The Garrison

This was an EXCELLENT dining experience. The service was great with Averil as stand out person and bartender. The flavors are delicious and not afraid to be distinctive. We felt so comfortable enjoying a meal in a unique space

First time dining at The Garrison tonight as a Mothers Day/Date Night event. From the moment we drove across the scenic waterway and turned in we just knew we were in for a treat. The building is historic and beautifully restored. You're greeted by the host (who was fantastic) upon entering. It truly is two things at once, intimate and spacious. Our waitress was phenomenal with just the right amount of attentiveness. What else do they have you might ask...well crafted drinks, great music, and an impressive seasonal menu full of classic items delicately prepared. Compliments to the chef and entire team. You're capturing the magic so many places are seeking. We'll done, Garrison.

Read menu first. Very limited menu with just expensive small plates and it doesn't state that. The menu photos here have changed. Delicious food, but expensive. No salads, appetizers or bread. Small wine menu also, and only 2 California wines. Odd wine list. Liberal messaging on chalk boards too. I would recommend just being good at first running a restaurant. Keep your politics out of it. Nice environment though and my 4 meatballs for $22 were delicious!

This was the best meal I've had in months. Every dish was executed perfectly. Very creative takes on simple sets of ingredients.

What an incredible meal by such a talented team!! I thought I was just going to "have dinner" but this was truly a culinary experience that far exceeded any expectations that I had. The combination of flavors was unique and absolutely amazing. Paired with the friendliest of staff and an overall chill vibe this place is a gem and I can't wait to come back!!

Everything from the drinks to the desserts were creatively and tastefully prepared. The service was friendly and attentive! Favorites among the group...Mushrooms, scallop crudo, rabbit fettuccine, Maine mussels, gingerbread tres leches.

Cozy and charming, revitalized Yarmouth mill next to the river. Food and service were very good. Interesting and unique choices of cocktails, small plates and entrees with flavorful taste combinations. Only criticism is the high noise level (need to install noise absorbers on the ceiling) and the menu choices could be more robust with larger print menus for people over 50. 😉 Not a great place for an intimate or a quiet dining experience.

Food was superb. Atmosphere inviting, service right on point. Mushroom dish was out of this world. Same for the carrots and lentils. Also the short rib pasta. So, everything we ordered.

One of my favorite restaurants in maine. The food is exciting and delicious and the building is beautiful as is its location. The menu is always different with elements of familiar dishes they've served. Excellent friendly staff. Can't wait to go back!

The Garrison is indeed a hidden gem along a river in Yarmouth. Nestled in an old mill building you will find, perfect mix of ambiance, friendly staff, an extensive bar selection and great farm to table eats! We keep coming back for regular menu favorites (fresh prepared mushrooms) and new dishes on each visit. This particular visit we stopped in after a LL Bean run to indulge in a bunch of small plates and drinks! Give this place a try, it'll be a new favorite.

The Garrison is a force! Existing in an old mill building, next to the Royal River in Yarmouth, this place is an absolute treat. The pros for me are as follows - As someone who doesn't drink, some legit crafty mocktails are a winner in my book! I got a mocktail with orange blossom water and tonic, it was delicious and decorated with adorable wildflowers - so much variety on the menu! We had the seared tuna small plate, which was both salty and spicy. Then we had two salads and two "entrees" although the Garrison is generally small plates. - the salad - carrot and nappa cabbage was packed with flavor. The dressing was a "burnt citrus vinaigrette" and it was unlike any dressing I've had before. A touch of spice made this salad exquisite! -homemade pasta for the lobster fettuccine in a mushroom-based cream sauce, cooked to perfection! - I am a sucker for Israeli couscous, and at the Garrison they have a couscous dish with zaa'tar carrots, artichokes, feta and yogurt. So fresh, filling, and flavorful! - the view! We sat right by the water, it was gorgeous! - our waitress was top-tier, we had one problem with our order and she was professional, friendly, and super apologetic! That didn't sway us in the slightest, she had great recommendations! We will definitely be back, it was nice to find a spot outside of the bustle of Portland. A few people have said this in the reviews, but the Garrison is a hidden gem for sure.

Love the Garrison. Always an incredible meal, excellent service, innovative dishes, owners care about their staff and are fantastic community members. Highly recommend. You won't be disappointed

We've been coming here for a couple years and we love it! The restaurant itself is beautiful and set an old Mill, and the food is always top notch. The tuna is a menu mainstay and an absolute must order. It's one of the best bites around. The cocktails here are also very good. I forgot to take pictures of every dish, but we also had the melon which was a great take on the classic melon and prosciutto and the couscous is a great vegetarian main. You can't go wrong with anything you order here it's all good.

I was so happy to grab a reservation at The Garrison when they reopened this month. The space itself is super cool, lots of art and an airy loft feel. The tables had fresh flowers on them and there were great views of the river. Service was stellar- our server Hannah was able to answer all of our various questions about their wine, cocktails and food. She didn't pressure us to order and let us take our time enjoying each drink/dish. The cocktails were super cool, my husband got the rhubarbarian and it was beautiful and very tasty! The food itself was great! I loved the unique takes on each of the different dishes. The mushrooms are the chef's signature, and they did not disappoint. The egg yolk and thyme were the perfect accompaniment. The flatbread had lots of flavor with the za'atar seasoning. The chicken larb was our least favorite- we would have liked a little more spice. The steak and eggs was cooked perfectly, and I loved the sweet marinade/sauce. The pork belly was also delicious (also served with eggs!) If I had a negative, I'd say that all of the dishes were a little heavy-handed with the salt. I'm a fan of salty food, but I think folks that are more salt-sensitive would take issue. I'm thrilled to have stopped in, and will definitely make a point to come back in the near future!!

Food is amazing and an adventure every time. Love the setting in the old mill and the service is excellent. We enjoy sitting at a table or the bar. Perfect for date night or impressing friends from out of town.

the garrison is one of the best restaurants in maine. the service is great, the staff is always wonderful and the food is always delicious! especially the mushrooms. we love going here!

Another amazing dinner. The staff were fun they interacted and let us know all about the drinks and food. Everything is so fresh and delicious. Very cool combinations that you would not think of, menu regular the mushrooms with an egg yolk. Amazing! Totally worth the trip and we will be back

Without exaggeration: one of the most delicious meals of my life. Everything was thoughtfully prepared, artfully plated, and beautifully flavored. I'm going to be dreaming about the coconut lobster soup for a long time. We tried all 4 cocktail offerings because they sounded mouthwatering: the Winter in Firenze, the Canary in the Coal Mine; the Midnight Cowboy, and the Son of a Gun. Fig ice cream and sour Cherry sorbet for dessert??? Come on - just unbelievably good. We can't wait to come back here. Thanks to the staff for being rad & lovely!

Go with a few people and order the whole menu. Food is consistently innovative and delightful. The wait staff are all helpful and pleasant. The setting is charming. Have been several times and was pleased every time.

Setting - very good. Casual, clean, bright, spacious. Service - very good to excellent. Attentive. Informed. Great table setting equipment. Cocktails - Outstanding. Some of the best we've ever had. Creative. Didn't try wines and beers. Food - Outstanding. Muscles with ham hocks, butter, medeira...cooked perfectly and full of creamy flavor. Not too salty as some reviews have mentioned. Served with excellent rosemary bread. Cole slaw of napa cabbage had tiny delicious mushrooms in it. Beef shortrib was full of flavor. Didn't try dessert, but they gave us a nice truffle chocolate with the bill. Prices - Kinda on the high side. Will definitely go back....best meal in Maine this summer, so far.

Terps. Amazing food. We got everything! My favorites were the squash, pork belly, and braised beef. Amazing. The hospitality was impeccable as well. They're known for their small plates, so I hope they rotate the menu. Will be back !

Our new fav - we have been several times over the last year. most recently went with the family (5adults) and ordered the whole menu. Every dish was delicious!

The Garrison is not to be missed. Ambiance is delightful, cocktails mixed to perfection and superior service. The food is a revelation. Don't miss the cheese plate and the rabbit was perfection. Their twist on mussels is sublime.

The food was very good but really expensive. I was sad that the restaurant is not one I can afford to go back to very often because it's in my town and it's in a very cool building and I love restaurants in col locations.

Simply the best fine dining restaurant and experience in the greater Portland area. Creative, envelope-pushing, and supremely delicious, the dishes here would be five stars in NYC or San Francisco. Let's face it, the Portland area does not have many haute cuisine dining establishments, and The few that existed have shut down either permanently or temporarily due to the pandemic. Every time I have dined here, including during these recent tough times, the food is nothing short of spectacular. Professional service, divine decor, and top notch food. Incredible.

Absolute luxury this dark winter. Only a few weekends left, limited seating, socially distant, warm friendly. We think this was the best meal we've had in many months. Fixed price 5 courses. Varying menu but we had the option of rabbit or venison for entrees. We chose the latter and we think it was the best we ever had in our lives! Appetizers very diverse and delicious. The atmosphere with excellent piped music is romantic and a winter warmer. Hurry! They are converting to take out only.

My friend and I were leaving CTC parking lot and were hungry. We Yelped for a local restaurant and came across The Garrison. Seeing the reviews and photos and said let's give it a shot. Not being locals, we went straight over and were asked if we had reservations. We didn't, however the Hostess we super nice and said based on the current seating times you could get us if so long as we're able to leave by a certain time. Needing to get back to Boston that wasn't a problem. Oh my god! Make a reservation immediately ! The food and drinks were unbelievable! We chose the Lobster, mussels, watermelon and tuna plates. My friend doesn't like lobster, yet LOVED the lobster soup. The mussels were huge. The tuna was so good and the watermelon plate was refreshing. I'm sorry I didn't take pictures as the presentation was beautiful for each plate as well as the drinks. Beyond highly recommend as the service and food are outstanding!! Thank you again for squeezing us in, what a great way to end our trip.

Our first visit after having many frIends rave. Overall loved the design/vibe, service was excellent and friendly and our dinners were quite tasty. Appreciated having a taste of wine before I ordered a full glass. It's a great spot for a special dinner, ours was for my birthday and the table next to us was also a birthday gathering. But also loved the bar scene which felt more casual; 3 friends sat there in jeans and puffy vests. Look forward to returning!

Great food - really delicious and even better than described, amazing service and a nice ambiance!

Spoiled. As a Yarmouth local, I'm absolutely spoiled that I get to have such an incredible culinary spot just down the road.

One of the best meals in Maine. We are so lucky to have this restaurant in Yarmouth. Beautiful setting and ambiance, great service, always an interesting menu with local and seasonal inspiration. I bring friends and family every chance I get!

We finally made it over to The Garrison and we were not disappointed. Started with a delicious beet salad, absolutely perfect way to start the meal. I had the 1/2 roasted chicken, the chicken was perfectly cooked, tender and moist. The potatoes were a bit of a let down, a little overcooked. My partner had the brisket and said it was the best meal he's had to in a while. We ended with After Party dessert drink, amazing!! Vodka, chocolate liquor, cold brew with a Nutella rim...really the best dessert drink ever. Service was fantastic as well. Highly recommend this new spot in Yarmouth.

Worth another trip, booked a reservation for a toner time after our meal! Enjoyed the creative cocktails - especially the tequila based Purple Rain (I think it was called). The tuna had an excellent texture and sear. The wings had a great flavor, and cooked well. The bread was good but wished they had warmed it for service (served room temp). The roast chicken was amazing. Well brined, super flavorful, amazingly tender and crispy skin. We had two desserts - a delicious chocolate one and the chevre cheesecake which was like a deconstructed creation. It was quite light and tasty - and very plentiful. It had some sesame seeds that unfortunately took over the flavor on some bites but overall flavorful. Didn't taste the chèvre much, but the cheesecake flavor was excellent. Perhaps sans the sesame seeds would be pretty stellar, but good! Overall great ambiance, the bar staff was super friendly and a fun place to visit out of portland. Would rec the drive to here :)

We were so very excited to try The Garrison after having amazing experiences with Dandelion Catering and Thoroughfare. However, a recent trip underwhelmed on many levels. The pros: cool space, great service, beautifully plated food, the coffee and dessert were fabulous. The cons: while one cocktail was delicious, the other was one-note, and the food was so salty. I understand that the average American doesn't typically salt their food enough to bring out the flavor but this was way too much. And it wasn't just one dish, it was every dish. The clientele is not my type of people: rich and obnoxious to the point where it took away from our dining experience. We really wanted to love this place but for us, it just wasn't worth the money or the water retention. We won't be back but would not dissuade anyone from giving it a try.

Wow! Every bite (seriously!) had us saying "wow." The whole experience was impeccable. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful with menu suggestions. We ordered several small plates to share and each one was a perfect dining pleasure. Beautiful presentation, so many flavors in each bite- but each one comes through, they don't get muddled together. Just exquisite food. Apparently Resy knew it was a birthday, so our server knew. She brought us a complimentary dessert and Prosecco. Such a nice touch and the icing on the cake of an already enjoyable dinner. Definitely on the higher end price wise, so consider it for a special occasion.

Let me preface this by saying I am not generally overly demonstrative with reviews. I tend to be essentially fact-driven. With that out of the way, The Garrison is spectacular. I want to say that again, simply spectacular. A real gem and if you are within a hundred miles it's worth the trip. I normally order seafood when out, and branzino is a particular favorite. That was on the menu and where I was headed but, somewhat uncharacteristically, decided on the venison tenderloin with trumpet mushrooms and green garden sauce special. How do I put this, it was, without a doubt, the absolute best piece of meat I have ever enjoyed in a restaurant. Full disclosure, while I like a good piece of red meat and have been to some of the finest steak places in North America, it is not my general go-to. As I said, I'm more of a fish guy. This may have been the perfect dish. It was that good. A little context here, I travel a lot and I've had the good fortune to have eaten in some of the best restaurants and other eateries in America and around the world. From food trucks in Austin, Texas, to Commanders Palace in New Orleans (although I think Galatoire's on Bourbon Street is better) to Le Cirque in New York. In my travels overseas, I always seek both great street food as well as the best local restaurants. The Garrison beat them all. I mean that sincerely. That venison tenderloin was a game-changer. (As soon as I finished, I wanted to order a second round and take one to go. My wife stopped me.) We split a salad that had a delightful red beat dressing and she had the pork belly with Thai chili sauce, she spared me a bite and it was delicious. The Thai iced cream with bean curd crisps for dessert was the perfect wrap-up. We are foodies, and also pretty adept in the kitchen -- well, actually two kitchens because that is what we have in our house. We take food seriously, but not too seriously. I'd sum up this review by saying I just can't imagine anyone going wrong with this restaurant. Although the dishes are all excellent, I can also say that there was a great sense of fun in all of it. You know, I think you can tell quite a bit about a restaurant by how enthusiastic the front-of-house team is and this team is very enthusiastic. The service is excellent as are the cocktails. But the star of the show is absolutely the food. I know I sound like an advertisement but try this place. I know you will love it. (I can't wait to try that branzino next time.) Jeff

Wow is all I have to say! Great food! Great atmosphere! Lovely service.

I never thought it possible to surpass Royal River Grill House in terms of food experience, quality, and general ambiance. Yes, it's winter and the deck is not open at RRGH, but hearing and watching the Royal River while at The Garrison is quite the experience. The food was top notch. Starters: Chickpeas, tuna, carrots, and bread. WOW!! All were incredible, the carrots get the most props. Entrees: short rib sandwich, 1/2 roasted chicken, whole fish Branzino. Desserts: peanut butter & chocolate. Great experience here, we will be back soon! At 5:30pm the restaurant was full. AMAZING. Congrats to the entire team at The Garrison, something special in the works here...

I've been about six or seven times now. The room is cool, romantically lit, with sleek modern design. Service is outstanding. Host is prompt and servers are all helpful with any needed suggestions. The food is has been consistently great. Mushroom appetizer, beet salad, both braised beef and pork dishes, lobster, pasta with ragu - all excellent. Specials have been consistently well done too. The kitchen clearly pushes itself to stay inventive and interesting, even with a small menu. Very good wine and cocktail program too. Honestly, there isn't much here not to like.

It's new, and the meal we had was extraordinary. We'll definitely go back. I had braised beef. My wife had the short rib sandwich. Really great flavors that you would expect from food that had been slow cooked. The service is great--friendly but professional. The house wines are very good for someone with my palate. It's in an old mill. The entrance is a bit tricky to find but worth the hunt.You need reservations. It was full on the Wednesday night that we went.

Settled in an old brick factory at the bottom of a hollow, The Garrison might be a little hard to find but worth it! Firstly, know that it is a bit pricey - not a touristy burger and pizza place, you're coming for imaginative food and drink. Next, get a reservation! Walking in at 5pm, we were lucky to get a couple seats at the bar on a Sunday in February. We started with a Jameson's and an Allagash White and a daily special amuse bouchée of pemiquid scallops and chorizo- intensely scallop-y! A basket of fresh sour dough green olive bread and focaccia came with evoo and a thyme-lime compound butter - delicious! Entree's were butter poached lobster, squash and shiitakes in a coconut curry. My husband hates curry but loved this! I tried it and it and couldn't get enough! I had the short rib sandwich with pickles and slaw - intensely beefy and the pickles, slaw were a great foil. The roll was house made (brioche?) and perfect as it was soft in the middle to sop up the juices and a glazed like a brioche to keep it all together. The potato salad it came with was to die for and I don't like potato salad! Can I just a plate of this for dinner? Dessert? Chèvre cheesecake and a special cocktail- bartenders choice called the Roulette! Jeff got a Jameson's, sweetest sherry and a smoky Italian liquor made from rhubarb root with an orange peel, whaaat? And Wow! Delicious and inspired! If the rest of the the menu is this carefully curated, you're in for a treat! We'll be back!

Great ambiance, very neat space. Service was great, we enjoyed the local beers and house cocktails. Lots of different options on the menu looked great, so we tried a lot of small plates and shared. The highlight was probably the crispy chicken skin dumplings, we could've gone for 2 servings. Will be back soon!

Just awesome really. Very cool location and space, excellent food and a decent price point. Yarmouth is very lucky to have this place.

Our dishes were amazing and really well done. Had the seared tuna, pork belly, basmati, and peanut butter chocolate cake for dessert. So many wonderful flavors and can't wait to try something else in the menu!

The white brick is beautiful and tasteful. If you like old buildings, this is a great spot! The pumpkins on the window sills in the waiting area look fantastic against the white brick, but I would take them away for the winter months and add something more wintery. My parents felt the lobster was too filling with the sweet potatoes and coconut. I loved my basmati rice and lentils and hazelnuts. Really yummy. We were all hoping for something light and refreshing for dessert but all three desserts were very rich. We ordered the lemon cake which was very different, maybe too different for us. Wondering if, in contrast to all the unusual flavors and pairings you would also offer something simple like vanilla ice cream or a hot fudge sundae...Loved the bathroom. So tasteful. Loved the white towels and the nod to caring for our planet. The light wheat bread was amazing as well as the homemade butter. So many restaurants serve foccacia or some other white bread. Thanks for an interesting evening! Our server was lovely and personable.