Dolly's Restaurant — Restaurant in Frenchville

I could have given this a five star , the food was all good I am a "connoisseur "of home fries there's are good. Could be browned slightly otherwise I would give them an 85 but the main reason I went there is my family came from Ft. Kent and according to television and other reports Dollies was the ultimate place to get ployes a buckwheat pancake made popular by the Bouchard family farm in Fort Kent and it would seem that I may have some relation to them if you go back far enough. Anyway ployes are not even on their menu. Luckily I did ask and she said sure we can do them for you . I ordered my breakfast and she said would you like the ployes versus toast? I said yes of course I came over 500 miles for these. They were excellent when they came I must say. Going back it was just before 10:00 when we ordered in the meantime a couple came in and sat down just before 10:00 by time the waitress took their order it was 10 she I'm sorry you can't have breakfast breakfast ends at 10:00 she said she would check she came back from the kitchen it was 10:02 by their clock when she told a couple sorry you cannot have breakfast. I felt so bad I wanted to ask them what they wanted for breakfast. They could have mine and I would leave I can make my own ployes.. I know they have to turn the grill higher to start making lunch and the waitress told me that they had lunches that they must get to the mill. But please watching this old couple going down the ramp to leave having a hard time to walk versus maybe they could have something for breakfast that wouldn't require the grill temperature going up or use the side of the grill for this from the flame to make an egg or two for them.. I could see if it was 10:10, but no it was right on the minute. One of the waitresses was walking by and asked us if we needed anything even though we were not in her station . she said I figured since I was in the neighborhood passing by I would ask. I said thank you thank you very much, but we're all set. Otherwise I know help these days is tough to find, but when leaving, most employees look at you and say thank you for coming in have a nice day. The girl at the register looked at me. I said see you later take care . She looked away. I guess some people don't understand there are verbal and nonverbal cues that are polite and positive. In Fort Kent everyone was so cordial and upbeat 10 mi East in Frenchville and Madawaska I was surprised to see the difference... I should have went back and picked up my tip. I just thought that Dolly's was going to be a pleasurable experience I guess I was...

I came in here on a Saturday night in August 2024 about an hour before close after rafting the Penobscot earlier that day. Let me just say that this was undoubtedly about the best experience I had with dining on my entire trip to Maine and New Hampshire.

I was looking to try some Acadian food as I had been to the region once before and was amazed that the friendliness of all of the people in the Valley. I ended up ordering traditional Acadian dishes: Chicken stew, ployes, and poutine. As a North Carolina guy, I am certainly familiar with chicken stew. However, this was totally different than what I am used to: It was cooked with dumplings straight from THE County and wonderfully seasoned. It was still delicious, though. The ployes were delicious as well (especially with some syrup), and the poutine was good too. Taken together, these dishes were very filling to the point I had to respectfully decline when asked if I wanted dessert. I had enough for at least three people among the portions, and got it all for about $17. Prices are about as good as you will get anywhere.

Ellie, my waitress, was the cherry on top of this whole experience. She was very friendly and on top of her game attending to my needs. I enjoyed some great conversation with her and learned a bit about Acadian culture from her too. She taught me how close-knit the entire community is, as she had previously been to the campground in Grand Isle that I was staying at that night and had only positive things to say about the owner and the campground. She knew about all of the festivals going on in the Valley and told me about fireworks that night, too (wish I had stopped in Madawaska to watch them).

No, this is nothing close to fine dining, but that is perfectly okay with me. If you are looking for some great Acadian food at an exceptionally low price with wonderful service, Dolly's is the place for you. I will be certain to return here on my next trip to the Valley! Highly...

Dolly’s has been a staple in the St. John Valley for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Madawaska, and it was always there. It’s been 40 years since I moved away, and I was looking forward to getting some great local food. Dolly’s did NOT disappoint!

When we arrived, we were greeted with familiar (to me) faces from my childhood! Although the place was packed, there was an empty table and we were able to be seated right away. The server came quickly and was polite and personable, though she was very busy.

My husband and I ordered the chicken stew. This came with ployes. If you’re not a local or from the area, you might not know what these are, but you will fall in love with them! They are similar to a pancake, but made with a special Silverhull buckwheat (only grown in the northern Maine area). They are only cooked on one side, and they have lots of holes, due to the bubbling. Typically served with butter, maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar, or cretons (another local favorite). We thought the stew would come with 2, but we received 3 ployes each! We also ordered a plate of poutine (fresh cut french fries, smothered in a special gravy and cheese curds).

We didn’t have to wait for too long for our food. When our bowls of stew arrived, they were overflowing with piping hot, delicious, hearty chicken stew. The stew had lots of potatoes and homemade dumplings and was thick and flavorful. The ployes were light and super fluffy. The fries were well cooked, and there was plenty of gravy and cheese curds.

We ate every last bit and enjoyed it all. A wonderful taste of “home” for me, and familiar food for my hubby (as I have cooked these things...