The front Room restaurant & Bar
New American Comfort Food | a neighborhood gathering spot
Harding Lee Smith, Chef, Restauranteur
20 Years of Service
The Front Room is a quintessential neighborhood eatery – loud bustling crowds and simple food with rich flavors complemented by The Rooms signature look of an open kitchen and cozy bar. But unlike the other Rooms, The Front Room vetoed the idea of reservations for brunch, opting to be first come, first served (however we do take reservations for dinner!).
Classic, wooden Hancock chairs adorn each table in this quaint iteration of The Rooms restaurant family, now peppered around Portland, Maine. Serving what Chef Harding Lee Smith has coined New American Comfort Food, The Front Room attracts droves of Mainers with its affordable brunch and dinner menu.
“I wanted to make it a neighborhood gathering spot, to have the home feel like when you come into someone’s living room.” — Chef Harding
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Gena Sirkel
15:07 18 Apr 25
Loved everything about this place. Great atmosphere, energy was great. Noisy but able to have a private conversation so it was the best of both worlds. Service was perfect. Food was divine. Cornbread with chili butter was unmatched, so light and delicious. Farm fresh salad was absolutely perfect. We shared entrees, scallops and wagyu burger with potato salad. Both amazing and packed with flavor.
Taurie Clemons
13:13 06 Apr 25
Food heaven!!! Do yourself a favor and order the bacon gnocchi 🤤 5 stars all around
Deborah Booth
12:32 02 Apr 25
Great atmosphere, friendly staff and awesome food
Leesah Patt
10:59 01 Apr 25
Service and atmosphere were really nice. The food was pretty good! We got a Benedict and the egg on top of both of our dishes was overcooked. So no yolk at all but beyond that it was fabulous!
Kylee Webster
15:16 29 Mar 25
Andrea was amazing, and the food is IMPECCABLE. Fresh, flavorful, and came out so quick! Highly recommend if you’re in the Portland area!
Kari Bily
17:55 23 Mar 25
The food was delicious, the service was amazing, and the wait was short!
Becca Kay
18:41 06 Mar 25
Till this day I think about how delicious and perfect the eggs Benedict were and how superb the brioche french toast was. If you love a cool, chill, and cozy and you’re looking for a relax spot to have breakfast/ or brunch, you should definitely try this place. Had their brunch options and 10/10 would recommend. They did a phenomenal job I’ll be back with more friends to try different items off the menu. Just look at the pictures!
Terri Grover
20:50 01 Mar 25
We loved our dinner at The Front Room! The waiter was very friendly and informative. The mussels were amazing and two of us had plenty to share. The crab pappardelle dish was so delicious. The shepherds pie was so huge we brought two servings home. The noise level is a bit high but otherwise it was just right.
Jessica Acosta
18:42 24 Feb 25
My husband and I came for a brunch date - staff was helpful and the food was really good. The atmosphere was nice and calm at the time we went.I wouldn’t say just say they need a good cleaning schedule - cobwebs shouldn’t be a decoration.Other than that - it was great and would go back again.
Jenni Beaulieu
19:36 18 Feb 25
The food was delicious and the staff was so friendly. We will definitely be back.
Suzy Lyons
22:28 11 Feb 25
Small but very cozy place. Menu has limited options but the food was amazing. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly. Need some NA options for us non-drinkers.
Jeffrey Yorio
02:48 04 Feb 25
Our party of four had an incredible dinner here. Our server, Jerry, was helpful, attentive, and just such a pleasure. Some favorite dishes were the mushroom toast, duck, and schnitzel. The caprese salad, a special, was so fresh and aromatic! The atmosphere was warm and glowing on a snowy night. Everything was just perfect.
Robert Buzderewicz
23:58 29 Jan 25
Food was good little pricy Found parking spot out front good on a very cold day. Nice having a sm restaurant in the neighborhood.
Norman Silver
17:52 26 Jan 25
We had a bit of a wait but well worth it!Great food and service!
Alison Steward
15:24 19 Jan 25
Fantastic brunch spot. The French toast is phenomenal.
Teg Griffiths
13:34 31 Dec 24
Apparently everyone knew about this great place apart from me 😂
Deighton
14:46 29 Dec 24
Best French toast in New England, if not the worldUpdate: the French toast is still good but not as great as it was. Several thin slices of French toast is much better than 2 big slices. What makes French toast so great is amplified when the toast is thin instead of thick. Please go back to the old wayUpdate 19/29/24: the French toast is back to the way it was and is delicious
Chris Lee
01:43 28 Dec 24
Have you met Jerry? He’s smart, witty, charismatic, beautiful, and talented. It’s easy to list those adjectives, but it would take 995 more and another picture to give this man justice. He handles the most difficult requests with ease. He upgrades the ok to fantastic. Your meal and life will be better because of the front room and dining with Jerry.
TJ Hubbard
06:15 22 Dec 24
I went in on a Saturday where I was expecting busy service. Jack was such an incredible server. He was attentive, friendly, and very quick. The front room is a great place to visit when you're in town!
Henry Haynes
17:09 20 Dec 24
The front room is an amazing brunch and dinner spot. At dinner the restaurant is classic upscale neighborhood restaurant. Offering amazing entrees such as duck, scallops, and sirloin steak. But where this place really shines is at brunch. They offer very good benedicts and other brunch staples. But their stand out dish is the incredible bacon gnocchi, which is an amazing and unique dish I have only ever found here.
Jeff Sparkes
02:22 29 Nov 24
Amazing place it is a must. Great food and staff
Инна Лищинская
04:56 25 Nov 24
I like this place for its home-like atmosphere, very cozy. Especially the summer terrace in the season, a perfect place to spend a warm evening! The food is good. The service is exceptional. Definitely worth visiting!
Kate Wichtman
16:55 17 Nov 24
I have not had such a pleasant dining experience in a long time. The atmosphere as soon as you walked in was just cozy and happy. Everyone was smiling and laughing at their tables - and it smelled sooo good. The hostess was incredibly nice and welcoming and even got us mimosas for our wait - which was super short! The table turnover was really fast! Our meals were both delicious. The waiter (Jerry) was super nice. 5 out of 5 for sure. Loved it so much.
Edwin Giron
23:14 11 Nov 24
The food is delicious and the service friendly and efficient. The Lobster Benedict is worth the 1:45 hr drive! Just out of this world. A little loud when it's packed but totally worth it!
J C
05:00 31 Oct 24
Used to be our favorite restaurant but since returning from covid, the quality of the food has slipped a notch. The increase in price was to be expected, but why the decline? Service is still good and so are the drinks. It's a bit on the noisy side, with the bar so close.
Rediet Deneke
14:32 28 Oct 24
They were so kind and accommodating. Amazing service & food. Definitely recommend!
Thomas Story
16:23 26 Oct 24
The Front Room is an outstanding cozy place for brunch. We recently dined here and were delighted with our selections of French Toast, Omelet, and Eggs Benedict. The food quality was top notch, the serving sizes were more than generous. Shout out to our server Andrea who was very attentive and provided excellent recommendations and outstanding service. Make sure to ask for Andrea/Dre when you go!!
Richard Pavone
01:55 21 Oct 24
My wife and twin infants stopped in on a Sunday morning at around 8:45am and were able to be seated right away. We were greeted with smiles and two high chairs were set up for us at our table — that was very accommodating.It looked like the crowd was rolling in behind us for the morning.The coffee was delicious— the best cup I had during my stay in the Portland area.The staff was all very friendly, my boys enjoyed watching the gnocchi get rolled out and cut.We had huevos rancheros, biscuits and gravy, and silver dollar pancakes.Everything was spot-on. The amount of gravy on the biscuits was well portioned! The seasoning was great too.It was a cute neighborhood spot that made me wish I had some place like the Front Room back home.After we ate, we walked down a couple blocks to the park and enjoyed the rest of our morning.Thanks y’all!
Skyler Cook
14:56 13 Oct 24
Absolute hidden gem. Do not pass this place up!
Sandra Clarke
19:15 09 Oct 24
Great food, great drinks and great service
Amy Dreher
10:47 27 Sep 24
The simple eggs, home fries, and toast with sausage was amazing. Good strong coffee. It is also a cozy place to eat. Staff was cheerful and helpful.
Rory Brolly
17:09 21 Sep 24
Nice spot for brunch. Fun menu with all the classics. Looks like a fun place for a pint to watch the football as well.
scott herrick
00:38 19 Sep 24
The Mushroom Toast was Exrodinary 👍👍 The Duck breast & Salmon were cooked perfectly . Jake was an Awesome server!🥂
Daiane Lyons
22:34 12 Sep 24
Great food and excellent service!
Kajn Suga
18:47 08 Sep 24
The place filled up fast. The food was yummy. I really enjoyed the biscuit. The portions are plentiful. My only gripe is I would have liked some AC. It was a cool-ish day.
Yuliya M
22:41 02 Sep 24
Small cozy place with a pretty good menu selections. All of the staff was extremely attentive and accommodating. Full bar with lots of drink options. Blueberry Sangria was very tasty. The reason for a bit of a disappointment was that pretty much oversalted
Allison
02:48 31 Aug 24
Brunch was so good!! One of the best brunches we've had in a long time!
Rick Wobbe
13:17 18 Aug 24
Second time eating brunch here and it did not disappoint. Bacon gnocchi was delicious, service was courteous and prompt, and the atmosphere was friendly and inviting. It’s remarkable what they have done with this small space. We’ll be back next time we’re in Portland!
Jenny Cooper
14:24 16 Aug 24
Amazing customer service by Elise and the food was exceptional. One of the best breakfast meals our family has ever eaten and we are foodies. Highly recommend the Eggs Benedict (one of the best Egg Benny’s ever), Pancakes (these pancakes were as great as our favourite pancakes in Hawaii) and the 2 egg breakfast (the sour dough bread was homemade and so delicious as were the potatoes and sausage). Thanks to The Front Room for such an exceptional breakfast experience. 😃
Steve Rottinger
15:15 13 Aug 24
Service was a little slow, but all the food was excellent
Sarah Flaherty
22:33 12 Aug 24
They were a bit short staffed, but they made it work and everyone clearly was working hard. Great brunch. Nice atmosphere. Neighborhood feel.
Heather N
20:32 12 Aug 24
French toast was amazing. Service is great
Sory Martinez
00:14 30 Jul 24
Best Pancakes everFrom Orlando (Winter Haven) Florida to enjoy a delicious breakfast 😋 here in Portland.Totally recommended 👌
stephanie holfus
19:53 15 Jul 24
Hostess and wait staff were very friendly, hostess even offered to get coffee before our waitress was able to approach the table. Coming from the South, not used to sausage being sweet and sweet sausage in the gravy was just not my thing. Food needed a little more seasoning. Everything plated well.
Matthew Conner
03:29 26 Jun 24
My wife and I had an awesome experience here. The food was delicious and Eva and the staff provided great service. Eva also took the time to tell us about other attractions that Portland had to offer. Looking forward to going to the "Rooms", (Grill and Corner.)
Austin Winchell
18:42 21 Jun 24
The food and the service was incredible, best breakfast I have ever had!
Pallavi Shrestha
03:35 19 Jun 24
I loved my Bacon gnocchi. We went on a beautiful Sunday. It was a bit busy but we got an outdoor table quickly.
Patricia Gonzalez
19:51 05 Jun 24
Nice cozy spot. Good Bloody Mary
Josh Friedlander
03:20 30 May 24
Exceptional oysters. Very good crab pasta. Good cocktails. Friendly service. I’m a fan.
erika frisbie
22:13 12 May 24
One of the best places in Portland..the food is amazing and the great service..we could eat here every day..tuna appetizer salmon and Reubens entries and creme brule..sooooo good
Hannah Ferguson
03:15 04 May 24
Our waiter was incredible! All the staff were great. We all tried each other's dishes, and bowls were spotless by the time we finished. Second time here was even more incredible than the first!
Angel L Pesante Velez
04:52 23 Apr 24
Cozy and beautiful place. The food extraordinary 💯 recommended
Alexis D
15:39 16 Apr 24
My partner and I really enjoyed our dining experience here. The tuna tartar and burger were excellent. House reds were quite good as well.Good food & good service. Will be back next time we visit.
Michael Murphy
23:16 09 Apr 24
We've been there multiple times now. They're all fantastic. The staff recognized us and are super personable. The food was delicious and I left nice and full. Cornbeef hash had a fantastic sear on it. Partner LOVED her French toast
Ryan
16:31 05 Apr 24
Great food, and clean oysters. I didn't normally eat raw oysters, but I felt safe eating them here. They tasted pristine. All the guys was excellent and service was great too.
Charles Y
23:13 03 Apr 24
We last minute decided to get breakfast at The Front Room before leaving our weekend getaway in Portland... and SO glad we did!!!Table for two with only a couple of minutes wait on Sunday. We shared a cinnamon bun (not to be missed!!), and I got the corned beef hash with poached eggs and my partner got the steak and eggs. Both were excellent, however the in-house made corned beef was over the top delicious!!! Add fresh squeezed orange juice, black coffee, and toast... and we were set for the day!!! (They were also serving their lunch menu which looked equally as yummy)Food, drinks, and service were all outstanding!! (And a special shout-out to our server Jerry who chased me down a block away to return my credit card that I had mistakenly left there!!!)Go to The Front Room, you won't be disappointed!!!
gary scott
16:43 30 Mar 24
Excellent breakfast,best hash ,best coffee in NE
Alexa Dumont
02:07 27 Mar 24
Wonderful experience. Quality of the food was great, our waiter provided quick, friendly service, and we will be back! Highly recommend the beef short rib, and the espresso martinis for dessert were the perfect way to wrap up the evening!
Maria Arcuri
22:25 24 Feb 24
Sat at the bar, and our server was very friendly. All the food was perfectly seasoned, and I have never had an omlette, so fluffy!!
Jonathan Quintanilla
19:35 20 Feb 24
This is a wonderful, off the beaten path, brunch spot. Friendly service, delicious drinks and great food. Bacon is perfectly crisp too. Highly recommend
