Becky’s Diner

Not a good afternoon to stop at Becky’s. Needed a quick commercial street sandwich. I was the only customer at 3pm. After awhile I asked my waitress to check on my order and the cook, in a tie dye shirt, actually gave her a hard time about it! (And I was sitting just a few feet away.) Unfortunately, the pick me up that I was seeking turned out to be a bad experience.

My sister and I visited Becky’s for breakfast on a bleak January morning. As always, the diner was jam-​packed with patrons so we chose to sit at the counter rather than wait for a table. We were serviced immediately by a more than friendly waitress. My sister order the small fruit bowl with granola and yogurt which was pitch-​perfect despite the fact that it was January when fresh fruit isn’t in season. I chose the broccoli and feta cheese omelet which was tasty, but had far too much cheese and not enough broccoli for my taste. Portions are beyond excellent-​the omelet was so big that I wasn’t hungry until late afternoon, even though I hadn’t finished my home fries and toast.

We went there on a Sunday morning — what a great choice! First of all, it was featured in Dinners Drive ins and Dives! We got there just in time as the line was out the door when we left (11ish). I got the fish chowder (yes for breakfast) and it was pretty good. I prefer thick chowder but it was tasty. I got the eggs Benedict with the cheese covered potatoes. It was really good! Prices were reasonable as well.

I stopped at Becky’s Diner on my trip up to Boothbay Harbor. I ordered the lobster omelette and asked for a side of tomatoes. The omelette was great but I was missing my veggies and hence, why I asked for the tomatoes.
The lobster was definitely fresh and cooked perfectly. The coffee was also excellent. The serves are great.
My boyfriends meal was an average, typical diner breakfast.

Wonderful dinner tonight with our 3 kids. Service was attentive and prompt. My haddock chowder was outstanding, with thin but rich broth, just how I like it. My husband’s fried fish tasted like it was swimming an hour ago. Portions were enormous and the prices were very low, especially considering how much was served, and the quality. Wish we had room for pie. A great alternative to the wonderful but pricey restaurants in the area.

I’ve always liked Becky’s DIner, I like the history, the location, the salty waitresses, and even, the mediocre diner food. With that said, I avoid going there because of long waits for a table. I used to drive by hoping that when I looked in the window, there would not be a line waiting inside the door. Sadly, over time, I stopped checking and often forget about Becky’s when eating downtown.
This morning we woke up to a smallish snowstorm. The streets of Portland were slippery and mostly unplowed by 2:00 in the afternoon when I had to get downtown for another reason. On the way home, everyone in the car was starving. Some wanted eggs, other chicken fingers, another wanted french toast. The food indecision was flying in the car as we passed Becky’s, I glanced in the window, no line. I checked the parking lot, spots! Becky’s was BACK!
We parked, walked right in and settled into a comfy booth. One ordered a mountain of chicken fingers and curly fries, two ordered the «Hobsons Wharf» (kind of like the ubiquitous «lumberjack» breakfast) and I, tried the benedict special. The food came out very quickly, the coffee was flowing and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. One small complaint on my part was that the home fries are deep fried potato nuggets, not my favorite.
I also want to make a special mention of our waitress Kate. She was fantastic! Friendly, attentive and there whenever we needed something, with a smile! Maybe Becky’s has been rethinking their approach and hiring new waitstaff that are actually customer focused?
So, if you are driving along the Portland waterfront some day during a snowstorm, definitely check out Beckys! On other days, I am not sure that it is worth the wait.

Becky’s is clearly doing something right for some people because the diner was jam packed on a Sunday morning. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. We had a really short wait to be seated, less than 10 minutes, and our server was great. Very friendly and smiley (which is a feat considering how much each of them has to hustle to keep up with the crowd). I ordered poached eggs and home fries. The eggs were overdone, and the home fries were sooo greasy and tough. I tried both ketchup and maple syrup to make it better, but I left with a stomach ache. My boyfriend raved about the corned beef hash. The price was really reasonable! The old diner charm is likable. Perhaps if I return I will try the pancakes instead.

As tourists, we were looking for some great blueberry pancakes and Becky’s did deliver! They were flavorful and had the perfect texture and were very filling (this is coming from a pancake connoisseur.) There was about a 15 minute wait and we were able to sit at the counter. Parking is also tight and it’s a very get-​in, get-​out type of place. But it’s worth it for the pancakes! I’d come back here.

Me and my boyfriend came here a couple days ago when our hotel highly recommended Becky’s. It’s your standard diner fare and obviously a popular breakfast spot among both locals and tourists. There was a small wait but very reasonable wait for a table — I think we waited 10 minutes. The parking lot was full, but we just parked down the street across from the water. I got the corned beef hash and eggs, and my boyfriend was satisfied with his meal as well. Coffee was great — wish we could have brought it with us! Service was fast and staff was friendly. Overall, I would say that we had a good meal and the price is right.
I gave it 4 stars because I really don’t have any complaints, but it was talked up so much that I think I ended up walking away a little disappointed. Not completely blown away, but a good place to grab breakfast.

Stopped in for an early dinner after a movie. 3pm but our sever asked and we were able to order dinner an hour early.
Had the turkey dinner all was wonderful. Service was quick and courteous and we will return.

Becky’s was one of our first foodie stops on our East Coast road trip. I wanted to get some good diner food, so we stopped by to fill up before cutting through the White Mountains. Took us about 15 minutes to get seated and the place looks like a pretty standard diner. They also have their own parking lot, so don’t bother with paying for street parking like I did :(
I got one of their specials (check the board near the front door) with sausage, toast, eggs, and homefries (fried chunks of potatoes). We ordered a large bowl of the clam chowder to share as well — was a little surprised it didn’t come out thick and creamy. It was a darker color with thin soup. There were chunks of potato and several of us weren’t able to identify if it was chicken or clam in the soup. While you could tell it was homemade (a big plus), the soup still failed to impress. The rest of the food was OK. My breakfast plate was OK, though I wished the eggs were a little fluffier. Portion size was average.
Service was fine. Depending on what you order, the value could be average to great. If I recall correctly, burgers were priced well and don’t forget to scan the board by the door for daily specials.
We left Becky’s with a bit of a meh factor — it was a very average dining experience.

Great value for your dollar. There aren’t any frills, just good breakfast. Great large portions. Not great juice (from fountain) good coffee. Fast and friendly service. Amazing muffins!!! Will definitely go back.

The fried haddock is some of the best, if not the best, I have ever had. At lunch on Fridays, the 7-​oz. (large) portion is only $ 10.95 including cole slaw and fries!

I was on a clam chowder kick all throughout the coast on this New England vacation. This place is very popular and I bet the food is good but the fish chowder that I had lacked flavor. They didn’t have clam chowder available but offered their fish chowder which I accepted. The bowl looked really good but when I took my first taste I was shocked that it lacked flavor, it was so bland. If you go here stick with the pancake and egg breakfast or other lunch specials. My teen daughter and her friend loved the chocolate pancakes they ordered.

Excellent place to get a feel for Portland, early in the morning on a week day. Opening at 4 am, get there early to get a feel for the local workers from Eimskip and other port related business that are just down the street. Park a few blocks away and walk over, or watch how the locals park (back in) because if you extend your stay past 7 am or so, you might have a hard time backing out!
The food here is solid, including the coffee. I had a perfect ham and feta omelet with home fries, and tried the homemade hash, which was great, nice big chunks of corned beef, cooked into crusty goodness in the hash.
The staff is friendly and efficient. My coffee was kept full, and we never waited on our waitress, nor did she push on us to turn the table.

Pick this spot due to its TV fame while on a short stopover in Portland. Felt like this was any other dinner, but with big portions. Their blueberry pancakes does live up to the hype. You get two big fluffy pancakes with TONS of blueberries. One pancake is pretty filling.

A true old style diner we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast while sitting at the counter to catch the action. The usual breakfast selections are available with the exception of a choice of canned or homemade Corned Beef hash for a $ 2. up charge, and well worth it for CBH lovers. Big chunks of CB and so tasty. Really live it up and get home fries for an additional 25 cents! By the way, the home fries were cooked with care and browned and crispy.
Prompt and friendly service. We will try and get back for a lobster roll or fried clams as it’s very clear they know their way around food.

I am a jersey girl. I love diner food. I love getting breakfast anytime of the day. Especially after working a double shift at work. I am surprised it took me this long to go to this important portland establishment.
I ordered eggs with two sausage patties and white toast with a side of blueberry pancakes. I was disappointed that they didn’t serve hashbrowns after 4pm and thought that was kind of pointless so that was the reason why I ordered the pancakes.
The eggs were sunnyside up however they came out a tad overcooked but still delicious. The toast was heavenly. Yes, toast can be heavenly with the right amount of thickness of the bread to buttah ratio. The pancakes were amazing. So light and fluffy I am stili thinking about them three days later. If you order them without the real maple syrup while in maine you are a fool.
The price of everything is exceptionally affordable for the amount of food you receive. This place is one of my favorite new breakfast spots!

The Quick: As featured on DDD, the Food network knows what they are talking about– this place is fantastic. Big portions, plenty of lobster options, and good coffee. You can tell by the loyal local crew that they know what they are doing.
The Details: I got the lobster omelette (when in Maine.) and it had SO much lobster in it I could barely finish. Granted, it was expensive, but really something special. If you find yourself in the area early enough to grab breakfast, I highly recommend. Expect to see the place packed with local fisherman and tourists alike.
The Damage: I think my lobster omelette was like $ 18 but it easily could have had a whole lobster in it. Non lobster options were normal diner prices.

Straightforward and consistent, like a true Maine-​ah. I’ve never had a bad experience, and the breakfast food here has always been top-​notch. Never had lunch or dinner here, but why would you when you can still order breakfast type food? On my last trip, I had the homemade (they give you the option of ‘canned’ if you’re a Hormel addict) corned beef hash and a blueberry pancake side. Overkill? Yes, but it was Maine Maple Sunday and I missed out on the blueberry pancakes with syrup at one at the place we visited. My friend had a grilled muffin which looked to be more blueberries than muffin. MMMMM.
Service is brusk but polite-​ish. Just keep the questions to a minimum and get ready to put your order in. These people are efficient!
This place always seems to be packed on the weekends, probably from all the tourists wondering what the heck is up with all of those bumper stickers around town. That said, I feel like a lot of locals always frequent this place as well, which is ALWAYS a good sign for a local restaurant institution like Becky’s. Pro tip: just walk right up to the counter bar if you’re by yourself of with one other person. Chances are there are two adjoining seats and you’ll cut out a 45 minute wait outside in the cold.