About Bangor
Bangor, Maine is located 2 hours north of Portland and is mainly (Maine pun) known for a landing pad/airport to get out to the Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park area. When we visited, we did just that, but decided to spend a few days in Bangor before heading to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Another popular jump off from Bangor is Moosehead Lake, about a hour drive north. We didn’t have time to visit but it’s definitely on our list, moose outnumber humans 3:1 in the area!
Getting Around
We stayed a little outside of Bangor in a town called Orrington that is quiet and small. Not much to do in the area, but it was a short 5/6min drive to downtown Bangor. Everything is very accessible via car but don’t rely on the ride shares in the area, they were very few and far between. Sometimes it took about 30-40 minutes to get an Uber, highly recommend having a car or a cab number handy (we used FabCab and they were fantastic people and always on time).
Where to Eat in Bangor
Since we only had a short time here, we tried to get to as many places as we possibly could. Below are the few restaurants we hit, see below for the breweries too!
- Novio’s Bistro: this was my favorite meal of the trip. It’s a tiny place that packs a punch with their tasting menu (wine pairing optional) and cocktail list. Everything on the menu was beautifully plated and tasted even better than it looked. Not only is the menu innovative, it changes seasonally with the ingredients available in the area in season.
- Mason’s Brewing: yes, it’s a brewery crafting their own beers but don’t sleep on the food. The restaurant is right on the Penobscot River with indoor and outdoor patio seating perfect to enjoy a nice flight and a bite. Their menu is simple but with amazing twists like all creative types of pizzas and sandwiches. Honestly, one of the best pizzas I’ve had in a really long time (and I’m from NJ + NY)
- McLaughlin’s Seafood: this checked off my hankering for seafood while in Bangor (since I couldn’t wait until we got to Bar Harbor). Its a short order seafood shack that also has a market inside. You know its good when locals are coming with coolers to pick up their lobsters; the lobster roll did not disappoint.
- Downtown Bangor: we ate at a few places in the downtown area and there are a bunch! You can even take a stroll through the town, read all the menus and decide on the spot.
McLaughlin’s Seafood Mason’s Brewery Novio’s Bistro
Where to Drink (Beer) in Bangor
Maine is known for their craft beer (check out my Portland brewery crawl recco!) from all over the state. Bangor was another place we checked off of our brewery tours, check out the ones we visited below:
- Orono: they have 2 locations to visit; the tasting room in downtown Bangor and their tasting room and kitchen in, well, Orono. The location with food is bigger and has outdoor space and a better vibe. My boyfriend describes their beers as “some of New England’s best hazy boys’ – just gonna leave that there.
- Mason’s Brewery: you can see above I was raving about the food (I tend to like food over beer), but the flights of beers I tried didn’t disappoint. They also offer wine, cider and have a full bar if you’re not a beer drinker.
- Geaghan’s Pub & Brewery: this brewery was about to go under construction when we visited, but I hope it doesn’t loose its ‘charm’. Lots of locals, the waitress was hilarious and the beers were just as good. I wouldn’t go there for the food, but what they lacked in food, they made up for in the atmosphere.
Orono Brewery Mason’s Brewery Orono flight
As mentioned, we didn’t have a ton of time there, but we made the best of it! Check out my Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park posts!