Duckfat

Wish Unilocal had half stars. Came in one night and there was a wait. No bigs, they give you buzzers so you can head elsewhere on the block or two. We headed over to Sebago for a drink. Almost finished with our drink and our buzzer lights up. Head over and the place is now half clear – before 8 pm. We meet a different hostess than before who makes a passive aggressive comment about how they’ve been waiting for us (rude, –1 star). Ordered the poutine, kale salad, and panini. Boyfriend opted for a shake (delicious but heavy). Poutine is good, but wasn’t game changing. Kale salad came with dressing when I specifically said none. Had to wait a bit until the waiter came within radar and waited a bit more for a new salad. Boyfriend enjoyed the panini but spoiled his appetite with the other goodies. Aside from our second hostess, service was good. Food was good, but not memorable.

Their poutine. Holy moly. And their milkshakes? AMAZING. Such a cute little place that has super flavorful food!

It’s near impossible to maintain a healthy diet when you travel often, particularly if you travel to places with amazing food reputations with other food lovers. Duckfat is one of those places where every single person said I had to try it the next time I was in Portland. Why is it that those ‘must try’ places always involve something delicious and awful for you… like duck fat for example?
I made a valiant effort to stay healthy by getting the smoked duck salad on kale. It was actually super tasty and filling. Oh, and I forgot to mention a shared a small sized poutine with my dining companion… and that we were convinced to get a salted caramel milkshake for dessert. See what I’m saying? It’s impossible! The good news is that the poutine and milkshake were worth every delicious calorie.
But honestly, if you find yourself in Portland at — and this is important — a not too busy dining time (try an early lunch during a weekday, but even then you may wait for a table as the place is tiny and very popular), you MUST give Duckfat a try. It lives up to the hype and then some!

Solid all-​round
Great service
Clean, warm establishment
Nice selection of local brews and sodas made in-​house
Good food and reasonable prices
Watch out for heartburn though cuz when they say duck FAT they mean it!

My main regret visiting this place was that I didn’t come as hungry as I should have. It’s a great cozy spot for a date or catching up with friends and the staff were so friendly.
Everything on the menu looked rad and delicious! We had the brussels sprouts with bacon, the poutine, and split a delicious milk shake so creamy that it coated your mouth long after it was gone.
Duckfat is a place that helps give Portland it’s unique special vibe and definitely worth the visit.

I’m giving Duckfat 4 stars but I would tell everyone visiting Portland that it’s a must visit! You will most likely have a wait so factor that in. My one suggestion is that their buzzer work more than one block away or take cell phone numbers and text when tables are ready.
The poutine we had was delicious. It was hard to pick — poutine or order an order of fries with sauces but I was very happy with our choice. Another Unilocaler described the brussel sprouts as crack and I would have to agree. The mustard vinaigrette they are served in is amazingly addictive. If they are offered as a special, you must order. Lastly, the homemade grape soda was a sleeper pick but my favorite part of the meal. So good!
Everyone raved about the shakes but I thought the blueberry one we ordered was a little sweet. I’m just not a huge shake girl. I also thought the paninis were just ok. I would skip them next time in favor of ordering more appetizers.
In short, Duckfat is a must do but skip the average paninis and order everything else!

Having experienced poutine in its birthplace of Montréal, I am pleasantly surprised and happy to report this is by far the best poutine I have ever had. Could definitely be the fact that the fries are fried in duck fat or the addition of duck confit that confirmed my decision. Hey at the end of the day, I am sure anything fried Im duck fat takes the cake!
Whats better to compliment an already fat filled meal than to add a vanilla gelato milk shake with crème anglaise. This super rich and creamy shake has me nervous about what I may encounter later on tonight.

We’ve heard so many raves from everyone we know who have visited this restaurant that we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give it a try. We arrived around 145 on a sunny winter afternoon and although we’d heard about the waits, we were surprised at this «off» time to be told it would be an hour. Once inside, one can see that no more than 35 patrons tops can be seated and that includes 2 tables in a heated enclosed outdoor area.
Service was friendly and prompt. We ordered the duck fat Belgian fries, the highly touted Tahitian vanilla milk shake and split a panini special which was a haddock cheese melt with some sort of pickled item. Items arrive as they come out of the kitchen and not necessarily together. The Belgian fries arrived first accompanied by a garlic mayo and were delicious, cooked to perfection to a golden brown and not in the least bit «greasy». The garlic mayo was the perfect dipping sauce. The vanilla shake was especially delicious and thick. We particularly enjoyed the panini which was cooked to perfection served on a well toasted white bread which held up well to the delicious haddock and cheese filling flavored with pickled onions.
Seating is a little tight, with patrons sharing long tables with other patrons unless you arrive with a large group. Many who were told of waits close to an hour, opted to order takeout which is a nice option if you want to save wait time. Everyone around us seemed to greatly enjoy their selections. My only regret is not ordering the doughnuts for dessert… which looked delicious! I guess we will have to return soon to give them a try!

They would ever believe it. That I would prefer the regular fries over poutine?
«Who are you trying to fool?» they would chide. You love gravy and cheese– both individually and in french fry topping tandem… Who are you?“
They’d find it doubly dubious then that from a cozy lil spot that’s pretty famous for their duck fat fries, my favorite dish if the night was a salad.
I don’t know who, «they,» are. By the way. But they better believe it.
Of course I loved the fries. Crispy, delicious, nicely salted; excellent fries, they certainly were. I found them extra tasty with the dipping sauces, (like the garlic mayo, or or the Thai Chili mayo, or the truffle ketchup…) versus the not-​as-​flavorful-​as-​I-​would-​have-​imagined duck gravy in the poutine which kinda lay like a glaze over the fries and cheese curds. I mean, I wouldn’t turn em down, but if I’m shabba rankin, I’m goin with the cone o’ fries and dipping sauces.
Like I told you, the salad was my favorite– The Smoked Duck salad. That was one of the most well-​balanced and flavorful plates o’ food I’d had in a while. It goes a lil something like this: Thin slices of smoky duck over a wild rice salad comprised of succotash, orange segments, and Thai basil with sour cream vinaigrette. Deeelectable. A lil somethin for all the tastebuds.
Oh see, cause we had ordered the beet salad too, and that dish was delicious and wonderful as well. Plated super pretty, dudes. Delicious. But I was all about that smoked duck salad to the point that I definitely grubbed more than my half, as we were, «splitting,» both and played it off like I was being so generous, offering the other plate like, «Baby, i know how much you love your beets… Here. For you.»
*Whistles innocently, devours remaining duck*

You guys want one word to summarize my experience? Simply Magnanimous !!!
I had Duckfat bookmarked ever since we decided to come to Portland. Now here are a few things to consider. This spot is worth the hype. However, the hype can brings lines with it. I’m not sure if you can make reservations or not but if you don’t come early expect reasonable wait. Note, the customers are attentive and don’t stay forever at the tables and the servers and waiters do there part as well. The place is small but packs a punch,
Let’s start with the beverage, you have to try anything blueberry while your in Maine, I said the shake with LOL … Let me tell you Duckfat had one of the most amazing blueberry shakes in the entire town. The richness of the fruit flavor of this milkshake started at the very top with the first sip and lasted all the way to the last. Made fresh right in front of us, the natural flavor of milkshake with simply delicious.
The there the BGT !!! Bacon, Goat Cheese and Tomato, what a concept :) This panini was delicious, fresh bread added texture, the bacon cooked perfectly, the cheese was rich and creamy and over all the sandwich was worth the hype and visit.
Then there were those Duckfat fries!!! These things were cooked perfectly, I can tell because they were golden in color and cooked perfectly. Firm to the touch yet crispy at first bite then soft right through. You need to try the truffle ketchup!!! AMAZING !!! They should bottle this up and sell it to the masses.
We also shared the tomato fennel soup which was also rich and creamy and felt like we were eating pizza soup.
All in all this was a great restaurant and the perfect spot for a brunch or lunch dine. I recommend. It with the upmost of my Unilocalness!!!

Food and milkshakes (!) made well, but pricier than what it’s worth — well maybe not considering nearby restaurants. Would go back for a light meal/​apps and a milkshake, but not for a full meal
Duck confit panini — the duck was tastey but I think they def skimped on the meat
Duckfat fries — obvi can’t not get. comes with choice of 2 sauces. picked garlic mayo and thai chili — both good, but nothing memorable/​life changing
2 milkshakes: original duckfat & strawberry buttermilk
the original is good because it’s ice cream, but nothing more
strawberry buttermilk — def really appreciated the buttermilk! would totally get this again.

I think the hype is real… luckily we didn’t have to wait, at 5pm during the week.
We split an order of the small Poutine… it was plenty, I can’t imagine getting a large.
Fries with duck gravy, cheese curds and chives, what’s not to love?
Brussel sprouts were also great… but I like the ones at Honey Paw across the street better.
The B.G.T.(bacon, goat cheese, tomato) panini was ok.
Great service, would definitely come back.

Solid 4 stars. I have been here a couple of times now and honestly I can’t say one negative thing about the food. I’ve gotten the pulled pork cubano ($ 11) and the overnight duck confit ($ 13.50) panini’s. They were both delicious and I highly recommend them. Both times I only ate half of the panini (not because they are large, they definitely aren’t) but because we ordered the large poutine and milkshakes as well. The poutine is great. Ask for some truffle ketchup on the side. If you have a sweet tooth, check out their milkshakes. The duck fat sea salt caramel is delicious ($ 6 – 7).
The cons: I’m not a fan of communal seating. The space is so small they utilize communal seating to pack in as many people as possible into such a tiny space. Last night they sat the two of us at a table that already had two people dining at it. We were okay with it because we didn’t want to wait (the wait here can get pretty long because of the lack of seating). Within 10 minutes of us sitting down the waiter asked us if we could push over so they could sit two more people in between us and the couple that was already seated at the table. It was cramped and a little awkward as the couple stood and watched us move our stuff so we could switch stools so they could sit down, but we didn’t complain. There aren’t any other options, all of the seating here is communal. However, the waiter was very nice and polite.

Stopped here at 9pm on a chilly Saturday night in late October for some poutine, and was not disappointed. Definitely throw an egg on it! My husband loved his turkey and swiss panini, and I wish I had room to try their donuts and brussel sprouts. There is no place to wait if you’re not seated right away, but their pagers do work within a one block radius. Once seated, we had fun playing with the magnetic poetry.
Fun place — give it a try!

Cute, casual atmosphere and nice hostess. Waiter warmed up to us at the end, although a bit distant at first. Communal table settings so they don’t take reservations! People move through quickly though and service is well timed.
Shakes were a great consistency and not too thick — nice amount of sweet. Coffee flavor rocked my world and salted caramel rocked his. I’m going for strawberry next time I’m in town! Mixing can be fun depending on the flavors you get.
The paninis were good, but was it worth all the hype? Ehhhh. The filling for the duck confit was flavorful and delicious — the bland bread toned down the interior a little too much for me. I’d say the same for the pork sandwich — was expecting more.
Kale salad with smoked duck breast was good, but again not out of this world. I liked it. Duck was cooked beautifully, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get this salad (I’m a salad lover so maybe I’m too picky).
The dipping sauces for fries were the best part! Truffle ketchup, horseradish and thai chili mayo — it’s stuff like this that I would go out of my way for (and maybe the milkshakes). The fries themselves were standard but elevated with the sauces.
3.5 rounded down (underwhelmed by salad and paninis). Will have to check this place out again and try this poutine that everyone’s gaga over (saw the reviews after we left). Not too shabby, Duckfat.

I really love it here. I finally visited back in July (and again last week) because I couldn’t keep hearing about how fabulous it is year after year without finding out for myself.
First off, the poutine is excellent, but I also find it pretty hard to screw up poutine. Still, hand cut fries, local cheese curds and chives always make for a fabulous combination. The paninis are also wonderful, especially the bbq brisket with cheddar and seasonal vegetable chow chow. On my first visit, I ordered a glorious app special — the «duck in a jar» rillettes with foie gras and strawberry compote. If that became a regular on the menu I’d probably drive up from CT weekly! Beyond the food, craft soda menu is pretty perfect, especially the «jolly rancher» with fresh watermelon juice, hibiscus and lime. Indeed it did taste like a classic jolly but without the cloying sweetness.
Last week’s visit ended with the salted caramel shake (with gelato from the delightful Gelato Fiasco) and couldn’t have ended any better. Duckfat sure gets a lot of hype but it’s for good reason.

Super cool panini place and this is coming from someone that normally can’t stand sandwiches in any shape or form (Cold sandwiches were all I ate during my school years and I guess it scarred me for life). But Duckfat is quite a different story.
The ambiance is great, the staff awesome, and the Panini’s are surprisingly good for a sandwich.
The Duck Fries with Truffle Ketchup are soooo good and soooo addictive. Its worth the trip to Portland for these alone.

Having cooked with duck fat at home I appreciate how much flavor it can bring to a skillet and I was excited to try this place.
Everything about this place is very welcoming — the charming staff, the cozy setting, the deep fryer aromas wafting from the kitchen. We tried a few of their popular items to see what the hype was about.
Wild cherry spritzer ($ 3) was tart and light but tasted uncomfortably similar to cherry cough syrup. Once this was mentioned I couldn’t unthink it.
Frites ($ 7 for a large) are definitely better than your average fries but did not have the crispness that frites stands in Belgium deliver by deep frying twice. I’ve had better fries in Maine at a really good lobster shack. We tried the truffle ketchup and lemon herb mayo and really enjoyed both sauces which were superior to the dips I found in Belgium.
Duck confit panini ($ 13.50) was a disappointment when a thin toasted white bread airport-​style panini was served. The thin layer of shredded duck was mild and might have tasted duckier if they included some crispy skin. Lightly fermented kimchi was more like a half-​sour pickle and it didn’t quite work for me with the spread of seasoned mayo.
This is a cute spot but I would recommend the fries alone from my experience. If you have your heart set on eating a meal here, the Cuban and brisket paninis were staff picks and I’m told the milkshakes are excellent.

Best. Milkshake. Ever.
I had the strawberry and buttermilk. At first I was overwhelmed by how much shake they brought out in the metal cup but after I finished my glass part of the shake… I was so happy for the extras.
The fries were amazing but I didn’t like the Thai Chili Mayo dipping sauce.
Disappointed by the duck panini. Too much cilantro flavor. I definitely enjoyed my boyfriends BGT more.
I will be coming back for more milkshakes. For sure.

I have only been to Duckfat twice and the server, Trevor remembered my boyfriend and I! I started chatting it up with the couple next to us and with Trevor, our server of the night, about how locals keep this place alive during the winter months. At one point, he pointed at me and said, «You’re a local, you were here last time!» It’s really nice to be remembered since I devoured the turkey panini last time.
We waited 20 minutes and I was really okay with that. Good food attracts hungry and curious taste buds. To start off the night, we placed a small poutine order with a sunny side up egg ontop for $ 7.50 with Thai chili mayo on the side. The small is big enough for two unless you’re feeling like the hulk and eating the whole thing by yourself which is something I would honestly do. You’re really getting a deal for $ 7.50 (protein, calcium… you get the idea). For an entrée, I got the Overnight Duck Confit for $ 13.50. The size of the panini is worth paying $ 13.50. Aside from duck, the panini has house made kimchi and cilantro lime mayo with bread from Sorella’s Bakehouse. If I didn’t load up on fries first, I probably could have finished the panini. Turns out, my boyfriend loved it so much that I let him finish it the next day… resolved with no waste!
Sitting at the bar was a great experience. Being able to chat with Trevor and learn about kimchi was awesome! It was really cool to see how the staff run a tight ship at the restaurant. From our seats, we saw how diligent and passionate the kitchen staff worked as they prepared the paninis and poutine. From our left, milkshakes were being made quite frequently the draft menu was popular that night too.
Thanks for a good time Duckfat. We shall meet again soon!