Jay B.
Yelp
Do you have any idea how tricky it is to find a decent restaurant for anniversary that's open the day before Independence Day? I sure as hell didn't until recently. But after blowing through 2 reservations, Robert's Maine Grill proved to be "third time's the charm".
Before I start, major props to RMG for allowing their patrons to book reservations via their website. This is how us introverts rock it in the 21st century. Okay, onto the review.
Ostensibly placed right along the strip of Kittery (as I like to call it), this place has ample parking all around the house-like building. The interior immediately boasts a beach house feel which really gets patrons in the mood for casual summer fine dining.
The menu has quite the range - from your typical New England fried seafood platters to more refined dishes such as the lobster risotto. I decided to embark upon the latter on this day whilst wifey got the lobster cobb salad.
Before we get to those, however, we must first discuss their infamous lobster sliders.
Despite the menu listing these in the plural and what some of the guests' photos might have you think, the price is PER slider. So, you just order the amount you want (1 per person is recommended) and add up the total. Much like the lobster rolls, these are available either hot or cold with warm butter or mayo, respectively. We like ours warm.
Wifey and I each got one and it was heaven in biscuit form. We didn't even care that the biscuits inevitably crumble apart because everything tastes the same going down anyway. The lobster was tender and blended perfectly with the homemade buttery biscuits. The lettuce was a nice touch, too. I have zero critiques for this appetizer. 10 out of 10, would recommend!
Wifey also informed me her cobb salad was equally excellent. She wasn't sure if ordering a salad as a main course on anniversary night would be adequate enough for the occasion. But I assured her that it was *her* day, too...and to just...go with her heart's desire.
As for the lobster risotto, it was mostly superb! I wish the spinach had been chopped up a bit smaller so the stems wouldn't wrap around the fork like spaghetti, but that's a minor footnote. The risotto was saucy with a slight bite as it should be. And naturally, we don't need to go over how awesome the lobster was again.
I will note that I appreciate the copious amount of lobster meat that is included with this dish in addition to the prominent half-lobster tail used to garnish the risotto. True, it comes in its shell. But the meat was nearly effortless to deshell. Oh, there was a slight sweetness to the sauce coating the risotto, but nothing too out of place. 9 out 10, overall.
By the way, a little caveat for folks who end up dining on the second floor as we did: there's no restroom up there. Which means - you guessed it! If you have to use the facilities for any reason, you must painstakingly walk down the flight of stairs, locate the restroom, then walk back upstairs when all is said and done. Have to admit...I almost died laughing when wifey asked the waiter if the place had an elevator. XD
Perhaps this was a mere oversight or possible inconsideration on the architect's part when designing this lovely establishment. Still, it would have been nice to include a second bathroom option for the folks upstairs. After all, there's evidently a TON of older folks who reside and vacation throughout the New England area as well.
At the time of visiting, it didn't seem overly busy. But we wanted to book a res just in case there was some pre-4th of July rush or something. We DID notice an uptick in cars parked in lot after we left though. It seems the place really starts to pick up between 6-8pm. Much like any other popular restaurant, I suppose.
The waterfront view is a nice touch as well. I wouldn't mind eating here during the peak of sunset one evening. We certainly plan on returning here in the future. Got my eyes on either the fried sea scallops or fish n' chips next. For now though, I'm giving Robert's Maine Grill 4 buttery lobster sliders on biscuits bursting at the seams out of 5.