Bar Harbor Food Guide: COVID-19

At first I thought I could fit all of Maine into one post, but then I kept typing. So this particular post is entirely dedicated to food in and around Bar Harbor. I created an entirely separate post for the activities of our trip here. With food and drink occupying much of our time when we weren't hiking in Acadia, I ended up having a much longer list than I expected. We spent five days bopping around enjoying food directly in Bar Harbor and also just around the little town. Some places we liked more than others - don't worry it's clear below which I didn't care for.

First thing's first, Lobster Rolls. Maine is known for its lobster and we were ready to do our best to sample as many as possible, but keep in mind we did only have five days. Now I'm not a lobster roll expert, but I can certainly set that aside for purposes of having a favorite whilst in the lobster capital of America. However I am a self-proclaimed butter expert, having handmade the butter for Thanksgiving ever since I can remember. And butter is a main ingredient of the good ol' lobster roll. So here we go...

C Ray Lobster: C Ray's was a lobster shack along the main road into Bar Harbor. In my opinion, the shacks are the best places to get a really good lobster roll because of the low overhead and picnic-style ambiance. This was for sure the best lobster roll we had in the area. The only caveat to this place was the homemade pie could've been better.



The Travellin' Lobster: This one also was a shack, and a highly trafficked one considering its location about 15 minutes outside of Bar Harbor. We opted for the traditional roll and made the mistake of getting the one with a ton of meat. It was to the point where it was falling off the bun because there was so much. Certainly not a bad thing, but I could've done with the basic and enjoyed it with less trouble. The homemade pie here was really tasty.



Thirsty Whale Tavern: This one was directly in Bar Harbor, and I was beyond hungry. But even with my hunger I could tell this one just wasn't very good. I'm convinced all Bar Harbor lobster rolls can't match the shacks, but feel free to prove me wrong.



Next Time: Happy Clam Shack: My friend Susan recommended this one to me, but it unfortunately wasn't open any day we attempted to go. Luckily that's how we found C Ray Lobster. There are three in a row that are all supposed to be superb. Next time I hope the Happy Clam Shack is open so I can finally try it!

And of course with the help of Google and Yelp we also ate at several other restaurants during our time in Bar Harbor...

Cafe This Way (Breakfast): We decided to go here on our very last day and I'm glad we did. I would've gone here more than once if I'd known it was so good. They served traditional breakfast fair, but it was affordable and delicious. Even the fifteen minute wait to get a table was worth it for the quick service and tasty food.



2 Cats Bar Harbor (Breakfast): This place was very basic, so don't expect a waiter for a sit down meal. You order at the counter, find some Adirondack chairs, and pick it up when they yell your name. Breakfast sandwiches were the only menu items that would fill us up for our day of hiking, so we opted for those. And of course we had to get the freshly made donuts!



Jordan's Restaurant (Breakfast): Now this place had a lot of hype for its Maine blueberry pancakes. Come to find out it's a very basic diner. Perhaps the food is good, but I was not pleased with having to pay an extra two dollars for pure maple syrup. You either provide it (which all establishments should) or you don't, but you don't offer it and make people pay. Clearly that rubbed me the wrong way. They were fine pancakes. My mom makes better.



Choco-Latte (Coffee): I don't drink coffee, but I had a sip of Sam's chocolate latte and it was yummy. So this is a rare coffee recommendation I'll provide.

Paddy's Irish Pub (Lunch/Dinner): Burgers! They were delicious. Fries! They too were excellent. I wouldn't normally go to an "Irish pub" and expect good food, but in Bar Harbor this pub made a mean burger. I'd highly recommend this spot for a good and filling meal.



Side Street Cafe (Lunch/Dinner): This place came highly recommended and it was okay. Their special is mac and cheese. It was very rich and it's possible I simply wasn't hungry enough to fully enjoy it. They had a wide beer selection though. I would go back and try something other than the buffalo chicken mac and cheese.

And then there was the ice cream shops. We tried to get to more, but ended up only getting to two...

CJ's Big Dipper: I think I preferred this one because the people were nicer. Also because they didn't have a strange COVID-19 setup. It was just an open space where you could go in and out in a jiffy. The small park was right outside so we enjoyed our desserts sitting on a bench.


Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium: This place sells Lobster Ice Cream. I tell you that because I hear you should avoid it. My understanding is it has lobster chunks with basically butter ice cream. Yuck! I also didn't care for the COVID-19 setup they had. It was a central divider so you could only go one way. This would have been fine and well if you didn't have to pass people to get to your desired station. Not thought through. But the ice cream was certainly fine!

There are plenty of other places to try in Bar Harbor. With it being a typical tourist destination I don't think their food is anything to write home about. However, once you find some shacks or a spot or two in town you like, then it's perfectly alright!