PENNY GOURMET
Portland, Maine

Robert Frost must have had Maine diners in mind when he wrote that he had "meals to go before I sleep". Established in 1991, Becky’s is worth seeking out when passing through Portland. It’s just down the hill from the Holiday Inn or a few blocks from the action in the Old Harbor shopping area. Look for the line out the door.

PENNY GOURMET
Waldoboro, Maine

It doesn’t get any better than Moody’s for fast, cheap and good food. That must be why Moody’s Diner is on everyone’s favorite roadside diner list. If you are heading through Midcoast Maine, and you don’t stop, other travelers may question your sanity.

PENNY GOURMET
South Berwick ME

Not yet a half-century old, Fogarty’s seems to have been here forever. If you live in Salmon Falls, you know this place, first in the summer for it’s ice cream, secondly as a warm homey place for an affordable dinner when the snow flies. If you don’t know Salmon Falls, you have a road trip in your future.

PENNY GOURMET
Portsmouth, NH

We received an email tongue-lashing from a reader recently asking how we could possibly not include Gilley’s famous lunch cart. We confess, we are so familiar with the old place that we plum forgot. We herewith offer this online homage to the longest surviving roadside diner in town.

PENNY GOURMET
East Kingston, NH

There are plenty of people in the Seacoast who have never heard of East Kingston. It’s on the way down the back road from Exeter to the Massachusetts border, lots of farms and rural country scenery. There is no one in East Kingstead, when you get there, who has not heard of Carmen’s friend chicken. If Carmen’s ever looked like a dining car, it doesn’t any more. But that home-cooked promise is still fulfilled daily. 

PENNY GOURMET

Admittedly it is off the beaten path to newcomers, but hey, it's not really hard to find. And if you know what's good for you, you will find it. The scenic ride is matched only by the ice cream.

BEST ROAST BEEF & MORE

Wheelieson Route 198 is among our long-time favorites. If you never pass through Newmarket center , this is your reason to discover an upcoming old factory town on the Lamprey River.

PENNY GOURMET

Kittery surprises the Seacoast with a classy authentic Mexican fast food eatery. More good than cheap, Loco’s adds a whole new flavor to the Portsmouth-area palate. Penny offers quick thoughts and cheap photos.

PENNY GOURMET

We've just been once, but we'll be back. Fresh, fast, tastey, ample and fantastically afforable. Penny Gourmet goes off the beated track to discover a bargain ethnic dining experience 50 miles from Portsmouth, NH.

Frank Savario Catalino introduced his pizza shop in one of Portsmouth's tiniest buildings in 1990. Open just three hours a day, the shop is a family affair. Frank's real Italian pizza is one of city's trade secrets. His calzones are gigantic, stuffed full.

WHERE THE LOCALS CLAM UP

There's just no clam's like Bobs. With the price of seafood these days, you want the best for the best price. An institution in Kittery since 1956.

Bob's Clam Hut
315 Route 1
Kittery, ME 03904
207-439-4233

EDIBLE, YET CREDIBLE

If the food is very affordable and very good, Penny will find it. Our undercover parsimonious Penny Gourmet is on an endless search for the biggest taste with the lsmallest bite. Always alert, forever cheap -- that's Penny.