Food was great. I had the baked stuffed haddock, hubby had the lobster pie. Both were very good. FYI. They do not accept the yelp coupon.
(4)
Juiana L.
Anjon's is a nice destination restaurant located on Route 1 in Scarborough Maine, with picture window seating views, overlooking the natural attraction of marshes where birds and wildlife visit with regularity. All menu entrees are ample servings. The offerings are both Italian and seafood entrees I especially enjoyed the pinot grigio house wine. I ordered a fabulous Italian appetizer salad for my entree and there was plenty to share with our dinner guests, who joined us to celebrate my granddaughter's birthday. My husband's shrimp and steak special was nicely priced. Service is pleasant and prompt. I look forward to a return dining experience.
(4)
Andrew J.
Every meal here is a winner. Pasta, seafood, dessert - all have been amazing every time. Wicked huge portions. Some reserve it for special occasions, but they run specials all the time. One if the best Italian meals in the Portland area.
(5)
Brian G.
There are things about this place I absolutely love, and others that just throw everything off center. It would be a 3-1/2 star place if that rating were possible. So I have to round down for a few reasons. First, the good - this place has some of the best tomato sauce I've had in a restaurant outside of South Philly and Little Italy in NYC. They jar it for retail, and for good reason. Very worthy. Their Sicilian gravy, marinara and basic tomato sauce are all super flavorful, and it's my choice of sauce to use at home when not making my own. Their pasta is delicious too - notably the traditional spaghetti and angel hair, and the lasagna. The only pasta of theirs I have not enjoyed is the gnocchi, which I found way too dense. I prefer a lighter, pillow-like gnocchi over a dense, chewy gnocchi. As for meats, the meatballs and sausage are also incredible. Tender and full of flavor. I have also enjoyed some of the veal dishes, including the Veal Calabrese, which brings together tender pieces of veal with pasta, vegetables, lots of cheese, and a marsala-flavored sauce. Just delicious. There are just so many weird things about this place, which kind of hit you on entering the front door. First, it just seems so damn outdated. I bet this place looked awesome in 1985. (Personally, I prefer to sit in the bar area over the dining rooms. Much cozier, far better ambience.) One look at the menu kind of has that all hit home - it's all about history, old photos, etc. Someone needs to freshen up their message - a nod to history is cool, but it just feels like the restaurant's message is about living in the past. Similarly, update your menu. Overall, it's not very creative - again, probably cutting edge for the late 70s/early 80s. The Stuffed Bread menu is pretty cool, but you have to special order most of the varieties in advance; the one that was available (pepperoni) was seriously underwhelming. A lot of this has to do with the bread, which I do not like. Before each meal, the server plops a basket of cold, flavorless bread on the table in a 1980s-style basket. That's the same underwhelming bread they used for the Stuffed Bread, as far as I can tell. Also, every time I've been there the special has been "twin lobster tails." Dude, no offense but I didn't come to an Italian restaurant in Southern Maine for frickin' lobsters, which I can get fresh out of the water at endless lobster pounds and specialty seafood restaurants. Finally, the service here has always been great - no complaints whatsoever. But, prices are WAY too high. Easily north of $100 if ordering two apps, two dinners and a beer or two. Want a salad? It sure is nice to have a salad with an Italian meal, right? Prepare to shell out more dough, because they are too frickin' cheap here to give you a small helping of lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber on a plate with your $25 plate. Given all the photos on their menu, they should add one of the owner grinning at the camera and sticking up his middle finger just above the salad menu. This place is good and we continue to patron it occasionally (our kids like it - they go nuts over the angel hair). But, it sure as hell could be better, and Anjon's owes it to their customers to put in a little more effort to modernizing their approach.
(3)
S C.
Very disappointing and extremely over priced! We have been to Anjon's 3 or 4 times and everyone usually loves it and we make it a point to go here when we come to Maine for vacation. However this time it was not good. First off the prices are way too high for the quality of food. One person in our party ordered the haddock marinara for $26. The whole meal was just a plate covered in marinara and a small/medium sized haddock filet sitting in the middle and it came with a baked potato on the side. No other sides or any vegetables with it. It was good, but you will be starving 20 minutes later. Another person had the sirloin surf and turf. The steak however had no seasoning or flavor. It tasted like it was just put on the grill without even salt and pepper on it. For a $30 dish you expect it to taste good. One person had the Sicilian sirloin steak which on the menu reads "finest beef cut to order". The steak was ordered medium and was well done when brought to the table. The steak had a lot of fat and it was very tough. It was not a good quality cut of meat. I had the antipasto salad which was not bad other than the fact it was drowned out in dressing. There was probably a quarter of an inch of dressing just sitting on the whole bottom of my dish. The lettuce got soggy and some of the dressing had to be drained off some of the lettuce that was on the bottom before you ate it as it was soaked in oil and vinegar. The salad itself wasn't bad, but for $17 it should be good. The shrimp prosciutto appetizer is great and I do recommend this. We order this every time we come here. The shrimp cocktail is absolutely insane to pay $5 per shrimp. It is not worth it. It is no bigger or fresher than any other place. You can get shrimp that are just as big if not bigger and fresh at other places nearby for $1.50 each. The service was not great either as we were rushed through dinner and rushed out. For a party of 8 people we were out of there within 45 minutes to an hour. The waitress kept coming to the table clearing dishes, asking if we were done with dishes and glasses etc. as some people were still eating and trying to enjoy their dinner. Overall we were extremely disappointed with the visit and after coming here for several years we probably won't be coming here anymore as it is not good quality and very overpriced and we found some other much better places in the area. For the prices of the meals you expect to have good service and quality meals. I don't know if there have been changes in ownership or management, but overall this was a huge disappointment.
(2)
A H.
I've been eating here for at least six years. I was thrilled when they added a gluten free pasta option. It's delicious, as is their sauce which is made in-house. I normally order a pasta dish or the prime rib when available. I have tried their steak but did not like it; it's very pricey and didn't taste like a very good cut of meat. I also do not recommend the baked potato as a side-- it has consistently been dried out. I love the view of the marsh, and it's a nice, unpretentious place to eat.
(4)
Gail C.
Mouse running around dining room and food was just ok, but the highlight of our visit was the mouse that visited every table. When I called the manager over to our table she immediately asked if we had a new friend in our area!!!! She apologized to each table and said it must have come in that day when they had the doors open for a liquor delivery! Please, she knew without me saying anything that there was a visitor and it just came in today??? Our waiter said they had been fighting the problem for at least 3 days. To make it worse no one tried to catch the rodent or offer any discount. They asked if we wanted to talk to the owner who was right around the corner. Wouldn't a decent owner come out and try to put his customers at ease??? We paid our $95.00 bill, which was for 3 entrees, one appetizer and an iced tea and sparking water! DEFINITELY WILL NOT BE BACK HERE EVER!!!
(1)
Scott R.
Oddly and distinctively situated along US1 in an enormous salt marsh, Anjon's has stood out for decades. Too bad it's not a standout for dinner. The majority of entrees are about $24, yet the ones I saw were plain, simple meals. No vegetable, salad, or sprig of parsley accompanied any pasta dish. Why would a scallop and baked potato dinner have no green on the side? The pasta is good, the marinara tasty, the meatballs tender and flavorful. Oh, server, a table of 6 should have more than 5 waters. Cut the prices in half and this is an okay deal, but still not the answer to "where tonight?"
(2)
Brian S.
Fountains statues and seafood There are lots of good seafood restaurants in Southern Maine. Definitely not difficult to find lobster or other sea bugs in this part of the world. Anjon's is an attractive and pleasantly bizarre type of restaurant.. A huge fountain greets you and grabs your attention as you walk in the door. Actually the wind was blowing pretty hard so we got a refreshing shower trying to get by the fountain and in the restaurant. Kind of cool. The inside has strange little statues and murals on the wall. I guess it was kind of a pseudo Italian type of decor but it was fun to look at and trying to figure out exactly what they meant to represent. The food tended to be pricey but then seafood usually is, even in Maine. Our perky waitress said that Anjon's had the best seafood in all of Maine. A bit of an exaggeration perhaps but it was decent and filling. The service was pleasant and quick and our water glasses were filled promptly. The lobster was tender and tasty but not pre cracked like in some other restaurants. If you wanted to eat that big red bug you had to work for it. Definitely a nice restaurant for seafood if you don't mind paying a bit more than in the take out joints. I would to enjoy going back and try some of the pasta and more traditional things the next time we are in Scarborough.
(4)
Julie H.
Went with 6 friends. 4 ordered pasta dishes and were somewhat satisfied. A friend & I ordered baked stuffed haddock. It was just awful. Fish was dry stuffing tasted spoiled. Came with an overcooked baked potato. Paid $30 (18% gratuity was added) when it was mentioned to our waitress she just said ok ill tell the chief. We won't go back
(2)
TJ S.
20 water pollution violations according to the New York Times (1). projects.nytimes.com/tox…
(1)
Amy C.
Oh my god, we ordered soo much food! meatballs, stuffed bread and stuffed mushrooms for our appetizers. the meatballs were huge and just liike an Italien Nonna would make. the stuffed bread was cooked to perfection, filled with sausage, cheese and sauce. the stuffed mushrooms were snapped up so fast, i only got one! Then came dinner! large maine shrimp scampi for me, it was seasoned perfectly and the shrimp cooked just right. its easy to over cook shrimp, but this was perfect. They have really good dinner specials for $20, like 2 steamed lobsters, steak and lobster, and steak. you cant beat the price. the wine menu has a lot of good options. we ate in the bar and we really liked the atmosphere there. Check in on yelp and get a $10 off two meals coupon!
(5)
Melanie M.
Overpriced and not that great (I may just be snobby, but I've had my fair share of pasta!). We started with a round of drinks - house wine wasn't too bad. After ordering our meals we got a basket of bread, which was just like regular cold bread with very cold butter. I was somewhat expecting a nice, toasty basket of bread (especially for the price), but this was a sign of what was to come. When we got our meals, two of the four of us approved (and those two had the same meal - so maybe 1 against 2?). Chicken parm with linguine was great. The chicken picatta with a side of pasta was just OK (chicken was bland, pasta sauce was great). And my artichoke hearts over linguine dish was a bit sour (the sauce was, not the artichokes or the capers) - would say it was only so-so. When the bill came, it was somewhat startling to see $110 considering half of us were left with unhappy stomachs (not full because we didn't want to eat it). I probably wouldn't recommend coming here based on the prices alone. I should've went for something different on the menu.
(3)
Patty C.
The first time we tried this the food was really good . But it was on a weekend when it was busy. Went again on a thursday and this time i tried the shore dinner, lobster, steamers , corn on the cob and baked potatoe. My fault for ordering this at an italian place i guess. The minute our server set my plate in front of me the seafood smelled awful. The lobster claws had a coating of white stuff ? All over it . Steamers were dirty and smelled also. My husband ordered pasta, meatballs , and sausage. It was awful. He loved it the first visit too . This time the sauce was old , sausages were old also . Way overcooked . And just looked like they had been sitting in sauce for weeks . Very disappointed this trip. Service was great though.
(2)
Christine F.
Ate here while on vacation in Maine and we were not disappointed. The menu was a little pricy, but the food was very good and the service was quick. I ordered stuffed mushrooms and those were a bit mediocre (which is why not 5 stars), but the entree was Lobster Scampi, and I have to say it was the best scampi I've ever had that wasn't homemade. I would go there again just to order the same thing. The decor inside is cute, 2-3 steps up from an Olive Garden, and there is a pretty fountain outside that is good for taking pictures in front of. I would definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Mike L.
We went out to Old Orchard Beach for the day and planned on going to the Saco Drive-In at night. I stumbled upon Anjon's because there didn't seem to be a whole lot in that area and I was in the mood for Italian. We had a brief wait when we arrived and I felt a little embarrassed wearing a tank top and bathing suit because it was a fairly nice restaurant, but I'm sure they are used to that kind of thing being a tourist area, not far from the beach. I noticed that they sell their own sauce in jars so I figured it must be pretty good and had to try the Chicken Parm. The sauce really was quite noteworthy. The Italian dressing on the salad was excellent as well. Service was good and we were able to make it to the Drive-In with plenty of time. The prices are normally a little high but they had a check in offer on Yelp for $10 off which made it a great deal. If you are in that area you have to stop in. You won't regret it.
(4)
Brian M.
We took our kids here and the meal was pretty good. But it was enormously expensive for what you get. I liked my scampi with clams, scallops, and lobster on linguini. But it was $35, with no greens, no sides, and the place just sort of feels like you're in some Little Italy and it's 1978 or so.
(3)
Adrienne M.
My husband made a reservation for 6:00 last Saturday. We came in and were told there was no reservation. The hostess asked us several times if it would be under a different name? Then she got exasperated...rather than saying there was some sort of a mistake .Finally, I asked if there were a table. Yes, there was. Waitress was pleasant- took our order- we wanted to split a Caesar salad, along with entres. Asked if we wanted anchovies- Big salad comes- waitress does not bring separate plates for us to separate portions....never brought bread/butter (as other tables had), never filled our empty water glass. Then bill comes- anchovies extra, white pasta sauce on side dish, extra. Entrees were pricey, we really felt "nickled and dimed". Service was awful. Dinner was okay but not worth the prices...... Many other better options around
(1)
Bryan S.
Top line: very good Italian food, great service, a must go! Went here with a group on a recommendation. Overall, this place was wonderful. Great food. Seems very authentic and very fresh. Good selection of food, and drinks. Service was awesome. Bottom line: if you are looking for some fresh, low priced and tasty Italian, this is the place to go!
(4)
Jason W.
Stopped in on a whim, the staff was so friendly and informative. The food was excellent and the portions generous. The waitress went out of her way to make us feel welcome, and look after the child in our group of three. Classy atmosphere, but even with us in t-shirts nothing but smiles from all the staff. Will go back in a heartbeat.
(5)
M L.
(Would rate a 3.5 if Yelp allowed.) A previous reviewer said it best: "nothing is excellent, but everything is good." Anjon's makes up for its priciness with large portions. I'm a pasta fiend and still leave with leftovers every time (a bonus considering most dishes are $20+). Their marinara sauce, which they also sell in jars, is very good.
(3)
Amelia H.
It actually hurts to only give this place three stars, but the service was just bad. My family has been vacationing in Maine for over 25 years, and my husband's family for more than 30 years, and neither of us had ever been, so we thought it was about time. We made reservations to eat at Anjon's with my husband's family for Friday night. When we arrived the place was dead. We were seated upstairs and of the 15-20 tables up there, only 2 others had people at them. It was absolutely freezing up there too. Although the waiter did turn down the A/C when we asked. The prices are pretty normal for other nice restaurants in the area. I had the chicken parmesan and my husband the veal calabrese. We both loved our meals and thought the portion size was just right. His aunt got the italian surf and turf and loved it. She said her filet was cooked perfectly. The rest of the table enjoyed their meals too. Now for my complaint. The service was too slow. We placed our order at 7:20 and it was after 8 before we got our food. The restaurant was not full downstairs and there were only three tables (including us) taken upstairs. We were a party of 7, so we were not overly large and difficult to handle. I was very disappointed.
(3)
Martha T.
We went there for my birthday, Very disappointed. We had lasagna, cannelloni, sausage, meatballs .All very dry and tasteless, as though sitting on the stove too long. Stouffer's frozen is way better than this. We will never go back - I think it's time for them to give up and close. The only good thing: stuffed mushrooms were OUTSTANDING! Overall, a waste of money - way too expensive, and not good at all. We will never go back.
(2)
K M.
We were traveling back to our Curtis Cove rental from our traditional visit to the Portland Children's Museum and the Portland Museum of Art the day after Thanksgiving and decided to have dinner at Anjon's just like we did last year (maybe Anjon is becoming part of the tradition too). We were seated upstairs at the same table as last year. Although downstairs was bustling, we were alone and had a quiet meal. My wife got Fra Diavolo, but switched out the mussels for lobster (which was only a $10 up charge that I thought was very reasonable) and loved every bite. I went with the Veal Calabrese, one of Anjon's specialities, which was well worth trying as it had the right mix of mushroom to wine sauce (BTW, I was in the mood for a glass of wine and tried the house chianti, which was not bad at all) and came with the option of the pasta under the veal or on a separate plate. Because I didn't want to eat too much pasta (I know, how can one eat too much pasta :-), I got it on the side with their regular marinara. I think it would have been really good mixed with the wine sauce and will try it that way the next time. The two older girls got pasta dishes; one meatballs and manicotti and the other sausage with gnocchi. Nothing left on either plate. The little one got steamed Maine clams which she devoured in no time. She was still hungry so we followed up with a kids meal, hamburger and french fries that she started but didn't finish. Tried the burger and was really good for an Italian restaurant. So I really think that Anjon's will become part of the tradition and we will most definitely be back.
(4)
Jennifer D.
Overall a nice place. Fast and friendly service. Family friendly & casual atmosphere. Food is tasty. Would recommended to friends!
(4)
Kathy S.
Went to Anjon's for dinner with my Husband and another couple and had a fantastic time! The ambiance is very nice. I love the cork walls and the place is very clean. The hostess seated us right away and was very nice! The menu had many items to choose from and had "specials". I had the Veal parmigiana and it was delicious. My friend had the lobster and steak special and he absolutely loved it. We have been talking about going to Anjon's for two Summer's now and we are so glad we did. We are definitely going to be going here more often. Our waitress was also very fast, kind and on top of things. I'm definitely going back for the lobster special!
(4)
Ash D.
My family always comes here atleast once when we're vacationing in Maine. It's a nice change from the average greasy seafood places that are all over this area. They have great sauce and I think I've enjoyed everything that I have ordered. The food is a little over-priced and the waits can be LONG but overall it's worth it for some nice Italian food.
(4)
Rick G.
Food was good though the menu was a bit confusing as to what was lunch and what was dinner.
(4)
Wayne M.
Whent to Anjon's this past weekend. The place was empty but it still took the hostess fifteen minutes to seat us. The waiter ignored us for another ten minutes before taking our drink order, which he got wrong. Three water's a pepsi and an ice tea. Ordered from the diner menu, portions were real small. Thecutlets tasted like frozen diners and the sauce tasted like it came from a jar. Left ther hungry and went to ht Maine Diner for desert.
(1)
Krystal Y.
We as a family of 12 showed up with No reservation I understand its large party but when we asked if we could eat the Manger said "tell them they r shit out of luck" I let the server know we heard it and we will never recommend this place. You got out of a large party and our family will never return.
(1)
Sarah W.
My Parents have been going here forever. It's tricky to find a non-franchise restaurant (without going into the Old Port) between the Maine Mall area and Saco. I have not been here, by choice, since maybe middle school.. it's been a long time. Now, I can appreciate good Italian food. We sat in the bar area at a table. Food seemed consistent and was tasty... and if you were wondering, I had the cannelloni! Parking is convenient. I'd go back again if in that area.
(4)
Bud P.
This is an old style family Italian joint. The food is decent and they have all the favorites. Nothing is excellent but everything is good. Huge portions and reasonable prices.
(3)
Nancy H.
Do you remove negative reviews? I wrote one last month and it is gone.
(1)
tim b.
Tired out by the fried-unidentifiables-in-a-basket you find all around OOB, we tried Anjon's out of desperation. It is a charming family-owned restaurant that has the outward appearance of a chain. The service was fine (I think one of the family members was our waitress) although she was much more engaged in a loud conversation with a couple at an adjoining table about their dead dog than she was with taking care of our order. I admit: living in the NY metropolitan area we are spoiled with excellent Italian cuisine. As I'm in training, I went with broiled haddock and whole wheat pasta and the house marinara. The fish was overcooked and served in small steel dish without garnish. The presentation was off-putting right off the bat. OK, a bit snobbish, perhaps, but for $22 I was expecting a bit more. The side dish of pasta was the high point - best whole wheat pasta I've tasted. Perfectly prepared. The sauce was flavorful with real, ripe tomatoes and discernible fresh basil. No salads come with the entrees. Only cold Italian bread in a basket. Had I known, I would have ordered an antipasto. My family said the bread was decent and fresh, but it arrived cold. The butter was colder, leading to the unappetizing spectacle of watching hard chunks of butter tearing into soft cold Italian bread. This is such a simple thing to fix, and changes the experience of the diner awaiting her/his entree with no salad to munch. My wife enjoyed a three cheese veal parmigiana that was intensely flavorful, although the veal was a bit tough and overcooked. My son did the best among us with a seafood scampi that was as well prepared as it was enormous in quantity. I would try this restaurant again when I'm not measuring grams of protein or worried about excessive carbs. They have a selection of stuffed breads that look like they'd be delicious.
(3)
Meredith F.
Since I moved from Maine in 1999 I have eaten in many, many Italian restaurants in my subsequent home cities of Boston and New York. In all that time, in all the Italian restaurants I've eaten in, I have never, ever tasted a marinara sauce as good as Anjon's. If you come here and do not leave with at least a few jars, you are missing out. Luckily you can even buy them online and have them shipped to your door. The food is consistently very good, although nothing in particular stands out to me except for the fried ravioli. It is lightly breaded and fried until crisp, and served in a pool of that amazing tomato sauce, with a creamy garlic aioli drizzled over top. During my last visit I had a fresh (and very large) caesar salad and the meatballs. The meatballs were flavored with garlic and herbs and tasted homemade rather than the mealy, oversalted versions you find at many other American-Italian restaurants. Their creme brulee is also outstanding. Really, I've never had a bad meal here...and you could pretty much dump that sauce on anything and it would be amazing.
(4)
Matthew D.
Let me start off by saying that I've been coming to Anjon's for twenty or so years on vacations. We used to rave about it to our friends back in NY every time Maine came up during conversation. After our recent stop we wont be back which pains me to say. The sauce is amazing but the prices are insane for the TINY portions they serve. The ownership changed hands to the old owners son and has gone through a renovation of sorts. I don't think the new generation of ownership understands how to attract and retain customers. Eat here if your wallet can afford $30 meals that barely feed one.
(3)
Captain S.
Just arrived at our hotel and the guy at the desk said this was the best place to eat. We had lobster and steak. The lobster was delicious. Everything that one would expect for a first Maine dinner. The steak was good also, we've just had better. But for the price, you can't go wrong with the specials. According to the menu and advertising they have very good Italian food also.
(4)
Matt C.
The atmosphere was nice and the staff friendly, but the food was WAY over priced for the quality.
(3)
Allison P.
We came to Maine on vacation, we were looking for a hotel near food and with the Admiral motel just down the street, we were sold. Anjons restaurant has some of the best italian sauce and atmosphere of any Italian restaurant that we have been to in 20 years or more.
(4)
Kevin S.
Anjon's is an Italian restaurant, but when in Maine, eat seafood. So I can't really comment on the quality of the Italian fare, but the seafood was great. I had lunch there and started with the lobster stew. It's definitely not a chowder, hardly any, if any at all, cream. It was very lightly flavored yet thick and almost tangy. I had a cup of the lobster stew for $8. It was really just a cup, not even a big coffee mug, but the amount of real lobster chunks in it was unbelievable. There were 2 claws, about 3 inches long a piece, and 3 knuckle meat pieces. I also had the fried clams and scallops, which were served with choice of potato and slaw, which weren't anything special and I didn't finish either. The clams and scallops were lightly battered, moist, fresh, and delicious. The batter was flavorful, but not greasy or overbearing. My friend had a lobster roll, which was basically lobster claw and knuckle meat mixed together with mayo and chilled as a salad, spread over a warm roll. It looked great, and from what I heard tasted great too. My other friend had a seafood pasta with linguine and alfredo. There were large chunks of shrimp, scallops, fish, clams, and mussels. So everything that I saw had a lot of seafood mixed in. It was great, not too expensive, and I would definitely go back and recommend to a friend.
(4)
Brian S.
Fountains statues and seafood There are lots of good seafood restaurants in Southern Maine. Definitely not difficult to find lobster or other sea bugs in this part of the world. Anjon's is an attractive and pleasantly bizarre type of restaurant.. A huge fountain greets you and grabs your attention as you walk in the door. Actually the wind was blowing pretty hard so we got a refreshing shower trying to get by the fountain and in the restaurant. Kind of cool. The inside has strange little statues and murals on the wall. I guess it was kind of a pseudo Italian type of decor but it was fun to look at and trying to figure out exactly what they meant to represent. The food tended to be pricey but then seafood usually is, even in Maine. Our perky waitress said that Anjon's had the best seafood in all of Maine. A bit of an exaggeration perhaps but it was decent and filling. The service was pleasant and quick and our water glasses were filled promptly. The lobster was tender and tasty but not pre cracked like in some other restaurants. If you wanted to eat that big red bug you had to work for it. Definitely a nice restaurant for seafood if you don't mind paying a bit more than in the take out joints. I would to enjoy going back and try some of the pasta and more traditional things the next time we are in Scarborough.
(4)
Amy C.
Oh my god, we ordered soo much food! meatballs, stuffed bread and stuffed mushrooms for our appetizers. the meatballs were huge and just liike an Italien Nonna would make. the stuffed bread was cooked to perfection, filled with sausage, cheese and sauce. the stuffed mushrooms were snapped up so fast, i only got one! Then came dinner! large maine shrimp scampi for me, it was seasoned perfectly and the shrimp cooked just right. its easy to over cook shrimp, but this was perfect. They have really good dinner specials for $20, like 2 steamed lobsters, steak and lobster, and steak. you cant beat the price. the wine menu has a lot of good options. we ate in the bar and we really liked the atmosphere there. Check in on yelp and get a $10 off two meals coupon!
(5)
Melanie M.
Overpriced and not that great (I may just be snobby, but I've had my fair share of pasta!). We started with a round of drinks - house wine wasn't too bad. After ordering our meals we got a basket of bread, which was just like regular cold bread with very cold butter. I was somewhat expecting a nice, toasty basket of bread (especially for the price), but this was a sign of what was to come. When we got our meals, two of the four of us approved (and those two had the same meal - so maybe 1 against 2?). Chicken parm with linguine was great. The chicken picatta with a side of pasta was just OK (chicken was bland, pasta sauce was great). And my artichoke hearts over linguine dish was a bit sour (the sauce was, not the artichokes or the capers) - would say it was only so-so. When the bill came, it was somewhat startling to see $110 considering half of us were left with unhappy stomachs (not full because we didn't want to eat it). I probably wouldn't recommend coming here based on the prices alone. I should've went for something different on the menu.
(3)
Brian G.
There are things about this place I absolutely love, and others that just throw everything off center. It would be a 3-1/2 star place if that rating were possible. So I have to round down for a few reasons. First, the good - this place has some of the best tomato sauce I've had in a restaurant outside of South Philly and Little Italy in NYC. They jar it for retail, and for good reason. Very worthy. Their Sicilian gravy, marinara and basic tomato sauce are all super flavorful, and it's my choice of sauce to use at home when not making my own. Their pasta is delicious too - notably the traditional spaghetti and angel hair, and the lasagna. The only pasta of theirs I have not enjoyed is the gnocchi, which I found way too dense. I prefer a lighter, pillow-like gnocchi over a dense, chewy gnocchi. As for meats, the meatballs and sausage are also incredible. Tender and full of flavor. I have also enjoyed some of the veal dishes, including the Veal Calabrese, which brings together tender pieces of veal with pasta, vegetables, lots of cheese, and a marsala-flavored sauce. Just delicious. There are just so many weird things about this place, which kind of hit you on entering the front door. First, it just seems so damn outdated. I bet this place looked awesome in 1985. (Personally, I prefer to sit in the bar area over the dining rooms. Much cozier, far better ambience.) One look at the menu kind of has that all hit home - it's all about history, old photos, etc. Someone needs to freshen up their message - a nod to history is cool, but it just feels like the restaurant's message is about living in the past. Similarly, update your menu. Overall, it's not very creative - again, probably cutting edge for the late 70s/early 80s. The Stuffed Bread menu is pretty cool, but you have to special order most of the varieties in advance; the one that was available (pepperoni) was seriously underwhelming. A lot of this has to do with the bread, which I do not like. Before each meal, the server plops a basket of cold, flavorless bread on the table in a 1980s-style basket. That's the same underwhelming bread they used for the Stuffed Bread, as far as I can tell. Also, every time I've been there the special has been "twin lobster tails." Dude, no offense but I didn't come to an Italian restaurant in Southern Maine for frickin' lobsters, which I can get fresh out of the water at endless lobster pounds and specialty seafood restaurants. Finally, the service here has always been great - no complaints whatsoever. But, prices are WAY too high. Easily north of $100 if ordering two apps, two dinners and a beer or two. Want a salad? It sure is nice to have a salad with an Italian meal, right? Prepare to shell out more dough, because they are too frickin' cheap here to give you a small helping of lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber on a plate with your $25 plate. Given all the photos on their menu, they should add one of the owner grinning at the camera and sticking up his middle finger just above the salad menu. This place is good and we continue to patron it occasionally (our kids like it - they go nuts over the angel hair). But, it sure as hell could be better, and Anjon's owes it to their customers to put in a little more effort to modernizing their approach.
(3)
S C.
Very disappointing and extremely over priced! We have been to Anjon's 3 or 4 times and everyone usually loves it and we make it a point to go here when we come to Maine for vacation. However this time it was not good. First off the prices are way too high for the quality of food. One person in our party ordered the haddock marinara for $26. The whole meal was just a plate covered in marinara and a small/medium sized haddock filet sitting in the middle and it came with a baked potato on the side. No other sides or any vegetables with it. It was good, but you will be starving 20 minutes later. Another person had the sirloin surf and turf. The steak however had no seasoning or flavor. It tasted like it was just put on the grill without even salt and pepper on it. For a $30 dish you expect it to taste good. One person had the Sicilian sirloin steak which on the menu reads "finest beef cut to order". The steak was ordered medium and was well done when brought to the table. The steak had a lot of fat and it was very tough. It was not a good quality cut of meat. I had the antipasto salad which was not bad other than the fact it was drowned out in dressing. There was probably a quarter of an inch of dressing just sitting on the whole bottom of my dish. The lettuce got soggy and some of the dressing had to be drained off some of the lettuce that was on the bottom before you ate it as it was soaked in oil and vinegar. The salad itself wasn't bad, but for $17 it should be good. The shrimp prosciutto appetizer is great and I do recommend this. We order this every time we come here. The shrimp cocktail is absolutely insane to pay $5 per shrimp. It is not worth it. It is no bigger or fresher than any other place. You can get shrimp that are just as big if not bigger and fresh at other places nearby for $1.50 each. The service was not great either as we were rushed through dinner and rushed out. For a party of 8 people we were out of there within 45 minutes to an hour. The waitress kept coming to the table clearing dishes, asking if we were done with dishes and glasses etc. as some people were still eating and trying to enjoy their dinner. Overall we were extremely disappointed with the visit and after coming here for several years we probably won't be coming here anymore as it is not good quality and very overpriced and we found some other much better places in the area. For the prices of the meals you expect to have good service and quality meals. I don't know if there have been changes in ownership or management, but overall this was a huge disappointment.
(2)
A H.
I've been eating here for at least six years. I was thrilled when they added a gluten free pasta option. It's delicious, as is their sauce which is made in-house. I normally order a pasta dish or the prime rib when available. I have tried their steak but did not like it; it's very pricey and didn't taste like a very good cut of meat. I also do not recommend the baked potato as a side-- it has consistently been dried out. I love the view of the marsh, and it's a nice, unpretentious place to eat.
(4)
Patty C.
The first time we tried this the food was really good . But it was on a weekend when it was busy. Went again on a thursday and this time i tried the shore dinner, lobster, steamers , corn on the cob and baked potatoe. My fault for ordering this at an italian place i guess. The minute our server set my plate in front of me the seafood smelled awful. The lobster claws had a coating of white stuff ? All over it . Steamers were dirty and smelled also. My husband ordered pasta, meatballs , and sausage. It was awful. He loved it the first visit too . This time the sauce was old , sausages were old also . Way overcooked . And just looked like they had been sitting in sauce for weeks . Very disappointed this trip. Service was great though.
(2)
Christine F.
Ate here while on vacation in Maine and we were not disappointed. The menu was a little pricy, but the food was very good and the service was quick. I ordered stuffed mushrooms and those were a bit mediocre (which is why not 5 stars), but the entree was Lobster Scampi, and I have to say it was the best scampi I've ever had that wasn't homemade. I would go there again just to order the same thing. The decor inside is cute, 2-3 steps up from an Olive Garden, and there is a pretty fountain outside that is good for taking pictures in front of. I would definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Mike L.
We went out to Old Orchard Beach for the day and planned on going to the Saco Drive-In at night. I stumbled upon Anjon's because there didn't seem to be a whole lot in that area and I was in the mood for Italian. We had a brief wait when we arrived and I felt a little embarrassed wearing a tank top and bathing suit because it was a fairly nice restaurant, but I'm sure they are used to that kind of thing being a tourist area, not far from the beach. I noticed that they sell their own sauce in jars so I figured it must be pretty good and had to try the Chicken Parm. The sauce really was quite noteworthy. The Italian dressing on the salad was excellent as well. Service was good and we were able to make it to the Drive-In with plenty of time. The prices are normally a little high but they had a check in offer on Yelp for $10 off which made it a great deal. If you are in that area you have to stop in. You won't regret it.
(4)
Brian M.
We took our kids here and the meal was pretty good. But it was enormously expensive for what you get. I liked my scampi with clams, scallops, and lobster on linguini. But it was $35, with no greens, no sides, and the place just sort of feels like you're in some Little Italy and it's 1978 or so.
(3)
Adrienne M.
My husband made a reservation for 6:00 last Saturday. We came in and were told there was no reservation. The hostess asked us several times if it would be under a different name? Then she got exasperated...rather than saying there was some sort of a mistake .Finally, I asked if there were a table. Yes, there was. Waitress was pleasant- took our order- we wanted to split a Caesar salad, along with entres. Asked if we wanted anchovies- Big salad comes- waitress does not bring separate plates for us to separate portions....never brought bread/butter (as other tables had), never filled our empty water glass. Then bill comes- anchovies extra, white pasta sauce on side dish, extra. Entrees were pricey, we really felt "nickled and dimed". Service was awful. Dinner was okay but not worth the prices...... Many other better options around
(1)
Bryan S.
Top line: very good Italian food, great service, a must go! Went here with a group on a recommendation. Overall, this place was wonderful. Great food. Seems very authentic and very fresh. Good selection of food, and drinks. Service was awesome. Bottom line: if you are looking for some fresh, low priced and tasty Italian, this is the place to go!
(4)
Jason W.
Stopped in on a whim, the staff was so friendly and informative. The food was excellent and the portions generous. The waitress went out of her way to make us feel welcome, and look after the child in our group of three. Classy atmosphere, but even with us in t-shirts nothing but smiles from all the staff. Will go back in a heartbeat.
(5)
M L.
(Would rate a 3.5 if Yelp allowed.) A previous reviewer said it best: "nothing is excellent, but everything is good." Anjon's makes up for its priciness with large portions. I'm a pasta fiend and still leave with leftovers every time (a bonus considering most dishes are $20+). Their marinara sauce, which they also sell in jars, is very good.
(3)
Amelia H.
It actually hurts to only give this place three stars, but the service was just bad. My family has been vacationing in Maine for over 25 years, and my husband's family for more than 30 years, and neither of us had ever been, so we thought it was about time. We made reservations to eat at Anjon's with my husband's family for Friday night. When we arrived the place was dead. We were seated upstairs and of the 15-20 tables up there, only 2 others had people at them. It was absolutely freezing up there too. Although the waiter did turn down the A/C when we asked. The prices are pretty normal for other nice restaurants in the area. I had the chicken parmesan and my husband the veal calabrese. We both loved our meals and thought the portion size was just right. His aunt got the italian surf and turf and loved it. She said her filet was cooked perfectly. The rest of the table enjoyed their meals too. Now for my complaint. The service was too slow. We placed our order at 7:20 and it was after 8 before we got our food. The restaurant was not full downstairs and there were only three tables (including us) taken upstairs. We were a party of 7, so we were not overly large and difficult to handle. I was very disappointed.
(3)
Martha T.
We went there for my birthday, Very disappointed. We had lasagna, cannelloni, sausage, meatballs .All very dry and tasteless, as though sitting on the stove too long. Stouffer's frozen is way better than this. We will never go back - I think it's time for them to give up and close. The only good thing: stuffed mushrooms were OUTSTANDING! Overall, a waste of money - way too expensive, and not good at all. We will never go back.
(2)
K M.
We were traveling back to our Curtis Cove rental from our traditional visit to the Portland Children's Museum and the Portland Museum of Art the day after Thanksgiving and decided to have dinner at Anjon's just like we did last year (maybe Anjon is becoming part of the tradition too). We were seated upstairs at the same table as last year. Although downstairs was bustling, we were alone and had a quiet meal. My wife got Fra Diavolo, but switched out the mussels for lobster (which was only a $10 up charge that I thought was very reasonable) and loved every bite. I went with the Veal Calabrese, one of Anjon's specialities, which was well worth trying as it had the right mix of mushroom to wine sauce (BTW, I was in the mood for a glass of wine and tried the house chianti, which was not bad at all) and came with the option of the pasta under the veal or on a separate plate. Because I didn't want to eat too much pasta (I know, how can one eat too much pasta :-), I got it on the side with their regular marinara. I think it would have been really good mixed with the wine sauce and will try it that way the next time. The two older girls got pasta dishes; one meatballs and manicotti and the other sausage with gnocchi. Nothing left on either plate. The little one got steamed Maine clams which she devoured in no time. She was still hungry so we followed up with a kids meal, hamburger and french fries that she started but didn't finish. Tried the burger and was really good for an Italian restaurant. So I really think that Anjon's will become part of the tradition and we will most definitely be back.
(4)
Jennifer D.
Overall a nice place. Fast and friendly service. Family friendly & casual atmosphere. Food is tasty. Would recommended to friends!
(4)
Julie H.
Went with 6 friends. 4 ordered pasta dishes and were somewhat satisfied. A friend & I ordered baked stuffed haddock. It was just awful. Fish was dry stuffing tasted spoiled. Came with an overcooked baked potato. Paid $30 (18% gratuity was added) when it was mentioned to our waitress she just said ok ill tell the chief. We won't go back
(2)
TJ S.
20 water pollution violations according to the New York Times (1). projects.nytimes.com/tox…
(1)
Kathy S.
Went to Anjon's for dinner with my Husband and another couple and had a fantastic time! The ambiance is very nice. I love the cork walls and the place is very clean. The hostess seated us right away and was very nice! The menu had many items to choose from and had "specials". I had the Veal parmigiana and it was delicious. My friend had the lobster and steak special and he absolutely loved it. We have been talking about going to Anjon's for two Summer's now and we are so glad we did. We are definitely going to be going here more often. Our waitress was also very fast, kind and on top of things. I'm definitely going back for the lobster special!
(4)
Ash D.
My family always comes here atleast once when we're vacationing in Maine. It's a nice change from the average greasy seafood places that are all over this area. They have great sauce and I think I've enjoyed everything that I have ordered. The food is a little over-priced and the waits can be LONG but overall it's worth it for some nice Italian food.
(4)
Rick G.
Food was good though the menu was a bit confusing as to what was lunch and what was dinner.
(4)
Wayne M.
Whent to Anjon's this past weekend. The place was empty but it still took the hostess fifteen minutes to seat us. The waiter ignored us for another ten minutes before taking our drink order, which he got wrong. Three water's a pepsi and an ice tea. Ordered from the diner menu, portions were real small. Thecutlets tasted like frozen diners and the sauce tasted like it came from a jar. Left ther hungry and went to ht Maine Diner for desert.
(1)
Krystal Y.
We as a family of 12 showed up with No reservation I understand its large party but when we asked if we could eat the Manger said "tell them they r shit out of luck" I let the server know we heard it and we will never recommend this place. You got out of a large party and our family will never return.
(1)
Sarah W.
My Parents have been going here forever. It's tricky to find a non-franchise restaurant (without going into the Old Port) between the Maine Mall area and Saco. I have not been here, by choice, since maybe middle school.. it's been a long time. Now, I can appreciate good Italian food. We sat in the bar area at a table. Food seemed consistent and was tasty... and if you were wondering, I had the cannelloni! Parking is convenient. I'd go back again if in that area.
(4)
tim b.
Tired out by the fried-unidentifiables-in-a-basket you find all around OOB, we tried Anjon's out of desperation. It is a charming family-owned restaurant that has the outward appearance of a chain. The service was fine (I think one of the family members was our waitress) although she was much more engaged in a loud conversation with a couple at an adjoining table about their dead dog than she was with taking care of our order. I admit: living in the NY metropolitan area we are spoiled with excellent Italian cuisine. As I'm in training, I went with broiled haddock and whole wheat pasta and the house marinara. The fish was overcooked and served in small steel dish without garnish. The presentation was off-putting right off the bat. OK, a bit snobbish, perhaps, but for $22 I was expecting a bit more. The side dish of pasta was the high point - best whole wheat pasta I've tasted. Perfectly prepared. The sauce was flavorful with real, ripe tomatoes and discernible fresh basil. No salads come with the entrees. Only cold Italian bread in a basket. Had I known, I would have ordered an antipasto. My family said the bread was decent and fresh, but it arrived cold. The butter was colder, leading to the unappetizing spectacle of watching hard chunks of butter tearing into soft cold Italian bread. This is such a simple thing to fix, and changes the experience of the diner awaiting her/his entree with no salad to munch. My wife enjoyed a three cheese veal parmigiana that was intensely flavorful, although the veal was a bit tough and overcooked. My son did the best among us with a seafood scampi that was as well prepared as it was enormous in quantity. I would try this restaurant again when I'm not measuring grams of protein or worried about excessive carbs. They have a selection of stuffed breads that look like they'd be delicious.
(3)
Meredith F.
Since I moved from Maine in 1999 I have eaten in many, many Italian restaurants in my subsequent home cities of Boston and New York. In all that time, in all the Italian restaurants I've eaten in, I have never, ever tasted a marinara sauce as good as Anjon's. If you come here and do not leave with at least a few jars, you are missing out. Luckily you can even buy them online and have them shipped to your door. The food is consistently very good, although nothing in particular stands out to me except for the fried ravioli. It is lightly breaded and fried until crisp, and served in a pool of that amazing tomato sauce, with a creamy garlic aioli drizzled over top. During my last visit I had a fresh (and very large) caesar salad and the meatballs. The meatballs were flavored with garlic and herbs and tasted homemade rather than the mealy, oversalted versions you find at many other American-Italian restaurants. Their creme brulee is also outstanding. Really, I've never had a bad meal here...and you could pretty much dump that sauce on anything and it would be amazing.
(4)
Matthew D.
Let me start off by saying that I've been coming to Anjon's for twenty or so years on vacations. We used to rave about it to our friends back in NY every time Maine came up during conversation. After our recent stop we wont be back which pains me to say. The sauce is amazing but the prices are insane for the TINY portions they serve. The ownership changed hands to the old owners son and has gone through a renovation of sorts. I don't think the new generation of ownership understands how to attract and retain customers. Eat here if your wallet can afford $30 meals that barely feed one.
(3)
Bud P.
This is an old style family Italian joint. The food is decent and they have all the favorites. Nothing is excellent but everything is good. Huge portions and reasonable prices.
(3)
Nancy H.
Do you remove negative reviews? I wrote one last month and it is gone.
(1)
Captain S.
Just arrived at our hotel and the guy at the desk said this was the best place to eat. We had lobster and steak. The lobster was delicious. Everything that one would expect for a first Maine dinner. The steak was good also, we've just had better. But for the price, you can't go wrong with the specials. According to the menu and advertising they have very good Italian food also.
(4)
Matt C.
The atmosphere was nice and the staff friendly, but the food was WAY over priced for the quality.
(3)
Allison P.
We came to Maine on vacation, we were looking for a hotel near food and with the Admiral motel just down the street, we were sold. Anjons restaurant has some of the best italian sauce and atmosphere of any Italian restaurant that we have been to in 20 years or more.
(4)
Kevin S.
Anjon's is an Italian restaurant, but when in Maine, eat seafood. So I can't really comment on the quality of the Italian fare, but the seafood was great. I had lunch there and started with the lobster stew. It's definitely not a chowder, hardly any, if any at all, cream. It was very lightly flavored yet thick and almost tangy. I had a cup of the lobster stew for $8. It was really just a cup, not even a big coffee mug, but the amount of real lobster chunks in it was unbelievable. There were 2 claws, about 3 inches long a piece, and 3 knuckle meat pieces. I also had the fried clams and scallops, which were served with choice of potato and slaw, which weren't anything special and I didn't finish either. The clams and scallops were lightly battered, moist, fresh, and delicious. The batter was flavorful, but not greasy or overbearing. My friend had a lobster roll, which was basically lobster claw and knuckle meat mixed together with mayo and chilled as a salad, spread over a warm roll. It looked great, and from what I heard tasted great too. My other friend had a seafood pasta with linguine and alfredo. There were large chunks of shrimp, scallops, fish, clams, and mussels. So everything that I saw had a lot of seafood mixed in. It was great, not too expensive, and I would definitely go back and recommend to a friend.
(4)
Audrey D.
Food was great. I had the baked stuffed haddock, hubby had the lobster pie. Both were very good. FYI. They do not accept the yelp coupon.
(4)
Juiana L.
Anjon's is a nice destination restaurant located on Route 1 in Scarborough Maine, with picture window seating views, overlooking the natural attraction of marshes where birds and wildlife visit with regularity. All menu entrees are ample servings. The offerings are both Italian and seafood entrees I especially enjoyed the pinot grigio house wine. I ordered a fabulous Italian appetizer salad for my entree and there was plenty to share with our dinner guests, who joined us to celebrate my granddaughter's birthday. My husband's shrimp and steak special was nicely priced. Service is pleasant and prompt. I look forward to a return dining experience.
(4)
Andrew J.
Every meal here is a winner. Pasta, seafood, dessert - all have been amazing every time. Wicked huge portions. Some reserve it for special occasions, but they run specials all the time. One if the best Italian meals in the Portland area.
(5)
Gail C.
Mouse running around dining room and food was just ok, but the highlight of our visit was the mouse that visited every table. When I called the manager over to our table she immediately asked if we had a new friend in our area!!!! She apologized to each table and said it must have come in that day when they had the doors open for a liquor delivery! Please, she knew without me saying anything that there was a visitor and it just came in today??? Our waiter said they had been fighting the problem for at least 3 days. To make it worse no one tried to catch the rodent or offer any discount. They asked if we wanted to talk to the owner who was right around the corner. Wouldn't a decent owner come out and try to put his customers at ease??? We paid our $95.00 bill, which was for 3 entrees, one appetizer and an iced tea and sparking water! DEFINITELY WILL NOT BE BACK HERE EVER!!!
(1)
Scott R.
Oddly and distinctively situated along US1 in an enormous salt marsh, Anjon's has stood out for decades. Too bad it's not a standout for dinner. The majority of entrees are about $24, yet the ones I saw were plain, simple meals. No vegetable, salad, or sprig of parsley accompanied any pasta dish. Why would a scallop and baked potato dinner have no green on the side? The pasta is good, the marinara tasty, the meatballs tender and flavorful. Oh, server, a table of 6 should have more than 5 waters. Cut the prices in half and this is an okay deal, but still not the answer to "where tonight?"
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Audrey D.
Food was great. I had the baked stuffed haddock, hubby had the lobster pie. Both were very good. FYI. They do not accept the yelp coupon.
(4)Juiana L.
Anjon's is a nice destination restaurant located on Route 1 in Scarborough Maine, with picture window seating views, overlooking the natural attraction of marshes where birds and wildlife visit with regularity. All menu entrees are ample servings. The offerings are both Italian and seafood entrees I especially enjoyed the pinot grigio house wine. I ordered a fabulous Italian appetizer salad for my entree and there was plenty to share with our dinner guests, who joined us to celebrate my granddaughter's birthday. My husband's shrimp and steak special was nicely priced. Service is pleasant and prompt. I look forward to a return dining experience.
(4)Andrew J.
Every meal here is a winner. Pasta, seafood, dessert - all have been amazing every time. Wicked huge portions. Some reserve it for special occasions, but they run specials all the time. One if the best Italian meals in the Portland area.
(5)Brian G.
There are things about this place I absolutely love, and others that just throw everything off center. It would be a 3-1/2 star place if that rating were possible. So I have to round down for a few reasons. First, the good - this place has some of the best tomato sauce I've had in a restaurant outside of South Philly and Little Italy in NYC. They jar it for retail, and for good reason. Very worthy. Their Sicilian gravy, marinara and basic tomato sauce are all super flavorful, and it's my choice of sauce to use at home when not making my own. Their pasta is delicious too - notably the traditional spaghetti and angel hair, and the lasagna. The only pasta of theirs I have not enjoyed is the gnocchi, which I found way too dense. I prefer a lighter, pillow-like gnocchi over a dense, chewy gnocchi. As for meats, the meatballs and sausage are also incredible. Tender and full of flavor. I have also enjoyed some of the veal dishes, including the Veal Calabrese, which brings together tender pieces of veal with pasta, vegetables, lots of cheese, and a marsala-flavored sauce. Just delicious. There are just so many weird things about this place, which kind of hit you on entering the front door. First, it just seems so damn outdated. I bet this place looked awesome in 1985. (Personally, I prefer to sit in the bar area over the dining rooms. Much cozier, far better ambience.) One look at the menu kind of has that all hit home - it's all about history, old photos, etc. Someone needs to freshen up their message - a nod to history is cool, but it just feels like the restaurant's message is about living in the past. Similarly, update your menu. Overall, it's not very creative - again, probably cutting edge for the late 70s/early 80s. The Stuffed Bread menu is pretty cool, but you have to special order most of the varieties in advance; the one that was available (pepperoni) was seriously underwhelming. A lot of this has to do with the bread, which I do not like. Before each meal, the server plops a basket of cold, flavorless bread on the table in a 1980s-style basket. That's the same underwhelming bread they used for the Stuffed Bread, as far as I can tell. Also, every time I've been there the special has been "twin lobster tails." Dude, no offense but I didn't come to an Italian restaurant in Southern Maine for frickin' lobsters, which I can get fresh out of the water at endless lobster pounds and specialty seafood restaurants. Finally, the service here has always been great - no complaints whatsoever. But, prices are WAY too high. Easily north of $100 if ordering two apps, two dinners and a beer or two. Want a salad? It sure is nice to have a salad with an Italian meal, right? Prepare to shell out more dough, because they are too frickin' cheap here to give you a small helping of lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber on a plate with your $25 plate. Given all the photos on their menu, they should add one of the owner grinning at the camera and sticking up his middle finger just above the salad menu. This place is good and we continue to patron it occasionally (our kids like it - they go nuts over the angel hair). But, it sure as hell could be better, and Anjon's owes it to their customers to put in a little more effort to modernizing their approach.
(3)S C.
Very disappointing and extremely over priced! We have been to Anjon's 3 or 4 times and everyone usually loves it and we make it a point to go here when we come to Maine for vacation. However this time it was not good. First off the prices are way too high for the quality of food. One person in our party ordered the haddock marinara for $26. The whole meal was just a plate covered in marinara and a small/medium sized haddock filet sitting in the middle and it came with a baked potato on the side. No other sides or any vegetables with it. It was good, but you will be starving 20 minutes later. Another person had the sirloin surf and turf. The steak however had no seasoning or flavor. It tasted like it was just put on the grill without even salt and pepper on it. For a $30 dish you expect it to taste good. One person had the Sicilian sirloin steak which on the menu reads "finest beef cut to order". The steak was ordered medium and was well done when brought to the table. The steak had a lot of fat and it was very tough. It was not a good quality cut of meat. I had the antipasto salad which was not bad other than the fact it was drowned out in dressing. There was probably a quarter of an inch of dressing just sitting on the whole bottom of my dish. The lettuce got soggy and some of the dressing had to be drained off some of the lettuce that was on the bottom before you ate it as it was soaked in oil and vinegar. The salad itself wasn't bad, but for $17 it should be good. The shrimp prosciutto appetizer is great and I do recommend this. We order this every time we come here. The shrimp cocktail is absolutely insane to pay $5 per shrimp. It is not worth it. It is no bigger or fresher than any other place. You can get shrimp that are just as big if not bigger and fresh at other places nearby for $1.50 each. The service was not great either as we were rushed through dinner and rushed out. For a party of 8 people we were out of there within 45 minutes to an hour. The waitress kept coming to the table clearing dishes, asking if we were done with dishes and glasses etc. as some people were still eating and trying to enjoy their dinner. Overall we were extremely disappointed with the visit and after coming here for several years we probably won't be coming here anymore as it is not good quality and very overpriced and we found some other much better places in the area. For the prices of the meals you expect to have good service and quality meals. I don't know if there have been changes in ownership or management, but overall this was a huge disappointment.
(2)A H.
I've been eating here for at least six years. I was thrilled when they added a gluten free pasta option. It's delicious, as is their sauce which is made in-house. I normally order a pasta dish or the prime rib when available. I have tried their steak but did not like it; it's very pricey and didn't taste like a very good cut of meat. I also do not recommend the baked potato as a side-- it has consistently been dried out. I love the view of the marsh, and it's a nice, unpretentious place to eat.
(4)Gail C.
Mouse running around dining room and food was just ok, but the highlight of our visit was the mouse that visited every table. When I called the manager over to our table she immediately asked if we had a new friend in our area!!!! She apologized to each table and said it must have come in that day when they had the doors open for a liquor delivery! Please, she knew without me saying anything that there was a visitor and it just came in today??? Our waiter said they had been fighting the problem for at least 3 days. To make it worse no one tried to catch the rodent or offer any discount. They asked if we wanted to talk to the owner who was right around the corner. Wouldn't a decent owner come out and try to put his customers at ease??? We paid our $95.00 bill, which was for 3 entrees, one appetizer and an iced tea and sparking water! DEFINITELY WILL NOT BE BACK HERE EVER!!!
(1)Scott R.
Oddly and distinctively situated along US1 in an enormous salt marsh, Anjon's has stood out for decades. Too bad it's not a standout for dinner. The majority of entrees are about $24, yet the ones I saw were plain, simple meals. No vegetable, salad, or sprig of parsley accompanied any pasta dish. Why would a scallop and baked potato dinner have no green on the side? The pasta is good, the marinara tasty, the meatballs tender and flavorful. Oh, server, a table of 6 should have more than 5 waters. Cut the prices in half and this is an okay deal, but still not the answer to "where tonight?"
(2)Brian S.
Fountains statues and seafood There are lots of good seafood restaurants in Southern Maine. Definitely not difficult to find lobster or other sea bugs in this part of the world. Anjon's is an attractive and pleasantly bizarre type of restaurant.. A huge fountain greets you and grabs your attention as you walk in the door. Actually the wind was blowing pretty hard so we got a refreshing shower trying to get by the fountain and in the restaurant. Kind of cool. The inside has strange little statues and murals on the wall. I guess it was kind of a pseudo Italian type of decor but it was fun to look at and trying to figure out exactly what they meant to represent. The food tended to be pricey but then seafood usually is, even in Maine. Our perky waitress said that Anjon's had the best seafood in all of Maine. A bit of an exaggeration perhaps but it was decent and filling. The service was pleasant and quick and our water glasses were filled promptly. The lobster was tender and tasty but not pre cracked like in some other restaurants. If you wanted to eat that big red bug you had to work for it. Definitely a nice restaurant for seafood if you don't mind paying a bit more than in the take out joints. I would to enjoy going back and try some of the pasta and more traditional things the next time we are in Scarborough.
(4)Julie H.
Went with 6 friends. 4 ordered pasta dishes and were somewhat satisfied. A friend & I ordered baked stuffed haddock. It was just awful. Fish was dry stuffing tasted spoiled. Came with an overcooked baked potato. Paid $30 (18% gratuity was added) when it was mentioned to our waitress she just said ok ill tell the chief. We won't go back
(2)TJ S.
20 water pollution violations according to the New York Times (1). projects.nytimes.com/tox…
(1)Amy C.
Oh my god, we ordered soo much food! meatballs, stuffed bread and stuffed mushrooms for our appetizers. the meatballs were huge and just liike an Italien Nonna would make. the stuffed bread was cooked to perfection, filled with sausage, cheese and sauce. the stuffed mushrooms were snapped up so fast, i only got one! Then came dinner! large maine shrimp scampi for me, it was seasoned perfectly and the shrimp cooked just right. its easy to over cook shrimp, but this was perfect. They have really good dinner specials for $20, like 2 steamed lobsters, steak and lobster, and steak. you cant beat the price. the wine menu has a lot of good options. we ate in the bar and we really liked the atmosphere there. Check in on yelp and get a $10 off two meals coupon!
(5)Melanie M.
Overpriced and not that great (I may just be snobby, but I've had my fair share of pasta!). We started with a round of drinks - house wine wasn't too bad. After ordering our meals we got a basket of bread, which was just like regular cold bread with very cold butter. I was somewhat expecting a nice, toasty basket of bread (especially for the price), but this was a sign of what was to come. When we got our meals, two of the four of us approved (and those two had the same meal - so maybe 1 against 2?). Chicken parm with linguine was great. The chicken picatta with a side of pasta was just OK (chicken was bland, pasta sauce was great). And my artichoke hearts over linguine dish was a bit sour (the sauce was, not the artichokes or the capers) - would say it was only so-so. When the bill came, it was somewhat startling to see $110 considering half of us were left with unhappy stomachs (not full because we didn't want to eat it). I probably wouldn't recommend coming here based on the prices alone. I should've went for something different on the menu.
(3)Patty C.
The first time we tried this the food was really good . But it was on a weekend when it was busy. Went again on a thursday and this time i tried the shore dinner, lobster, steamers , corn on the cob and baked potatoe. My fault for ordering this at an italian place i guess. The minute our server set my plate in front of me the seafood smelled awful. The lobster claws had a coating of white stuff ? All over it . Steamers were dirty and smelled also. My husband ordered pasta, meatballs , and sausage. It was awful. He loved it the first visit too . This time the sauce was old , sausages were old also . Way overcooked . And just looked like they had been sitting in sauce for weeks . Very disappointed this trip. Service was great though.
(2)Christine F.
Ate here while on vacation in Maine and we were not disappointed. The menu was a little pricy, but the food was very good and the service was quick. I ordered stuffed mushrooms and those were a bit mediocre (which is why not 5 stars), but the entree was Lobster Scampi, and I have to say it was the best scampi I've ever had that wasn't homemade. I would go there again just to order the same thing. The decor inside is cute, 2-3 steps up from an Olive Garden, and there is a pretty fountain outside that is good for taking pictures in front of. I would definitely recommend this place.
(4)Mike L.
We went out to Old Orchard Beach for the day and planned on going to the Saco Drive-In at night. I stumbled upon Anjon's because there didn't seem to be a whole lot in that area and I was in the mood for Italian. We had a brief wait when we arrived and I felt a little embarrassed wearing a tank top and bathing suit because it was a fairly nice restaurant, but I'm sure they are used to that kind of thing being a tourist area, not far from the beach. I noticed that they sell their own sauce in jars so I figured it must be pretty good and had to try the Chicken Parm. The sauce really was quite noteworthy. The Italian dressing on the salad was excellent as well. Service was good and we were able to make it to the Drive-In with plenty of time. The prices are normally a little high but they had a check in offer on Yelp for $10 off which made it a great deal. If you are in that area you have to stop in. You won't regret it.
(4)Brian M.
We took our kids here and the meal was pretty good. But it was enormously expensive for what you get. I liked my scampi with clams, scallops, and lobster on linguini. But it was $35, with no greens, no sides, and the place just sort of feels like you're in some Little Italy and it's 1978 or so.
(3)Adrienne M.
My husband made a reservation for 6:00 last Saturday. We came in and were told there was no reservation. The hostess asked us several times if it would be under a different name? Then she got exasperated...rather than saying there was some sort of a mistake .Finally, I asked if there were a table. Yes, there was. Waitress was pleasant- took our order- we wanted to split a Caesar salad, along with entres. Asked if we wanted anchovies- Big salad comes- waitress does not bring separate plates for us to separate portions....never brought bread/butter (as other tables had), never filled our empty water glass. Then bill comes- anchovies extra, white pasta sauce on side dish, extra. Entrees were pricey, we really felt "nickled and dimed". Service was awful. Dinner was okay but not worth the prices...... Many other better options around
(1)Bryan S.
Top line: very good Italian food, great service, a must go! Went here with a group on a recommendation. Overall, this place was wonderful. Great food. Seems very authentic and very fresh. Good selection of food, and drinks. Service was awesome. Bottom line: if you are looking for some fresh, low priced and tasty Italian, this is the place to go!
(4)Jason W.
Stopped in on a whim, the staff was so friendly and informative. The food was excellent and the portions generous. The waitress went out of her way to make us feel welcome, and look after the child in our group of three. Classy atmosphere, but even with us in t-shirts nothing but smiles from all the staff. Will go back in a heartbeat.
(5)M L.
(Would rate a 3.5 if Yelp allowed.) A previous reviewer said it best: "nothing is excellent, but everything is good." Anjon's makes up for its priciness with large portions. I'm a pasta fiend and still leave with leftovers every time (a bonus considering most dishes are $20+). Their marinara sauce, which they also sell in jars, is very good.
(3)Amelia H.
It actually hurts to only give this place three stars, but the service was just bad. My family has been vacationing in Maine for over 25 years, and my husband's family for more than 30 years, and neither of us had ever been, so we thought it was about time. We made reservations to eat at Anjon's with my husband's family for Friday night. When we arrived the place was dead. We were seated upstairs and of the 15-20 tables up there, only 2 others had people at them. It was absolutely freezing up there too. Although the waiter did turn down the A/C when we asked. The prices are pretty normal for other nice restaurants in the area. I had the chicken parmesan and my husband the veal calabrese. We both loved our meals and thought the portion size was just right. His aunt got the italian surf and turf and loved it. She said her filet was cooked perfectly. The rest of the table enjoyed their meals too. Now for my complaint. The service was too slow. We placed our order at 7:20 and it was after 8 before we got our food. The restaurant was not full downstairs and there were only three tables (including us) taken upstairs. We were a party of 7, so we were not overly large and difficult to handle. I was very disappointed.
(3)Martha T.
We went there for my birthday, Very disappointed. We had lasagna, cannelloni, sausage, meatballs .All very dry and tasteless, as though sitting on the stove too long. Stouffer's frozen is way better than this. We will never go back - I think it's time for them to give up and close. The only good thing: stuffed mushrooms were OUTSTANDING! Overall, a waste of money - way too expensive, and not good at all. We will never go back.
(2)K M.
We were traveling back to our Curtis Cove rental from our traditional visit to the Portland Children's Museum and the Portland Museum of Art the day after Thanksgiving and decided to have dinner at Anjon's just like we did last year (maybe Anjon is becoming part of the tradition too). We were seated upstairs at the same table as last year. Although downstairs was bustling, we were alone and had a quiet meal. My wife got Fra Diavolo, but switched out the mussels for lobster (which was only a $10 up charge that I thought was very reasonable) and loved every bite. I went with the Veal Calabrese, one of Anjon's specialities, which was well worth trying as it had the right mix of mushroom to wine sauce (BTW, I was in the mood for a glass of wine and tried the house chianti, which was not bad at all) and came with the option of the pasta under the veal or on a separate plate. Because I didn't want to eat too much pasta (I know, how can one eat too much pasta :-), I got it on the side with their regular marinara. I think it would have been really good mixed with the wine sauce and will try it that way the next time. The two older girls got pasta dishes; one meatballs and manicotti and the other sausage with gnocchi. Nothing left on either plate. The little one got steamed Maine clams which she devoured in no time. She was still hungry so we followed up with a kids meal, hamburger and french fries that she started but didn't finish. Tried the burger and was really good for an Italian restaurant. So I really think that Anjon's will become part of the tradition and we will most definitely be back.
(4)Jennifer D.
Overall a nice place. Fast and friendly service. Family friendly & casual atmosphere. Food is tasty. Would recommended to friends!
(4)Kathy S.
Went to Anjon's for dinner with my Husband and another couple and had a fantastic time! The ambiance is very nice. I love the cork walls and the place is very clean. The hostess seated us right away and was very nice! The menu had many items to choose from and had "specials". I had the Veal parmigiana and it was delicious. My friend had the lobster and steak special and he absolutely loved it. We have been talking about going to Anjon's for two Summer's now and we are so glad we did. We are definitely going to be going here more often. Our waitress was also very fast, kind and on top of things. I'm definitely going back for the lobster special!
(4)Ash D.
My family always comes here atleast once when we're vacationing in Maine. It's a nice change from the average greasy seafood places that are all over this area. They have great sauce and I think I've enjoyed everything that I have ordered. The food is a little over-priced and the waits can be LONG but overall it's worth it for some nice Italian food.
(4)Rick G.
Food was good though the menu was a bit confusing as to what was lunch and what was dinner.
(4)Wayne M.
Whent to Anjon's this past weekend. The place was empty but it still took the hostess fifteen minutes to seat us. The waiter ignored us for another ten minutes before taking our drink order, which he got wrong. Three water's a pepsi and an ice tea. Ordered from the diner menu, portions were real small. Thecutlets tasted like frozen diners and the sauce tasted like it came from a jar. Left ther hungry and went to ht Maine Diner for desert.
(1)Krystal Y.
We as a family of 12 showed up with No reservation I understand its large party but when we asked if we could eat the Manger said "tell them they r shit out of luck" I let the server know we heard it and we will never recommend this place. You got out of a large party and our family will never return.
(1)Sarah W.
My Parents have been going here forever. It's tricky to find a non-franchise restaurant (without going into the Old Port) between the Maine Mall area and Saco. I have not been here, by choice, since maybe middle school.. it's been a long time. Now, I can appreciate good Italian food. We sat in the bar area at a table. Food seemed consistent and was tasty... and if you were wondering, I had the cannelloni! Parking is convenient. I'd go back again if in that area.
(4)Bud P.
This is an old style family Italian joint. The food is decent and they have all the favorites. Nothing is excellent but everything is good. Huge portions and reasonable prices.
(3)Nancy H.
Do you remove negative reviews? I wrote one last month and it is gone.
(1)tim b.
Tired out by the fried-unidentifiables-in-a-basket you find all around OOB, we tried Anjon's out of desperation. It is a charming family-owned restaurant that has the outward appearance of a chain. The service was fine (I think one of the family members was our waitress) although she was much more engaged in a loud conversation with a couple at an adjoining table about their dead dog than she was with taking care of our order. I admit: living in the NY metropolitan area we are spoiled with excellent Italian cuisine. As I'm in training, I went with broiled haddock and whole wheat pasta and the house marinara. The fish was overcooked and served in small steel dish without garnish. The presentation was off-putting right off the bat. OK, a bit snobbish, perhaps, but for $22 I was expecting a bit more. The side dish of pasta was the high point - best whole wheat pasta I've tasted. Perfectly prepared. The sauce was flavorful with real, ripe tomatoes and discernible fresh basil. No salads come with the entrees. Only cold Italian bread in a basket. Had I known, I would have ordered an antipasto. My family said the bread was decent and fresh, but it arrived cold. The butter was colder, leading to the unappetizing spectacle of watching hard chunks of butter tearing into soft cold Italian bread. This is such a simple thing to fix, and changes the experience of the diner awaiting her/his entree with no salad to munch. My wife enjoyed a three cheese veal parmigiana that was intensely flavorful, although the veal was a bit tough and overcooked. My son did the best among us with a seafood scampi that was as well prepared as it was enormous in quantity. I would try this restaurant again when I'm not measuring grams of protein or worried about excessive carbs. They have a selection of stuffed breads that look like they'd be delicious.
(3)Meredith F.
Since I moved from Maine in 1999 I have eaten in many, many Italian restaurants in my subsequent home cities of Boston and New York. In all that time, in all the Italian restaurants I've eaten in, I have never, ever tasted a marinara sauce as good as Anjon's. If you come here and do not leave with at least a few jars, you are missing out. Luckily you can even buy them online and have them shipped to your door. The food is consistently very good, although nothing in particular stands out to me except for the fried ravioli. It is lightly breaded and fried until crisp, and served in a pool of that amazing tomato sauce, with a creamy garlic aioli drizzled over top. During my last visit I had a fresh (and very large) caesar salad and the meatballs. The meatballs were flavored with garlic and herbs and tasted homemade rather than the mealy, oversalted versions you find at many other American-Italian restaurants. Their creme brulee is also outstanding. Really, I've never had a bad meal here...and you could pretty much dump that sauce on anything and it would be amazing.
(4)Matthew D.
Let me start off by saying that I've been coming to Anjon's for twenty or so years on vacations. We used to rave about it to our friends back in NY every time Maine came up during conversation. After our recent stop we wont be back which pains me to say. The sauce is amazing but the prices are insane for the TINY portions they serve. The ownership changed hands to the old owners son and has gone through a renovation of sorts. I don't think the new generation of ownership understands how to attract and retain customers. Eat here if your wallet can afford $30 meals that barely feed one.
(3)Captain S.
Just arrived at our hotel and the guy at the desk said this was the best place to eat. We had lobster and steak. The lobster was delicious. Everything that one would expect for a first Maine dinner. The steak was good also, we've just had better. But for the price, you can't go wrong with the specials. According to the menu and advertising they have very good Italian food also.
(4)Matt C.
The atmosphere was nice and the staff friendly, but the food was WAY over priced for the quality.
(3)Allison P.
We came to Maine on vacation, we were looking for a hotel near food and with the Admiral motel just down the street, we were sold. Anjons restaurant has some of the best italian sauce and atmosphere of any Italian restaurant that we have been to in 20 years or more.
(4)Kevin S.
Anjon's is an Italian restaurant, but when in Maine, eat seafood. So I can't really comment on the quality of the Italian fare, but the seafood was great. I had lunch there and started with the lobster stew. It's definitely not a chowder, hardly any, if any at all, cream. It was very lightly flavored yet thick and almost tangy. I had a cup of the lobster stew for $8. It was really just a cup, not even a big coffee mug, but the amount of real lobster chunks in it was unbelievable. There were 2 claws, about 3 inches long a piece, and 3 knuckle meat pieces. I also had the fried clams and scallops, which were served with choice of potato and slaw, which weren't anything special and I didn't finish either. The clams and scallops were lightly battered, moist, fresh, and delicious. The batter was flavorful, but not greasy or overbearing. My friend had a lobster roll, which was basically lobster claw and knuckle meat mixed together with mayo and chilled as a salad, spread over a warm roll. It looked great, and from what I heard tasted great too. My other friend had a seafood pasta with linguine and alfredo. There were large chunks of shrimp, scallops, fish, clams, and mussels. So everything that I saw had a lot of seafood mixed in. It was great, not too expensive, and I would definitely go back and recommend to a friend.
(4)Brian S.
Fountains statues and seafood There are lots of good seafood restaurants in Southern Maine. Definitely not difficult to find lobster or other sea bugs in this part of the world. Anjon's is an attractive and pleasantly bizarre type of restaurant.. A huge fountain greets you and grabs your attention as you walk in the door. Actually the wind was blowing pretty hard so we got a refreshing shower trying to get by the fountain and in the restaurant. Kind of cool. The inside has strange little statues and murals on the wall. I guess it was kind of a pseudo Italian type of decor but it was fun to look at and trying to figure out exactly what they meant to represent. The food tended to be pricey but then seafood usually is, even in Maine. Our perky waitress said that Anjon's had the best seafood in all of Maine. A bit of an exaggeration perhaps but it was decent and filling. The service was pleasant and quick and our water glasses were filled promptly. The lobster was tender and tasty but not pre cracked like in some other restaurants. If you wanted to eat that big red bug you had to work for it. Definitely a nice restaurant for seafood if you don't mind paying a bit more than in the take out joints. I would to enjoy going back and try some of the pasta and more traditional things the next time we are in Scarborough.
(4)Amy C.
Oh my god, we ordered soo much food! meatballs, stuffed bread and stuffed mushrooms for our appetizers. the meatballs were huge and just liike an Italien Nonna would make. the stuffed bread was cooked to perfection, filled with sausage, cheese and sauce. the stuffed mushrooms were snapped up so fast, i only got one! Then came dinner! large maine shrimp scampi for me, it was seasoned perfectly and the shrimp cooked just right. its easy to over cook shrimp, but this was perfect. They have really good dinner specials for $20, like 2 steamed lobsters, steak and lobster, and steak. you cant beat the price. the wine menu has a lot of good options. we ate in the bar and we really liked the atmosphere there. Check in on yelp and get a $10 off two meals coupon!
(5)Melanie M.
Overpriced and not that great (I may just be snobby, but I've had my fair share of pasta!). We started with a round of drinks - house wine wasn't too bad. After ordering our meals we got a basket of bread, which was just like regular cold bread with very cold butter. I was somewhat expecting a nice, toasty basket of bread (especially for the price), but this was a sign of what was to come. When we got our meals, two of the four of us approved (and those two had the same meal - so maybe 1 against 2?). Chicken parm with linguine was great. The chicken picatta with a side of pasta was just OK (chicken was bland, pasta sauce was great). And my artichoke hearts over linguine dish was a bit sour (the sauce was, not the artichokes or the capers) - would say it was only so-so. When the bill came, it was somewhat startling to see $110 considering half of us were left with unhappy stomachs (not full because we didn't want to eat it). I probably wouldn't recommend coming here based on the prices alone. I should've went for something different on the menu.
(3)Brian G.
There are things about this place I absolutely love, and others that just throw everything off center. It would be a 3-1/2 star place if that rating were possible. So I have to round down for a few reasons. First, the good - this place has some of the best tomato sauce I've had in a restaurant outside of South Philly and Little Italy in NYC. They jar it for retail, and for good reason. Very worthy. Their Sicilian gravy, marinara and basic tomato sauce are all super flavorful, and it's my choice of sauce to use at home when not making my own. Their pasta is delicious too - notably the traditional spaghetti and angel hair, and the lasagna. The only pasta of theirs I have not enjoyed is the gnocchi, which I found way too dense. I prefer a lighter, pillow-like gnocchi over a dense, chewy gnocchi. As for meats, the meatballs and sausage are also incredible. Tender and full of flavor. I have also enjoyed some of the veal dishes, including the Veal Calabrese, which brings together tender pieces of veal with pasta, vegetables, lots of cheese, and a marsala-flavored sauce. Just delicious. There are just so many weird things about this place, which kind of hit you on entering the front door. First, it just seems so damn outdated. I bet this place looked awesome in 1985. (Personally, I prefer to sit in the bar area over the dining rooms. Much cozier, far better ambience.) One look at the menu kind of has that all hit home - it's all about history, old photos, etc. Someone needs to freshen up their message - a nod to history is cool, but it just feels like the restaurant's message is about living in the past. Similarly, update your menu. Overall, it's not very creative - again, probably cutting edge for the late 70s/early 80s. The Stuffed Bread menu is pretty cool, but you have to special order most of the varieties in advance; the one that was available (pepperoni) was seriously underwhelming. A lot of this has to do with the bread, which I do not like. Before each meal, the server plops a basket of cold, flavorless bread on the table in a 1980s-style basket. That's the same underwhelming bread they used for the Stuffed Bread, as far as I can tell. Also, every time I've been there the special has been "twin lobster tails." Dude, no offense but I didn't come to an Italian restaurant in Southern Maine for frickin' lobsters, which I can get fresh out of the water at endless lobster pounds and specialty seafood restaurants. Finally, the service here has always been great - no complaints whatsoever. But, prices are WAY too high. Easily north of $100 if ordering two apps, two dinners and a beer or two. Want a salad? It sure is nice to have a salad with an Italian meal, right? Prepare to shell out more dough, because they are too frickin' cheap here to give you a small helping of lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber on a plate with your $25 plate. Given all the photos on their menu, they should add one of the owner grinning at the camera and sticking up his middle finger just above the salad menu. This place is good and we continue to patron it occasionally (our kids like it - they go nuts over the angel hair). But, it sure as hell could be better, and Anjon's owes it to their customers to put in a little more effort to modernizing their approach.
(3)S C.
Very disappointing and extremely over priced! We have been to Anjon's 3 or 4 times and everyone usually loves it and we make it a point to go here when we come to Maine for vacation. However this time it was not good. First off the prices are way too high for the quality of food. One person in our party ordered the haddock marinara for $26. The whole meal was just a plate covered in marinara and a small/medium sized haddock filet sitting in the middle and it came with a baked potato on the side. No other sides or any vegetables with it. It was good, but you will be starving 20 minutes later. Another person had the sirloin surf and turf. The steak however had no seasoning or flavor. It tasted like it was just put on the grill without even salt and pepper on it. For a $30 dish you expect it to taste good. One person had the Sicilian sirloin steak which on the menu reads "finest beef cut to order". The steak was ordered medium and was well done when brought to the table. The steak had a lot of fat and it was very tough. It was not a good quality cut of meat. I had the antipasto salad which was not bad other than the fact it was drowned out in dressing. There was probably a quarter of an inch of dressing just sitting on the whole bottom of my dish. The lettuce got soggy and some of the dressing had to be drained off some of the lettuce that was on the bottom before you ate it as it was soaked in oil and vinegar. The salad itself wasn't bad, but for $17 it should be good. The shrimp prosciutto appetizer is great and I do recommend this. We order this every time we come here. The shrimp cocktail is absolutely insane to pay $5 per shrimp. It is not worth it. It is no bigger or fresher than any other place. You can get shrimp that are just as big if not bigger and fresh at other places nearby for $1.50 each. The service was not great either as we were rushed through dinner and rushed out. For a party of 8 people we were out of there within 45 minutes to an hour. The waitress kept coming to the table clearing dishes, asking if we were done with dishes and glasses etc. as some people were still eating and trying to enjoy their dinner. Overall we were extremely disappointed with the visit and after coming here for several years we probably won't be coming here anymore as it is not good quality and very overpriced and we found some other much better places in the area. For the prices of the meals you expect to have good service and quality meals. I don't know if there have been changes in ownership or management, but overall this was a huge disappointment.
(2)A H.
I've been eating here for at least six years. I was thrilled when they added a gluten free pasta option. It's delicious, as is their sauce which is made in-house. I normally order a pasta dish or the prime rib when available. I have tried their steak but did not like it; it's very pricey and didn't taste like a very good cut of meat. I also do not recommend the baked potato as a side-- it has consistently been dried out. I love the view of the marsh, and it's a nice, unpretentious place to eat.
(4)Patty C.
The first time we tried this the food was really good . But it was on a weekend when it was busy. Went again on a thursday and this time i tried the shore dinner, lobster, steamers , corn on the cob and baked potatoe. My fault for ordering this at an italian place i guess. The minute our server set my plate in front of me the seafood smelled awful. The lobster claws had a coating of white stuff ? All over it . Steamers were dirty and smelled also. My husband ordered pasta, meatballs , and sausage. It was awful. He loved it the first visit too . This time the sauce was old , sausages were old also . Way overcooked . And just looked like they had been sitting in sauce for weeks . Very disappointed this trip. Service was great though.
(2)Christine F.
Ate here while on vacation in Maine and we were not disappointed. The menu was a little pricy, but the food was very good and the service was quick. I ordered stuffed mushrooms and those were a bit mediocre (which is why not 5 stars), but the entree was Lobster Scampi, and I have to say it was the best scampi I've ever had that wasn't homemade. I would go there again just to order the same thing. The decor inside is cute, 2-3 steps up from an Olive Garden, and there is a pretty fountain outside that is good for taking pictures in front of. I would definitely recommend this place.
(4)Mike L.
We went out to Old Orchard Beach for the day and planned on going to the Saco Drive-In at night. I stumbled upon Anjon's because there didn't seem to be a whole lot in that area and I was in the mood for Italian. We had a brief wait when we arrived and I felt a little embarrassed wearing a tank top and bathing suit because it was a fairly nice restaurant, but I'm sure they are used to that kind of thing being a tourist area, not far from the beach. I noticed that they sell their own sauce in jars so I figured it must be pretty good and had to try the Chicken Parm. The sauce really was quite noteworthy. The Italian dressing on the salad was excellent as well. Service was good and we were able to make it to the Drive-In with plenty of time. The prices are normally a little high but they had a check in offer on Yelp for $10 off which made it a great deal. If you are in that area you have to stop in. You won't regret it.
(4)Brian M.
We took our kids here and the meal was pretty good. But it was enormously expensive for what you get. I liked my scampi with clams, scallops, and lobster on linguini. But it was $35, with no greens, no sides, and the place just sort of feels like you're in some Little Italy and it's 1978 or so.
(3)Adrienne M.
My husband made a reservation for 6:00 last Saturday. We came in and were told there was no reservation. The hostess asked us several times if it would be under a different name? Then she got exasperated...rather than saying there was some sort of a mistake .Finally, I asked if there were a table. Yes, there was. Waitress was pleasant- took our order- we wanted to split a Caesar salad, along with entres. Asked if we wanted anchovies- Big salad comes- waitress does not bring separate plates for us to separate portions....never brought bread/butter (as other tables had), never filled our empty water glass. Then bill comes- anchovies extra, white pasta sauce on side dish, extra. Entrees were pricey, we really felt "nickled and dimed". Service was awful. Dinner was okay but not worth the prices...... Many other better options around
(1)Bryan S.
Top line: very good Italian food, great service, a must go! Went here with a group on a recommendation. Overall, this place was wonderful. Great food. Seems very authentic and very fresh. Good selection of food, and drinks. Service was awesome. Bottom line: if you are looking for some fresh, low priced and tasty Italian, this is the place to go!
(4)Jason W.
Stopped in on a whim, the staff was so friendly and informative. The food was excellent and the portions generous. The waitress went out of her way to make us feel welcome, and look after the child in our group of three. Classy atmosphere, but even with us in t-shirts nothing but smiles from all the staff. Will go back in a heartbeat.
(5)M L.
(Would rate a 3.5 if Yelp allowed.) A previous reviewer said it best: "nothing is excellent, but everything is good." Anjon's makes up for its priciness with large portions. I'm a pasta fiend and still leave with leftovers every time (a bonus considering most dishes are $20+). Their marinara sauce, which they also sell in jars, is very good.
(3)Amelia H.
It actually hurts to only give this place three stars, but the service was just bad. My family has been vacationing in Maine for over 25 years, and my husband's family for more than 30 years, and neither of us had ever been, so we thought it was about time. We made reservations to eat at Anjon's with my husband's family for Friday night. When we arrived the place was dead. We were seated upstairs and of the 15-20 tables up there, only 2 others had people at them. It was absolutely freezing up there too. Although the waiter did turn down the A/C when we asked. The prices are pretty normal for other nice restaurants in the area. I had the chicken parmesan and my husband the veal calabrese. We both loved our meals and thought the portion size was just right. His aunt got the italian surf and turf and loved it. She said her filet was cooked perfectly. The rest of the table enjoyed their meals too. Now for my complaint. The service was too slow. We placed our order at 7:20 and it was after 8 before we got our food. The restaurant was not full downstairs and there were only three tables (including us) taken upstairs. We were a party of 7, so we were not overly large and difficult to handle. I was very disappointed.
(3)Martha T.
We went there for my birthday, Very disappointed. We had lasagna, cannelloni, sausage, meatballs .All very dry and tasteless, as though sitting on the stove too long. Stouffer's frozen is way better than this. We will never go back - I think it's time for them to give up and close. The only good thing: stuffed mushrooms were OUTSTANDING! Overall, a waste of money - way too expensive, and not good at all. We will never go back.
(2)K M.
We were traveling back to our Curtis Cove rental from our traditional visit to the Portland Children's Museum and the Portland Museum of Art the day after Thanksgiving and decided to have dinner at Anjon's just like we did last year (maybe Anjon is becoming part of the tradition too). We were seated upstairs at the same table as last year. Although downstairs was bustling, we were alone and had a quiet meal. My wife got Fra Diavolo, but switched out the mussels for lobster (which was only a $10 up charge that I thought was very reasonable) and loved every bite. I went with the Veal Calabrese, one of Anjon's specialities, which was well worth trying as it had the right mix of mushroom to wine sauce (BTW, I was in the mood for a glass of wine and tried the house chianti, which was not bad at all) and came with the option of the pasta under the veal or on a separate plate. Because I didn't want to eat too much pasta (I know, how can one eat too much pasta :-), I got it on the side with their regular marinara. I think it would have been really good mixed with the wine sauce and will try it that way the next time. The two older girls got pasta dishes; one meatballs and manicotti and the other sausage with gnocchi. Nothing left on either plate. The little one got steamed Maine clams which she devoured in no time. She was still hungry so we followed up with a kids meal, hamburger and french fries that she started but didn't finish. Tried the burger and was really good for an Italian restaurant. So I really think that Anjon's will become part of the tradition and we will most definitely be back.
(4)Jennifer D.
Overall a nice place. Fast and friendly service. Family friendly & casual atmosphere. Food is tasty. Would recommended to friends!
(4)Julie H.
Went with 6 friends. 4 ordered pasta dishes and were somewhat satisfied. A friend & I ordered baked stuffed haddock. It was just awful. Fish was dry stuffing tasted spoiled. Came with an overcooked baked potato. Paid $30 (18% gratuity was added) when it was mentioned to our waitress she just said ok ill tell the chief. We won't go back
(2)TJ S.
20 water pollution violations according to the New York Times (1). projects.nytimes.com/tox…
(1)Kathy S.
Went to Anjon's for dinner with my Husband and another couple and had a fantastic time! The ambiance is very nice. I love the cork walls and the place is very clean. The hostess seated us right away and was very nice! The menu had many items to choose from and had "specials". I had the Veal parmigiana and it was delicious. My friend had the lobster and steak special and he absolutely loved it. We have been talking about going to Anjon's for two Summer's now and we are so glad we did. We are definitely going to be going here more often. Our waitress was also very fast, kind and on top of things. I'm definitely going back for the lobster special!
(4)Ash D.
My family always comes here atleast once when we're vacationing in Maine. It's a nice change from the average greasy seafood places that are all over this area. They have great sauce and I think I've enjoyed everything that I have ordered. The food is a little over-priced and the waits can be LONG but overall it's worth it for some nice Italian food.
(4)Rick G.
Food was good though the menu was a bit confusing as to what was lunch and what was dinner.
(4)Wayne M.
Whent to Anjon's this past weekend. The place was empty but it still took the hostess fifteen minutes to seat us. The waiter ignored us for another ten minutes before taking our drink order, which he got wrong. Three water's a pepsi and an ice tea. Ordered from the diner menu, portions were real small. Thecutlets tasted like frozen diners and the sauce tasted like it came from a jar. Left ther hungry and went to ht Maine Diner for desert.
(1)Krystal Y.
We as a family of 12 showed up with No reservation I understand its large party but when we asked if we could eat the Manger said "tell them they r shit out of luck" I let the server know we heard it and we will never recommend this place. You got out of a large party and our family will never return.
(1)Sarah W.
My Parents have been going here forever. It's tricky to find a non-franchise restaurant (without going into the Old Port) between the Maine Mall area and Saco. I have not been here, by choice, since maybe middle school.. it's been a long time. Now, I can appreciate good Italian food. We sat in the bar area at a table. Food seemed consistent and was tasty... and if you were wondering, I had the cannelloni! Parking is convenient. I'd go back again if in that area.
(4)tim b.
Tired out by the fried-unidentifiables-in-a-basket you find all around OOB, we tried Anjon's out of desperation. It is a charming family-owned restaurant that has the outward appearance of a chain. The service was fine (I think one of the family members was our waitress) although she was much more engaged in a loud conversation with a couple at an adjoining table about their dead dog than she was with taking care of our order. I admit: living in the NY metropolitan area we are spoiled with excellent Italian cuisine. As I'm in training, I went with broiled haddock and whole wheat pasta and the house marinara. The fish was overcooked and served in small steel dish without garnish. The presentation was off-putting right off the bat. OK, a bit snobbish, perhaps, but for $22 I was expecting a bit more. The side dish of pasta was the high point - best whole wheat pasta I've tasted. Perfectly prepared. The sauce was flavorful with real, ripe tomatoes and discernible fresh basil. No salads come with the entrees. Only cold Italian bread in a basket. Had I known, I would have ordered an antipasto. My family said the bread was decent and fresh, but it arrived cold. The butter was colder, leading to the unappetizing spectacle of watching hard chunks of butter tearing into soft cold Italian bread. This is such a simple thing to fix, and changes the experience of the diner awaiting her/his entree with no salad to munch. My wife enjoyed a three cheese veal parmigiana that was intensely flavorful, although the veal was a bit tough and overcooked. My son did the best among us with a seafood scampi that was as well prepared as it was enormous in quantity. I would try this restaurant again when I'm not measuring grams of protein or worried about excessive carbs. They have a selection of stuffed breads that look like they'd be delicious.
(3)Meredith F.
Since I moved from Maine in 1999 I have eaten in many, many Italian restaurants in my subsequent home cities of Boston and New York. In all that time, in all the Italian restaurants I've eaten in, I have never, ever tasted a marinara sauce as good as Anjon's. If you come here and do not leave with at least a few jars, you are missing out. Luckily you can even buy them online and have them shipped to your door. The food is consistently very good, although nothing in particular stands out to me except for the fried ravioli. It is lightly breaded and fried until crisp, and served in a pool of that amazing tomato sauce, with a creamy garlic aioli drizzled over top. During my last visit I had a fresh (and very large) caesar salad and the meatballs. The meatballs were flavored with garlic and herbs and tasted homemade rather than the mealy, oversalted versions you find at many other American-Italian restaurants. Their creme brulee is also outstanding. Really, I've never had a bad meal here...and you could pretty much dump that sauce on anything and it would be amazing.
(4)Matthew D.
Let me start off by saying that I've been coming to Anjon's for twenty or so years on vacations. We used to rave about it to our friends back in NY every time Maine came up during conversation. After our recent stop we wont be back which pains me to say. The sauce is amazing but the prices are insane for the TINY portions they serve. The ownership changed hands to the old owners son and has gone through a renovation of sorts. I don't think the new generation of ownership understands how to attract and retain customers. Eat here if your wallet can afford $30 meals that barely feed one.
(3)Bud P.
This is an old style family Italian joint. The food is decent and they have all the favorites. Nothing is excellent but everything is good. Huge portions and reasonable prices.
(3)Nancy H.
Do you remove negative reviews? I wrote one last month and it is gone.
(1)Captain S.
Just arrived at our hotel and the guy at the desk said this was the best place to eat. We had lobster and steak. The lobster was delicious. Everything that one would expect for a first Maine dinner. The steak was good also, we've just had better. But for the price, you can't go wrong with the specials. According to the menu and advertising they have very good Italian food also.
(4)Matt C.
The atmosphere was nice and the staff friendly, but the food was WAY over priced for the quality.
(3)Allison P.
We came to Maine on vacation, we were looking for a hotel near food and with the Admiral motel just down the street, we were sold. Anjons restaurant has some of the best italian sauce and atmosphere of any Italian restaurant that we have been to in 20 years or more.
(4)Kevin S.
Anjon's is an Italian restaurant, but when in Maine, eat seafood. So I can't really comment on the quality of the Italian fare, but the seafood was great. I had lunch there and started with the lobster stew. It's definitely not a chowder, hardly any, if any at all, cream. It was very lightly flavored yet thick and almost tangy. I had a cup of the lobster stew for $8. It was really just a cup, not even a big coffee mug, but the amount of real lobster chunks in it was unbelievable. There were 2 claws, about 3 inches long a piece, and 3 knuckle meat pieces. I also had the fried clams and scallops, which were served with choice of potato and slaw, which weren't anything special and I didn't finish either. The clams and scallops were lightly battered, moist, fresh, and delicious. The batter was flavorful, but not greasy or overbearing. My friend had a lobster roll, which was basically lobster claw and knuckle meat mixed together with mayo and chilled as a salad, spread over a warm roll. It looked great, and from what I heard tasted great too. My other friend had a seafood pasta with linguine and alfredo. There were large chunks of shrimp, scallops, fish, clams, and mussels. So everything that I saw had a lot of seafood mixed in. It was great, not too expensive, and I would definitely go back and recommend to a friend.
(4)Audrey D.
Food was great. I had the baked stuffed haddock, hubby had the lobster pie. Both were very good. FYI. They do not accept the yelp coupon.
(4)Juiana L.
Anjon's is a nice destination restaurant located on Route 1 in Scarborough Maine, with picture window seating views, overlooking the natural attraction of marshes where birds and wildlife visit with regularity. All menu entrees are ample servings. The offerings are both Italian and seafood entrees I especially enjoyed the pinot grigio house wine. I ordered a fabulous Italian appetizer salad for my entree and there was plenty to share with our dinner guests, who joined us to celebrate my granddaughter's birthday. My husband's shrimp and steak special was nicely priced. Service is pleasant and prompt. I look forward to a return dining experience.
(4)Andrew J.
Every meal here is a winner. Pasta, seafood, dessert - all have been amazing every time. Wicked huge portions. Some reserve it for special occasions, but they run specials all the time. One if the best Italian meals in the Portland area.
(5)Gail C.
Mouse running around dining room and food was just ok, but the highlight of our visit was the mouse that visited every table. When I called the manager over to our table she immediately asked if we had a new friend in our area!!!! She apologized to each table and said it must have come in that day when they had the doors open for a liquor delivery! Please, she knew without me saying anything that there was a visitor and it just came in today??? Our waiter said they had been fighting the problem for at least 3 days. To make it worse no one tried to catch the rodent or offer any discount. They asked if we wanted to talk to the owner who was right around the corner. Wouldn't a decent owner come out and try to put his customers at ease??? We paid our $95.00 bill, which was for 3 entrees, one appetizer and an iced tea and sparking water! DEFINITELY WILL NOT BE BACK HERE EVER!!!
(1)Scott R.
Oddly and distinctively situated along US1 in an enormous salt marsh, Anjon's has stood out for decades. Too bad it's not a standout for dinner. The majority of entrees are about $24, yet the ones I saw were plain, simple meals. No vegetable, salad, or sprig of parsley accompanied any pasta dish. Why would a scallop and baked potato dinner have no green on the side? The pasta is good, the marinara tasty, the meatballs tender and flavorful. Oh, server, a table of 6 should have more than 5 waters. Cut the prices in half and this is an okay deal, but still not the answer to "where tonight?"
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