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    Side Street Cafe

    4.1 (2.7k reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Salad, Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Side Street Cafe Photos

    SIDE STREET CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Side Street Cafe

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    Brianna T.

    So so yummy! Loved our lobster rolls and chowder, and the drinks were refreshing and strong!

    Avery L.

    I made sure to hit side street cafe because I heard rave reviews about it and all the gluten free options. I was honestly kind of disappointed, $40 for the lobster roll and a $5 upgraded if you want a side other than potato chips! The roll could have used more mayo or sauce or something, it's only available cold. The lobster melt was better, but it's hard to not taste good on warm sourdough with melt cheese. The loaded fries were pretty good but nothing crazy for $14. The food was not bad by any means, but I wouldn't not say the quality and taste justified the price.

    Blueberry pie
    Sam M.

    Solid restaurant, service was subpar and not a lot of space to sit comfortably. Food was nice, nothing to write home about or visit again but beer was pleasant.

    Prime rib sandwich
    Andy Y.

    Excellent food and service and live music in the Annex. In our two visits, we had the clam chowder, scallops, lobster melt, hamburger, prime rib sandwich, and the blueberry IPA and Lunch IPA. Everything was great. I'd also recommend you upgrade a side to the mac and cheese, which was also delicious. And leave room for their blueberry pie! Special thanks to Cynthia who provided us courteous and efficient service at the bar on our first visit and at a table on our second visit.

    Burger
    Heather M.

    We weren't anticipating going to Bar Harbor this trip so I was scrambling to choose a place for our anniversary dinner. I'm so glad we found this place. Everything was delicious! I loved the mocktail. We got there a little before 5 and were sat right away. Our server was great and our food came out fast and hot.

    Captains Catch with Sweet Potato Fries
    Elias G.

    Service was very friendly, and there was no wait to sit on the porch. Lots of cute dogs. Food was satisfying - I liked their clam chowder a lot. It had tons of clams and was not super thick. The mac and cheese was just OK. Good, but not as mind-blowing as they and their reviews suggest. The sauce was also a bit broken. The pie was delicious, as are most wild blueberry pies, although I think the filling was far better than the crust. I'd say it's pretty reliable, especially if you haven't made reservations elsewhere.

    BlackBerry Bourbon lemonade - really good
    Ric P.

    As the name suggests, the "Side Street Cafe" is one-block off Main Street in Bar Harbor, literally on a side-street. Surrounded by flowering plants upon entering you'll find d a low ceiling with rough hand hewn beams. The restaurant can be a bit loud but this is managed by open windows and outdoor seating. The hamburger is listed as a smash burger ... but it is not a true smash burger... but that doesn't diminish its taste. Very juicy and an overall great burger. The Lobster Roll was excellent. LOTS of Lobster! Buttery, fresh, and tender. My only wish is the roll could have been toasted more. Then there is the Blueberry pie. OMGOODNESS THIS WAS A HEAVENLY EXPERIENCE. I love pie and this blueberry pie was tasty with an excellent crust. Could not have been any better. When visiting Bar Harbor, forget the Main Street restaurants and go find the Side Street Cafe.

    Menu
    Marilyn B.

    Side Street Cafe is located very close to main street on Rodick Street. It is worth the stop for any meal. We did not have any wait when we arrived which was surprising as it looked packed. We were seated on their outside deck overlooking Rodick Street. We ordered drinks, an app, and entrees. My drink was a blueberry mint lemonade l. It had a punch of tartness and was very pretty. Our app was the Rodick Street Corn. It arrived at the table smothered in the Old Bay crema but you could also taste the lime and tajin. It was delicious! For my meal, I went with the firecracker burger with candied bacon, slaw and cheddar on a country roll. It typically comes with chips but I swapped those for sweet potato fries. First of all, candied bacon? Yes, please. The surprising part was the country roll. It was the perfect pairing with the burger. I ate every last bite. The sweet potato fries were some of the best I've had. They were perfectly cooked with the right amount of salt. Overall, I highly recommend eating a meal or 2 at Side Street Cafe when you're in Bar Harbor.

    Side street tacos with hallock
    Erin F.

    This place has over 2600 reviews #worthit. I anticipated having to wait but we got there at the perfect time, they were opening up another section of the restaurant for seating. So maybe 5 minutes. Everything we ordered was fabulous, the drinks, the food, the fish, the fries, even the black bean patty. I've literally been talking about the black bean patty for days. We also had a side of Mac and cheese, yum! They also offer some molding clay to help keep the kids entertained. My aunt and uncle have been coming to Maine for a decade and said this was their favorite place to eat. Tried and true. The entry is unique, like a secret tunnel. We sat on the ground floor, it has a huge bar and some covered seating on a deck. It looks like there is a second floor as well, maybe next time we will check that portion out. A note also this place is year round open, one of the few after tourist season.

    Christian E.

    It was very very cold inside. They did turn the fan off for us, but it's still very cold. The lobster stew is delicious. It has a good amount of lobster in it & the chopped green onions in it and the flavor; the bartender's choice cocktail was guava rum punch, and the charity was the food pantry ($2)That was nice. The blueberry margarita was very limey and tart, but strong The server was very nice and attentive. The lobster mac and cheese is always a favorite. We also got a slice of blueberry pie to go, and it was delicious.

    Michelle E.

    July 2025: My husband and I stopped at Side Street Cafe because we wanted to have our first Lobster Roll and Clam Chowder at a highly recommended place and this was it based on reviews. We dined outside for lunch on the patio where it was dog friendly, since we had our 10 lb dog with us. We only had to wait about 10-15 minutes for seating. The clam chowder was good and flavorful, the lobster roll was very simple and minimalist. The main focus was the fresh lobster and buttered toasted bread, not so much the condiments. I considered it a little bland for me but I love adding pepper and hot sauce to my food. lol Also, our waitress, Harmony, was very friendly and provided great service. Overall we enjoyed our lunch and would recommend stopping here for a bite to eat!

    Jason L.

    We went here to escape the main streets of Bar Harbor. That said, this side street was pretty popular. I've been to Bar Harbor over ten times and I don't remember this section of town but it was one of our favorites during this trip. Anyway, we stopped in for one reason -- blueberry pie. We also ate food and had a few beers but --- nothing really stood out as exceptional. This blueberry pie was a showstopper - I'd go so far as to say it's "G.O.A.T"ed.

    Mocktails

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    Great beer selection, and excellent food that's reasonably priced. Great service and atmosphere.

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    Side Street Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Side Street Cafe

    What times are Happy Hour?

    How is this business operating during COVID-19? Are they offering takeout, delivery, or both? Anything else to note about them right now?

    My experiences have been top notch. I've ordered online, paid online, and then you go to the restaurant and pick up your order on the counter. It has you name written on the bag. Both times someone is there thanking me for my order and asking if it… Read more

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    Tap & Barrel Tavern

    Tap & Barrel Tavern

    4.6
    (254 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Stopped in after a long bike ride in Acadia, it was exactly what our bodies were wanting! We got a…read moreflight of beer and their sour they had that was local was delish! Our waitress was so kind and helped out with someone who had a food allergy. We sat on the patio and it was nice and the road they are on isn't busy so it felt like we were tucked back a little! I would recommend! I got the sausage platter and they had pickled rhubarb and it was to die for!

    Excellent find. Fantastic meal. Heck of a good time…read more Lots of beers and booze to choose from nestled in all warm and cozy in the eclectic environment of Bar Harbor, ME. I had the burger special which was fucking fantastic! I was getting pretty tired of seafood at this point and it was the most refreshing change of pace. It was one of those just in time food experiences. C went for the crab cakes. What a gorgeous version of crab cakes they were! Fancy pants presentation and all things considered some of the best crab cakes we had on our trip. Bartender was really friendly and was super proud of their whiskey/bourbon collection. He did point out a few bottles to us that were really quite special and hard to come across. They had some Penelope variants that were unseen to me. I would come back in a heartbeat. If I lived nearby, I would be here all of the time. There were a ton of interesting menu items I would like to try. '26 - 26

    Photos
    Glasses
    Glasses
    Brisket sandwich with parm fries!!
    Brisket sandwich with parm fries!!
    Old Fashioned with Weller; 12 year Rip Van Winkle

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    Old Fashioned with Weller; 12 year Rip Van Winkle
    Table Salt

    Table Salt

    4.4
    (42 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    This might have been the best meal we had on our trip to Maine!…read more A lot of restaurants weren't open yet but we came across this one. We were originally only going to order some small plates , but the one entree with fried chicken looked like something my husband would really like. Cocktails were great. Our server Eli was very friendly and helpful , he answered my questions. The lobster bisque was delicious, and I liked that it had a tempura lobster garnish and the caviar in it was a nice touch too. The tempura wasn't as crispy as I would have liked it , I think only the end part was, but still very good soup. We also got some oysters which were great with the sauces on the side. I ended up getting the halibut, which I never get at a restaurant- but it was so good! With the wakame butter, bok choy, pork belly, and sticky rice. All the flavors worked so well together! Husband got the Cantonese chicken- which was delicious as well. Very crispy, flavorful. We were so stuffed afterwards otherwise we would have got dessert. We ended up taking some Togo even though we had to drive for hours the next day. We put it in a cooler and ate some for lunch cold and it was still good. We had a great meal- i definitely recommended it.

    Where do I even begin. We should have walked out the moment we opened the menu and saw that every…read moresingle dish reads like a fever dream written by someone who just discovered the word "umami" and lost their mind entirely. Every fish is paired with meat. In a lobster town. Truffle aioli on a lobster roll are we in 1987? The apps arrived and the nausea followed immediately. My wedge salad had sweet blue cheese dressing I didn't know that was possible, but here we are -- with a random glob of whole grain mustard on top. For what reason? No one knows. My daughter ordered the pork belly and scallops. The scallops arrived the color of miniature marshmallows not a single sear on them, just pale, flaccid little jellies sliding around the plate. My husband ordered the garlic shrimp which inexplicably contained olives, capers, rock-hard chorizo, and a salty broth. The bread course: three pieces of sourdough for $12. One of the butters was sweet. My sister's salmon arrived on two separate piles of colored gloop one green, one reddish pink decorated with little ornamental dots in a plating style that I haven't seen for 20 years. Something on the plate was allegedly broccoli slaw. It was large, cold, oxidized florets with brown edges that no one touched. My husband's filet came with beet mashed potatoes that were ice cold and inedible, and a steak so chewy it couldn't be cut and was raw in the middle. My daughter's seafood pasta arrived in what I can only describe as a glop of beige glue with fish suspended inside it. It looked like oatmeal that had absorbed the ocean. She was given a cracker and a fork, which I assume was meant to be ironic. I canceled my entrée after the apps. When we asked our server where the halibut was from, he said "I think it's fresh." When we asked about the salmon, he said "I think the Atlantic Ocean, but I'm not sure." That was the end of that conversation. We are well-traveled. We live in New York City. I am a chef and my sisters husband is a chef. We have eaten all over the world. This was the single worst meal any of us has ever had in our collective lives. Every dish had no fewer than 47 ingredients, none which complimented each other. The owner seemed genuinely shocked when we explained what had happened, which was perhaps the most alarming part. He refunded us, and we appreciated that. But the refund did not cover my daughter spending the night sick. Hire a new chef. Write a new menu. Edit ruthlessly. Less is more. A lobster in Bar Harbor does not need truffle aioli!!It needs butter maybe some lemon? We were absolutely shocked this place has good reviews.

    Photos
    Table salt sign
    Table salt sign
    Yellow Fin Salad
    Yellow Fin Salad
    Surf and turf

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    Surf and turf
    Galyn's

    Galyn's

    4.1
    (927 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    Wow! What an amazing meal in Bar Harbor! We stopped in for happy hour to just grab a cocktail (and…read moreoysters for me) and decided to come back for dinner! Felt like an old steakhouse inside with dark wood paneling. Intimate and quiet. Sat at The high tops by the bar and had incredible And attentive service from Ron, the bartender there. He makes amazing drinks! Highly recommend the Beehive!

    I had my birthday dinner here on a cold, rainy night last weekend. It was wonderful…read more Service was very good and the inside of this restaurant is very charming with art displays on the walls and lots of wood. We had a wedge salad to start which was served a bit differently with their house-made vinaigrette. My husband chose the lobster enchiladas with rice and veggies and a cilantro cream sauce. These were VERY good and I was jealous. I loved them. I chose the fish of the day which was haddock with rice and veggies and a pesto sauce that was SO good! Very fresh and filling. Large filet of fish on this plate. For dessert, I wanted to try the Indian Pudding a la mode and our server informed me that it was very rich and was somewhat like pumpkin pie, ginger cookies and bread pudding. It was something different, but VERY potent and a bit much for us. We swapped it out for the blueberry apple crumble and were much happier with that. All in all, a wonderful dinner on a rainy night for my birthday. We'd happily come back to this spot for a date night while in town.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Stuff pork chop
    Stuff pork chop
    Cocktails

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    Cocktails
    Geddy's

    Geddy's

    3.9
    (1.2k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Tidbit! The Anchorage Motel manager warned us with a whisper: "It's where all the tourists go. But…read moreit's good. It's really good." She wasn't lying. It was worth the 45-minute wait. Spend that time wandering Main Street's shops, because the wait was worth the bite. The shrimp and scallop scampi arrived swimming in garlic, butter, and pasta (perfect fuel before a half marathon). My uncle's fish and chips delivered an actual deep-fried slab of fish, somehow golden and perfectly cooked. And then the seafood pie: crispy, flaky, golden on top in a way that looks borderline burnt but is actually just butter and scallops doing what butter and scallops do. This dish was basically chowder, piled high with fish... And some more fish, with a dash of chowder. Even the blueberry beer came through; we got Orono's Wicked Maine Blueberry Ale, packed with actual blueberries floating up and down. Yes, we paid tourist prices, but we got generous, delicious portions and full bellies.

    Easy and satisfying spot in the heart of Bar Harbor! We got seated, ordered, and received our food…read moreso quickly which was amazing after a long day at Acadia. I would definitely recommend the pizza and the fish and chips, those were winners for sure. The lobster roll and the clam chowder were delicious in the mini lobster bake, though the blueberry tart was unfortunately a little burnt.

    Photos
    Geddy's famous lobster bake in Bar Harbor, Maine ... yummy!
    Geddy's famous lobster bake in Bar Harbor, Maine ... yummy!
    This darling family is enjoying our famous New England Lobster Bake - Maine Lobster, Clam Chowder, Corn on the Cob and Blueberry Pie!
    This darling family is enjoying our famous New England Lobster Bake - Maine Lobster, Clam Chowder, Corn on the Cob and Blueberry Pie!
    Experience Geddy's famous mini-lobster roll bake - lobster, clam chowder, and blueberry tart.

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    Experience Geddy's famous mini-lobster roll bake - lobster, clam chowder, and blueberry tart.

    Side Street Cafe - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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