Artemisia Cafe – 61 Pleasant St., Portland, ME

I wanted to surprise my wife with brunch at the Artemisia Café in Portland. She worked in the building 40 years ago when she taught the foundry course at the Portland School of Art. As such, it was a trip down memory lane for her as the Artemisia Café is in what was once the silver smithing studio.
 
We arrived in the area about opening but couldn’t find a place to park. When we found parking, the restaurant was packed with no tables available and an expected 40-minute wait for a table. 
Rather than waiting outside, we decided to sit at their bar. 

Pre-ordering

Erin mixed a great Bloody Mary; she was also fun to talk with. The drinks were excellent and priced nicely. 

Ordering

We ordered with the expectation we’d be eating at the bar; however, before our food arrived, a table opened up and we were able to relocate to it. I ordered the “Smash Burger,” and my wife ordered the Bene, served with home fries and extra hollandaise sauce (it is great on the home fries).

Food 

I left my phone (camera) in the car and couldn’t take photos of the food. However, Google has some great customer photos. The Bene was outstanding. The muffin was nicely toasted on the grill. The home fries were a pleasant mix of regular and sweet potatoes, nicely done. There is a great photo of their take on a Benedict at Google Maps.

My “Smash Burger” was excellent. Cooked to a perfect medium-well, I couldn’t have had a better one. Juicy, tasty, with nice portions of lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. I loved it.

Rating: 4.6

Ambiance: 4 (Clean and open, suitable for conversations.)
Food: 5 (Every item was cooked perfectly.)
Service: 5 (Server, Erin, was friendly and attentive.)
Price: 4 (Lunch was $14 each, not including drinks)
Value: 5 (Very friendly, very civilized.)

Comments

I’d recommend arriving an hour or more after opening for brunch to avoid a long wait. Sadly, Artemisia Café does not take reservations. Parking can be difficult.

Conclusion

We will definitely be back, although we might consider taking an Uber.

Location: Artemisia Café, 61 Pleasant St., Portland, ME
Web: https://www.artemisiacafe.com/home 




Location: 61 Pleasant St, Portland, ME 04101, USA

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