This Maine Restaurant Inside An 1850s House Serves Old-Fashioned Shepherd’s Pie And Homemade Comfort Food
Homemade pop tarts. Whoopie pies. Pickles made from a grandmother’s recipe. All of it comes out of a yellow house built in 1850.
That house now holds a cozy little restaurant in Maine. A brother and sister run it, and they cook from family recipes. The menu stays short on purpose, built around shepherd’s pie, mac and cheese, and chicken and biscuit.
I like how the whole place feels like a family scrapbook you can eat inside. There’s a working rotary phone on the wall. Toy VW buses sit around like they own the joint.
And sometimes there are baby goats. I can’t imagine a better surprise to find near a dinner table.
A Brother And Sister Turned A Yellow 1850 House Into Dinner
Siblings Isaiah Pottle and Amy Smith opened Pottle’s Restaurant in August 2023. Both are Maine natives, and that home-grown pride shows up everywhere.
The building itself is a yellow house built in 1850. Before Pottle’s, it held a restaurant called 51 Main, so food has a history here already.
What the siblings brought was family. Their recipes, their photos, and their memorabilia now fill the rooms.
It feels less like a business plan and more like a reunion that never ended.
I believe that’s the secret ingredient people can sense right away. A family-run spot tends to care about small things.
Pickles, coleslaw, and pie crusts get extra attention when they carry a relative’s name.
Pottle’s Restaurant keeps things personal without being fussy. The staff is known for being friendly, and the owners are often part of the scene.
You get the feeling someone actually wants you there.
That’s rarer than it should be. A house with 170-plus years of stories now adds new ones every night it’s open.
Not a bad second act for a building that has seen plenty of Maine winters.
The Shepherd’s Pie Is The Reason You Clear Your Evening
Old-fashioned shepherd’s pie sits right at the heart of the menu. It’s the kind of dish that tells you exactly what a kitchen believes in.
At Pottle’s, that belief is simple comfort food made from family recipes. No towering garnish, no foam, no mystery.
Just a classic that grandparents would recognize on sight.
Shepherd’s pie makes sense in a house this old. It’s built for chilly nights, long conversations, and second helpings you swore you wouldn’t want.
Maine weather gives you plenty of reasons to order it.
The menu around it stays short, and that’s a good thing. A small list usually means the kitchen can focus.
Each dish gets made with care instead of rushed through a giant lineup.
Pair it with a side and you’ve got a full, hearty dinner. Some folks lean toward broccoli salad or baked beans to round out the plate.
Here’s my advice for first-timers. Order the shepherd’s pie, then glance at what the next table got.
You’ll likely be planning visit number two before your fork hits the bottom of the dish.
Mac And Cheese, Chicken And Biscuit, And A Sloppy Joe With A Promotion
Sloppy Joe has earned a nickname here. Some fans call it the sloppy Joseph, because apparently it outgrew its casual first name.
That’s the playful spirit of the whole menu at Pottle’s Restaurant. Mac and cheese, chicken and biscuit, and other homestyle plates fill the lineup.
These are dishes that taste like Sunday dinner at a relative’s house.
Mac and cheese is a natural pick for picky eaters and grown-ups alike. Chicken and biscuit brings that warm, stick-to-your-ribs feeling.
Together, they make choosing hard in the best possible way.
A sloppy Joe pizza has also shown up, which feels like a fun mashup. Nachos make the rounds too, for anyone in a sharing mood.
Pro tip: bring a friend and split a few plates. The menu is small, so trading bites lets you cover a lot of ground.
It’s also the easiest way to settle the great sloppy Joseph debate yourself.
Vegetarians should know the menu leans hearty and classic. Ask the staff what’s available that night before you set your heart on anything.
Save Room For Pickles, Slaw, Pop Tarts, And Whoopie Pies
Grandma’s pickle recipe lives on in this kitchen. That alone should earn the pickles a spot on your table.
The pulled pork sandwich comes with a historic family coleslaw. It’s a side with a backstory, which makes it way more interesting than most slaws.
Little details like this give Pottle’s its personality.
Then come the sweets. Homemade pop tarts and whoopie pies rotate through the dessert offerings.
Yes, homemade pop tarts, the kind no toaster box could ever match.
Whoopie pies are a big deal in Maine, so seeing them here feels right. Two soft cakes with filling in between make an easy finish after a hearty meal.
A smart move is to pace yourself during dinner. It’s tempting to clean your plate, but dessert deserves a fair shot.
You can always take leftovers home.
Honestly, the treats might be the sneaky star of the visit. Plenty of people come for shepherd’s pie.
Plenty of them leave talking about a pop tart, which is quite the plot twist for a pastry.
Answer The Rotary Phone? It Actually Works
A working rotary phone hangs on the wall in the bar area. Kids may stare at it like a museum piece, and honestly, fair enough.
The inside of Pottle’s Restaurant is wonderfully quirky. Paintings, vintage televisions, and toy VW buses pop up around the rooms.
Every shelf seems to hold a conversation starter.
The old house layout keeps things intimate. Partitioned rooms break up the space, so it never feels like one big hall.
Exposed old beams overhead remind you this building has been standing since 1850.
There’s also a decommissioned fireplace and a piano. Family pictures and memorabilia fill in the gaps.
The effect lands somewhere between a U.K. snug and Grandma’s living room.
Some folks compare the mood to a cozy Irish pub mixed with a small-town Maine hangout. That combo works surprisingly well.
Take a minute to look around before you order. You’ll spot something new on every wall.
Just don’t expect the toy buses to give directions, though they look like they’ve traveled plenty.
Red Umbrellas, A Fresh Deck, And Maybe A Baby Goat
Baby goats, kittens, and pups have made surprise appearances at Pottle’s. Not every night, of course, but the possibility alone is pretty great.
Warm weather brings the action outside. A newly stained deck with red umbrellas offers outdoor seating.
It’s a cheerful spot for a summer supper in Maine.
Sometimes live music plays on the deck too. Add a soft breeze and a plate of comfort food, and the evening practically plans itself.
The family pups have even become small celebrities. Shelby and Juno have been known to charm diners with good manners.
The place has a reputation as a dog-friendly stop.
If animals are part of your dream dinner, keep expectations relaxed. Critter visits are a bonus, not a menu item.
Still, it’s hard to beat the chance of a goat cameo.
Families with kids will especially enjoy the deck. There’s room to breathe, a laid-back vibe, and plenty to look at.
Grab a table early on nice evenings, because umbrellas and sunshine tend to be popular.
Trivia Night Makes Dinner A Little Competitive
Trivia night has become one of the fun extras here. It turns a regular dinner into a friendly brain workout.
Pottle’s Restaurant feels made for this kind of evening. The rooms are small and cozy, so teams sit close and the energy stays lively.
Nobody gets lost in a giant crowd.
Think of it as a great excuse to gather your sharpest friends. Or your most confident ones, which isn’t always the same group.
Either way, comfort food makes losing a round much easier.
The staff and community bring a lot to the experience. Locals and newcomers mix easily, and the mood leans welcoming rather than cutthroat.
Trivia schedules can change, so check the restaurant’s Facebook page before you go. That’s where updates about events tend to appear.
My tip is to order before the questions start. A plate of mac and cheese on the table helps the brain cells fire.
At least, that’s a theory worth testing. Worst case, you leave full and with a funny story about a wrong answer.
Need Breakfast Or Dinner To Go? The Cooler Has You Covered
Coffee, daily quiche, and muffins aren’t usually what you expect from a pub. Pottle’s adds them through its handy grab-and-go section.
There’s soft-serve ice cream too. That’s a sweet bonus for anyone passing through on a warm day.
The real lifesaver is the cooler. It holds heat-and-eat portions of regular menu items.
So the comfort food can follow you home on a busy night.
Picture a week when cooking feels impossible. A ready portion of something homemade beats another sad frozen dinner.
Your future tired self will be grateful.
Takeout is also available from the full menu. That’s useful for cabin renters and travelers staying nearby who’d rather eat in their pajamas.
Keep in mind the main hours run from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
The restaurant closes Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Plan your stops around that schedule so you don’t show up hungry to a locked door.
Grab-and-go options make Pottle’s more than a sit-down stop. It works like a neighborhood pantry with family cooking inside.
Plan A Trip To This Little Corner Of Liberty
Liberty is a small town in Waldo County, and Pottle’s fits it perfectly. The restaurant sits at 51 ME-173, Liberty, ME 04949.
Finding it is easy, and parking is free. There’s a lot plus street parking, so you won’t circle forever.
That’s always a relief on a hungry evening.
Many visitors pair dinner with a weekend in the area. Cabins and lake stays are common around these parts of Maine.
Pottle’s makes a convenient first-night meal when you’d rather not drive far.
Timing matters here. Doors open at 4 p.m. on Thursday through Monday.
Arriving early gives you the best shot at a relaxed table, especially on the deck in summer.
Pottle’s Restaurant also works great when friends come from out of town. You get to show off something homegrown and full of character.
It beats another chain restaurant by a country mile.
So set the GPS for that yellow 1850 house. Order the shepherd’s pie, save room for a whoopie pie, and keep an eye out for goats.