Joshua's, a Restaurant and Bar in Southern Maine

Questions answered
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Questions answered

FAQs

Why don't you take Amex and Discover?

Primarily because they hold onto our money longer. That causes bookkeeping problems as well as cash flow problems. They also charge higher fees. We operate with a low profit margin because we want to be affordable. We try to avoid extras costs that are not necessary for the quality of the dining experience that is our goal to provide.

Will you have the lobster pie this year?

We can't answer that question right now. The price of lobster is out of sight. You might say, "Just charge more." The answer for us is not quite so simple. If we buy lobster but our customers don't buy it because of the price, we have a problem. When you call several days in advance to make your reservation I suggest you ask about the lobster pie and indicate that you would really appreciate it if it was on the menu. Barbara will tell you, "I'll pass that on to the chef but there are no guarantees." We always do our best to make our customers happy but--no guarantees.

I would like to get a gift certificate for my parents but I live too far away to come by.


You can order gift certificates over the phone and put it on Visa or Master Card. We will mail gift certificates either to you or to whom ever you designate. Call 207-646-3355. If we are not there to answer the phone, leave a message and we will call you back.
In December we make an effort to be available to answer the phone Monday through Saturday from noon to 9pm.

How far in advance do I need to make a reservation?


This is a moving target as our popularity is growing fairly rapidly. As of early November availability on Saturdays between 6:30 and 7:30 fills up about a week in advance. You can get a table for before 5:30 or after 9 by calling before noon on Saturday. The same goes for holiday nights. Friday fills up later in the week and there are usually a few tables available when we begin service Friday.


We are getting increasingly busy during the week. No one without a reservation has had to wait for a table yet but we are getting close so reservations are recommended for any evening.


In summer weeknights are not much different from Saturday.


 


Can I come if I don’t have a reservation?


Sure. Coming early or late will get you the best results for a table without a wait. Also, we serve everything from the menu in the bar and we don’t take reservations for the bar.


 


Do you have restaurants in any other locations?


No.


 


Where do you get the vegetables when the garden shuts down?


Onions, winter squash, carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts and cabbage from the garden will supply Josh through fall and into the winter. He buys salad greens from Lisa Turner in Freeport. Her organic greenhouses are heated with oil from restaurants that have fried food. http://laughingstockfarm.com


We get organic potatoes and other root crops from Wood Prairie Farm in northern Maine.  http://woodprairie.com


Other vegetables come from conventional sources.


 


Where do you get your coffee?


Coffee By Design in Portland.  http://coffeebydesign.com


 


Where did the chef go to school?

Josh is self-taught. He grew up in a house where all the meals were made from scratch. He also saw his mother and father baking deserts that we sold to restaurants between Ogunquit and Portland. (He now makes the fudge pie and maple walnut pie from his mother’s original recipes.) He’s been working in restaurants since he was 14. Most importantly, food is his passion. A story by Barbara about Josh in the kitchen when he was six can be found in the stories section.Some of our stories

Why don't you have business card drawings?


We don't have any special prices. We hope everyone enjoys our every night reasonable prices..



Your brochure says you are open year round but you were closed when I called. What's up with that?


We are a hands-on owner-operated restaurant. We have to close down if we are to have a vacation. In the past 12 months we closed a few days after Columbus Day, the first 5 days in January and the first 16 days in March. When we decide on vacation days we post it in the restaurant and on the web site. While we are on vacation our telephone message will tell you when we will be back. We apologize for any inconvenience but if we don't take some breaks, we won't last long.




Where did your chairs come from?

We got them from a company in Lewiston Maine. They were more expensive than we could have done elsewhere but we figured it was highly unlikely that anyone from China (the country not the Maine town) would ever spend money in our restaurant. It was just part of our ethic, besides they are really nice chairs. http://bradcochair.com


 


Why is a restaurant of your caliber located in Wells?


Josh was born here and Barbara and I have lived here since 1972. Also there are lots of wonderful people in the area who appreciate what we are doing.