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Hot Suppa
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Breakfast & Brunch, Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
703 Congress StPortland, ME 04101
(207) 871-5005
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 7 am - 2 pm
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 9 pm
Sun 7:30 am - 2 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
David M. said: "Went here for restaurant week and started with cocktail in the armory which was not as good as I was hoping. The restaurant is very nice and comfortable. A little uppity for me though. We got fresh baked cranberry bread that was really…" read more »
77 reviews for Hot Suppa
Review Highlights
"I had to try their corned beef hash, which was awesome."
(in 25 reviews)
"And the fried green tomatoes, wow."
(in 8 reviews)
"EXCELLENT pancakes and biscuits and gravy."
(in 6 reviews)
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77 reviews in English
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Review from lana h.
Cumberland Center, ME
1/29/2012
The BEST corn beef hash EVaAA!
if you like corn beef hash do not miss hot suppa! -
Review from Eliza M.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Gah, I'm so indecisive.
I can stare at a menu for (honestly) a half hour before deciding what I want to eat. Then I'll have remorse about what I ordered.
So when I saw the "sides sampler" platter on the lunch menu, my heart skipped a beat! Choose any three sides - creamy tomato soup? yes please. baked beans? Yes please! FRIED GREEN TOMATOES?! YES PLEASSSSEEE.
We got there on a rainy sunday afternoon and with 15 minutes left in their shift, they sat us down and the waitress acted like we were her first table of the day. Very nice. Decent coffee, and AWESOME comfort food.
On a diet? Maybe avoid it? Up for some delish food? Go. -
Review from Jay H.
Portland, ME
9/5/2011
Delicious, nutritious and only a five minute walk from my place.
Don't go for brunch. You'll make my wait longer. If you have to go, get the corned beef hash; it's the best I've found in Portland thus far. I haven't tried the gruel, but I've heard it's good... for gruel.
Happy hour is 4-6PM and you're welcome to go to because it doesn't seem to be too wildly popular and I won't have to fight you for a seat. Oysters for a buck each (mignonette on the side) and $3 drafts. They have wine specials too but I forget what they are.
I'm tempted to give 5 stars because the people are so nice, and the food is consistently delicious, but I'm going to hold the fiver in reserve for a restaurant that makes me go WOW. Hot Suppa merely makes me go mmmmm. -
Review from Sam A.
8/14/2011
One of a few breakfast places I had on my list to check out while spending a few days in Portland, Hot Suppa was outside the downtown core a little (which I liked) and seemed to have a variety of breakfast/brunch offerings. After a quick seating in what was easily a packed restaurant, we salivated over the menu that ranged from belgian waffles, organic granola, daily quiche, corned beef hash and breakfast burritos. My dining partner opted for eggs benedict with "Canadian" bacon and I choose a french omelet of sauteed spinach and chevre. Both came promptly with hot coffee and a side of fresh fruit. Hot Suppa's colourful decor matched the taste of our meal, full of flavor and vibrant.
Despite a little slow service off the top, I'd easily eat here next time I'm in Portland. -
Review from Kristen D.
Nottingham, NH
2/1/2012
Tried this place for brunch on a Sunday. Long wait as expected and the seating was tight, but the food was good so I guess it was OK. Food was good. Typical brunch fair and unique specials. The kielbasa cornbread hash was spicy and new. I had a scramble with gruyere, ham and caramelized onions which was quite tasty. A friend had a really good review of the corned beef hash as well. The hash browns are the stringy potato shreds instead of chunked, but still good flavor. Only weird thing about our visit was our waitress trying to describe the bagel selection. Tell me what you have, not what you don't have. :\
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Review from Alexandria Z.
Portland, ME
1/9/2012
this is my favorite place in portland! breakfast, brunch, dinner, lunch : ), I've never had a bad experience here! For breakfast I enjoy the hollis. Named after a very interesting regular, there are endless combinations. If I'm feeling more of a lunchy sort of brunchy I favor the falafel. It's never dry, however, I like to ask for a side of tzatziki. The tomato soup is the BEST I've ever had. If you visit for dinner I recommend the pulled pork sandwich. All of hot suppa's meats are smoked in house and the difference is certainly noticeable with this amazing sandwich! What's even better is the sauces that are offered; 3 different sauces are brought to your table!!!! For someone who is very indecisive this is awesome! The wait staff is always great and I've never had to wait long for an order, no matter how packed hot suppa is.
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Review from T.H. J.
Andover, MA
11/19/2011
So what. Nothing special in a town of special restaurants,you can skip this one
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Review from Maricela H.
Los Angeles, CA
The friend and I came here after the guy at the Hertz counter recommended it highly. Turns out that his girlfriend works here but hey, this man knows good food! I ordered the eggs benedict w/fried green tomatoes and my friend ordered the corned beef hash. We were on a month long roadtrip so our dining experiences were a little eccentric. What we would do is each pick an entree, swap them, take the first bite and then describe to eachother, in great detail, our experience. It was pretty awesome to then enjoy your dish after hearing your friend rave about how good it was and why. By the end of our trip we became professionals at using imaginative flowery and tantalizing words, hah, it makes me laugh just thinking about it now. Anyway, this is definitely on my list of top breakfast nooks I've come across thus far.
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Review from Simon L.
Portland, ME
Majorly improved since the last time I ate here, maybe a year ago. I used to come here for the porridge, but something was missing after a long stint of allegiance, and I lost interest.
Today, though, the latte was one of the best I've had in recent memory, the food was pretty good--I can't say AMAZING, but tasty--and service was attentive and accommodating. -
Review from Clare D.
Jamaica Plain, MA
10/31/2011
Great spot. Fun, friendly, warm and inviting. The wait was about 25min for brunch on a Sunday morning but you can order your coffee at the bar to drink while you wait. The corned beef hash and biscuits and gravy were delicious. The spicy Cajun Bloody Mary was simply perfect.
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Review from Megh B.
Milton, MA
11/1/2011
I did some intense research for dining spots in Portland. It's such a great city for food options, I really had to narrow it down. Hot Suppa totally came through for breakfast and I can't wait to go back for lunch and happy hour :) It's a very small restaurant with excellent decor - It's warm, inviting and the staff is very nice.
I'm a southern girl at heart, so I'm both excited and skeptical when I see grits on the menu north of Pennsylvania. They had the right texture, but could use improvement on taste as it was pretty bland. Or at least serve it with a side of buttah!
However, the hash, toast and eggs that were on my plate were DEVOURED in no time. I could have gone for seconds or maybe a third helping. The addition of thyme and carrots in the hash were delightful and the homemade wheat bread was perfectly toasted.
Thanks, Hot Suppa. I hope to see you again very soon! -
Review from Chris G.
Portland, ME
3/23/2011
Great service, great food, and now a few great taps (Harpoon, Abita, Brooklyn, from what I saw) along with one of the best bloody's in Portland.
They also have 4 bar seats so if you find yourself stopping in with just yourself or a plus one it's very easy to get seated.
Again, A bloody makes the place to me for brunch and when you can get pickled okra and dilly beans, I'm on that team. -
Review from Michael C.
Milton, MA
This is a real Gem. The place is a local place full of local people. The food is awesome. The price is great. The decor unique. This is on my must stop by places.
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Review from Liz H.
Somerville, MA
Updated - 1/21/2011
Hot Suppa, consider yourself on notice. I've been one of your biggest and most vocal fans since you were the Friendship Cafe, but lately I've noticed a decline in both service and food quality. To wit: I usually dream of your veggie eggs Benedict, but the last time I ordered it the yokes were hard, not runny. This is just plain wrong. So, so wrong. Because our waitress was pretty much non-existent, I didn't get a chance to say anything or ask them to re-do it.
Bottom line: Check yourself before you wreck yourself.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/22/2009
Can we all agree that breakfast, specifically brunch, is the best meal of the day? As a… Read more »
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Review from Scott D.
Bronxville, NY
10/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was here for breakfast, this is the kind of place that truely pays close attention to detail and that high end NY Village restaurants could really take a lesson from. Food was EXCELLENT and reasonably priced..need I say more?
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Review from Jen M.
Springfield, MA
9/28/2011
Hands down the best breakfast I've ever had. If this place was closer to me I would eat there at least once per week. Try the eggs benedict, it will change your life :)
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Review from Emmanuel m.
New York, NY
9/14/2011
Came up to Maine on a weekend and read so many good reviews I had to come for breakfast. Simply put: disappointing. For a 30 min wait the food is sub par and showed me what applebees would taste like if they took a shot at breakfast.
Uncooked biscuits, underwhelming menu, and to whomever thought garnishing the food with a month old slice of grapefruit was a good idea, please go back to working at ihop.
The only reason this place gets 2 stars from me is because our hostess was real sweet and at least I know they thoroughly wash their dishes, no, I take that back they actually made me dry my soaking dish when I asked for a side plate! -
Review from Steff D.
Lewiston, ME
11/8/2011
I want to love Hot Suppa! more than I do. They seem like an ideal location - small, indie, focused on supporting the community and encouraging local vendors. But . . . my first experience there left a bad taste in my mouth. The atmosphere came off as a bit hipster-pretentious (judgemental people who think they're cooler than you are because they probably ate at Hot Suppa! before you did). We ordered an iced coffee to share and two bagels with cream cheese to go, and our total came close to $14. That's an exborbitant amount ofmoney to spend on two bagels and a single iced coffee, in my opinion (you should never trust a place that doesn't put their prices on their website). And the person serving us was so frazzled she tried to ring us up multiple times (giving us an accusatory glance once when we told her we had already paid - showing her our receipt). It was a little chaotic and a little disappointing. I'd like to retry this place again in the future, but if I never get back here I won't be that sad.
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Review from Andrea t.
Updated - 11/20/2010
The Hash oh the Hash. That is some wicked Hash. Beautiful pink chunks of corned beef dotted with potatoes and carrots accompanied by eggs. Heaven. Heavenly Hash!
On another trip up to Maine I tried the mac and cheese, which is by far the best mac and cheese I have ever had out in a restaurant. Let me tell you I have had lobster mac and cheese and mac and cheese with truffles....no thank you I want some Hot Suppa Mac and Cheese!
Love this place! Hey I hear they are open for dinner now too!Listed in: picky eaters, vegans, veggies…, best brunch spots, yum in portland maine
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/22/2009
I had read about them in Bon Appetit. Bon Appetit named Portland the foodiest town in America and… Read more »
Comment from Alec S. of Hot Suppa 11/20/2010
Now Open for Dinner Tuesday-Saturday 5-915pm. SuppA! More » -
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Review from Brian C.
New York, NY
2/22/2011
This place is absolutely amazing. It's small, so don't be surprised if there's a bit of a wait--but it's definitely worth it. The space is super cute--exposed brick, local artwork, and oversized windows that soak in the sunlight.
Breakfast rocked--fried green tomatoes eggs benedict? Need I say more?? Well, if so, then their corned beef hash was also just heaven--and I don't typically go crazy for it.
Portions are perfect. Not too much, not too little. You leave feeling like you had a meal and not like you almost ate yourself to death.
Finally, it should be noted that the service was fantastic. The bartender and servers were all smiles, helpful with suggestions about the restaurant (and about things to do in Portland) and seemed like they were genuinely happy to be there. -
Review from E P.
Portland, ME
12/2/2010
I've been to Hot Suppa many times for brunch and always been happy. Everything is consistently good and I love that you can choose from many different types of side dishes, rather than 4 variations of potato.
Went for dinner last night and was very happy with the menu. I think they did a great job of extending their concept to dinner. Also loved the classic Southern cocktails. My bf's Sazerac was made perfectly and my whisky smash was tasty, though it needed a bit more of a stir/shake. For dinner, we had the Boudin Balls, the fried oysters, the catfish entree, and the falafel salad. I would order all/any of those items again, and there were plenty of other delicious sounding choices.
**to the guy that gave 1 star below because there are no longer pancakes on the breakfast menu...please don't drag down the average rating of a good place because you're pissy about pancakes. try something new, it probably won't kill you. -
Review from Vivian C.
11/7/2010 10 photos
When we arrived we were told it would be a 45 minute wait. I understood why better after we got seated - there's only about 8 booths, another two tables and some seats at the counter. Yeah, it isn't a big place. But they do have a small waiting area with seats if you don't want to be waiting outside.
Their estimation was pretty good. We scored one of the hard backed booths. The Breakfast Poutine $7.95 called to us from the blackboard. Additionally, we ordered French Toast (3 slices) with an upcharge for real maple syrup (Yum!), Corned Beef Hash with the addition of hashbrowns, and a side of Green Tomatoes to share.
For my beverage, I ordered the chocolate milk $2.95 I spied on the menu - Yummy rich chocolate without being too thick or sweet.
Everything was good, but particularly so were the hard crumb fried slices of green tomatoes which arrived three to an order.
The toast arrived buttered. The hashbrowns were shreds of potato pan fried brown here and there. The hash was made up of shredded corn beef that wasn't too salty, with the addition of a scattering of cubes of carrots and potato.
All that good food (plus an OJ) for $48 after tip and tax.
Two individual unisex bathrooms are located in a mini hallway facing the entrance to the restaurant. -
Review from AJ P.
Portland, ME
11/29/2010
I had to try their corned beef hash, which was awesome. Nice large shredded chunks of crunchy corned beef. Oh, it was awesome with those little crispy bits, just the way I like them.
Pretty much everything I saw coming out of the kitchen looked delectable. -
Review from Rick J.
7/31/2010
My wife, she's not much for breakfast. However, it's actually my favourite meal of the day. And those who agree with me know that it's also the hardest meal to find done really, really well. Yelp seemed to suggest that I may track that breakfast down here, at Hot Suppa.
We did have to wait upon arrival, this place is quite small with a few benches in the hall. Reminds me of waiting on the outside benches at Matt's Big Breakfast in Phoenix. However ,the wait wasn't too bad and we were in. I quickly ordered a coffee and the item this place is known for - the corned beef hash, sided with two eggs over easy and some recommended potatoes.
First things first - the corned beef hash is as good as you've heard. Selected by Bon Appetit as Portland's #1 breakfast item it may be more than that, it could be the best corned beef hash anywhere. Perfectly assembled with a surprising amount of real corned beef it's just perfection on a plate. Which makes the fact that everything around it was just ok. Not bad, but ok. Standard eggs, I'd be shocked if the bread was made in-house, and packaged jams. Too bad because a place this popular and busy should really be doing things just a little better. -
Review from Soda Pop C.
Boston, MA
2/7/2011
Hot Suppa is a nice place to get breakfast. The staff is nice and the interior is clean and simple.
The food is good and fresh and there are a lot of choices for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
If you're craving authentic poutine this isn't the place to come. You can't just put any kind of gravy and cheese on fries and call it "poutine" but that's exactly what they did.
Portions are not too big and not too small and prices are fair. -
Review from Sue Y.
6/14/2010 2 photos
OMG! So good! Everything here was absolutely delicious! I got the three sides, with the mac-n-cheese, grilled chicken soup, and fried green tomatoes. So good!
The fried green tomatoes were enclosed in a super crispy batter and came with a delicious sauce on the side. The mac-n-cheese was tasty, not too heavy. My friend's fruit platter was ginormous. Generous portions of tasty food. -
Review from Karen D.
5/3/2011
The outside is kind of deceiving and doesn't look like much, but inside is a cute place with super delicious food. I had the jambalaya omelette special and my companion had biscuits and gravy. The staff were friendly. A great experience!
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Review from Eric C.
Portland, ME
11/27/2010
This is no longer the place for breakfast. Many people are excited about Hot Suppa now serving dinner, but apparently this has come at the expense of breakfast, and I will not be returning for either.
The new menu is a huge disappointment. Most notably, they no longer serve pancakes. No pancakes of any kind. Can you be a breakfast restaurant and not serve pancakes? I searched the menu top to bottom, front to back. When I asked the server why they no longer had pancakes, I was told that pancakes had been "replaced" with waffles, as if, somehow, these were interchangeable.
So I settled for the breakfast poutine with sausage gravy and cheese curds. The fries were mediocre, the gravy was decent, and the cheese curds were undetectable. I also discovered that the "eggs any style" that came with the poutine were not "any" style unless you wanted to pay extra.
So if you want corned beef hash and green tomatoes, they're still there. But don't expect a full breakfast menu anymore. I think they now need an asterisk following the work "Breakfast" in the front window. -
Review from Matthew M.
Denver, CO
7/30/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Breakfast is not only my favorite meal of the day, but it is also one of my favorite meals to prepare at home. I like my eggs fluffy and I like my hash browns plain. I love huge pancakes and giant slabs of French toast. This place has all of that and more, and in a town chocked-full of breakfast places I find myself at Hot Suppa all the time. It has become my de facto breakfast joint in town.
Plan on a small wait for a table in the summertime, this place is tiny. The wait is worth it, though and you might sneak a place at the bar if you are quick. It is only four stools long, however, so be snappy!
I have never had poor service here and I have never left unsatisfied. I love the decor and the fellow patrons have always been polite. In the end I just love the simplicity of grabbing a bite here and leaving happy. -
Review from Donald S.
Boston, MA
8/1/2011
Everything on the menu looked amazing. Tried it for breakfast last week and the corned beef hash was the best I've ever had. A new favorite spot.
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Review from Stef M.
6/14/2010
Since my question wasn't answered by any other reviews: YES, breakfast is served ALL DAY! Not sure if lunch is served all day if that's what you want, though :)
This was some delicious food, from the cup of coffee to the REAL corned beef hash with crispy home fries and some fresh fruit slices adorning the plate. OH and did I mention that you can get lots of stuff as a side? YES! If you just want one piece of french toast and not a whole order, you can do that! Or just one pancake, or some home fries. Yay! Pretty awesome.
Whatever coffee they use was really great, and I was happy to see the jelly selection on the menu included apple cinnamon. That's hard to find, usually. Our waitress was friendly and our food didn't take too long to come out. The wait was only about 15 minutes on a Saturday around 12:45.
The famous corned beef hash was indeed delicious, but I was surprised by how much I loved the french toast person. I am not usually a Frenchie Toastie person because it can be dry and over-cinnamoned. But this was amazing stuff - custardy in the middle and still moist and eggy around even the edges of the thick slice of toast. I noticed that it looks a little bit like a Mickey Mouse, you know that comically stereotypical slice of bread where the loaf must have had two huge bulges on each side with a deep crevasse in the middle? Really funny and cool. I am not usually so amused by my french toast.
I will be back! I'll definitely get the french toast again and maybe try some "bacon of the day" while I'm at it. -
Review from Michael K.
Canton, MI
5/19/2011
This place was great! Very friendly staff and good lunch sandwiches and soups.
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Review from cherie c.
3/2/2009
Good food at reasonable prices, served quickly. We waited a bit for a table (it's a small place). There are the usual breakfast dishes, plus some creative specials. I had a breakfast burrito, while my companions ordered a red beans & rice omelet with a side of their bacon special: wild boar bacon. Both were hearty and kept us going until dinner time. If you have occasion to try wild boar bacon, please do! Service was very quick, and they were always there to refill our coffee.
Good stuff. -
Review from Kim P.
10/18/2009 1 photo
If a restaurant has food that is almost on point, the quality of service is enough to tip the balance for me into either the "I'll come again" category or "I'll see you on the 12th of never."
The latter was almost how I was going to write up this review UNTIL I spoke to the manager who knows how to make people return to his place.
We read about Hot Suppa in Bon Appetit and wanted to try it. Trudging through downtown Portland (and those blocks are long, folks, not like in the Bean), we finally found it. Once we arrived, we waited for about 20 minutes, though I did notice that a couple that came in after us was seated before us (same number of people in their party). Okay. We were finally seated, then had to wait another 15 minutes for anything to drink. Again, people around us were being served, refilled, chatted up--it was all I could do to restrain myself from going to the counter and hooking myself up. Was really clear on my order that I liked my eggs scrambled hard, and they arrived scrambled soft. Then, after I finally was able to start eating, our server dropped off the check. WTF?
Let me pause here to comment on the food: we both had the hash, which comes with eggs and toast and the option of home fries. Yes please on all of that. Hash is perfect! The combination of beef, potatoes, carrots is just right, and the top is crispy enough that it makes you smile. Delicious. And definitely worth another stop when I come back to Portland BECAUSE...
Despite this atrocious service, I made a point to talk to the manager, an endearing man who appeared absolutely horrified when I rattled off my experience to him. He said that the service we received was unacceptable and that he wished I'd said something sooner, because he would have made it right. And while I'm sometimes a cynic when people say that, I believe he would have fixed it. This restaurant is so small and seems so geared around people having a nice experience that I do believe he would have attempted to rectify the situation.
To draw this story to a close, he gave me a choice: to either refund my money or give me a gift certificate to entice me to return. As I said, the food is amazing. Gift certificate? Yes.
I was so impressed by his level of care and concern that if he tries this hard to make things right with his customers, then that's GOT to spill over into the food. And, as far as the hash is concerned, it works. This adventure proves that, again, it's the little things that count. He did exactly what should have been done, and hopefully he addresses it with his server and it doesn't happen to someone else. -
Review from Mike T.
Portland, ME
7/5/2010 4 photos
You only need to read a few reviews to figure-out that Hot Suppa is the place to go for either breakfast or lunch.
Yeah, the breakfasts are very good - the corned beef hash really does hit the proper spot. But you need to pay attention to lunch. Some very tasty food issues forth at that time. Try it.
The four stars however, come not for the food alone. In my ten years of dining in Portland (My God! Has it really been that long since I left NY?) I have never had an inattentive waitperson serve us. The two or three of them scoot around, picking up what needs to go, topping the water, filling that very important coffee cup, offering another pot of hot water AND another teabag - lemon on the side thanks.
In short. Go for the food. Be prepared to be pampered. -
Review from Lindsey F.
Astoria, NY
5/26/2011
I came here for breakfast while vacationing in Portland. The corned beef hash was everything I'd heard it would be and then some! Service was attentive and prompt, and I loved the decor. Great atmosphere, great food. I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Portland.
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Review from jorbi p.
Somerville, MA
9/2/2008
Okay so this place has three things going for it:
1. Very tasty, refined takes on traditional meals.
2. Very reasonably priced.
3. Lots and lots of very hot female employees.
Only main drawback I had with eating here is that they weren't willing to amend dishes as they were written up on the menu. (I'm not a big egg fan, for instance, and in order to get the sausage gravy and biscuit breakfast, it was eggs or nothing. harumpf.) The service wasn't all that great either. I had to get up to go get our check.
Definitely a good stop for a relatively quick and satisfying bite. -
Review from Sarah K.
Fairfax, VA
4/4/2011
Great, attentive, friendly service. Incredible french toast. I understand now why they offer smaller portions of it though... I got the full order and after the first few bites, I quickly realized that my husband was going to have to roll me out of there! He ordered the corned beef hash and said it was the best he's ever had - you could actually SEE the potatoes, carrots, etc. that were in it. It was certainly more substantial than that canned mush most places serve. Awesome breakfast pick!
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Review from Ryan D.
Portland, ME
8/23/2010
Food was great! Had the "famous" corned beef hash and it lived up to the hype.
Giving it only four stars because of limited seating - it wasn't a problem at 8am but an hour later and it would be... Was filling up quickly as we left.
Highly recommended if you're an early riser! -
Review from Colin M.
Portland, ME
10/20/2010
This establishment has a great urban comfortable feel. A bar for double or single parties, within a mid sized room with booths and tables.
When you're at Hot Suppa, take notice of the posted Menu on the back wall. It's fresh and original, just like the items listed.
The wait staff was very friendly and checked in often. This type of service was right on par for this sized establishment.
I got the white albacore tuna melt which was very good, with a side of cream of mushroom soup. The other people in my party ordered meals which make me want to go back soon.
Go here and enjoy folks!
