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    McKays Public House

    3.7 (733 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Pubs
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    McKays Public House Photos

    MCKAYS PUBLIC HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - McKays Public House

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    Dining
    Keke K.

    I was on the hunt for fresh lobster, so I stopped by this spot...only to find out it wasn't lobster season. A bit of a bummer, but honestly, the rest of the experience more than made up for it. The staff were incredibly warm and welcoming, which was a relief after coming from another place nearby that just had a terrible vibe. I started with the drink, the Tiger's Blood, and it was really good, refreshing and well-balanced. I was hungry so got right to the order! I got the truffled seafood risotto and wow absolutely incredible. Rich, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. I devoured every bite. I also had the halibut with orzo, green pea sauce, and broccolini, and that was another standout. Everything was plated beautifully and tasted just as good as it looked. Next, I tried the French onion soup. It was good, but I'm just not a huge fan of onion soups in general, so take that with a grain of salt. Now the crème brûlée....that was perfect. Crisp top, smooth and creamy inside. A true crème brûlée done right. The entire place had a calm, quiet atmosphere that I loved. Super cozy and just the kind of spot you want to go back to. I'll definitely be returning when I get the chance, maybe even when lobster is in season!

    Pork belly & scallops appetizer for $18, two baby scallops and three baby pork belly bites. Over-seasoned and ridiculous. 0/5
    Nelson L.

    My wife and I ate here on one of our two nights in Bar Harbor. We made the mistake of not checking the Yelp reviews first. Anything under 4 stars is not worth your time on vacation. But I digress. We had to run in from the rain and arrived a few minutes before our 7 pm reservation. We were seated under a screened in area outside with two heaters--no problem. The heater near our table stopped working before our appetizer arrived. The appetizer we ordered was on the menu as "Pork Belly & Scallops" for $18. For that price we were expecting much more than the three tiny bits of pork belly and two tiny scallops (pictured). All were over salted and the "slaw" accompanying it was also over-seasoned somehow. If you're going to serve such tiny portions as an appetizer and charge $18, at least make it elegant and well seasoned and show some pride. To start a meal off on that note is terrible, and I can hear you saying "Welcome to Bah Haabaa, that's the standid heeya" as if because you're near a beautiful national park it somehow gives you the right to expect your guests to pay $18 for five tiny little bits of over-seasoned meat. My extremely agreeable wife used the words "ridiculous" and "laughable" to describe the appetizer to our waitress who was visibly embarrassed to come to our table for the rest of the night. Our entrees were acceptable. My wife had the meatloaf which she really enjoyed and I had the seafood risotto, which was not sufficiently seasoned and only had two tiny little (undercooked) scallops in it. Don't be fooled by the old pics on here of this dish showing 2-3 huge seared scallops. You'll have to dig around to find any. One final gripe. Remember the heater I mentioned? It was fairly chilly, especially as we came in from the rain. The staff did not notice the heater was off and did not turn it back on after I asked them to. Our waitress was very kind and sweet. None of this is on her. All the above is a failure of ownership.

    Chardonnay and blueberry soda
    Jackie S.

    The restaurant is super nice with outdoor seatings available and we dined outside the beautiful patio with some lights around the fence. The food was so good. We ordered the crab cakes, beet salad with sautéed shrimp, caesar salad with fried fish, and a special menu item with seafood and risotto. The dressing on the beet salad was refreshing. The shrimp was cooked just right and the garlic gives it a kick. I absolutely enjoyed my salad! Everything was delicious! Service was also great! Will be back to try the other special menu items.

    WTF- seafood risotto looks like scrambled eggs

    DO NOT GO HERE. My sweet husband wanted to give this place a try due to some decent reviews. The food is terrible. We didnt mind the soup and salad.... However the entrees were bland, horrific quality and not worth your time. The seafood risotto looked like kraft mac and cheese and had no flavor. How can a dish with shrimp, under cooked scallops and a piece of lobster literally taste like air? Not sure. But this did. Next was the fish and chips. I was served one piece of fish with wet pancake batter around it. The batter was still WET. No flavor. Tasted like pancakes... and not in a good way. Don't waste your time. They serve unsafe food. I am 6 months pregnant and I could have been served bad fish. Check out the other reviews- others had that experience! Is there an owner/manager???? Did not see one

    Truffle fries
    Madison R.

    Our waitress was wonderful, super friendly and attentive. It was a little odd that we got sat in the far back of the restaurant when there was outdoor seating available, but we understand that there are grids where servers tend. The food was good, the restaurant does give off haunted vibes

    Lobster roll
    Nancy E.

    While visiting Acadia NP we went into Bar Harbor for lunch, only one place offered food in park and there was no where to park. We found McKays and got a lovely lobster roll and house made chips. For dessert we shared a piece of blueberry pie. It was quite spendy but was good.

    2nd story
    Whisper W.

    We had reservations for McKays and had very high hopes! The place was darling and had a great vibe. I failed to take pics of all the food as we were starving. I only gave it 4 stars because I felt for the price of the items were a lot for what we got, and our friend had some food intolerances that they said they'd accommodate but they sent her dish out with everything she said she couldn't have. I had the famous Seafood Truffle Risotto. It was amazing, but too rich. I would have preferred to have it as a side dish instead of a whole meal. My husband had the Seafood Cioppiono. The flavor of the broth was outstanding. It's just not the best meal to have when you're very hungry as you only get a few ounces of seafood overall. Very good dish though and I would order it for myself next time. My sister got their Portobello Piccata special for the night. She loved it. I had a bite and it was very flavorful. We ordered Oysters and they were a 10/10! Amazing would order again. They were the blondes. The cocktails went down easy!

    Blueberry Pie!

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    Leary's Landing Irish Pub

    4.2
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    Wanted something a little different than spots that speacialize in lobster rolls, so we decided to…read morepop in here. There was a 30-45 min wait, which we were ok with. The service is very friendly. I wanted the Strawberry Fields cocktail, but they didn't have so I settled on The Fuzzy. It is very alcohol forward, which most people will enjoy. Not for me personally, as I would have liked more flavor from the infusions, but that's definitely a personal preference. The Blackened Fish Sandwich with a Small Caesar Salad had very flakey fish. I loved the meld of flavors, and ended up devouring my sandwich! The bun held together well. The caesar salad was a decent size and well dressed. Definitely a cool spot to hit for good food and a great pub vibe!

    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!

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    Lompoc Cafe

    Lompoc Cafe

    4.0
    (237 reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    Lompoc is one of the most vegetarian friendly dinner spots in Bar Harbor…read more They don't take reservations and offer three seating arrangements: the patio, the bar, and a small inside area with four or so tables. I would have liked to sit outside on their cute patio, but it was full and the hostess said it would be a long wait, so we decided to eat inside. At first she directed us to a table in the bar but realized it was very loud (music and patrons) so offered to seat us in the other inside section. We had a view of a bocce match and the patio--definitely better than the bar, but not as nice as the patio. They were playing classic rock and the people at the table next to us asked to turn it down, and they were accommodated, which made for a nicer experience for us as well. The falafel wrap and Banh Mi (v) were very good and the chips can be substituted for a house salad or fries, which we did. The dressing was light and I enjoyed it. The highlight of the experience at Lompoc was dessert. Although there was nothing vegan on the dessert menu, our server suggested an "off the menu" rhubarb raspberry sorbet, which was excellent! And doesn't it enhance the experience when you feel like they're letting you in on something special?! I'd definitely return and try to get there early (4:30) to be able to sit outside.

    This place is so special that I make it a point to visit anytime I'm in Bar Harbor. The atmosphere…read moreis a touch Bohemian giving it an airy and welcoming feeling. The staff is always exceptionally kind and forthcoming with their opinions on the food which makes it known they genuinely enjoy it too. The last time I was here I got the bang bang chicken and was able to even get the spicy sauce in the side so I could control my spice level. The true winner for the night was a chocolate carrot cake from a local bakery in town. It was decadent yet well balanced and a hefty portion that I would have regretted if I finished entirely. This place has a unique vibe compared to all the other spots in Bar Harbor and has something for everyone. Do not miss this place when in town.

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    Project Social Kitchen & Bar

    Project Social Kitchen & Bar

    4.4
    (450 reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    We had a such great experience at Project Social, we went back the following evening for our final…read moredinner in Bar Harbor. Their menu is surprisingly diverse and everything we tried was perfectly executed with extremely fresh ingredients. Everything is made from scratch, from the corn tortillas in the tacos to the tzatziki sauce in their lamb kofta. The cocktails were also expertly crafted. The ones I had used in-houses infused tequila and mezcal. But what really sets Project Social apart is the service and hospitality. Special thanks to Nicole for remembering that my kids had nut allergies and removing the pistachios from the bruschetta without my asking. We will definitely be back the next time we're in Bar Harbor.

    I finally had a chance to visit the very enticing patio at Project Social Kitchen over Memorial Day…read moreweekend. It was chilly out but the patio was warmed by heat lamps and blankets were waiting for us on our seats. We ordered the midnight cocktail, a beer, the seafood chowder, prosciutto toast, patatas bravas, and duck tacos. I enjoyed all of the items, if I were visiting again I would reorder the tacos and the patatas. I know tapas typically are served as they're ready, not all at once, but each of our items were pretty spaced out so we were only eating one plate a time. I wish they were served a little closer together. I would love to come by again on a summer night to try a different cocktail and some of the other menu items. As other reviews have stated, the drinks and tapas are a little pricey, even for the area, but worth the splurge for a romantic evening or special occasion.

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    McKays Public House - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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