Bates Local Cultural Resource Guide

Our staff and faculty affinity groups have collected recommendations for local resources to help you learn a little about life in Lewiston and the surrounding community. Whether you are thinking of applying to work at Bates, already planning a move to our community, new to the area, or just exploring new options, we hope these suggestions will help you get to know the area and feel more at home in our community.

If you have suggestions that you don’t see on this guide, please send us an email. We love hearing new recommendations! Where possible, we have included comments from members of our affinity groups. We have tried to focus on the the Lewiston/Auburn area as much as possible, but for some resources have expanded into the Greater Portland area.

Table of Contents

Salons, Haircare, & Barbershops

Tucci & Co Salon (LGBTQIA+ owned)
1065 Sabattus St, Lewiston, ME 04240; 207-740-9098

Crow’s Nest Barbershop (Family and LGBTQIA+ friendly)
600 Turner St, Auburn, ME 04210; 207-740-9060

Orbit Full service Salon
58 Bartlett Street in Lewiston; 207 500-1122 (LGBTQIA+ owned and operated)
“Haircare (excellent colorists), lashes, and brows. Excellent full service, can be considered pricey. Stylist, particularly master stylists (I recommend Grayling Cunningham) book several weeks, if not months ahead so book ahead! Walking distance from Bates.”

Major Cuts Barbershop
229 Lisbon Street, Lewiston; 207 784-1500 (Black owned and operated)
“Cuts, full serve razor beard service, and braids. Family & budget friendly. Walking distance from Bates.”

207 Barbershop
79 Chestnut Street, Lewiston- 207 440-9953 (Black owned and operated)
“‘Rome’ is an excellent full service barber! Fades, tapers, and beard trims. Budget friendly and in walking distance from campus.”

Taboo Hair Salon
28 Bates Street, Lewiston; 207 783-0139 (LGBTQ+ owned)
“Diverse stylists. Haircare for all ages, budget friendly. Walking distance to campus.”

Hair Among Friends
232 Center St, Auburn, ME 04210; 207-753-9368

Blended Beauty
947 Main Street, Westbrook (approx. 45 min drive south); 207-591-5900 (Black woman owned)
“Specializes in braids, locs, barbering, and protective styles. I can attest to the quality of braids, locs, and protective styles but I have not known anyone who engaged with a barber there. If you are looking to schedule an appointment, it is best to do so in-person. Budget-friendly.”

Artisan Hair
499 Ocean Street, South Portland; 207-536-7864
“Queer colorist, Nyssa.”

The following stylists and shops are from the essay Black Artistry, Beauty, Self-Expression, and Community: Stories and Experiences from Black Barbershops and Salons in Lewiston/Auburn, Maine A work of public scholarship, produced by the professors and students of Africana 100 at Bates, College, Fall 2023:

  • Daria at Luxury in the Hood, 236 Main Street in Lewiston
  • Joe at Major Cuts, 239 Lisbon Street
  • Rosa at Taboo Hair Design, 28 Bates Street in Lewiston
  • Terry at FreshCutz, 62 Spring Street, Auburn
  • Tyrone at 207 Barbershop, 79 Chestnut Street, Lewiston

Grocery Stores & Markets

  • Caribbean Life and Grocery (Jamaican family-owned and operated)
    940 Lisbon Street, Lewiston; 207-241- 2888
    “Bodega-style store with seasonings, small selection of frozen and produce/canned goods. Will special order if requested”
    • also offers Jeff’s Jamaican Food Truck (located in the parking lot); 207-815-9506
      Full, authentic Jamaican cuisine. Catering options also available.
  • Blackie’s Farm Fresh Produce
    966 Minot Avenue, Auburn; 207-786-0005
    “Small, independent seller of vegetables and produce with some local farm items such as cheese, jams, or meats. Prices are generally equal to or cheaper than the local major grocery stores and quality tends to be better”
  • Save A Lot
    10 East Ave, Lewiston; 207-782-6651(budget-friendly)
  • Mardens
    750 Main Street, Lewiston; 207-786-0313
    “Great for lower-cost rugs/furniture/household items, especially useful if you’ve just moved here and need to set up a house/apartment. It’s a salvage/overstock retailer, so items change pretty much every time you go, so if you like something buy it right then!”
  • Mogadishu Store
    240 Lisbon St, Lewiston; 207-777-7757
    “Best African samosas”
  • Sun Asian Market
    626 Congress St, Portland; 207-772-8675; Asian owned
    On social media as Sun Oriental Market.
  • Veranda Asian Market
    695 Forest Ave, Portland; 207-874-8001
    Grocery store with Southeast Asia and other Asian food

Restaurants

  • Afrotaste Resto Bar & Lounge
    134 Main St, Lewiston; 207-333-5005
  • Pat’s Pizza
    85 Center St, Auburn; 207-784-8221
    “A local chain – it may not be what you are used to, but it will get addictive.”
  • Wei-Li Chinese Restaurant (family-owned and operated)
    945 Center Street, Auburn; 207 344-022
    “Offers cooking classes, budget & family friendly.”
  • El Pocho’s Mexican Grill
    990 Lisbon St. Lewiston; 207-333-3226
    “Best Mexican!”
  • Saigon Pho
    791 Lisbon St, Lewiston; 207-707-1607
  • Cong Tu Bot
     57 Washington Ave, Portland; 207-221-8022
    “unionized restaurant in Portland, always queer”
  • Forage Market (LGBTQIA+ friendly)
    180 Lisbon St, Lewiston; 207-333-6840
  • Obscura Cafe & Drinkery (LGBTQIA+ friendly)
    108 Lisbon St, Lewiston; 207-241-7200
    “Welcoming and affirming of all lifestyles and identities“
  • Oun Lidos
    30 Market St, Portland; 207-805-1155
    Cambodian Cuisine
  • Norimoto (Asian-owned, Woman-owned)
    469 Stevens Ave, Portland; no phone number provided
    “European baking, Japanese sensibility, Maine ingredients. Offerings change weekly”
  • Sichuan Kitchen
    612 Congress St, Portland; 207-536-7226
  • Empire Chinese Kitchen
    575 Congress St, Portland; 207-747-5063
    “Locally sourced Chinese dishes & dim sum in a unique space topped by an upstairs music & event hall.”
  • Jing Yan Tavern
    90 Congress St, Portland; 207-835-0010
    “Hand-craft cocktails with bar snacks, rice bowls, and ramen in a cozy atmosphere”
  • Onggi Market & Cafe
    131 Washington Ave, Portland; 207-352-3528
    “An everyday fermentation market, bakery, and cafe in Portland, Maine. All are welcome.”
  • Bahn Appetit
    171 Cumberland Ave, Portland; 207-613-9399
    “Vietnamese-style sandwiches & noodles, plus drinks & small plates“
  • Vy Banh Mi (food truck)
    207-632-9967
    Posts schedule on Instagram. Caters.
  • Jeff’s Jamaican Cuisine
    940 Lisbon St, Lewiston; 207-815-9506
    Does not accept reservations.
  • Flores (budget-friendly)
    431 Congress St, Portland; 207-805-1698
    “Two locations in Portland, some of the only actual budget friendly food in Portland and truly delicious.”
  • Yardie Ting (budget-friendly)
    28 Monument Sq, Portland; 207-835-0236
    “Budget friendly Jamaican food in Portland, if traveling definitely call ahead as their hours can be kind of chaotic.”
  • Taj Indian Cuisine
     200 Gorham Rd, South Portland; (207) 828-6677
    “Amazing Indian food in South Portland.”
  • El Rodeo
    238 Bath Rd, Brunswick; 207-373-1700
    “Carnitas Dinner & Salsa, plus there is a drive through pick-up window which is great in the winter.”
  • Little Tokyo
    72 Maine St, Brunswick; 207-798-6888
    “Excellent deal for lunch.”
  • Shere Punjab
    46 Maine St, Brunswick; 207-373-0422
    “Great for spicier Indian fare, incredible chutney & curry.”
  • Maiz
    11 Pleasant St, Brunswick; 207-239-0378
    “Good for a sandwich or drinks & sometimes they run salsa dance nights.”
  • Cabelleras
    4 Pleasant St, Brunswick; 207-721-3000
    “Inside the wine store in downtown, it is an LGTBQ friendly bar.”
  • Flight Deck
    11 Atlantic Ave, Brunswick; 207-504-5133
    “Great outdoor space with wide beer selection and music/other activities.”
  • Maine Brewing Co
    525 US-1, Freeport; 207-221-5711
    “Great indoor space and heated outdoor space and excellent beer and brick over pizza specials.”
  • Yordprom (Queer of Color-owned)
    722 Congress St, Portland; 207-221-2347
    “Coffeeshop with a great garden connected to it”
  • Tandem Coffee Roasters
    122 Anderson St, Portland; 207-760-4440
    “Very good but has some national-PR generated 45-minute lines”
  • The Holy Donut
    194 Park Ave, Portland; 207-874-7774
    “Portland and elsewhere. Made partly from potatoes. Includes vegan options.”

Cultural Spaces, Gathering Places, Museums

  • Equality Maine
    “Our mission is to protect and advance full equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Mainers by creating an inclusive and intersectional movement through political action, community building, education, engagement and collaboration.”
  • Atlantic Black Box
    “Atlantic Black Box is a 501c3 nonprofit that empowers communities throughout the Northeast to take up the critical work of researching and reckoning with our region’s complicity in colonization, the slave trade, and the global economy of enslavement.”
  • Tender Table
    “BIPOC meetups, mostly in Southern Maine, but not just Portland”
  • Kindling Collective
    “Queer outdoor gear library, plus wilderness trips for all experience levels in Southern Maine”
  • Indigo Arts Alliance
    “Cultivating the Artistic Development of people of Black and Brown descent”
  • SPACE Gallery
    “SPACE is a nonprofit organization that supports contemporary arts projects, champions artists, and encourages an open exchange of ideas.”
  • Maine MILL
    “Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor (Maine MILL) is a history and culture museum in downtown Lewiston, Maine, that celebrates extraordinary stories of work and industrial ingenuity.“
  • Evo Rock Gym
    “Incredibly positive, queer, multicultural and self-organizing 3rd place”
    – BIPOC “Climber of Color” climbing night at 4pm every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the Month
    – LGBTQ+ “Rainbow Up” climbing night every Thursday at 4pm

Places of Worship

  • First Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist of Auburn (open and affirming, LGBTQIA+ welcome)
    169 Pleasant St, Auburn; 207-783-0461
  • High Street Congregational Church, UCC
    106 Pleasant St, Auburn; 207-784-1306
  • East Auburn Baptist Church
    560 Park Ave, Auburn; 207-782-0348
  • Pathway Vineyard Church
    12 Foss Rd, Lewiston; 207-784-9500
  • Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
    122 Ash St, Lewiston; 207-777-1200

Hidden Gems

  • Black Girl in Maine
    Shay Stewart-Bouley, Writer, Speaker, Activist
  • Nibezun
    “Present and future generations nurture the sacred unbroken relationship with Mother Earth and each other, living in balance on the ancestral lands and waterways of the Wabanaki.“
  • POC and queer yoga at Portland Yoga Project
  • Women In Harmony
    A treble voice choir in Maine which is affiliated with both the Sister Singers Network and GALA Choruses. “Women in Harmony is an affirming and inclusive community of women who sing for social justice and the joy of making music together.” They hold two winter and two spring concerts, typically in the Portland area, presenting a wide range of music that is deliberately inclusive of women and LGBTQIA arrangers and composers and content.
  • Maine Gay Men’s Chorus – MGMC performs during the Pride Season in June and the Holiday Season in December.   MGMC also performs at special events and functions upon request.
  • 75 Park
    Coworking space in Lewiston.
  • The Third Place
    Resource for BIPOC for professional and social networks.
  • Poland Provisions – Cafe & General Store (Poland)
    “Our goal is to provide fresh healthy food, useful goods and gifts, and provide a community space to connect neighbors and friends.“

Transportation Options

Guides from Other Sources