Mr. Tuna

A 4.6-rated sushi counter in a fishing town that earns every point

Mr. That number matters here because the venue is, on its surface, a casual hand-roll and espresso martini spot that grew out of a sushi cart. What the rating signals is that the cooking punches well above what the format suggests. If you are trying to decide whether to book: yes, book it, if you go once, order the tuna sashimi tasting.

What you are booking

Jordan Rubin, the chef behind Mr. Tuna, started the operation as a sushi cart in 2017. The brick-and-mortar location on Middle Street opened in 2024, so this is still a relatively new permanent address in Portland's dining scene. The focus is local Atlantic bluefin tuna; the large, 500-pound fish that come out of these same waters; broken down and served through most of the year. That means the sourcing is genuinely regional, not a romanticised claim. Atlantic bluefin of that size produces meaningful variation across cuts, the tasting that moves through akami (lean) to toro (fatty) is, according to Pearl's restaurant editor, one of the more instructive things you can eat in Portland. Even for diners who think they know tuna, the cut-by-cut progression is worth paying attention to.

The room opened in 2024 and carries the energy of a place still finding its full rhythm, which in practice means it feels lively without being loud in the early part of the evening. The atmosphere leans casual and social, espresso martinis are a genuine draw, not an afterthought, but the food is precise enough to reward the kind of attention you'd bring to a much more formal counter. This is the core of the Mr. Tuna value proposition: the care in the sourcing and execution does not require you to dress the part or adopt a reverential mood. That combination is harder to find than it sounds, it makes the venue work well for both a relaxed date night and a more deliberate special-occasion meal.

For comparison, if you want the most technically demanding omakase format in the northeastern US, you are looking at venues like Atomix in New York City or the fish-forward tasting menus at Le Bernardin. Mr. Tuna is not competing in that register, nor is it trying to. What it does offer is a focused, ingredient-led experience at a casual counter, in a city where the fish is coming out of local waters. That is a different and more accessible proposition, for many diners it is the better evening.

Practical details

Booking at Mr. Tuna is currently rated as easy, which reflects both the venue's relatively recent opening and Portland's position as a smaller city compared to New York or Boston. That said, the sashimi tasting and counter seats are the draws here, those fill up on weekends. Book a week out for weeknights; give yourself two weeks for Friday or Saturday. The address is 83 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101, in the Old Port neighbourhood, which puts it within walking distance of most central Portland accommodation. No dress code is listed, the casual-counter format signals you do not need one. Specific pricing and hours are not currently listed in our data, so check directly with the venue before you go. Phone and website details are not available in our current record, your leading approach is to search directly for current reservation availability.

For more of what Portland has to offer, see our full Portland restaurants guide, our Portland hotels guide, our Portland bars guide, our Portland wineries guide, and our Portland experiences guide. If you are building a longer trip around serious eating, Langbaan and Berlu are the other Portland tables worth planning around.