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✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in
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Shade is the perfect watering hole after a day of fun at Higgins Beach! Enjoy seasonally fresh cuisine featuring oysters on the half shell and other locally sourced seafood, sandwiches, pasta, steak, as well as creative cocktails, craft brews, draft wines, enjoyed either on our covered three season porch, sitting at our bar, or indoor seating.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 34 Ocean Ave, Scarborough, ME 04074
Phone: (207) 883-1479
Website: https://www.higginsbeachinn.com/dining/dining-at-higgins-beach-inn/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Lisa Novicki
A Memorable Evening All Around
From start to finish, our experience at this restaurant was nothing short of exceptional. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, the food was beautifully prepared and full of flavor, and the service was truly top-notch. Our server was especially impressive — attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming without ever being overbearing. It’s clear that both the staff and the management take great pride in what they do. We left feeling well taken care of and already looking forward to our next visit. Highly recommended!
… moreFrom start to finish, our experience at this restaurant was nothing short of exceptional. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, the food was beautifully prepared and full of flavor, and the service was truly top-notch. Our server was especially impressive — attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming without ever being overbearing. It’s clear that both the staff and the management take great pride in what they do. We left feeling well taken care of and already looking forward to our next visit. Highly recommended!
Steve V
It was an excellent way for us to spend a perfect summer evening dining on the covered porch. Service from the front of the house to our server Emily was just right. We shared the smoked scallop dip, and it was very addicting. Entrees were the fish&chips and the smashed burger. Both plates were portioned just right and tasted really good. My wife enjoyed here bourbon cocktail, and my shipyard export was iced cold. Though it definitely was too hoppy to be the right beer. Finished off with sharing a slice of perfectly baked lemon cheesecake. We will be back.
… moreEllie
We had breakfast here and our waitress Virginia was very accommodating and friendly. Very good service, delicious French toast, and roasted potatoes with sunny side eggs. Very cozy restaurant that’s located near the beach 🙂
… moreTom Boutin
CLOSED! (March 2026)
Google says open. Called and got a voicemail saying they are open every day for dinner 4-9 except Tuesday. Seems to be seasonal though.
… moreGoogle says open. Called and got a voicemail saying they are open every day for dinner 4-9 except Tuesday. Seems to be seasonal though.
Ken Alden
Drinks are good, food not so good.
We ordered the brussel sprouts and the crab cakes for apps. I sort of like the former as it included cauliflower as well for some variety. I wish it had had more cheese sprinkled on it. Quantity was about right for app. The crab cakes are for crab balls that are deep fried, a bit too much in our case and left the crab a bit chewy inside.
For the main, we went for the blackened fish tacos. They come out looking great. Some nice detail is clearly applied for the presentation but the fish has almost no flavor and the salsa was lacking where fresh cilantro would have helped. The fish looked like it was baked with one side having some seasoning but clearly not pan “blackened” for added flavor. Overall one of the most boring fish tacos you can get in the area.
A few folks seem to be getting there oysters which are hard to ruin and the recommended drink special (off menu) was enjoyed by my wife.
The current digs are an improvement over what we recall with the previous owner and they had put some effort into reducing the “live” acoustics of the place making it more enjoyable for having a conversation. Parking can be a problem in the summer especially when the waves are up. They do not cover your parking costs a in the public lot, even after 3pm when the price drops and there is no other place to park outside the in parking area, making it a tough place for a restaurant to reach out to the general public that isn’t in walking distance.
… moreWe ordered the brussel sprouts and the crab cakes for apps. I sort of like the former as it included cauliflower as well for some variety. I wish it had had more cheese sprinkled on it. Quantity was about right for app. The crab cakes are for crab balls that are deep fried, a bit too much in our case and left the crab a bit chewy inside.
For the main, we went for the blackened fish tacos. They come out looking great. Some nice detail is clearly applied for the presentation but the fish has almost no flavor and the salsa was lacking where fresh cilantro would have helped. The fish looked like it was baked with one side having some seasoning but clearly not pan “blackened” for added flavor. Overall one of the most boring fish tacos you can get in the area.
A few folks seem to be getting there oysters which are hard to ruin and the recommended drink special (off menu) was enjoyed by my wife.
The current digs are an improvement over what we recall with the previous owner and they had put some effort into reducing the “live” acoustics of the place making it more enjoyable for having a conversation. Parking can be a problem in the summer especially when the waves are up. They do not cover your parking costs a in the public lot, even after 3pm when the price drops and there is no other place to park outside the in parking area, making it a tough place for a restaurant to reach out to the general public that isn’t in walking distance.
Teresa Stringer
My husband and I dined at Shade last week. We are Scarborough locals and have always wanted to try the restaurant. We found all the staff we interacted with to be very friendly and helpful. Our server Ally was great. She was very attentive without being intrusive. She was professional, friendly and had a genuine smile. I had the scallops which came with spring peas and mashed potatoes. It was delicious. My husband had the fried chicken in bao bao dumplings. He loved it and said he would order again. We shared the halibut ceviche as an app which was fine but, I wouldn’t order again. Overall a fantastic experience. We are planning to go back with our summer visitors.
… moreTara Youngblood
The blueberry wings were incredible! We loved our drinks. The garden salad with the homemade lemon vinaigrette tasted fresh from the garden. Maddie did an excellent job as our server!
… moreDan “Dan” Caputo
First off, the food was really good.
But, the service was bad, like, comically bad. Get comfortable.
We had a reservation but ended up with extra people in our party. I called several hours ahead and they said they could accommodate us all, but we would have to have split tables, which was fine. When we arrived, they said one table could sit and one table had to wait out on the porch, even though the other table was set and empty. We asked if we could all sit at the same time and they said no, they had to stagger the orders. Ok, no biggie, but can we just sit and wait to order? No. We have to go out to the porch. Ok. That table of 4 goes to the bar and asks to order drinks to take out on the porch and the answer was no again.
So, the first table sits and the 4 top next to us is empty, so we ask if the 4 on the porch can have that table when they are allowed back in. No, that table is reserved. One person asked, is this too much trouble? Should we go elsewhere? And the waitrperson says you are welcome to leave. Which, most of us have or are currently working in restaurants and know that that is a firable offense where we work or worked.
At that point, the other table comes in, sits down, has a lovely waitperson and gets their food way before us even though it was all supposed to be staggered.
The food was delicious.
And no, the table next to us was never filled and to add insult to injury, it was auto gratuity even though the checks were separate.
Again, the food was delicious.
… moreBut, the service was bad, like, comically bad. Get comfortable.
We had a reservation but ended up with extra people in our party. I called several hours ahead and they said they could accommodate us all, but we would have to have split tables, which was fine. When we arrived, they said one table could sit and one table had to wait out on the porch, even though the other table was set and empty. We asked if we could all sit at the same time and they said no, they had to stagger the orders. Ok, no biggie, but can we just sit and wait to order? No. We have to go out to the porch. Ok. That table of 4 goes to the bar and asks to order drinks to take out on the porch and the answer was no again.
So, the first table sits and the 4 top next to us is empty, so we ask if the 4 on the porch can have that table when they are allowed back in. No, that table is reserved. One person asked, is this too much trouble? Should we go elsewhere? And the waitrperson says you are welcome to leave. Which, most of us have or are currently working in restaurants and know that that is a firable offense where we work or worked.
At that point, the other table comes in, sits down, has a lovely waitperson and gets their food way before us even though it was all supposed to be staggered.
The food was delicious.
And no, the table next to us was never filled and to add insult to injury, it was auto gratuity even though the checks were separate.
Again, the food was delicious.
Kevyn Fowler
We had such a fun time at Shade, three of us went for dinner the night before Labor day.
Our waiter Molly was very friendly and professional, making sure we knew the specials and bringing the apps and then the entrees at the perfect time. It so happens as long-time Higgins Beach summer season locals that we knew her from many years back.
The food was excellent, we had onion rings and a dozen raw oysters. The onion rings were crispy and hot, the oysters perfectly served with no grit at all.
We had the fish and chips, the battered shrimp special, and a blackened haddock sandwich. All were excellent and so fresh tasting. The fries that came with them were unreal crispy and tasty.
I went for it and got the blueberry/blackberry crisp with vanilla ice cream and had to share a few spoonfuls with my dinner partners. It was delicious!
Definitely a great place, casual, not too loud, excellent drinks, and very friendly staff.
Thanks Molly for a wonderful evening.
… moreOur waiter Molly was very friendly and professional, making sure we knew the specials and bringing the apps and then the entrees at the perfect time. It so happens as long-time Higgins Beach summer season locals that we knew her from many years back.
The food was excellent, we had onion rings and a dozen raw oysters. The onion rings were crispy and hot, the oysters perfectly served with no grit at all.
We had the fish and chips, the battered shrimp special, and a blackened haddock sandwich. All were excellent and so fresh tasting. The fries that came with them were unreal crispy and tasty.
I went for it and got the blueberry/blackberry crisp with vanilla ice cream and had to share a few spoonfuls with my dinner partners. It was delicious!
Definitely a great place, casual, not too loud, excellent drinks, and very friendly staff.
Thanks Molly for a wonderful evening.
Katherine Earley
Food is top notch – and priced to match. Portions are on the small side for main dishes. Service can be slow… took longer to get a dessert than it did to get our dinners. Host & Wait staff are great; it’s a “kitchen gets overwhelmed” scenario.
… more