The Front Room

Name: The Front Room
Address: 73 Congress St, Portland, ME, United States, 04101
Telephone: (207) 773-3366
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.5

4.5

258 Reviews

$30 and under

American

Top Tags:

Due to volume we are unable to accept reservations for Brunch. Tables are available on a walk-in basis. Reservations are available for Dinner. For parties over 6, please call 773-3366 during business hours to make reservations.
Nestled atop Portland’s Munjoy Hill neighborhood, The Front Room, offers dishes & drinks with comfort in mind.
A local Brunch destination, enjoy plates such as house-made Corned Beef Hash, Veggie Gnocchi, & Eggs Benedict. Pancakes & French Toast are always a go to. Serving a variety of Mimosas & Bloody Marys, local coffee & teas.
Dinner at TFR is relaxed & pleasurable. Plates are made with local components & thoughtful recipes. Enjoy the Casco Bay Scallops, Roasted Brussels, the Goat & Beet Salad, or neighborhood favorite Lamb Shepard’s Pie.
Serving a variety of local beer, wine, and cocktails to suit every taste- Come get Happy 4-6 !

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Mar 31, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 14 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(207) 773-3366

Other options

Order online

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
American, Comfort Food
Hours of operation
Brunch Mon, Thu–Sat 9:00 am–2:00 pm Sun 8:00 am–2:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(207) 773-3366
Website
http://www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com/
Payment options
AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Edward McGregor

Location
73 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101
Neighborhood
Portland
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Soup of the Day
- MP
French Onion Soup$11.00
stock, wine, crouton, gruyere cheese
Farm Salad$14.00
Winslow Farm arugula and baby kale, white and black radish, cucumber, Liberty apples, pistachio goat cheese
Baby Kale Caesar$15.00
parmesan fricco, white anchovy, lemon garlic dressing (the new tradition begins)
Mushroom Toast$14.00
chef's mixed mushrooms, cream, parmesan, sourdough, chives
Black Truffle Arancini$18.00
truffle tomato sauce, shredded grana padano, chives
Whipped Ricotta$14.00
roasted carrot, pomegranate molasses, sourdough
Tuna Crudo$22.00
cucumber, avocado puree, spicy aioli, toasted garlic, sesame seeds, chives
Bang Island Mussels$19.00
white wine butter, bacon, confit tomato, garlic bread

Second

Stout Braised Beef Shortrib$30.00
seasonal squash mascarpone puree, pickled shallots, fresh horseradish
Roasted Pork Loin$28.00
cheddar grits, scallions, JJ's bacon jam, apple miso compote
Muscovy Duck Breast$35.00
parsnip puree, wilted spinach, cranberry chili drizzle, duck jus
Pan Roasted Salmon$30.00
creamy cauliflower emulsion, baby kale, parsnip chips, butter sauce
Pan Seared Sea Scallops
creamy mushroom risotto, sauteed shaved brussel sprouts, miso beurre blanc, chives
- MP
Roasted 1/2 Bird$30.00
squash puree, garlic thyme roasted fingerling potatoes, sauteed spinach, lemon thyme jus
Prime Top Sirloin "TGR"$32.00
homefries, bacon, sunnyside egg, chimichurri, pickled jalapenos
Spaghetti Squash Mushroom "Carbonara"$21.00
maitake mushrooms, cream, black pepper, parmesan
Double Wagyu Smash Burger$26.00
Fried oysters, smoked gouda, bacon, shredded lettuce, pickles, James secret sauce on a brioche bun. Choice of Judy's potato salad or homefries

Cocktails

Young Buck$12.00
Maker's Mark, ginger brew, local apple cider, lemon, splash of maple syrup
Front Room Fizz$10.00
El Jimador Blanco tequila, blood orange, grapefruit, soda water
Ladyslipper$10.00
Titos vodka, St-Germain, cranberry, lemon, champagne
Bee Sting Martini$13.00
Bombay Sapphire gin, lemon, lavendar honey
East End Cooler$10.00
Titos vodka, mango, lemonade, soda water
Pumpkin Espresso Martini$13.00
Stoli Vanilla, Kahlua, Fulton's Pumpkin Pie Liqueur, Espresso

Beer

Draft

Allagash White$8.00
Shipyard Export$7.00
Mast Landing Champ Lager$8.00
Maine Beer Company Lunch$9.00
Lone Pine Portland Pale Ale$8.00
Banded Pepperell Pils$7.00

Bottles & Cans

Budweiser$5.00
Bud Light$5.00
Miller Lite$5.00
PBR
- 16oz$4.00
Sierra Nevada, Pale Ale
- Bottle (12oz)$6.00
Guinness, Stout
- Can (16oz)$7.00
Jack's Abbey, Post Shift Pilsner
- Can (16oz) `$7.00
Geaghan Bros, Higgins Irish Red
- Can (16oz)$8.00
Freedom's Edge, Original Cider$8.00
Orono, Tubular IPA
- Can (16oz)$8.00
Atlantic Brewing, Blueberry Ale
- Can (16oz)$8.00
Stoneface Brewing, Raspberry Sour
- Can (16oz)$8.00
Peaks Organic, Nut Brown
- Can (16oz)$8.00
Orono, Wild Maine Blueberry Seltzer
- Can (16oz)$8.00
Wellness IPA, N/A
- Can (16oz)$8.00

Wine

Sparkling, White, Rose

House Chardonnay - MAN Family, South Africa$7.00
House Chenin Blanc - MAN Family, South Africa$7.00
Prosecco - Zardetto, Italy
- Bottle (187ml)$9.00
Pinot Grigio - Vorvezzo, Italy
- Glass$9.00
- Carafe$17.00
- Bottle$27.00
Chardonnay - Chemistry, Oregon
- Glass$10.00
- Carafe$18.00
- Bottle$30.00
Sauvignon Blanc - Crowded House, NZ
- Glass$10.00
- Carafe$18.00
- Bottle$30.00
Sauvignon Blanc - Alphonse Dolly, France
- Glass$9.00
- Carafe$17.00
- Bottle$27.00
Rose - Lavendette, France
- Glass$9.00
- Carafe$17.00
- Bottle$27.00
Chenin Blanc - Lubanzi, South Africa
- Glass$10.00
- Carafe$18.00
- Bottle$30.00

Red

House Cabernet - MAN Family Wines, South Africa$7.00
House Syrah - MAN Family Wines, South Africa$7.00
Cote de Rhone - La Friandise, France
- Glass$12.00
- Carafe$22.00
- Bottle$36.00
Malbec - Domaine Bousquet, Argentina
- Glass$10.00
- Carafe$18.00
- Bottle$30.00
Cabernet Sauvignon - Drumheller Cellars, Washington
- Glass$12.00
- Carafe$22.00
- Bottle$36.00
Pinot Noir - Pavette, California
- Glass$11.00
- Carafe$20.00
- Bottle$32.00
Merlot - DeLoach, California
- Glass$12.00
- Carafe$22.00
- Bottle$36.00
Red Blend - Lubanzi, South Africa
- Glass$11.00
- Carafe$20.00
- Bottle$32.00
Beaujolais - Eric Vairet, France
- Glass$12.00
- Carafe$22.00
- Bottle$36.00

What 258 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.8Service
4.5Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Maine
Neighborhood gem

Sort by

Filters

AM
AMJB
New England
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
overall4food4service5ambience4
Fantastic neighborhood bistro. Roast chicken was sublime.
PV
PeterV
New England
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent duck dish with a delicious glass of Côtes du Rhône. Hadn’t been in a few years and I definitely won’t let that happen again!
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything was excellent! Food and service! Had an great evening! Server was awesome (Jerry?) We’ll definitely be back ❤️
BS
BarbaraS
New England
10 reviews
4.0
10 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall4food4service5ambience3
Our server was excellent! It’s the first time we’ve had dinner here (we’re huge fans of their finch). The noise level was almost unbearable. Food was good.
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great service and good food. Fun atmosphere to get together with friends.
JR
JaymeR
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience4
Service was fantastic, waitress was fun and energetic. Food was nothing short of amazing Mushroom toast Tuna Crudo Seared scallops all highly recomended
MT
MichaelT
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Get reservations, it is worth it. Great choice of food and even better service. Small intimate atmosphere.
BM
BethM
New England
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a great meal!! Fresh from the start!! Mussels are outstanding!!
c
colleenj
New England
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful food, each dish was better than the next! We will certainly be back!
BS
2BSURE
New England
7 reviews
4.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience5
We have enjoyed meeting our son and daughter-in-law at The Front Room over the years, since they live nearby. My meal was of Farm Salad and Bangs Island Mussels was delicious, but I was disappointed to find that our two favorite things were not on the menu: deviled eggs and lamb shepherd's pie. I would have been happier with a salad half the size, but I'm also sympathetic to the current economic situation for small restaurants and the resulting menu choices. The Jameson whiskey chocolate dessert was just amazing.
DD
DonnaD
New England
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on March 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
This is a fun “pub” with excellent food and friendly wait staff. Our only complaint (ever) is that it gets noisy. But we go Ty to return 😎
OT
OpenTable Diner
South Dakota
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 4, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
An incredible dinner! The food was amazing, the service was unbeatable, and the atmosphere was just perfect. If you’re looking for a great local gem, this is it.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was absolutely outstanding. Try the cornbread, it was unbelievable. Our server was really friendly, we had the traveller and he was very nice.
MG
MaryG
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 26, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience5
The only complaint we have is there was a big party beside us who seemed to be oblivious to the fact that there were other diners in the restaurant. They were very loud making it difficult to carry on a conversation. Even the waiter had to bend over so he could hear our order. Other than that, the food was delicious, wait staff were very attentive and pleasant.
S
Shellie
New England
3 reviews
3.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 11, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience3
Friendly staff, on time seating. Menu selection was good. Apps arrived fast but entrees took a while to come out. We were there for 2+ hours. Food was good. Waiter seemed new.
JB
JoshuaB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 4, 2023
overall5food4service4ambience4
We will definitely be back again. If we had any complaints, our table was in an extremely cold section with a draft and kept getting bumped when people walked by. Other than that, everything was amazing
P
Pete
Las Vegas
38 reviews
vip
5.0
38 reviews
Dined on January 28, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
B
Bart
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and ambience. Wonderful server. Just a bit noisy. Music makes it harder to have conversations.
BM
BillyM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
First time at the Front room and loved the experience! We had tickets to the Good Theater right across the street so the location of the restaurant was perfect! This restaurant should be in Portland Maine's top 10! The food was delicious, I had Bang Island mussels and the delicious half chicken. We arrived during Happy Hour which was an additional bonus. I'll definitely be back again soon!
CB
CherylB
New England
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 13, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Eaten here many times. The menu has changed but still great. Waitress very knowledgeable.
MM
MeganM
New England
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on January 8, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience4
Normally I love this restaurant but the cocktails ordered off the menu weren’t very good and the food wasn’t up to their usual standards (pork was flavorful but fatty and hard to cut in the bowl, odd presentation). Ill be back but a little disappointed.
AB
AnneB
Montreal
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on January 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
One of my favorite spots in Portland. Great, cozy atmosphere- generous pour on the wine, and the food is outstanding!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall1food2service2ambience3
Paid $30 for short rib and half of it was inedible. French onion soup was so so. Menu is too over complicated and with no substitutions makes it difficult to enjoy
JB
JaceB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent atmosphere. Friendly and attentive staff. The food was excellent!
DL
DianaL
New England
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Never disappoints! The mushroom toast is a triumph!
A
Aditi
Portland
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 30, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
Our server was amazing and the food was really good! We will definitely be coming back again!
PP
PlummerP
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 30, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Food was great. Little pricey, but worth it. Bee Sting martini was on point.
M
Munjoy
New England
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 28, 2022
overall5food4service4ambience5
Always a great combination of flavorful and adventurous with good comfort food at Front Room. Something for everyone. And now they take reservations!!!!!
LD
LynnetteD
New England
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 21, 2022
overall4food5service5ambience5
Enjoyed our meal and excellent service! Easy access for parking.
JB
JohnBoy
New England
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 15, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food! Local handout atmosphere. Service was good. Tables a little close and it is noisy but we still liked it a lot. We will return.
CT
ChrisT
New England
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 15, 2022
overall4food4service4ambience4
The Front Room is a longtime favorite of mine. The menu is totally revamped - I was looking forward to trying some new things. My salad was not thrilling - thin sliced but extremely large pieces of red & white radish - bland salad dressing. Basically difficult to eat. Interesting combinations for the mains, but some of the flavor combinations really didn’t succeed in my opinion. Hope the next time will be improved.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 11, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and awesome service!
S
Shiloh
New England
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 10, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The Front Room never disappoints. The service was outstanding as were our meals.
KT
KatT
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was really good and our server, Jerry, was delightful! _^..^_
DS
DavidS
New England
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 7, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We have never been disappointed at The Front Room. The service was professionally friendly. The new bartender was well informed and helped gave us the list of specials as we waited for our table. We had arrived a littl early. the waiter check on us without being a pest and was helpful with the timing of our meal. We will be back!
JE
JessicaE
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our server, Jerry, was lovely - super friendly & attentive. The food was so good - as it always is! We had the whipped smoked ricotta which was delicious - we then had the duck and scallop entrees. I couldn’t eat mine fast enough :) great time, great food, great service A+
BC
BillC
New York Area
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
It is a great neighborhood place for dinner and a drink
JB
JudithB
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on December 3, 2022
overall3food3service4ambience2
This place is packed and VERY NOISY on a Saturday night! Cocktails very reasonably priced. Food good but high-middle priced — even bread?! Loved our server Aiden.
TH
TammyH
New England
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on December 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything was fantastic! Service, food, beverages, atmosphere! Will definitely be back. Thanks for making our night wonderful.
OO
OOBfan
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 1, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We love this cozy neighborhood spot! Great food, friendly staff and in the prettiest part of Portland.

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers

Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

You can order delivery directly from The Front Room using the Order Online button. The Front Room also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (207) 773-3366.

The Front Room is rated 4.5 stars by 258 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Mar 31, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 14 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(207) 773-3366

Other options

Order online

73 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
Portland
Hours of operation
Brunch Mon, Thu–Sat 9:00 am–2:00 pm Sun 8:00 am–2:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Cuisines
American, Comfort Food
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Executive chef
Edward McGregor
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com/
Phone number
(207) 773-3366

The Front Room

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

Other options

Dining areas

Additional information

Mussels

Caesar Salad

Deviled Eggs

For the Table

House Foccacia$8.00

Skillet Cornbread$12.00

First

Soup of the Day

French Onion Soup$11.00

Farm Salad$14.00

Baby Kale Caesar$15.00

Mushroom Toast$14.00

Black Truffle Arancini$18.00

Whipped Ricotta$14.00

Tuna Crudo$22.00

Bang Island Mussels$19.00

Second

Stout Braised Beef Shortrib$30.00

Roasted Pork Loin$28.00

Muscovy Duck Breast$35.00

Pan Roasted Salmon$30.00

Pan Seared Sea Scallops

Roasted 1/2 Bird$30.00

Prime Top Sirloin "TGR"$32.00

Spaghetti Squash Mushroom "Carbonara"$21.00

Double Wagyu Smash Burger$26.00

Cocktails

Young Buck$12.00

Front Room Fizz$10.00

Ladyslipper$10.00

Bee Sting Martini$13.00

East End Cooler$10.00

Pumpkin Espresso Martini$13.00

Beer

Draft

Allagash White$8.00

Shipyard Export$7.00

Mast Landing Champ Lager$8.00

Maine Beer Company Lunch$9.00

Lone Pine Portland Pale Ale$8.00

Banded Pepperell Pils$7.00

Bottles & Cans

Budweiser$5.00

Bud Light$5.00

Miller Lite$5.00

PBR

Sierra Nevada, Pale Ale

Guinness, Stout

Jack's Abbey, Post Shift Pilsner

Geaghan Bros, Higgins Irish Red

Freedom's Edge, Original Cider$8.00

Orono, Tubular IPA

Atlantic Brewing, Blueberry Ale

Stoneface Brewing, Raspberry Sour

Peaks Organic, Nut Brown

Orono, Wild Maine Blueberry Seltzer

Wellness IPA, N/A

Wine

Sparkling, White, Rose

House Chardonnay - MAN Family, South Africa$7.00

House Chenin Blanc - MAN Family, South Africa$7.00

Prosecco - Zardetto, Italy

Pinot Grigio - Vorvezzo, Italy

Chardonnay - Chemistry, Oregon

Sauvignon Blanc - Crowded House, NZ

Sauvignon Blanc - Alphonse Dolly, France

Rose - Lavendette, France

Chenin Blanc - Lubanzi, South Africa

Red

House Cabernet - MAN Family Wines, South Africa$7.00

House Syrah - MAN Family Wines, South Africa$7.00

Cote de Rhone - La Friandise, France

Malbec - Domaine Bousquet, Argentina