Front & Main

My first visit to Front & Main only made me wish I had visited sooner. I sat at the bar and enjoyed fantastic service along with fantastic food. The bar tenders were very attentive my water glass was never empty. One of the bartenders was able to make great recommendations on food and drink and if I asked a question he throughly explained all the way down to the garnishes in my drink.
I started with oysters which were very fresh, then I had the pork chop with potato and bacon hash everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. I also had desert the berry short cake warm and delicious. Everything I had made it completely worth the visit. I highly recommend trying it.

We had dinner here at the bar before a concert at the Opera House. The place was packed the service and food were perfect. The manager floated expertly through the room like a conductor and it’s obvious he helps his staff in just the right way. Food was amazing and came out of the kitchen in a normal amount of time despite how busy they were. Can’t wait to be back in Waterville to eat here again.

One of the better places in Waterville to eat, great atmosphere and food. Not a fan of the local Riesling they have to offer. I'm usually a big fan of buying local but it did not hit the mark for Riesling for me. Other than the Riesling everything was perfect. The way they serve a Cesar salad is awesome and the best one I have ever had. The steak and brussel sprouts were cooked to perfection. The appearance and placement of the food was like art, our waitress was so good to us and our date night was amazing! I highly recommend this restaurant, I believe you will find it delightful. Let them know Derek says hi and I will definitely be back. 💯🍽❤

Great place, it was really busy and all the tables were full so sat at the bar. It was still a great dinning experience and the service was just as if you were at a table.or possibly more attentive.
Had the falafel plate, was delicious. Would definitely recommend. Got the large but the small would be more than enough based on what the guy said were the differences and when we got the large plate, so serving sizes seem decent too.
It's a bit odd that it's in a hotel as I didn't expect that from looking online but it didn't effect the experience just an odd little thing with the lay out.
I definitely recommend it and would go back again

My daughter and I went there this past Sunday night for the first time, and the place was hopping busy. We couldn't get a seat, but we were able to sit at the bar where we definitely got amazing attentive service. We both had the Falafel plate, and it was delicious and well presented. Although busy, the food came out rather promptly. The big plus is that they take food orders all the way up till 9:00 p.m. Yippee, fine dining experience in a chill environment relatively late at night. No one wants to be inside when it's nice and light and sunny out in the summer, and it's great to have this place to go to. Although 40 minutes from my house, it's well worth the drive, and we will definitely go back. Hope it's just as awesome an experience.

Our favorite restaurant! Many delicious gluten-free options for my wife that has Celiac. Beautiful atmosphere and an amazing staff. Always a great experience!

This place had an interesting atmosphere. The food was good and presented well. The waitress was super friendly and accommodating.

The flavors packed in the food are out of this world. Oysters were fresh and tastefully garnished. I never had such a well made falafel in Maine with just the right spices accompanied by cucumber salad and yugort so fresh and well balanced that is hard to beat. I would give the chef 6 stars if that was an option. The atmosphere was very quaint and romantic with nicely appointed seating. Highly recommend this gem in Waterville area.

Excellent meal. Very impressed with the furniture and large glass walls of the dining area and food quality that lives up to the decor. A abrievated menu, with a variety of choices and price points. I would recommend for a romantic evening.

Took my amazing wife out for a date last night to Front & Main. Secured a reservation on Opentable, as getting a table can be hit or miss. They do have casual lounge areas available if too busy, so there’s usually always a place to sit without much of a wait. The atmosphere is modern and very clean. Large windows with lots of light and views. The patio is on the street, but far enough away that you don’t feel like you’re on the sidewalk. We typically park in the hotel’s lot (The Lockwood), walk up the stairs from the sidewalk and through the front door.

We were promptly seated on arrival and only waited a few minutes for our waitress. She was polite and sweet and attentive to our needs. The restaurant was pretty busy, even-so at no point did we feel neglected.

We opted for the Caesar Salad and Korean BBQ Pork Belly for appetizers, sharing both. The Caesar dressing was perfect, anchovies not overpowering but contributing to the complex flavor of the dressing. Presentation of both dishes was smart. The Pork Belly however was the hit of the two. Melt in your mouth delicious, the glaze paired with the Smoked mushroom relish was outstanding. The spice of the cucumber salad was cool and refreshing, blending the heat and sweet to accompany the earthiness of the Pork and mushrooms. Both 5/5 ⭐

Our Entrees were good, but honestly a bit of a disappointment. I chose the Ribeye and feel that at the price it was, the cook and sear on it was a bit amateur. The grill marks were inconsistent and unappealing, one could also say it was served upside down. The cut of meat was excellent, but I felt it wasn’t seasoned well. The cook borderline medium, without any char was a bit of a disappointment, but I understand how difficult it is to get a cut to room temperature before grilling in the fast paced restaurant environment. The accompanying squash and zucchini were of the same caliber, and a bit undercooked. The chimichurri sauce was fresh and delicious with the meat. The hit of the dish was the Papas Bravas, good flavor and well cooked. 4/5 ⭐

Fried chicken- liberty has been taken with the breading used on this boneless tenderloin style chicken, but it being a gluten free dish contributes to this. We felt the lack of dark meat left something to be desired here. Nevertheless, it was delicious. The accompanying coleslaw was good, though there were some inconsistencies in the chop that made some pieces too big to fork without a knife. Mashed potatoes were smooth and creamy without any lumps. Well executed. The hit of this dish was the accompanying hot maple honey when paired with the chicken. 4/5 ⭐

The desserts we ordered are our favorite, though we have tried the others as well and they are all good. She had the dark chocolate espresso torte, our waitress suggested a scoop of raspberry sorbet to accompany it, she was not wrong. The sweetness paired excellently with the richness of the torte. It has been the same every time we ordered it, excellent. Rich, chocolatey, goodness. The Frozen Key lime Pie - my favorite, I will probably continue to order it. The presentation is good, a bit busy even, but all parts pair well and create many different flavors when paired together in the so many combinations available on the plate. Blackberry sauce and berries, pistachio crumbles, meringue and the frozen key lime itself. Mmmmmm. Both 5/5 ⭐

We have eaten here many times and will continue to do so, as well as recommend it to everyone we cross paths with. The staff is fantastic, as is the food. We look forward to the new menu and new experiences here from the chef. Overall, 5/5 ⭐

This first floor hotel restaurant is an absolute gem. Usually for these types of places you pay top dollar just because of the location/setting but the food was worth every penny. Possibly one of the best burgers I have ever had! Hearty and flavorful with an amazing bun. Can’t ask for much more!

We have enjoyed Front & Main twice and each experience was excellent. Service was great with check ins from waitstaff and managers making sure you have everything you need and a nice meal. The food has been mouthwatering and done very well. We like the focus on local farms and suppliers and the creative cocktail menu. We will be back and I would recommend to friends.

I rate every place that I eat on the quality of their mac and cheese... Which this was excellent. The serving size was relatively small and the price was expensive, but totally worth it. The place was relatively quiet as it is a lot of the times at night in the winter time here in Waterville, but my date and I had a great time and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the staff was really attentive. We had cheesecake for dessert which was divine and overall 10 out of 10

This is absolutely a beautiful place to stay
And the food is absolutely delicious 😋

We had the most amazing meal. We started with the grilled vegetable cakes and poutine. Both were incredible! The vegetable cakes had just the right amount of salt and spices but not overpowering. The fries in the poutine were not greasy and totally addicting, and the gravy was totally delicious. Next we had the crispy fried chicken and red flannel hash. The chicken was juicy and cooked perfectly. Wish it was just a little more crunchy, but the sauce was wonderful. The hash was very good! Bacony, smokey goodness! And we could not pass up a dessert - chocolate-hazelnut torte! To call it decadent is an understatement. Definitely share this with someone and with coffee! The staff was attentive without being overbearing. Courteous, polite and good-spirited. My compliments to waitstaff and kitchen staff alike. We will be back!

The food was great, but the kind staff and the fun atmosphere shined the brightest at Front & Main!

Absolutely delicious food and a waitress who was quite expert at describing the sourcing of their farm to table ingredients - including being able to answer my questions about how this even works in the winter - apparently the farm has special greenhouses going with heat and a higher price for the restaurant. Meals were large enough to save a portion for a second delicious meal at home. Desserts were vegetarian (no gelatine which mattered to me), made in house, absolutely scrumptious.

My husband and I went to this new restaurant, that is situated on the ground floor of this beautiful boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Waterville, Maine. My experience here was wonderful, I would definitely recommend going to this place if you are looking for a complete exquisite dining experience.
The bar area is stunning, and welcoming and has this modern feel to it.
We did have a wonderful experience, we called ahead and made a reservation, and the hostess asked if we happened to be celebrating anything special and my husband told them that it was my birthday, which it is, and they took care of dessert. Also, it was a nice quiet place with no screaming children. The lighting was warm and welcoming, and the service was impeccable! The manager even asked us as we were leaving how our experience was. I was very impressed. I love it when a place takes that kind of care of its patrons. We will definitely be going back.
You’re probably wondering, what about the food and the prices? The food was amazing. I got the Lobster Bucatini and my husband got the Sea Scallops on Risotto. It was to die for. The prices may be a bit high, but if the food is THAT good, you won't hear me complain about the prices!

Oh, wow! This is only my second time to the state of Maine, first time stopping here at Front & Main in Waterville and I enthusiastically recommend!

Cool vibe, great location, AMAZING service and a fabulous menu. I enjoyed the scallop crudo, toasted barley risotto with scallops, and a Maine St. Mule (local riff on a Moscow Mule with blueberries). Every sip. Every bite. 100% delicious.

I will be back the next time I'm here for business and try more of the menu.

UPDATE AT BOTTOM

Let me start with the good things: THESE GUYS PAY ATTENTION TO CELIACS DISEASE!! And they have fries, and the fries are the best I've had. I'm not kidding.

Overall, the quality of the food was very good. A smaller menu usually means you're doing those few things right. I ordered the burger, which was out of character for me, and I ended up eating the entire thing (sans bun). It was PERFECT. They made every effort to ensure it was gluten free, due to my food allergy, which I appreciated. My husband's braised short rib was was tender and flavorful, and the grits were tasty.
The table set and decor were tasteful and not distracting. I can't remember if music was playing or not. The wait staff were courteous and polite.
We had Dominique as our wait staff, and she was absolutely fabulous. She was knowledgeable, personable, and had no problem answering every question we had. She made me feel safe to eat there, with my Celiacs disease in their minds with everything they cook.
If I could give her a raise, I absolutely would.

We're definitely hearing some good music, this time around. The table this time was much more comfortable, and we were out of the way, which I love. The wait staff is again knowledgeable and engaging, and the quality so far is phenomenal (that was never a question).
I said I was going to try something new, but I ordered the burger again. That's how good it is.

Third visit: got the burger again. I just can't help myself!!