April 15, 2012
Not a bad tap selection however there certainly are not a ton of beers that I get excited about trying... alot of mainstream microbrews but always have a few exciting things from the locals Allagash, Oxbow, and Marshall Wharf. I also enjoy the fact that they will do a paddle sampler to taste a handful of beers before choosing a winner to grab by the pint... however the ambiance is a little to applebees and the food is kinda similar... nothing to inspiring for the foodies out there but acceptable if your looking for standard pub food... except the fact that their fries SUCK!

April 2, 2012
This place has a solid beer selection, but nothing that will really "wow" you. The food is decent, but not awesome. They usually have a good selection of Allagash beers, which makes sense being so close to the brewery. Definitely worth a stop in, but nothing to write home about.

January 4, 2012
Visited in while on headed from Acadia National Park on vacation with my wife. We had lunch and a couple of beers. Vintage/antique decor. The food was great and the prices reasonable. Quick and friendly service. Lots of stuff that was probably no big deal for the locals, but I found plenty of new stuff to try.

August 22, 2011
Great Lost Bear is a little bit outside of downtown Portland on Forest. The exterior is red bricks with a green awning and two big paintings on either side of a wide green door. The inside has wood walls absolutely covered in beer kitsch. We sat on the patio out the side door, separated from the lot by a high wood fence. 60+ taps but nothing was especially jumping out at me. I wound up with a sampler tray of Maine stuff. Which brings me to my favorite part of this place, the ability to try 1 to 5 things at a time in 5 oz. pours at a fair price. There was nothing truly special on the menu, but enough interesting locals and regionals to keep it interesting for a non-local like me. The food was all right; the buffalo sauce on my sandwich was unusual but nothing was bad. Our server was very friendly and seemed experienced and joked around with us. I didn’t get a sense of how many bottles were available, if at all. They weren’t on the menu. Worth a visit if you’re in Portland but not essential.

August 15, 2011
Visited in early May while on a quick vacation with my wife. Visited for lunch on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Fairly standard bar ambiance. Tons of vintage sineage on the walls. L shaped bar that was fairly large. A few different rooms that provided ample restaurant seating. Over 50 taps. Nothing too crazy or rare, but NE locals were WELL represented. Better than average bar food (actually the French Onion Soup was awesome). Very reasonable prices. 5oz sampler pours were offered. Shot the shit for a good while with Mike (the bar manager). He was very friendly and certainly knowledgeable about the local scene and craft beer in general. You’re not going to find anything over the top here, but I would put it as a must stop if you have some time to kill in Portland.

August 13, 2011
a little off the beaten path from the downtown portland walkable city center. located just around the tidal basin from the college. walls are adorned with many pieces of flair which can be polarizing for some I imagine. great flight options, and a must for any beer tourist because they specialize in Maine made brews. they will have many of the beers you wanted to try from the numerous brewery tour options in the area. a visit here is a good way to knock out most of the beers made in the state. food is solid pub fare, but nothing spectacular. service is friendly and attentive. can get packed by attendees of the nearby university.

July 7, 2011
The tap list didn’t contain anything overly exciting. I did have a glass of Allagash Grand Cru, which was mighty fine. Aside from that, I found the beer selection pretty lackluster. Service was decent and quick, but nothing out of the ordinary, and the food was mediocre.

April 8, 2011
Made a trip here after an Allagash limited Release. The food was good and they have a great selection local of beers. They have 5 oz tasters which is good if you’re unsure on a brew. I do have to note that the bartender wasn’t very good. He was too busy texting and playing with his cell phone then waiting on the people at the bar. The service is very hit or miss depending on who is working. Next time I return I will sit at a table and hopefully have a better experience. It STILL is worth a stop in.

January 8, 2011
Great place, I would live there if I could. Massive list of taps. Very nice food. The staff was friendly and helpful. The ambiance was very relaxed.

August 19, 2010
I hadn’t been here in forever but a recent visit turned out very well. The decor etc. may turn some folks off with its somewhat dorm room-cheesy/street signs on the wall/Margaritaville feel but really it’s a good solid, clean bar/restaurant serving pretty decent food. They have a large draft beer list which kind of has something for everybody, and don’t overlook the meads from Maine MeadWorks! Service is good, quick and friendly. They know how to market that beer list and present those beers pretty well. If in the Portland area, I’d recommend both this and Novare Res. There’s plenty of beer to check out at both places, each place doing their thing in their own way.