Discover the Best Healthy Restaurants in Portland, Maine for Mindful and Delicious Dining

Portland, Maine, is known for its vibrant culinary scene, offering everything from ice cream and doughnuts to cured meats and innovative seafood dishes. However, it's also a haven for those seeking healthy and delicious food options. Whether you're a health-conscious local or a visitor with specific dietary needs, Portland has something to offer. This guide explores some of the best healthy restaurants in Portland, Maine, focusing on establishments that prioritize fresh, local ingredients, cater to various dietary restrictions, and offer nutritious and flavorful meals.

Vegetarian and Vegan Delights

The Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro

The Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro, established in 2007, stands as a premier destination for mindful dining in Portland. Inspired by Thai cuisine and incorporating diverse Asian influences, the restaurant's menu reflects a spirit of equality and inclusiveness. They prioritize sourcing local products whenever possible, supporting the community while providing fresh, high-quality meals.

The Green Elephant's ambiance features twin chandeliers, stone walls, and a mix of wood tables and leather booths, creating a unique setting for enjoying Asian-inspired cuisine. Standbys include steamed edamame, spicy stir-fries, and vegetable tempura. Known for its innovative and flavorful dishes, the Green Elephant caters to both vegans and omnivores, proving that vegan food can be bold and inventive. Even meat-eaters will appreciate the brilliant vegetarian fare at this zen-chic, Thai-inspired café. The restaurant operates on a walk-in-only basis.

Salad and Juice Bars

Crisp Salads and Garden Monsters

For those who think of salad as the quintessential healthy food, Portland offers several standout options. Crisp Salads allows you to build your own nutritious masterpiece from a wide selection of seasonal ingredients, including various greens, dressings, and toppings like toasted pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Garden Monsters defies the "rabbit food" stereotype with massive salads that satisfy even the biggest appetites. Their "Paul Bunyan" salad, for example, includes grass-fed steak, red potatoes, bleu cheese, and croutons.

Harlow

Harlow is a local favorite that functions as both a juice bar and a café. Their menu is vegetable-forward, featuring vegetarian and mostly vegan options like breakfast scrambles, bowls, and seasonal pastas. You can also boost your favorite smoothie with CBD for an added health benefit.

Kure, Poa Café, and Best Friend

These juice bars offer a wide array of fresh green juices and smoothies. You can amplify your order with superfoods like maca, goji berries, turmeric, and spirulina. If you're still hungry, add a cozy oatmeal cup, macrobiotic lunch bowl, or raw vegan dessert.

Xocotl

Xocotl offers uniquely delicious smoothie toppers, like their homemade chamoy, a salty, sweet-and-sour sauce, found on their signature Chamoyada. They also sell fresh-cut fruit peppered with Tajín, a chili-lime seasoning.

Accommodating Special Diets

Laughing Planet

Laughing Planet is a quick-service restaurant specializing in nutritious fare with multiple locations across the city. Their menu offers an abundance of clean, whole foods, fresh veggies, and global flavors.

Blossoming Lotus

Blossoming Lotus caters to those with special diets, offering gluten-free, soy-free, raw, and vegan dishes. Choose from their selection of bowls, salads, soups, and sweets. Their juices and smoothies are also excellent.

Tiny Moreso

Tiny Moreso is a whole food café and treat shop where you can enjoy the Rawdacious Cheesecake, a 100% vegan and gluten-free dessert.

Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run

Restaurants Near South Portland Center Accommodating Crohn’s Disease

For individuals managing Crohn’s disease, finding suitable dining options is essential. Here are some restaurants near the South Portland center with options that accommodate a Crohn’s-friendly diet:

B.Good

This casual, counter-serve spot offers a health-conscious menu with acai bowls, smoothies, harvest bowls, salads, and sandwiches. It is recommended to avoid the burgers when following Crohn’s friendly diet.

Sea Glass

Located in Cape Elizabeth, Sea Glass offers a picturesque waterfront setting. Their menu includes fresh fruit, steel-cut oats, and eggs prepared in various styles for breakfast, with options for lunch and dinner as well.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Tropical Smoothie Cafe offers smoothies and breakfast bowls (acai, oats, or yogurt), as well as breakfast sandwiches and wraps.

Verbena

Verbena specializes in lunch and Saturday brunch, featuring a signature salad that can be modified with grilled chicken, chicken salad, local tofu, or a vegan black bean patty.

Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution

LB Kitchen

Located in Portland, LB Kitchen offers smoothies, yogurt bowls, toasts, breakfast sandwiches, and vegetable-heavy bowls.

City Farmhouse Kitchen & Bar

While not everything on the menu is Crohn’s-friendly, City Farmhouse Kitchen & Bar offers an extensive menu with several suitable options.

Jaffa Mediterranean Grill

Jaffa is a good option if you’re a fan of hummus, baba ganoush, grape leaves, and other Middle Eastern flavors.

Olive Cafe

Olive Cafe serves Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine, including mezza, salads, and shawarma.

Supporting Local Businesses During Challenging Times

Many restaurants in Maine have adapted to the challenges of recent times by offering takeout, delivery, and curbside pickup services. By supporting these businesses, you can enjoy healthy meals while contributing to the local economy. Here are some examples:

Union at the Press Hotel: Offers three-course, family-style comfort food meals for takeout. For every meal purchased, they provide a grab-and-go lunch for Maine Medical Center employees.
Sur Lie: Offers takeout of dishes like sweet pea hummus, lamb bolognese, and coconut rice pudding.
The Good Table (Cape Elizabeth): Offers take-and-bake mac and cheese, pulled pork, and turkey dinner, plus salads and apple pie.
Luke’s Lobster: Offers curbside pickup of lobster rolls and DIY kits. They also have an e-commerce platform for lobster meat and bisque.
Alice and Lulu’s (Sugarloaf Village): Offers prepared meals and "survival kits" of everyday essentials.
Maiz Colombian Street Food: Offers its full menu for takeout, including trays of arepas, arepitas, and pan de bono.
Pad Thai Too (Waterville): Offers Thai classics, including vegetarian and vegan dishes, for takeout and delivery.
Cook’s Lobster and Ale House: Offers seafood and a burger and beer special for takeout.
Provender Kitchen and Bar (Ellsworth): Chef Daron Goldstein prepares comfort food dishes and family meals for curbside pickup.
Batson River Brewing and Distilling (Kennebunk): Offers wood-fired pizza and beer to go.
The Nook at Handy’s (Yarmouth): Offers breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and coffee.
Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea (Cape Elizabeth): Offers family-style dinners and an all-day takeout menu with clam chowder, salads, and their famous Sea Glass Burger.
The Black Tie Company/Union Kitchen: Offers breakfast items, salads, sandwiches, and daily lunch and dinner specials for pickup and delivery.
Black Cow: Offers touch-free curbside takeout and delivery of its entire menu.
Nina June (Rockport): Offers takeout.
Solo Italiano: Offers takeout and delivery.

Local Farms, Bakeries, and Markets

Supporting local farms, bakeries, and markets is another way to access healthy, fresh ingredients in Portland.

Fiore Olive Oils and Vinegars: Offers curbside pickup of Italian pastas, risotto, Sicilian pesto, olives, jams, spices, and olive oils and vinegars.
Rosemont Market: Offers curbside pickup and delivery of market items.
Goranson Farm (Dresden): Provides certified organic vegetables and fruit, maple syrup, seedlings, cut flowers, eggs, meats, cheese, and baked goods.
Nezinscot Farm Store (Turner): Offers bakery items, cheeses, meats, and prepared foods for pickup.
Bucks Harbor Market (Brooksville): Offers takeout coffee, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, baked goods, and prepared food to go.
Dot’s (Lincolnville): Offers complete meals to go, plus salads, breakfast sandwiches, quiche, and baked goods.
Hazel Rock Farm (Woolwich): Delivers duck and chicken eggs locally.
Monte’s Fine Foods (Portland): Offers made-to-order pizza, grab-and-go dinners and sandwiches, as well as meats, produce, ice cream, and other grocery items.
Wildflours Gluten-Free Bakery (Brunswick): Accepts phone orders for gluten-free baked goods for pickup.

Seafood Options

Portland's coastal location means access to fresh, high-quality seafood. Here are a couple of the options available.

Gulf of Maine Sashimi: Offers pristine fish directly to consumers through online ordering and pickup.
Scully Sea Products (Damariscotta): Delivers fresh Maine oysters.
Emily’s Oysters (Freeport): Offers home delivery of oysters within 30 miles.
SoPo Seafood: Offers a seafood delivery service to the Portland/Greater Portland area.

Beer and Wine

For those who enjoy beer and wine with their meals, several local businesses offer delivery and pickup services.

Allagash on the Fly: Delivers packaged beer within the Portland area.
Maine Beer Company (Freeport): Offers curbside pickup of bottles, kegs, pizza, salad, and merchandise.
Maine Craft Distilling: Delivers spirits, canned cocktails, and cocktail mixers within the Portland city limits.
Funky Bow Brewery and Beer Company (Lyman): Delivers pizza, six-packs, kegs, and glassware to select towns.

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