I’ve always thought you can tell how good a bakery is by how they handle the basics. The stuff everyone knows. The things they can’t hide behind.

And nothing’s more basic than a chocolate chip cookie.

I already put together lists of the best coffee shops and bakeries in Portland, and somewhere along the way I started paying attention to the cookies.

Over the past month, I ended up eating 15+ chocolate chip cookies. A few of them twice, just to make sure I wasn’t making it up. I tried my best to keep this focused on Portland.

I’m biased. I like a crisp, buttery cookie. Not too sweet. Good amount of salt.

I did the usual thing when I first started searching and googled “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in Portland, Maine” and couldn’t find a real answer anywhere, so I started on a mission.

In my findings, some of these are definitely worth going out of your way for. Some aren’t.

I scored each one on six things: looks, edges, center, chocolate, flavor, and whether I actually wanted another one.

Here’s what I found.

The Works Cafe - $2.79

Soft, thick, and forgettable. Nothing really works, nothing really fails. You eat it and move on.

Wholesome B - $5

Very soft and doesn’t hold together. More sweet than anything else. Works if you need gluten-free, but that’s about it.

Sullivan House Bakery, Served at Coffee by design - $3.50

A little dry and crumbly. Leans more dense than satisfying. Not one I’d go back for.

Terracotta Pasta - $2

A little too sweet, nothing stands out. Feels like a quick fix, not something you think about later.

Rosemont - $3

Solid across the board. Nothing special, nothing wrong. The definition of a good, average cookie.

Not a Bakery Cookie, served at Bard Coffee — $3.50

Interesting, but doesn’t fully land. Slightly acidic from the miso, with good salt and decent chocolate. Just a little dry, not one you go out of your way for.

Dutch’s - $3.50

Looks great, heavy on chocolate. The center is soft but a little bready, not gooey. Good, just not memorable.

LB - $3.50

This one surprised me. Super chewy, almost dense, but it works. There’s a deeper flavor here too, a little butterscotch, a little molasses, which makes it feel richer than you’d expect. You don’t really miss the butter, just a bit more chocolate.

Still, this is easily the best vegan cookie I’ve had.

Tandem Bakery - $4.50

A well-made cookie with good structure and crispy edges. It just leans a little too sweet, and it needs more salt to balance it out. Still good, but compared to what Tandem does with other cookies, this one doesn’t stand out.

Night Moves Bakery - $3.50

Crunchy, chocolate-heavy, and a little polarizing. I liked the structure and the bite. My friend Sean didn’t. He thought it leaned too crispy and the center didn’t hold up. When people who care about cookies disagree, it’s probably doing something right.

Scratch Bakery - $3.50

Big, sweet, and hard to ignore. It’s not the most balanced cookie on this list, but it delivers. At that size and price, it’s easily one of the best value cookies in Portland.

Standard Bakery - I believe $3.50, but at Smalls they were $5

I tried to get this cookie twice. The first time I went, it was too late, and they were sold out.

The second time I went earlier, around 10. There was a full stack behind the counter, so I thought I was safe. I held the door for a woman in a power suit and ended up behind her in line.

She ordered 26 chocolate chip cookies… Gone. Right in front of me.

I ended up walking from there and getting one at Smalls. Had to walk for it and overpay, but it delivered.

No twist. No angle. Just a really, really good cookie. Even bake, crispy edges, exactly the right amount of chocolate.

But there’s a reason someone bought two dozen at once.

Luncheonette — $4

It’s a soft cookie, probably the gooiest on the list. It holds together without feeling underbaked, which is where a lot of soft cookies miss.

The miso doesn’t read as “miso.” It just adds salt and depth, keeping everything from going too sweet.

If you like a softer cookie, this is one of the best versions of that style in Portland.

BLVL - $3.50

BLVL was the most interesting cookie I had.

The dark chocolate leans almost fruity, and the salt is right where it should be. It’s not overly sweet, which makes everything else stand out more. Big chunks of chocolate sink to the bottom of the cookie.

This one surprised me. If you want something a little different, this is the one.

Onggi — $4

I was excited for this one. Everything Onggi does usually lands for me.

A sourdough cookie sounded risky. I was expecting something bready. It’s not.

There’s a slight tang, more structure than most, and it works. It feels intentional.

If you like a softer, more cohesive cookie, this is probably your number one.

Bread & Friends - $3.50.

I lean toward a crisp cookie. Think Tate’s. This is the best version of that style in Portland.

Crisp edges, firm center. It’s built for dipping. Buttery without getting too sweet, with just enough salt to keep it balanced.

Onggi is just as good. This one just sticks with me more. It’s the one I’d go back for without thinking about it.

I don’t think the best cookie is the most interesting one or the most technical. It’s the one you keep thinking about after. The one you’d go back for without thinking about it.

Right now, that’s Bread & Friends. Onggi is right there with it, it just depends what you’re in the mood for.

I haven’t tried everything yet, and I know I’m missing a few obvious ones, so I’ll keep adding to this as I go.