Almost no one comes to Lobsterland—or even New England, for that matter—to eat spectacular Tex-Mex. You want clam chowder? We’re your only serious go-to. You’re craving donuts? We’re your hole-in-one. But if you’ve got a “foodie”—(And please, can the food-loving community retire that pretentious term already?)—bucket list that includes regional and cult-followed gastronomic genres from away, odds are good that Maine isn’t at the top of it.
Unless, that is, you actually live here. In which case you know otherwise. You know we’ve got a solid—and continuously expanding—roster of restaurants showcasing cuisines from all over the world, dreamed up by big local talents and best executed when made with ingredients raised and created right here. Classic New England seafood may be our most robust wheelhouse, but it’s no longer the only one.
The latest case in point? Ocotillo, the West End brunch-only eatery (open only from 8 till 3, six days a week) that launched last spring. It’s an offshoot of Terlingua, Pliny and Melanie Reynolds’s acclaimed barbecue spot, which has been putting to rest any questions about Portland’s ability to produce exemplary barbecue since it came onto the scene in 2015.
Housed in the space formerly belonging to The Danforth, Ocotillo is named for the semi-succulent shrubs with dense red flowers that dot America’s Southwestern deserts. And it shares an aesthetic kinship with both of the above. Pliny and Melanie relied on much of The Danforth’s already beautiful design and opened up the interior with more natural light and a bright paint palette. Splashes of warm hues like melon and cranberry dance across cozy banquettes, and pillows in abstract Southwestern patterns are set against white brick walls.
The outdoor patio is a hidden gem—an oasis somewhat improbably tucked in among the neighborhood’s historic Victorian homes. The thermally heated floor, subtly hidden heat lamps, and more cushy banquettes all make it reasonable to keep the patio open year-round (which it is) and bring Ocotillo’s seating total to 100-plus.
On weekdays, those seats get taken by everyone from local artists to medical staff finishing their shifts at the nearby hospitals, and on weekends, the crowds roll in for leisurely brunches. (Much of the staff has been brought over from Terlingua, as have some of the brunch items that garnered a following on its original menu.)
This is lusty and scrumptious food, and it marries breakfast staples with ingredients hailing from both Tex-Mex lands and Maine. There’s “The Chicken & The Egg,” a rich mole poblano and crispy corn tortilla covered with shredded chicken, a perfectly poached egg, cotija cheese, and sesame seeds. The Shortstack would be just delicious buttermilk pancakes were it not for the addition of caramelized pineapple and salted maple butter. The OG Fruit & Granola Bowl might sound basic, but the freshness of every last piece of fruit and the creaminess of yogurt from Winter Hill Farm in Freeport change the equation.
And of course, the exquisitely smoked meats for which Terlingua is known play a huge role. Indulge in the sumptuous brisket breakfast tacos and the brioche rolls laden with deep-flavored and meltingly tender smoked pork shoulder. The agave-centric cocktail program—complete with standouts like the Horchata Colada, a luscious and lime-laden collision of two classics, made with local Bimini gin—washes everything down. And it all disappears faster than you can imagine. Even when there isn’t a lobster in sight.
