Revitalized Underground Bar in Portland, Maine, is a Must-Visit

It can be easy to lose track of the comings and goings of restaurants and bars in Portland, Maine. The city remains in-demand for tourists looking for a mix of a slowed down vibe with big city offerings.

For years, one of Portland's coolest bars could only be found by traveling underground. Visitors to Portland could easily miss the entrance along Market Street, likely believing it to be another gift shop. Instead, it's a dark and groovy hangout that should be on your Portland bucket list. Especially since it's only gotten better.

It's called Maps and it just recently reopened after a renovation. For those that have visited before, all of what made Maps a cozy little hideaway remains. If you're new to discovering Maps, it'll likely be love at first sight.

To be fair, you may not see a lot. Part of Maps charm is the fact that the bar is generally a little too dark. The bar is constantly playing vinyl and the majority of the time, they're doing it too loudly. Maps is an underground dive bar that really doesn't serve anything you'd find at a typical dive bar.

Before the renovations, Maps was strictly a beer and wine bar. Now, they serve spirits with a full list of craft cocktails. Their food offerings were once relegated to simple grilled cheese sandwiches. They've upgraded to offering a variety of bar favorites, like BLTs and a Cubano. Don't sleep on their dessert either, with rotating cake options that are mouthwateringly good.

There's also some new seating options at Maps. They've pushed the wall in the back of the room and installed some new booths for groups to gather over happy hour.

If the sun gets a little too hot this summer, go underground and check out one of Portland's coolest bars still kicking.