Maggie’s Dine & Drive on Route 4 in Berwick. Photo by Bob Keyes

BERWICK — It takes some kind of confidence to start a food-service business during the height of a pandemic. That’s exactly what the folks who operate Maggie’s Dine & Drive in Berwick did when they opened their cute little drive-through food and drink stand on Route 4 in February.

Not many people were on the road back then. All these months later, the decision looks like a good one. Traffic is moving again, and people are starting to commute for work, heading north toward Portland or south to New Hampshire. Maggie’s serves their needs with easy-to-eat and interesting breakfast sandwiches and hot and cold drinks to go.

The menu is limited, but inventive. There are two choices of breakfast burritos and two breakfast sandwiches, along with danishes, muffins and various breads. When I stopped in last week, I opted for the Otis burrito ($7), which is a flour tortilla stuffed with eggs, cheese, bacon, small chunks of potato and a shredded maple slaw. Never before, to the best of my knowledge, have I been offered a breakfast sandwich with any kind of slaw, and I almost asked for my burrito without it.

But I am glad I didn’t. The slaw added a welcome, tangy flavor and texture. The eggs were cooked whole, which I like (as opposed to scrambled), and the burrito was packed with small chunks of potato and bacon and plentiful cheese. The flour tortilla shell was tightly wrapped, which made it convenient and neat to eat – a big consideration for commuters. It was really good.

Maggie’s on Route 4 in Berwick offers breakfast sandwiches, hot and cold drinks and dog treats for good dogs. Photo by Bob Keyes

My wife opted for the cheddar breakfast sandwich ($5) on an Asiago bagel. It consisted of eggs, cheese and cream cheese, and she asked for a veggie-based maple sausage, as opposed to bacon. She was impressed with the sausage. “I have no idea what’s in there, but it has good flavor,” she said. By meal’s end, the bagel had become a little soft and soggy, her only complaint.

Maggie’s namesake sandwich, the Maggie, is similar to the Otis, but with pepper, onion, mango salsa and sour cream. The Esther breakfast sandwich is a fully meatless choice, with eggs, cheese, roasted veggies and a lemon avocado sauce on a croissant.

There are flavored coffees, teas, juices and other drinks.

Maggie’s has a dog theme going. There’s a dog on the sign, and any dog who pulls up in a vehicle with their human companion is offered a treat. It’s a friendly, happy place.

In its previous life, the little roadside stand that houses Maggie’s was some other quick-drink and food shack. It had grown forlorn on the side of road, standing empty as the pandemic ground everything to a halt. But the world is awakening again, with signs of life and hope all around.