The entrance to The Pub at Baxter in the Bates Mill Complex. Photos by Leslie Bridgers
Brick buildings and brewpubs go hand in hand, and in Maine, where there’s an abundance of vacant mills and more breweries that are recognizing the upside of offering food, it’s a natural match.
Baxter Brewing Co., which has been making beer in Lewiston since 2011, seized this opportunity several years ago when it opened The Pub at Baxter in 2018 in the same mill complex as its brewery.
Its space in the Bates Mill might be the most stunning redevelopment of its kind I’ve seen, from the wrought-iron gate at the entrance to the high ceilings, exposed brick walls and repurposed flooring used for the tables and bar inside. But despite the nods to its history, the place looks sparkling new.
The redeveloped mill space has tons of seating and lots of special design features.
I got there not long after the restaurant had opened for lunch on a recent Saturday, when most customers were taking advantage of the rare sunny weekend day by sitting on the patio out front. The indoor space probably felt emptier than it was because of the vast amount of seating, including stools set up by ceiling posts and a huge, horseshoe bar. It wasn’t hard to picture the place packed with people, perhaps on Friday after work (when Google says it’s busiest) or for $1 Wing Wednesdays.
The menu has all the pub fare you can imagine, from soft pretzels and fried pickles to nachos, burgers and pizza. But there are also a couple of options for customers looking for something a little different, including a tofu bowl, Cajun-spiced salmon, stuffed peppers and a banh mi, which my lunch date can never resist when it’s on the menu.
With cubes of grilled chicken falling out of the baguette, the Vietnamese sandwich ($16) veered from the traditional version but was a plenty tasty take. And the extra $2 for a side of sweet potato fries were well worth it; they were some of crispiest I’ve had.
Baxter Cobb with grilled chicken from The Pub at Baxter in Lewiston.
I opted for the Baxter Cobb ($13), a large salad with loads of fresh vegetables, shredded cheese, bacon and a soft-boiled egg, to which I added grilled chicken ($5). Baxter’s stamp? A house-made smoked bacon and tomato vinaigrette.
There were, of course, a ton of Baxter’s beers (and seltzers) on tap, but The Pub is no tasting room with food; it’s a full-blown restaurant, and with a speciality cocktail list, open mic nights and other events, it offers plenty for anyone looking for a meal out – but, for craft beer lovers, a little more.
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