What is there to do in Portland, Maine? I had to ask myself that question last week as I was attending a conference in Portland. And more importantly, what is there to do after 5pm since my day was taken up by the conference?

I realized very fast that there are really only two things to do in Portland, Maine after 5pm: eat and drink.

Portland, Maine is a coastal city with many restaurants, bars and pubs. There are many historical buildings in downtown Portland, but after dark, the place to be is at one of the eateries or bars in the city.

While we were in town, we visited two great bars:

Bull Feeney’s – 375 Fore Street, Portland, Maine

This is where “Lobsters Love Guinness” as they proclaim outside of the restaurant! This was a really nice little restaurant and bar with an extensive whiskey list. The food was great, even for those of us that don’t like seafood! The atmosphere is very comfortable and becomes a great bar later in the night.

Fore Play Sports Pub – 436 Fore Street, Portland, Maine

This was my favorite place to visit when we were in Portland, Maine. The people in this pub are so friendly, even to us California people (that visited on the night of Game 6 of the NBA championship! (Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers)). It was a fun atmosphere where everyone was so friendly. They offered much great advice on things to see in the city, made great drinks at a reasonable price and made great memories! They also served jello shots!! I have never seen a bar serve jello shots – so much fun! This is one of the best bars I have ever visited! If you’re ever in Portland, Maine, I definitely recommend that you visit Fore Play Sports Pub!

Other than those two places, we didn’t find much else to do. We did do a little site seeing while we were there and took many pictures of the very old and beautiful buildings in the city. We also took in a Portland Seadogs game – the Double A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

One complaint about Portland, Maine:

I don’t think they believe in street lights, street signs and street lines. Almost every night that we went out, we somehow got lost.

1. There were not many street lights, and the ones that we did see, they were dim.
2. Many of the streets in the city are not labeled and if they are, it is very small and not well lit!
3. Many of the streets had very faded street lines, so it was hard to stay in your own lane. I saw so many people drive into the wrong lane, almost getting into accidents.

Portland, Maine is a beautiful city with very friendly people. We had a good time, but I’m not sure there is anything there that would persuade me to visit again. It was a “once in a lifetime” thing, I think