Miss Portland Diner

(207) 210-6673

Stroll into the Miss Portland Diner, and it’s like being there the day this famous diner opened its doors way back in 1949. The old deco floors are intact and immaculate, the beautiful wood booths are smooth and polished, the shiny metal walls behind the counter gleam and shine, and the ancient Worcester Dining clock still ticks off the correct time. This is not your average diner!

Miss Portland was built by the Worcester Lunch Car Company back in the days when diners were king, and it was not a surprise to be served homemade food. Serving Portland locals for 60 years, it’s just far enough from the harbor to cater to the residents rather than tourists. And it shows. No silly tourist dishes here, just good old-fashioned down-home cooking.

Ask for one of Melly’s booths, since she for sure will be one of the highlights of the meal. Personable, funny, witty, and dramatic as can be (she is currently performing in My Fair Lady), Melly embodies everything one could ask for in a dining car server. And she is not shy about recommending her favorite dishes, although the difficulty lies in narrowing that list down.

Chicken pot pie with a flaky, crispy crust? Turkey dinner with all the Thanksgiving trimmings? Or one of the huge and delicious sandwiches served a hundred ways? Or Melly’s all-time favorite, the meatloaf. Yumaliscious, as she says. But, it doesn’t matter. They are all good! And if you can’t decide, just let Melly know, and she will figure it out for you. And be sure to ask for an ice cold Geary’s Pale Ale, one of Maine’s finer accomplishments.

Save room for dessert, like the fresh Maine blueberry and apple crisp. Scooped out of a baking dish the size of a pool table, this awesome dish is served hot and topped with vanilla ice cream. A wonder of the world, the topping stays crisp and crunchy, without ever becoming soggy. How do they do that? Or, if you want to live dangerously, skip dessert after dinner, and just stop by in the morning for the blueberry crisp and a bottomless cup of Wicked Joe coffee. It might be the ultimate way to start the day!

But, come ’round early for breakfasts, because the diner fills up quickly. If you can’t get a booth, park yourself on one of the mint green counter stools, where you can get a good look at all the dishes going by. The portions are huge, so be advised. And if you can’t decide (a common problem at the Miss Portland) just ask for sides of anything you like. The corned beef hash is homemade, served up with a crispy underside and unusually includes carrots. The biscuits and gravy include homemade biscuits, liberally doused with a wonderfully light gravy that is chock full of both Italian and maple sausage. And you gotta try the Benedict, served either traditional style or Florentine (with spinach) or with crab. All are topped with a Hollandaise sauce that is all at once tangy, creamy, and oh-so-smooth. Most dishes are served with a heaping pile of crispy, rosemary laced potatoes.

After you get your fill, wander down the street to the cove, where you can walk or run (good luck after all that food!) the trail that goes 4 miles around the cove, or take a drive eastward towards the harbor and check out the old fort that lies in the middle of the harbor. Anywhere you go, there will be plenty of green grass upon which to lie, recollect on the wonderful tastes of the Miss Portland diner, and laugh all over again at the charming antics of Melly!

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