Little Giant

We will be back. Lazy Labor Day night found us here. Ate at the bar and bartender Warren was outstanding. Tried seafood deviled eggs-  fabulous smoky flavor with wonderful seafood on top. We want more. Oysters were stellar $1 before 6 pm if you are hungry early. Mains of lobster roll and full bass were luscious!  Oh and the fluke crudo was delectable. Wine by the glass- shocking the gamay was perfect. Come soon and make a reservation. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We went with friends about two months ago. We ordered deviled eggs, Spanish tortilla, snap pea salad, and more. We shared all the dishes and kept raving as each one came out! Just one incredible dish after another. The chef is extremely talented and the flavor and texture combinations were spot on! We went back and were happily surprised to find it was just as good the second time. I also like the feel of the place. Kind of relaxed with a cool, mod feel and good art. The wait staff are great. Attentive and helpful but also relaxed. I hesitated to post cause it feels like a hidden gem over in the West End but it deserves lots of attention. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Terrific place! Warren, our waiter was awesome and the food was great. We particularly liked the chicken, which was beautifully presented and the fries, but really everything was good.

Reviewed on Yelp

We love Little Giant - it's hip, fun, and you can't beat the oyster happy hour.  Run by locals and with attention to detail and much pride, this is a hidden gem in the West End.

Reviewed on Yelp

Such a darling, delectable establishment! Every little detail is so clean and cute. The menu is super tight and bright flavors abound. Their drinks put fun spins on some classics. The scallops were amazing--some of the best I've had! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Our go to spot in Portland. Was shocked to see Little Giant missing from Yelp.The food, the service, the best on the West End.Checkout the Google reviews....

Reviewed on Yelp

Five of us dined early on a Saturday night. When we asked about the lobster chips our server explained that we could have them without the champagne for only $9 instead of the $80 with the champagne so we ordered them. Cocktails were fabulous and the lobster chips were sort of like lobster-flavored pork rinds - yummy. Only scotches were high end single malts - no Dewers. Oysters were fresh and briny and did not need the extra lemon squeeze but we found no "caviar lime." We ordered a variety of entrees and shared them around. Black rice with scallops and clams was, after asking, made with squid ink not mentioned on the menu and was not made with black rice but still delicious. Merguez sausage and potato "salad" was wonderful. Sea trout was wonderful. Beet, taleggio, hazelnut salad was tasty but tiny and hazelnuts not noticeable. Gnocchi and mushrooms flavorful but gnocchi not as light as it should be and some grit in the mushrooms. Server did not charge for the chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream which did not freeze properly but cake did not taste like chocolate at all. Beignets with blueberry sauce were perfect. Server suggested maple cream liquor with coffee and it was fabulous. Overall a wonderful experience. Server was incredibly knowledgeable and efficient. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is another restaurant that I believe is worth the money. My friends and I stopped here for cocktails and some 1$ happy hour oysters. The Knife fight cocktail is AMAZING! A must try if you enjoy gingery drinks. I was planning on getting one and had to get two because it was so delicious! (Worked up quite a buzz too!)Oysters were great! It was my first time trying oysters though so I don't have much to compare to. My favorite thing about little giant was the new outside courtyard and the extremely nice waitress. It made for a great experience with my friends. I'll be back!Update: I went back (told ya I would!) for a full dinner with my boyfriend. We got the vacationland. Please pause from reading this review and see my attached picture so you can get an idea of what I am talking about. Seafood HEAVEN. And also 72 dollars. My favorite part of the platter (which had lobster, mussels, bread, fries, breaded fish, and oysters) was the oysters! Little Giant, you have gotten me hooked to oysters! Of course I got the knife fight again (x 2, again). Service this time around was some of the best I have ever had. I made a reservation for 5 pm on a Friday (December) but from the looks of the place we didn't even need it for two people. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Food, drinks, atmosphere, service. Checks all of the boxes completely. My boyfriend and I went in here with reservations on a saturday night to be seated immediately, after spending 5 minutes or so admiring their market next door (highly recommend). We weren't super hungry, so we ordered the anchovy toast and the moxie pork belly to split. Halfway through the anchovy toast we decided to get the maine uni, because why not. It was a good decision- a very weird and delicious dish. We each had the little giant martini to start (filtered ocean water gin martini), and he had the espresso martini (delicious, tandem coffee) while i had the rhy whiskey maple drink who's name is slipping my mind at the moment. All delicious. For dessert, we had the spanish cheese. Not only was it incredible, but on ordering, our amazing waitress Kimberly lit up in excitement at our decision, giving us an overview on why it's one of the coolest things on the menu. Overall she was an absolutely amazing server and made the experience really incredible. Would recommend this to anyone, there's something for everyone on the menu, from more conservative to adventurous alike. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Fabulous meal and wonderful drinks. Cozy and cool space in a more residential neighborhood. On an evening when everything downtown was crowded and stressful, Little Giant was full but more relaxed. Every dish was wonderful and interesting. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

A plus. Wonderful service. Imaginative cooking. A stellar experience. Charming residential neighborhood.

Reviewed on Yelp

Yum, yum, yum. Spent a weekend in Portland, basically just eating delicious food, and Little Giant was one of my favorite spots. Not only were the cocktails delicious (can I have a Knife Fight everyday?!), but every single dish we ordered was flavorful and filling. We had the Dragon Beans (that dipping sauce was on point), the Serrano Ham with Taleggio cheese and whole grain mustard, the Mushrooms with Duck, and the Black Rice (creamy deliciousness with perfect scallops!). For dessert we tried the plum sorbet and the chocolate cake with allen's brandy. Also, the service was amazing. Our waitress was super friendly and advised us on how much food to get. And even though it was a Sunday night and service was winding down, they never hurried us. Highly recommend! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Enjoyed some outstanding happy hour oysters and a cocktail during a recent visit. I can see why Little Giant is one of the hot spots in Portland. Somewhat off the beaten path, but very well worth the short trip. Excellent service from the staff as well! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great addition to the Portland scene -- Cocktails/beer/wine selection strong, small-ish menu but hit all the right places. We enjoyed stuffed squash blossoms, tuna carpaccio (great flavor, skimpy portion), deviled eggs and black rice with littlenecks and scallops - this one was sublime. They've done a lovely job of renovating and the space is quite large with outdoor seating (the old Vespucci's, who knew?). Service was excellent, staff is dynamite. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This restaurant has everything: unique and delicious food, excellent service, interesting (yet balanced) cocktails. We loved our dining experience so much that we returned for happy hour a few days later! This little gem provides so much character and charm. Don't forget to checkout the market net door! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Blown away!!!! Came recommended from the folks over at drifters wife after finding out they were all booked up. We were blown away. Excellent cocktails and the whole roasted chicken was beyond excellent. Great atmosphere as well. Highly recommend!!!!!!!!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Awesome and unique menu. Everything was superb from the house made pickles to the black (squid ink) rice w clams and scallops and I also recommend the scallop crudo. An imaginative and tasty small dessert menu, however if you are full, go for the espresso martini. The other cocktails were we sampled were equally delicious. Of all the places we have been to in Portland this weekend, this is definitely on the return to list! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Everything about Little Giant is right on the money. I wish I lived in the West End so this could be our neighborhood bar. We've been here a few times for dinner and most recently for happy hour. The happy hour menu offers $2 off Maine brewed beer, specialty drinks and discounted food. Most notably, $1 oysters. I need to take a moment to discuss how awesome our server was. He was friendly, funny, and extremely attentive. Not to mention he was also incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and the smallest ingredients in each dish. You'll know he's your server if you see a hamburger tattoo on each forearm. One cool thing to note: They always have a drink for a cause. This means that, after covering their cost of the drink, they donate all the money from that drink to a charity. The evening we were in, it went to Planned Parenthood. Pretty cool idea. We started with the olives and veggies from the happy hour menu. The veggies were super fresh and the olives were surprisingly delicious. Not so salty that made us drink 10 glasses of water like normal. We caved and ordered 1/2 dozen oysters. With none of us really being oyster people, we went small. To our surprise, they were some of the best we've ever eaten. That evening they came from Prince Edward Island. They were so good that these non-oyster-eating people ordered 6 more. Can you really go wrong for $1 an oyster? To round out our meals, we had hands down the best cheeseburger in Portland. It was cooked perfectly and the grilled bun was the perfect way to top it. They serve it with shredded lettuce, onion and their special BBQ mayo. I typically hate anything BBQ-related, but this was fire! The fries were crispy and stacked like a pile of wood. It was so good that we contemplated ordering more. After such an amazing meal--did you really think we could pass up dessert? No. Of course not. We opted for the Boston Cream donut. It was an undressed donut with the cream on the side. Essentially a dream come true. The donut was served warm with the wood slab being covered in confectioners sugar and you being able to dip your donut in the dream that had chocolate chips in it. Happy hour does end promptly at 6pm and can only be enjoyed at the bar or booths near the bar. Last but not least, the decor of this place is on point!Little Giant will not disappoint you! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My partner and I always have a good experience here but today, our server Kimberly L was really fantastic. Her humor and perfect amount of time spent at our table was really fantastic and heightened the experience for us so much. My partner always gets the chicken and waffles. It's a lot of food. Like. A LOT of food. You have been warned.I am on a diet and the basic breakfast was perfect. Excellent eggs, a delicious hashbrown, and wheat bread. I did order the sausage. One of them got a lot more of the red pepper flakes than the other which tells me they are homemade which is wonderful but also fried my tongue a bit!Really wonderful way to start the morning. And really top notch service from Kimberly More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I'm not going to lie: little giant was our second choice after The Honey Paw was an hour wait for two people on a Saturday night. My fiancé and I walked into Little Giant and it was like everyone had stepped out of an Urban Outfitters catalog. We accepted seats for dining at the bar (which is nice because this place doesn't have a ton of seating) and we got out drinks quickly. Our server was incredibly attentive but not overbearing, and towards the end of our meal he engaged in a quick and polite conversation about the Portland food scene. This place is worth whatever little car ride or long walk you'd be taking to get here. We were celebrating a little as a couple, so my fiancé ordered the steak and I ordered the rigatoni. Both dishes were incredible. Different flavors and textures throughout. I was not the biggest fan of the ricotta in my dish (it gave a sweet flavor to something that I really wanted to be savory throughout) but I can see why it was added. The design of this place is really fun - and while you're waiting the short while for food and seating, the menu is pretty entertaining, designed with song lyrics and references to songs inside. We cannot wait to return to try the brunch. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I ate here for Restaurant Week, and am so glad I did. The restaurant is intimate with beautiful lighting and a clean, Scandinavian-minimalist aesthetic I really enjoyed. I chose the pork & pistachio terrine, duck confit, and flourless chocolate torte for my three courses, and couldn't have been more pleased with my choices. The duck was particularly tasty with a side of braised cabbage that nicely balanced the richness of the meat. The torte with salted caramel and toasted peanuts was artful and decadent.And I didn't even talk about how delicious our drinks were. I started with a Born to Run that was inventive, refreshing, and down right delicious, and ended with an espresso martini that promised to be "the best damn version you've ever had" and delivered on that promise. My friend and I vowed to go back. And soon. So should you. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We came to Portland two weekends in a row and despite the many fab options in Portland, had to come back here again.  The first time was better than the second, but it was still a great experience.  The food is interesting and well done and the cocktails hit the spot.  It is spacious enough that coming with the kids was comfortable.  We loved the charcuterie plate, steak fries, pasta, oyster tacos, and steak. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Awesome place. Love hunt and alpine-- same owners-- and the drinks here are just as good. Fun, inventive, well-crafted drinks. Food is tasty. Waitstaff is nice and attentive. Tables are spaced out and dining room is not too crowded. Bavette (steak) is delicious, and portions are large. Love this place!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Had a great time at Little Giant! First of all, the service that we received was top notch.  I was with a large group and I'm sure we were an unhappy surprise for a Monday, but they handled our group with true friendliness and quick service.  The drinks that we had were fantastic.  Would highly recommend multiple drinks here!  Lastly, the space was beautiful and well kept.  It was both warm and simple!  I'll definitely be back for dinner at a later date!  Thanks Little Giant!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The service at Little Giant is two major things: gracious and a class act.Imagine it's a snowy, sleepy Monday. You've got four people in your restaurant and you're expecting a slow night. Suddenly an out of breath girl stumbles in (literally, because the winter curtain in the entrance was wider and heavier than she was) and rushes to the bar. "A drink?" the bartender says."Sure... for me and twenty friends.""... you and TWENTY friends?""Or five. Or twenty. I don't know. Can you handle twenty people for cocktails? Or five people? It could be twenty.""Did you call ahead?""Uhhhhhhhhhhno.""... Sure, we can do that."There's a flurry of communication between the bartender, the hostess, and the kitchen staff as their night has suddenly become, let's say, less than quiet.I don't know if this situation has ever happened to you. I have been on both ends of it, and I can say without hesitation that Little Giant handled it with complete perfection. As a (very) large group of friends and I showed up (unannounced) to drink a round of cocktails, our orders were executed quickly, accurately, deliciously, and with a smile. I got to try an array of them, and - if you like a good mixed drink - you should be making it a point to come here and try the Born to Run. The Knife Fight is one of the prettiest drinks I've seen made. And just one Bird of Paradise will straight-up make you blind drunk.I haven't had the pleasure of dining here, but I'm looking forward to coming back. Did you know they have an $80 champagne and onion ring offering? Unsure if this was the ultimate act of trolling diners, I seriously inquired about it and they said it was a "very, very nice bottle of champagne and one order of onion rings." I guess I was kind of hoping for a very, very cheap bottle of champagne and all the onion rings I could eat, but c'est la vie. On the opposite end of this thought, the happy hour snack prices are awesome. I can see coming here as my first stop of the night then walking (off my champers and deep fried goodness) back into the Arts District. Maybe at some point they'll offer a late night happy hour so I can do the reverse.I will admit: I do think Little Giant is at a disadvantage because of their associated store (which I've only been in once, and had a lovely experience when I realized I was in the wrong place) and vice versa. Looking through reviews here and elsewhere, it's unfair that the two are constantly being lumped under one listing when they're vastly different things (a neighborhood market vs. a restaurant). Just something to consider, as you all trek here for that sweet $80 champagne and onion ring deal (restaurant only). More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Went in for some warm beverages and snacks. Menu looked cool...Service was solid... snacked on oyster tacos and biscuits with maple lardo and jam (taaasty! )Waiter suggested some Vermont maple cream liqueur with coffee to warm up.... it was good but set me back $16.... booze ($13) and coffee ($3). Not a total shocker given the scene but for my next boozy coffee, I'm heading across the street to  Ruski's to buy a whole round of Alan's. Overall, cool spot that's tasty, just be prepared to pay for the vibe.Updated:Went in for a friend's birthday for brunch, tasty menu and some awesome coffee. They also brought out an awesome "birthday waffle" with sparkler candle! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great new spot! (Or New to me!)Went in for happy hour and dinner last night , and will be back.Had oyster tacos---amazing! ! Biscuits with lardo and jam. I make biscuits and am super picky but YUM!! Adorable and small and perfectly crispy layers. Then we had mussels, and octopus, both were tasty and a mis of unique flavors arranged just so. The only slight issues : cold, very chilly inside, The Happy hour food seems ro be same price as menu, and toast was a tad underdone.  Nothing that would keep me from returning! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This review is for the restaurant, not the market. Food was great. Apps: The tinned sardines with mayo and pickled green beans was probably my favorite of the apps that we ordered. I guess that's not saying much because they opened a can of sardines and put it on a plate with mayo and pickled green beans, but I liked it. The cheese ball rolled in nuts served with crackers was kitschy but delicious. Lobster tostada was clumsy and hard to share, but maybe it's not meant for sharing. Mains: We had the burger, bavette steak, mussels, and angolotti. Everything was delicious. Dessert: Bread pudding with ginger ice cream and caramel was awesome. Chocolate donut was a little dry and it looked like someone was getting a little playful with the chocolate sauce on the plate. Which brings me to my next thought:I have a severe hatred for the technique of what I call the sh!t smear. When they take a sauce on a spoon, drop it on the plate and then drag it across. If you have a dog that has dragged its butt across the carpet, you understand what I'm talking about. It was popular 20 years ago and I don't really understand why it still is. Not trying to pick on these guys in particular because it happens everywhere, but it occurred on three of the dishes that we had. Anyhooo. Service was very good. Maybe a little overly funny-guy for some but I enjoyed it. I will definitely go back to check out more of the menu! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

In Portland for a few days. Just stopped for drinks. We had a few and needed something else. Little Biscuits - maple-whipped lardo and hot pepper jelly. The dinner menu looked good too.Nice place. Good for a drink with friends. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Second visit to this terrific restaurant.  Skipped the mains and enjoyed a selection of great appetizers.  Fried calimari tacos were super yummy.  Moxie braised pork belly was melting in the mouth.  Lobster tostada and mushroom tartine were also fantastic.  Cocktails - tried the LG martini and espresso martini, both were delicious.  Will definitely be going back again to try some mains and more cocktails! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Maybe a 4.5 but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.  Came here with mother-in-law and hubby because of OpenTable and yelp reviews.  We had the moxie braised pork belly and mushroom tartine for appetizers--super yum!  Only critique was the pork belly was teenie--11/2 inches square if that-- a lot for the price. We had a bottle of the red that you can also buy by the glass.  Waiter let me taste both the dolcetto and the grenache/Syrah and we chose the latter which was delicious at $30/bottle-- a steal by Boston standardsFor dinner we had the trout the lamb shank special and the duck confit salad.  All were delicious, especially the lamb shank.  Duck confit was a salad but super reasonable at $16, and the trout was a whole trout boned.For dessert we had the upside down pear cake with a yogurt topping and the bread pudding with caramel sauce.  Bread pudding was a little dry, not as custardy as I would like, but we still enjoyed dessert.Service was great.  Ambience fun, highly recommend More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Had a reservation for a recent Sunday night, just after opening.  The place was half full at about 8:30pm, but that's probably Portland on a Sunday night.  Everything we ordered was excellent!  Had mostly all of the smaller plates, including the 'tinned fish" of the evening -- which was clams.  Although a little odd in terms of concept, and yes -- they were served right out of their tin -- they were tasty, nonetheless, and the Matiz brand is a my go-to for that kind of thing.  Service was attentive, though a little in the shakey, "just-opened" mode, but all in all, a solid evening, and will return.  Two criticisms -- the lighting was abominable (i think LED, so everything/everyone looked gray), and the banquette was very deep and need bolsters.  Otherwise, all good. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The  concept is ok, the place is WAY TOO LOUD- it needs carpet, padding on the seats, acoustic tiles on the ceiling - something, anything. And he lighting is dim, again - trendy? The service was great, the food uneven not in taste but in size for price. The trout was delicious - a boned whole trout served in the skin- perfect and well worth the money. The pasta dish was appetizer size and full dish pricing - too expensive.  The pork belly and asparagus appetizers were great, again, a little small -Tapas size- which is ok but a little more then 4 asparagus stalks for the money would be great. Also, a small peeve, I guess the trend is not to serve bread or any kind of starch before dinner so beware. The dessert was worth missing, nothing special, not bad but just ok. a decent manhattan, not the best, but ok. The wine selection isn't bad, fairly priced and a good selection. I would probably come back - perhaps these are just growing pains. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This place is a West End gem. Perfect cocktails creative menu and delicious food. Very nice aesthetic inside. They have paid great attention to detail. Calamari taco is a must try. I will be a regular for sure! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Excellent dinner at Little Giant on Saturday night. Went with a group of 6 and every person at the table was super happy with everything they tasted. The hits were the biscuits with lardo and pepper jelly, trout, mushroom pasta and the biggest winner of the evening- the giant chicken board! What a fun way to share with friend. This impressive board was filled with delights and perhaps some of the most deciduously cooked chicken I've ever had. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Woohoo! Restaurant is open! Enjoyed drinks and appetizers in a fun, relaxed atmosphere on opening night. Clean, well thought through layout and design. Friendly servers came by with amuse-bouche during our very short wait for our food. Delicious, creative cocktails, of course. Great neighborhood restaurant! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I judge a restaurant by its burger, not its chicken dish, and the burger at Little Giant makes me want to return to try everything else on the menu. Unpretentious, guilty pleasure-goodness, cradled between the softest buns. Sounds dirty, and it is. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Awesome. Friendly staff, good location, and mouth-watering food. The shop a great place to pick up a staple or try something totally new. The restaurant is gorgeous, it has Substance on draft, and I am now obsessed with the Pig's Head Tacos. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Love it. Not a huge selection, but if you're going for quality over quantity, they have it all. Great coffee, great wine selection, and the gourmet sandwiches they make are awesome. Plus fun extras like a table of trays, dish towels and super cute home goods. Perfect spot to pick up a gift for a party or some extra supplies for dinner. And the staff is incredibly friendly. This will definitely be one of my go-to spots. (Can't wait for the restaurant to open as well!!) More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great place. Went in for some coffee and to stock up on cheese and wines for a cocktail hour on the boat. Perfect spot for it and nice staff. Will definitely be back!

Reviewed on Yelp