Duckfat

Duckfat is a Restaurant in Portland, ME, located at 43 Middle St. It specializes in Belgian-style frites hand-cut and fried in duck fat, alongside pressed sandwiches, paninis, salads, and desserts. The menu features signature items such as the Duckfat Poutine with Pineland Farms cheese curds and duck gravy, the Duckfat Grilled Cheese with raclette and cheddar, slow-braised short ribs, house-smoked brisket, and the Duckfat Caesar with house-smoked duck breast. The restaurant serves locals and visitors in Portland, offering a selection of Maine craft beers, ciders, wines, house-made sodas, and milkshakes. It holds a rating of 4.60 based on customer reviews.

The concept originated in November 2003 when co-founders Nancy Pugh and Rob Evans visited Amsterdam and were inspired by Belgian frites windows. After purchasing Hugo’s in 2000, where Rob Evans was named one of the best new chefs by Food & Wine magazine, they opened their first Duckfat location at 43 Washington Ave in January 2005. In 2016, they expanded with a second location, Duckfat Frites Shack, next to Oxbow Blending & Bottling, featuring a shared beer garden. The business emphasizes local sourcing, using Maine Norwis potatoes from Green Thumb Farms in Fryeburg for their frites and duck fat from cage-free ducks raised in Ferndale, New York. The menu highlights local ingredients, including Harmony Hill Farm duck eggs, house-smoked duck breast, and curds from Pineland Farms.

Duckfat maintains a strong reputation among Portland diners, reflected in its high customer rating and consistent praise for its distinctive menu items. The business is known for its commitment to local agriculture and its unique preparation methods, such as double-frying potatoes in duck fat.

Duckfat brings its signature Belgian frites and locally sourced comfort food to the heart of Portland’s Old Port.

Duckfat sits on Middle Street in Portland, Maine, just a short walk from Loi's Natural Marketplace and the India Street neighborhood. The location is also near Franklin Street and Commercial Street, with the NOAA Fisheries office nearby.

BizScoreAI gives Duckfat a Performance score of 91 out of 100, which reflects fast website loading that keeps visitors engaged and aids search engine ranking. The business also achieves a Discoverability score of 75 out of 100, ensuring AI crawlers can access every page to recommend the restaurant.