Duckfat in Portland, ME

Yesterday I promised a post about the restaurant Duckfat and I shall deliver. Before going up to Portland, Jeff had told me that it was known for being a foodie town. It was almost overwhelming to sift through the amazing reviews left on Yelp for dozens of restaurants in the area. But one of the names caught our eye: Duckfat.

On the Food Network in particular, I had heard so many of the chefs go absolutely gaga when it came to all things duck fat. Curious what the hype was all about, we figured we’d try it for ourselves. It was a beautiful day as we walked down the block of the restaurant. I got very excited when I saw a ton of people waiting outside. A good trick when you’re not sure where to eat: follow the line. People are waiting for a reason.

There was some seating outside and the inside was a small room with as many seats as possible crammed in to supply their customers with a daily dose of duck fat. It had a grunge atmosphere with the exposed brick on the wall and magnetic boards lined the tables to make amusing phrases while you waited for your food. Water was served by the pitcher with mason jars for glasses. We don’t really drink much, but it seemed like they had good choices for local brews.

Of course we had to order the duck fat fries. Yes, they are fried in duck fat. I was a little skeptical at how much of a difference it could be and was happily blown away by the most amazing fries I have ever tasted. It almost tasted like it was a bacon potato…so crispy and full of flavor. It came with a dipping sauce made from their fresh, in-house mayo. We opted for garlic but some of the other flavors included Thai chili and truffle ketchup. Not sure why we thought getting a small order would be OK…next time I’d pay the extra $1.50 to get the large!

Duck fat fries with a garlic mayo dipping sauce.

Duck fat fries. Yum!!

While their menu wasn’t too extensive, their food was phenomenal. It really is quality over quantity.  They were big on paninis and charcuterie. We stuck to the sandwiches and fried goodness this time around. Jeff got the BGT, a bacon, goat cheese, and tomato panini, while I got the current special: pork loin with a spicy tomato chutney, feta, and fresh cilantro. The bread was so crunchy that I’m convinced they slather a little duck fat on top before pressing it.

We ended the meal with duck fat fried doughnut holes. Excuse me while I drool thinking about these. There was a touch of lemon zest in the dough and they were so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The perfect little dessert. And as if we weren’t gluttonous enough, we added a dipping sauce of duck fat caramel. Holy moly. Do not pass on the caramel! It is worth every single calorie. I basically had to stop Jeff from up and licking the little cup it came in when we were finished.

Duck fat doughnut holes.

The amazing duck fat caramel sauce.

Overall, Duckfat was an amazing place with simple, yet amazing, food. I would recommend getting there a little early or else you might end up waiting for quite a bit. There aren’t too many seats so it’s tough to get in once it gets busy. Also, they don’t take reservations, so factor that into your plans.