These Portland, Maine eateries might not be top of mind when choosing a date night dinner location yet, but they will be with a quick glance at these photos. These four restaurants may be a little to the left of the well-beaten path with smaller dining rooms and thinner menus, but they're not small or short on stellar culinary delights.

1. Izakaya Minato

Izakaya is a style of restaurant popular across Japan, a place to go with friends, family and co-workers to relax and enjoy a night of eating and drinking. Much like an intimate gathering at a friends house, food is meant to be shared and cups never left empty. With our open kitchen and bar concept as well a communal table, the front room of Minato is the lively center of what we do.

- izakayaminato.com

Yelp.com reviewers love their JFC (Japanese Fried Chicken), miso soup, and Kani Dashimaki (crab omelette).

 

2. Woodford Food & Beverage

Woodford Food & Beverage is a neighborhood bar & dining room serving thoughtfully prepared regional fare... Birch Shambaugh and Fayth Preyer are the husband & wife team behind Woodford Food & Beverage. Working their way through varied hospitality posts in San Francisco, Washington DC, Manhattan & Brooklyn, NY, and Portland, Maine, the two found each other somewhere in between over oysters & a few bottles of rose.

- woodfordfb.com

Menu favorites include the brussels sprouts, crab cakes, and mussels with fries.

 

3. Terlingua

Our small batch BBQ, smoked by owner Pliny Reynolds, comes off the smoker around 5:00 PM daily! If you are coming to Terlingua specifically for the BBQ get here early for the widest selection of available smoked meats... We sell out nightly.

- terlingua.me

Crowd favorites include their brunch selections, anything from the smoker, and the chili.

 

4. Isa

Isa is a cozy neighborhood bistro serving an eclectic yet seasonally driven menu. The dishes are influenced by the places we've been and the things we love.

- isaportlandme.com

What should you order? Yelp reviewers rave about the Tagliatelle Bolognese, meatballs with marinara, and the lobster tacos.

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