Skip to content

Portland Food Map logo

The definitive guide to Portland's food scene

  • Map View
  • List View
  • Featured
    • Maine Food Map
    • Under Construction List
    • A Guide to Maine Cider
    • Maine Heirloom Apple Guide
    • Maine Beard Award Winners, Nominees, Semifinalists
    • James Beard’s 1964 Visit to Portland
    • Portland’s Living Food History
  • Events
    • Weekly Event Summary
  • Instagram icon
  • Twitter icon
  • RSS icon

Burundi Star Coffee

Burundi Star opened on June 1, 2020.

Reviews

  • Burundi Star CoffeePortland Press Herald (08/27/2020)

(207) 347-0164

261 Saint John Street, Portland, ME, USA
Website | Map

Post navigation

Bravo Maine
Crown Fried Chicken

About Portland Food Map

Portland Food Map launched in 2007 as a simple directory of the local food community. Other features have been added over the years including food event listings, the Under Construction page, guides to Maine apples and cider producers, the restaurant real estate listings, Year in Review reports, the My Kitchen Their Table chef interview series, the Maine Food Map guide, Maine news reporting, and the annual Maine Thanksgiving List.


The 2024 editions of the Portland and Midcoast Pocket Guides are now out. Pick-up a copy Portland and Midcoast guides at local businesses, and if you need a bunch for an event you’re organizing or for your business you can buy them in packs of 25 on our online store.

Portland Food Map

portlandfoodmap
Taco Trio (@tacotriosopo) is returning to their or Taco Trio (@tacotriosopo) is returning to their original location at 119 Ocean Street (2nd photo). The building is currently under renovation and owner Karen Rasmussen hopes to open the new Taco Trio by the end of January. Rasmussen’s late husband and co-founder of Taco Trio Manuel Peña passed away in October after a long battle with cancer. Peña and Rasmussen had been discussing a return to their original spot for the last few years. They had been able to start on a redesign and the renovations in 2024 with the help of their friends Carlos Guzman and Alejandra Herrera who are the owners of Quiero Cafe (@quierocafemaine). Guzman was a former chef and manager at Taco Trio before opening Quiero Cafe. One of the original goals of the move to their current larger quarters was to add a bar program and Rasmussen plans to retain that come January. The redesigned space has an open kitchen (1st photo), a 9-seat bar as well as counter and table seating totaling ~27 seats overall. There will also be room for 30+ people in their outdoor seating area during the warmer months. Taco Trio will continue to serve the menu they currently have available. Taco Trio originally opened in 2011, and moved to 60 Ocean Street (3rd photo) in 2021 into the building that had formerly housed Big Babe’s Tavern. Taco Trio had also operated a second location on Forest Ave at one time. The restaurant space at 60 Ocean Street is now available for lease. #southportlandmaine #tacotriosopo #mainefood #comingsoon2025 #mainetacos
RAFFLE COMPLETED Welcome to the December edition o RAFFLE COMPLETED Welcome to the December edition of the Portland Food Map raffle sponsored by Evergreen Credit Union (@evergreen_credit_union). The winner will receive a $150 Visa gift card for use at Empire Chinese Kitchen and either two tickets to the Maine Marriners OR two tickets to the Portland Museum of Art. Simply comment on this Instagram image and tag a friend (or, two, or three...), and you’re entered to win. To whet your appetite for a visit here’s a look at some dishes from Empire: a crispy Empire egg roll made with pastrami and sesame cabbage, a Mai Tai cocktail, Kung Pao chicken, garlic green beans, chive/shitake dumplings, duck lomein, jalapeno shrimp with rice, pork belly bao, and a bowl of won ton soup. #mainefood #evergreeneverywhere #pastramieggroll #ducklomein #maitaicocktail #wontonsoup #empirechinesekitchen #portlandmaine NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. 1 winner will be chosen at random and will receive either 2 tickets to a Maine Mariners home game OR 2 guest Admission Tickets to the Portland Museum of Art. Date of Maine Mariners game to be determined with the winner. Meal for two at Empire is good for up to $150 in the form of a VISA gift card; any additional costs will be the responsibility of the winner. The winner will be chosen on December 10th, and will be notified via Instagram direct message by Portland Food Map. The winner will connect with Evergreen Credit Union to receive their prize package. Per Instagram rules, this promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 18+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use. This contest is in no way sponsored or administered by the Maine Mariners, Portland Museum of Art, or Empire Chinese Kitchen. By entering, entrants confirm that they release the Maine Mariners and Portland Museum of Art, andEmpire Chinese Kitchen of responsibility.
Angela Lee and Alex LeBlanc have leased 147 Cumber Angela Lee and Alex LeBlanc have leased 147 Cumberland Ave where they plan to open Luncheonette (@luncheonettemaine). Luncheonette will be a counter service cafe and take-out spot serving a salad-centric menu along with sandwiches and a daily selection of house-made breads and pastries. Luncheonette will have draft beer, wine, house-made sodas, drip coffee and tea. A sample menu includes a Shredded Beetroot Salad plated with yogurt, dill and pistachio as well as an Eggplant Sandwich made with golden fried eggplant, baba ganoush and cabbage slaw. The daily selection of six salads can be ordered as described but customers can also choose to add on proteins like smoked salmon or roast chicken. LeBlanc and Lee are just starting to plan out the renovation for 147 Cumberland Ave. They anticipate some additional indoor seating and making use of the back patio during warmer months, and hope to launch Luncheonette in late spring. They have moved to Portland from New York. For LeBlanc who grew up in South Portland it’s a return home. Lee’s culinary career started in NYC baking at Petee’s Pie Co from there she went on to work as a whole animal butcher at Meat Hook and as a fish butcher at Osakana. LeBlanc’s most recent position was as the sous chef at Sailor in Brooklyn, and previously was the chef de cuisine at Gus’s. When he last lived in Portland, LeBlanc had worked for Abby Harmon at Caiola’s and for Matt Ginn at Evo Kitchen + Bar. 147 Cumberland Ave has most recently been the home of Union Bagel which is now located in Falmouth. Looking further back in the past it was also been a launchpad for Katie Made and Silly’s, and was the location of Peddleman’s/Falafel Underground. The photo shown here is from September 2018. #portlandmaine #mainefood #luncheonette #salads
Waxwing Bakery (@waxwingbakery) is opening for bus Waxwing Bakery (@waxwingbakery) is opening for business this Friday. The ~16 seat counter service bakery/cafe will initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 7 am – 1 pm. It’s being launched by baker Hannah Buoye and chef Billy Hager. Buoye is the former kitchen manager at Tandem Coffee and Hager had been the executive chef at Helm. The opening menu will include breads, croissants, chocolate cream pie, savory items like sausage rolls and quiche, muffins, cookies, slices of lemon poppyseed olive oil cake, pear and blueberry buckle, apple oat crumble scones and slices of a caramel mocha cake. Waxwing is serving Tandem Coffee (@tandemcoffeeroasters) with a full range of espresso-based drinks as well as China Jade and English Breakfast from Mem Tea (@mem_tea). Hager and Bouye plan to add a lunch menu early next year that will offer salads and sandwiches. Waxwing is located at 868 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, it’s just straight shot out on Route 302/Forest Ave from Portland. #windhammaine #waxwingbakery #croissantandcoffee
Big Tree Hospitality (@bigtreecatering) will be le Big Tree Hospitality (@bigtreecatering) will be leasing the former Local 188 which they plan to use as an event space and a kitchen for their catering operations. They shared, “Big Tree Hospitality is excited to announce that they will be the new stewards of the Local 188 space at 685 Congress St. in Portland which will be used as an event venue and home base for Big Tree Catering. Jay Villani’s Local 188 has been a beloved food and beverage institution since 1999 and many of Big Tree’s family and friends, including co-owner Arlin Smith, worked for Villani during that time. ‘This opportunity is especially meaningful to us, and we’re honored to carry the torch, preserving this iconic space while creating a new venue to celebrate weddings, host pop-ups, guest chef dinners, and give our catering team a home of their own.’ says Smith.” Local 188 chef/owner Jay Villani will be working with Big Tree to help them adapt the space, “I’m excited to help Big Tree Catering preserve the elegance and warmth of this vibrant room and gently transform it into a dynamic setting that retains the communal feel of Local.” Renovations will be taking place over the winter. Stay tuned to the Big Tree Catering instagram account (@bigtreecatering) for updates. Big Tree Hospitality launched Eventide in 2012 and The Honey Paw in 2015. They also operate three local markets South Freeport, Scarborough and Falmouth. The Big Tree team is led by Arlin Smith and James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Taylor. Local 188 closed earlier this year after 25 years in business. #portlandmaine #mainefood #local188 #bigtreehospitality
Members of the Minervino family are involved in a Members of the Minervino family are involved in a pair of new restaurants projects: the transformation of The Rathskeller into Tomaso’s Pizza and Burger Bar, and the launch of North Deering Tavern. Sam Minervino, along with business partner Scott Olsen, have taken over The Rathskeller space on Wharf Street where they plan to open Tomaso’s Pizza and Burger Bar. Dana Bernard, who is the currently the bar manager at Samuel’s, is moving over to become the bar manager at the new Tomaso’s. They hope to launch the new eatery in early 2025. The Rathskeller was launched in October 2021 by Mivernino’s son and daughter Tom and Meg Minervino and their business partner Mike Barton. Tomaso’s Canteen which launched in 2015 will continue to operate as it currently does. Tom, Meg and Mike Barton also operate Legends Rest and Paper City BBQ in Westbrook. Brothers Sam and Rob Minervino along with Marcus Bailey and Anthony Peters have taken over the former Parker’s building in North Deering where they plan to launch the North Deering Tavern. Renovations are already underway with plans to open the Tavern in early 2025. The new establishment will serve a menu similar to Samuel’s featuring wings, pizza, entrees as well as some selected dishes from the Pizza Villa and Tomaso’s Canteen menus. The Tavern menu will have some gluten-free options. The North Deering Tavern will be more of a sports bar with 21 television screens. A closing date for Samuel’s is TBD. Sam Minervino founded Samuel’s Bar & Grill in 1996, and along with his brother Rob took over Pizza Villa in 2019. #portlandmaine #mainefood #tomasospizzaandburgerbar #northdeeringtavern #comingsoon2025
Load More... Follow on Instagram

This Website is Sponsored By:

Food News Tip?

Do you have some details you’d like to pass on about an upcoming business or development in the Portland food scene? Then please fill out our Contact Form, we’d love to hear all about it.

Tweets by PortlandFoodMap

Year in Review:

  • 2021 Year In Review
  • 2020 Year in Review
  • 2019 Year in Review
  • 2018 Year in Review
  • 2017 Year in Review
  • 2016 Year in Review
  • 2015 Year In Review
  • 2014 Year in Review
  • 2013 Year in Review
  • 2012 Year in Review
  • 2011 Year in Review
  • 2010 Year in Review

Features:

  • Portland Food History
  • Beard’s Portland Visit
  • Sunday Brunch List
  • Under Construction List

Follow Portland Food Map:

  • Instagram icon
  • Twitter icon
  • RSS icon
© 2024 Food Maps, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy

shines & jecker labs logo Built by shines & jecker labs