Robert’s Maine Grill
When you’re cruising up the coast of Maine, Kittery is a must stop for tourists and locals alike. And, not if, but WHEN you’re craving some Maine comfort food with amazing views, you gotta go to Robert’s Maine Grill. Situated by the Kittery Outlets, Robert’s Maine Grill stands as an ode to the state’s historic roots. Artwork throughout the dining rooms pays tribute to the area’s long standing fishing industry, displays above the bar teach non-locals how to speak like a Main-er, and the big lighthouse out front serves as both a local landmark and a beacon of good food, great service and locally-sourced ingredients that inspire their menu day in and day out.
This has been one of the busiest and popular restaurants in Southern Maine for nearly 20 years, according to Director of Operations, Mary Pugliese. “They get the true Maine experience. It's a very warm, welcoming environment. We're right on Spruce Creek, so they get a beautiful view of the water. And just makes them feel like they’re in down home Maine.” And what they’re serving is some serious homestyle, classic Yankee cooking with an upscale spin. Like stuffed clams made with chorizo sausage and topped with a cracker crumb. So you get the fresh clam, the crispy crumb, and a little kick from the chorizo all in one bite. The classic steamers are cooked in Allagash beer, brewed up the road in Portland, along with a little garlic and white wine and it’s served with that melted butter on the side for a little dip..
Robert’s also does their own grown up spin on the mozzarella stick. “Fried Maine cheese is a unique appetizer that we came up with. We use Pineland Farm cheese curd. It's tossed in a special batter of ours. It's served with our house made marinara. And as much as we like to say, the appetizer itself veers to our younger audience. It's a favorite of many adults as well. “ “You can't stop. You pretty much eat the whole tray, and then, many times, order a second.”
They have your classic fried clam platter that features whole belly clams, nicely battered and fried to a perfect golden brown. That’s served traditionally with coleslaw and their homemade tartar sauce. And, according to Mary, this is one of best, if not THE best fish and chips platter in the entire state. “You can't come to Maine and not have fish and chips.” “I feel comfortable in saying if you come to Roberts, you're going to have the best fish and chips in Maine. It's beautiful fresh haddock. It's done in an Allagash beer batter served with crispy fries, our homemade coleslaw. It’s a favorite.”
Of course, you also can’t come to Maine and not have the lobster, and at Robert’s Maine Grill you can get it almost any way you’d like. “Steamed Maine lobster. We have varying sizes. You could get a small lobster, like a pound and a quarter. A lot of our guests have asked for something much bigger and want to enjoy more of it. So we carry two pounders, sometimes two and a half, and it comes with your choice of sides with beautiful, drawn butter. ” You're looking at lobster, you're looking at the view. You're enjoying Spruce Creek. It's excellent.”
If you want that buttery, lobstery taste without the work, they serve lobster rolls in two styles. Hot with butter or classic and cold with mayo… both served on homemade buttery brioche. Or, you can get your fix, served mac n cheese style. “When you talk about Roberts and you talk about comfort food, there's nothing better than lobster mac and cheese. It's traditional elbow macaroni. We do our own homemade mac sauce, and then it's tossed with fresh lobster meat. It's something that you can't stop eating, and you'll be glad if you have a little left over for a late night snack.”
For the best of both worlds, Robert’s recommends “Surfing It Up” by turning your steak dinner into a surf and turf experience, by adding your choice of seafood like these perfectly seared scallops to a juicy and nicely seasoned steak, especially the Ribeye, that’s served with some mashed potatoes and a delicious garlic and herb butter.
And what goes better with Maine seafood than some Maine blueberries? So for dessert, it’s pretty much mandatory that you get a slice of Robert’s homemade, fresh-baked blueberry pie. “Blueberries and Maine go hand in hand. Our baker makes fresh blueberry pie for us daily... It's a great way to end a meal. Many people take a pie to go and enjoy it… blueberry pie is something that we're known for. We're happy to serve it.” “And, we couldn't be prouder of the food that we serve, but I think the most that we're proud of is the people that are serving you. What really makes Robert’s stand alone is the employees that we have that elevate it to the next level. They're very proud of the dishes that they're serving, and we're happy to welcome people into our home.” “If you want consistent great… food, you want to be able to have a taste of Maine in every bite, the place you want to come to is Robert's Maine Grill.” Our food is great, and our view is even better. ”
