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    Thirsty Whale

    3.8 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Seafood, Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)

    Thirsty Whale Photos

    Business Info

    THIRSTY WHALE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Thirsty Whale

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    Caesar salad  Lobster bisque
    Ilana S.

    We stopped in for a light bite - ordered a Caesar salad, the lobster bisque, and the blueberry ale of course ! The salad was actually quite good and a generous serving. The lobster bisque just tasted like cream to us, not really much of a lobster taste to it. Service wasn't very attentive.

    Lobster roll
    Dickson L.

    Usual pub in a touristy town. Food is expensive, drink is ok, service is excellent. I think we paid like $60-$70 for a Lobster roll, fish sandwich, a blueberry soda, and a draft IPA. Lobster roll was fresh and had a LOT of lobster, but I feel lobster rolls are just not enough for me lol. Fish sandwich was great, complete with tomato, lettuce, pickles, and mayo. Not bad overall but not great, I think there are places that might sell the exact same stuff for a cheaper price.

    Blackened Fried Haddock Dinner
    Sam M.

    My family and I ate at Thirsty Whale while visiting Bar Harbor / Acadia. A quick google search for "best fish & chips" led us here. While the fish & chips were decent, they weren't the greatest I've had. I decided to try their "blackened" style fish. It's definitely a flavorful iteration of blackened - however it leaned more into bitter tasting. It wasn't terrible, but you have to really like the blackened flavor profile to enjoy them. Contrary to what the menu says, it isn't spicy at all. I was disappointed by the fries. Not only were they completely unseasoned; they tasted like when you cook fries in the oven. Again, not terrible - just not great. We all got a bowl of the Lobster Bisque to start and really enjoyed it. One person in our group got the Fried Haddock Sandwich and enjoyed it. Our server was very friendly and checked in frequently. Thirsty Whale is super walkable to the Main Street in downtown Bar Harbor. If the menu catches your eye, I would give them a shot, but for us it was just an okay experience.

    Lobster Bisque with Garlic Bread
    Zachary D.

    Local tavern for casual drinks and local brews. Long bar with multiple tables for larger parties. Hostess was a bit cold and unpleasant to converse with. However the wait staff were friendly and attentive. Lobster bisque was good. Nothing to really write home about. I fished out maybe 2 tiny chunks of Lobster, but maybe that's how they do it here at the Thirsty Whale. The garlic bread was okay... had a nice amount of garlic and butter, but was a little too burnt for my liking.

    Outdoor patio
    Christian E.

    Loved the little back patio! It was a nice surprise because I didn't think they had outdoor seating and it was a nice day and I was wanting to be outdoors! Great cocktail without being rushed to order. We really weren't hungry. We just some fries and crab claws while enjoying the weather.

    French dip
    Erica L.

    They were busy but we managed to get a seat fairly quickly. It's a louder establishment but good food. Our group had fish burrito, lobster roll, lobster bisque, salad, French dip and crab roll.

    This wine is "healthy"!   One pint of blueberries in each can!   Not sweet - but was good!
    Brianna C.

    We ate here by chance! I had looked up many restaurants and this was one, but it ended up being the restaurant due to parking! And I'm not mad about it! It's great all around! The service, the food, and the drinks were all amazing!

    New England Chowder and Lobster Roll
    Kevin M.

    While visiting the area, I was perusing Yelp to find out where it would be good. We stumbled across thirsty well, and I looked into it even further as it seemed to be very good. Lo and behold, we were here six years ago, previous based on Yelp! :-) Little has changed, except the people probably. Our bartender and server, Dan, did a terrific job! We truly appreciated his professional friendliness! I open with a clam chowder and ordered a FRUBEN for my main course. It is actually a fish Reuben. In this case, I had the haddock blackened as well. Absolutely delicious! My wife ordered their blue cheeseburger with no bun. She truly enjoyed that as well. I also had a nice cup of chowder. Fairly good all considered! We are very happy. We stopped here for the second time in six years!

    Emma B.

    Nice meal. The host outside was a little off, there was about three groups in line waiting for tables, she stated there was no wait list, but ignored the other groups waiting and starting talking to a 6 top that just walked over wanting a table, rather than checking in the rest of the line that had formed. We didn't see much of our server, were sat inside but towards the end of the bar where there was an external door, so it was a bit chilly again and by the busser's station, so got to watch them dumping food and drink which wasn't the nicest. People in line were taking about the lobster bisque so we tried that - it was pretty nice. I got fish and chip, my non seafood eating partner got a Ruben, which he enjoyed. My fish and chips looked a little too brown, old oil? But the fish was cooked well, I was expecting a fillet rather than fish fingers basically! Wasn't greasy however. The restaurant doesn't have dessert, which was surprising, they should be taking advantage of local blueberries!

    Burger.
    Dinky R.

    "The world caves in when a man with purpose steps toward his destined path." - Dinky H. Reviews. Beneath collapsing stars and alien screams, one can dine at the Thirsty Whale. Although the chained whale in the basement, kept for ancient wisdom and prophecies, may be too literal for my Dinktastes. Surrounded by city streets, you will eat while within an encased, spiritual bubble. The burger and fries were delicious, and the shadowy figures haunting me enjoyed the atmosphere. The waitress had eighteen eyes and a mouth connected to the abyss. Impeccable service! Food was handed timely and with elegance. Dinky is a great enjoyer of this place, even if he is missing a large chunk of his skull. It was wonderful! Dinktastic, even.

    Blackened haddock
    Stephanie M.

    The fried blackened haddock sandwich is delicious. The perfect level of heat and crunch. The fries were hot and fresh. Great choices of local drought beer. I enjoyed the blueberry beer! Friendly staff and atmosphere. 10/10 Recommend for drought beer and a fish sandwich.

    Jae S.

    Great local bar for a drink. Unpretentious and laid back vibe. Come casual and grab a seat for a cold beer and some local pub fare.

    Seafood appetizer
    JoAnn L.

    Excellent food, we probably eat there once a day when in Bar Harbor Constantly good grub.

    Blackened fried haddock

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    Thirsty Whale Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Thirsty Whale

    Do they have Happy Hour?

    I am not seeing a Happy Hour but their website mentions $20 daily menu specials on Sunday-Thursday starting at 4pm. This ranges from lobster rolls, steak, fish fry, and more.

    Yelp has you opened every day. We came by on Tuesday, you were not open. Please change your Hours on yelp?

    If your available to work in the front of the house or the back of the house or a manager who doesn't need sleep they might be open on Tuesdays or a make an update in the zero free time they have on yelp. The effects of Covid on normal life /… Read more

    View All 3 Questions

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    Leary's Landing Irish Pub - Beauregard Margarita - Bar Harbor - Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    4.2(367 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Reviewed the menu and decided this is where I wanted to come after a long day hiking in the park…read moreand starving after skipping lunch. This spot is cozy and quaint and full of friendly local staff members. It was Kentucky Derby day and a lot of folks we were watching it as we walked in, ambiance was jovial and loud. Greeted immediately by the hostess and bartender and waited a short while for a table to open up. I ordered the chicken sandwich and my husband ordered the Reuben. He is Jewish and loves Reubens, gets them all the time. He said this one was really, really good. Great texture to the meat. Now, my Chicken Sandwich - was the best I've ever had in my life. I told my husband, I will be holding any and all future chicken sandwiches up to this one as the benchmark. The breaded chicken breast was huge and delicious quality white meat. It was dipped in buffalo sauce, and had fresh slaw, pickles, tomato and blue cheese sauce. It was DECADENT and it really hit the spot for me after a long day. I could not stop eating it. YUMMMM. Oh, we also ordered the pub fries - loaded with aioli and cheese and greens. Fries were delish but a bit too much aioli for our taste. Still, wonderful! Huge portion. Overall, food was yummy, out quickly, service was great and we loved the vibes. Easily a fav for us on this trip and we'll be looking forward to coming back again some day!

    The food is outstanding, the service was great the atmosphere is fun. A VERY Irish pub. Great…read morevaried menu. Our waiter was outstanding and very pleasant. He pointed out "all the sauces are in house made."and the tartar sauce is the best I have tasted. He also, when taking our order, pointed out Ladies first, which I impressed with, not many restaurants make a point of that anymore. 5 stars, highly recommend

    Photos
    Leary's Landing Irish Pub - Grilled Veggie Sandwich - Bar Harbor - Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    Grilled Veggie Sandwich - Bar Harbor - Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    Leary's Landing Irish Pub - Simple Salad with Blackened Haddock and Fish N' Chips - Bar Harbor - Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    Simple Salad with Blackened Haddock and Fish N' Chips - Bar Harbor - Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    Leary's Landing Irish Pub - Summer Salad - Bar Harbor - Leary's Landing Irish Pub

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    Summer Salad - Bar Harbor - Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    Project Social Kitchen & Bar - Craft Cocktails in Bar Garden with Jenga Game - Bar Harbor - Project Social Kitchen & Bar

    Project Social Kitchen & Bar

    4.4(447 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Had a nice time having dinner out in their garden. Gorgeous night and beautiful ambiance with…read moregreat lighting. I had the Mediterranean Mezzo for my meal and if you'd like it gluten free you can ask for extra cucumbers instead of the pita bread. The waiter was nice enough to bring me the cucumbers after he brought out the dish as there was an abundance of pitas in comparison to the rest of the items. They give you 3 dips which were all delicious. Tzatziki, olive dip and a Muhammara which is a red pepper dip. We then got the Oysters Rockafeller to split. Lots of tobiko. Heavy sausage flavor. I would probably skip those next time. I will say regarding drinks, they have a beautiful cocktail list but my stomach wasn't feeling great so instead of a normal spicy margarita or something similar, I asked for a dirty martini and it came out with a funky flavor. Most likely too much vermouth. The poor waiter took at least ten minutes before returning with a new martini without vermouth. He or the bartender clearly did not know how to make this. If I returned to the area I'd definitely return for a funky cocktail and something a little more adventurous on the menu.

    Totally forgot to write a review for this place, and now circling back to give a shout out! We came…read moretwo nights in a row while visiting the area. Both times, we had great experiences. Service, food, drinks, atmosphere are all top notch. You can join the waitlist from your phone, which is great. Seating inside and outside are both lovely. Both food and drink options are unique and delicious. We loooved the duck tacos and crab cakes. My mouth is watering thinking about them both. Well worth a visit!!

    Photos
    Project Social Kitchen & Bar
    Project Social Kitchen & Bar - Pokè Rolls

    Pokè Rolls

    Project Social Kitchen & Bar - Chocolate Pot De Creme

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    Chocolate Pot De Creme

    The Terrace Grille - Delicious beers and crab dip.

    The Terrace Grille

    4.0(204 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Saturday, July 2025: My husband and I traveled from Wisconsin to Maine and wanted an authentic…read morelobster experience on the water. We liked the outdoor dining setting at The Terrace Grille so opted to have lunch there outside. We went there at 1PM on a Saturday and were seated right away. We didn't get a table right next to the edge but we could see the water perfectly from our seats. Our waiter was very friendly but he, and most of the staff, were transplants. Our waiter told us he didn't know where lobsters came from until he recently moved here. lol For an appetizer, we shared the Crab & Appetizer Dip. It was delicious!!! Definitely not healthy but we didn't care, we ate most of it. Tip: eat it while it's hot! It's definitely not good cold. For lunch, I had the Bar Harbor Lobster Cobb salad and my husband had the Steamed Maine Lobster. My salad was amazing! The lobster was fresh, tender, and overall the flavors of the salad went well together with the honey citrus dressing. My husband wasn't crazy about his lobster, he said the meal was acceptable but the lobster was overcooked.

    We had a great experience here! They don't accept reservations, only walk ups, but we had no issues…read moregetting a table. The outdoor seating area is GORGEOUS with great water views of Frenchman Bay and Bar Harbor. We ordered a bowl of NE Clam Chowder, Lobster Bruschetta, Lobster Chef Salad, and the Haddock. Everything was superb! What the chowder lacked in salt it more than made up for in deep, rich clam flavor! The haddock was also divine! A great experience for sure!

    Photos
    The Terrace Grille
    The Terrace Grille - Braised Short Rib

    Braised Short Rib

    The Terrace Grille - The fire pit on the hotel grounds

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    The fire pit on the hotel grounds

    Thirsty Whale - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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