Highest-rated cheap eats in Portland, Maine by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Portland area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Clayton's Cafe & Bakery

1 / 30

#30. Clayton's Cafe & Bakery

- Rating: 4.1/5 (129 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 447 Rt 1 Yarmouth, Maine
- Categories: American, Bakeries, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

Harmon's Lunch

2 / 30

#29. Harmon's Lunch

- Rating: 4.1/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 144 Gray Road Falmouth, Maine
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

Ruski's Tavern

3 / 30

#28. Ruski's Tavern

- Rating: 4.1/5 (145 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 212 Danforth St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Pubs, Breakfast & Brunch, Dive Bars
- Read more on Yelp

El Corazón Foodtruck

4 / 30

#27. El Corazón Foodtruck

- Rating: 4.1/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Portland, Maine
- Categories: Food Trucks, Hot Dogs, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Pizzaiolo

5 / 30

#26. Pizzaiolo

- Rating: 4.1/5 (227 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 360 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

Taco Trio

6 / 30

#25. Taco Trio

- Rating: 4.2/5 (366 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 119 Ocean St. South Portland, Maine
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Big Sky Bread Company

7 / 30

#24. Big Sky Bread Company

- Rating: 4.2/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 536 Deering Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Quality Shop

8 / 30

#23. Quality Shop

- Rating: 4.2/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 473 Stevens Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

Tu Casa Salvadorena Restaurant

9 / 30

#22. Tu Casa Salvadorena Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 70 Washington Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp

Flores Restaurant

10 / 30

#21. Flores Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 863 Congress St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp

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Angelone's West

11 / 30

#20. Angelone's West

- Rating: 4.4/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 768 Main St. Westbrook, Maine
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Uncharted Tea

12 / 30

#19. Uncharted Tea

- Rating: 4.5/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 662 Congress St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Cafes, Bubble Tea, Tea Rooms
- Read more on Yelp

Bogusha's Polish Restaurant & Deli

13 / 30

#18. Bogusha's Polish Restaurant & Deli

- Rating: 4.5/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 825 Stevens Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Delis, Polish
- Read more on Yelp

Katie Made Bakery

14 / 30

#17. Katie Made Bakery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 181 Congress St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Bakeries, Desserts, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Foundation Brewing Company

15 / 30

#16. Foundation Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 Industrial Way Ste 5 Portland, Maine
- Categories: Breweries, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Vientiane Market

16 / 30

#15. Vientiane Market

- Rating: 4.5/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 157 Noyes St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Thai, Noodles, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

Dara Bistro

17 / 30

#14. Dara Bistro

- Rating: 4.5/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 371 Tuttle Road Cumberland, Maine
- Categories: Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Cumberland Foodstop

18 / 30

#13. Cumberland Foodstop

- Rating: 4.5/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 318 Main St. Cumberland, Maine
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp

Sun Vietnamese Restaurant

19 / 30

#12. Sun Vietnamese Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 699 Forest Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Vietnamese, Salad, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

Verbena Eat Right Now

20 / 30

#11. Verbena Eat Right Now

- Rating: 4.6/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 103 Ocean St. South Portland, Maine
- Categories: Soup, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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The Baker's Bench

21 / 30

#10. The Baker's Bench

- Rating: 4.6/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 33 Brackett St. Westbrook, Maine
- Categories: Bakeries, Sandwiches, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

Belleville

22 / 30

#9. Belleville

- Rating: 4.6/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 North St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Bakeries, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Blazes Burgers

23 / 30

#8. Blazes Burgers

- Rating: 4.6/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 861 Main St. Westbrook, Maine
- Categories: Burgers, American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Kozeta's Restaurant

24 / 30

#7. Kozeta's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 597 Bridgton Road Westbrook, Maine
- Categories: Pizza, Greek, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

The Local Press

25 / 30

#6. The Local Press

- Rating: 4.7/5 (178 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 276 Woodford St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Soup, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Market Street Eats

26 / 30

#5. Market Street Eats

- Rating: 4.7/5 (260 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 36 Market St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Micucci Grocery

27 / 30

#4. Micucci Grocery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (218 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 45 India St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Pizza, Grocery, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp

Honeycomb Cafe

28 / 30

#3. Honeycomb Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 132 Pleasant Hill Road Scarborough, Maine
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Donuts
- Read more on Yelp

Coffee ME Up

29 / 30

#2. Coffee ME Up

- Rating: 4.7/5 (294 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 221 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos Del Seoul

30 / 30

#1. Tacos Del Seoul

- Rating: 4.9/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Portland, Maine
- Categories: Food Trucks, Korean, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.