Loved the interior as soon as we walked in. A nod to the feel of an old speakeasy, rich wood tones and a faux brick ceiling, it was fun and right out of a movie. I loved how all of the bartenders and servers seemed to pitch in and help out. There was never the feeling like anyone was focused on just their job. They were all focused on making sure the patrons had what they needed. I was here on a Tuesday evening with my husband and 2 kids, 6 and 10. They don't print a kids menu but readily offer options of burgers, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, pasta with marinara, and pasta with butter and parmesan. My kids had mac and cheese and buttered pasta, which with homemade rigatoni noodles, we packed the leftovers. For cocktails, we had The Balcony is Closed, a delightful gin and lemon cocktail but the honey beer syrup balances it and the chili oil gives it a kick of a finish. I have gin cocktails wherever I go, and I've traveled and eaten far and wide. This is one of my top 3 most memorable gin drinks. We also tried The Assault Continues, smoky and earthy; not my favorite but for my smoky scotch loving husband, it hit the spot. Of course, we had to try the tuna nachos. I feel like so many restaurants try to do tuna nachos and it's been there, done that. But you haven't had THESE tuna nachos. They're spectacular. The ingredients on the menu speak for themselves but they finally got the ratio and presentation just right. It's a work of art. The caprese was also delicious, the stracciatella and pistachios playing nicely off each other. Dinners were rigatoni with short rib, and the halibut. The rigatoni was delicious. The halibut was out of this world. Perfect sear, perfectly cooked halibut in a corn cream sauce or nage, the summer succotash, fresh corn, crisp bacon, salty caviar. I really proverbially licked the plate with my fork. It was special and incredibly well executed. Not to mention the blueberry pie bar and carrot cake were also delicious. Both disappeared in a matter of seconds. We didn't have to fight for or pay through the nose for parking in downtown Bar Harbor for this wonderful dinner. Get the free parking in several lots in town. The city hall parking lot is directly behind the restaurant building. If you like to eat on a budget, this spot may not be for you, but if you enjoy great food and cocktails, I really think the prices are comparable to what you'd pay in other more populated areas. The food is a diamond in the rough. read more

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The appetizers were excellent! We ordered mussels which were tasty and generous, could have been is own meal. If it was served with crusty bread instead of a thick slice of toasted bread, it would have been perfect. The nachos were unique and delicious with generous toppings and ahi tuna... also could have been a meal by itself... chef's kiss to those two items! Our entrees were a dish called Gnudi- which if you don't know what they are(we didn't and when we looked it up, it said it is similar to gnocchi- IT ISN'T!!!) ask before you order, if you've never had it, it's very unique and we didn't care for it at all... there was no recourse given by the restaurant... make sure you know what it is!! Our other entree was rigatoni that was topped with ricotta and short rib sauce, shredded cheese... it was tasty, but very pricey for a bowl of pasta... To make a reservation, you need to give a credit card and if you don't show up, your card is charged $25 per person. The service was friendly until we didn't like the Gnudi... then it was a little weird... It was fine, but not exceptional... Cold bottles of water are given to the table and refreshed as necessary. The restroom is not kept up, could use shine attention, a little elbow grease to clean it. They are on Facebook and offer specials on their burgers. read more

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High end Ellsworth, kind of seems like Irony. Like serving Wagyu beef with macaroni and cheese. Wait. Yep, that's what you get for 47 dollars. ... mmm offer me a choice, please. I'm taking Frites or Garlic mash... but not Mac n cheese... I left the kids at home for a reason. Venison, Pheasant, Cod, all good... though again, high for this area. And 14 dollars for a rum and coke... okay, I guess, my bad for ordering alcohol... my sister used to sneak alcohol into the plane and then download it into her soft drink... I feel like that's where we are in culture now. But I'm just ranting... I mean, no salad, no apps, just our two main courses and drinks.... $170 w tip. Too much for the working class... sorry. Noveau riche nouveau cuisine nouveau ideation... I suppose I simply don't belong here... my bad. read more

We didn't have a reservation & they were booked but there was space at the bar so we went for it. The food was spectacular! The service was great. The staff was attentive with multiple people asking about our food & filling our beverages. I wouldn't say this is a kid friendly place but more of a nice dinner out with friends or a date night experience. read more

Provender Kitchen + Bar - Rigatoni - New American Near Me - Ellsworth, Maine

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We dined here while visiting Ellsworth, from the west coast. We were more than pleasantly surprised by the exceptional food preparation, the gracious and very attentive service and the lovely decor. We can clearly see why this restaurant has received so many top awards. Provender Kitchen will be a must go during our next visit to Maine! read more

Meh. Not bad. Not over the top quality matching price point. Underwhelming and overpriced. Food was good. Drinks were good. Just not wow this was amazing. read more

What fun! This quaint little downtown Ellsworth Restaurant checks all the boxes! Service was outstanding and the 'Tuna Pizza' as a starter? Yeah - to die for. Scallion crust with seared ahi tuna with some secret sauce with just the right kick. Moved to Scallops, Pheasant and Wagyu cooked rare and finished off with some succulent S'more's Chocolate Moose and Creme Brûlée - OMG. read more

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Food was almost inedible. Staff were rude and unaccomodating especially the pompous old male manager. Ambiance is poor considering the bad smell and fake brick wallpaper. read more

My dad and his wife are 90% vegan eaters, and for our "nicer" restaurant meal in Maine we decided to come to Provender Kitchen & Bar as they specifically say on their website they have vegan availability. Some of you Yelpers even posted a vegan menu. Although they did not have one today and the chef mixed up that our party of seven was not coming at 7pm, they were still able to accommodate my dad and his wife. It took a while to get a cocktail that we actually liked although nothing was bad about the several we chose. One tasted like grass which I think they called a Velvet Breeze but we jokingly called the Lawnmower. Even our waitress thought that was funny. My kid also did not care for the I Mean...Cake. What we did like a lot was The Echo of Yesterday which almost was like a Strawberry Daiquiri. Our lager and ale beers also hit the spot. We all went with different foods. Appetizers included octopus, a special of the day lobster roll, tomato salads, and a cheese plate called the Humboldt. For mains, a beautiful steak, halibut, rigatoni, short rib, and my dad shared a noodle dish with spice and vegetables that was fully eaten. We even went with some dessert of peaches with a wonderful cream and shortbread crumble, and bread pudding. We really liked our food. All our service staff were very friendly and attentive. The bathroom is super small and gender neutral. The restaurant itself is long and thin and I felt like we were in a brick tunnel with lots of woodwork. The bar is on one side and huge. The bill came with a "house charge" which I questioned and was told it's for the unknowns of what the chef has planned for the day. Everyone gets the charge. We also were not charged the automatic 20% gratuity as expected since we were more than a party of five. If you want to come to a quite nice restaurant with better than average food and sit-down service, I'd recommend Provender Kitchen & Bar. You should not be disappointed. It was nice to get somewhat dressy for one of our vacation places. $520.75 for seven adults not including tip. About $80 was just on alcohol. read more

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This SHI IS GAS BRUHHH DECADENT ASF amazing drinks and food, the wagyu was kinda dookie but everything else is amazing, it's super romantic, the service is great they are all very nice, the short rib rigatoni is some of the best I've ever had. read more

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What a gem in the heart of ellesworth! A cozy relaxing atmosphere, with top notch service and food. The drinks were spot on and unique! The beet salad and burrata were delicious and they paired the flavors well, accentuating each bite...it was literally a party in my mouth. Make reservations!! read more

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A first-class dining experience tonight. Started with an amazing cocktail, followed with a really flavorful beet salad, finishing with halibut. Halibut is a tricky fish to prepare...hence it can be dry. But not so tonight! The fish was cooked perfectly, moist and obliviously fresh. And the servers were more than attentive! read more

When a restaurant makes you tear up with happiness, it's the best. Provender exceeded expectations. We were seated and there was a card on the table with birthday wishes for my companion. Not expected. We ordered our appetizer, tomatoes and peaches, and were blown away by the simplicity and the mastery. A few minutes later, they brought lobster rolls to our table as a complimentary amuse bouche. Not expected. Dinner was fantastic and priced well. When we finished, we were greeted by management and told Happy Birthday. Not expected. All in all, a fabulous experience, couched by kindness and warmth. We were blown away in the best manner. I am thankful. We will be going back soon. read more

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We greatly enjoyed our dinner at Provender and highly recommend it. The tuna nacho appetizer was phenomenal. My cocktail (I forget the name, but something with pineapple rum) was very good too. Our entrees were good as well. The chicken with a truffle cream sauce was very well done. I had the rigatoni with short rib, and enjoyed it, although I'll try something else next time. The chocolate torte for dessert was small, but very, very good. Service was friendly, helpful, and efficient. Ambiance is not fancy, but modern and comfortable. I appreciated the lounge / house music in the background... audible enough to set the vibe, but very easy to have a conversation over. The need to give credit card information to make a reservation had dissuaded me from trying Provender in the past, but now I'm kicking myself for not coming sooner. I am eagerly looking forward to my next visit. read more

Let me start by saying the food was delicious, but hugely overpriced for what you receive. This restaurant looks like it can't decide what it wants to be when it grows up. It's a mix of old elegance and modern. Pick a theme. Also, the music selection didn't match the ambience either. It was also much too loud for the space. Now let's talk service...um that was really lacking. We hope the disjointedness is due to summer help. We shall see! Our server didn't even mention any specials to our table, but when the table next to us was seated she explained all the specials in detail. We asked a few questions and no one seemed to know the answers. All of our food though delicious, came out randomly. We were a group of 4. We ordered 2 appetizers. One came out. We ate it. 10 minutes later the other came out! Moving on to entrees...one came out...couple minutes later another...repeat 2 more times until all 4 of us were served! I don't know if the problem was in the kitchen or with the server or both. Either way it wasn't good. Let's talk dessert. 3 of us ordered dessert. When a different server brought out the 2 chocolate mousse, we were trying to let her know who they went to...she put them abruptly on the table and said y'all work it out...I'm going to back away now. She wasn't just rude to us, but she was rude to everyone she "served". Anyway, I had ordered the ice cream with blood orange olive oil. Should be pretty simple...ice cream, drizzle of olive oil, flaked salt and fresh cracked pepper...the other two were almost finished when the ice cream arrived. Come to find out, someone had dropped the first ice cream...no one told us until mine arrived. Completely unacceptable. We will give this place one more shot...to be continued! read more

I had a top notch experience here on a recent vacation to the area. The atmosphere has classic tavern vibes with cozy booths and dark wood. We began our experience with bourbon cocktails garnished in sage. They were perfectly balanced and wonderfully made. For our starter, we got the crab dip, which came served with buttery toasted biscuits. It was amazing. Tons of crab and the biscuit was definitely not a side note but was fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. For my main course, I got the scallops. The favor was spot on with just the right hint of lemon. I usually prefer my scallops with a bit more sear, but that was such a small note as they were so good, it could be overlooked. My dining companion and I shared their brussels sprouts, which were saucy and flavorful. For dessert, we shared the dark chocolate mousse with salted caramel ice cream which was absolutely as mouth-wateringly delicious as it sounds. The service throughout was pitch perfect and the prices are what you'd expect for a superlative dining experience. Get to it! read more

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We were traveling to Maine and my wife and myself decided to have a dinner out at a nice restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. Provender had some great reviews regarding the food and the service so we made reservations for this restaurant. Never have I been as disappointed with the level of service we received here. We were there over 2 hours before we received our entrees. Our server when she noticed we were getting ticked off blamed it on the kitchen. Ordinarily I would agree but when people who came after us were getting their meals and we were not....that isn't the kitchen messing up, that is the front of the house messing up and not shouldering the mistake. I never tip less than 20% the level of service they provided was worth only 15% and I noted the level of my dissatisfaction on the bill. If you're going for the food, you will be happy....service not so much read more

Amazing meal!! Attentive service! We ate here on our first night of vacation and quickly booked for our final night! The burger, the mussels and the gnudi were all memorable. The carrot cake with marshmallow frosting was worth every calorie! Beautiful place, great vibe. read more

Great vegetarian options. Good local beer. Amazing food. Bailey provided us with awesome service.

Great atmosphere and friendly staff. I had grilled chicken with a squash puree and my boyfriend had the PK Burger. And let's not forget the desert. We shared the Creme Brule cheesecake that was to die for. A definite place to check out when in Ellsworth. read more

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Always a good meal at Provence's Kitchen. Love the ambiance and the service. Very enjoyable

It's been a tradition to make Provender a splurge on each trip to the area, often meeting family there, as it's such a reliably top-notch dining experience. This visit was no exception and especially rewarding. After multiple visits through the years, we'd gotten a little too used to our favorite menu options, so it was a happy jolt to see dishes this time that seemed new. Although the menu is not a long one -- it feels like they've winnowed their focus to ensure every item is a gem -- it was so hard to choose from among the very tantalizingly described meals. Everyone ended up with a different dish and we had a great (and delicious!) time sharing bites so we could try everything. Everyone's choice was a winner but I was especially rolling my eyes in ecstasy over the cod and pork dishes. The components are sometimes surprising but consistently amazing choices by the chef. Another thing that made this a definitive 5 stars was my superlative mocktail -- winter holidays and warmth in a glass -- and the lip-smacking reactions of others to their liquor-added cocktails. All had witty names that are evocative of the unique flavor profiles...or just playful for fun's sake. It's unusual to find bar concoctions that aren't just gimmicky but legitimate pleasures, and they nailed it. read more

Cute spot in downtown Ellsworth with an awesome happy hour! Inside is charming with brick and wood details and cozy booths. A small selection of local beers on draft and more in cans, and quality house cocktails. On a Tuesday, seating was easy but I could see it filling up easily on the weekends and during busy season so I would recommend making reservations. Food was absolutely great. We split the dumpling tacos (huge!) and chicken wontons. Unique and delicious, with large portions plenty to share. Lots of other creative options for apps and entrees. If we were locals, this would definitely be a regular weekly stop. read more

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I have only one word to describe Provender and that is incredible from the food to the atmosphere. Reservations are a must here! You can either sit at the bar or get a table. I sat at the bar which was a full service bar. You can order a drink off of their menu or anything that you are in the mood for. I had a lemon drop martini and it was one of the best ones I have ever had. Provender bartenders are truly incredible. Next let's move onto the food. I started with their fig and burrata. It was incredible! Everything tasted fresh and paired nicely together. For my main dish, I had their lamb special and it was everything I needed and more. It was rich and flavorful. Overall Provender is truly an incredible restaurant. The one thing that makes this restaurant amazing is that the chef will deliver your food and talk to you. You can tell that he truly cares about the food that he is creating. Provender menu is always changing too and whatever they add to it, I am sure it will be amazing! read more

Provender Kitchen + Bar - Fig and burrata - New American Near Me - Ellsworth, Maine

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We were passing through Ellsworth on our way to Arcadia National Park and we stopped by this place bc it got such great reviews on Yelp. If you are passing through, STOP BY! Hostess greeted us with a smile and quickly seated us. Unfortunately we didn't get one of those cool booths bc we didn't have a reservation, but all good. Food was really good. The Crab Rangoon Hash Browns seemed a bit odd, but it was good. My main course was the duck bolognese..again something I thought that sounded interesting, so I tried it. Duck was cooked well and made with fresh pasta! My wife had the scallops and she loved them (sorry, she was really hungry and started eating as soon as we got our food). Again, if you're ever on your way in or out of Acadia, check this place out. read more

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Food: 50/50 The Venison was in the top 5 best meals I've ever had. Everyone else was also similarly blown away by the food. I got the cocktail made with both gin and drambuie, and it was also incredibly good. Service: 25/25 The service was great and the food arrived fairly quickly, but it took long enough that we knew it was being made fresh. We liked the glass water bottles they brought out. Ambience: 25/25 The place looked great and the bar was fully stocked. Total Score: 100/100 read more

A lovely spot for dinner. The kind of food where, when you leave, you don't feel like you have eaten a large quantity, but you are very satisfied. High quality food. I had a fascinating dish that consisted of a hashbrown (like a McDonald's hashbrown, and I mean that in the best way), topped with chorizo, topped with a halibut filet, topped with elote salsa, served with a puddle of green chile sauce on the side. The flavor combos were unexpected and fantastic. Highly recommend! read more

Provender Kitchen + Bar - Halibut - New American Near Me - Ellsworth, Maine

My last night in town and I asked the boys to pick a spot. What a nice place. The staff were super nice and attentive. Food was delish. Got the burrata and beets app, nice start. I had the charred octopus - absolutely perfect - we also had some duck confit, they said it was good and lastly the charred artic - also got rave review lol Definitely be back when I'm back in the area. read more

Food was fantastic and just the right portions. Short rib, pork chop, and steak were some of the best our group ever had. Sides were tasty. Service was attentive but not bothersome. Server brought out gorgeous crystal wide-rimmed glasses for our sparkling wine that made a birthday celebration even more fun Lovely interior with beautiful woodwork. Booths were private but still part of the whole communal atmosphere. Great place! read more

The service was great and the drink were very good! However, my pasta was extremely salty and the Caesar salad was... different. I understand the take but the creamy dollops of whatever (cream cheese) was gross. You couldn't even spread it properly. It was an average experience, but not worth the money sadly. The ambience was your usual dark moody and average volume. Not too loud, but not too quiet. read more

Great food. Old speak easy type of vibe. Great eclectic cocktails and mocktails. Seasonal menu changes. Highly recommend.

i want to start off with saying service was attentive and great! ambiance was good as well. our problem lies with the food quality per the price point. my boyfriend and i live in nyc and go to places at a similar price point very often. we were originally excited to try this place out! we found the food across the board to be bland and meh. for the total cost i would say it's bad because it feels like a waste of money. worth a try if you don't get as many dishes and lower your expectations drastically. the ravioli was too oily with no seasoning in sight. the "molten" lava cake was dry and doesn't deserve to have molten in the name. the best part of the duck was the candied orange. read more

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Excellent food and service! I got the halibut and I loved the sauce so much the kind chef named Darren came out and explained to me how to make it which was so kind! a must stop! read more

Food was delicious! Drinks were strong ! The best. The people were super friendly and great bartenders! read more

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First--staff was lovely and knowledgeable, and food was cooked amazingly. However, portions are very small for the price. I think the menu sacrifices aesthetics for clarity--it's not clear what's an "appetizer" and what's an "entree." I know this is a more expensive place, but portions were very small with no sides for the price. For instance, the steak was $40, and listed as including onion rings and green beans. My plate had about four bites of steak, 3 onion rings, and 4 green beans--I was still hungry afterwards. The mussel appetizer was much more food than the steak entree. Great food and atmosphere, but they should either lower prices or increase portions to maintain their reputation. read more

Refined and often local dishes in a unique historical setting reminiscent of Jazz Age decor.

Had to sit at the bar place was crowded Ordered the specials chicken parm it was huge good enough for four people pasta extra but delish and dessert awesome pumpkin cookie with ice cream read more

Gorgeous place. Great ambience. Great service. The food was excellent. My wife had cod and I had the pheasant. Wonderfully cooked and tasted great. Definitely give it a try. read more

Dinner on a Friday night in August. Game on. First impressions. First, there was a refundable fee to make a reservation, $25 pp, so my antenna was up. We live in the Boston area and eat out quite a bit, we only see this at the occasional high demand restaurants. I am now expecting greatness. Second, host who was at the door, note I did not say "who greeted us" looked up from whatever he was reading with a "and what do you want? " look. He was not a welcoming guy. Our servers, however, were really knowledgeable and friendly. Well done. Food was hit and miss. Hits- beet salad and lamb dumplings. Delicious! Miss- the duck. tough and chewy. Likely just a bad piece of duck. Dessert was a hit, chocolate mousse. Creamy, well flavored. Atmosphere is warm and inviting, more casual than formal. Water bottle on the table was a nice touch. Overall very good. read more

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A small narrow space that has great staff and lots of old world charm. The entrees are creative and flavorful. And our server was very attentive. This would be my go to spot if I lived closer. read more