Three Dollar Deweys

Three Dollar DeweysThree Dollar Deweys
Three Dollar DeweysThree Dollar Deweys
Bar, Eatery

241 Commercial St
Portland, Maine, 04101-4622
United States

(207) 772-3310 | map
threedollardeweys.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.58
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
45
pDev:
17.6%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Reagan1984:
Photo of Reagan1984
Reviewed by Reagan1984 from Massachusetts

2.26/5  rDev -36.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 2
Been here a couple times and last night made another visit prior to dinner. This may be more of a commentary of my expectations of the high quality of certain craft beer bars, but this place is just pedestrian. While they have about 20+ beers on tap, the list is so basic and boring it’s scary. Allagash White and a few Shipyard basics is about as crazy as this place gets. I suppose if you’re from Nebraska and never had any Shipyard or Harpoon it might be worth a session… But other than that this place is barely above a standard bar.

The server clearly didn‘t know a great deal about craft beer and basically was parroting what they were told for the daily special.

Atmosphere is fine, but nothing too creative. It appears that long ago this was a craft destination, but frankly they haven’t kept up. When in town there are many other options that are more intriguing.
May 03, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Lmacd
Reviewed by Lmacd from Maine

1/5  rDev -72.1%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1
Honestly can’t recommend people steer clear of this place enough. I left a $5 tip on a bill of $29.16 to total $34.16. The service was amongst the worst I had.. leading to the tip amount. However I was shocked to discover they charged me $84.16. They added a zero to my tip and changed the 3, to an 8. However with the math $50 + $29.16 isn’t $84.16.. so they just decided to charge me $55 extra. I had to wait a few days for the manager to call me, to which I thought we’d get a resolution. Not only did he say since the payment I never authorize process and they couldn’t do anything about it, he proceeded to become offended I would accuse anyone there of committing fraud. There are so many better places to go to in the city of Portland. Please don’t make the same mistake I did. I’ve lived in Maine my entire life and can’t comprehend why a local business would do such a thing. But people are out there who will. I would upload a picture proving everything if I could. But this place is such a garbage fire.. stay away
Dec 04, 2022
Photo of large_kahuna
Reviewed by large_kahuna

4.3/5  rDev +20.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
We ordered fish and chips, fried cheese curds w/habanero sauce, and a burger. All of the food was top-notch, no-frills, and did the job perfectly.

Having seen "illpass78"'s review, I am also very happy to report that the craft beer selection has expanded in recent years -- they have a great draft selection of locals mixed in with the bigger names.

Service was great, food and beer came out fast, and it was all good. A+ in my book!
Dec 30, 2021
 
Rated: 3.35 by Fitzy01 from Maine

May 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by NHPest from New Hampshire

May 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.49 by HopBroker from Washington

Aug 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.46 by scxcrunner from Massachusetts

Jul 24, 2016
Photo of illpass78
Reviewed by illpass78 from Maine

4.19/5  rDev +17%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Not a place that will blow your mind with wild tap selections (mostly "big" craft like Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn, etc.), but a fine place to watch a game and grab some grub.
Oct 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by 31Sam13 from New Hampshire

Mar 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by OJT1993 from Maine

Feb 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by irishevans from California

Nov 30, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Reds76 from Maine

Nov 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BEERMILER12 from Maine

Nov 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DinoBlueShoes from Maine

Oct 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by CAMay from New Hampshire

Oct 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by MacQ32 from South Carolina

Jul 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Wendi from Maine

Jul 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by richobrien from California

Jul 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by j_hollings13 from Ohio

Jun 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by coombski from Maine

Mar 28, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by Tidesox28 from Maine

Mar 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by MJSawyer from Minnesota

Nov 14, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by TheRealPour from Illinois

Nov 13, 2013
Photo of paulmcm
Reviewed by paulmcm from Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 1.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Stopped by Deweys with the wife for a quick bite and beer after a hellish drive up from Boston. It was 10pm on a Friday night, and the place was almost deserted. And somehow, we still couldn't get anything close to decent service from the bartender.

Food and beer - when we managed to get some - were good, though. At least two dozen taps, including Coal Porter, Gearys, Hop Devil, Harpoon, and lots of Shipyard. Pints were cheap, as were the big bottles of Allagash. Pub grub was tasty, and served up at a relatively late hour.

Still, it's tough to get past near-total inattention when you're one of three couples sitting at the bar. I don't think we'll be back.
Oct 02, 2010
Photo of Slatetank
Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +14%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I stopped in at 3 Dollar Deweys with ffejherb, FooFaa and his wife Kristen - we had to try the seafood chowder. We walked right in as it was lunch time and it was not very crowded. The atmosphere is casual with cafeteria style wooden table seating and the bar in the back - The service was good as we were seated quickly and ordered up a pitcher of espresso amber.

The selection is pretty decent with local selections from Shipyard and Bar Harbor as well as Peak organic and others such as Victory, Geary's Harpoon and Long trail as far as crafts go

The quality is top notch as the food, beer and service were great - the beer and food are both served fresh
speaking of food it was absolutely the best chowder I ever tasted - smoked seafood with salmon clams and shrimp were tender and the cream base was delicious w/ mild smoke I couldn't have asked for better.

Overall I was very pleased with the experience at 3 Dollar Deweys I would only suggest switching some of the taps from Macro to craft, but I recommend the place and the value is very good as the portions are substantial and the prices are reasonable.
Mar 07, 2010
Photo of berley31
Reviewed by berley31 from Canada (NB)

3.8/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Visited this place for my second time on my last trip to Portland. Since this time I was a little more familiar with Maine beers and such, I was shocked at just how inexpensive their beer menu was in general, compared to many other bars in the area. The basic pints are 4$ each, similar to other bars in general, but some of their bottles are extremely reasonable: 8.50$ for a 25 oz. Allagash Tripel?? That's pretty damned good... I know I've seen it for twice that at another bar. Maybe not a huge selection, but still quite decent, really.

Sure, the atmosphere may not be as original or cool as other bars, but it's still a friendly environment... with free popcorn! Service was good; didn't get a chance to try the food.

Either way, definitely an affordable, nice place to stop by for a pint or two, and maybe to split a bottle with someone.
Dec 12, 2009
Photo of indiapaleale
Reviewed by indiapaleale from Maine

4.13/5  rDev +15.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Ok,ok,ok before people start knocking Dewey's lets all remember that this place was serving up good beer in Portland before people had ever hear the term "craft beer".

Free popcorn, so get some and sit down in the picnic table style benches that make this place great.

Beer selection is great, they always have Cole Porter so how can you go wrong. They also have a ton of other good stuff, a lot of which is Maine-centric for those of you on vacation.

Food is decent, good chili, nothing crazy though. This place is a pub and a social gathering place.

Dewey's is an institution...much love.
Mar 21, 2009
Photo of Hokies
Reviewed by Hokies from Rhode Island

3.23/5  rDev -9.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Just came back from a trip to Portland where we just happened to stumble upon this bar. Seemed like a regular bar with a few tables and a bar that stretched a good thirty feet. The place was a little bit of a mess but what can you expect at midnight on a Friday. The service at the bar was decent nothing overwhelming but nothing to complain about. The selection was probably the best out of the bars that we went to in Portland with a nice selection of the local flavor and a few bottles off Allagash Dubbel and Grand Cru in the cooler. The beer was nice and fresh except for the Geary's Summer that my brother had, I tried it too and it definitely was past its prime. Overall I would have to say its a nice place to visit to try all the local flavors.
Jul 24, 2008
Photo of Yetiman420
Reviewed by Yetiman420 from Ohio

2.13/5  rDev -40.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 1.5 | service: 3 | selection: 1.5 | food: 2.5
My beer buddy and I did a Portland beer tour in September of 2007. After visiting Sebago (the only positive stop of the tour), we decided to do three-dollar dewey's instead of the bear. TDD was on the way back to our Holiday Inn and we figured if they had a lot of beers, we could find 5-10 that would appeal to us. It turns out, we struggeld to find 5 that appealed to us. We began with a bottle of Allagash Grand Cru and it went downhill from there. The next beer was a dissapointing Geary's Pale Ale. At this point in the night I was good for 2-3 more beers and this PA was so bad I had to dump it out in the bathroom. The only selection left was Allagash White and it came in a glass that was recently cleaned in bleach. The majority of people here were drinking Miller Lite. In my book, it does not qualify as a beer bar worth visiting. This pretty much sums up my feelings of Portland as a beer city. I wish others would take the lead of Allagash and take their beer more seriously.
Sep 23, 2007
Photo of msolar
Reviewed by msolar from Massachusetts

3.64/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Good place to visit, but I prefer Gritty’s despite the selection sacrifice (you still get the pub feel). Dewey’s is still a staple if you’re looking to explore Portland’s night life.

Huge benches & tables provide a nice atmosphere, especially if you’re with a larger group.

Food… I can’t say I’ve been when the kitchens were still open, but I’d expect it to be on par with the rest of the stop.

A bit of a late night bar, sort of Portland’s answer to Boston’s BHP. Well, minus the underage college kids and PBR, of course.
Sep 21, 2006
Photo of warchez
Reviewed by warchez from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +18.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
Beer selection, freshness and presentation are always top notch here. A great showcase of the Maine brewing scene. Great place to try something new.

The atmosphere is true open pub. Large benches and tables often mix people of different parties on the same table. Ample room to stand and gather. A few TVs for games, but mostly a great place to drink and chat it up with friends. Easy location to get to in the Old Port.

I have had lunch there a couple times and the food is OK. Not something spectacular, but its standard good quality pub fare. While its not over the top, it goes with the pubs style perfectly.

Overall this is a must place to sit anytime of day and have a beer. During the day its relaxing and at night its quiet lively with people enjoying the best Maine has to offer.
Aug 22, 2006
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
See what happens when I leave for sixteen years? They move a block closer to the waterfront, just to throw me off. The long, wood bar is off to the right upon entering and is an elongated “U”-shape with a bank of taps attached to it. There were two coolers visible to the right of the back bar. The kitchen was off to the left and the washrooms at a left oblique. The décor was very reminiscent of the original with lots of long, wooden tables, benches, exposed wood beams, and free (!) popcorn (Look up!). Over by the popcorn machine was another server’s station, just inside the door. I could not decide if some of the art was original prints made from woodcuts or just reproductions. $1. – Looky. $2. – Feely. $3. – Dewey.
Aug 19, 2006
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

4.01/5  rDev +12%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
This place has a large bar with all tap beers right next to the bar for easy identification - no beer list needed. The place is large and open with long family style tables. Free popcorn is offered and there is plenty on the floor so watch your step. Younger crowds frequent this place, as I noticed several college aged kids sitting at the bar doing shots and beers.

Nice variety of beers on tap from Allagash, Casco, Sebago, Shipyard, Gritty's, along with some others like SNPA and Paulaner. The few beers I had over two different sessions in the place were of good quality and fresh.

Did not have any food, and most people seemed to be drinking and enjoying the free popcorn. The bartenders were quick to refill your pint, and were joking with most customers. Definitely worth a stop but don't expect a nice atmosphere or quiet crowd.
Jun 22, 2005
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.3/5  rDev +20.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
One of my favorites in Portland. The atmosphere is good, but not killer with a big room as you enter leading you to a long bar with many, many taps. The tap selection is probably the best or biggest in the city with many (30+?) taps of local Maine brews, other NE micros, and perhaps just a few macros. Quality of my brews was good, and service was fast and friendly. Just another quality stop in this local beer heaven. Another great experience. This is located close to the water, and very close to Brian Boru and the 2 brewpubs as well. Central as all get out!
Mar 16, 2005
Photo of Hibernator
Reviewed by Hibernator from Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Three Dollar Deweys has always been a must stop for me when visiting Portland and this past weekend was no exception. All of the variables (atmosphere, service & selection) at this place make for a great bar.

The vibe is very casual and laid back. Customers and staff are unpretentious. This is a good sized place with wooden floors and wooden benches for seating. There is also a bar in the back as well. A popcorn machine emanates the smell of fresh popcorn in the air. Customers can help themselves to free popcorn as they wait for food or throw back a few pints.

As for the beer selection, there are about 38 drafts and around 35 bottle selections. The bottle options are more diverse and interesting, but either way provides you with some great Maine beer options. Bottle highlights include Allagash Dubbel & Grand Cru, Shipyard Blue Fin Stout & Joshua Chamberlin, Bar Harbor Peach Ale and Cadillac Mountain Stout. The Cadillac Mountain Stout I had was delicious.

Prices are really good at $3.75 - $4.25 a pint. They also offer daily beer pint specials for $2.50. A cool option if you are looking to try different beers is the four 4 oz samples for $4. Service was friendly and attentive. Three Dollar Deweys offer a lengthy pub style menu featuring pizza, nachos, sandwiches, salads, chili, etc.

I would say this place is a must when in the area. It's easy to locate in the Old Port and never lets me down.
Feb 21, 2005
Photo of UncleJimbo
Reviewed by UncleJimbo from Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Ah, the famous $3 Dewey's. As others have said, this is a bar for some serious drinking. The room is pretty sparse on decor (wood and brick), with a lot of open space for standing room only nights, and with picnic tables if you can get one. There is a popcorn machine dispensing free popcorn, copious amounts of which end up on the wood floor. Not the most refined atmosphere, but if you are pubcrawling, it is just what the doctor ordered.

The bar has about 35 taps with a good variety of Maine beers on tap and a few others (e.g., Hoegaarden) and in bottles (incl. for example Cadillac Mtn. Stout). They also have a full bar with single malt scotch, etc., available. There were seats at only a small section of the bar (perhaps there are more bar seats during less busy hours?) I thought the bartenders did a decent job keeping up with the large and rowdy crowd.

I have not tried the food, but a friend tells me it is decent.

If you are in Portland near the waterfront, stop in Dewey's for a pint or two. A good beer drinking pub.
Nov 07, 2003
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
Wow! What a dive this place is … I love it. Just make sure it is the last place you hit during a crawl, it loud and trashy with stale popcorn all over the floor and nice comfy pick-nick tables to spill you beer all over. A solid list of beers … Cadillac Mountain Stout for about $5 a pop, then the usual line up of Maine beer, the rest of New England and imports as well. All competitively priced and served in plain pint tumblers.

Oddly I felt like I was one of the older guys here with the college type crowd going at it all night long.
Nov 04, 2003
Photo of Thrasher
Reviewed by Thrasher from Oregon

3.58/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
A great location on Commercial Street allows for a well-deserved break in touring through Old Port and the waterfront during the day. Also a welcome reprieve from the nearby college bars and dance clubs if you're crawling through the area at night. Lots of taps so there's plenty to drink. You're not gonna find that elusive limited-edition one-time-only super-beer that you've been hearing rumors about, but there'll be something to keep you happy. Every beer costs more than $3 so don't be fooled. Atmosphere is roomy, almost needlessly so. There's a big chasm between the bar and the rest of the place, with no tables or anything. A little strange but that's ok. Vibe is fine, nothing great. Last time I sat down to a Neil Young song on the stereo, followed immediately by the Jayhawks. I smiled at my good fortune, but of course they immediately switched it to some whiny nü-metal. I finished the pint and split.
Sep 08, 2003
Photo of ecoboy
Reviewed by ecoboy from Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Warning and/or bonus #1: A question about 3 Dollar Dewey's name will get you a rather naughty answer. The best beer selection in the tourist-oriented Old Port section of Portland. A necessary visit in the BA crawl through that neighborhood. You may not get something you've never had before, but the full page of choices should bring a smile.

Warning and/or bonus #2: unlike Sebago and Great Lost Bear, you can smoke in 3 Dollar Dewey's. One big room sort of feels like four with some waitress stands, the free popcorn machine and a couple of brick wall segmenting the place, and your choice or stools, benches, booths or chairs to sit on.

Many draft lines, and many bottle choices with about the best European list in the county. The only place in Portland I could find Hacker-Schorr and Paulaner if that gives any info. Unlike the Great Lost Bear, which will have 3 or 4 of a specific Maine brewery's styles, 3 Dollar Dewey's might have just one or two.

Every bartender or waitress I have ever had was nimble and attentive, but they may not be terribly beer-educated. They may have a great beer list, but they also serve a full food menu, and are not a church of beer so much as a good pub. that said, the food is pretty darned good: they make some mean soups and have a fairly extensive group of vegetarian choices.

Warning and/or bonus #3: Use of $3 Dewey's as a pick-up bar on Fridays after work seems to crop up pretty frequently.
Aug 01, 2003
Photo of Longstaff
Reviewed by Longstaff from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
I've been to this beer bar in the old port 3 times now, and each time I go, I become more fond of the place. Even though there is usually a considerable amount of people, there always seems to be plenty of space to stand around or to sit even on a Friday night. The beer selection is very good with about 25 taps of mostly Maine micros and the bottle selection is also very nice with Cadillac Mtn. Stout available for about $5+ for the 22oz. bomber. Last time I visited, there was a good mix of 25-40 y.o. people, so I didn't feel quite as old as I did at some of the bars in the area. Free salty popcorn and great music playin in the background is also a plus.
Jul 07, 2003
Three Dollar Deweys in Portland, ME
Place rating: 3.58 out of 5 with 45 ratings