Fantastic fresh and live lobsters!! Would prefer this any day over a restaurant. Staff was so…read moreincredibly nice and helpful, explaining the cook time/process, and even letting us borrow lobster crackers and a large pot. I would definitely come back to this place for their fair prices and great service! Blueberry ice cream was also good!

This place is great! We took a family trip to Bar Harbor and we stopped by here a few afternoons to…read morepickup fresh fish and lobster to cook. Fantastic service and overall great experience. Highly recommend!

Disappointing Experience at The Thirsty Whale…read more We were looking forward to dinner at The Thirsty Whale during our visit to Bar Harbor, but unfortunately, our experience was just mediocre. Our first impression wasn't particularly welcoming, as the hostess was abrupt and unfriendly. Thankfully, our waitress was wonderful--friendly, attentive, and definitely the bright spot of our visit! I ordered the Blackened Fish Sandwich, which arrived with two lonely onion rings, what appeared to be the end slice of a tomato, and a plate overflowing with French fries. The fish itself was somewhat dry and just wasn't particularly flavorful or memorable. Having enjoyed an absolutely delicious fish sandwich at The Oasis in St. Augustine Beach, Florida, I couldn't help but compare the two. Unfortunately, The Thirsty Whale didn't come close. We weren't expecting fine dining, just a good, satisfying meal in a friendly atmosphere. While our waitress delivered excellent service, the food and initial welcome left much to be desired. Overall, not terrible, but certainly nothing we'd go out of our way to experience again.

It was a good thing that we showed up absolutely starving. We hadn't eaten a proper meal since…read morebreakfast about 10-12 hours before, but lo and behold, Yelp and the hotel did not steer us wrong in recommending Thirsty Whale to us for dinner. We polished off the blackened haddock sandwich, the lobster bisque, and a lobster roll (not pictured), in about ten minutes. This was everything we were looking for in a New England meal, loads of seafood, flavor, and the atmosphere to go along with it. Personally I appreciated the size of the blackened haddock sandwich, the picture may not do it justice, but it was massive! Along with a side Cesar salad! We came (very) hungry, and left even happier!

5 stars for the lobster roll! 2 stars for the clam chowder…read more I had the hot mini lobster roll filled with large pieces of fresh lobster perfectly cooked with just the right amount of butter on a soft delicious roll. I dream about this lobster roll. I cannot describe how outrageously delicious the hot lobster roll is. This is a must have in Bar Harbor. Unfortunately, while the clam chowder is not expensive, it was more of a potato chowder with an occasional small bite of clam. The bonus is it was served pipping hot - great to warm up on a cold rainy day. The negative is it was very salty and left me thirsty for water the rest of the day. As the name says, Go for the lobster roll!

Your going to lay 49$ for the libster roll and your going to love it. The hot is buttered up and…read morewarmed on a roll. The classic is also amazing best lobster rolls in bar harbor I would say out of the costal towns on main this is a top listed for best lobster roll I have ever had. Service is fast But get there early there is a line out the door waiting for Food it is so fresh. Get the food and go across street and eat it at the park overlooking the water it is amazing!

Loved this place!…read more When we walked in, it looked like the bartender was running the whole place. She greeted people, told them to sit wherever there's a spot and took orders. She even had time to chat with us in between doing everything. We ordered a dozen oysters and they were so good we debated getting more... a bit pricey but definitely worth it. We still think about the Nitro beer months later. This place was such a hole in the wall. It was busy and had a fast environment but was overall great. I would come back here.

A fun pub with delicious oysters! Definitely casual vibes but a great place to grab a drink and eat…read moresome oysters before your meal. The service was fast and the bartender was kind.

While I've had my fair share of great Maine clam chowders, from rustic lobster shacks to…read morefine-dining restaurants, only a few leave an indelible memory that draws you back. West Street Cafe easily earns a spot in my top five, alongside: Happy Crab in Eastport And the now-closed Jameson Tavern and Muddy Rudder in Freeport. Scales and Gilbert's in Portland. We also had their steamed mussels, and it was delicious! Perfect amount of garlic and spicy peppers. It comes with focaccia and a side of broth; dip it in, and you're in heaven. We sat at the bar and with the gorgeous view of the fall and the bay, service was great from our bartender, Cooper. A good place in Bar Harbor with fair pricing and ambiance is bright, airy, comfortable, and clean.

Came here after a hike in Acadia and was pretty disappointed…read more This restaurant was recommended by our Airbnb host and I looked at the reviews beforehand and I should've listened. My husband had the better meal by far with the crab cakes. Great flavor with some slaw that was fantastic. The fries on the both of plates were underwhelming. I got the lobster roll sandwich special with came with clam chowder, coleslaw, fries and a slice of blueberry pie. Clam chowder was great, coleslaw and fries were average if not below and the lobster roll was so lackluster and flavorless. Ended with a blueberry pie and it was alright but it's disheartening to have your main dish fall flat. Everything else I might have been okay with if the lobster was redeeming, but instead we drop $$$ on a below average meal. Waitstaff was kind, but inconsistant with checking on us. The inside of the restaurant was beautiful with overflowing plants and nice music. Personally, I wouldn't come back and I do not recommend but in a pinch it's okay.

Super fast and friendly service. The food and ambiance was on point. Highly recommend!read more

From the restaurant window, you can see the water from which the lobster was caught. How do you…read moremanage to serve lobster this tasteless?! Very disappointing. I've had better lobster in the Midwest. On a brighter note....the cocktails were excellent, and the fish in the fish & chips was next level. And our server Ann did a great job. Didn't have the heart to tell her that the lobster sucked.

We made a reservation for our first night in town based on the recommendation of our food tour…read moreguide. What a meal it was. Inside is a typical modern upscale restaurant with a second floor that overlooks the park and water. We began with a smooth lobster bisque and I had the haddock special. The special was prepared over glaze with sweety drop peppers and was beautifully prepared. Light and flaky, but with a lot of flavor. It's far too easy for these to come out overdone, but this was done wonderfully. I enjoyed my meal here and would definitely recommend if someone was looking for an upscale evening.

We Can NOT EMPHASIZE enough, AVOID at all costs. Just the RUDEST behavior on the Hostesses part &…read morethen Proprietor. Our party of 2 arrived separately. When the latter party arrived and asked the Hostess about the earlier seating she couldn't have been more unaccommodating. Likened to an old school marm in a film taking place in the 1800's....a ridiculously stern demeanor and not what a Hostess is meant to do- But Greet. She then had a vendetta, circling the table telling us what to do several times. It was BAFFLING. She next told the proprietor that we took a phone call at the table. The Proprietor comes over to scold us! Still Flabbergasted....we are 2 people sitting across a table. Our conversation stops so that we can answer the phone for a quick question taking less than 2 minutes. It's a full restaurant, a table of 6 next to us, everyone is engaged talking, eating, drinking. No one gave us a look, a nod or a sign that we were interrupting their good time. The food was average, not worth amount charged. The poor waitress was mortified and so apologetic as she witnessed the ordeal.

Peter West was our server, was totally top notch. Very careful about our peanut allergy at the…read moretable, gave great service and very kind to our many questions, which other servers elsewhere would have been easily annoyed at Also remembered us on our way back from town the next day, shows his care to the grind The restaurant itself was quite elegant but secluded per table which was a perfect feeling. My only request would be some overhead lighting in the place, needed a flashlight to see the food, but it was all presented so nicely, nothing to hide! I got the tenderloin. If you like lobster and steak, (which I do) the flavors were on point. I ordered medium rare and it was textbook. This has made the top 5 restaurant steaks on my list, and I've cooked, interviewed, and let's just say... been around. The chef should be quite satisfied The wine as we were told goes in order of dry to less. The Pinot noir from Oregon was absolutely perfect to pair. Best place in Bar Harbor so far (: Definitely save this one for last!

Miss Elizabeth B (6/25 Review),…read more I appreciate the time you took to go scorched earth on your recent review of Table Salt in Bar Harbor, ME. It was a motivating factor to visit the establishment, enjoy a lovely meal in a lovely town, and tip heavily. You claim to be a culinary source of authority. I think it's great that you own a Subway franchise in New York City, but I might hesitate from throwing around the word 'chef' too haughtily. I mean just because one wears a cowboy hat does not mean one owns cattle, am I right? Perhaps there were dishes on the menu that one could argue were overengineered, but they tasted great! And consider that you have no idea where in the culinary journey their chef is, nor what the market needs or will bear in Bar Harbor. The place was packed. Service was great. Food was divine! On a Tuesday night. Maybe next time you visit a restaurant, leave your Michelin yardstick in the trunk of your broomstick, and simply relax. Or possibly return to Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, another establishment you experienced through your Vantablack-colored glasses and blew up on this site. I'm sure they would zealously rent you another bike if you promised to venture into Acadia and get lost. Cheers!

I made the mistake of not putting myself on the online waitlist and ended up having to wait an hour…read morebefore being seated. So, if you're considering dining here, which I highly recommend, put yourself on that waitlist! I got the Whole Steamed Lobster ($33), which comes with a cup of clam chowder, half a corn on a cob, and fries. The lobster is about one and a half pounds, so this was worth the value. And of course I left very full and satisfied. Yes, it was messy to eat, but much worth it to me. Some of the other items my party ordered included Lobster Roll ($38), which tasted great. The Bulgogi Beef Wraps ($16) was an interesting choice someone picked for an appetizer, but I'd personally skip that. The Side Street Tacos ($20), which they use whatever the catch of the day is, I'd recommend if you're looking for a lighter meal. FYI: All lobster dishes are market price, so the prices I have listed here may not reflect the current economics of lobster prices when you order.

On our first night in Bar Harbor, we decided to walk the little town and venture to find a spot to…read moreeat. After walking by a few different spots, we decided to walk into Side Street Cafe and put our name down. We had about a 45 minute wait, which allowed us to walk around a bit more, and got a text less than 40 minutes later that our table was ready. We were sat on the bar side (vs restaurant) but the menu was the same. The server seemed extremely busy and that we sat there for a solid 5 minutes before menus and someone greeting us. She was kind but clearly handling a lot of tables on her own. Given that the menu didn't really speak to a ton of us, we decided to split the lobster roll and buffalo wings! The lobster roll was pretty good for market. There were large pieces of lobster with little mayo and not a lot of butter. It was a bit too much for me without a ton of flavor, so it was not my favorite (especially since I'm not a huge fan of shellfish). The wings were good though. Pretty typical and nothing overly special, but were piping hot and enjoyable! There was a band starting to play, which got really loud, and another reason we decided to leave. But otherwise, I'd try it again.. maybe hope for the restaurant side instead.