Tomaso's Canteen

Local bar. Ordered fish ‘n chips ($19): good fries, but a little over cooked. The fish had a horrible, thick breading, I had to dig the fish out like I was eating shellfish. That said, the fish was great, once I got rid of the breading. If the kitchen changed the breading it could be a great dish. Good air-conditioning (A/C). I heard the chicken tenders were better. Shawna was a decent bartender.

GET THE MAC & CHEESE! So cheesy and delicious! Definitely recommend the hot dog and the chicken tender macs they were so yummy! Fried pickles were cooked perfectly and came with a super yummy sauce. Highly recommend this place for a quick bite!

Let me tell yall something, if you want good quality food please check this place out! We ended up going to this super extra ritzy expensive bougie place around the corner called even tide aka high price tide for small portions… I spend $30 and left hungry! No drink just a damn crab roll. I’m so happy I Decided to check out this local spot. The atmosphere, my waiter .. I hate that I forgot her name but she made me feel incredibly welcome and gave us enough attention. The food and drinks were 10 out of 10!! Please give this place all the love !! I will be back ♥️

Downtown Portland, Maine. March 2025. Cold winds make a 40-degree day feel like a 20. Perfect conditions for a local place that exudes hygge. Resurrected and renamed, in 2015 this dive bar took over after the age-old Sangillo's closed. A small space with big smiles and great service. Not the best place for a big crowd but if you get there at the right time it could work. I was greeted immediately by the bartender. A quick cold beer was served and I asked for some help with a menu choice--> the Steak Bomb sandwich was chosen and it didn't disappoint. I prefer softer breads with sandwiches. This one soaked up the juices. Fries were crisp, not overcooked and complete with a hint of seasoning. I add malt vinegar. Comfort pub food at its best. Two big screens to keep up with games. Will go again.

Love getting to visit here! The atmosphere felt so comfortable and personal. My buddy and I came for drinks and felt right at home. We had the mac and cheese with chicken tenders and bacon. Definitely recommend trying that dish out as it was delicious!

Get the Mac and cheese and the French fries!! The haddock sandwich was FIRE and so was the dirty chicken sandwich, and the fries and mac were so good! Highly recommend especially for the reasonable price!

Tomaso’s Canteen has quickly become my go-to lunch spot. Their mac and cheese loaded with bacon and iconic red hot dog slices is next-level comfort food. The wings are solid too—crispy, flavorful, and always hit the spot.

Steak bombs will save your life. Sub weighed 5lbs of solid slamming. Plus getting food past 11pm on a Tuesday in Portland wins my heart.

Saved us during yet another power outage this season. Delicious fried pickles...best we ever had. And the chicken tenders were so juicy on the inside and so crispy on the outside. Perfect comfort food! Super friendly and fast service. Such a great neighborhood place.

Tomaso's is a dive bar gem. With a tiny space inside and frequent regulars, this place has a lot of character. Perfect for some quick fried food and watching a sports game on the TV. I came here for some late lunch one day craving wings. The "dirt" wings caught my attention which our server described as a buffalo sauce that has been double fried so it comes out as sort of a dry rub. Normally, I don't really go for buffalo flavor. I couldn't taste that much of the original buffalo, which is probably why I liked it so much. Very savory and crisped well. My friend and I shared mozzarella sticks, and I think these are the best mozz sticks I've had in my life. Fried to perfection and a good amount of cheese. My friend got the Mac and cheese, but was a bit disappointed. Not really what was expected -- it seemed there were pieces of red pepper and orange cheddar for cheese. Not the biggest Mac and cheese fan myself, but I don't think it was like a typical one. Our server was busy running around serving the whole place, but she was still attentive to our table.

The things I love the most about Tomaso's Canteen is there late open hours and the vibe in the restaurant. There's not many places open at midnight in Portland so if you're looking for a cozy restaurant with good bar food and drinks, Tomaso's Canteen is the place for you! I got the Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings and it was a 5 out of 5! They came out hot and the portion is perfect! It was $12 during their Happy Hour special. I would definitely get this again and maybe try the mac n cheese when I go back.

I've been to this place multiple times with my girlfriend. I absolutely love this place! It's a tiny pub location off the corner of downtown Portland. I like that it's low key almost like a speakeasy. The best part of the atmosphere is surprisingly the small space inside, it feels comforting. Great place for a drink and watch some sports with a friend or significant other! In terms of the food they hit it out the ballpark! The menu has changed slightly with some items increased in price, but it's still a great bang for your buck. Mozzarella sticks were very cheesy and delicious. The marinara sauce for me was a little too runny and watery, I would have preferred if the consistency was thicker. 8/10 The steak bomb was huge and lots of meat. I added grilled jalapeños for more of a kick. Bread was toasted nicely as well! I wish there was just a little more cheese, but I loved the steak bomb overall. 9/10

The dirt tendies here are the best chicken tenders I've ever had in my life, and probably also the most voluminous. You get an obscene amount of tendies - the minimum order is a whole pound, which you will eat all of (even if you're not hungry) because they are delicious. They are even better on their macaroni and cheese, which is equally sinful. The people are cool here, too - it's a nice vibe. Needless to say, this is easily one of my favorite places in Maine, full stop.

Continue to love this dive bar. My sister & I each had a beer from their stellar draft list. We also shared fried pickles & hot dogs, the perfect accompaniment to our brews. Fun clients & staff. Out server was dressed in cowboy attire that day!

What an amazing dive bar!! Very small and totally a vibe but great spot! The drinks are cheap and strong. The food is bar food but some of the best I have ever had and so reasonably priced. My favorite part is that they serve late night food till 1am every night. It's hard to find cheap, fast and great food late and this place always delivers. The wings, Mac and cheese or steak and cheese you can't go wrong. You can't go wrong at this place!

I wish we would've known about this spot before our last day in Portland because we would've came multiple times. We stopped in while waiting for a reservation at Duck Fat. The menu and food looked so phenomenal that we actually cancelled our reservation and ate here. It was a great choice. The chicken ban mi, wings, Cesar salad and fries were all unreal. Tons of drinks to choose from as well. The place is small and full of locals but staff was awesome and friendly. Prices were way better than most places in the area. Overall they knock it out of the park!

I've been on the search for the best fries in Portland. I've also been trying to get into Tomaso's for months -- every time I've gone it's always been full to the brim and a 40 minute wait. We got so lucky to get a spot and I've been wanting to try their fries for so long. They aptly name their shared fry plate the dump truck but why not just get that as my meal -- it has veggies, proteins, and carbs. A part of me was subconsciously comparing these to poutine, specifically poutine from a nearby place. This basket of fries with stuff on them was really damn good. The poutine tends to be so salty that you can't feel your tastebuds anymore. The beef on this dump truck was really tender. There were not a ton of brussel sprouts but they were equally tender. I ate every single damn fry. I definitely have my idea of the perfect fry -- it's hard to beat McDonald's but I really enjoyed this and it will probably make my list of fries to crave. I also love that this place opens til 1:00 -- not something that happens often in Portland! The service was great -- the wait staff is super attentive and checked in frequently. Really I have nothing else to say. It's like a dive bar but it's not super divey in the traditional sense. It's hip but not pretentious. It seems like the bar is the hoppin spot. I like it.

Great atmosphere! Staff were super nice. Other customers moved to allow our party to sit together. Dump truck fries are phenomenal....

So glad we skipped out waiting over an hour to eat at Duckfat. Hands down top 3 wings I have ever had. I got them "dirty" per the awesome bartender's recommendation. Also split the chicken bah mahi which was also excellent. Fries cooked perfectly. Small little place with an awesome ambiance. At least stop and have a beer here if you are waiting to get into somewhere else.

I want to preface this review by saying I have never been here sober...but I think that's the sign of a good bar and even better late night food spot. This is the perfect spot to end the night because the vibe is very divey, there is always an interesting cast of characters, and the location is central to a fair amount of bars and restaurants, although it is a bit of a hike from the center of the Old Port. Thus far I have tried the buffalo wings, chicken tenders (both buffalo and plain), and the cheese fries and I would recommend them ALL! Next on my list to try is the mac and cheese because it always looks AH-mazing!

We stopped at Tomaso's Canteen to have a drink because it came highly recommended from some of the locals but personally I didn't have a good experience. The waitress was super rude. We asked for beer recommendations abs she pointed at the menu and said to read the list. Needless to say it was a horrible experience. I wouldn't recommend it.

Good service, good atmosphere, just the food is quite greasy. There is about 6 tables and the rest are bar sitting.

What a cool spot! The service we had was super inviting. I had the steak bomb on fries and I also had the happy hour hot dogs. Such good prices for such great food! For example, they actually use fresh jalapeños instead of the pickled ones in a jar that 99% of restaurants use. Super cool! Go here!

Want to feel as if you're ripping a bar off? Feel as if you're drinking and eating the bar under the table? Order multiple beers, numerous Jell-O shots AND French fries for under $15.00?! More importantly...Don't want to remember the night? This is your go-to spot then. Incredibly inexpensive, BEST wait staff, and very friendly locals to hangout with. One of the best spots raw spots in Portland.

TLDR: no nonesense bar with food! Im not from Portland, but if I was I feel like I'd make this my local spot.

Good bar food quick. We needed lunch fast after arriving in town. We had fried pickles, the banh mi bomb, and the chicken Cesar wrap on special. The fried pickles were extra greasy but otherwise the food was good and came out quick.

We only stopped in for a drink and an app, but both were fantastic! To put this in context Tomaso's is a no fuss neighborhood bar serving up hearty inexpensive food and very generous adult beverages. On our visit we shared an order of fried pickles that were just about perfect! Crispy and crunchy with a hearty spice blend that made them irresistible. To wash it down I had the Cliff Island Ice coffee, made with Allen's and khailua it was as sweet as it was potent and really hit the spot on a warm afternoon. Simple inexpensive pleasures, accompanied by very good service. As a bonus I saw they amazing happy hour specials and cheap cans of beer. What more could you ask for! Ps. A convenient location to have a drink or bite while you wait for a table at any one of Portland's no reservations spots.

As we informed the employees, we appreciate their great service and superb food which is consistent month after month and year after year. THANKS GUYS!

Great service, cold beer. Great local dive spot exemplifying the friendliness and warmth of Portland. My lady and I stopped in just for a beer while waiting for a ferry. So glad we did. The bartender and 3 great guys at the bar gave us some of the best conversation. Such a great town and this place is a gem. Definitely a return visit spot for us. The food is simple and looks delicious, but I can't comment as we just had drinks.

We had a GREAT time at Tomaso's during a trip to Portland last week! We work nights and, therefore, spend a lot of our waking hours as vampires. There aren't many places open late, during the week no less, so Tomaso's was a treasured find. This place was just a few blocks from our hotel and their outdoor patio with heat lamps was inviting in a cold night. The inside is small but they erected clear dividers between seats at the bar and the bartender. There are also a few tables along the wall. They have a cocktail menu, draught beer menu, and a fun part of the menu "beer and a shot". We ordered two of their cocktails, can't remember specific details but they were similar to a margarita, large, and tasty. We subsequently took it to the "beer and a shot" neighborhood of the menu, I ordered the guinness and jameson/baileys shot which was DELICIOUS. Tina reminds me that she ordered a tecate and tequila and followed that up with a green/vomit emoji which I speculate is more reflective of her decision-making than anything else. We finished off with another one of their cocktails and I wish I could say that we shared it but I don't think that we did. This, like the first, was enjoyable. I wish that we could justify ordering something off of their bar food menu but we had a fridge full of leftovers in our hotel. The party next to us ordered a ton of stuff and I overheard them tell the bartender how good everything was. The staff was awesome, dranks flowing, prices reasonable, and they're open until 1AM. There's really nothing not to like about this place.

Open till 1am, serving up late night cravings! Thursdays $5 cans...any canned beverage is $5, even large craft cans. The wings were excellent, cooked perfectly as they fry them twice. We got the firecracker wings, Wichita is their spiciest wing and the dirt wings. Both very good. The loaded fries were unbelievably tasty and we even got a few surprisingly hot fresh jalapeños in the mix of deliciousness. The fried pickles were great as well, especially the siracha ranch that came as the dipping sauce. I used some for the wings as well. The old Cadillac cocktail was amazing. It was a Great twist on a margarita, very refreshing and flavorful. Definitely a great spot to go for pub food and drinks! Breakfast menu looks great too.

Fun and funky little local bar/eatery. Food was delicious and Hailey, our server, was fun and efficient. Wings were meaty, Mac and cheese was not ooey-gooey, which I prefer and the fried haddock was crisp and meaty. My manhattan's were yummy and there were plenty of local beers to choose from. We ate outside as the inside was full. The inside is small. I highly recommend this eatery a few blocks off the water.

Great service. Local fare. A nice little place to dive into and have a bite and a slurp.

The Chicken Cesar is 4 stars - very fresh, the chicken well seasoned. The barmaid is 5! Young Lady, you have the makings of being a wonderful social worker! Very personable service. Go hang out there!

Such a cool place, we went twice. Unpretentious hang out, staff was friendly and very efficient. Bar food menu was perfect and food was great. Perfect way to end the night.

Cara Tomaso, Thank you for making the wait for Eventide so painless. It was so refreshing to see a Tom Collins on the menu and not have to have the "have you ever heard of" conversation. Just a lovely character bar with fabulous drinks. Didn't try the food but wish I could have.

Small little dive bar in the Waterfront area of Portland. It seemed like it might be a fun little dive bar, but I only stopped in to get a bite to eat. I ordered the Brussel Sprouts, which were cooked all right. However, they seemed to have used an excessive amount of butter/grease as the bottom of the container was a pool of butter/grease making them Brussels sprouts to greasy.

OMG! SO good. We had a great lunch experience I enjoyed the casual, laid-back ambiance. The one woman working the bar/tables was friendly and knowledgeable and the playlist in the background was also great. The selections we received from the craft beer grab bag were all tasty, the Laser Cat from medusa was my favorite. The Thai sweet chili wings had a great balance of sweet and spicy and were cooked perfectly. The burger was also delicious and the fries on the side were crispy and hot. The item that impressed me the most (also the one I ordered) was Carol's tomh mi grinder. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the sauces and fresh vegetables made for an all around perfect (but messy) sandwich experience.

After bowling at Bayside Bowl, we were getting a little hungry and thirsty. On our way back to our hotel, we stumbled upon Tomaso's Canteen. When we arrived, we had the option to dine indoor or outdoor. We opted for the latter due to better air circulation. For drinks, Brendan enjoyed the Old School Old Fashioned, which consisted of Wild Turkey 101, turbines syrup, orange and angostura bitters. I had the Lone Pine Brewing Company's Blueberry Sparkler American Sour. It was alright - it was fruity, sweet, tart and sour. For snacks, we had fries and fried pickles. Both of them came in takeout containers. The fried pickles were served with a ranch dipping sauce and fries were served with several ketchup packets. I liked the fries more than the fried pickles because they were less greasy.

Wish we had enjoyed our visit, but things got off on the wrong foot when the bar seating was wide open so we walked past the generic, old fashioned "please wait to be seated" sign (given there wasn't a host or hostess, and who uses one of those signs in a bar room?) After we sat down I smiled and said to the bartender "sorry we didn't wait to be seated" but apparently that sign was NOT a joke and seating yourself -- AT A BAR, remember -- was a no no given the service we received after that. I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that we paid $15 for two weak drinks (one of which was supposedly a $4 happy hour drink), and I really don't know what we were charged per drink as he took the $20 and came back with surprisingly little change. While we were finishing our drinks a customer came in asking if he needed a mask and commenting about the wait to be seated sign at the door; the bartender said he didn't need a mask and made what seemed to be a snide comment about people not waiting to be seated. Whatever, dude. I'm not sure how this place has such a high rating, but it wasn't a great experience. YMMV. Do yourself a favor and don't belly up to the bar without permission, or else.

Drinks and Bar food: 4.25 out of 5 Awesome drink selection. Bartender had a slightly heavier hand, but who's complaining -- not I. My partner and I also ordered food in addition to our drinks. I enjoyed my wings, cooked nicely and with that Thai sweet chili sauce. I'm not typically the one to order fried pickles, but that was great. The mac n cheese was ok, more like a heaping amount of noodles with cheese sprinkled in. The look on my partner's face was priceless, definitely laughed my ass off and that was worth it. Environment: 5 Out 5 A ton of outdoor seating. Space is smaller inside, but chill vibes. Even had gender-neutral restrooms!! Service: 5 out of 5 Jeff was fantastic. Friendly and great server. Overall: 4.5 Out 5 Loved the overall experience. Reminds me a lot of Portland, OR and Denver, CO. One of the local spots still open around 9pm. Definitely one of Portland's local watering holes and for good reason! Drink prices are not unreasonable and food tasted great. Food wise stick to the fried foods. Definitely coming back when in Portland, ME!

The best Portland Hole-in-the-Wall!! Staff is great, beer is cheap, food is solid. Also, a great low-key lunch joint!!

My friend wanted a burger. So, went to Yelp! to find a burger place. Tomaso's came up as a favorite for a few people. Figured worth a try. Tucked behind Bangor Savings, unless you are looking for it, you might miss it. But man, worth the adventure. Small space with bar and table seating. A neighborhood bar for sure. Great beer selection and full bar. The staff is friendly and support their favorite sports teams. Though, did not win that day. The menu had a lot to offer, but we were there for the Tomaso burger and fries. Ok, it was pretty awesome. Usually burger places have so much in the burger that t everything falls out when you take your first bite. Not the case here. Maybe the English muffin is a better bun. Who knows. But it was great. I would have liked a little more seasoning of sorts, but the sauce and toppings were great. Combined with the fries, well a great day was had by all. For the record, I ate all the fries before finishing my burger. Just a bit of a pig. Over all, a great place to visit and enjoy wings or a burger. It all looked yummy. So, will be back again.

If you are from out of town and want to be harassed because you don't have a man bun or you don't know people that are sitting next to you or any commentary is overheard by some local bitch that will judge you all night long and then turn everybody away so if you want that affect which I talk to people hopping into an Uber and they were also horrified from across the entire establishment so in just if they want only local people to populate this place then let them but nobody go there unless you live in Portland and who the hell wants to live in Portland in the first place Please let me add the bar service and the food is epic but management of the social element has nobody to protect you so I market as a higher risk visit

Appearance... hole in the wall and very tight seating. Staff: pleasant if you are a local not mich patience for no locals Bathroom: gross not clean and not easy to dispose of tissue after drying hands Food: we got the wings (4 out of 5) if you get more than 1 sauce they bring them on the side and don't toss them; Cheese fries were more of a disco fries (4.5 out of 5); Steak bomb tastee and juicy with a nice kick with a soft roll(4 out of 5); Fried Haddock was good but more lettuce and tomatoes than fried fish; fried pickles good but not enough flavor in the breading has to use the sauce to kick it up a notch; fried chicken sandwich (4 out of 5) huge piece of chicken on a small bun but tastee

Grwat wings and great beer. The place was a little cramped together table wise but no complaints otherwise

Love everything about this place!!! Best hot dogs on the planet, get em with grilled onions!

My first visit to this cute little hip place to eat. Ate at the bar loved the waiter. He was helpful and friendly and I immediately felt comfortable. We ordered plain wings, and fries. Delicious. Hot right out of the kitchen. I had Sangria. It was refreshing and had a great flavor. My SO also loved the food and service. We will definitely go back. The menu had so many great choices. The atmosphere is friendly and it gets crowded fast as it is tiny. But fun and good food.

I don't know what planet Portlanders are living on as many locals told us that this was the best dive bar in the city. Now, I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert on dive bars ... I've been to some of the best in the country. From Chez Jay (Santa Monica), Frolic Room (LA), Dirty Bird (Laguna), Dannys Navy Seal Bar (Coronado) to Old Colony Tap (Cape Cod), Distinguished Wacombah Lounge (NYC), Elbow Room (Ft. Lauderdale), Khyber Pass (Philly) and the list goes on. A few key components which make a dive bar divey ... grizzled old regulars, well worn but comfortable stools, red leather or vinyl somewhere, a jukebox (preferably an old one with cds), dim lighting to make people look better ... Christmas lights year round give extra credit. Most of the folks we encountered at this bar were in their 20's. Some with man buns, some with mustaches, the girls had high waisted mom jeans and Coachella girl accents. You won't find an 80 year old bar fly named Russ who wears a cowboy hat, sits in the same stool and the bartender occasionally shouts out, "Russ, tell this guy the story about when you used to drink with (XYZ 1960's-era celebrity), as you will at most genuine dive bars. ( ... maybe it was Russ's day off?) You get the vibe at this place the grizzled interesting old regular at the end of the bar would be a 42 year old guy who quit his job on Wall Street and came to Portland to kayak and search for the perfect Oyster frittata. Having said that ... despite the Ikea-ish open shelves and ironic quotes written on boards in magic marker, perhaps we are witnessing the earliest stages in the development of a dive bar ... once dust settles on the shelving, 50 years worth of elbow sweat stains the edges of the bar and they replace the fluorescent lights with red hued dim lighting. Right now in their beautiful 20's this crowd doesn't need dim lighting and the constant flicker of a slot poker machine to hide the 20 years worth of abuse of beer, burgers and possible scars from bare knuckle fighting in Tiajuana, which catches up to you fast once you pass 35. The fucking internet jukebox was disabled by the bar staff while we were there! There was no music playing ... just the din of conversation. A mortal sin to dive bars anywhere. No Hendrix or Joplin or Jagger or Cobain. Just the broken bits of conversation regarding the new IPhone or the asshole friend who 'forgot' to venmo after last night's dinner. The beer selection here is alright ... they have 3 beers on draft and a dozen or more craft beers in cans. Call me a traditionalist but the only canned beers at a dive bar should be Tecate, Modello or Pabst Blue Ribbon. The craft beers should be on draft ... there's nothing gritty about drinking from an $8 tall silver can emblazoned with pastel colors and shapes. Selection is nice but it's just not a good look. The food here looked semi-amazing. Mostly the artery clogging food a college student grabs on the way home from the bar ... mac and cheese, sausage sandwiches or fancy hot wings. I was shocked not to see poutine or tater tots on the menu. I'd have bet a tidy sum that if you were going to find loaded tots anywhere in Portland, this would be the place. Perhaps I am being unfair to this fine establishment by judging it as a dive bar. Maybe the owners hate it being called a dive bar. It's a perfectly legit place to come and drink fine, fancy beers in a sterile Ikea-esque environment while eating great tasting food. I think this is the place folks in their 20s to early 30's want to be and connect with each other. It has the odd feeling of what it would be like to drink inside a food truck. If you are looking for a dive bar, look elsewhere. Portland is a city where people stand in line for 30 minutes for french fries or donuts. Come on people ... get yourself into trouble ... let the locals scoff and stare at the gritty bars near the docks until you endear yourself to them, or square off with them ... drink too much cheap beer while listening to Motorhead and The Rolling Stones on the jukebox. In 40 years, I hope to come back to this particular bar and see that years of wear and tear and neglect make it into what The Old Town Tap or McSorely's are today.

Everything a dive bar should be. Beer plus shot special. Beer is ice cold. Had the steak bomb and wow. Blazing hot but so delish. Full of meat and cheese. The fries were awesome as well and hot. Can tell it didn't sit in the window and thank you for that. Nothing worse then cold fries. Server was friendly and so was the bartender. Place had a great vibe we will be back

This place is a small, intimate little joint with tons of beer options and a nice little pub menu. I have had the Mac and cheese with buffalo chicken and/or Thai chicken and it's amazing and creamy and delicious! I would definitely just opt for the Thai chicken every time, now! The French fries are also (usually) AMAZING, and the sandwiches all come with them! I love the fried chicken sandwich, steak bomb and chicken bomb! I order from there multiple times per week, and will continue to do so, as it's a nice, affordable, casual option to have close to work, in downtown Old Port! (Watch your step, though! )

When you are hungry but your hotel doesn't offer free breakfast and you just refuse to pay for the to go breakfast bags; take a chance on Tomaso's Canteen. It's located in downtown Portland and it was a 5-7 minute walk from our hotel. There was an outdoor & indoor seating but I wanted to get it to go and eat it in the hotel room. MASKS were required to enter. As soon as entered, I was greeted and a given a paper menu. While waiting for my order to be taken I started to look around the Canteen. Its a bit small inside and it has this back in the day diner feel. Modern music was playing and the bartender was at the bar mixing drinks. The tables/chairs were arranged six feet apart After going through the menu, I decided that I wanted; the waiter came and took the order. I got an egg and cheese on a toasted biscuit with a side of home fries. My friend also wanted the same thing. I was also allowed to order a mini bottle of champagne with an orange juice to go. Yes...Mimosa for the win. Even though I wasn't in there for long, I felt welcomed and the service was great. We enjoyed our breakfast sandwich and the mimosa I mixed for us. I'd definitely go back again, maybe next time to dine in.

When Bon Appétit magazine named Portland the Restaurant City of the Year for 2018, the upscale eating establishments were inundated. Like crazy! Lines out the door. Reservations only available aeons ahead of time. Very pricy frou-frou food and drink. But what about the people who live in Portland? What about the regular folk who just want a drink or wings during the game? What about breakfast when all the tourist destinations have waits that'll stale your donut? Well, there's Tomaso's. There's always Tomaso's. First time, I was there alone for lunch. I asked the bartender about the wings. Guy next to me -- clearly a regular -- said that Tomaso's wings had been voted best in Maine. This for a place that's within rock-throwing distance of some of the best restaurants in Maine -- Duckfat, Eventide, Honey Paw, Fore Street. Wings are great! Double portion. I took half home and ate it the next day. So good! I've been back many times. For drinks, for football, for breakfast (OMG, it's perfect!!), for drinks again, for lunches, dinners, late-night snacks. You can count on this place to be good, generous, friendly, in short, the perfect easy place to eat, drink, contemplate, be merry at Tomaso's. tl;dr: the perfect dive bar for food and drink when you don't want to stand on line elsewhere. Or maybe when you just want good food and drink without the hype. And maybe a little friendly conversation.

The chicken parmigiana was excellent. We love the bar environment. I've been there a few times and can't wait to return.

Awesome little spot with incredibly friendly staff. Got a beer and a few orders of food and everything was really good. Chili wings & loaded fries were spectacular. The Mac and cheese was meh. Don't waste your time with it. But overall great spot. Staff was attentive but not overly annoying being on top of you all the time. Come to this spot !!!

Cute little dive bar in downtown Portland with a great selection of beers. The bartender was friendly and it was cozy inside. They also had non- alcoholic beers and other options.

We had a 90 minute wait for a restaurant across the street so we decided to pop in for a beer. On a whim we ordered the Dump Truck Fries...... OH MY GOD..... They might be the best thing we ate during our entire stay. They overshadowed the super expensive meal we were waiting for across the street! We even debated driving back from Boston just to order the fries again. I will dream about these fries for the rest of my days.

Awesome place with great food and drink. The prices are very reasonable and the staff is attentive!