During our time at The Lincoln Hotel in Biddeford, Maine, near Portland, ME, and Kennebunkport, ME, we enjoyed some of the best food we’ve had in the state. Everything was so fresh and delicious, the atmosphere was bright and welcoming, and the service was top-tier. While restaurants that bill themselves as breweries aren’t generally something I patronize as I do not drink alcohol, and they generally don’t have many gluten-free options, Batson River Restaurant was different. Read on to find out why I enjoyed my meal here so much.
Batson River Restaurant (Brewing & Distillery)
Location: Biddeford, ME (25 Minutes from Portland or Kennebunkport)
Address: 17 Lincoln St
Biddeford, ME 04005
Food Type: Seafood & New England Americana
Dining Experience: Indoor
Price: $100+ per Person
Dress Code: Smart Casual +
Reservations: Add Name to Waitlist Here
Special Diets: Pescatarian, Gluten-Free (not GF dedicated)
The Ambience
Batson River Restaurant is a gorgeous place to enjoy great food, filled with live plants, vintage books, antique furniture, and light, with beautiful sunlight streaming in through tall windows. With a color scheme of white, green, and dark browns, this space is so lovely and so inviting that it was effortless to sit and stay a while as we enjoyed our various courses.
Batson River Restaurant Menu & Our Meals
Located inside The Lincoln Hotel, a luxurious boutique hotel, the restaurant is an extension of the original location in Kennebunkport, ME. All of their alcohol is made at their brewing location, and all of their seafood is both locally and sustainably harvested. Their menu has a great selection without being overwhelming or unfocused. With some advance notice, our server informed us that they could accommodate just about any food allergy or preference.
Our first course consisted of Bangs Island Mussels (without the pilsner and with the bread on the side to make it gluten-free for me). Harvested in nearby Casco Bay, ME, and raised sustainably, these mussels were both flavorful and a great way to get to know the area by tasting them.
Robin ordered the Sour Cream & Onion Dip with Housemade Chips along with a Batson River Brewery dark ale. He said they were fantastic, and the perfectly creamy dip had plenty of flavor without being too salty.
I had to try the locally harvested Scallops with broccolini, braised carrots, fingerling potatoes, and carrot-ginger butter for our main courses. These were so phenomenal and so fresh. They were seared to perfection and very tender without the caustic salt flavor scallops sometimes have. I’d definitely order these again!
Robin ordered Blackened Haddock Tacos with mango pico, red cabbage slaw, jalapeño, cotija cheese, chipotle aioli, choice of tortilla, side of black beans with corn tortillas. These were very flavorful, gluten-free, and so fresh. They were a great combination of textures, which made for an excellent mouthfeel and a very accessible meal.
For dessert, we sampled both the Pot de Crème and the Apple Crumble. I couldn’t eat the apple crumble, but it smelled incredible, and Robin said it tasted even better.
Final Thoughts
Everything here was outstanding. They had plenty of options for pescatarians, and they were able to accommodate my gluten allergy. The atmosphere was lovely, the food was delicious, our servers were so friendly and helpful, and there wasn’t a thing about our meal either of us would change. I recommend booking a stay at the gorgeous Lincoln Hotel or visiting from Portland or Kennebunkport and enjoying a beautiful meal just as we did!
Explore more of my adventures in Maine and the East Coast.
Maureen Frances Dow says
We went for brunch on Easter…I had heard all the hype however was very disappointed. Service was average at best, no checking on if we’d like refills, cold coffee and this writer said it was “bright and welcoming”, not sure how black walls, black tables with hunting lodge green theme fits into an old fabric mill in Biddeford, Maine. Her photos are lovely, so Maybe will try again…