Between a fabric store and a nail parlor is the Fairground Cafe, a long-standing restaurant at the Topsham Fair Mall. The large restaurant is known locally as a good place to get breakfast, but it also offers lunch and dinner.
The Fairground Cafe is a down-home type of place, with warm wood and dark-green tones. The decor — posters, old news clippings and other artwork — celebrates the tradition of statewide agricultural fairs and horse racing.
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The restaurant serves breakfast all day, which makes it one of my favorite places to eat in the area. Plus, the folks at the cafe are truly nice.
When I arrived on a Wednesday morning, the place was busy, but not as packed as you would find it on, say, Saturday or Sunday. I had my choice of table, booth or bar seating. I chose a table, and was soon visited by a friendly waitress offering me coffee and a menu.
I ordered three slices of Texas French toast ($4). I considered adding bacon to my order (which would have added $1.75), but decided against it.
I didn’t have to wait long before my breakfast arrived, steaming, on a plate before me. It hit the spot, and considering how full I was after eating that much bread, I was glad I passed on the bacon.
The breakfast menu offers pretty much what you would expect, with such items as plain pancakes for $4; blueberry pancakes for $4.75; home fries, a breakfast sandwich of egg and cheese on an English muffin, and bacon, ham or sausage for $4.25; a breakfast burrito for $5; and sausage gravy and biscuits with home fries for $5.50.
When ordering an omelet ($5.75 to $7.75) for breakfast, you get home fries and toast, but if you order one for lunch, you get fries or toast.
Non-breakfast items include a cup of soup and half a sandwich for $6.25; chicken caesar salad for $6.95; a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for $5.25; liver and onions for $5.75; two grilled hot dogs for $4.75; and roast beef, chicken pesto, chicken caesar or buffalo chicken wraps for $6.75.
The Features staff of The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram anonymously samples meals for about $7.
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