The Inn On Peaks Island

You know what — you can’t expect much from a restaurant with a captive audience. There are only a few places to eat on Peaks Island and most of them are right there when you walk off the ferry. I’m giving The Inn a four star review because they really don’t need to try too hard but in the end our meal was very good.
They have very nice outdoor seating — we watched the fog disappear across the harbor from our table. Even with hundreds of ferry goers we got a seat right away. Service was slow to start but when we did place our order the pace picked up and we weren’t left waiting too long.
My husband had the reuben sandwich, I had a bowl of chili, and we shared the nachos. The reuben was very good, nice corned beef, good cheese to meat ratio, great bread. The fries are what you expect but there are times when you just want a good pile of cafeteria style french fries. The nachos were piled high with lots of toppings and excellent chip to cheese ratio. They sliced fresh jalapeño on top for a nice touch. Finally, the chili was serviceable and excellent with the chips.
Great sandwich and soup kind of place for an island lunch.

Delicious food and a wonderful experience! We came with a large party and had great service. Everyone was very accommodating!

Food was great! It was a nice relaxing atmosphere and an awesome view when we ate outside. Everyone was very friendly as well!

My lobster bisk was cold and did not have a whole lot of flavor. They did warm it up or maybe replace it. The Mussels where good but with only one piece of bread, so we asked for more bread and was charged 1.50 for two small pieces.
Not bad but, not what I expected either.

Love this place!
Daily specials change and spice things up a bit!
Very very very dog friendly– the brought a fresh clean bowl of water–
Eaten here a bunch and pretty much anything I have gotten was good! Chowdah was good!

Good beer and wine, very good blueberry crisp dessert, decent fish and chips, terrible fish tacos, ok berry salad (but tiny and $ 11!) with gristle-​filled steak chunks. The waitress was pleasant until I said the tacos were not good. She was at a loss for words and avoided our table for 15 minutes. My wife flagged her down, and I ordered the salad with steak. Still not good. And I was charged for both; in fact, the tacos were more expensive than the menu listed. Too pricey and too disappointing. Going back to the restaurant across the street from here.

Stopped here for a late afternoon lunch after biking around the island. We were seated immediately and found both the host and our waitress to be pleasant and friendly. Our waitress was attentive and promptly refilled our waters throughout the meal.
I had their rum punch cocktail which was refreshing and tasted good but wasn’t overly strong. For lunch my boyfriend and I shared the lobster bisque, which was mediocre. It didn’t taste homemade, more like something you’d get at a chain but that they added a few hunks of lobster meat to — meh. I then had the wedge salad, which was fine. Boyfriend had the haddock sandwich and was happy with it. The atmosphere was pretty laid back.

Ordered a lobster roll to go and it lacked flavor. It was a decent lobster roll but I was hoping for a better taste, not sure if the lobster was overcooked or what but it didn’t have the quintessential lobster fresh taste. The service was great though, we were rushing to grab a bite before our ferry back for Portland. I would like to go back and see if it was just an one time deal but the place is beautiful!

The service was so friendly and accommodating to our very large group, cracking jokes and keeping our orders straight, but that doesn’t make up for the bad lobster roll. I am a bit of a lobster roll snob, but this one was just terrible. The bun was hard and tasteless, and the lobster had nothing but lemon which just does not go well. The chowder was quite good, as was the blueberry soda, but I was just expecting a great lobster roll and it did not happen. Despite this, the location is great, right next to the ferry station, and the staff was just great, answering all our questions about everything about the island.

Its right off the ferry, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The food is decent, but the waitress staff this season leaves something to be desired. The girl with the Popsicle Maine tattoo on her wrist needs help with basic hosting skills. We never received silverware, nor did we receive napkins. There are a few times where I thought about bypassing the waitress and going straight to the kitchen to grab what I needed, but I’m not THAT much of an a$$ anymore.

Yikes. We arrived for our 5:00 reservation to an empty restaurant. Our table was not ready. Our waiter was annoyed (and confused) that one of our party asked about gluten free menu items. Another had ice cold scallops. When I asked about a menu item, he told me it was alright. Needless to say, I didn’t order it. I kind of wish I had, though. My ribeye was boot tough and unseasoned, my caesar salad straight out of a bag. I ate two bites of the steak. Blech. The potatoes and vegetables were ok, though. All in all, expensive and mediocre. My advice: bring a picnic and eat outside on the beach. Really expensive, too.

We stopped here for lunch while on the Island. Sat on the outside patio which has a nice view. Wait staff was ok — food was alright.
Had the Greek Hummus Wrap and Peak Island burger. They were nothing special.

The Inn is really 3 «businesses» under one roof. A hotel; an event hall/​tent; and a restaurant/​bar. My experiences have been with the restaurant & bar, which my family, friends, and I like.
The restaurant is open year round, although the menu and the hours are abbreviated in the winter, it is great that it stays open. Many island businesses are seasonal. We are currently seasonal residents, but we have lived on the «rock» year round in the past. A tip of the hat is due to the ones that remain open.
The menu is varied and changes from time to time, including seasonally. Today we had a seared tuna appetizer, which although light on the wasabi, was still excellent. We also had the wedge salad (which is not presented as a wedge), never the less, very good.
A couple of our favorite items: the flatiron steak and the Reuben sandwich are currently off the menu. We often go for the nachos, which have been improved this year by a change from the raw jalepenos to ones that are probably canned, but even though that sounds like a step down, we actually eat them and enjoy the extra kick they provide. When they used to use raw jalepenos, we would sit there cutting them into smaller pieces and removing seeds and membranes. Too much work!
The Mediterranean couscous salad is another item we get frequently. It used to be served pre-​tossed from the kitchen. Now they serve it with the ingredients in separate piles around the bowl. I preferred it the traditional way, but it doesn’t kill me to stir it around. I suppose if someone didn’t like one of the ingredients, it would be easy for them to to move something.
Finally, BIG KUDOS for having pepper mills on every table. Why don’t all restaurants do this?

Living just a mile or two from the ferry terminal, I’ve never entirely seen the point in staying at The Inn On Peaks Island especially since it’s so expensive. A couple years ago, though, I won a contest for a one-​night stay during off-​season. My significant other and I only got around to using it THIS April when — on a whim — we checked the site to see if there were any rooms available. There were just two left, and then nothing again for many, many months. Unfortunately it was the end of the work week, and The Inn wouldn’t be able to verify our reservation until the following week. In a panic because we didn’t think we’d get the room (they get gobbled up really fast), we called and emailed them just to see if anyone might still be around to help us. Later that night, a staff member went out of their way to process the reservation right then and there for us instead of waiting until the following Monday. I feel like that kind of class and customer service is a lost art, so I was REALLY impressed (something I’m notoriously not when it comes to this sort of thing — I blame it entirely on my Mom who was one of the customer service trainers at L.L. Bean, whose standards are VERY high!).
The room was lovely — we stayed in the Cliff Island Suite. It had SOME ocean views (probably more because the trees were still partially bare), but incredible people watching opportunities! It was furnished in a very relaxed, beach-​esque theme which suited us just fine. And while it was nice enough, the bed was one of the most stiff I had ever slept on (we even attempted to sleep on the pullout from the couch at one point thinking that might be more comfortable… it was not). There were also no screens on the windows (though I assume that’s because it was April) and, the deck needed some repair work (again, I’m sure it was taken care of for the summer months).
We didn’t eat at The Inn, so I can’t comment there. As plant-​eaters we didn’t want to be at the mercy of whatever was available at the restaurant — most of which was seafood (which makes sense), so we ended up packing a cooler (talk about saving beaucoup bucks, by the way!). We had heard that they brewed their own beer on site, but after a brief inspection of the bar we didn’t see anything that would suggest they did. I could be wrong there, too!
The staff, however, was absolutely exceptional. They were accommodating, flexible, incredibly respectful of privacy, and genuinely friendly to boot. We felt like fish out of water being at such a nice place, but the staff really helped us feel like we belonged there. Well done, owners of The Inn, for hiring such quality people!
If you’re from away and are looking to immerse yourself in the Portland, ME culture but still want something «coastal» feeling, The Inn On Peaks Island is for you.
If you’re from Portland and are looking for a «staycation» of sorts, The Inn On Peaks Island is also for you. It’s secluded enough that you feel like you’re on a holiday. We had such a good weekend (despite the lack of sleep) that we plan on making it a biyearly thing — once in the spring and once in the fall!

We grabbed a quick bite here before catching the ferry back to downtown Portland.
Quick service, tasty food and plenty of table space to accommodate the large weekend crowds.
They advertise a perfect margarita, and by-​gosh, I am certain they are right. Perfect, chilled and salted. Mmm Margarita!
We shared the nachos which were plenty for 2 and enjoyed every morsel. We listened to one of the waiters give direction to the table next to us, and what to do, where to go, who to see on the island — a seasoned local and travel guide, it was great to hear someone sharing the love of their island.
It was a great experience, and I would recommend to anyone who happens to check out this island.

It was my first venture to peaks island and we were heading to check out this Inn. The Ferry ride set up a surreal evening and as we got off the ferry we could see the Inn looming in the distance. We were fortunate enough to get a very nice tour from Jason who was very accommodating. After seeing the Inn and some of the rooms we were having so much fun that we decided to stay for dinner. We tried the lobster mac and cheese and the seafood platter… All super tasty dinner and we were more than satisfied after dinner. The entire feeling of eating dinner overlooking the ocean from the other side of the mainland is really neat. The ferry ride is quick and a bit different. I would suggest checking this out anytime you are in for an evening adventure mixed with a great taste of Maine and a quality dining experience.

We were married at the Inn On Peaks in October 2012, and we cannot say enough good things about this place as a wedding venue. If we could give them six stars, we would.
Amanda and Jayson, the event staff at the inn, are awesome: They’re organized, professional, and attentive. They were so easy to work with, and brought a great balance of experience and flexibility. The Inn does a lot of weddings, so they know what works and doesn’t. They will offer many different options for setup, food, schedules, logistics, etc. If you’re smart, you should take their advice, because they know what they are talking about… but no matter what you decide, they’ll do their best to deliver what you want.
Between their experience and our clear vision for what we wanted, we were able to put together the perfect event that was executed flawlessly.
On wedding day, they were wiling to set up all of our décor… for no additional fee. All we had to do was set up an example table, and fill out a lighting plan template (which they gave us in advance), and they took care of the rest.
We had the lobster feast as our meal, and everything was so delicious… much better than standard issue lame banquet food. About half of our guests were native New Englanders who know their way around seafood… and even they were raving about the quality of the food. The lobster was so sweet, the chowder thick and delicious, and the mussels buttery and garlicy.
The prices are extremely reasonable compared to other venues and what you get for your money. It wasn’t cheap, but they do not gouge you the way many vendors in the wedding industrial complex do. The facility rental fee includes a tent, basic linens, tables, chairs, flatware, etc. So many places nickel and dime you for all of those things, but they don’t. If you want to bring in custom linens or special tables, you have to pay for that yourself… but we were perfectly happy with the white linens they provided.
Though we live in Maine now, at the time of our wedding, we were living in Kansas City. Even from 1,500 miles away, planning our wedding and working with them was so easy.
The top floor of the Inn has an apartment suite that can sleep 12(ish) people. We had a small wedding party, so we were able to have all of our attendants and their significant others stay in the suite with us. That was a special treat, because we all live in different parts of the country and don’t get to see each other very often. There’s also a spa area attached to the apartment, which they will open and allow you hair and makeup people to set up in. The apartment costs extra to rent, but was well worth it.
We are so thankful to have discovered The Inn On Peaks and grateful to the wonderful staff who made our special day absolutely stress-​free and perfect.

Park your car in a garage and hop the Casco Bay Ferry for a ride to historic Peaks Island. The Inn on Peaks offers incredible dining with a menu that changes with the seasons. This is one of those rare places where I allow myself to completely indulge. I always find myself getting an appetizer, entrée, and dessert when I come here — usually with a drink or three over the course of an evening.
I’ve spent time at the Inn for a variety of reasons: Lunch, dinner, special events, and overnight stays. I’ve always been comfortable and well cared for, with my only complaints coming from the inexperienced staff they hire for the special events. Generally speaking you can count on a good meal and a pleasant evening at The Inn on Peaks.
If you’re having lunch at the Inn on Peaks, you should take a hike to Battery Steele, an abandoned military bunker that held two sixteen inch canons and various other installations for the defense of Portland Maine Harbor during World War I and II. And if you’re interested, stop off at the Fifth Maine Museum before heading back to the ferry.

The BEST baked haddock I’ve ever had… and the blueberry BBQ chicken wings are to die for too! Very reasonably priced, especially the 16 oz Beers… be sure to try the Chamberlin Pale Ale on tap (cask style). They also have a great selection of Shipyard soda (aka: tonic) for the Kids. The outdoor dining is very roomy and not cramped.
So here goes my eval below:
Food: A
Service: B+
Atmosphere: B+ (the pub A+)
Parking by boat: C–
Value: B+
Apps: A–
Family/​Kids friendly: YES

Since there were no reviews on Unilocal and very few reviews around the web, we had no idea what to expect when we came up here last weekend. We had found an old gift certificate for a free overnight stay for two with no expiration date and gave them a call to see if they would still accept it. They said no problem and that there was one room left for the night we were looking for.
So. here’s the deal. We get to the ferry to head over to Peaks Island and find all parking lots near the ferry are full. We paid the $ 90 to bring the car to and from the island. No big deal. We get off the ferry and drive up the hill and find The Inn immediately on our right. We park, grab our bags and walk to the «check-​in» desk. The signs saying «hotel check-​in» had us walking through their restaurant and we finally pulled aside a waitress and asked where exactly we were supposed to check in. She took us to the hostess stand in the restaurant and gave us our keys and brought us to our room. A little odd, but not a big deal at all.
Very spacious room, large shared deck out the back sliding door, very clean (except the lipstick ring around the water glass), a fridge that held 2 waters and 2 yogurts and a coffee maker that didn’t work with snacks next to it. I had read somewhere on line that the Inn gives vouchers for breakfast the next morning so I assumed these were separate. The hotel pamphlet said to call the front desk with any questions, but there was no phone in the room.
We put our name in for dinner at 8pm and then took a 2 hour walk around the island. By the time we got back to the room, we were exhausted and relaxing before dinner. Then the live band starts up in the room directly below our room. DIRECTLY BELOW. It’s loud, the room is shaking, and I was just a little upset that we weren’t forewarned that there was a full wedding in the room right below us. We would’ve used the certificate for another night or at least a different room. Side note: If you do stay here and you get the Outer Greens Room, make sure there’s not a wedding that night.
I went to the hostess stand, asked to speak to the hotel manager and was met with the worst customer service I’ve even seen. I told her that this was a romantic getaway, that if she were able to put herself in my shoes she would’ve understood why we were upset, invited her up to our room to directly experience what was going on in there, and all she had to say was «Yeah. Sorry. Well, at least there’s a noise law so the band should be done around 10? 10:30? I don’t know that time.» I explained that she really should give people a heads-​up about weddings above that room and at the Inn and she shamed me for not going to the wedding section of their website where I would’ve seen that they have a wedding every Friday and Saturday night. I should’ve known better. She said she would talk to the owner and I said I’d be back at 8pm before our dinner reservations.
I went up to her at 8:00pm and she said she spoke with the owner and then explained to me that since I had a free stay on an expired gift certificate (my ass it was expired) there was nothing she could do and we needed to suck it up and just wait for the band to be done playing. I asked her how it was expired and she responded with «I won’t even get into that.» She shrugged her shoulders and stared me down. I walked away, angry, shook it off and sat down to dinner.
The dinner service was ridiculously slow. He was a very nice waiter, kept the drinks coming, but the food took forever. I would give the food 4 stars though… when it finally got to us, it was seriously incredible. I had heard from locals that it was just «meh» — but really, kudos to the chef. Everything was seriously delicious.
So, the next morning I go to the desk to get vouchers for our our breakfast and she said they had done away with that recently. The continental breakfast was already in our room — the 2 yogurts, 2 small waters, chex mix and a trail mix bar. Whatever.
We check out at 10:30am and grab a quick bagel sandwich and get to our car for the 10:45am car ferry. We get in line behind about 10 cars and then a policeman tells us that the line starts much further away. We drive by a dozen more cars to find ourselves in an enormous line to get on the ferry. The ferry that runs once an hour, on the hour, and only holds 12 cars. Yeah, that ferry. Thank you Inn on Peaks for telling us about that issue when we told you where we parked and how we should be on the 930am ferry. Oh right, you never said that. That would’ve been really nice to know. It literally took us 3 hours, sitting in the car, to get on the ferry.
So, all in all, it’s just an Inn. It’s somewhere to stay on a quaint little island. Is it worth $ 300 a night? Absofkinglutely not. Horrible customer service, very little value, just make friends with someone on Peaks Island and stay with them.