Walter’s

My local dining companion brought me here for lunch as she had tried it for dinner and enjoyed it. Located in the bustling downtown area of Portland, there is street parking for the restaurant (which I did not know at the time).
With me liking eclectic-​styled food, Walter’s did not disappoint. I enjoyed the gnocchi with Maine lobster meat and although it is on the heavier side of preparations which I normally enjoy, it was fantastic! I loved the flavors and the lobster meat was sweet and succulent. I liked the marriage of these flavors and that it was a unique dish.
My dining companion ordered the duck breast and it was cooked perfectly and beautifully presented. She raved about it without complaints.
For dessert we shared the sticky toffee pudding which was divine. The flavors were excellent and the cake was paired with a fabulous vanilla ice cream.
Informally decorated and cozy interior with a modern feel, the restaurant was a nice place to enjoy our leisurely lunch. The service was great and efficient and our food came out relatively quickly.
All in all a great destination for lunch that serves differently styled food. The prices can be a bit high, as I saw the dinner menu, however.

One of the best places in Portland. Definitely recommend it more for Lunch than Dinner. Lunch menu is pretty limited but very good. I made it a point visit and try out all the Entrees on the Lunch menu.

Walter’s is a slightly above-​average restaurant in any American city. However, in the highly skilled Portland dining scene, Walter’s is just in the middle of the pack. Beer, wine and bar options are solid; the space is well laid out; service is friendly and generally good; and the location has parking available. However, the cost of meals at Walter’s is high for the area, the quality of food is just average and portion sizes are small. For instance, $ 10 for a local leaf lettuce salad with two — four small pieces of local apple and the whole salad would easily fit on a cup saucer sized plate. Several local and out of town guests in our party commented that meals were «small.» Walter’s was once a better restaurant; although, it now feels like a middle of the road restaurant. It is good for large groups and business events.

Excellent dinner!!!
the food was amazing; the menu is original and has a lot of different influences. Raviolis, Duck, Scallops— all great! we even had a dessert.
the wine list is correct and the ambiance is also appreciable.
A little too dark on the dining side.

Good take on American/​Asian fusion. Would definitely recommend for a nice dinner in Portland that isn’t excessively expensive.

Fantastic food and service, so good had to come back twice in a 6 day trip.
The Cracklin’ Calamari is definitely a must have, the appetizer has the perfect balance of spicy and sweet via the candied jalapeños. The portion is great for two even three people. The meal continued with an entrée of lobster gnocchi which was the special of the evening. Delicious, the flavor of the gravy it was served in blew my taste buds away, a savory brown broth with a hint of lobster, it was heaven. The gnocchi itself was fantastic as well and paired with fresh Maine lobster, what can be better? How about strawberry tiramisu? The cake was moist, the strawberries were fresh and the plate was clean in 5 minutes.
The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable with craft and local brews as well as «Kids in the Hall» and comic books. Excellent place to come check out, worth every penny.
PS Bitro Burger, do it imagine surf and turf between two buns served with some excellent parmesan encrusted fries. DO IT. DO IT NOW!

Disappointing experience. Dinner on Saturday night. My friend ordered a lobster, and couldn’t find hardly any lobster meat in his dish. I had the bistro burger and it was severely overpriced. Not coming back.

Food excellent but this is an all evening event. Service is as slow as a restaurant in rural France.
Crab cakes were fantastic — nice and spicy.
Short ribs — exquisite. Never picked up a knife.

I brought my mom who was visiting from out of town during restaurant week. This is another restaurant I was dying to try but can’t usually afford.
First of all, I would go just for their cocktails… the pear martini was smooth, and the mochatini was as rich as any dessert out there.
We both got the buttercup bisque with crab, a no-​brainier for us, and we were not disappointed. I got cod, and was jealous of my mom’s lobster tail the while time. It had almost an Asian flare (must have been ginger,) which was an unexpected and extremely delicious surprise. As usual, I enjoyed dessert. Probably shouldn’t have mixed the chocolate cake/​coffee gelato with the mochatini, but that was my call!

We flew all the way from Kansas to have dinner at Walter’s (seriously). The atmosphere was active but not too noisy to prevent great conversation. Our server Seanna was right on target with recommendations of the lobster gnocchi and the lamb loin special. We saved room for the bread pudding dessert which put a nice finishing touch on a delightful evening. I recommend Walter’s whenever you’re near Portland.

I should have checked Unilocal,first.
We rolled into Portland on a whim last Friday, having to take care of some errands and a last minute decision to meet up with some family/​friends for a drink (or three). As the night wore on, dinner called and we took the suggestion of family to go to Walter’s. We called ahead to make sure there was some availability, as we didn’t have reservations. There was a table for two in the bar, which was quickly reserved for us.
Upon arriving, I was surprised at the ambiance – higher-​end than I expected, with a taste of hotel lobby. The bar area (where seated) was more of the same – equally formal, with low lounge-​like chairs.
Our server came after a few minutes and presented the menus (both Bar and Dinner), but never introduced himself. More than ten minutes later, he returned. This would be the second of three visits our waiter made.
My wife ordered a glass of wine, myself a beer. For a beer town, there was a very poor selection of local beers. Bummer.
My wife skipped an appetizer, but I couldn’t help myself – calamari called (suggested by my family). I ordered the app from the dinner menu (Cracklin’ Calamari) and was very pleased – crispy, dusted with a sweet spice blend, topped with (a bit too much of) an aioli (lemon flavor was faint). Fried jalapenos tossed among the rings and tentacles. Ace.
Dinner came some 20 minutes later, my wife having ordered a pork special, myself from the bar menu (steak and cake). Wife’s pork was bacony, distinctively pork – but almost too dry to be enjoyed. My filet stacked on top of crab cake had wonderful individual components but failed at a couple of things: namely, the crystal sauce soup that it was sitting in. Waay too much sauce, too strong of a flavor. That portion of the cake that didn’t get saturated with the sauce was great – as was the filet’s texture (the flavor was okay, not particularly memorable).
We skipped dessert, as we were disappointed in the service and wanted to move on. Had to ask the nearby bar tender to finalize our check, having lost our nameless waiter to some other portion of the restaurant.
For the money, head somewhere else. Wish I could get the crab-​cake and calamari in a more Portland-​like atmosphere, complete with local beer. But maybe I’m not the demographic they are seeking out. ..

Love love love! My favorite restaurant. Every celebration that’s where I go. The calamari is stupendous and I would eat 20 plates of it. Thank you for always being good and my fav spot in Portland!

Have eaten lunch at Walters many times, but was lured to dinner during restaurant week by their menu. Wow, they really pulled out all the stops for this week. We had a wonderful dinner.
For apps we had butternut soup, and the thai curry chicken in lettuce wrap. Both were delicious.
For entrees we both had the roasted flounder, with charred shishito rice and baby toy mui. Flounder was fresh, moist and perfectly cooked. The «baby toy mui» tasted just like baby bok choy to me, and white part of it added a nice crunch to the dish.
Oh, the desserts were sooo good. I had the salted caramel crème brûlée with fresh berries (raspberry and blackberry) — the fruit was a wonderful compliment to the custard, and the caramelized crust had just the right about of crispness — fabulous!
DH had the dark choc tart, which was likewise very good, but I liked my brulee much better (altho he disagreed, and was glad he chose the tart).
We will definitely be back, I hope that brulee reappears on their regular menu.

I usually hold out on giving a 5 star review but Walters is what I’m looking for in a restaurant. The place is in a great location and is beautifully decorated. Very sleek design but still causual.
The food here was great from beginning to end. We had the lamb sliders, beef carpaccio (delicious), lobster gnocchi, shrimp gnocchi, and the mussels. One plate after the next was great. People complain this place is to expensive but I disagree. You pay for quality and Walters delivers.

I have dined here numerous times while in Portland. They have a good menu which is agreeable to most. My best friend always needs a chicken entrée, which they always seems to have.
There was once a chicken under a brick, which was quite good for something which doesn’t sound very exciting. I have had duck, short ribs, and steak. Lobster mac is always a good option. All great.
I have met here with friends for dinner, and with family as well. I have not dined here alone, but the bar is a comfortable dining space for anyone solo.

I went with a group for lunch today and found the menu had NO vegan of vegetarian options. Everything has meat or a meat product in it. How can a place ignore those of us who are trying to be healthy and health conscious. In addition the portions are tiny and the food expensive. Our group will not be going again.

Food ok. Was closing up at 10 on weekend.
What got me was after our snacks (ok at best and the dessert was overpriced and awful)
Myself and some buddies left the restaurant the owner ran after us and asked why we had only left a $ 3 tip.
None of us knew what she was talking about but went back inside to clear it up… turns out the waiter was confused… but still his math didn’t add up from change we left from a 50… so I don’t know what his problem was.
Who chases down their customers after they leave the restaurant???
Get some class.
She apologized… but damage done. Wrongfully humiliated on the streets of Portland.
Our big spender friend from Los Angeles was furious and will never drop his cash. nor will we at this place again.
Much better options right up the street lady!!!

My family frequents Walter’s for special days, e.i., birthdays, anniversaries, etc. We’ve been here numerous times, usually it’s great but every now and then it can be underwhelming.
They don’t have the espresso martini on the cocktail menu anymore (which is lame because it was delicious), but if my sister and I bat our eyelashes the bartender is usually up to the task of making us a couple custom martinis.
We always get several appetizers and split them among everyone at the table. The Japanese Caesar (sweet, spicy, and crunchy), spring rolls, bang isle mussels, crispy Asian ravioli, and cracklin’ calamari (sweet and spicy and my first pick) are some of our favorites.
I like the huge cushy chairs by the windows, we try to score a spot at one of those if there aren’t too many of us. The atmosphere is nice, not too over the top but casual enough.
Sometimes I feel as though the portions here are just way too small for the $$, and if your wallet is feeling a little on the thinner side then this place is definitely not your friend. Like I said, we come here for only special occasions, never for casual dining.
Walter’s back in the day on Exchange St. was wonderful, the new place doesn’t have the same vibe to it. But I’ll be back for some delicious calamari!

Unfortunately this place was less than impressive after spending a weekend eating steamed lobster and mountains of fried seafood across different Maine wharves. It was almost unfair to compare the two but I also considered the restaurant’s service which was ok but not outstanding compared to other fine dining establishments.
One of the biggest disappointments was when 3 of the group including me ordered the Lobster gnocchi entrée and they ran out (only had enough for 2 orders). How can any Maine restaurant run out of lobster!!!
Another bummer was when the lobster gnocchi did finally come out, there was BARELY any lobster in it. I was the one that sacrificed and opted for a different entrée and so glad that I did. Seems like they had enough lobster meat for 1 more order but they did a poor job of stretching it into 2 orders. Just speculation but if it was true, shame on Walters!
Anyway, we shouldn’t of had such expectations since we came here because the wait time at the other restaurants was too long. Guess we deserved this since we didn’t plan ahead. Woe, is me (us).

I really can’t say enough about this place. My mom has a home in Kennebunkport and the family is in town for a bit. I took my mom there for dinner.
It is my first time dining here. I have friends that tell me to try it. But I have held out. I always get a tad nervous trying a new place. Time is valuable to me as I am always at work or busy. So when I go out. I want a guaranteed good meal and a great time. What a home run this place was.
Shawna our server took excellent care of us. She is a true asset to this restaurant. Every suggestion and comment was perfect. She was professional and made the night great.
We started off with the ravioli app. Which I guess has been on the menu for decades. Get the ravioli. It’s to die for. We each had salads. My wedge was awesome. And we both had entrees of the «forbidden shrimp» and the Ahi tuna. Both were some of the best we have had.
My only issue and it wasn’t with Walters was parking. You had to pre pay before you got validated. And it was cash only at this lot. Didn’t make any sense to me. They give you cash back at the table? Kinda dumb. They should work out a better deal with that lot. And what’s wrong with valet? Not many around here do that it looks like. Ca’mon hipster mainers-​you too can have your car parked by someone. It’s fun. Try it.
My mom who has the summer home here and loves Maine said it is hands down her best meal in Maine. I would agree. Best meal in Maine.
The atmosphere was wonderful. The wine was great. Food was outstanding. Go!!!