Bread, Cheese, Perfection: Portland, Maine’s Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Unless you're vegan, lactose-intolerant, or just plain weird, I’m guessing you love a good grilled cheese sandwich. They’re basically the PB&J of savory snacks—classic, comforting, and hard to screw up. But every once in a while, you stumble upon a grilled cheese that makes you think, “Wait, why doesn’t mine taste like this?”

Enter Bread and Olive, a wine/martini bar on the corner of Congress and Valley Street in Portland, Maine, that also happens to be serving one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in Portland.

One of Bread & Olive's cooks, Marcus Blake, had been telling me that it's a must try, so I had to give it a shot. The secret? Not sure, but what I can tell you is owner Sarah Martin’s homemade sourdough bread recipe is most definitely a contributing factor.

Sarah, also known for her sweet concoctions at Bar of Chocolate, makes the bread fresh from scratch. It's thick, golden perfection, crispy on the outside, and then there’s the cheese—gooey, melty, and honestly giving off serious homemade mac and cheese vibes.

See what I mean?

Okay, let's zoom in.... how about now?

After turning Bar of Chocolate into a dessert-lovers’ paradise, Sarah expanded her talents to Bread and Olive, blending reasonably priced martinis and savory menu items so good they might make you emotional. Aside from that grilled cheese, her Espresso and Grasshopper Martinis are a couple of the most delicious liquid desserts that I've ever tasted.

If you're looking for reasonably priced next-level comfort food, daily specials with a side of killer cocktails, get to Bread and Olive, and don’t leave without the grilled cheese. They're open Tues-Sat at their location at 935 Congress St in Portland.