The Waterfront

Published September 24, 2023

Three hours of driving through narrow mountain-lined roads led us from Concord, New Hampshire to Camden, Maine.

We passed individuals under pop-up tents selling fresh blueberries and pies on the side of the thin shoulder. As we got closer to our destination, we passed through more populated towns, the most memorable including this restaurant with a giant lobster on the roof.

The Elms of Camden

Sitting just outside of town, The Elms of Camden is one of the oldest houses in the area. We pulled into their tree-lined parking lot late in the afternoon.

 

We stayed in many types of accommodations during our vacation, and for me, The Elms of Camden is tied for the #1 accommodation in my book. It was charming, immaculately maintained, thoughtfully decorated, and perfectly located for our stay in Camden. I would absolutely stay at The Elms if I visited Camden again.

Downtown Camden, Maine

After depositing our bags in our cottage at the back of the house, we decided to explore town and find a place to eat for an early dinner.

A line of traffic backed up down the road, so we elected to walk into town. This gave us a good chance to enjoy the architecture of the other nearby inns and homes.

We passed by the church and crossed at the intersection next to the only vintage gas station in town. We followed Elm Street all the way down past the Opera House, post office, and Camden Village Green before the intersection flowed in several directions towards the downtown shops.

We stayed straight on Main Street and visited the shops on the right-hand side of the road. We stopped into a few of the home goods stores that had colorful candles in the window. Racks of stationary and linens lined the walls. Another nearby store — Once a Tree — featured shelves upon shelves of wooden cookery, decorations, and trinkets. 

We didn’t want to carry shopping bags to dinner, so we decided to come back to the shops tomorrow morning to purchase souvenirs.

At the top of the block was a business called The Smiling Cow, which I thought was an ice cream shop. It turned out to be a large gift shop with just about every cute gift you could think of related to Maine or with Maine branding on it. Plus, there was a beautiful view of the Camden Harbor from their back balcony.

Backtracking down Main Street we turned left onto Bay View Street. Smaller businesses close to the road were open; we stopped into a jewelry store and art gallery before arriving at The Waterfront.

The Waterfront | Camden, Maine

It was around 4:30 as we made our way back off the street to The Waterfront. This was one of the restaurants that the Inn owners, Gary and James, recommended to us. Given the view of the harbor from The Smiling Cow, I was excited to eat outdoors near the water.

 

The signage for The Waterfront is limited, so it’s easy to mistake the wooden building for any other business in the area. There were very few parking spots in this lot. Luckily it seemed that very few guests drove around town, and instead elected to walk.

We followed the building to the right and approached the open door, before noticing the sign that the hostess was on the deck.

Around the building to the right were several benches and plastic chairs, a shaded patio with Adirondack chairs, and the hostess stand with two hostesses. A shed-like building near the hostess stand served drinks. Many of the people on the patio and sitting area had glasses of wine.

We gave the hostess our names and were told it would be a 20-minute wait (because we did not have a reservation). We were surprised, as we were told that The Waterfront did not accept reservations, otherwise, we would’ve called to reserve one when we arrived in town.

The 20-minute wait passed by quickly, and right on the dot, our names were called for our table. We were relieved to have put our names in so early before dinner, given that a mob of people stood in the parking lot and on the patio of The Waterfront as they waited for their reservation. As we passed a group, we heard that it was an hour and a half wait before they could get a table.

The Menu

I was happily surprised that we were seated against the railing looking out on the harbor. We sat at a four-person table with an umbrella in the center. The sun was starting to set so our section was bathed in golden hour light.

The dinner menu was a dark blue two-page menu with illustrated fish (matching The Waterfront’s logo) across the front. We had a separate wooden clipboard with the specials and a drink menu.

We ordered as the hostess continued to fill the seats across the deck, which was enormous and shaded by a giant tent. I was glad that so far, we only had one quiet couple to our left. The table to the right and directly behind us remained empty.

Summer Mocktails

Raspberry Lime and Lemon Breeze Mocktail | $6.00 each

We decided to treat ourselves to some mocktails. These looked so cute and were so refreshing considering how hot it was sitting in the sun.

The lemon breeze was too tart for me. I drank the raspberry lime mocktail, which was more mellow. Both of the drinks were light and refreshing without any artificial flavors or sweeteners.

Appetizers

I liked that we had some time to sit and enjoy our drinks before the appetizers arrived. I worried with the line of people waiting to be seated that our meal would be rushed (especially since we gave our full order to the waitress). Luckily, it wasn’t and both of our appetizers arrived at the same time.

Half Dozen Oyster on the Half Shell | $18.00

After tasting the distinct and unique flavors of oysters when we were in Boston, we knew we wanted to try Maine oysters.

These oysters were large, but still tender, and minimally salty from the oyster liquor. The lemon sauce that came with it was the best accompaniment that I’ve had alongside oysters and so far I’ve only had it at The Waterfront.

Local Crab and Artichoke Fondue | $18.00 

I was skeptical if I was going to like a cheesy crab fondue — but this appetizer was delicious.

It arrived in a wide dish with 10 thick slices of warmed bread. The fondue itself had a layer of golden brown cheese and a creamy filling underneath with chunks of artichokes. The crab was subtle and I noticed it most at the bottom of the dish in the last few bites. This was a nice contrast to the cold oysters we had, and it was the perfect amount for sharing.

Entrees

Maine Lobster Roll | $28.00 each

Our lobster rolls arrived as we were finishing the crab and artichoke fondue. Each of our lobster rolls came with a side. I selected french fries and my boyfriend picked the three bean salad.

The lobster rolls were overflowing with chunks of meat. The lobster meat was tossed in a nearly unnoticeable mayo with fresh herbs. The meat itself was fresh and delicate. My french fries were burning hot and a nice contrast to the light sandwich.

An elderly couple sat at the table to our right, while the couple to our left finished their entrees. Small personal boats docked in the harbor with their passengers climbing the stairs in front of us to get into town. Tour boats launching down the harbor near The Smiling Cow passed by with their passengers waving to us.

The lobster rolls were surprisingly filling. I left the bread for the end of my sandwich and finished the lobster meat. Our waitress checked in several times throughout our meal and didn’t rush us at all, which I was happy about. The couple to our right ordered appetizers and salads and spoke to another couple who stood nearby.

Dessert

Given the meal so far, we knew we wanted to see The Waterfront’s dessert options. Our waitress swapped our dinner plates for leather dessert menus.

Blueberry Creme Brûlée | $9.00

Creme Brûlée is one of our favorite desserts to order. We didn’t hesitate to try The Waterfront’s blueberry creme brûlée, which is a combination I never considered before. I wondered what the dessert would look like when it arrived.

A striking blue plate with a wide white ramekin was placed in front of us. I loved plump fresh blueberries and I was excited to have them as an addition to the dish.

We excitedly raised our spoons to tap through the brûléed sugar crust and found that it did not have the distinct snap. I suspect the sugar did not have enough time to caramelize and create that classic, glossy layer. In the end, the sugar provided a nice textural element, but not the fun sheet of sugar to crack.

The custard filling tasted like vanilla and was not warm, like I expected. Small dried bits of blueberry appeared throughout (I’ll explain more about this in my next post). It wasn’t my favorite dessert, but it was tasty.

By now, the sun set behind the buildings and offered a reprieve from the heat. We sipped the last of our drinks and paid. The couple to our next paid and also sat at their table, enjoying the view. Groups still hovered around the parking lot with drinks.

As we crossed back onto Bay Street, we saw Camden Cone — a small building serving ice cream. Not quite satisfied from our creme brûlée, we decided to get two ice cream cones for our walk back to our accommodation.

My Recommendations 

I give The Waterfront a 10/10 for the following: 

• Decor and Design

  • Since we sat outside, I didn’t get a strong impression of the restaurant’s branding or design. However, the outdoor seating on the deck was spacious and well organized. I liked the thick cloth napkins and matching umbrellas for each table. The menu designs gave a nod to the area with their oceanic blue colors and natural textures. Plus, the menu itself was categorized and relevant to local ingredients and traditional New England dishes.

• Service

  • Our waitress was perfect. Her timing and coordination with the kitchen made for a pleasantly paced meal. We had a nice break between ordering our drinks and receiving our appetizer and the same between our entrees and dessert. This gave us time to enjoy the weather and view of the harbor.

• Food

  • The portions, fresh ingredients, and fair price makes The Waterfront one of my favorite meals in Camden. Our appetizers were fresh and tasty, the lobster sandwiches were one of the best that we had in Camden, and even the dessert was presented well. I would recommend and revisit The Waterfront to try even more of their menu the next time I’m in Camden.

Exploring Camden and Rockland, Maine

Click here to read about our shopping in Camden, before we headed to Rockland, Maine for the afternoon.