Eight years after our last review and we're back. Still a nice and comfortable spot to eat and grab a beer. Food is good, atmosphere is great and the people are friendly. One suggestion to our server - please don't hover over us while we're reviewing the bill and figuring out your tip. I now you're using a hand held device that does everything from taking the order to processing our credit card, but having you stand there watching us as we calculate you tip comes off as an attempt to intimidate us into accepting the default level tip suggested on your device. Still, a nice experience. read more

My friends and I chose this place after our 4+ mile hike. We were starving! I enjoyed my lobster roll and the serving size was generous! The service was good and parking was easy to find. read more

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LOVED Finback! The blueberry BBQ sauce on the Cowboy burger made it one of the best burgers I've ever had. Flavorful, juicy, and perfectly cooked waffle fries with vinegar. Local hard cider available as well. The bar was fun- decorated with Christmas lights and very lively. Our server was helpful in making a selection. read more

Finback Alehouse - Cowboy burger - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Lovedddd the clam chowder! Packed with flavor, clams, and potatoes. The sandwich was delicious and the waffle fries were perfectly crispy. My husband tried two Oktoberfest beers that were nothing too special but they had a ton of options to try. I got a rum cocktail - I believe it was a Blueberry Island drink of sorts? But it was amazing! Seemed like some sort of mojito. This gave sports bar vibes and had some games playing. They didn't have many servers (7:30pm on a Tuesday) so the service was a bit slower but the waiters were working their butts off. Food came quick! read more

Finback Alehouse - Clam Chowder, Blacked Fish Sandwich and Waffle Fries - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Such a cute vibe in here. Love the divey feel with the wraparound bar and Christmas lights. They served up some oysters for us and my friends enjoyed them. The bartender was super social and fun, making our time here even better. Good beer selection, nice cocktails, good music. read more

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Fun and cool vibes. Downside was receiving a super dented can of cider. I should have spoke up but we didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Fun on a Saturday night with live music and a baseball game on the tv so our group were happy campers! read more

Finback Alehouse - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

No wait, played banger songs and service was quick and attentive. OG smash burger was so good! Drink was also great. Highly recommend. read more

Finback Alehouse - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Food, service and drinks were phenomenal. No wait when we arrived either.Definitely recommend it!!!

we got the spicy burger, clam chowder and lobster BLT = AMAZING. bartender was very friendly and chatty, which made a rainy afternoon better! read more

Peeked in here for a quick pint of local brews and to try some good eats! Tried the bowl of clam chowder and the lobster BLT. Clam chowder was tasty and paired nicely with cold rainy weather. The evening special was the Lobster BLT, which was a combination I never thought would go together, but was delightfully delicious and the portion if waffle fries paird nicely with it. Our server was extremely friendly and made sure we were well taken care of! Came in on a Friday night when they had open mic night with live music! Enjoyed this place so much we came back the next day for a hefty Mushroom and Swiss Smash Burger! Double patty goodness! After walking pretty much all of downtown Bar Harbor I'd have to say this is probably the best bang for your buck in town! (BTW kitchen closes at 8pm) $18 for a large burger and waffle fries guaranteed to fill you up! (Sorry I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture ) read more

Finback Alehouse - Bowl of Clam Chowder - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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5 stars! I am always skeptical about restaurants in touristy areas but we LOVED this place. We were visiting from the Midwest, committed to eat as much lobster as possible. We tried the lobster BLT and the Lobster Pot Pie. Both were fantastic but one member said the 'pot pie was life changing!' One member of our party had the fish and chips and enjoyed it despite the fish being overcooked. Great beer selection! And, the Guinness has a nice poor. Highly recommend. Totally legit. read more

Casual dinner spot with live music on a Friday night. We tried the Lobster BLT which was generous with the lobster meat and came with waffle fries. The clam chowder was standard -- nothing special about it but hits the spot. I also had to try the blueberry lemonade which was refreshing. We didn't have to wait at all for a table and service was quick. read more

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I came here for lunch on Saturday with family on vacation, after a hike in Acadia. At noon it wasn't crowded, was able to get a table for nine. The service was lovely and they had a kids menu too. Great pub vibes, had an open garage window for warm weather and people watching. Food was great! Lots of good beer selections. read more

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Visited Bar Harbor in the off season so not much was open, but greatly preferred Finback Alehouse to Thirsty Whale or Geddy's - better food variety, and solid cook on everything. We got the fish and chips, French Dip, Butter chicken burrito and smash burger (family of 4), plus the pork belly sliders for an app. All were delicious and the vibe was great! read more

After a long day hiking, husband and I were looking for a place to grab drinks before heading to dinner. We are so glad we stumbled upon this place. We both enjoyed several drinks, the pork belly sliders, and the mushroom flatbread. The flatbread had a bit too much goat cheese for my liking, but I loved the sliders. The service was fantastic and it just had a unique vibe - fun conversation and great music! read more

Finback Alehouse - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

We had to come for daily happy hour from 3-5. We ordered $2 oysters (minimum order of 6). The oysters were good, I wish there was more of a selection of where the oysters came from. Margaritas were average and taste varied greatly on the 4 margs that were ordered that day. Our server was friendly. The Onion rings and ranch sauce were crisp although we found some of the larger sizes of onion rings to be undercooked and doughy. We sat at the open window bar seating that faced outwards towards the street, great for people watching and enjoying a nice breeze! read more

Finback Alehouse - Oyster - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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After a long day, we were looking for a warm bite to eat. Luckily enough, there are lots of businesses open in Bar Harbor despite it being the off season. This place was warm and had multiple options for food and beer and wasn't too crowded, so we hopped in. We were greeted promptly and seated. Service was quick and everyone was attentive. We ordered the crab cakes, which was one of the specials, and they were delicious! We then ordered the butter chicken burrito which was surprisingly good. The rice was a little undercooked but the flavor was great. It was a nice stop for warm food. read more

Finback Alehouse - Butter chicken burrito - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Love their happy hour, we ordered one of each item! Thank you to bartender Elizabeth!!

We were wandering around Bar Harbor looking for a different fare of food rather than the typical seafood destination and this was one of our favorite places we stopped. The food was top notch with a great selection at the bar. read more

Finback Alehouse - Patty melt - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Awful service. The bartender was very rude and I ordered several drinks. I expected better service especially at the peak of the season he rolled his eyes and was not professional The drinks service was seriously disappointing. The bartender seemed completely uninterested in doing their job--slow to take orders, visibly annoyed by simple questions. When I finally got my drink, it tasted like it had been mixed with complete indifference. Watery, unbalanced, and definitely not worth the price. I've had better cocktails at dive bars for half the cost. If you're going for the food or atmosphere, fine--but skip the bar unless you enjoy paying top dollar for bottom-tier drinks. read more

Bartender was super cool. Food was very good. Local beer was solid. All and all awesome place good views of the tourist walking around.

Great happy hour local oysters, $2 each. Oysters are served with hot pepper sauce, cocktail, and mignonette. Best oysters had in a long time. Great beer selection read more

Finback Alehouse - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

A must go for open mic night. The food is great in the heart of downtown Bar Harbor.

This was what we needed at the end of a day in Acadia National Park. We got drinks and food to refuel from our day hiking. Music was fantastic and vibe was great. read more

If you're looking for a great place to eat and drink, this is definitely the place to go in Bar Harbor. Everything here is fantastic - great service, creative menu, and excellent food and drinks! We had a fantastic dinner last night. Although we had to wait a few minutes, I like that they offered to text us once our table was ready. It was a great opportunity to explore. Once we were seated, our waiter, Dave, brought us water and took our drink orders quickly. Their beverage menu has quite a few beers on tap, as well as cans and bottles, and an exciting selection of wines. We got a bottle of the Ti Ti Egri Csillage from Hungary with dinner. It was a semi-dry white served very cold so very refreshing on a hot day. Their food menu is fantastic too! We shared the deviled eggs which were SO GOOD! For my entree, I asked our waiter Dave for a recommendation since I could've enjoyed anything. He suggested the brisket roll. I normally don't eat a lot of brisket, but I really enjoyed this roll. The horseradish sauce was light and the pickled onions paired well. The roll was grilled and buttery. If you're someone who doesn't like horseradish, I don't think you would even notice the sauce. However I love horseradish and think the sandwich could even use more of it. The fries had a very interesting and addicting seasoning on them (garlic oil, rosemary, salt). If you're looking for a great place to eat and drink (they have a small bar too), this is definitely the place to go in Bar Harbor for fantastic service, great food and drinks! Also, I was happy to see they had two gender neutral bathrooms here, and I loved the signs on them. read more

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Finback Alehouse was a good spot to grab a quick dinner one evening. We wanted to go the night before (a Tuesday), but it was randomly closed. I found that many restaurants in Bar Harbor were closed on random nights when according to Yelp, or other sources, they should have been opened. We were excited to try Finback Alehouse because their Kid's Menu online looked perfect for my kids. Only problem - they no longer have the Kid's Menu that is posted online. After reading some Yelp reviews I see the restaurant has changed management and things have changed, which is totally fine, I guess we were just finding old information online. We put our names in and had only about a 20 minute wait. Not bad. And they text you when your table is ready so you can walk around Bar Harbor and make your way back. The inside is lovely and very bright. Our waiter was nice and attentive. We ate and left pretty quickly because the kids were having a "night." We got the Mac and Cheese and fries for them, which they were pretty uninterested in. I got their Lobster roll which was quite delicious. I liked the tarragon-lemon mayo they add to it. It's very tasty! My husband found it a little difficult to pick something that he would want, but he chose the Bison Burger. He enjoyed it. I also ordered a Blueberry Margarita which was delicious and refreshing and had just the right kick. Next time I'm in Bar Harbor I think I'll skip Finback Alehouse if I have the kids with me... but I'd go back for a date night or drinks! read more

Finback Alehouse - Delicious Blueberry Margarita! - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Prices are steep but it's on par for the area. I was walking around and decided to try it. There were plenty of seats. I got a chicken house salad, and it was good. Friends got the nachos which were also good. Server was friendly. read more

Finback Alehouse - Chicken House Salad and Nachos - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Stumbled on this place since Atlantic had a 1+ hour wait and their menu only had sandwiches. Meh. It hit the spot! Looking for something more hearty after a day hiking in Arcadia, but needing a break from lobstah (it's not you, it's me!), we got the pulled pork and crab cake blt sandwiches with waffle fries. Yum!! Perfectly crispy, warm and the right amount of salt - have to replace those electrolytes! The crab cake blt had generous slices of avocado and a nice sriracha sauce, lettuce, onion and tomatoes. Great local craft beer selection too. Don't bother waiting at the other places - Finback were quick to seat and serve, and very COVID safe. And at the end of the season when most other places are closed until next Spring, it was a pleasant surprise. Condiments were in single serve containers and staff checked in on us frequently. Will be back / highly recommend. read more

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We were having a really hard time getting a dinner reservation anywhere due to Covid. Thanks to Yelp I found this place and they were able to fit us in. My husband wasn't too sure about how could an ale house be a good place to enjoy a seafood dinner but he trusted my judgement. The service is a bit on the slow side but as a New Yorker I have to remind myself that not every place is super fast. I started with the New England clam chowder and it was really good. For my entree I had the crab cake sandwich with bacon and omg this dish was so delicious. I got to try my husbands lobster bisque and lobster and crab Mac and cheese. I wasn't too crazy about the bisque but the Mac n cheese was so good I think I ate about half of it. This place is really good and I will definitely recommended if you are in town. read more

Finback Alehouse - Lobster and crab Mac & cheese - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Food was great, beer too! Service good and ambiance perfect pub. We even ate here twice. read more

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Really enjoyed eating outside at this place! The tables outside were small, and my group of 4 was packed quite tightly but we were comfortable. We just appreciated being able to be outside during covid. The lobster poutine appetizer was seriously YUMMY. The lobster grilled cheese was quite delicious with thick sourdough slices and a mix of cheeses with buttery lobster. Paired with waffle fries that were very salty but good. Lobster roll had its own twist with an aioli on it and it was delicious but we ultimately, we kind of wished it was just left alone. Why fix something that isn't broken, ya know? Drinks were good. Bill for party of 4 came out to 188, 5 drinks, 1 shared appetizer and 4 entrees. read more

Finback Alehouse - Lobster poutine - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Talk about crab cakes and fish n chips!!! Those were two of our favorites from this place. All the food was pretty good. The waitress did a great job with recommendations. Wasn't too crowded for being in a touristy area. Burger just a little bit too greasy for my liking but the lobster rolls & fish tacos were great! Would come here again if I'm back in the area! read more

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I wish there was a way to give this place less than 1 star. The bartender Saturday night was beyond rude and rolled his eyes multiple times. He was unprofessional and as someone who has previously worked in the service industry I couldn't believe the unprofessionalism. Could have been a great spot to visit minus the bartender with long black hair who created a horrible vibe. For sure find another spot as there are many in Bar Harbor who have better service. read more

Had the special, lobster BLT and it was good! Super cute place with decent beer selection

Was looking for a local place to have dinner and found this on yelp! We were a little low on energy in our search to find a place that sells reasonably-priced fully-cooked whole lobster, and we liked the menu at first glance. The Finback Alehouse is like walking into your buddy's cabin: boisterous and lively, tasteful design, and full of charm. It seemed like there were only two servers that evening - but our guy was quick and plenty attentive. We didn't mind waiting the extra two minutes. CLAM CHOWDER | Chopped Clams. Potatoes. Salt Pork. Cream. Comes with little Oyster crackers in plastic packaging. [$10] - Delicious and full-bodied soup that I plan to order again. The clams were fun to eat, potatoes were hearty (and in cute small cubes!), portions were still enough for two to share. There's a little sprig of rosemary right in the middle that does something magical to the taste halfway through the meal when you're immersed and eating slower. One setback is that we were so hungry that I didn't snap a picture before it was all gone. PULLED PORK SANDWICH | Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder. House Made Blueberry BBQ Sauce. Smoked Slaw. [$12] - This is so good if you like BBQ sauce. I occasionally like to give my sandwiches and chicken wings that extra tangy-sweet kick of flavor with my Mambo sauce at home, but I can't overdo it because I get sick of the taste quickly. An entire sauce-tossed sandwich was a little too intense for me despite my plans to finish it all, but my sibling helped me devour the thing. The pulled pork was cooked okay -- just a second more it and would've been dry --and the sauce helped it along. read more

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Our best experience in Bar Harbor. Our bartender Matt was engaging, knowledgeable, and funny. We ordered the smoked salmon dip, which was perfect as an appetizer, and very tasty. This is a hidden gem, and we recommend it strongly. read more

Normally I get super claustrophobic during road trips and my restless leg syndrome is kicks into full gear. But oh my goodness, the drive from St. Johnsbury, VT to Bar Harbor, ME was one of the best drives I've ever taken. Imagine a scenic country road and then multiply it by 100x. First off, Vermont actually takes care of their roads (unlike PA), so the drive is smooth. Let's get that out of the way. If the ride was bumpy the whole way through, it would have definitely taken away from the majesty of it all. So while the trip from St. Johnsbury to Bar Harbor on paper was five hours, it felt like two. And while our minds may have still been going in a million different directions trying to figure out what sights to see, our stomachs yelled out, "Feed me, FEED ME!" Now that we were in Maine, it was lobster time. No more messing around. The whole lobster was oh so picturesque. Seriously, in a past life, it could have been a model. It was like one of those lobsters they show on the travel brochures to advertise fine dining. Or like a minority student on a college website promoting diversity. Sadly, I have to take some points off on behalf of the fried seafood combo platter. You shouldn't be able to go wrong with that, right? It has a little bit of everything. And it's all fried. IMPOSSIBLE to screw up, no? Well for one, it was a wet, greasy mess. When you think of perfectly fried food, it's hot and crispy. Not soggy and drenched in grease. That was the case here. Also, bare bones on the seasoning. Listen, I have high blood pressure. Doc says I need to cut down on my sodium intake. But I'd still like to taste the food. A little bit more salt won't kill me (and it won't kill your business, either). Is this a super cool place to have a nice lobster dinner? Sure. Is it the best Bar Harbor has to offer? Not by a long shot. But in a pinch it'll do just fine, and it still has a helluva lot to offer. read more

Finback Alehouse - Finback Maine Lobster Dinner - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Decent pub/bar. Drinks were definitely the highlight; and bartend really knew his cocktails. Even brewed his own espresso liquor (which was delicious). The interior has a unique vibe; older materials combined with generational updates. The bar was the perfect gathering place to get to know others, and have an enjoyable, personal experience. Food was good, pretty standard pub food. Had shrimp cocktail, lobster stew, cubano sandwich with Caesar salad (the salad was fantastic). Drinks were the violet you turning violet (a little sweet), espresso martinis, and the house made espresso shots. Nightly activities seem in abundance here, so looking forward to returning for that karaoke! read more

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Beautiful wooden, round, bar top. Service & food are 10/10, the taste is on point as well as presentation. Cassidy was friendly, energetic & had awesome recommendations. read more

Finback Alehouse - I could eat this 24/7 - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Had a lobster pasta dish, it might have been a special for the night. It was delicious. Good wine and beer list and a nice variety on the menu. The deviled eggs were good too. read more

Finback Alehouse - Lobster pasta, don't remember the exact name of the dish - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine