Flatbread Company

I. Love. Pizza.
It was love at first bite and I’ll almost always choose pizza as my comfort or cheat meal. That being said, flatbread is on point. All or most of their ingredients are from local farmers and are labeled on a chalkboard in the bar area. A majority of the time I get great service, including last week when I came with a group of friends. The woman who waited on us was very patient and efficient.
The one thing I wish was different is the menu. They only have salad and pizza options. In a way, I understand. Keep it simple and make it perfect every time. Anyways, their organic salad is massive. I typically add More veggies and get a side of the dressing for the pizza crust:) I don’t typically eat meat and thereare still many pizza options for me to choose from.

The food here is incredible! Everything is so fresh and the flavored were absolutely amazing. Service is always great and the location is fun. Be sure to call ahead to ask about a wait time if it’s a weekend or any day in the summer. Full range of drinks like margaritas, martinis and beers. Pizzas are not your regular cheese or meat. The ingredients are local fresh farm food! Cooked to perfection in the pizza oven. Great atmosphere, highly recommend for couples, families and would be a great first date spot ;)

Cozy yet elegant pizzeria in the heart of Portland’s Old Port. Excellent pizza made with top quality ingredients, great beer list, and well crafted cocktails made with local liquors.
The seasonal special cocktail was the Portland Punch, which included cranberry, orange, local rum, and rhubarb syrup. For $ 10, it was extremely boozy and perfectly crafted-​interesting balance of sweet and tart, with a nice warmth from the rum. My vegan pizza was simple yet delicious-​all veggies, nothing fake.
Our server, Sarah B, was amazing, and really went above and beyond for our table. I look forward to returning for more local beverages, and to try more of their vegan options!

A great place for delicious pizza in Portland!

This place is fun and service is fantastic. They have a variety of pizzas and salads. We ended up getting a «jays heart» and a sausage pizza. The sausage was crumbled so it wasn’t overly heavy and both pizzas were delicious! We also got a gluten free whoopie pie for dessert which I was skeptical about but was actually really good! Out of all the places to eat in Portland I’m glad I came for some comfort food with a twist.

I have had a love-​hate relationship with Flatbread Company over the years.
Love:
+ The seating: It feel like a big treehouse inside… or like one of the fairy houses from Mackworth Island became adult-​sized! It’s dark and warm and woodsy and it envelops you like a really nice hug (especially if you’re anywhere near the open fire!). They’re also located directly on the ocean, so sitting outside in warmer weather is amazing!
+ The food: The salads are always fresh and flavorful regardless of which you get; the pizza — my favorite has always been the, formerly known as Co-​Evolution, Punctuated Equilibrium (kalamata olives, rosemary, red onions, goat cheese, fire-​roasted sweet red peppers, and mozzarella) — is never not delicious; and the desserts are fantastic (maple whipped cream on top of a banana bread sundae? Um, yes, please).
+ The staff: We have had some of the best servers here — thoughtful, quick, and friendly.
Hate:
— The seating: Sitting outside in warm weather might be appealing, HOWEVER, it’s picnic tables and they try and squeeze six to ten people at each one. Meaning if you’re a party of two and you want to sit outside, they will put you at a party of six or eight’s table. Do you know how awkward it is to invade someone’s dinner like that? And because they’re cramming you together like sardines, you literally are touching strangers. We have gotten up and left nearly a dozen times because of how uncomfortable that situation is.
— The food: Specifically with the pizza, I feel like over the years there’s been more and more crust and less and less ingredients.
— The staff: We have had some of the most indifferent servers here (i.e. ignored when we asked for a mistake to be fixed [received someone’s meat pizza and not our vegetarian one], and instead of fixing it they jump comped it. Weird, right?).
Flatbread is a staple though, the food is delicious time and time again, — and they’ve always been super accommodating of hosting large parties on the fly. And now they’ve got cocktails which is fab (though, if I were you, I’d get the lemonade which is sweetened with maple syrup — it’s one of my favorite drinks in the city).

How can I convince you to make this place a must visit on your trip to the touristy and commercial street in the scenic port city of Portland? Convince Unilocal to get an angry button if you don’t like this place. One caveat though, judge the place for its ingredients, taste and ambiance. Parking in the area and service can be a pain, especially since its very crowded on beautiful outdoorsy days. So plan ahead and maybe put your name down and then start finding a parking spot. There is an outdoor deck on the the pier to grab a drink from their bar.
Since their ingredients are fresh you cant really go wrong with their salads if you pick the right veggies, fruits and cheese of your liking. Their pizzas are wood fire and you can watch them being made if you grab the right indoor seating. As a goat cheese and olive lover I always order a punctuated equilibrium (no sauce, white base) — its unique and brilliant ! For the classic you can get a Jays Heart with your choice of toppings. Wanna try both, these guys do half and half and so go ahead and try both. Their daily vegetarian specials are something that I look forward to. Wouldn’t really recommend a plain cheese here since they are not an authentic Napoletana or a classic Italian place.
Why am I trying to convince you to go here again? No idea. Did I mention I visited this chain (yes, they have multiple locations) while in Hawaii too. Their beer and wine list is pretty good and the local brews are solid. Just get in here or walk on past to the numerous options in the area.

I just like the atmosphere here. Love the blazing fire in the back on a chilly ME afternoon or evening. I’ve only sat at the bar for drinks as opposed to a meal, but it’s a great way to relax right on the water. The flatbread is a great accompaniment to a beer and/​or cocktails.

Went here on a Saturday night with a group of 6. The wait was ~45 min so we went to the bar to have drinks til the table was ready. Great selection of beers from local breweries and the bartender was attentive, friendly, and helpful.
The wait was a little longer than anticipated, but not by too much and the hostess apologized for the delay.
As for dinner, let me start by saying the food was very good. The reason for the three star review is really due to the service. The service was mediocre from the start and it kinda ruined the meal. Our waitress first showed attitude when we said we just wanted waters instead of drinks, and again when we didn’t order salads with our pizza. I could understand being annoyed if a party of 6 only got 1 pizza, but we ordered 3 large pizzas for the table. Again she seemed very inconvenienced when asked to split the check between couples.
I don’t think the service is enough to stop me from going back– everyone has an off day. But maybe next time we’ll just eat at the bar.

i freaking love pizza and flat bread. I got a basic tomato/​basil/​mozzarella and it was ridiculously good. I would of ate the whole thing except I was on a double date and probably would have scared the guy away if i downed a whole pizza in one sitting.
Great atmosphere too– super cozy and comfortable.

Wow — I’m pretty surprised about the rave reviews. This is a 2.5 star review. I’m always on the search for amazing pizza places (check out my other reviews because I’ve got a few really good ones). So I was excited when my wife and her folks picked Flatbread and I saw the Unilocal reviews. As we came in, the big wood fired ovens looked cool so I was waiting for a good pie. We ordered two pizzas; one plain cheese for the wife and two other meat ones for the other 4 of us.
As I mentioned in other reviews, the best way to judge a pizza place is to have a plain cheese slice. It all starts with the crust and I wasn’t impressed. Kind of plain bread-​ish. The cheese was low in flavor and the sauce was merely ok. The pepperoni pizza we had was a little better because pepperoni always pumps up the spice flavor. Nothing to write home about for either.
Service was decent and they had some good beers.
Would I stop in again? Maybe, but after I checked out other pizza places in this foody town first.

If there were more stars to give, I would.
I came to this place with a lot of high-​maintenance eaters (I’m oil-​free vegan, another vegan, and a gluten-​free/​many allergies person) and the waitress was SO accommodating. We were all totally taken care of and the food was AMAZING! Shout out to the awesome waitress… didn’t catch her name, but she was blonde with a big smile :) When I come back to Maine I’ll always make sure to stop in to this place.

I love Flatbread. I am in love with Flatbread. I fell in love at a Flatbread (no seriously, I fell in love with my wife in the Hawaii location!)
Because I have a love-​story connection with Flatbread this place can do no-​wrong in my mind. I have been to several locations, and the Portland spot continues to up-​hold their good name and great food!
I really like that each location has a similar menu, but they feature local favorites and local foods — so each one has it’s own feel.
The Food:
Awesome. When you can make a plain cheese pizza seem like the best thing on earth, you are doing something right! I love all their vegetarian options, and often opt for the vegetarian pizza special.
Flatbread must sprinkle crack on their salads — I never devour a salad as fast as when I am eating here! The local beets with local goat cheese and their house ginger dressing!!! YUM. It’s not the cheapest place to find pizza — but the value to flavor to cost ratio is pretty darn wonderful!
The Atmosphere:
This location on the waterfront is pretty wonderful! The outside bar and patio are perfect in the warmer months. The large interior offers lots of places to sit, but it is a bit dark. Don’t bring your grandma who can’t see well — or if you do, plan to help her read the menu. The place is the laid-​back, with bits of hipster vibes mixed with family fun. The children-​drawn menu covers are pretty cute.
The Beer Selection:
This is one of the BEST spots to try local beers! They have many beers (10+) on tap, most of which are local, and all of which are top notch. I am always pleased with the selection!
The Service:
This varies — on busy nights sometimes you wait a while, and don’t get all the attention you might want. Other times I am impressed. One time I saw a man puke on the table — and the wait staff did not lose their cool, that’s pretty impressive. They could stand to bump up the game in this area — especially in their busiest summer season.
And lastly, The Dessert:
Get the brownie sundae. DO. IT.
I fell in love over a brownie sundae at Flatbread, who knows what will happen when you order it!

Hey it’s A-​Ok if that’s what you want.
A-​Ok +‘s:
+ Best part of meal is the salad with blueberries!
+ Crayons and white paper.
+ Sitting near the firing oven as long as no one is blocking it.
Meh Ok -‘s:
— Flatbread pizza in wood fired oven usually is a win but the crust didn’t win me over.
Went to Portland for a foodie tour of all their amazing eats and honestly felt like this one was a disappointment. Wood fired pizza just didn’t stand up to the many establishments where they offer the same.

Incredible pizza, they are cooked in wood burning ovens you can see from your seat (and helped keep the lady friend warm). All-​natural ingredients, the nitrate free pepperoni is to die for! 2 large pizzas stuffed 3 very hungry travelers with some room for leftovers.
Customer Service is great, the manager checked in several times as well as our waitress who was very friendly and attentive.
Come here for a great night of pizza! Oh and all the Beers are from local Maine Breweries, a definite delicious plus!

Actually got to this point: I was NOT DOWN for anymore lobster on this Maine trip. Too much of a good thing really exists.
So naturally, pizza/​flatbread sounded perfect.
I read all the glowing reviews about this place so I convinced my wife with pictures of their amazing salads (she actually hates pizza. Yes, it is possible) that this was the perfect place to eat after we stepped off the ferry from Peaks Island.
And really to sum up this review, my pizza hating wife swore she would only try one slice but could not hold back from actually having a second slice of the Casco Bay Community flatbread with maple syrup sausage added.
That and the organic salad with goat cheese salad really hit the spot. And the Banana Bread sundae capped off a perfect meal.

We’re in Portland Maine (from Kansas City) for a special visit, our third in a year. We’re in Old Port on Commercial St., trying to decide where to eat/​have a beer, and checking out Unilocal reviews to help.
And though Unilocal helps, a local sees us staring at our phones (probably strange to see 50+ year old folks doing this) and says insightfully — «Trying to decide where to eat or drink for dinner?»
We respond affirmatively, suddenly reconnecting with reality vs. Unilocal (sorry Unilocal!)
She says, «Well, most places here are good, but I’m headed to Flatbread — it’s great.»
Ok — it’s pizza. We were looking for seafood, given our home base. Still — it’s a recommendation, and we follow her, and talk, and wow — it’s real life.
We get seated quickly — so here’s where five stars begins. Great pizza (flatbread), vegan options, friendly for dogs (we petted two), big picnic tables where you must sit with someone else (omg, real social interaction again) and outside where you could view the wharf/​ports.
We talk to the couple with two children about their lives, and our books. We talk to the next table about living in Portland, and the Casco Bay islands.
The dinner becomes an experience. But — ok, four stars. Then the fifth.
I lived near Portland (Brunswick Maine) as a child. They were serving blueberry salad (a salad topped with fresh blueberries) and I was full, but related how I picked fresh blueberries as a child — almost half a century ago. The waitress listened, as she had also participated in our multi-​table discussion.
We were finished, about to ask for the check, when the waitress arrived — with a small bowl of fresh blueberries, and a side of whipped cream. «Here is your memory.»
Five stars.

A return after a long time.
Great service.
Artisan crafted pizza, fired in a brick oven within the restaurant.
Even with the high traffic during the busy season, you still get decent service from the young wait staff.
Worth the wait.
Go hungry!

We had a really great time at the Flatbread Company. We honestly really didn’t have this place singled out in our trip to Portland, Maine. However, when we tried a few spots we have bookmarked and the wait was too long, we made are way to Flatbread. We were surprised that upon arrival the place was packed but the wait was manageable 15minutes. The fact that it was full of patrons suggested the food has to be good. After a few minutes of reading reviews I knew we were going to have a good meal.
We went with the Casco Bay Community Flatbread & Pepperoni Mushroom. Both were fantastic. Now they both come with mushrooms but I don’t like those so I ordered them without. No worries there packed with flavor. The Casco was my favorite of the two, wood fired crust with tomato sauce mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, garlic and my favorite part the caramelized onions! Fresh fresh ingredients and loaded with flavor, especially there blend of herbs which you can clearly taste. Bread was perfect not over done, in the wood fire oven just the right amount of time. We added bacon to the pizza which gave it a great edge. The Pepperoni, was pretty much the same minus the onions add the Pepperoni. Equally as great but I prefer onions over the pepperoni
Our waitress was really attentive and made sure we had plenty of water and soda the entire time. the restaurant can be loud but it fits the ambiance since it’s right on the water and has that pub type feel to it. No complaints !

My boyfriend and I rarely go out on dates, but we were celebrating and decided to give this chain a try. As soon as we walked in, the hostess told us it would be about a 30 minute wait and I knew how much my boyfriend really wanted to try it out, so we waited and I am so glad we did!!!
That night was a full house and it was loud, but I like loud. Everyone was having a good time with their families, friends and significant others. The bar area is a tad small, but quaint. I asked for a tasting on the beers they had on tap and Zach told me that if I didn’t like the third tasting, then beer wasn’t for me. Zach was pretty much right… beer isn’t for me.
We were seated by the wood fire area where the pizzas are made and I was so excited! I was because I saw the photos of the guys making the pizza and I told myself… I wanna sit near the magic :) Alex was our server that night and she was FANTASTIC, ATTENTIVE, PATIENT, AND KIND. You’re probably wondering why the caps, right? Well, I have never had a server with all those great qualities and her customer service was beyond excellent.
We had the Punctured Equilibrium and Casco Bay Community flatbreads which are both vegetarian. Punctured Equilibrium comes with olives, but I despise the taste of and subbed it for spinach instead. This flatbread comes without sauce and my palate did a happy dance! The caramelized onions, rosemary, goat cheese, fire roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and garlic oil are ingredients that compliment each other very much! Yes, there was no sauce, but the oil and caramelized onions combined made up for it. The Casco Bay Community flatbread comes with tomato sauce, organic caramelized onions, organic mushrooms, mozzarella, parmesan, and garlic oil, This flatbread is my second favorite. Don’t get me wrong, the combination of ingredients are tasteful, but it was too cheesy for me.
It was my first time going, so who knows… my taste buds might go for the Casco Bay Community flatbread next time. I’ll definitely be back and thanks Alex for making the experience wonderful!