These New England style restaurants aren’t just favorites—they have been voted as The Best of Aroostook! Voted on by 1,737 folks from across Maine's Aroostook County and beyond, these kitchens are serving up dishes that are wicked good and full of heart. Here our eateries are family owned and operated and they have crazy things on the menu's like fiddleheads, trout, ployes, stews, and even KÖttbullar. Whether it’s home-style, farm-to-table flair, or just the best burger you’ve ever had, these are the places where memories—and meals—you won’t forget are made. Pull up a chair, bring your appetite, and meet the best of Aroostook’s dining scene. Here is who made the list for 2025 as voted on by you!

With 196 votes, the award for Best Restaurant in Aroostook goes to...

Salted Butter Farm

Located in Sherman, Maine, locally known as the “Big Purple House,” was originally built in 1890 as a mail-order catalog house for A.B. Leavitt, Sherman's first postmaster and town cartwright. Today, the historic home is the setting for one of Aroostook's most distinctive dining experiences.

Salted Butter Farm is owned and operated by MacArthur, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and her family. The restaurant's approach to food is deeply personal. “Once I cook for you, you are my family,” MacArthur said. “Love is the No. 1 ingredient and I cook with my heart.” That kind of warmth is part of what makes a meal at Salted Butter Farm feel like more than just stopping in for dinner. The restaurant has become a destination for people looking for creative food, a welcoming atmosphere, and a story behind the place they are visiting.

The road to Sherman was not exactly what the family originally planned. In Patten, the couple put a deposit on what they thought was the perfect home for their restaurant and residence. With a signed contract in hand, Jon and Jenny and their three children were excited about their new adventure.

But plans changed, and the family eventually found their way to the Big Purple House in Sherman. The move turned out to be a pretty good decision. With 196 votes, Salted Butter Farm was the runaway winner of the 2026 Best Restaurant category.

2026 Winners

1st) Salted Butter Farm

Salted Butter Farm in Sherman, Maine, earned first place with 196 votes. The restaurant has built a following with creative meals, locally sourced ingredients, and a setting that is unlike just about anywhere else in Aroostook. From the colorful historic building to the thoughtful menu, a meal at Salted Butter Farm is an experience.

With 196 votes, Salted Butter Farm earned a decisive first-place finish and was named the 2026 Best Restaurant in Aroostook.

2nd) Rodney's at 436 Main

Located inside the historic Northeastland Hotel in downtown Presque Isle, Maine, Rodney's at 436 on Main is known for its local sourcing, generous portions, creative menu, and its popular “Appy” Hour offerings. The restaurant also has a personality all its own.

The dining room includes vintage-style posters from Pebble Beach auto shows and grilles from Alfa Romeo sports cars. The décor pays tribute to the restaurant's late namesake, Rodney Smith, a Silicon Valley executive and philanthropist with a fondness for retro race cars. Rodney Smith was married to Presque Isle native Mary Barton Akeley Smith, who helped make possible a $1.5 million gift from the couple's foundation that allowed Ignite PI to purchase the Northeastland.

Even without knowing the story behind the décor, the vintage car theme, lively bar, and bebop jazz give the restaurant a fun and approachable feel. “We want a little touch of class without being pretentious,” said LeRae Kinney, CEO of Ignite PI. “The line we walk is to be a place for a business dinner or date night, but where you can also come in wearing jeans and a hoodie and get a beer.”

That description fits Rodney's well. The menu can move from appetizers like mussels Provençal and fried calamari to generous entrées featuring scallops, maple-cream sauce, lamb chops, and other creative dishes. And the portions are not exactly shy.

Rodney's earned second place with 51 votes.

3rd) Ferris BBQ

Ferris BBQ in Presque Isle, Maine, is a family story from the beginning. Tony and Sherry Sullivan have owned and operated Governor's Restaurant in Presque Isle for more than 20 years. Their son Matt followed in their footsteps, and together the family started Ferris BBQ in 2022. The restaurant's name pays tribute to another member of the Sullivan family, Thomas Ferris Sullivan, Tony's grandfather.

Ferris was a simple man who worked hard, took care of his family, grew an amazing garden, and always had a deer hanging in the barn. His name has continued through generations of the Sullivan family, including Anthony “Tony” Ferris, Brady Ferris, and Parker Ferris.

He was also known for wearing a fedora. That small detail lives on in the Ferris BBQ logo, where a fedora sits over the “F” in the frying pan as the family “tips its cap” to Ferris and his commitment to family. Ferris BBQ's mission is straightforward: serve great food and make sure every customer leaves fulfilled and happy.

The restaurant specializes in traditional, slow-smoked barbecue, along with hand-cut fries made with locally sourced potatoes, handcrafted sandwiches, burgers, and specialty salads. A full-service bar offers local brews on tap along with select bourbons and other spirits.

Ferris BBQ earned third place with 47 votes.

2026 Honorable Mentions

We have listed all the restaurants who were also nominated in order by who received the most votes. Congratulations to each one of them, we love the way they serve up great food, smiles, and memories - way to go!

•       The Slice in Island Falls, Maine

•       Lakeview Restaurant in St. Agatha, Maine

•       Brenda's Restaurant in Sherman, Maine

•       Market Pizza in Houlton, Maine

•       Maple Pig in Presque Isle, Maine

•       Ruska Coffee in Caribou, Maine

•       Homestead Lodge in Oxbow, Maine

•       Rusty Crab in Mars Hill, Maine

•       Northern Maine Brewing Company in Caribou, Maine

•       Governor's in Presque Isle, Maine

•       Brookside Inn in Smyrna, Maine

•       Bucks Bar in Caribou, Maine

•       Swamp Buck Restaurant and Lounge in Fort Kent, Maine

•       47 North in Fort Kent, Maine

•       Frederick's Southside in Caribou, Maine

•       Dolly's Restaurant in Frenchville, Maine

•       The Par and Grill Restaurant in Caribou, Maine

•       Downunder Sports Pub in Houlton, Maine

•       Rock's Family Diner in Fort Kent, Maine

•       Taste of Home Restaurant in Mapleton, Maine

•       Theresa's Corner Cafe and Bakery in Presque Isle, Maine

•       Dean's Motor Lodge in Portage, Maine

•       DuBois' Restaurant in Madawaska, Maine

•       Lime Rock Golf Course in Limestone, Maine

•       Sports Inn in Caribou, Maine

•       The County Co-Op and Farm Store in Houlton, Maine

•       Two Rivers Lunch in Allagash, Maine

•       Confectionately Yours in Presque Isle, Maine

•       First Mile Brewing Company in Fort Kent, Maine

•       Forget Me Not Diner in St Francis, Maine

•       Voyager Lounge at the Inn of Acadia in Fort Kent, Maine

•       Jade Palace in Caribou, Maine

•       Northern Maine Kolache Co in Van Buren, Maine

•       Rendezvous in Caribou, Maine

•       Richie's Pizza in Caribou, Maine

•       Tang's Chinese Cuisine in Houlton, Maine

•       Tasty Food in Van Buren, Maine

•       The Pines Grill in Monticello, Maine

“Best Restaurant” is one of the 11 categories recognized through the Best of Aroostook Awards. To see the winners across all categories, visit the 2026 Best of Aroostook Awards winners page.

Aroostook County Tourism created a 17-question survey that was completed by 1,737 participants from January through March 2026. Votes with similar spellings or common typos were combined and tabulated. The top three businesses in each category were recognized as winners, while other businesses receiving votes were recognized as honorable mentions. The Best of Aroostook Awards are a fun way to recognize the places that make Aroostook special, and no prizes are awarded.

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