MONTICELLO, Maine — It’s still possible to buy a 25-cent cup of coffee at a Maine restaurant, although you might have to wait in a line of snowmobile or ATV riders to get it.
A new County restaurant, just off Interconnected Trail System 86, is offering the way back in time price for anyone whether just stopping by for the cheap brew or a meal.
The Pines grill inside the Wilderness Pines Campground lodge in Monticello, slated for a Jan. 4 opening, is nestled among tall pines and right on snowmobile and ATV trails. You can get there by car as well. There are six miles of snowshoe trails at the campground and once the snow comes, the deer like to yard up around it, said Stephen Wotton, who manages the campground and restaurant with his wife Stacey Wotton.
The talk about the new trail grill is already buzzing with more than 26,000 online views, shares or comments following a short Facebook posting two weeks ago about its opening.
“I think a lot of local people just want something different,” Stephen Wotton said.
After the Blue Moose restaurant along Route 1 closed last year, there have been limited dining-out options in this forested part of the County. And the Wottons are hoping The Pines grill will be a welcome stop-off for ice fishermen at Lake Conroy, visitors, campers and those out sledding or ATVing.
The campground, now owned by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, was originally a farm before a local man, Jack Wilde, started a campground after the land was placed in conservation.
According to the Wottons, Wilde started with two small cabins and a few camping spots. And then the Maliseets purchased the land about 14 years ago and built the lodge, a swimming pool, and a heated pavilion. There are nine cabins, 24 camping spots and they have plans to put 10 additional RV spots because the 24 spaces are already booked for the season.
‘We’re a snowmobiling paradise,” they said. “We have a five-station park and ride with security cameras, plug-ins for tow vehicles and restrooms are available.”
Stacey said they want the space to be casual and welcoming, that’s why they are offering a 25-cent cup of coffee.
“We’re from here and we’ve seen the prices rise and rise and rise and it used to be important to the older crowd to be able to have a cheap coffee,” Stacey said.
The Pines grill will offer table service for around 40 customers at a time.
And Stephen will be the head chef with Steve’s Smashburger a speciality. His family used to own the famed Littleton Pitstop and he did a lot of cooking with the Ramblers snow sled club, he said.
“Stephen is a good cook, I’m lucky,” Stacey said.
Other menu items include poutine, wraps, specialty burgers, wings, fries, onion rings and a children’s menu.
“We will be doing wings tossed in the Canning Man’s barbecue sauce and a Western Burger topped with candied jalapenos,” Steve said.
Eight-year-old Lucas Wotton, their youngest, said the cheeseburgers are the best.
In addition to camping and the restaurant, Wilderness Pines does special events with an upcoming focus on weddings, Stacey said.
The wedding packages are flexible and can include pavilion rental, lodge rental with commercial kitchen and cabins or campsites.
“We actually have one bride that has rented the entire campground for her wedding,” Steve said.
With the 2024 total solar eclipse in April, word has spread about Wilderness Pines and they are already getting booked for the cosmic event, but still have a few spots left. Depending on the weather, they are hoping to have some camping spots as well.
“I already contacted a local musician. We are going to have a band and the tribe will provide some native American events,” Stephen said. “We want to keep everything here as much as possible so people can see it right from here.”
There is also a shop inside the lodge with local artisan wares for sale.
This summer, the Wottons, with the help of their eight children, plan to develop an interpretive walking trail that gives the history of the Wabanaki people.
To get to the Pines grill, head north from Houlton on Route 1 and turn left at Hill Siding Road, then take a right on Lake Road and a right on West Conroy Lake Road. The narrow dirt road gets a bit confusing at the “Y.” Take the left branch of the “Y.” and follow the line of pines to the lodge.
The Pines grill will be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
