Scales Named to OpenTable's 2026 Top 100 List
The Portland, Maine seafood restaurant is the only Maine restaurant on the annual list of 100 standout dining spots across 21 states and Washington, D.C.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Dining Out
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Scales, a seafood restaurant in Portland, Maine, was named to OpenTable's 2026 Top 100 Restaurants in America list. The restaurant earned a 4.9-star rating based on 1,348 diner reviews and is the only Maine restaurant to make the list.
Why it matters
The honor reflects sustained diner satisfaction as measured by verified reviews and reservation data, offering Portland-area diners a signal of quality when choosing where to eat. Scales also appeared on OpenTable's 2025 list alongside Fore Street, another Portland restaurant founded by restaurateur Dana Street.
Scales earned a 4.9-star rating from 1,348 verified diner reviews, placing it among 100 restaurants selected from more than 11 million total reviews. The list spans 21 states and Washington, D.C., with California leading at 19 restaurants.
The players
OpenTable
OpenTable is an online restaurant reservation platform that publishes an annual Top 100 Restaurants list based on verified diner reviews.
Scales
Scales is a seafood restaurant in Portland, Maine, founded by restaurateur Dana Street.
Dana Street
Dana Street is a Portland restaurateur who founded Scales and Fore Street and received the James Beard Foundation's national award for Outstanding Restaurateur.
The details
OpenTable's annual list recognizes 100 restaurants nationwide based on reviews from verified diners and dining and reservation data gathered over the past year. Scales is the only Maine restaurant named to the 2026 list, joining Massachusetts honorees LUNE in Dennis Port and Pammy's in Cambridge.
Timeline
Dining and reservation data for the list was collected over the past year.
Scales first appeared on OpenTable's 2025 list.
OpenTable announced the 2026 list and its 2027 Dining Trends Report on November 5, 2026.
Culture Shift
Scales' repeated inclusion on OpenTable's annual Top 100 list, which spans 21 states and Washington, D.C., shows how diner-review platforms increasingly shape which regional restaurants gain national visibility. Its back-to-back appearances on the 2025 and 2026 lists follow the same pattern as Fore Street, the Portland restaurant Dana Street also founded.
Portland diners can use OpenTable's review-based ranking as one signal when choosing a restaurant for a reservation. Those planning a visit to Scales should expect demand to rise after the national recognition, making advance booking more important.
The takeaway
Reviews from verified diners can surface regional restaurants that might otherwise go unnoticed nationally. Checking recent ratings and booking early can help readers find standout meals in any city.
Further reading
For more local coverage, explore Dining Out to see how Portland's restaurant scene is being recognized nationally.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mainebiz.
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