Western Maine
Sunday River & Bethel
Oxford County, Maine delivers one of the Northeast's best ski mountains and some of its most underrated hiking — all anchored by a genuine New England village with no outlet malls, no chain restaurants, and a food scene that consistently surprises. Here's how to make the most of it across every season.
Filter by season
5 places match your filters
Sunday River Brewing Company
The anchor brewpub at the foot of Sunday River Road — first and last stop for many skiers. Brews its own beers on-site, with the Black Bear Porter as the flagship. The food menu is ski-town hearty: award-winning smoked Buffalo wings (a local legend that draws regulars back specifically for them), fresh-ground burgers, wood-fired pizza, house chili, and fish and chips. The space is lodge-style, family-friendly, and loud on peak winter weekends. Open Wednesday through Monday year-round.
On a powder day, arrive before the lifts close (3–4 pm) or expect a 45-minute wait. The Buffalo wings have won regional awards — the must-order. The Black Bear Porter is what to drink here.
Cho Sun
The most unexpected and celebrated restaurant in western Maine — a Korean and Japanese sushi bar on the main street of a small mountain town, opened in 2002 by Pok Sun Lane, who emigrated from South Korea with the intention of bringing authentic Korean cuisine to Oxford County. Two-plus decades later it has a devoted following and coverage in Down East Magazine. The sushi bar seats 36. The Korean preparations are the insider order: hot-stone bibimbap (rice, vegetables, and protein served sizzling in a stone bowl), chap-chae noodles, and traditional preparations made to order. The deck in summer by torchlight is a romantic setting.
Make a reservation — this fills on weekends year-round. Budget two hours; dishes are made to order. The hot-stone bibimbap is the dish that makes people understand why this restaurant exists in Bethel. The Korean preparations are more interesting than the sushi, though the sushi is solid.
DiCocoa's
Bethel's beloved breakfast institution — a counter-service café known for hand-shaped bagels baked in-house and a hippie-meets-gourmet sensibility. Dense, chewy New York-style bagels served as sandwiches alongside quiche, soups, and specialty pastries. Vegetarian and vegan options are well represented. The space is small, warmly decorated, and perpetually packed on ski weekends. The kind of place where locals know the staff by name and out-of-towners immediately understand the draw.
Saturday ski mornings have a line. Get there by 8 am, order sandwiches to go, and eat en route to the mountain — you'll beat both the crowd and the Sunday River parking. Hours are limited: Saturday–Sunday 7 am–1 pm; call ahead on weekdays.
The Good Food Store
The area's specialty grocery and prepared food anchor since 1994, in a renovated farm building on Route 2 between downtown Bethel and Sunday River Road. For vacation rental guests, this is the essential first stop: organic and local produce, gourmet cheeses, bulk foods, Maine-made specialties, and the best wine and craft beer selection in Bethel. The kitchen prepares daily soups, salads, sandwiches, and heat-and-eat entrées — proper food, not convenience store fare. Open daily, 9 am–8 pm.
Make this your first stop after arriving at the rental house — stock the kitchen here rather than driving 45 minutes to a larger grocery. The heat-and-eat options are genuinely good on nights when you don't want to cook after a full ski day. The staff know the area well and can give current conditions.
Millbrook Tavern
The dining and gathering spot at the Bethel Resort & Suites — a historic white-clapboard New England inn on a hillside above the village with a golf course and mountain views. The tavern offers casually upscale classics: prime rib, fresh Maine lobster, burgers, steaks, and fish and chips. A rustic bar, fieldstone fireplace, open terrace, and outdoor patio. The resort added heated outdoor dining igloos for winter evenings. Weekend and holiday live music. Dinner Sunday–Thursday 5–8 pm, Friday–Saturday 5–9 pm.
The spot for a proper dinner without the chaos of on-mountain venues — 6 miles from the resort, requires no navigation of Sunday River Road traffic, and the fireplace dining room on a cold winter night is genuinely atmospheric. Prime rib on weekends is a reliable order.
