Near one of Maine’s most popular tourist attractions lies a village that’s probably not very well known. However, it’s home to a delicious restaurant that continues to garner national attention.

I’m talking about an iconic Mexican restaurant in the small community of Sargentville that was named the best hidden gem in Maine by the culinary crusaders at LoveFood.

The website has released its annual list of the best hidden gems in each state. Maine’s representative is the definition of a hidden gem, considering you have to drive quite a distance to find it. But when you do find it, it’s like finding an oasis.

This hidden gem is El El Frijoles, a Mexican-inspired restaurant about 20 miles from Ellsworth and Route 1.

Opened in 2006, this funky eatery serves fresh, homemade food to locals and tourists who visit. In fact, the folks at El El Frijoles pride themselves on making almost everything on the menu from scratch. It really doesn’t get better than this.

The restaurant serves typical Mexican dishes, often with a Maine twist. This includes the iconic spicy lobster, which you can enjoy on the burritos and tacos. The spicy lobster is so popular that it was even featured on the television show “The 4000.” Gourmet paradise.

If you don’t fancy shellfish, you can choose from a variety of meats, a daily vegetable mix, and even a delicious-sounding potato and chili mix. My mouth is watering as I write this.

And to top it all off, El El Frijoles offers an extensive dessert menu, which includes an ice cream sandwich with homemade cookies. Yummy.

Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s a little excerpt from LoveFood that explains why El El Frijoles is the number one hidden gem in Maine.

The restaurant is housed in a converted barn and is run by a husband and wife team. The entire menu is freshly prepared daily and as most of the seating is outside (there are only nine inside), the atmosphere on a summer’s evening is truly unique.

So next time you’re driving to Bar Harbor, you might want to turn right in Orland onto Route 15. It’ll take you straight to Sargentville, home to Maine’s best hidden gem. You won’t leave hungry.

Congratulations to El El Frijoles for the continued attention and success. It’s a wonderful story that deserves to be told. I’m already looking forward to my next trip to the region. I need that potato chili burrito.