Reviews of Brass Compass Cafe (Restaurant)

Bill Nelson

The food, MARVELOUS! Our server, apparently left her smile at home. This place is super busy and most of the servers were efficient and had smiles. I'm sorry if our server on this particular morning was having a difficult time, but please try to leave that at home. We will return when back in the area!

Joe Morreale

Had breakfast there this morning " Benny Classic " and it was really good.

Amie Engel

Best breakfast I've had in a long time!

Krystil Cruz

great mimosas great food great service amazing omelets best place for a romantic breakfast

K Mack

I ate here with my family at the recommendation of some locals. I was visiting my sister and brother-in-law and my week-long vacation was coming to an end and we decided to eat breakfast here. I saw the Food Network Throwdown episode years ago on a re-run, so I was excited to try the food. The wait was super long, but that wasn't what made this experience memorable. Unfortunately, it was probably the worst experience I've ever had at any restaurant. I have to say that I enjoyed my vacation a lot (with the exception of my visit to this cafe) and most of the "Mainiacs" I met were nice. The people at Brass Compass were not so nice however. I ordered the Penobscot (crab cakes) Eggs Benedict but was puzzled when I got 2 English muffins with only 1 crab cake. I looked over at the table to our right, and one of the guys had ordered the same thing, except he got 2 crab cakes with his Benny. I finally managed to flag down our very absent waitress and asked why I only got 1 crab cake with my meal. She rudely said, "It only comes with one crab cake. You're supposed to split 1 crab cake between 2 muffins." I told her that the guy at the table next to us had 2 crab cakes though, but she brushed my comment aside and left. I was stunned by her rudeness. I am NEVER eating here again. My experience here spoiled my otherwise pleasant vacation.

Marshall Perfetto

Love this breakfast spot, wonderful staff and owner and fantastic food.

David Haviland

Outstanding... had the award winning lobster club sandwich and split it as it is HUGE. Service is prompt, polite, and excellent.

Matthew Whitman

Great service and good food

Heather Bink

Excellent food and friendly service. Interesting menu featuring local seafood. Huge portions! Next time we will split an omelette.

aaron adams

Great breakfast eats. Seasonal dishes are amazing. Coffee is hit or miss, but I'm not a huge coffee fanatic to begin with. Can be very busy during the holidays. I highly recommend having breakfast if passing through Rockland.

C D

Eaten halfway around the world. This is absolutely the best place to eat. The food is amazing and the personnel are the best. If you ever come to Rockland, Maine you have to stop....best bang for your buck ever. Prices can't be beat anywhere in town, the portions are amazing.

Thanas Elezi

Don't be fooled by its website and Bobby Flay etc... nothing was positive about it except for the location which it doesn't deserve. Staff looked so unhappy and miserable - nobody smiled, welcomed or thanked customers - waiters were even making faces to each other about customers. Food was so greasy and the French fries were dark from the oil that it might have not been replaced for months - sickening. The grilled fish was not in his own shape it was all crumbled in pieces and even at home you would not serve that at guests - shrimps were 1/2 inch size the smallest we have ever seen - no seasoning, nothing. Staff had no working uniform and everything looked dirty and disorganized - very disgusted - again don't be fooled by the web picture of the owner with the uniform. Hated and would never recommend it.

J&D Griggs

Good service good food.

Daniel Douglas

Best seafood good prices

Richard Brown

We'd eaten at the other place across town, Lynn the owner runs and tried this for breakfast. Got lucky and seated pretty quick as it seems really busy. Food was fantastic and very fresh. Great prices and fun specials, especially the eggs!

Jeff St. Claire

Fast,friendly and tasty

Lauren Tozier

Always great food and awesome atmosphere the staff is phenomenal

Thomas Archer

Best breakfast in town. Awesome service.

Bill Inskeep

Had the lobster club and my oh my was it good. The amount of lobster on this beast of a sandwich was astonishing. Serious. Two of us shared the sandwich and a bowl of delicious clam chowder... We had leftovers. The only issue was trying to figure out how to bite the monster sandwich. Good issue to have.

Marie Demmons

Everything on the menu is excellent !!

Josh Ahlquist

Corned beef hash was outstanding!

Ross Smith

Love their breakfast

Julie Tenan

Wonderful fried haddock

Francesca Makinen

Excellent Breakfast. And the server's are very sweet!

Kitty Hosch

Crowded food ok, no need to go again

Karen Stevens

This place is always busy but worth the wait. Mermaid's Purse Frittata is excellent.

Deb Goldsmith

This place is amazing! I will go back every summer. Great food!

Robert Monroe

Awsome breakfast and Lunch spot!

Helen Plourd

Breakfast is always good!

Nathaniel Jones

The outdoor seating is very nice in good weather, and the service is prompt. The place has a bit of a greasy diner feel, but I enjoyed the blackened haddock reuben, which is quite original.

Thomas Mellor

Great food!! Nice people and service.

John Ohrenberger

Solid choices, great service, chill atmosphere. Recommend for a quick bite.

JoshsGemini

The food was good but the waitress wasn't overly friendly or helpful.

Alexander Mansfield

Good food and decent view

Jessica Irving

This has been on the list since the throw down show and it didn't disappoint. Wonderful food, great service and a beautiful day to sit outside.

Christopher Noice

Best breakfast in knox county!

John Ahearn

Always good food. Usually very busy, but quick service.

Sarah Boivin

Great food, great prices, great atmosphere, and even better service

Jesse B.

Stopped here for a brief lunch on the patio. The food was terrific and the staff was friendly and provided prompt service. Would definitely stop here again.

Tim Given

Really can't say enough about this place. Great little breakfast spot. As a local it can be difficult to find an affordable quality meal downtown. Brass compass hits the sweet spot with home cooked feel and very reasonable prices. Get there before 8 to avoid the rush. Usually the wait won't be more than 15 minutes during the busier times, but that can vary by the season...

Kathy DiFalco

Excellent as always

Tom Foran

Great breakfast!

Allen Held

Enjoyed ourselves, wait staff were A1 as well as the food.

Jan Sawyer

Biscuits were very dry and home fries were not great...we are locals (not tourist) very dissapointing. Been there before and had no complaints...may give one more try.

Nathan Gross

Big hearty breakfasts. And they taste great. Excellent hollandaise. Homemade blueberry muffins are so good!

Joel Horne

No nonsense local breakfast joint that serves up amazing food at a fair price. I usually go for breakfast. Never had a bad experience here.

John Galante

Well done breakfast, many inventive entrees. Fair prices with reasonable portions.

Shannon Kinney

Home cooking and easy atmosphere. Food is always outstanding and the people are so nice! A favorite spot.

Shannon Gerard

Stopped in while walking around Rockland and needless to say we were VERY happy. The Lobster BLT is huge and mostly lobster! The Lobster stew is all lobster and the Lobster Roll is awesome!!! Such a great place to go to for good food without the price!!! Definitely will come here again!

Adam Raven

Been coming for years, the haddock reuben is top notch

Candi johnson

Went here for lunch. The burger and fries were great!

William Dorsett

Excellent variety of foods, great quality, reasonable prices.

Theresa Collins

Love this restaurant! Everyone is so friendly and helpful! The food is delicious....large servings....and served quickly! I have been eating in this restaurant on a regular basis since 2011!

Salvatore Pergola

Had a nice breakfast, staff was nice, friendly, and attentive. Food was very good!

Brandi Thomas

Man the food here is off the hook!

Ian Witherby

Packed for a reason. Amazing blueberry pancakes, great specials, affordable menu.

Rick Warner

Another must visit in Rockland. Staff is friendly and food is delicious

Tao Exile

I went here an few years ago. I got a cheese steak. The grease from the grill misted me as my meal cooked, as I was in a booth near the grill with a partition, not a wall separating. It was a greasy mess. It turned my stomach. It was otherwise bland and soupy. Today I got a Haddock Melt. First I ordered a can of Moxie and received a can of Sunkist, easy mistake. The haddock was not firm or clean white, as is nearby at the Rockland Cafe. It was old and droopy. The Haddock was dingy and brownish grayish. If Haddock is fried in grease at an improper temperature, the breaded Haddock fillet will absorb a lot of grease. This was the case with this Haddock Melt. I also ordered Onion Rings in place of fries with my meal, which was a substitute and therefore I was charged an extra $2.50. I received "Onion Strings" instead, tried them and the grease they were fried in must have been really overused and old, because the onion strings upset my stomach and tasted bad. I asked that the $2.50 be removed from the bill, as I had ordered "Onion Rings" but the waitress argued with me that The Brass Compass only serves Onion "Strings" which the waitress did not tell me when I asked for "Onion Rings" with my meal. She was unapologetic and flippant. The relish in the tarter sauce looked like it was from a jar of relish left at room temperature for days, the hue of the relish in the tartar sauce was almost black. Also, another member of my group asked for a "senior" item on the menu which was a $2 discount, but was charged the non senior price, even though the waitress said she would receive the senior discount for the menu item she had chosen.

Terry Bradshaw

Don't miss Rockland's classic breakfast place! They serve lunch too. Wicked good!!! Really!!!

kevin Robbins

Great breakfast great service

Ginny Savage

Great breakfast!

schackwow

Amazing place to eat with great service, excellent food, and friendly staff. Would go again and again!

Dayle Purington

Great service, very comfortable ambiance, excellent food (try the fish cakes) and priced right!

Amanda Dwelley

I'm not usually a diner girl, BUT, when in want of an easy breakfast in a warm and friendly spot, I go straight to the Brass Compass! Driving right past Home Kitchen Cafe, which I think is a little over-rated...The staff at the Brass Compass are very friendly and seem to have been there for awhile, get along well with each other, and it's well-staffed so that service is quick and attentive. They are also totally okay with custom breakfast orders or substitutions, and don't try to nickel-and-dime you for little changes. In addition to lots of breakfast options, their lunch options (including lots of seafood specials) always look tasty. PLUS they are one of the earliest places open in Rockland, if you need to eat before 7am!

Trevor p

Best breakfast in rockland by far.

Joseph Robicheau

I had eggs and Ham steak The ham was of poor quality for the price. Canned ham. Poor choice. Should use a true ham steak or ham from a smoked shoulder.The canned ham tasted a bit bad. Home fries on the grill where not fried up enough. where like warmed up boiled potatoes chopped up.One of the kitchen help was observed scarching his beard then handling food. One waitress was observed coughing into hand then handled food to customers.!!!!!

Brenda Lewis

Best restaurant in Rockland service is excellent food is amazing

Joshua Youngsma

Great breakfast food here! I absolutely love to come here for breakfast every time i am in the area. you just cant go wrong with just about everything on the breakfast menu. I don`t normally order off the rest of the menu with the exception of the lobster club sandwich which is amazing!

Nick Lee

Quite possibly the worst French Toast I’ve ever had. Not even sure if it was French toast — Just toast with syrup. I’ll stick with Home Kitchen Café.

Ron Quebec

Best breakfast around

John Sgammato

Excellent fried clams, monumental lobster club sandwich

Paul Campbell

Horrible experience. Very overpriced and waitstaff was rude. I'm assuming they've gotten a bit lax since their appearance on Food Network. The one positive was that it was relatively clean.. Overall, not worth the money.

aric odone

Great place to grab a meal the eggs Benedict is great.

Johnathan Jenkins

Typical dinner food. It was all pretty good!

one world

You will not find a more wonderful, real breakfast spot on the coast of Maine! Jessica (my server) is absolutely delightful! The food is delicious and wholesome with interesting variety.

Patricia Landry

Home cooked food, friendly staff!

John Laqualia

Great food, great prices, the chef beat Bobby Flay, what more can you say?

Mickey Strand

Every trip to Maine has to comes with our pilgrimage to the Brass Compass for the Lobster Club. There really is no point in ordering anything else. Well maybe a piece of that strawberry rhubarb pie.

Caryn Bosworth

Very pricey. Staff a little unwelcoming.

Ken Dickey

Iove this place going there to day

Ellen Babcock Miller

Excellent lobster omelet with hollandaise. Nicely grilled english muffin. Service was great. Staff very friendly. Will return for sure.

Roy Murphy

Great, inexpensive fish dishes.

Timothy P McLaughlin

Brass Compass is a GREAT breakfast spot! It is small, intimate, and the food is cooked to perfection! I had the Meatlover's Omlet with home fries and rye toast! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shawn Surma

My favorite place in Rockland. The king of clubs lobster club sandwich is amazing. But their breakfast is terrific and the service is awesome. Put this place on your must see list.

Caleb Emerson

Love going here for breakfast always good fast service

B Fox

I always enjoy a good breakfast here. The staff is friendly and attentive. Portions are enough for two meals.

Christine deLorimier

Great local eats, creative dishes, generous.portions and reasonable prices. Wish I had found it sooner!

Tom giampa

It was ok, the food looked great it was just lacking something

bradjkski

Very good food with reasonable prices

D Mac377

Consistently Amazing Lobster King is a must have.

Norman Henry Martin

Good meals at a good price. A solid performance. We have eaten there many times.

Terry Fleming

Nice place to eat. Good selections, lots of food, high prices. Great location.

SloppyHeadShot

Get the skiff with a side of bacon and hollandaise sauce. Its the best combo.

Anthony Langille

Took young woman out to breakfast this morning she had meatlovers ok let homefries toast I had a Italian on let with homefries the breakfast was banging off the hook servers were great Awsome service I totally recommend. This place for anyone who wants a great breakfast go there

Katherine Alicandro

The best lobster sandwich I have ever had!

greg schrider

The best lobster club in the entire world!! Great fries and service

Richard Caldwell

The lobster club is outstanding! I see how Bobby Flay lost.

Guy Barter

Excellent food, great prices and our favorite waitress is awsome! We try to go there as often as possible. There is something for everyone to eat. Very easy to find, and you can sit outside on sunny days. I would highly recommend!

Jonathan Powers

Great food and service

Jeff M

Had the ham & cheese omelet...very good. Asked if i could substitute fruit instead of toast, got a heaping bowl of cut fruit. Very tasty. Great breakfast

Rob Wagner

LOVED their Fish and chips!! Also had my first Moxie *EVER* there... I'm in the 'Liked' it category!! =D

David Clary IV

One of my favorite places in Rockland

chris farthing

First time in 10 yrs I have not had a good breakfast/lunch here . m/r NY steak +eggs steak so well done it was dry maybe just old? Too bad has always been really good

Dav!d Berg

Probably the most cost-effective place in the downtown tourist area of Rockland. HUGE 4 egg omelettes can easily serve two people with a side order of their very tasty home fries. Andy's BLT includes a fried egg and melting cheddah, so my nickname for it is a BELTCH. If you want your bread toasted, you have to ask. The waitresses are all very friendly and prompt.

David Buckalew

Now I know why Bobby Flay lost his throwdown, consider splitting this overstuffed lobster club!

Lexi Stowe

its awful the food is great but one sandwhich could feed 3 people. its overpriced for such awful service and they were so rude. i dont recomend this place.

Richard Gregor

Imagine lobster with bacon! A club sandwich that includes everything from the major food groups. Delicious.

Kierdog kier dog

Outdoor seating, friendly staff fantastic food. Lobster roll is fantastic.

Corvus Group LLC

Always our go to place for the Compass Club . Waitstaff is the true asset to this place ! Downtown location is A+

Cindy Lincoln

Food was yummy and our waitress was sweet

Tobi Tucker

Awesome lobster roll!!!

John Gamage

Excellent breakfast as always!!! The new counter top looks great.

Elliott Management

Great local place with good local seafood, good service, decent prices.

Jeannie Abbott

The food at the Brass compass is so good I find myself and husband go often.

Alyssa Corson

Fast service, average food

Frank Stanton

Delicious breakfast and great service. If we lived closer we would definitely visit here more often.

malcolm harris

Tasty comfort food.

Thomas Szeliga

Best lobsta sandwich ever, a must try you won't be sorry! Quaint and quite We ordered and food delivered in less than 10 minuted

Joseph Alberti

Stopped in for breakfast. Great staff, very friendly. Everyone said hello as i entered. Food was awesome. Veggie omelet w/ cheddar cheese, bacon and home fries. Bacon was crispy but not overcooked. Home fries were nice and crunchy on the outside. Price may seem little on the high side but you will not leave hungry for sure. Well worth a stop, highly recommended.

Teresa Burnham

We both enjoyed our breakfast immensely. Yummmm. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere.

James Landi

It's still possible to enjoy bountiful food, carefully prepared, and joyeously presently to you at the Cafe...weather permitting, the outdoor seating is very pleasant. A terrific Maine tradition at very reasonable prices.

Heather

The crab cake benny is out of this world! Our breakfast was wonderful. Great spot! I only wish we were in town long enough to try their Bobby Flay beating lobster club! Yum

austin childs

Very warm and fuzzy place to sit and enjoy some great home-cooked food. Quantities are more than adequate prices Fair and the service is great. Welcome to the Brass compass.

Athena Staples

Great food and excellent service!

Martin Schanze

A basic diner. Has quite a few older folks so things tend to move a bit slower...

Howard Packham

Nice diner with a cafe facade. Inside there's plenty of seating and friendly staff. The breakfast menu is full of biscuits, pancakes, and eggs and it's all served by friendly and attentive staff.

Scott Warren

Good food, nice patio and excellent service. Thank you

T Lerman

Yummy!

Tom Marshall

Grand American fare and great service!

Debbie pallitto Trumbull dorko

GREAT FRESH FOOD!! Very home like feeling ...the waitresss, cook, buser, WICKED FRIENDLY!! I always go there when I can

Neal Galbraith

Great breakfast , wonderfully friendly staff ... enjoyable experience. A-plus !!

Ayax Conde

Great breakfast and even better Lobster BLT.

Frank Isganitis

Simple, delicious, well prepared and awesome service.

Tom Starno

Ok, the Blues Festival is over. Today, I went to the Brass Compass for breakfast (went yesterday too). Those of you who know me well, know my passion for Eggs Benedict. Well, of course, I ordered them but got the lobster version. I must say, I haven't experienced anything better! The eggs cooked to perfection, the hollandaise sauce was perfect and homemade too! English muffins cooked just right, not too little not to much. Just right to not get too soggy from the flow of the perfectly poached eggs, once they were broken! Overflowing from under the eggs was a huge portion of lobster that was warm and delightful to my pallet. The four images below shows the progression of consumption and the perfection of the meal as it disappeared. The lobster lasted till the end. The cup of fresh fruit accompanying the meal was very tasty and had a big variety of fruits! I can see myself driving here from Bucksport (48 miles) more often. Also of note, this place (The Brass Compass) won a throw down with Bobby Flay. The owner and head chef beat him in a Lobster club sandwich competition. It was on the food channel network. If you're ever in Rockland, stop by and enjoy a piece of heaven!

Patrick Fallon

Ok breakfast fare. Maple flavored syrup. Sysco katsup in heinz bottle. Monty crysto sandwich not deep fried. Ok not great.

Brad Hennigan

The best breakfast in town. Go in there and simply ask for the "Sailor's Breakfast", you won't regret it. French toast is amazing too! Huge portions at very affordable prices, I love everything on the menu at this place!

David Richards

Very popular place, but outside of the lobster club, the food is just ok. Friendly staff but overall not worth the wait on a busy high season weekend.

F. Carl Mahoney

What a terrific spot...best rye bread I've had, best breakfast in Rockland in my humble opinion.

chad fennell

Had just a cheeseburger and it was way under cooked.service was very good though..

Susan Crysler

Really good Eggs Beni

Virginia Stopper

Food and service is good. When ordering breakfast if you want bacon and eggs, it's more expensive than ordering an omelet or one of their other meat breakfasts. Other than that, it's good.

Diane Zollo

I have been coming here for many years and have never had a bad experience with food or service. Both are always top notch.

Eileen Knight

This was mom's favorite place to go. Carrying on the tradition in her memory. Food and service is really good

Lori

Delicious food and plenty of it. Frindly staff. Give yourself plenty of time, you may have to wait for a table. It's worth the wait.

Deborah McMahan O'Hara Damon

Great food and waitress.

David Porter

Excellent crab roll. Wait all year to come back for one.

Mike Egan

Great food and great service , like to eat breakfast here .

Eric Penniman

The food was very good for the price. We had lobster rolls, and though the fries left something to be desired, the lobster was perfect. I would highly recommend it.

Don Flewelling

Great chowdah! I'll be back!

H. C.

Great staff and AMAZING FOOD! Forgot to take a picture of our food because it was too good to stop eating and take a picture!

Mark Lawrence

Great lobster double decker with bacon

Jeff Backofen

Excellent omelet and french toast.

christopher feener

Lobster omelet. Yum!

shirley pfeiffer

I ste here during the summer with my granddaughter. Our meals were excellent. Took another granddaughter there this past week in September. Our meals were mediocre. We were so disappointed.

Jazzbea

The space is desperately needing renovations. There needs to be a decent space to wait for a table instead of shuffling back and forth trying to avoid bustling staff serving customers, and encroaching on diners. Basic breakfast food with fair prices.

Eric Rimar

Always a good time.

Joel Tootill

Great food, excellent choices!

Jeff Miller

Lobster club was very good but messy. Not sure if I would call it award winning. Home fries needed a lot of help. Eggs and bacon cooked perfectly. Great spot for breakfast. Vacation area pricing.