The Castine Variety

ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS PLACE IS WOW!!!!!!!!! i feel like i was in a movie when i com in here. it is a mom and pop shop. i feel like i am in the 50's. few seats inside. i had the mcjanis egg mcmuffin. i came back for lunch to try the famous lobster roll.

The Variety, as it's called locally, is information central in this tiny town that is home to Maine Maritime Academy and some 1,500 residents. On any given morning you'll see a steady stream of folks come through the front door to pick up their morning paper, get a shot of coffee, share greetings with the Fitches, get their daily dose of town news, and likely have their chain pulled by someone present. A bench outside on the sidewalk serves as home to the local liar's club that meets all day beginning shortly after 5 a.m. (There are numerous shifts.) Inside, the overflow from round stools at the counter gathers around a table surrounded by the hubbub. Breakfast or lunch orders are often handed hand-to-hand until they reach their intended customer. Informal? Yes. Homestyle? You bet! Good food? Sure enough!