White Cap Grille

They are quick and easy during my lunch hour to stop by for a pretty good burger. Sometimes they over cook the burger but other wise I have no complaints.

Love love love! Always a good time, great food, friendly quick waitstaff! The owner often goes around and offers the customers samples of his wife’s whoopie pies. I through a surprise party there about two years ago and had the most wonderful experience. The room downstairs is spacious and the food was all exactly as I expected it to be.

We came here for dinner and it was nothing special but it was quick and easy. The menu has a little bit of everything but it felt a bit overpriced. Servers were friendly and ambiance was nothing special– it was pretty freezing and empty in there. I wouldn’t make a point to come back here when I return to Portland because there are so many great options but it was a decent place to grab a quick bite to eat.

I just came here for lunch with my boyfriend. We came on New Years Day, so it was still decorated (nicely) from the prior night’s festivities. There were some people at the bar and seated at the tables, but not very busy. Strangely, we had three or four people waiting on us and it didn’t seem like anyone was really communicating. It took awhile for the food to come out. My boyfriend got the pastrami (I think), which looked good. I got the grilled chicken panini with sweet potato fries. When the food was delivered, I pointed out that I had asked for sweet potato fries. (Normally I wouldn’t care, but I LOVE sweet potato fries and it costs a couple more bucks to get them.) The waitress took my food into the kitchen and the plate didn’t come back until several minutes later. By the time it came out, my boyfriend had already finished his food! I really don’t like to complain, and I didn’t, but I was peeved and perhaps more so because I was pretty hungry (!). One of the waiters noticed and commented «Sorry about the mix-​up,» but otherwise I really didn’t feel like anyone was very apologetic. Putting this aside… I don’t think I would come back anyway. The food was overpriced for what it was and tasted just okay. With all of the other restaurants to choose from in Portland, I don’t think this place is worth it.

Went there on a coupon deal. I made reservations on their website online a few days prior. I didn’t get an email confirmation so i called them the day of to confirm and they said they didn’t even know they took online reservations which was odd. Food was good. The owner stopped by with homemade mini whoopie pies before the meal which was a nice touch. Service was only okay.

Well, the Martini was good. The tenderloin was OK for tenderloin… the salmon was a greasy mass. The service was inattentive. We waited 45 minutes before we even had a chance to complain. We won’t be back.

Lobster cakes were absolutely delicious. Meals were just as good. Nice selection of draft beers. Great service, quick and friendly.

This is an ok spot to grab «pub style» food in the heart of the Old Port. The décor is decent enough, sort of hipster pub style. On both occasions of me eating here, there has been a very limited crowd, which isn’t a great indicator. The angus burger I had was ok… average quality, but was overcooked for my rare preference. The $ 13 price tag, plus the $ 6 for a draft beer was quite steep for general pub food. The real question here, is what identity this place is going for. The menu is fairly generic… its not a sports bar, not a pub, nor does it offer any type of culinary excellence in any area… It’s basic food. The location is the best thing going for it… nothing glaringly wrong… other than $ 25 for a beer and a burger is a bit over priced in my eyes.
3 stars… average spot

After happy hour drinks we found ourselves at the White Cap for dinner. Nice place, good ambiance, nice selection of beers and good food. Little pricey, but very good place.

My past experiences at White Cap were underwhelming, however my recent visit was exceptional. There seem to be some well needed additions to the entrée menu. The food was fulfilling and well balanced. My husband ordered the lobster mac and cheese and I ordered the tenderloin which was perfectly cooked. I would definitely recommend White Cap for a well cooked American meal.

My boyfriend and I went here on a Tuesday night. We each enjoyed a full four course dinner with a bottle of their house red wine. For starters we had lobster chowder and winter squash soup, both were flavorful and a good start to the meal. Next we had spinach salad and pear and goat cheese salads. Both were great, although the spinach salad was slightly overdressed. I should also note, the salad servings were very generous, and with an added protein could easily be your entrée. Next we tried the almond crusted salmon and beef tenderloin. The salmon was perfectly cooked, not dry, and the flavors were well balanced with the sides. The beef tenderloin was excellent! After all this we decided to save half of our entrees to save room for dessert, which was also delicious and decadent. Overall we thought the portions were generous and the prices and quality were on par for the area. Definitely will go back and recommend to others.

If you are looking for a bite and a drink in a convenient location you may be satisfied here. If you are looking for great food and/​or great service you might be disappointed.
You are paying a premium for the downtown location, but the food and service leave something to be desired. We stopped in for lunch and enjoyed sitting outside on a nice summer day. The food was very mediocre and the prices a bit steep. My ($ 12) veggie burger was bland and mushy as was the bun it was on. My husband enjoyed his pulled pork sandwich. Our waiter never checked on us after dropping off the food (I wanted mustard and never got it), and it took 2 requests and 15 minutes to refill my water glass despite business being very slow. There was only one other table seated outside, and just a few full tables inside.
I wouldn’t return for a meal, but it could be a good place to grab a drink and a snack at the bar.

Stopped in for a few drinks while walking around Portland. Nice step but had to look for the waiter for the check, heaven forbid we wanted another drink or food… Would not stop back at this restaurant.

The food is good but overpriced with small portions. We had a group of 11 and our waitress was completely unprepared to handle it. Food took forever to come out. The worst part is that our waitress added in a tip on top of the automatic 20% gratuity that was added due to our group size. For my $ 135 check our waitress took a $ 50 tip!!!
The management is fixing that situation but I hate that she even got 20%! She did not deserve it. We were an easy group but all left unhappy.
I should also note that we had a reservation. They were not ready for us even though the restaurant was empty.
I will not return.

Decent, but should have been better. Local food cooked fresh sounded great, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype. We originally went here because of the bouillabaisse which was advertised online AND on the sign in the window. Then we found out that they no longer serve it. The waitress was apologetic (and it wasn’t her fault), but it was a disappointment.
The food was all right, but nothing special. No one in our group of 8 ordered a burger, which from reading the Unilocal reviews may be their star dish. The clam and lobster chowders were all right, but I was hoping the bigger bowls would come served in a bread bowl or something. Instead, it was just served in one of those wide, shallow soup bowls that is supposed to look like there’s more soup than there really is. The pasta with the house tomato sauce was ok but nothing spectacular. For the price, I expected a bit better than this.

We were very pleased with our visit to White Cap Grille. Originally we had another place in mind however they did not have an open table for two hours! So we ventured on and stumbled upon this restaurant.
We sat outside, even though it was raining (covered patio)! Our server was very prompt and courteous. The owner even strolled around to each table handing out homemade whoopie pies, woa!
We each ordered the build your own burgers and were very happy. Great place with a cozy atmosphere and affordable meals. A+! Now if only I could get the whoopie pie recipe…

First time I’m writing a review. I went to this place because I read the reviews on Unilocal and it looked decent. We arrived around 1pm on a Sunday (labor day weekend) and the place was almost empty.
We had chowders (lobster & clam), lobster roll and lobster salad and some kid’s meals for my daughters. Overall, food was ok. We ended up at this place because my kids were hungry but if I have had more time I would have chosen another restaurant.

Ok– so the location is awesome. The décor is cute with funky white globe lighting, nice, roomy outdoor seating area, and romantic tea lights. Our waiter was friendly but not overly helpful and we only saw him once or twice. Now– the food. I ordered the bistro steak which was served with mashed potatoes and veg of the day (squash and zucchini). $ 22. My friend ordered the steak tenderloins, covered in blue cheese and grilled onions, also served with mashed potatoes and veg of the day. $ 26 The food arrived quickly, but the plating was a little strange with everything separated. The bistro steak was delicious, very tasty sauce, and cooked exactly how I had asked. But it was cold?! As were the mashed potatoes (which tasted like instant), and the very very bland veg of the day. My friends’s plate was also cold and just as tasteless. I would be willing to give this place another try? Maybe, possibly? Will see?

I’ve never been so profoundly affected by a burger. Their 100% certified angus beef (when cooked medium rare) is a devilishly succulent, flavor brimming paragon of all that a burger should be. It dripped with juicy goodness, but not in the repulsive manner that a backyard cookout ⁸⁰⁄₂₀ frozen patty would. For a brief moment in time, this burger was my everything. I lost the ability to articulate my feelings with any sort of prose. After a mere 3 minutes had passed, the burger had vanished from its original form, reincarnating itself as a warm feeling of serene pleasure at the pit of my stomach.
Immediately, I became despaired. This ephemeral enjoyment would not come again, as I was only to be in Portland for a day. Fortunately, the adeptly salted French fries and pesto aioli comforted me while I waited for the bill. The epitome came shortly after; I would have to share this beauty of a burger, and the experience of eating it, with the world.
Seriously, ⁵⁄₅ would nom again.

I will tell you to preface, the wife and I were heading out to lunch today and were looking for somewhere that we have not been and we were not disappointed when we meandered into this restaurant. It was great when I checked into the restaurant I received a free appetizer of fresh chips and salsa with the order of two entrees/​sandwiches.
The décor is kind of hip meets beatnik with really cool hanging lights above the bar area with an assortment of beverages to partake in behind the bar. The taps had all kinds of fare with SeaDog, Allagash and Shipyard rounding out the 10 or so keg toppers.
The hostess was very nice and friendly and sat us where we wanted to and the server was attentive enough to meet all of our needs.
I ordered the free chips and salsa, of course, and then a bowl of the lobster chowder that was very rich and tasty with a good amount of lobster meat in the chowder unlike so, me places that make you have the need to go in with a magnifying glass to find the tasty crustacean.
We then got our meals, since it was lunchtime, my wife ordered the portobello mushroom sandwich that was both tasty and hearty that came with thin cut french fries on the side. I received the fresh seasonal fruit salad with fresh greens, thinly sliced onions, sliced granny smith apples, sunflower seeds and a very light yet tasty vinaigrette.
You could see by just these lunch dishes that the kitchen cared about what they were sending out to us. A lot of restaurants care a ton for the dinner menu and forget that the lunch crowd carries just as much weight.
The music was played at the right level with an assortment of todays hits with some salsa mixed in so it was a nice touch to a wonderful lunch with my wife.
I recommend this place if you are looking for a good bite to eat with a nice décor and feel to the place.