How we put this list together
Guests ask us about Boothbay Harbor restaurants more than anything else, usually around four in the afternoon. This is the list we give them. It is grouped by meal and mood rather than ranked, and no one paid to be on it. We checked that each place was operating in the 2025 or 2026 season, but hours change and seasonal places open and close on their own schedule, so call ahead, especially in May and October.
Most of downtown is a short walk from Commercial Street. In July and August, book dinner or go early; the tables facing the harbor fill by sunset.
Breakfast and coffee
We do not serve breakfast at the inns, so this is the section guests read first.
Blue Moon Cafe, at 54 Commercial Street, is a short walk down the hill. It does breakfast and lunch, with a back deck over the water, and the blueberry pancakes are the order. It opens early and closes after lunch.
Red Cup Coffeehouse on Townsend Avenue is a locally owned coffeehouse with baked goods and a porch that fills early on summer mornings. It is open daily and through the year.
Brady's, on the water on Union Street, serves breakfast on Sundays and is one of the few kitchens in town open all year.
Lobster, the simple way
For lobster at a picnic table, walk across the footbridge to Boothbay Lobster Wharf on Atlantic Avenue. It is a working wharf, the boats unload a few feet away, and the lobster is about as fresh as it gets. It is seasonal.
Shannon's Unshelled on Granary Way does one thing well: a lobster roll made with a whole lobster on a toasted, buttered bun, with garlic sea-salt butter on the side to pour yourself. Get it to go and eat it on a bench by the harbor.
On Southport, Robinson's Wharf sits beside the swing bridge, a family-run wharf restaurant with lobster and chowder served at the water's edge. It is a ten-minute drive and worth pairing with a loop around the island.
If you are coming in on Route 1, Red's Eats at the Wiscasset bridge is the lobster roll stand with the famous line. It runs in season.
Dinner with the harbor in view
McSeagull's is on Pier 1 at Wharf Street, with a big covered deck, an outdoor bar and a long seafood menu. It opened in 1976, and 2026 is its fiftieth season. It is lively in summer, with music on many nights.
Harborside 1901 Bar and Grill sits at the foot of the footbridge on Bridge Street and looks straight down the harbor. The menu runs from local seafood to sushi to steak, and it does brunch on weekends.
Coastal Prime 1901, from the same owners, is on Atlantic Avenue across the harbor, with a seaside deck and a menu of local seafood, sushi and steaks. Walk the footbridge over and watch the town light up across the water.
The Boathouse Bistro on the By-Way is three stories tall with a rooftop deck over the harbor and a tapas-style menu that suits sharing. It is closed on Tuesdays.
Mine Oyster, a raw bar on Pier 1 at 16 Wharf Street, is the place for Damariscotta River oysters. It is open daily in season, and it hosts the Pemaquid Oyster Festival each September.
When you have had enough lobster
Ports of Italy, at 47 Commercial Street, a short walk down from the inns, is a northern Italian restaurant with pasta made in house. It is the answer on night three, when someone at the table says they could not face another lobster.
Brady's is the other easy dinner, comfort food and seafood in a room the locals use, with the advantage of being open when much of the town is not.
Beer, ice cream and something sweet
Footbridge Brewery, on the By-Way steps from the footbridge, pours its own beer in a small taproom with harbor views and is open year-round.
Downeast Ice Cream Factory has made ice cream in Boothbay Harbor since 1979, with a shop on the By-Way and dozens of homemade flavors. Children remember it longer than the boat trip.
- Breakfast: Blue Moon Cafe, Red Cup Coffeehouse, Brady's on Sundays
- Lobster at a picnic table: Boothbay Lobster Wharf, Shannon's Unshelled
- Harbor-view dinner: McSeagull's, Harborside 1901, Coastal Prime 1901, The Boathouse Bistro
- Oysters: Mine Oyster
- Not seafood: Ports of Italy
- Open all year: Brady's, Red Cup Coffeehouse, Footbridge Brewery
- On the way in or out: Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Robinson's Wharf on Southport
Eating in the shoulder seasons
In May, early June and from mid-October, the picture changes week by week. Some places open only on weekends, some close for the season with little notice, and a few stay open all year. Downtown is the safest bet, because what is open is usually within walking distance of what is closed.
When you are staying with us, ask at the front desk. We hear about openings, closings and the night a kitchen is short-staffed before it reaches the internet.
Where to stay to walk to dinner
Greenleaf Inn, at 65 Commercial Street, and Admiral's Quarters Inn, at 71, sit on the ridge above the harbor, a short walk from every downtown restaurant on this list. Park the car free at the inn when you arrive, walk to dinner, and walk home along the harbor. Call (207) 633-3100 to book.
Questions we get asked
What are the best Boothbay Harbor restaurants for lobster?
For a simple lobster dinner, Boothbay Lobster Wharf across the footbridge. For a lobster roll, Shannon's Unshelled. For lobster with a harbor view, McSeagull's on Pier 1.
Where can I get breakfast in Boothbay Harbor?
Blue Moon Cafe on Commercial Street and Red Cup Coffeehouse on Townsend Avenue. Brady's serves breakfast on Sundays.
Which Boothbay Harbor restaurants are open year-round?
Brady's, Red Cup Coffeehouse and Footbridge Brewery stay open through the year. Many others are seasonal, so call ahead outside summer.
Do I need reservations for dinner in Boothbay Harbor?
In July and August, yes for the harbor-view tables, or go early. In June and September it is much easier.
Is there a good restaurant that is not seafood?
Ports of Italy on Commercial Street, a northern Italian restaurant with pasta made in house.
Can I walk to restaurants from Greenleaf Inns?
Yes. Everything downtown on this list is a short walk from Commercial Street, and Coastal Prime is across the footbridge.
