Great local restuarant with awesome food and service! Sandwiches were a great lunch option. You get a lot of food as well with lots of flavor! read more

Finback Alehouse - Turkey, pesto, bacon, mozzarella, and arugula sandwich - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Terrific Bar Harbor atmosphere and a wonderful beer selection. Any place that has Bissell brothers and Lunch on tap is worth a visit. Easily the best tap selection I found during my 3 days in town. The wings were grilled and then fried. The hot buffalo had a nice kick and the tangy bbq satisfied the crowd. Nacho fries with pulled pork were over the top portion wise and was filled with waffle fries that were crispy and crunchy with the right amount of cheese and salsa on top. Kids ate the guacamole so I'm sure it was mild. The burger looked good and medium rare with a nice crisp edge. read more

Finback Alehouse - Bissell brothers - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Awesome bar for evening beers and cocktails. Super friendly and fun staff make this place a whale of a good time. If you don't make a stop here, it'll definitely be "the one that got away". I read more

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1) LOBSTER POUTINE: Pretty good, worth a try while in New England. It pretty much consisted of french fries topped with sauce that tastes like lobster bisque. There was a good amount of lobster meat and the portion size was pretty big that it could be shared between ~3 people. 2) STEAK FRITES: The steak was tough and lacked flavor. The "garlic parmesan" fries were overcooked and did not taste like garlic nor parmesan. 3) FISH AND CHIPS: The portion was huge and fish was decent. I ordered waffle fries and they were pretty awful. The fries were extremely over-fried that I felt like I was eating straight up solidified grease and batter (?). The coleslaw that came with the entree tasted spoiled. It might have been just bad flavoring but I did not want to test the power of my stomach during vacation. **COVID-19** -We went around 4pm for early dinner and it was crowded and overpacked for a small restaurant to allow adequate social-distancing. -Bartender was wearing her mask below the nose. read more

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When we reached Bar Harbor late in the evening, this seemed to be the only place that would seat us without a reservation, but this wasn't our first pick - in all honesty. We were seated right away and our server was very prompt. She was probably the highlight of our time here - she was no nonsense, on top of her work and very quick. We were famished and ordered everything together, and she delivered quickly, without messing up our order. Both of us started with the draft pilsner, and it was good. For food, we shared the lobster roll with hash cut fries, a bowl of the lobster bisque and the curry mussels. The mussels were small, but tasty. My biggest issue was with the person sending food out of the kitchen - curry mussels with a broth came in a PLATE, like why? There were no side plates and nothing to throw shells into either, oh and forget about spoons for the broth. Just annoyed me. The runner eventually brought plates, but it made me mad. The Lobster bisque was tasty, but probably had an entire carton of cream in it - it was so rich that both Ragz and I couldnt finish a bowl, even with sharing. Same with the lobster roll - too much mayo and cream and the roll wasn't toasted, even though it was "maine style". I think we managed to eat maybe 2/3rd of it, because we were hungry. Stayed away from desserts - we had enough dairy between the lobster roll and the bisque. Overall, we are grateful we could get food last minute without a reservation and it was half decent, but honestly I would not come back to this place. read more

We are normally massive fans of gastropubs, and were therefore excited to give Finback a try earlier this week. We came in on a Saturday evening around 5:30 and were sat almost right away (host asked us to wait outside which we didn't mind with all that is Covid still whirling about - it was cold though). Once sat it took a while before our waitress checked in and when she did she acted almost as though we were bothersome. We ordered the lobster bisque, steak frites, and lobster poutine (I shouldn't have passed on the beer battered Haddock but I wanted to try the poutine). We also had a couple beers and their tap list is fantastic with many local beers. The bisque was fantastic and I would highly recommend it. The poutine was rich (to be expected with lobster) but was lacking sufficient flavor to be called "poutine" and the fries beneath the lobster were cold. The steak frites was incredibly fatty and flavorless. As a craft beer enthusiast, I would highly recommend this place for a drink (they had a lot of cocktail combinations as well) but I'd probably pass on the food again unless you want some lobster bisque. read more

Sadly not our favorite. Host was nice and quick to acknowledge and seat us. Our waitress was a little flat. Poor dear looked miserable. Food was ok but nothing I'd find myself craving. I suspect cross contamination took place with the food preparation, as both my husband and I spent the latter half of our evening in the bathroom. Maybe just stick to beer here. read more

After a morning exploring the loop road in Acadia NP, we drove back into Bar Harbor for lunch, prior to an excursion later in the afternoon. Our first challenge was parking - we ended up in a lot a few blocks off the main area of town. We then walked back into town to look for a lunch venue. It was relatively early (maybe 11:30 a.m.?) on a Wednesday in October. The reviews for this place looked okay, and it was relatively uncrowded. We were seated promptly and the server took our orders soon. However, it seemed to take longer than expected for them to prep the food. Maybe they were just ramping up for lunch? As we waited, and later as we ate, a crowd developed at the doorway. The tourists just kept coming and the whole place filled up by the time we left. There was also a short line waiting to get in. I think we both ordered sandwiches and the food, once it arrived, was pretty good. We had allocated plenty of time for lunch, so we were not too rushed even given the restaurant's pacing. If you can arrive early and have plenty of time, this isn't a bad spot for lunch. Maybe we caught them on an 'off' day, service-wise. read more

Stopped in for 11am lunch during our Acadia venture. We were greeted immediately and were cheerfully told to sit anywhere we wanted. The server brought water immediately, it had the funny tap taste some places have - not their fault and not uncommon. She dropped off menus for food and drinks with the water and asked if we'd like to look it over or if we already knew what we wanted. I LOVE it when this happens, often I have already looked online and know exactly what I want. Not this time... We ordered drinks and looked some more. Ordered a clam chowder and a lobster bisque to get started while we continued to browse. The server was friendly and patient, offering to answer any questions. October fest and Deep Purple- both Maine brews and both served in the correct stemware, correct head, and at the correct temperature for the style. Finally, we settled on splitting the Steamers along with Lobster and Crab Mac & Cheese. This was as the soups came out. Clam chowder was rich and creamy with large chunks of potato and plenty of clams. The lobster bisque was thick and sweet with a buttery note and a pile of lobster on top. Steamers came out as we wrapped up the soup, perfect timing. Steamers, are not like the coffee shops of the mid-/north west. They are steamed clams. Unlike mussels, they require some stripping and rinsing to remove the sand. Thankfully, our server spotted us as out-of-towners and explained the process before we began. For you west coast people, think little geoducks. They need the beard removed, which resembles foreskin, prior to eating. You then funk them in the cooking broth a few times to rinse the sand, dip in drawn butter, & enjoy. They were good, I think, as this was my first tasting, I have no comparison. Lastly, Mac & Cheese. My husband questions the 1 1/4lbs of lobster, as I have seen in other reviews. Whether that number is exact or not, there was ample lobster in the dish (besides, we split it, so it should have been more in the 1/2 lb range) - along with an abundance of leeks, which I am partial to. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. ...until... time to hike... carb crash! Not their fault. We spent about 80 bucks on two beers, 2 soups, steamers, mac & cheese - with 16% tip. Solid 4 stars. Dessert was offered but we passed - a very good experience and prices were on par for food and service provided. read more

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Visiting Acadia during off season, many of the shops and restaurants were closed but we were so happy to have found this gem! Quick and friendly service with delicious food and drinks! We ordered fish tacos (it was on the spicy side), oysters, nacho waffle fries, lobster mac and cheese and short rib tostinis. Everything was really good! The oysters that day were indeed so fresh and huge! Highly recommend this place if you're in town. It was clean and covid-safe. read more

Finback Alehouse - Fresh oysters - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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We stumbled upon this restaurant on our way to another and decided to stop here instead (mainly due to the beer selection). They carry a few Bissell Brothers which were phenomenal. Everything was very good. The lobster bisque was very tasty and rich, fish and chips was huge, and the lobster and crab Mac and cheese was delicious! The only reason for the 4 stars over 5, is that the mac and cheese didn't have much lobster (and claimed to have 1.25 lbs). Huge portions in general though. Our waitress was very sweet... I wish I could remember her name (adorable blonde girl). Would definitely come back! read more

Finback Alehouse - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

More than a 3 star but not quite a 4. We had the chowder and a Haddock Sandwich. Both good and fair value for this town. Nice wooded room and polite staff. read more

Cozy and well-priced pub. Decor is lovely, with a painted pressed tin ceiling and glorious curved varnished woodwork that resembles a ship's interior. Friendly, fast service. My dinner partner enjoyed her clam chowder and I took half of my lobster poutine home, due to its rich creamy (Newburgh?) sauce and generous portion. read more

Absolute must stop if you are in the area! Staff was more than inviting and and kind. "Rob Reid" was the local talent the night we stopped and he is a must see. Extremely talented. read more

People here are WAY under staffed. They are running around constantly. Had to stop our server just to order. Never asked once how anything was or if we needed anything. Served oysters without the sauce. Lots of shell pieces in them. Plus no fork with the oysters and they weren't loosened for you. $19 for a half dozen, not worth it here. Ordered the fried seafood platter. It's trash. Don't even bother. Fries are disgusting, cold and soggy. They didn't even bother frying the scallop. They barely deep fried the onion rings, they weren't cooked whatsoever on the inside. This was hands down our worst dining experience in all of Maine after 1 week of being. I regret coming here. read more

I was so excited to come here. The menu looked great. I did some reviews mentioning issues with service but decided to give it a try. Ooomph. This is probably the worst dining experience I've ever had. We ordered two appetizers. Only one came out- about 25 min after we ordered. Mistakes happen no big deal. Have the kitchen send it on the fly should be fine. Another 15 min later our scallops arrive. Our server kept disappearing for long stretches of time. We later learned that she was the floor manager. Not sure if she was dealing with whatever was happening in the kitchen but she was MIA a lot. Entrees another good 25-30 minutes. My husband ordered the duck medium rare. It came out well done. My aunt never received her meal. I ordered the shelled lobster. The plating was horrible. I understand it's a small portion of lobster but for the love of God make it look appetizing. It was just chunks of lobster thrown on a plate. The manager acknowledged all of the issues and took care of the check and also offered to buy us lunch the next day which I appreciated. But we were leaving the next day and truth be told I'm not sure I would have gone back even if we had more time. read more

Male bartender during the day was rude, food was good, but the bartenders attitude and condescending tone left an unpleasant taste. They lost a customer who used to visit for years. read more

The food in this restaurant is terrible. Haddock tacos were made of cheese and cabbage, the very little haddock meat was very salty. Lobster stew was stale and bad tasted. The waiter told me lobster stew is the lobster bisque in the picture. It of course turned out to be wrong. What a disappointed and unpleasant experience! read more

Under new ownership. The website menu is not updated. The seasonal cook is working just for the winter. Loved the hand-made pasta! We arrived at 4:30 pm but by 5:30 pm, it was jam-packed. read more

This place is under new ownership and the new menu, look, and service are all fantastic. The food was all fresh - no frozen fish or potatoes here. The portions were generous and the prices were very fair. We had fish tacos, lobster bisque, salad, and the smoked fish dip - everything was great! Plus our beers were cold, the white wine was crisp, and they gave us plenty of water after a half day biking around the park. If you're in Bar Harbor you don't want to miss this spot. read more

Good draft list but the interior was very dark when I arrived around 1pm on a sunny day. They have a cool garage door but it was shut with guests eating at tables in front of it. Could definitely see the space being more inviting if the garage door was up and sun shined in. The early bird specials looks promising but we were there too early. I guess we were the real early birds? read more

Super disappointed with this restaurant on our recent trip to Bar Harbor. The service was really slow and we felt pretty neglected and sat for a long time without being greeted by a server even though there were plenty of empty tables. On yelp, there were some mentions of some good vegetarian dishes. There were actually only two. We had ordered our drinks and THEN when we tried to order the quinoa burger our waitress told us they were out of them since they were closing for the season in 3 days. First of all, any dishes not available should be told to the table when seated. ALSO, that means you don't make your patties fresh.. ugh. At this point we were forced to sit there since we had already ordered drinks. My dad's glass of water had a really fishy smell which was gross. We decided to finish our drinks quickly and leave for another restaurant... our waitress had lots of excuses... first she did our bill wrong (she said "oh I just came back from break" ... what does that have to do with anything?) Anyway, it was terrible service and there was a neglecting feeling about the place. I wouldn't go back there again even with meat eating friends.. the entire restaurant is fishy smelling and kind of dank. read more

The wait was a bit long due to being short staffed but totally worth it! Amazing beer and food! I could eat their lobster and crab Mac and cheese Every. Single. Day! Drooling just thinking about it. Their nacho fries are also amazing! My husband had their crab cake sandwich and said they were top of his list for best crab cakes. I definitely recommend dining here. They have social distancing and cleanliness down pact! read more

Finback Alehouse - And great sense of humor too! - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

I was told Finback has the best lobster bisque on the island and I completely agree. Absolutely delicious. We also ordered a couple of Impossible smash burgers (phenomenal!), nachos (pretty good), and a couple of kids meals (which were big and they loved them.) The fries were phenomenal and our service was great. We went around 5pm and it was fairly empty. We will definitely return! read more

We had a great time while dining here. The service was stellar and the food was just what we were looking for. Everyone was able to find something on the menu and we all go something vastly different than one another. read more

I had an awesome dinner at Finback after two strenuous hikes! We were a group of 8 and expected a wait on a Friday evening. Luckily it wasn't long, maybe 20 minutes. My first taste of blueberry ale was here and I was a total fan. So refreshing! It would be my drink of choice during all meals for the rest of the weekend. CG and I split fish tacos to start. There is two to an order and they were freakin' huge! I typically prefer fried fish tacos but the grilled fish here was insanely fresh and tasty. My crab BLT sandwich was also a winner. The crab patty was so meaty with minimal filler and max in fresh taste. I also enjoyed the perfectly crisp waffle fries. I will definitely come back to Finback the next time I'm in Bar Harbor and order the same dishes even. read more

Finback Alehouse - Crab blt! - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Terrible service. They sat us quickly; and we were able to place an order, but we sat for an hour unattended. We had to ask for our food, but by the time we asked the kitchen was closed. They literally forgot about us. The excuse I've heard was the ticket did not print. I'm sorry, but this is your job. We are paying patrons, and we chose you guys because of the glowing reviews, but why is everyone around us getting service but us? Unacceptable. read more

Great local restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Great drink selection with spot on recommendations by staff. Awesome food particularly the scallops special and Caesar salad. read more

The lobster roll and oysters were good. However, do not order the clam chowder. It was very watery and seemed as though it was the last of the soup that they were trying to extend to make it last the rest of the night. This was our first dinner on our vacation and it almost ruined our desire to have clam chowder at other restaurants. Luckily, we found good soup elsewhere. Do not order that from here. read more

My husband became severely ill immediately after eating the scallops "Catch of the Day". Tried to call the restaurant for 4 days. No answer. Finally called the Health Dept. Received an answer to my email from the restaurant same day. They don't have a phone so that's why they didn't answer. Truly affected our vacation. We were having such a great time, other food was great and the bartender was a lot of fun. Not sure where to go with this. It's a first for us. How do you rate for 1 1/2 hours of fun but 7 hours of severe sickness? read more

We were exceptionally pleased with our whole experience at Finback. The appetizer mussels were a meal in and of themselves. Happy Hour starts at 4:00 and offers some tasty things like blue cheese deviled eggs (great!) and crispy fish Tacos (solid) in addition to getting a few bucks off of the beer and wine selections. The service by our waiter (whose I have forgotten, but he rocked a righteous mullet) was friendly and superb. We had fun and were happily filled after a day of riding bikes in Acadia. read more

We stopped at Finback during our first night in Bar Harbor. My husband ordered the pulled pork nachos but had to settle on chicken because they were out of pulled pork. They were just "ok," as the chicken was unseasoned and parboiled. I ordered the haddock tacos. They had a nice flavor but the fish was sparse. Although the food was mediocre, the service was decent with only a short wait time. read more

The menu is much smaller at the restaurant than online. Understandable due to the labor shortage. But just a heads up. I ordered the lobster bisque and Mac and cheese. The lobster bisque was a bit on the spicy side but the waiter warned me before. However, I loved it! read more

My husband and I stumbled across this establishment when we heard live music one evening on vacation. It was a little tight with all of the patrons who also wanted to hear the music, but a fun night nonetheless. Wish it didn't feel so cramped inside. read more

We had dinner here on a Thursday night. It was just their 6th night since opening in their new location. We got right in with no wait for dinner at 6:30. The first thing that we noticed when we sat down was that the menu is much more limited than what we saw in the pictures on Yelp. I later found out that is because they are under new ownership, but having fewer options was a disappointment for my wife and kids who are all picky eaters. My oldest son got the Lobster Corn Dogs ($18), my youngest son got the Cauliflower Mac and Cheese ($9) but without the cauliflower, my wife got the Steak and Fries ($24) with a Blueberry Island Pirate cocktail ($14), and I ordered the Chopped Salad with Grilled Shrimp ($20) with a glass of white wine ($10). The corn dogs were good. It was my son's first time trying lobster and having it deep-fried and on a stick was a good way to introduce it to him. I tried a bite and thought that the breading was a little soggy, but the flavor was good. The mac and cheese was obviously homemade. It was rich, creamy, and loaded with cheese. My youngest loved it! The steak and fries were delicious. The steak was perfectly seasoned and tender, though a bit undercooked for my wife's taste. She was still able to enjoy most of it. The fries were well seasoned and the kids couldn't stop stealing them off of her plate! My salad was really fresh with mixed greens, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots and cauliflower, celery, broccoli, and feta cheese. I was disappointed that only four shrimp arrived on the plate, but at least they were a decent size and tasted great. Our server, Rob B., was attentive and wonderful with our kids. He kept our water glasses full and took time to ask us about our vacation. He delivered our food in a reasonable amount of time. Our only minor complaint was the limited menu, but the food and service were excellent. Overall, we were very happy with our visit to Finback Alehouse! read more

This was one of the only places where the kitchen was still open at 9:00 pm on a Thursday so we were excited to get some food in our bellies. Unfortunately we had one of the slowest and inattentive servers ever, we didn't get water for more than 10 minutes after we sat and they give bottles of water to everyone and then every time we needed her for something, she was no where to be found. We ordered a whisky sour before our meal came and it literally came after we were done eating our food. Bad timing! As for the food...we ordered the following: 1. Clam chowder - not tons of chowder, lots of potato and very creamy!!! Add more pepper and you're good to go. 2. Pulled pork sandwich - smoked in house and it was worth it! It was tangy and had a bit of kick to it. 3. Maine lobster dinner - the Cole slaw needed salt and pepper. The corn on the cob as the saddest looking cob I've ever seen but it was tasty. The claws were a bit chewy because they were over steamed. 4. Blueberry mule - only order if you love ginger beer because this had a strong ginger flavor!! 5. Cider - mind you, this is not a sweet cider so beware. This had a strong ginger flavor as well!!! Overall, yummy food, mild drinks, poor service but I think their menu had a lot of interesting options for the whole family!!! read more

We drove 6 hours to have dinner here tonight. As amazing as we remembered. Sangria, blueberry smash, far from the tree (Salem, MA), stuffed bacon & cheese burger and the reuben. WORTH IT. read more

Finback Alehouse - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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My wife and I were in bah hahbah in November in finback was one of the only restaurants open. And thank god we picked it! It was just an absolutely amazing experience from start to finish. We both had a nice cocktail and ordered pemquid oysters which were the best I've ever had! Then we got the mussels which were served in a award deserving broth that made my wife almost have to excuse herself from the table ;) this place is great highly recommend! 11/10 stars read more

Finback Alehouse - The best pemaquid oysters I've ever had ! Almost ate the shells! - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Get the tostinis app - they're AMAZING. I had the lobster macaroni and cheese which was fine... and my husband had the crab cake BLT which was great... but the appetizer stole the show. Really nice vibe inside though. Would go back and just order appetizers for our meal. read more

Finback Alehouse - Short rib tostini app. insanely good. Would go back just for these! - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

We actually had a second dinner here after having delicious lobster rolls at another local place. We just needed more lobster! The lobster rolls here were our favorites out of our whole Maine trip!! And we basically broke the bank enjoying lob all over Maine. Definitely check them out. The bar had relaxed vibes and felt good and local. read more

Finback Alehouse - Gastropubs Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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