Business Spotlight: Guff's Grub and Pub

There’s an old saying in the restaurant business that great food draws attention and brings people together and that’s exactly the premise behind the new Guff’s Grub and Pub in Standish. 

Located at 450 Northeast Road, Guff’s Grub and Pub is owned by Kristen Guffey and opened for business on Dec. 1. Featuring a mouth-watering menu of sandwiches, pub favorites and beverages, Guff’s is quickly becoming a go-to destination for those who love tasty meals served in a fun atmosphere or a casual lunch or dinner with friends. 

Serving high-quality meals and focusing on attentive and personalized customer service are the basic foundations of Guff’s Grub and Pub, according to Guffey.

She’s also aware that the primary reason anyone visits a restaurant is for the food and the delicious meals that Guff’s Grub and Pub serves are reasonably priced and prepared on the spot.

“It’s all homemade and fresh,” Guffey said. “I smoke most of my meats that we serve such as wings, pork belly, corned beef, and pulled pork. I make really good food and that’s the best thing about what I do here.”

Guffey said she’s strived to ensure costs are affordable so everyone can enjoy Guff’s Grub and Pub.

“The food and alcohol prices are great I believe,” Guffey said. “They’re not too expensive and not bottom dollar.”

The menu is precisely what you would expect from a popular pub restaurant with a few surprises too.

For appetizers, Guff’s Grub and Pub offers Mozzarella Sticks; Chicken Wings; Fried Thai Chili Brussels Sprouts; Poutine Fries; Chili Cheese Fries; Fried Pickles; Spicy Onion Strings; Sweet Potato Fries; and French Fries. The menu includes a selection of soups, Caesar and Garden Salads; and Coleslaw.  

Diners at Guff’s can choose from a Fried Chicken Sandwich; a Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwich; Grilled Cheese; Steak & Cheese; BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich; Reuben Sandwich; BLT Sandwich; Pork Belly BLT Sandwich; Fried Haddock Sandwich; Fish and Chips; Mac and Cheese; Chicken Tenders and Steak Tips. And all sandwiches are served with hand-cut fries.

Guff’s Grub and Pub also has four different types of burgers, some of the best pizza to be found in the Lakes Region of Maine and a generous assortment of beer sure to please.

“Many of our items on the menu are very popular but I would have to say we sell a lot of chicken tenders,” Guffey said. “People just love them.”

A favorite for both take-out and dining-in, Guff’s is family friendly and has an assortment of arcade games and a billiard table for kids of all ages.

Reviews are enthusiastic and positive.

“The food was phenomenal! The fried chicken sandwich was homemade and perfectly breaded and the produce on it was crisp and fresh. The buffalo chicken mac & cheese was made to order and was in the most delicious cheese sauce. Definitely check this place out and have some great grub.” Dana Peterson

“Everything was cooked to perfection, tasted delicious, staff is quick and friendly! Would highly recommend.” Marissa Perron

“Just had the best buffalo wings! I appreciate you guys at Guffs!” Chris Wilson

“Went today for the first time looking for a home cook feel meal and got that and more, incredible food, fun and service.” Tim Boe

“Our food was so delicious, the haddock sandwich is light and fluffy, not greasy; and the hand cut fries… mmm good. They have a good beer selection too.” Tammy Fitzgerald

“Such a fun place great food especially their Fries!!! The kids played arcade games waiting for their food which even my picky eaters loved!!! Great service!” Kate Estes

Guff’s Grub and Pub is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and closed on Mondays. 

To place a take-out order, call 207-648-4461. Visit them on Facebook at Gruff’s Grub and Pub.

“This is a labor of love for us and I'm looking forward to serving all types of customers, new or repeat,” Guffey said. “We want to be consistent with our food and service so that our patrons can always have a good experience here and to have it the exact same way the next time and each time that they visit Guff’s Grub and Pub.” <

Business Spotlight: Stockhouse Restaurant & Sandbar Pub

Three basic principles guide Dan and Jennifer Drouin, the owners of the new Stockhouse Restaurant &
Sandbar Pub in Windham, who believe that great food, outstanding service and knowing the community are the building blocks for any successful eatery.

The Drouins, who live in Standish, opened the Stockhouse Restaurant & Sandbar Pub at the intersection of River Road and Roosevelt Trail earlier this month and it follows the success of their Stockhouse Restaurant & Sports Pub, a mainstay in Westbrook.                     

They say the most important thing to succeed in the restaurant business is a presence and investment in the community in which you are located.

“In order to be successful in any small business you have to be present and invested in the community or you will never truly enjoy success,” Dan Drouin said. “Take the time to know the community, live there, be a patron of the local businesses yourself, support other small businesses, support the schools, support the things the community supports, this is what it takes to be successful.”

Employing a staff of 35 at the Stockhouse Restaurant & Sandbar Pub in Windham, the Drouins are still faced with all of the same challenges that existed prior to the pandemic of delivering quality service and great tasting food to customers all in the context of maintaining the safest possible environment for their staff and visitors.

“We have to stay up to date on the latest regulations and restrictions while continuing to offer a little bit of relaxation and “normalcy” to our customers in a world that doesn’t feel very normal right now, Jennifer Drouin said. “The absolutely most significant aspect of our business is serving our customers and giving the community a place to come enjoy a good meal and good company.”

The Drouins say what distinguishes Stockhouse Restaurant & Sandbar Pub from other similar businesses is the atmosphere and ambiance that instantly gives customers a taste of the Lakes Region.

“We invite our customers to relax and leave their worries at the door and “Meet us at the Sandbar,” Dan Drouin said. “The best thing about being in the restaurant business is the many customers that over the years have come to be like family. We have been in business in our Westbrook location for 15 years this past July. We have watched children grow up, go to college, and get married. We are so excited to expand those relationships in the Windham community.”

Menu top sellers at the Stockhouse Restaurant & Sandbar Pub include chicken wings; dirty, garlic parmesan, or blueberry habanero; steak and cheese pizza; rodeo burgers; Stockhouse burgers; homemade macaroni and cheese; sweet chili chicken pineapple pizza; and chicken bacon ranch calzones. There are 24 different drafts on tap, making the location the leader in Windham for draft beers and ciders.

“With a healthy mix of old favorites and interesting newer brews, everyone is bound to find something to their liking,” Jennifer Drouin said. “We also offer a full bar at the Sandbar if beers are not your style.”

Families will find Stockhouse Restaurant popular with those of all ages with something for everyone at reasonable prices.

“We serve a large portion of food at a fair price,” Dan Drouin said. “We strive to keep our pricing affordable, offering dishes made from quality products, with a wide variety of menu items to satisfy any appetite.”

The owners say they are pleased to be part of the Windham community and the Lakes Region family.

“We are off to a great start and have met so many great residents of Windham and the surrounding communities since we opened our doors. We are grateful for the opportunity to do business here,” Dan Drouin said. “We cannot say enough about the warm welcome that we have received from this community. So many wonderful individuals and organizations have reached out to us in person or messaged our Facebook page to thank us for investing in this community. It has been wonderful to hear our customers say time and again during their visits that they are so happy we chose to open our second Stockhouse location in Windham and that they wish us success here, each one acknowledging the unique challenges that we face opening a restaurant during a pandemic.”

Stockhouse Restaurant & Sandbar Pub is at 4 Turning Leaf Drive in Windham. For more details, call 207-893-8412 or visit them online at https://www.thestockhouserestaurant.com/ or on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/stockhouserestaurantwindham <