Daniel B.
Yelp
We had an enjoyable time at the East Ender restaurant and bar in Portland, Maine. We had drinks and snacks here while waiting for our table at nearby Eventide Oyster Co. The East Ender serves oysters too, but since we were visiting from out of town and had already made plans to go to *the* oyster place in Portland, we stuck with Eventide.
On a Saturday around 6:35pm, there was a two-hour wait for the only big table inside Eventide. There was no wait for us at the East Ender. We had a group of eight. We stayed here for over 1.5 hours. During that time, I saw several walk-ins have to wait or rethink their dinner decisions. This place is popular too. It's generally first come, first served, but unlike Eventide, you *can* make a reservation (via Resy).
This place had a really cool, hip vibe. We sat in the first room, the one with the bar. It had disco balls, half-chrome bulbs, and aqua, green, purple, and red ambient lighting. Good music too. Our large group sat at a unique combination table and bar with a banquette and stools. It worked out well.
We had a variety of drinks and a couple orders of the Popcorn Chicken ($13), described on the menu as "fried chicken sprinkled with magic dust served with special sauce." Whatever it was, it was delicious. The portion sizes were generous. The chicken was meaty and tasty. The special sauce was some sort of mayo-based sauce or aioli. Hell, I don't know. It was topped with chopped chives. I got the non-alcoholic cocktail, Hip to be Square ($9), made with pineapple, cardamom, and lime. It was sweet and tangy, delectable and refreshing. I recommend it.
The East Ender serves all sorts of drinks, including $32 cocktail pitchers, and has a decent food menu with things you'd expect to find in Maine like the aforementioned oysters, a "Lazy Lobster Roll" ($28), and a "Fish Fry" ($22) made with deep-fried pollock. Happy hour is seven days a week, 3-6pm, and features $7 cocktails and wine by the glass. There is karaoke every night.
Check out East Ender on social media for current hours, specials, events, and more.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastenderrestaurant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeastenderportland
Service from the hostess and our server was great. Our server was mindful of our wait time for Eventide and timed our orders accordingly. We appreciated that.