Anna’s Water’s Edge Restaurant

We visited the restaurant and enjoyed a nice seafood dinner. Although there were a few small disappointments, such as not-​so fresh iced tea, baked potato with tough outside skin and slightly slow service, I must say some of the other details to attention outweighed those other disappointments. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of veggies they put in the side salad. Many restaurants you’re lucky to get 1 tomato, but here they included zucchini, olives, red pepper, tomatoes and carrots (everything very fresh). For a party of 4, we had their pan fried haddock (excellent and the tartar sauce was extremely good), fettucini alfredo (nice and cheesy), baked/​stuffed scallops (very tasty) and the lobster (excellent). Overall, we had a really well prepared meal and got the experience a little small town Maine atmosphere. We’d come back if we were in the area.

Funky seafood shack right on the water’s edge. Good for what it is – the fish and chips basket had yummy, very fresh fish chunks and great coleslaw. The grilled chicken was well cooked if plain. Staff at the takeout window was friendly and helpful. If you don’t expect waitress service at the takeout window, enjoy reasonable prices and amazing views. The outdoor picnic tables are literally on the ocean. We also liked the self-​service gift shop. Would go inside for table service if the weather wasn’t great, but the Maine scenery is best from the water’s edge. A gem.

This place was about what I expected after reading the reviews — completely average. The view outside is actually very nice, but it’s self-​serve only at the outside tables, which may or may not suit your dining style. Personally, I would have chosen the outside option, but others in our party preferred the comfort of the inside tables and chairs, with service. It’s pretty much standard fare seafood here with no attempt to break from the mold.
My wife and I split a dinner sized portion of steamed clams and mussels with a white wine, butter sauce. It came with a side salad and two dinky red potatoes. The clams and mussels were fine, but the sauce was not integrated with the seafood. It was just a plastic dipping cup of white wine, and butter. I wouldn’t order it again.
Others got the fried haddock basket, which seemed ok but a bit heavy on the batter. Also, the haddock is cut into nuggets/​fingers, and is not a whole piece of fish. Unless you’re a kid, I think the nuggets are a big turn off. I want to see a nice chunky fillet on my plate, and I’ll take care of the cutting myself, thanks.
The service was really slow. The server appeared to be trying, but she couldn’t keep up. Again, I probably would have been better off grabbing take out and eating outside.
There aren’t a lot of highly rated dining options on this peninsula. I wouldn’t be overly joyed to come here again, but if I did come here again I’d eat outside and serve myself a haddock sandwich, or maybe the fried clams.

This is one of my favorite restaurants ever. Perfect atmosphere, great view, nice service, and delicious food. The Old Fashioned Brownie Pudding is amazing! I would highly recommend to anyone in the area!

Came here for good seafood with some out of state friends. Food was really mediocre. Lobster was done well, but every other thing we had was pretty lousy. Fish n chips were more like fish nuggets and my boyfriend was really let down by the haddock that they had wrapped in some strange egg? Lobster stew was good but the chowder let us down. We wanted to sit outside, and did, but it’s just a take out window and a bunch of picnic tables. Wine came in a plastic cup. Not really what we were looking for or expecting at all. In fact I can’t think of a circumstance in which someone would be looking for a restaurant as sub par as this one. Sorry Anna’s.

What a disappointment! We ate outside – saw a waitress delivering food, so thought there was table service. We even added $ 6 tip! When food was ready, they shout your name! Food just so-​so — –lobster (small), fried clams (greasy), shrimp salad (watery dressing). No free refills on iced tea was parting shot! Lots of better places around!

One of our must-​stop locations whenever we travel to Maine. The view you get looking onto the water is really nice, plus the food is fantastic with good prices! The parking can get a little tight at times, which is the only thing I would say is bad about the place. Be sure to stay for the desserts here, because they are top notch!

Anna Varian prepares outstanding, authentic Maine seafood dinners in an unpretentious setting at, well, the Water’s Edge. Four of us dined, and our selections ran the gamut of the menu.
Anna and her staff go out of their way to create the authentic down-​east experience. Out of the way, but in a very picturesque setting. You cannot go wrong at the Water’s Edge. Call first though, as operations are seasonal and hours may vary.

It’s a bit out of the way, but so worth it. The food here is always terrific, the waitresses (a rather piratical bunch of local girls) are always efficient and entertaining, and the view is a slice of heaven. While the food is top-​notch, the atmosphere is casual and homey. Worth the drive!

The food here is not good.
This restaurant has a very cute cozy atmosphere but the food will deceive you. The soups taste like they come out of a can (I bet they do) and not one thing tastes fresh, I’m not sure how they do that with the seafood!
There seems to be absolutely no effort put into taste and cuisine. There is nothing authentic about this place.
I got fried shrimp that had no flavor and was over-​fried and not local. The crab-​dip special, had practically no crab in it and tasted like watery mayonnaise. My wife and I were very sad to have such a bad experience. It felt like one of those places where the owners just didn’t care anymore. What a pitty. This restaurant is right on the water front and could be amazing. Seafood should be fresh and simple in such a prime location like this.

We went on a family vacation & rented a cottage just down the road from Anna’s Waters Edge Restaurant. What a nice area!
Anna’s is pretty casual. My husband & I ate here with our young nephew & there were several other small children also there for dinner. (phew, understanding people if things get a little loud at our table!)
Jasper had a hot dog & french fries. He seemed happy with his dinner. (There were several options for the wee ones.)
I had pan fried haddock with the sauteed vegetables of the day. The fish was perfectly done – cooked, but tender & juicy. The vegetables were great – fresh, not overcooked. I would have given Anna’s 5 stars, but my husband was less enthusiastic with his dinner.
He ordered a lobster roll. The bread was not special & then dry-​toasted without any butter. The lobster meat was not as sweet & tender as one would hope. He would have given the roll 3 stars.
No time for dessert – Jasper was ready to go! So we went outside, where there were TRUCKS & sand! What could be better? Lots of other kids playing with trucks & sand, that’s what. We couldn’t leave until it started to rain.
I would definitely go back & hopefully try dessert!

The lobster roll quest continues at Anna’s. It was a solid B+ for the roll itself. I knocked off points for size, lettuce, unbuttered roll (just dry toasted?) and meat sweetness, or lack thereof.. Otherwise good chunks and decent mayo to lobster ratio.
Anna’s is a perfectly fair value with a lobster roll at $ 12.95 and crab roll at $ 11.95– the crab roll is a little steep. (mid Summer ’08)
The place is off the beaten path just north of Sebago Estates. It is a pretty little spot with picnic tables at the edge of a small working harbor. There is dining within for bug free dinnners with wait staff. They have a solid beer list and more sophisticated fare for dinner including scallops broiled with a «splash of white wine.»
Despite other reviews, my burger was tasty, but not world class.
When departing, take a left instead of a right (don’t head back to Sebasco Resort) until you get to the dead end sign, then go right. After a quarter mile you will be confronted with an ominous sign about road closures and then dirt. Take the dirt road and whenever faced with a fork, stay to the left. This will take you back to New Meadows Road along the water and you will pass The Basin– a cool liitle cove with nobody around. If you are a kayaker, this is a great place to put in.

This is a sentimental favorite of mine. My family goes here on the last night of vacation every year and it’s always just an unparalleled dining experience on all counts. The service is quick and friendly, the food is amazing, from the funky house salads to the fried seafood platter to the fresh fish (I usually get the catch of the day, which one year led to the best just-​off-​the-​boat salmon I ever had in my life). There’s something for everyone on the menu. It’s as casual as you please (shorts and flip-​flops? no problem) and the view is as delicious as the food. Definitely leave room for dessert.
Water’s Edge is a gem, for sure worth an excursion off the beaten path.

Great entrees (shrimp for her, steak for him), yummy desserts (blueberry crisp a la mode… mmm), good prices, and an attentive waitstaff. All this with a pretty fantastic view of the ocean, if you like that sort of thing…

My hands-​down favorite restaurant in Maine! I’ve been coming here for years and never been disappointed. Waters Edge is casual, non-​pretentious, and all about the food. It has a log-​cabin like interior is decorated with lobster traps, buoys, and other fishing accoutrements. The lobster stew and lobster roll are absolutely to die for. Save room for dessert too, because the homemade pies are just as good. Aside from the fantastic food, you’ll be treated to a scenic view of the rocky shore.

A very nice sea food place right on the water. More upscale than say, a lobster pound, but not fancy. The clam chowder is good and the crab dip was outstanding, the wine list disappointing, and skip the hamburger (I didn’t, trust me). Not as touristy as many places, in fact it’s pretty isolated. Reasonably priced, and worth the trip.