Sea Basket

Maine Seafood in Midcoast Maine

Recently, my photographer and I stopped to dine at Sea Basket in Wiscasset. Have to admit we were in town for the going-out-of-business sale of Big Al’s located just across the road, but that is another posting. Although, I might add that the proximity to the Sea Basket and its huge draw of customers was one of the reasons that Al Cohen, owner of Big Al’s, chose that spot for the location of his store and warehouse 35 years ago. Easily accessible on Route 1, the restaurant is known for its seafood - one of Maine's best places. In 2017, the restaurant was awarded "Best of the Best" for Midcoast Maine's Best Seafood Restaurant by Market Surveys of America. 

Since 1981, the Sea Basket has delighted locals and visitors alike with great food and generous portions. Their lobster stew is made with local fresh picked tail, claw, and knuckle meat straight from the ocean and never frozen. The homemade chowder, coleslaw, and onion rings, all made from scratch, are just a few of the customer favorites and mine as well. Fried clams are award-winning and a favorite of my sister. Living close by, she is one of the locals that regularly frequents the restaurant. Her review of the restaurant is, “The Sea Basket is a delicious place to eat for seafood, always very flavorful! Their fried batter is light and delicious, the fried scallops are to die for, and the clams are delicious as well.” The restaurant has a state-of-the art convection frying system so the food cooks with crispier coatings. 

On the day of our dining adventure the restaurant was preparing to close for a winter break so some of the items were out of stock for the season, but we still had plenty to choose from the menu. Nothing beats a bowl of steaming hot clam chowder on a cold day. Paired with a crispy good cheese-to-bread ratio grilled cheese sandwich, the “chowdah” was cozy comfort food in a bowl. My photographer enjoyed her perfectly cooked and crispy haddock sandwich with her only comment being that tartar sauce lovers may want to ask for some extra sauce. The order of fried pickles came as a surprise. They were whole pickles and not the pickle chips typically presented. They were delicious. 

Sea Basket is currently closed, but it will reopen at the end of January. Looking forward to our next adventure up Route 1 and a restaurant visit. Next time it will definitely be a lobster roll and onion rings.