Janet K.
Yelp
Background: Mabel's has been a family favorite for a long time. I took my husband, a chef, for dinner here over Father's Day weekend (June 2024) since we were up in Maine for the weekend.
Location: The Restaurant is located off a small road that leads to town. It is in a quiet area, but the parking is very limited. There are spots across the street but on the side of the road, and limited. The best place to park is at The Colony Hotel which is a 1 minute walk to the restaurant. They do not charge for parking.
Ambiance: The restaurant is VERY small as it has been there for a long time. They have outside seating under a clear tarp to block the wind, and inside seating with a few wooden booths and perhaps no more than 2-4 bar seats. The bar is not recommended. Outside or inside, the food will taste the same! Not recommended for large parties, 4 or under is best. Great date night spot.
Service: Its best to make a reservation before coming here for lunch, but especially for dinner. Lorenzo was our waiter/bartender! Very nice guy from central Italy. His wife worked the floor as well. My husband also is from Italy so it was nice for them to chat it up. Lorenzo knew how to make an Aperol Spritz, of course! They do close early (8:30pm) so make sure you watch their hours. Food came out in a timely manner and you could tell the team worked together well (busser, waiter, host, back out house, etc.) I am also in the restaurant industry, so one could tell!
Food & Drink: Ok! Finally, we had looked at the menu before coming as it was online on their website, so we decided on the mussels to start (get them in the red sauce!) I have never see my husband love someone else's marinara sauce THIS much! We each got our own app after, since we didnt each lunch. Small side Caesar for me and a bowl of chowder for him. The chowder was not watery, so good choice. The salad was just enough to get some greens in and had a great dressing. Finally, we each decided on our entrees which was the Lobster roll (in warm butter) for me marked market price ($34 at the moment) and he choose the house burger lol. He is not a Lobster fan. I believe they had Lazy man lobster (with breadcrumbs). I have had this before, but I was feeling like a Lobsta Roll (came with Fries and coleslaw). Drinks here they have Coke products and a nice wine list. They do indeed have a liquor license and some nice drinks on the menu, but its more for the food here. That's their showcase and specialty. They do not offer dessert other than the Maine blueberry pie with ice cream and they do have coffee.
Overall, I would give them 5/5 stars but a 90%/100% rating for everything here. Still an A range restaurant. Well be back next time we come up to Maine! (from Boston). Pricy but worth a visit!