45th Parallel Motel & Restaurant

The homemade desserts are worth saving room for, and you can tell they put care into them. The food was fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared, with something for everyone. I also loved the atmosphere, especially the chance to chat with locals. From the moment I arrived, the staff were friendly and attentive, which made me feel welcome and gave the visit a personal touch. It's a lovely place to relax over a meal. I'm already looking forward to going back, and would recommend it.

The seafood and coleslaw were so good. We found this little restaurant after taking the ferry to Deer Island while vacationing in Maine. We'd driven all the way from Michigan, and this was the best meal of the whole drive and our stay. Highly recommend it.

The haddock was light and fluffy, practically falling apart, and absolutely delicious. I've had plenty of fried fish ruined by thick batter or mush stuck to it, but this was on a level with one memorable meal I had in northern Canada nearly 25 years ago. The $16.95 lunch special had one piece of haddock, a cup of haddock chowder, and coleslaw. I came over on the ferry from Campobello Island to Deer Island ready to splurge, and when I asked the owner whether the fish was as fresh as a roadside daisy, she said it couldn't be fresher. Apparently the secret is a 75 year old recipe that comes with owning the 45th Parallel. You can follow the signs along the road to this great roadside spot and its sunny patio. If I had a millionaire's money, I'd trade it tomorrow for those closely held recipes and the color of my passport. If only! America has a lot to learn from Canada's good taste and warmth.

We'd passed this gem on earlier trips to the island, but hadn't stopped until this visit. We regretted waiting so long. The service was great, and the haddock bits special was hard to beat. We'll make this one of a kind place part of our next Deer Island trip for sure.