Rockland Cafe

Wowsa. Don't walk by this cash-only cafe. You will miss the best meal of your life. We stopped in on a Thursday, and each of our lunches was exceptional. Daughter #1 had their award-winning Seafood Chowder, and it was buttery and delightful and full of seafood. Daughter #2 opted for chicken nuggets and fries and claimed them yummy. And on point. Husband opted for the pulled pork bbq sandwich and enjoyed it. I had a wonderful haddock BLT. It was truly a perfect BLT. We all had French fries, which were perfectly cooked and seasoned. This was a great meal in a simple storefront. Don't walk by!!

Stayed in Rockland for a few days and I really wanted lobster. Do NOT order the lobster roll. I've had them before and saw them at other places since with lobster overflowing from the long roll. This was finely chopped lobster (I hope) smothered in mayo on a hamburger bun. My husbands fish and chips looked good, and it was plentiful. Mine was just so disappointing...definitely not the experience I wanted for our first Maine meal. Of course, the roll was market price, and the waitress kept upping the price like Diane Keaton in Baby Boom selling her baby food in the Vermont gift shop. I could have gotten a whole lobster for the same $31.99 price. I know...my fault. I really liked the pictures and Lobster Festival posters on the wall. I'd go back...I'd just order something with a photo on the menu.

We ate here on an evening where many towns, including Camden, where we were staying, lost power during the rain storm on 9/16/23. Our hotel suggested we go to Rockland where they still had power, so we decided to swing by Rockland Cafe as they weren't too incredibly busy. My friend ordered a seafood chowder and salad while I had the fried whole clam basket. Food was OK we've both had better chowder and fried clams. But service was lackluster and inattentive. We had to call for service as well as our check in the end. No one ever came by asking if all was OK. They simply took your order and dropped off your food and that was it. What was very disturbing was watching our server, an older female brunette, eat in the kitchen and LICKING HER HANDS during her shift within view of her customers. She had her back to us, but we could see what was going on the kitchen. This is UNPROFESSIONAL. How about you take a break from your shift and then eat?? On top of this, she did NOT wash her hands afterwards but instead proceeded to touch plates of food and bring these said plates to her customers. Yuck!! We also witnessed the chef scratch his head while handling food. He too, did not wash his hands. And there was an older female blond server who wore her hair down. We think whenever you deal with food, hair should be tied up and kept back somehow so that hair does not get in people's food. The menu is nothing special pretty run of the mill offering a little of everything to try and satiate all palates. You can find most seafood plates offered here at all the restaurants in town and beyond in Midcoast Maine. Definitely consider sanitation and cleanliness before you dine here. The staff does not seem to take this seriously.

We were not disappointed in the food or service at the well-rated Rockland Cafe on Main St in quaint Rockland. My party enjoyed fried clams, seafood chowder, haddock wraps, haddock Reuben and grilled salmon sandwich. All were cooked perfectly and delicious! Darlene was efficient and helpful with my questions.

We were part of a film festival so the crowd was probably much dense than usual. Had the famous seafood chowder that I thought was kind of dry actually. But the place was a respite from the rain and cold and the hilarious lobster poster made up for half of it.