Tourists (and Mainers) visit Georgetown, Maine in droves during the summer, particularly its “main” attraction – Reid State Park. Maine schools take kids there for field trips (I went as a student and so did my kids), locals spend the day reading on the beach under an umbrella, and tourists come to see an iconic Maine beach, part sandy area and part rocky coastline.
When I was a child, Reid State Park had a snack shack where visitors could order meals. Nowadays going there for the day means packing your food as the park is located down winding roads in a very rural area, about 30 minutes south of Bath.
The good news is that a visit to Reid State Park, or just “Reid” as locals refer to it, can be coupled with a meal at a nearby restaurant – The Osprey. It’s locally owned and operated.
Location and Setting
The Osprey, named after the ospreys that live along the water just outside the restaurant, is tucked around a few buildings at the Georgetown marina, the Robinhood Marine Center at 340 Robinhood Road. If you struggle to find it, park in one of the dirt lots and look closely for signs, walk around a building or two and you’ll see the restaurant right there by the dock that goes out to the water where boaters come and go.
The location makes for a classic coastal Maine setting. There’s a view of the water and the ships, nautical themes in the restaurant, and even coastal Maine maps set under the glass tabletop. The restaurant also has a full bar for the patron who wants to wet one’s whistle.
Appetizers
Because I was going to write this review, we ordered more food than we might have otherwise, and that included multiple appetizers: Fried Cauliflower and Skillet Cornbread.
The fried cauliflower we loved (sadly, I don’t see it on their menu today). It came tossed together with fresh zucchini, chickpeas, micro greens, and topped with feta crumbles. It was delicious.
The Skillet Cornbread was decent, but what set it apart was the ramp and sage butter it was served with, giving it a more robust flavor than what you’d find with the traditional side of plain butter.
Two thumbs up on the appetizers, particularly the cauliflower!
Main(e) Course
We ate more than we should have, but we were hungry and we wanted to try (almost) all of the dishes. Front and center on their menu is their pizza offerings. While not “fine dining” per se, it’s wood-fired pizza, which makes for a better crust and cook (my opinion).
Given the restaurant’s location, it serves many boaters who are boarding or just getting off of their boats at the marina. Not all people are going to want pan seared scallops (though that’s available, too) and just want a simple meal paired with a soda or beer. Pizza fills this niche and also works well for accompanying children.
We built our own pizza with roasted red peppers and tomatoes. The pizza’s crust was well-timed in the oven, not always easy when working with flame!
Not interested in just trying the pizza, we also ordered their Fish and Chips. Served with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce (opt for tartar), it’s deep fried whitefish that is the type you’d expect from any coastal Maine restaurant: local and fresh.
Nothing is worse than ordering Fish and Chips only to bite into the fish and knowing it was previously frozen. With The Osprey restaurant’s proximity to the water, there’s no chance of that happening here!
The deep fried crust was thick, and once you poke through that crust you’ll find the flaky fresh fish that Mainers (and foodie tourists) expect. The serving size was very generous, as you can see.
Dessert
No restaurant review, despite how many dishes you get, is complete without sampling a dessert. The menu you find online may not include their full dessert offerings, but if their offerings on the day you go are anything like the day we went, you won’t be disappointed.
We ordered a lemon pound cake topped with blueberry compote and crushed pistachios, with a side of vanilla ice cream and at this point we requested two spoons, because we just. couldn’t. eat. much. more.
After Dinner
Beyond a decent meal at reasonable prices, what The Osprey restaurant has going for it is its location. First, it’s in a town where there are few other options. Second, it’s classic Maine. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and has a fresh ambience. The works of local artists are showcased throughout the restaurant, with new displays rotating in every month. The restaurant could be great for a date night, or to fuel up after a day on the boat, and is casual enough that kids would be welcomed.
After dinner you can sit outside and watch people come and go on their sailboats or the fishermen come and go with their catch of the day. My wife, the fanatic birder, used the post-dinner time to photograph the osprey that live in a nest on a pole that juts out of the harbor.
Perhaps in the reverse order of what most people would do when visiting The Osprey, we went to Reid after dinner. This is worth considering if your primary destination is The Osprey. Going to Reid State Park just before it closes for the day means you are (likely) to get in for free, there are far fewer people on the beach, and you get to watch a beautiful sunset.
Osprey Restaurant Summary
We were pleasantly surprised by the food at The Osprey (the drinks were also good). The prices were about what you would expect, and given it’s about the only game in town and it’s on the water, it could have been higher.
I liked The Osprey better than Linda Bean’s restaurant in Freeport. Given Linda Bean’s greater name recognition and number of visitors, that’s saying something.
