefer this seafood raw on the half-shell, and that's the only way we had them in Maine. We were in awe of all the local varieties available for consumption.

Boothbay Lobster Wharf, in Boothbay Harbor, is where we had our first round of raw oysters during our trip. They have “buck a shuck” days for $1 oysters on Fridays and Saturdays. We also loved the oysters we had at Scales in Portland, Maine.

We had three types from three different locations in the state. Three beautiful rows of oysters chilling in ice were staring at us from across the bar we were seated at. How could we not order some?

Oysters are brought into Maine from Canada too, which surrounds Maine to the north and east. Canada and Maine share the same area and landmass and if there weren't country borders, they'd be one.

Maine's Neon Red Hot Dogs

Maine has hot dogs that are RED. But red, red. Like, neon red.

Natives call them “red snappers,” and the hot dogs have nothing to do with fish. The nickname came from them snapping when bitten. Why do they “snap” when you bite into them? The answer is the casing they use for the hot dogs.

As you've already guessed, the red color comes from the red dye. It's not natural. And it's largely a marketing tactic to make them stand out on grocery store shelves. (If you want to read more about their history, Thrillist has a great article about it.)

The color is enough to make us shy away from them, but we did try one during our Maine Windjammer Cruise on lobster night. They made hamburgers and hot dogs for non-seafood eaters, but had plenty of extra for everyone to taste.

It kind of makes sense they were an option during lobster night because they're bright red like cooked lobsters! Dan and I were happy to split one to try. Some people think they're great, though we weren't convinced.

You'll see this food Maine is known for in grocery stores, especially, and perhaps grilling on the BBQ if you attend one while you're visiting.

Craft Beer Scene in Maine

While this is a drink, not a food, we couldn't pass up the chance to mention that Maine is known for its craft beer scene.

Maine has the most craft breweries per capita of any other state, which is to say that its residents-to-craft-brewery ratio is strong. There are 150 craft breweries in Maine, including 30 in Portland. Allagash and Shipyard are perhaps the two most well-known breweries there.

You'll see a lot of New England IPAs on beer lists. West Coast IPAs were completely absent from any draft beer list we saw, which is understandable, of course. (We never even encountered a “west coast style” IPA option.)

Moxie Carbonated Beverage in Maine

Lastly, we want to mention Moxie. It's a carbonated beverage in an orange can with blue writing. It is unique to Maine, and they're known for this drink. It tastes a bit like a more medicinal version of your regular root beer.

We were happy to have it during our Old Port Culinary Walking Tour with Maine Foodies because we wouldn't have tried it otherwise. When I went to take another sip from the can we were sharing it was gone; it's safe to say Dan liked it!

In 2005, Moxie was named the official soft drink of Maine, 129 years after its invention in 1876.

Sign up for a Food Tour in Maine

Signing up for a Food Tour in Maine was one of the best (and most delicious) decisions of our 7-day coastal Maine road trip.

You can sign up for one in most major cities, including:

• Savor Bar Harbor Culinary Walking Tour – which includes food both savory and sweet!
• Maine Blueberries: They're Wild! Tour, which is offered close to Boothbay Harbor in Wiscasset, Maine
• Portland's Old Port Donut Walking Tour, where you'll skip the lines to taste 6 donuts from three different shops over the course of an hour or so.

Heading to Maine? Also check out:

• Planning Your Trip to Maine in the Summer: 20 Things to Know
• Coastal Maine Windjammer Cruises: Overnight Schooner Sailing Vacations