The front Room restaurant & Bar
New American Comfort Food | a neighborhood gathering spot
Harding Lee Smith, Chef, Restauranteur
17+ 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
Philippe St-Aubin
03:35 12 Nov 23
Great experience. Sea food were amazing and the service... We were just waving randomly and the waitress just showed up whit an other wine bottle. Thank you for everything. For the prizes, if you compare with our best Canadian seafood restaurants, it's very cheap amd quality is top nutch.
Amber W. Chambers
13:57 03 Nov 23
The most quaint and beautiful breakfast/brunch spot! Excellent service and food! So glad we came here and we will be back when in Portland!
Stef Khairallah
13:43 26 Oct 23
10/10 super yummy biscuits and gravy
Tammy Spruill
02:18 25 Oct 23
Ventured off the cruise ship and found the best breakfast we’ve ever had!!! Our waitress was very pleasant and friendly and the cooks were very accommodating to our food allergies!!! Highly recommended!!!! Fantastic find!!!!
Michael Uhler
03:07 23 Oct 23
Exceptional brunch.Delicious food, great service, yummy beverages…this place screams go-to brunch spot.Cool bar area that seems like it is always sought after by regulars. Otherwise, the restaurant is bustling and you may have to wait a few minutes but it is worth it.The BYO omelette is killer. I didn’t see anything come out of the kitchen that didn’t look delicious.I suggest trying the front room and when you’re done, take a stroll down a few blocks to the water and enjoy the scenery.
Chelsea Tryder
14:09 22 Oct 23
One of our go-tos for a cozy brunch. The French toast is delicious!
Lucy Garber
15:00 20 Oct 23
Theeee most delicious French toast I’ve ever tasted!! Also got an omelette; it had actual big chunks of ham and sausage. So tasty. Everything tastes homemade and real, no fake ingredients. We also tried the corn beef hash, which was new and interesting for us
Jeremy Garber
14:58 20 Oct 23
Amazing French toast as well as omelettesand excellent service, definitely need to try out this place for an amazing breakfast
Edgar Jaramillo
19:36 18 Oct 23
Absolutely THE BEST CORNED BEEF HASH I've ever had!!! Hostess was kind and responsible (very busy). Chef was very conscious of each plate. Wait staff was excellent. Will return again and again.
Josh Hardy
16:22 13 Oct 23
Great breakfast and friendly staff!
Seth Jamison
14:44 07 Oct 23
Some of the best food in Portland. You won't be disappointed.
C J
15:32 05 Oct 23
Halibut fish entree was delicious.
Brendan Wallace
13:59 02 Oct 23
What a great little breakfast spot! If I could rate the food more than 5 stars I would! The steak and eggs was fantastic, and so was the eggs Benedict!
Lanette Enman
18:14 01 Oct 23
My food was very good and my husband enjoyed his food very much too. The mango mammosas are very good.
Jill DarlingDay - formerly Ashby
13:38 28 Sep 23
Wow!We came for dinner, BEST scallops I've ever had . We returned for breakfast the next morning and the bacon gnocchi did not disappoint.THIS PLACE IS A MUST !!
Morgana Lazarus
16:14 27 Sep 23
Food and service were both great!
Joseph Dolan
14:47 27 Sep 23
Get the gnocchi and corned beef hash
Yew4eya
10:04 27 Sep 23
First time here and the dinner was great! I eat a lot, and I guess the only thing I could say is I wish they put a few more potatoes under the fish. Definitely a big meat and potatoes kind of guy and along with an appetizer my wife and I were content when we left, but I could have used a few more bites.. I believe reservations are a must and the price is very expected for the times. I think we're about 60-70 bucks a plate with an appetizer and a couple drinks (including tip)
Tobias Jones
02:11 26 Sep 23
Great little spot to grab brunch! My partner had what she described as the best pancake of her life. I don't like them but apparently it was God tier. The classic Benny was delicious, with a toasted gourmet English muffin and real ham. The hollandaise was rich and flavourful too. Our server was nice and attentive. Great experience.
Yamil Perez
17:20 25 Sep 23
Great place . I love it .
Samantha Jackson
00:20 25 Sep 23
I really enjoyed my experience here. I love the local food sourcing, the beautiful presentation, the service, and everything right down to the decor. If I were still local I’d eat here regularly & I’m a little sad I didn’t know about it prior.
Stephen McKinney
12:02 23 Sep 23
Shrimp and grits dinner special just fairDrinks were excellent. Others within our party raved about the halibut special. Service was excellent. No issue breaking the check down into fourths. Waitress did not miss a beat. Prices were upscale but felt fair. Great atmosphere. Open dining area with open kitchen in a corner of the large room. Comfortable.
Nicholas Randal
20:42 20 Sep 23
This is where the locals go, expect a wait but it's good
Lalita U
14:09 19 Sep 23
Delicious! Definitely homemade! A great gem!We got the steak and eggs & biscuits with gravy! Yummy!
Cristian Tirado Diaz-Muñoz
18:04 14 Sep 23
Muy bueno el ruben sandwich! Y la hamburger! La atencion perfecta!
Karen H
12:23 12 Sep 23
It was a nice evening. We dined outside on the lit up patio. We shared a tuna appetizer, which was excellent. Service was great and our food came out quickly.
Carrie Belanger
20:57 09 Sep 23
Very well constructed flavors! Everything felt like it was made from scratch and they took their time perfecting recipes.Service was fast and friendly.Mimosas were also well balanced and didn't taste like cheap champagne.
Greg Trotter
13:03 04 Sep 23
It was Cheers of Munjoy Hill. Locals heaven mostly. Great atmosphere staff, food and drink. Give them a try.
Kevin
22:38 27 Aug 23
The lobster benedict was delicious and service was good. The only disappointment was 'MP' was $40, while you can walk a mile down the road and get a whole lobster at other restaurants for ~$25-30; which is what I would have expected to pay. Very good, but better options for the price.
Kurt Lechner
13:20 20 Aug 23
Went to The Front Room for brunch with my buddy and had great service from a very handsome tatted stache daddy. My only complaint is that the gravy wasn’t hot enough to burn my mouth, but stache daddy definitely made up for it all.
Steven Ellis
12:47 20 Aug 23
Always delicious and friendly. The wait staff was friendly and professional, as well as communicated very well with what was happening. Highly recommend!
BETTY Rodriguez
10:27 19 Aug 23
Quaint and lovely atmosphere. Excellent customer service. Nice selection of wines and cocktails. The Seared Tuna was delicious on the Farm Salad but the salad itself could be more flavorful.
Oscar Gomez
13:12 17 Aug 23
Great place for Sunday brunch 😋
Cami Smalley
14:44 13 Aug 23
Jerry is the best! Living just blocks away from this place, we gather for breakfast usually, and it is always good grub. Though the icing on the cake is getting Jerry as a server, which we have the past three times. He is charismatic, kind, efficient, and always smiling. Thank you Jerry!!
Tyler Poeti
16:51 08 Aug 23
Great brunch menu! I totally forgot to take a picture of my food because it looked so delicious I couldn’t even wait to dig in.
Cyndi Cyr
03:44 08 Aug 23
This restaurant was so quaint. The food was delicious and they served the best dirty martinis. Elise was an amazing server. We had a great time!
Jenna Girolamo
00:27 31 Jul 23
outside patio is a great spot to dine! food is yummy but a bit pricy.
edlovesmaine
21:33 30 Jul 23
Nice upscale restaurant with good food and good service. Outdoor and indoor dining.
Darrell Dumont
01:14 28 Jul 23
Excellent food as always. The scallops were fresh and well prepared. The roasted brussel sprouts were cooked to perfection. Only regret was we were too full for dessert.
Maggie Pearson
21:36 26 Jul 23
What a surprising find in Portland! Tucked away from the hustle and bustle, this restaurant is just terrific! You'll want to make a reservation if you plan on going here, but it's worth the pre planning! The drinks were tasty, the service was friendly and professional, and the food was delicious. Their corn bread was especially scrumptious, you're not going to want to skip that. It's been weeks and I am still thinking about the fantastic meal I had at The Front Room!
Brett Wagner
16:42 23 Jul 23
Awesome brunch/lunch spot. Got the corned beef hash and my wife got the BLT. Server was awesome. Potatoe salad was Out of this world!!
Jack Cao
19:36 29 Jun 23
Decent food with creative cooking skills.
Belinda Southerland
03:29 27 Jun 23
Very busy. Food was pretty good.
Michael Murphy
14:10 25 Jun 23
We've been there twice now, both times have been fantastic. Same server both times as well! Recognized us and was 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
Allen Zirkle
00:06 24 Jun 23
This place is great and has a chill atmosphere! I had the breakfast burrito and my wife had the bacon gnocchi. Both were great and the service was on point.
Katy Bentley
23:33 20 Jun 23
Breakfast was good. If you are put on the waiting list, walk down to water. Nice walk and plenty to see.
Dave Walsh
20:05 20 Jun 23
Great place for brunch. We were out for a walk and came upon the Front Room and what a find. We sat out on the sidewalk which was nice but inside looks nice as well. I ordered a breakfast burrito and my wife had the eggs benedict. Since moving from the west coast I am always looking for a great breakfast burrito and am disappointed often. To my surprise theirs was the best I have had on the East Coast! But, it would even be better with chorizo (major hint). The eggs benedict was good and the ham that came with it was awesome. The mimosa was a good size and the service was first rate. We will be back.
Darlene L
18:30 19 Jun 23
Super cute eatery, serving brunch. Friendly, and warm.Small and intimate, definitely a neighborhood establishment xo
Gregor J. Rothfuss
13:14 18 Jun 23
Gets packed even before 10 for brunch.
Veronika Skodje
14:51 11 Jun 23
We ate the eggs and bacon. The bacon was the best I’ve ever had at any restaurant - thickly sliced.My only complaint would be that the coffee was only warm, not fresh hot - We went around 1400 and it closed at 1430, so maybe that was why.
Stephen Alfred
19:43 10 Jun 23
Excellent egg, potato, and bacon brunch.
Kevin Copan
21:05 06 Jun 23
Delicious food and superb service. Make sure to see our server Jerry for a guaranteed smile sure to brighten up anyone’s day! 😃
Helen Hilios Dunn
14:52 05 Jun 23
Such a cute place! The food was AMAZING and the service was wonderful.
Madeleine Brown
01:08 22 May 23
Vibe: nice open room with kitchen in the back corner, some outdoor seatingService: great service from wait staff although there were only two people in the kitchen so we waited just under an hour for foodFood: very good, absolutely LOVED the french toast: delicious custard, good texture, perfect portion, real maple syrup. Had a bite of the croque madam which was very good. Home fries were good but nothing special. Had a mocha latte which was fine.Value: $$ pricing felt on point for quality and quantity of foodOther: street parking nearby is somewhat limited, we were able to park down at the end of the road in a lot near the shore.Overall this was a good breakfast although food service was on the slow side. Highly recommend the french toast.
Marigrace O'Brien
16:59 21 May 23
Always have excellent brunch at the Front room. Food is amazing- French toast, hash and biscuits and gravy are awesome. Great mimosa menu and service is always super friendly.
