Solo Trip: Portland, Maine Seafood Roundup

Scales Restaurant was a solid win overall—even their steak was cooked to perfection, making it ideal for a hearty dinner feast 🥩. Their lobster roll comes with mayo, and I’d highly recommend making a reservation to skip the long wait 🦞. As for the blueberry soda, it’s worth a sip to try the local flavor, but it’s pretty sweet, so you might not want more than a glass 🍹. Eventide was the one with constant lines, and I’d had the highest expectations for it before arriving 😮. Sadly, the lobster roll didn’t live up to the hype—probably because the brown butter made the texture a bit greasy, and the bread wasn’t the crispy kind, just soft and white all the way through 🥐. The oysters and clams were decent, but they couldn’t compare to those at SoPo 🦪. You can choose a sauce to pair with the oysters; I went for horseradish ice, which tasted good but was surprisingly cold—like a frozen chunk of pure horseradish flavor ❄️. SoPo Seafood, a tiny spot inside a seafood market in South Portland, had a way better vibe than Eventide: cozy, relaxed, and never crowded 🛒. Everything at their raw bar was absolutely amazing—their oysters came from six different Maine farms, offering way more flavor variety than Eventide’s selection 🦪. They were paired with a slightly spicy mignonette sauce that added a unique kick, making each bite stand out. After days of eating raw and cold seafood, I ordered a Cup of Sea’s green tea with kelp, and it was so comforting to sip—warm, mild, and totally soothing. I even bought a few packs to take home with me 🍵. Strawberry milk was a nice surprise, too—definitely tastier than the blueberry milk I tried earlier 🍓. But the best lobster roll in my book? It was the Picnic Style one, recommended by two elderly ladies waiting in line ahead of me 👵👵. Underneath the lobster meat was a bed of cole slaw, the lobster was sprinkled with celery salt, and it was finished with a drizzle of hot butter 🧈. It was sweet, fresh, and not the least bit greasy—the celery salt added such a nice depth to the flavor, making every bite feel balanced and delicious. Their Duckfat fries with horseradish mayo were good too! But I was already too full to finish them—if you’re not starving, you could skip this (their specialty is actually poutine, for anyone who’s up for it) 🍟. #PortlandMaineEats #PortlandMaine #BostonArea #MaineSeafood #MaineLobster #LobsterRoll #NewEngland #SoloTripEats #SeafoodLovers #FoodieAdventure