Somewhere between the outlet malls and the Piscataqua River bridge sits a restaurant that Kittery locals refuse to shut up about. 🦞
It is not fancy. It does not need to be.
Robert’s Maine Grill has spent nearly two decades proving that the best seafood in Maine does not come from a white-tablecloth spot in Portland, but from a 275-seat roadside grill on Route 1 that smells like butter and the sea.
This is how a farm-to-table seafood joint became the local favorite everyone keeps coming back to.
How Robert’s Maine Grill won Kittery’s hearts
Robert’s Maine Grill opened its doors in June 2006 with a mission that sounds almost old-fashioned in its simplicity: take the freshest Maine ingredients, treat them with respect, and serve them without pretension.
The restaurant carries the name of Robert “Bob” Kraft Sr., who started a roadside seafood shack in 1956 that eventually became the beloved Bob’s Clam Hut next door.
When owner Michael Landgarten expanded the brand into a full-scale grill, he did not just borrow the name; he borrowed the philosophy: fresh, local, and unfussy.
What really sealed the deal with Kittery locals, though, is what happened a few years later, when the restaurant partnered directly with Greenlaw Gardens, a small vegetable farm on Kittery’s last working dairy property.
Today, the restaurant sources roughly 90 percent of its seasonal produce from that single farm, and staff members even get a paid day off each week to go volunteer on the land. 🌱
Chef Brandon Blethen built a menu around that same ethos, working with underappreciated local catches like hake, redfish, and monkfish alongside the lobster rolls and fried clams everyone expects from a Maine seafood spot.
It became the kind of place where a quick lunch turns into a two-hour hangout, and where regulars have their order memorized before they even sit down. 🍽️
Food Highlights
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Lobster Roll: The dish that built the restaurant’s reputation, served mayo-style or hot buttered on a grilled roll.
- Clam Chowder: A classic New England chowder built from clams, potatoes, and onions.
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Baked Stuffed Lobstah: A whole Maine lobster packed with scallops, shrimp, and haddock under a golden crumb topping.
- Baked Haddock: A signature dish on the menu, oven-baked and topped with a buttery crumb crust.
- Traditional Mussels: Steamed with leeks, herbs, garlic, and cream.
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Beer-Battered Fish and Chips: Made with local craft beer in the batter and fried to order.
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Maine Crab Cakes: Pan-seared and served with a lemon-basil aioli.
- Lobster Risotto: Built with mushrooms, spinach, and parmesan and finished with a balsamic drizzle.
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Buttermilk Fried Chicken: Made with hormone-free chicken and served with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Atmosphere
Robert’s Maine Grill feels like a summer cottage that got very ambitious, with big windows overlooking woods and a tidal creek that make it feel worlds away from the busy outlet shops just outside. 🌊
The space is casual and welcoming, built for families, tourists fresh off Route 1, and locals who have been coming for years.
There is a raw bar at the center of the action and a deck that opens up in warmer months for outdoor dining. It is the kind of restaurant where nobody feels underdressed, and everybody feels like they belong.
Bottom Line
Come for the farm-fresh ingredients grown just miles away, stay for a lobster roll locals swear by, and enjoy honest prices that rarely creep above $30 a plate.
Add a lively raw bar, a laid-back dining room with water views, and a menu built on nearly two decades of community trust. 🦞✨
Address:
326 US-1, Kittery, ME 03904
📞 (207) 439-0300
🕔 Open Wed–Mon, 11:30 AM–8:30 PM (closed Tue)