Where to Eat in Bar Harbor: A Local's Guide to the Best Restaurants
The restaurants worth your time and money in Bar Harbor, ME
Side Street Cafe: American/seafood in Downtown
Side Street Cafe is the locals' favorite in a town full of tourist-oriented restaurants, and the reason is simple — consistently great food at reasonable prices served in a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. The lobster mac and cheese is legendary, packing sweet Maine lobster into a creamy, cheesy pasta that's become a Bar Harbor must-eat. The fish tacos are fresh and well-seasoned, the nachos are loaded beyond reason, and the craft beer selection features the best of Maine's exceptional brewing scene. The restaurant occupies a cozy space on Cottage Street with a lively bar scene and walls covered in local art. In a town where many restaurants coast on tourist traffic, Side Street actually earns its crowds.
Pro Tip
Go before 5:30 PM to avoid the dinner rush — the wait can stretch past an hour in peak summer. The blueberry ale from Atlantic Brewing pairs perfectly with the lobster mac and cheese.
Jordan's Restaurant: American breakfast/bakery in Downtown
Jordan's has been serving Bar Harbor's best breakfast since 1976, and the combination of fresh-baked goods, hearty plates, and reasonable prices keeps locals and visitors coming back year after year. The blueberry pancakes made with wild Maine blueberries are the signature — light, fluffy, and bursting with the intense flavor that only tiny wild berries deliver. The corned beef hash is made in-house from real brisket, the omelets are packed and cooked to order, and the sticky buns fresh from the oven are worth the trip alone. The restaurant is modest in size and decor, which is exactly the point — this is about the food, cooked by people who care, served by people who know the regulars by name.
Pro Tip
Arrive before 8 AM in summer to beat the crowd. The wild blueberry pancakes are non-negotiable. Take a sticky bun to go for a midday Acadia snack.
Havana: Latin American/fusion in Main Street
Havana is Bar Harbor's most sophisticated restaurant, occupying a handsome Main Street storefront with a menu that draws from Latin American cuisines — Cuban, Mexican, Brazilian, Peruvian — and filters them through a fine-dining sensibility. The paella with Maine lobster, littleneck clams, and chorizo is a showstopper, the ceviche made with fresh-off-the-boat local fish is bright and perfectly balanced, and the mole-braised short ribs are deeply flavored and impossibly tender. The cocktail program is equally impressive, with mojitos, caipirinhas, and creative rum drinks that transport you to warmer latitudes even on a foggy Maine evening. The atmosphere is warm and candlelit, a welcome counterpoint to the casual lobster-shack vibe that dominates the rest of town.
Pro Tip
Reservations are essential in summer — book a week ahead. The prix fixe menu is an excellent value and lets the kitchen showcase its range.
Reading Room Restaurant: Fine dining/American in Bar Harbor Inn
The Reading Room at the Bar Harbor Inn offers the most dramatic dining view in town — floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Frenchman Bay with the Porcupine Islands scattered across the water. The menu features refined preparations of Maine ingredients — pan-seared diver scallops from the cold Atlantic waters, butter-poached lobster with drawn butter and seasonal vegetables, and a perfectly seared duck breast with wild blueberry gastrique. The space itself is elegant in a classic New England way — white tablecloths, candlelight, and a hushed atmosphere that lets the view and the food take center stage. This is where you come for a special occasion dinner in Bar Harbor.
Pro Tip
Request a window table for the full Frenchman Bay panorama. Sunset dinner is the prime seating — the light on the water and islands is extraordinary.
Geddy's: American/pub in Main Street
Geddy's has been a Main Street institution since 1975, serving Bar Harbor's most beloved lobster and pub fare with a side of live music and community spirit. The outdoor deck on Main Street is the social hub of downtown Bar Harbor in summer, packed with both tourists and locals enjoying lobster rolls, fried clams, and cold beers while acoustic musicians play on the tiny stage. The lobster roll is excellent — fresh-picked Maine lobster dressed simply with butter on a toasted New England roll. The chowder is thick, creamy, and loaded with clams. What makes Geddy's special isn't just the food but the atmosphere — it's the place where Bar Harbor feels most like a community rather than a tourist destination.
Pro Tip
The rooftop deck is the prime seat in summer — first come, first served. The live music schedule is posted weekly and features excellent local and regional musicians.
Beyond the Usual: Exploring Bar Harbor's Food Scene
Bar Harbor's dining scene extends far beyond these highlighted restaurants. The city's neighborhoods each bring their own culinary personality, from ethnic enclaves serving family recipes passed down through generations to ambitious young chefs redefining what Bar Harbor food means. The best strategy for eating well in Bar Harbor is to stay curious, ask locals where they eat (not where they take visitors), and be willing to follow a recommendation into a strip mall, a food truck, or a hole-in-the-wall that doesn't look like much from the outside but serves food that stops you mid-bite. The restaurants listed above are proven starting points, but they're doors into a much larger world. Every neighborhood has its own food story, and the best meals in Bar Harbor are often the ones you discover by accident — turning down a side street because something smelled incredible, or sitting at a counter because the only table was taken. Trust your instincts, tip generously, and eat with the kind of open-minded enthusiasm that Bar Harbor's best chefs bring to their kitchens every day.
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