As we mentioned in an earlier post, we got to spend some time in Rockland on a project this week. We had an absolute blast filming content with our friend Josh.

While we were in town, the three of us took this opportunity to get lunch at one of the best spots in the area: Home Kitchen Café.

According to their website, quote:

Here at Home Kitchen, our goal is to serve good, fresh, hearty, satisfying food, We make our dressings, breads, black beans, soups, corned beef hash, corn tortillas, polenta, homefries and more from scratch on our premises. Our consistancy in preparation and presentation, are just a few of the reasons folks keep stopping at our door. Our food is enhanced by our incredible staff who strive to provide our guests with a great experience. Our cuisine is a mix of comfort food enhanced with a touch of the Southwest.

I'm a sucker for Southwest-inspired cuisine. Black beans, salsa, cheese, corn flour tortillas... when I saw the menu I was in heaven!

Location

Home Kitchen Café is situated close to Rockland’s historic downtown. It has an iconic yellow building and a wonderful atmosphere. We parked in a nearby lot and made our way inside. And while we expected there to be a long wait time, we were seated within 10 minutes of arriving!

They weren’t seating folks outside this day, so we instead ushered up the stairs to a smaller dining area on the second floor. I had no idea that room was available, but it had perhaps five tables available and a nice view out the front window.

Experience

The staff were cordial and helpful–keeping my water filled the entire time. I get quite thirsty and I always appreciate when servers pay attention to this detail.

As we were seated, we were given their menu. One side was breakfast items while the other was lunch fare. Either was valid–despite it being noon–since they serve any menu item all day.

While many of the breakfast dishes were tempting like the Huevos Rancheros (2 poached eggs finished in a spicy ranchero sauce with a homemade tortilla) or the Farmer Omlet (maple glazed ham, applewood smoked bacon, sausage, potatoes, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers & cheddar cheese), I was in the mood for something a little more "lunch".

Our Meals

I was looking for something spicy and the Poblano Burger was speaking to me. The menu advertises roasted poblano peppers, sauteed onions, housemade salsa, pepperjack cheese with hot chili mayo.

But then I saw the Gringo Burrito.

Black beans, rice, caramelized onions, roasted poblano peppers, roasted red peppers, cheddar cheese & cilantro lime mojo.

There was also the option of adding marinated chipotle chicken, local organic tofu, Mexican chorizo, shaved steak, or pulled pork to the dish as well.

I opted for the chipotle chicken and I ordered mine as a bowl.

It didn’t take very long for our meal to arrive–despite how busy the place had become since we had been seated.

My burrito bowl arrived on fiestawear–appropriately themed for my meal in particular. I was impressed by the size of my order. I squeezed out the lime juice over my bowl and immediately tried the chicken. It was perfectly juicy and well seasoned!

Now, while I consider myself somewhat of a foodie and I have the constitution for mild-to-medium spice, do note that I grew up here in Maine and hot peppers are not native to my diet.

All of this is to say that the chipotle seasoning was on the spicier side for me. I’d say a 7 out of 10 in terms of what I’m able to tolerate. Let’s just leave it at “pleasurably spicy.”

The rest of this dish had a mild kick (2 out of 10) and it was good, though I probably wouldn’t have liked it as much without the chicken.

Finally, I need to address the large dollop of sour cream in my bowl. Don’t get me wrong, I like sour cream. It’s sour and it is, in fact, creamy. But I feel like everyone else likes it far more than I do. I only used about half the cream provided and I felt bad about wasting the rest.

But what did Emily order? She got the Fowl Play:

Roasted sliced turkey, Swiss cheese, red onion, lettuce, and tomato with pesto mayo in a flour wrap.

She raves about it: “I loved it. It tasted very good.”

Well, that was Home Kitchen Café in Rockland, Maine. A terrific little place for breakfast or lunch all day!