Tao Yuan Restaurant
22 Pleasant St, Brunswick, ME, 04011
Tao Yuan Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Brunswick for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Brunswick for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Brunswick for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
22 Pleasant St
Brunswick, ME, 04011 - Phone (207) 725-9002
- Website https://tao-yuan.me/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Classy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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George M.
9 Buck Beer? Inexcusable! Superb food? Indescribable! We are so happy this place is here, NORTH of Portland where there are few diverse options as good. The pork buns are the star with the most amazing fresh explosion in your mouth. A Maine crab dish delish. And the slaw very nice. My friend didn't want to do the tasting menu but 7 dishes for the two of us was more than enough food and the price is the same as or less than most fine restaurants in Portland. Very attractive place with a nice bar. Service was spot on and friendly but the sake overpriced just like the ridiculously expensive brews. PLEASE drop the beer price at least because it make you look pretentious on first glance!
(5)Ben S.
Probably one of the better restaurants in Brunswick. Nice layout and friendly staff. Right next to the post office. Great deal at lunch: soup, salad and main course with tea for $12.50. Love the duck and pork dishes. Desserts are worth trying as well. They also have Green Flash beer on tap. Portions are kind of small but food is fantastic.
(4)Amy M.
My husband and I recently visited Tao for dinner on a weekday night. First, the pluses - restaurant is beautiful, nice decor and layout. The staff were on point, refilling water when needed, dishes coming out with great timing. I really like the menu layout, small bites to share. When you're at a place like this you definitely end up wanting to sample so the menu lends to that. But of course let's get to the food. I gotta say, it didn't blow me away. Maybe I'm not sophisticated enough to enjoy it, this also crossed my mind. Some of the items we had: fried goat cheese, lacked flavor, husb said tasted kind of like tofu. Chicken and rice underseasoned. Pork dim sum were pretty good, needed added hot sauce to make it work, and dumpling special was good. All in all I think we had 9 plates. Overall, I wouldn't likely pay that price again for dinner since I just thought it was okay. My husband has been for lunch and he says it's much better but we'll see. Guess I'm the odd man out on my feelings of Tao.
(3)Linda S.
Pretentious. The staff is excellent and attentive. The aura coming from the kitchen is its all about them. The customer needs to conform to their schedule. I was offered a new tasting menu at 5:45. Enjoyed my cocktail and at 6:15 said I would order the newly offered $48 tasting menu. I was told it was no longer available. It ended at 6, The food here is very good but not outstanding. There's a big ego in the kitchen. I have been here 4 times and twice felt I would not come back again. This time it will stick.
(2)Toby S.
Wonderful dinner starting with great inventive cocktails. All dishes were delicious - Asian slaw, tea smoked duck, pork buns, dumplings, sea bass and scallops. They recommend 3-4 dishes per person but you can easily get by with 2 1/2 to 3 per person
(5)Elizabeth R.
Our anniversary dinner at Tao Yuan last night was wonderful. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. We never felt rushed and really enjoyed the pace of the meal. We chose the chef's tasting menu and it wasn't just dinner, it was a two hour dining experience. We made our reservation a couple weeks in advance and they were kind enough to accommodate our request of no seafood. The cocktails were inventive (and strong) making them well worth the price we paid. Would love to go back and enjoy the tasting menu during another season.
(5)N Y.
Have been to Tao a few more times recently with friends. Same comments as first review still apply; however, my friends and I all agree that the $9 beer price for local beer is offensive and worthy of us and others not visiting Tao or the new sister restaurant. The beer prices are much higher than any other restaurant in the area for the exact same beer and quantity. The bartenders and serves even seem to agree with customer comments that the beer prices are too high. Two stars still though as the food is great and staff is very good.
(2)Kimberly S.
Tao is an exceptional restaurant. Chef Cara Stadler is a James Beard Award semi/finalist. My husband and I typically order "the blind try". The food just keeps arriving and you have the opportunity to try an assortment of foods, including dessert. Everything is prepared to perfection. The cocktails are excellent as well. One of my favorites!
(5)Jeff C.
Great chef, unique and scrumptious meals, and wonderful service. I highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)T R.
After hearing so much good press about this place, I finally got around to going here. I was not nearly as impressed as I hoped I would be, but it was still a very enjoyable meal. Oysters were outstandingly fresh and briny. The lemongrass mignonette that accompanied them was nice, but a tad overpowering. The Shu Mai was pleasant but not anything better than you can get frozen in an asian grocers. On the other hand the roast pork buns were very well done, yet were overpowered by the table soy/vinegar dipping sauce that the server recommended.....we ate them plain. The scallop sashimi was boring. The scallops were decadently fresh, but the preparation did nothing to enhance or compliment them. The stir fried cauliflower was excellent with delicious bits of their home made bacon. The pork belly was divine, but much like the oysters, was much better on its own. The accompanying mung beans and greens were distracting and really did not add much to the dish. The restaurant space itself was trendy and fun. The service was friendly and efficient yet quite rushed at times.
(3)Paul C.
I rarely give a place 5 stars, but it is hard to find fault with Tao. It is LOUD, but if they were playing music, we didn't hear it. Just the combined voices of other customers shouting to be heard across the tables from each other. We each had the "Beet Yuzo Martini." If you like slightly bitter drinks, as I do, this is the cocktail to order. I had two. I don't know why they call it a martini; maybe because gin is one of the ingredients? It is served in a squat glass, not stemware. I have seen all sorts of concoctions served in the classic long stem cocktail glass named "martini." Regardless of what they have named it, I will order it again on future occasions. The food was all good. We like duck, so we tried both the smoked duck and the seared duck breast. Both were excellent. The Brussels sprouts were some of the best. The scallops came with an intriguing sauce. The Shao Mai was flavorful and didn't need any dipping sauce. The Pandan panna cotta was as good as it gets. Surprisingly, the one dish we probably won't get again was the pork buns. We're told they are one of the most popular items on the menu, and they're good, but so many other dishes are better.
(5)Tanna W.
One of the best meals I have had BUT and this is a big BUT...their computer cannot separate tickets? We had 8 people which would have resulted in six checks. Our tab was nearly $800 but they could not split the check by patron. As the last one to pay , I ended up with nearly $50 more on my tab than my party had eaten. Get a better computer. This bitter end to an otherwise superb meal was so stupid when clearly there are computers at much less sophisticated establishments that do this all the time. I'll go back, but not with a large party until this is fixed. Oh...and skip the coffee, or should I say coffee flavored water? It was weak, took way too long and for $4 for a cup...it should have been WAY better
(4)Gayle M.
If I lived closer, I would be a regular at Tao Yuan. We shared 7 dishes, plus dessert. I would happily order the exact same meal again, and I feel sure I would love the ones we didn't try just as much. Each dish was completely unique and absolutely perfect. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Julie K.
Tao is a good restaurant but certainly not up to all the hype. The portions are very small and I have definitely had better dim sum in both New York and Boston, I found many of the dishes to be underseasoned and lacking in flavor. The service was very good and the wines that were paired with the dishes were excellent. Overall a pleasant experience but having gone there prepared to be wowed I must say I was disappointed.
(3)Carolyn B.
I took my boyfriend, who loves Asian cuisine, to Tao Yuan for his birthday last week, and we opted for the tasting menu. The food was OK, some dishes better than others, but the service was extremely disappointing. We were seated by the drafty door even though I called ahead and let the waitstaff know that we were celebrating a birthday. The server never introduced herself or said hello. Each dish was slapped on the table with no explanation, no one asked us how we were doing or whether we were enjoying the food, and we finished ten courses in under an hour and a half. I was trying to go along with it until the server brought out our check along with our desserts. That was just rude. Then, the server I guess undercharged us by $10 for dinner. She came back and mentioned the oversight, and unapologetically asked me to hand over my credit card again so she could add on the $10. I was horrified that after spending $150 on dinner, I was made to feel like a cheapskate and a cheat over a $10 error on the restaurant's part. I will never eat here again, and suggest others consider whether it is worth it to support a business that does not understand the basic principles of service, nevermind decent manners.
(1)Jim B.
The front end service was abysmal! The woman seating people seated three couples that came in after us and seemed annoyed when we asked to be seated. We went elsewhere and won't go back. There are plenty of wonderful restaurants in Brunswick where the service AND food are exceptional.
(1)Breck W.
Wow, you are guaranteed to have a great meal an experience here. If you can, call ahead if you want a table, we walked in and seating at the bar was only available. For first time customers, they have a simple collection of their most popular items to a designed meal plan.
(5)Dwight S.
Just ate at Tao Yuan last night for the first time and now wonder what took us so long. If you get a chance run, don't walk, to sample this gem in downtown Brunswick. The food is sublime, the service is great, and it is worth every penny. We went with the tasting menu and really enjoyed all the surprises during the meal, and went home full and satisfied. I just don't get some of the negative reviews posted below, because they totally contradict our experience. We are not easy to please, and Tao was fantastic!
(5)Ted K.
Very cute place, difficult to describe the interior, but very pleasant place to dine. The portions are small but very flavorful. Anything with duck is great ( as long as you like duck I suppose). The house dumplings are creative and delicious ( Kung pao chicken, mao po tofu etc). The oolong tea smoke hangar steak was phenomenal as well, and they do scallops very well. Best place north of Portland for my tastes. Also recommend the kaffir lime Cosmo and the pear sidecar from the bar.
(5)T N.
Terrific meal, start to finish. After looking over the menu, we went with the tasting menu. Quick silly story: I noticed something on the (drink?) menu with shiso and I considered mentioning that I despise shiso. Thinking shiso to be more Japanese and unlikely to be part of the meal, I didn't. Well wouldn't you know, the second course was something wrapped in a shiso leaf. Disliking the fact that I dislike shiso in the first place, I gave the taste a try and really liked it! We guessed that the leaf was blanched and that mellowed the flavor allowing it to balance nicely with the filling. Anyway, I was pleased to have been to enjoy that darned herb! I am now really looking forward to this chef's upcoming Portland location. Highly recommend Tao Yuon.
(5)Mike G.
update 1/31 minus 2 stars: after a couple more meals methinks Tao should stop billing itself as fusion, unless you count bland, boring dimsum innovative. a recent cantonese dinner was meh, a korean one meh-er. only dishes liked were bistro standards seared scallops and steak-frites, but not enuff to return. chef should hightail it to Myers & Chang in Boston or Spice Market in NY for an Asian reality check. hear they're opening a dumpling house in Portland. suggest eating a bag of frozen dumplings from Trader Joe's first cuz they good. ------------- first few plates thought ughh, dimsum for very white persons. then next courses came happily promising. oysters with basil-lemongrass mignonette, roast pork bao, tartare de bœuf, scallops, steak-frites-garlic aoli, coco ice cream-flourless choco cake. chef's (Eater Maine chef of the year '12) tasting is cracking good value at $45 so made a res for next week to try out rest of the menu.
(2)Matt A.
The food was good for the most part. It's definitely not your run of the mill Chinese food. A couple dishes fell short of my expectations. One of the dishes that disappointed reminded me of hot pocket (in appearance) and the other was dumpling that just didn't have any flavor to it. The overall food quality and atmosphere was good. The crowd is definitely an older crowd, my wife and I were the youngest people in the room (mid to late 20s). At some different points throughout the night it was evident the waitress was focusing her attention on the older crowd but I was there for the food anyway so it's not a big deal. It should be noted though that sometimes younger people aren't out for a cheap meal and are out to experience new things and are willing to spend accordingly. I recommend it for anyone that enjoys trying new things!
(4)Andrew F.
Why is it that people who value speed and enormous portions over quality so often take the time to write negative reviews? Pay no attention. This is an extraordinary dining experience. Four of us went last night, one of us with a garlic allergy. The waitress consulted back and forth between us and the chef to guide our order. We ordered upwards of 20 dishes plus wine and a beer, spent two hours enjoying ourselves and the whole check was a little over $200. Do yourself a favor. Go.
(5)Bento B.
I have been to Tao more times than I can remember - lunch or dinner, you name it...I love this place. Lunch favorite for me has always been their confit duck fried rice which is done with impeccable care and consistency. Fried egg on top of the duck leg is to-die-for! I've had every item on Tao's luncheon menu and the confit duck is my go-to dish. Give it a try. Dinner...ah, dinner, is outstanding...love the portions and if you go, make sure to try not one or two dishes, but get them all. I was there for dinner with another couple and I believe that we ordered almost everything on Tao's menu with the exception of a couple of side dishes. I am patiently waiting for when Chef Cara Stadler brings back her Singapore Chicken-Rice dish...Amazing! Tao's bar is well appointed and their sake offering is pretty impressive as well. I had a sparkling sake called Sawa-Sawa and haven't been able to find it anywhere else. If you've been vacillating about coming to Brunswick for dinner instead of Portland, give Tao a try...you will not regret it.
(4)Jeannine W.
I-95/295 travelers attention! Pull over, stay in Brunswick, and go to Tao. One of the pleasures of travelling is discovering little gems through word of mouth......former bartender Sami let us know about it, so we made sure that we stopped in on our next visit to the area. When the server asked 'How was everything?" I asked her "have you ever had anyone complain?" We can't imagine anyone would! Beginning with the bar and lounge area, the cocktails are creative but very accessible....we really wanted to keep drinking them! Delicious!The atmosphere is trendy, cool but very friendly and welcoming; you can meet people if you want (as we did) or have an intimate dinner for two with no trouble. The food is to die for. A 'small' plate menu, whereby you order up whenever it strikes you, and they arrive as they are made, so that a steady stream of flavours arrive while you chat and drink. Perfect. If you want to just get some chow down your neck, don't come here. You can quite literally stay all evening and nibble and enjoy beverages. We have eaten Thai food in Thailand, and hubby has eaten Singaporean in Singapore, Indian in India. The Green Curry Mussels were as authentic and flavourful as any he has experienced. The dumplings were all fresh and had nouveau fillings. I wish we could stay longer and try everything else on the menu; we felt we couldn't 'waste' our tummy space with salads! Beet juice in a martini? try it - my husband ordered more. I wish I knew how to make the Strawberry Cherry Bomb Margarita - who thinks to put Cherry Pepper Juice in a drink and understand that it makes for an unsatiable craving! #fun #delicious #intrepidtraveler #asianfusion #mixology #meetup all this and more at Tao. Go.
(5)Juan d.
A charming place serving thoughtfully crafted fusion cuisine which features the chef's excellent traditionally trained chef skills. The ambiance is open and welcoming with attentive and cheerful service. A nice selection of inventive cocktails and ample wine selections goes along with the tapas style dishes. We enjoyed our six plates, which was plenty for two and left room for dessert.
(5)Jonah S.
Tuna Sashimi, Fennel Wontons & Smoked Duck Breast on sesame peanut buckwheat noodles. Tito vodka martini. Fantabulous food, drinks & excellent atmosphere. One of a kind & exceptional. The duck was my favorite. Delicious!
(5)Catherine S.
I have been to Tao twice now, and I can't wait to go back again - this place is amazing. My first thought upon entering Tao was, "wow, this place feels like it should be in Portland, not Brunswick." The restaurant has a very nice and somewhat upscale feel while still being very comfortable and welcoming - the word that comes to mind is simply "cool." Beautiful decor, nice layout, wonderful staff. I would easily argue the best service in Brunswick - I have eaten there once on a slow Thursday,and once on a busy Saturday, and had the same quality of experience both times. The only complaint I have heard atmosphere-wise is that my mother found it a a bit loud for her liking. And the food! Everything is wonderful, executed perfectly, and tastes great. The tuna tartare and the pork belly are my personal favorites, but other popular dishes with my table included the pork buns, the shao mai, and the turnip cakes. This place should seriously be at the top of everyone's must-try list.
(5)Linnet T.
Worth a journey! Food is truly exceptional! Ever-changing menu featuring creative, modern, delicious takes on traditional Asian dishes. Beautiful presentations using the freshest ingredients. Small plates are perfect for sharing or for the single diner. I've been eating there regularly on my frequent visits to Bowdoin, and there's rarely been even a slight miss. All the dumplings and buns are exquisite (wish the lamb's tongue bun would return to the menu!) as are the duck preparations (most recent smoked duck salad is one of my favorites) and most of the fin and shellfish dishes. The vegetable dishes are also surprisingly inspired and not to be missed - have loved all I've tried from brussel sprouts to long beans, asparagus, bok choy and most recently cauliflower, of all things! I wish Tao was located in my home town instead . . . I could eat there every night!
(5)Tyler I.
Cute place. Friendly staff. Great drinks. Over priced. Poor management. Asian? I think not. If you're looking for a relaxing environment with some delicious cocktails. Look no further. If you're looking for a culinary adventure around Asia this isn't the place.
(2)Jessica G.
Like nothing I've had in Brunswick, or Maine for that matter. Totally amazing. It's like upscale dim sum, asian-french fusion. Or something. I had pork buns, duck confit, calamari, asian slaw, tuna sashimi, goat cheese with strawberries and rhubarb, smoked tea pot de creme, a taste of my husband's bacon-bourbon martini, a nice bottle of wine...it wasn't what I'd call a cheap meal, but we had a lot of the menu. Freakin' delicious, and the service and atmosphere were perfect.
(5)Hillary B.
Oh how I wanted to love this place! I have been dying to try it since they opened, and finally, recently had the chance to go with a group to dine at Tao, I have been hungrily reading all the great reviews and press they have been getting! The waiter was very friendly, the space was adorable and comfortable. I had read some reviews about really loud music, but there was no music when we arrived at 6pm on a Friday night, might have been an overcompensation, because it allowed for no private conversation in a half filled dining room. Our waiter explained to us about ordering, and about how plates were put out in the middle of the table as they come out of the kitchen. I think this is great for tables that want to share, but I wish they would not assume that everyone orders planning to share, because some people just can't eat certain foods. I think putting the dishes that people ordered down in front of them, and then letting them decide to pass and share or not, would make things much less awkward for people, which is how I felt that night. I ordered the Pork Buns, the Scallops, and the Dumplings. Plus a friend and I shared the Goat Cheese salad. The salad was great. Half of it was about 4 bites. The pork buns were the highlight! Pillowey and delicious. Next came the dumplings. There should have been two orders, I ordered one, and a friend did also. Since only one arrived, we opted to split it til the next one, which meant about 2 each, and they were small. At this point, I could tell I was going to leave this place hungry, so I asked to add an order of white rice. It never came. Another diner at our table ordered some too, and when they tried to take the remainder of her chicken dish away, she had to remind them she was still waiting for rice to finish it. Then they brought it. Finally the Scallops came. Three scallops, a delicious lemon sabayon, and once piece of endive. Again, delicious, but so small! They tried to serve us a duck dish, I told her we didn't order duck, but as I went on to say perhaps the waiter had misunderstood one of our dumplings order as duck.....but never got a chance to finish because she walked away. I kept waiting and waiting for someone to check on us so I could inquire about the dumplings and rice, but alas. By the time anyone checked we were all done eating, and it was over. When we got the bill, there was a duck on it, but it had been voided out. And the other dumpling order was not on there, so I think I was right. Of the 7 of us there, 6 left saying we were still hungry. We had even talked about ordering more, but the service was so inattentive, it just didn't happen. So we went to the Gelato Fiasco. Now that I have seen some of the items, I think I would have a better idea how to order to make sure it didn't happen again, so I do think I will give Tao another try, but was very disappointed with my first visit. I am by no means a pig, and I LOVE small plates. But I think some more guidance would have helped a lot!
(2)Janice W.
Have now eaten at Tao Restaurant 3 times and no disappointments. They have the best, freshest seafood-- a serving of minced raw salmon and chopped avocado with crumbled rice puffs was exquisite! And of course my favorite Shao Mei is a wonderful mix of flavors. Beautiful, just beautiful. Love the concept of small dishes to be shared, but have to have a serving of their Asian slaw all to myself!
(5)Lynn C.
Tao has unique, sophisticated, Asian inspired food that is a welcome addition to the local food scene! We tried 6 or 7 things on the menu, and each was intensely flavorful and delicious. Dumpling wrappers and noodles are knock outs -- we were told they are all made in house -- and you can tell. All are perfectly textured (noodles with the short rib are silky smooth; dumpling wrappers on the pan fried dumplings have a wonderful flavor; pancakes with the duck are light and not over bearing). From a meat perspective, the duck and short rib are stand outs. The pork buns are light and fluffy, not heavy and pasty. There are not tons of vegetable options, but wok fried cauliflower and cold cucumber salad are options. Everything we ate was very very good. Our only complaint is the head waiter was a bit overbearing and needs to realize that their target clientele knows something about food and do know how to eat with chopsticks. That said, this will in no way discourage us from going back -- in fact, we are anxiously looking forward to our next visit, and hope that Tao is part of the local food scene for a long time to come!
(5)Andy W.
Pedestrian food wrapped in a fancy wrapper, at the end of the day, is still pedestrian food. Don't buy the hype, Mainers know better food than this.
(2)adil n.
Cara (chef) is possibly the most inventive young asian-fusion chef in the north east. Our family of 3 had dinner at Tao Yuan on August 9th. We ordered 13 different small plates, allowing us to sample about half the menu. Most dishes were of exceedingly high quality, with incredible flavors. Notable were her take on salmon tataki with green beans and a poached egg (deep fried) and local halibut with tofu custard and black quinoa. The dumplings (both vegetarian - ask for them if not on the menu - and chicken) were worthy of Chinatown! Desserts were light and fresh - reflective of her training at some of the finest French kitchens in Paris (including Guy Savoy). Cocktails and coffee round out the emphasis on quality and local produce. Her staff and she were patient, attentive and accommodating. Cara, a James Beard should be in the offing. Don't miss this gem, while it is still a bargain (for the quality)!
(5)Jef B.
totally amazing experience over and over. This is just a gem on the coast of Maine. If you get a chance sit at the left end of the bar so you can watch the action in the kitchen. One impressive aspect is that the order in which a large number of dishes are served is as carefully thought out as the intricate and seamless combinations of flavors themselves. A foodie's dream spot.
(5)Todd H.
As good as anything I've had in my hometown of San Francisco! Incredible food with great service. The brussels sprouts are a must try.
(5)Jennie D.
Delightful decor. Great service and beverages. Small, very small servings (especially as everything is intended for sharing). Painfully under seasoned to the point of tastelessness ; exception -- Duck with apricot. Ridiculously expensive. Enormous disappointment.
(2)Tricia F.
Wonderful experience with small plate dining. Incredible food and nice atmosphere. Can't wait to go back with friends and enjoy the delicious offering of this talented young chef!
(5)Liz C.
The zen atmosphere of the new Tao restaurant in Brunswick is inviting and fresh. Although the wait staff could use some training in the wine department they are pleasant and knowledgeable about their food. The food speaks for itself. Chef Cara Stadler is a newcomer to the area but not to her cuisine. Each dish is a fine presentation and tastes even better. Local produce and inspiration flairs asian with this masterful and creative chef. The Tuna Sashimi is not an unusual combination. What makes it distinct is the puffed rice which accents the smoothness of the avocado and firm texture of the fresh tuna. The steamed Shao Mai were delightful. Finely chopped pork, shrimp and seasonings were contrasted with the bitty crunch of the water chestnuts enrobed with a paper thin wrap. More notables would include the Grandma Tang's Pork Buns, pillow soft and bright on the outside with a moist pork filling accompanied with black beans and hoisin, and the Calamari, in a light Korean style tempura batter which melts in your mouth and offset with pickled fiddleheads for a nice local touch. It is worth a return visit although be careful, at these prices your temptations may outreach your expectations. The recommended three to four dishes per person will be a fine but potentially pricey meal.
(5)Josh C.
We're from the Boston area and this is better than our favorite restaurant in town. The meats were cooked perfectly. Every dish was interesting and well constructed, and it was great to try dishes that were new to us, particularly the foie gras hot buns.
(5)Dan B.
Our first visit. Every dish was fresh, perfectly balanced, unique with wonderful flavors. Nice atmosphere excellent service. A very welcomed addition to the area. We plan to visit often.
(5)T L.
After just moving back to Maine from NYC, Tao is a welcomed surprise. The atmosphere was great, the staff was very friendly, and the food was fantastic. My favorites were the fennel dumplings and the calamari. Delicious!
(5)DD Y.
Been really wanting to try this place, heard good things. We usually stop for dinner in brunswick on thurs or fri on our way to harpswell. arrived at 7 this Friday to an almost empty restaurant. We were pleased thinking to have a nice unhurried meal enjoying their asian small plates. Unfortunately, instead of a cheerful welcome we received the dreaded attitude infused "how many are u and do u have a reservation" A little stunned since there were only about 3 or 4 tables full, we said no and were told they were completely booked but there was full service at the empty bar. Fine with us as bartenders often give great service and a friendly vibe. Turns out the bartender had only been there a week, the Place began filling up with a couple of large parties so we were rushed to order and our dishes were poorly explained, each one was actually dumped in front of us by a different runner or server. No one ever asked how things were, how we were etc etc. all around us we could see the other staff falling all over, explaining the dishes, chatting up etc. but the bartender was flat out and the other servers just delivered the food and ignored us. No hostess or manager or owner approached us. we had to send back our over cooked asparagus to a random runner. We got no sauce for our dumplings, our eating plates became covered in other sauce but we had to request fresh plates, our amazing artichoke dish was eaten with a crazy busy bartender ignoring us and after being literally shoved in front of us ( at $11 for a few mouthfuls no less) our rice was not delivered until we asked twice and was totally overcooked. Anyway, 80 bucks later, we finally asked to speak to the owner and apparently it was totally our fault and bad luck to show up on a busy night with no reservation and new staff. They had no business offering "full" service at the bar that was not! They did not take the asparagus or the rice off the bill until we asked again, and then the owner offered no apology or incentive for us to return. I thought our entire bill should have been comped or we should have been offered a chance to cone back with a gc. Bottom line: amateur night management, pretentious atmosphere, hit or miss food (nod that some was really outstanding), but terrible service does not pair with the high prices. On another note, many of the dishes are delicate to eat with special sauces making sharing a tricky and somewhat messy proposition.
(1)Judy W.
Fantastic restaurant, menu changes fairly often, so nice new dishes every now and then. Best if you go with several people so you can order different things to try. Expensive, but worth every penny. They have a couples night that is a pretty good deal. YUM
(4)Peggy G.
Omg This was the best meal I've had in a long time. The food was fabulous and the decor and service were great. The small plates were great for sharing and we tried a lot of the menu. Not a bad morsel in the bunch. I highly recommend it!
(5)