Biddeford and Saco are both ‘up-and-coming’ communities in southern Maine. Maybe best known for being the hometown of the University of New England, Biddeford now boasts some of the coolest breweries and restaurants in the area.
Both Blaze Brewing (who has three other locations in Maine) and Banded Brewing (who has recently opened a second location in Portland) are producing beers that could rival anyone else’s in the state. Run of the Mill is a main-stay restaurant that pairs really great food with homemade brews. And, Barreled Souls is producing some of the most unique beers you can find.
You can do a lot worse than stopping in Biddeford or Saco for a beer or two when traveling from the beaches to Portland. Continue reading to see our thoughts on the Biddeford/Saco beer scene.
Trail Details:
- Number of Breweries: 4
- Total Distance Driven Between All Breweries: 3.2 miles
- Total Driving Time Between All Breweries: 13 minutes
Blaze Brewing Company
- Website: http://www.blazebrewing.com/
- Location: 28 Pearl St, Biddeford, ME 04005
- Hours: Wed – Thurs: 4 -9; Fri – Sun: 12 – 9
- Indoor/Outdoor Seating?: Both
- Pro Tip: You really cannot go wrong with pairing your beer with a Brisket Sandwich and a side of mac and cheese or a pizza. For beers, I have really enjoyed their new IPAs that have come out. Both Northbound (click here for more of my thoughts on this beer) and Bayview are great, hazy IPAs.
Banded Brewing Company
- Website: https://bandedbrewing.com/biddeford/
- Location: 32 Main St., Bldg 13-W, Suite 102, Biddeford, ME 04005
- Hours: Wed – Thurs: 4-9; Fri: 2 – 9; Sat: 12 – 9; Sun: 12 – 6
- Indoor/Outdoor Seating?: Both
- Beer to Try: Banded always seems to have something new or interesting on tap. The beer that is most interesting to me right now is their spruce tip ale, Greenwarden. I wrote another post with some more detail around the beer here. It’s one of those beers that is so unique that you can’t stop thinking about it after you drink it.
Run of the Mill Public House and Brewery
- Website: https://www.therunofthemill.net/
- Location: 100 Main St, Saco, ME 04072
- Hours: Everyday: 11:30 am – 11:30 pm
- Indoor/Outdoor Seating?: Both
- Pro Tip: Run of the Mill is really best known for their food. I usually order the buffalo wings. I have also found that their Alewife Ale is their most consistent beer that pairs well with any of their food. It’s more of a classic English Pale Ale, not super hoppy. It’s just an easy drinker.
Barreled Souls Brewing
- Website: https://www.barreledsouls.com/
- Location: 743 Portland Road, Saco, ME 04072
- Hours: Mon – Fri: 3 – 10; Sat – Sun: 12 – 10
- Indoor/Outdoor Seating?: Both
- Pro Tip: As their name suggests, everything that Barreled Souls brews finds its way into a barrel. Given that, a lot of their beers are higher in ABV. Personally, I find that when a beer gets higher in ABV (greater than 8.5%) it gets a little too sweet given the amount of unfermented sugars. So, when I go to Barreled Souls, I tend to go with their pale ales, like Transformer, or a sour, like Little Havana.
