North Beacon Oyster - Rockland, ME

Fresh seafood and fabulous cocktails

Located in Rockland's historic downtown district, the beautiful building holding North Beacon Oyster dates back to 1850.

We arrived at NBO and decided we needed to meet in the back parking lot for a pre-review powwow/strategy meeting.

I just had my car detailed by Chris Morong at Mt. Battie Car Care in Lincolnville, and I don’t know if it was the cleaning fumes or our pre-meal powwow, but we were feeling a little giggly. This didn’t help our case as we walked in and saw two “Karens” whose faces were set in permanent scowls. Within minutes, they started yelling across the small, quiet space at the bartender... We lost it. It was like watching a slow-motion train wreck you knew was coming.

The bartender was exceptionally patient with them. As we sat at the bar, we asked the tender, Tony, how he could handle guests like that, and his response was “You just have to kill them with kindness.” Cheers to you, Tony, well done!

He was also the only person running the whole front of house, playing the role of bartender (his primary skill at which he’s a true professional), server, food runner from the back kitchen, greeter, host, busser - the whole shebang. This left him running around like crazy, and although he handled it well, we were wishing they provided him some reprieve in any of those areas so the Karen’s of the world could relax.

BUT ON TO THE COCKTAILS! Since we do this all for you, we took the liberty of testing the majority of the cocktail specials they offered.

Espresso Martini: A dream. They use real espresso, which is vital because I’m in the E-Martini game for the caffeine jolt, not a sugar high.

The Banker’s Lunch: A Paloma-style cocktail with a martini twist. Vodka, grapefruit, and dry vermouth—clean, crisp, and dangerous.

The Smoke and Honey: My NBO go-to. Tequila, honey, lemon, and ginger. The real MVP is the piece of sweet dried ginger on top. It’s the little things!

Cranberry Old Fashioned: Simply wonderful. It wasn’t an overwhelming taste of cranberry, which we learned was sourced locally. Royal Rose Syrups offers handcrafted, organic syrups and mixers right in Newcastle, ME.

The Wine: Tony guided us to a stellar Cabernet. The man has range.

FOOD:

We try to hit each restaurant at least twice, just in case it was a funky day for a chef or server! We all need 2^nd chances sometimes... even 3^rd or fourth chances for some of us.

When we did a little teaser video at our last visit, YOU AWESOME PEOPLE gave us suggestions of what to order at our next visit. Chicken Sandwich, Garlic Parm Fries, Oysters, and Calamari. Game on.

We gazed, starry-eyed, at the fabulous list of oyster options- Pemaquid (Bristol), Aphtodite (S. Thomaston), Sweet Lucy (Middle Bay), Unicorn (Damarascotta), Deer Isle (Stonington), and Jumbo (Pemaquid).

We know we love Aphrodite and Pemaquid so we started with those and asked our tender for a recommendation on our 3^rd choice, He said “You can never go wrong with Sweet Lucy” so, we were sold. All 3 were A+. It’s amazing to me that different locations and growers can produce oysters that vary so much in taste. For example, in the Sweet Lucys, you could actually taste the sweetness.

We love Aphrodite Oysters, not only for the taste, but also because it’s run by a badass single mom who is a lobsterman as well as an oyster grower. She works her butt off year-round, raising children, businesses, and bars!

Pemaquid has been a long-time favorite, opening in 1986 and run by Smokey McKeen. Smokey stands out to the locals of South Bristol, as he is also a carpenter who built his own home, a folklorist, and a world-traveling musician. His oysters have a stand-out fresh, crisp taste.. magnifico!

 We grabbed an order of shrimp cocktail. Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed with the snap-o-meter level. Ya know, when you bite into a shrimp, and it’s kind of mushy instead of a crisp snap? That’s how we felt. We wanted to give it another chance on our 2^nd visit, but ran out of space in our tummies. Maybe next time!

Sliders with bacon and jalapeño - YES. The 3 sliders were so delicious. They didn’t come with fries, which we weren’t expecting, but it was so worth it. The 3 sliders were plenty of food and so scrumptious. WILL get again.

The friend chicken sandwich was great. The addition of the pickles and spicy mayo is what made it. The texture of the chicken was a little fatty/greasy, to the point where I actually had to secretly spit some into my napkin. Later in the meal, it became much less of a secret when I picked up my napkin and the mouth-chicken fell on the floor. We might not have laughed quite as hard if I hadn't previously picked up an oyster just to have it jump out of its shell and splat back down on the ice. Real smooth. The garlic-parm fries accompanying the sandwich were interesting, but in the end, a bit too intense a taste for me; the presentation was beautiful.

Fish and chips are a basic staple in any seafood place, so we gave it a whirl. The fish came out nice and hot, along with plain fries and coleslaw. We tried one obligatory bite of the slaw (I mean, it barely makes the ranks of a “side” yet there it is, staring us.) The plain fries were great, and the fish was fresh and delicious.

In total, we love visiting North Beacon Oyster, however we would have loved to see 2 people working the front of the house. He handled it like a pro, but even a superhero needs a sidekick so the Karens of the world can’t monopolize the energy. The service was wonderful and the cocktails were special and spot-on. I would aim my order towards the sliders, fresh oysters, and the Smoke and Honey cocktail!

Serve Hornitos: No

Hours: 11:30am - 9pm daily

Fun fact: December special- Purchase $100 in gift cards and get one for $50 free.

Address: 421 Main Street, Rockland, ME