We had an amazing dinner at McKay's tonight! Ana, Ashley and the owner were all very personable and helpful~ and made for a really fun evening! The food was excellent & the outdoor setting was so beautiful! We highly recommend McKays as part of your Bar Harbor experience!! ~The O'Malley's ~ Saratoga Springs, NY read more

An absolute skip. We were recommended the fish and chips as their "specialty". It had the consistency of a sponge. Service was slow. Prices did not equal what we were served. They have nice outdoor seating, but skeeters all over the place. read more

Mckays is a great choice for dinner in the Bar Harbor area. I came here with my family and dog after spending the afternoon in Arcadia Park. The hostess was very friendly to us (and our dog) and seated us outside. The service here was very quick and friendly. For food - I would say some of the appetizers and entrees are on the smaller side. I had the calamari and while we were told it was for 3 people, it might have been enough for two people at most. My son really liked the meat loaf and said its a great choice for dinner, but the portion wasn't very big. Meanwhile, I had the lobster roll and quite frankly it could have been better. There was very little lobster and too much bread, but they did give us potatoes as well. I enjoyed my dinner at McKays and can say they have good food with great service. read more

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We had many great meals while in the Bar Harbor area, but unfortunately McKays Public House was not one of them. We were excited to eat at a higher end restaurant for our last night of vacation, but the food was just not good. The restaurant is very cute, and i really love the decor of it. They seated us by a window upstairs which was lovely, but it didn't make up for the food. Our waitress was also just OK. The whole experience was meh. We ordered the pretzels and beer cheese to start since she mentioned it was homemade. The pretzel just wasn't that good at all. Pretty flavorless. I was going to order a seafood meal but settled on the chicken piccata. My husband had the burger, my son had the kid's mac and cheese, and my daughter ordered the dry rub chicken wings. I think they best meal out of them all was the kid's mac and cheese. My chicken piccata was just swimming in the sauce that I tried to scrape some off to the side. I don't know if there was something wrong with the chicken or the sauce, but I got SO sick after eating here. The wings were also overly seasoned and overwhelming. My husband thought his burger was forgettable and basic. WIth so many other great restaurant options in Bar Harbor, I think McKays can be skipped for sure. read more

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The service and ambiance were great. Food however was a little underwhelming. We ordered bread and pretzels with beer cheese. The pretzels were great, the cheese was not. They should look into using a different cheese as it's so overpowering. The fish and chips (with mashed potatoes instead) was just okay. The breading was wayy too much giving it an "airy" texture. The breading was so thick it wasn't even on the fish, there was space between it. The mashed potatoes however were good. We also got the seafood risotto. Huge portion and I feel like they can really improve on the risotto itself. read more

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I read mixed reviews on this place but it was absolutely delicious! Maybe people came on a bad day but my seafood risotto had some of the most tender shrimp I've ever had. Service was very friendly and prompt, no issues there. We were seated outside and although it was a little chilly, there were heat lamps that could keep our entire table warm. Would definitely be back if I'm in the area! read more

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Visited McKays for a late dinner on a dreary Sunday night in June. We didn't have a reservation, but they were able to seat us right away at table. The restaurant is very rustic and cozy with its dark wood, fireplaces, and various dining rooms areas. The energy inside was lively - a good mix of couples and families dining. There were also several tables outdoor with umbrellas and space heaters going. I had read online their burgers are some of the best in town, so of course my husband and I each ordered one. The reviews were accurate - it was a solid burger - big, juicy, loved their 'boss sauce.' Service was very nice and friendly. I would definitely come back if I vacation in Bar Harbor again. read more

McKays Public House - Subbed chips for Cesar salad with my burger - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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What a great last night in Bar Harbor! We made reservations beforehand as we were a group of 5, highly recommend book ahead of time! Worried that we would be a little cold outside but the warmers kept was nice and tootsie! The food was very good and if you have anyone gluten free they did a very good job of accommodating for that. read more

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We came in before close and sat outside on the patio. We split the shrimp tempura and lobster Mac and cheese. The sticky coffee cake was the star of the show for dessert! We very much enjoyed our meal. read more

Enjoyed our meal at McKays - the halibut was delicious and what really made our evening enjoyable was our waiter Emerson- his recommendations for drinks and apps made our dinner more enjoyable - read more

Charming outdoor seating area. Prompt service. The food runner was very friendly. Food was pretty good. read more

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Worried after reading these reviews but pleasantly surprised Reservations are a must during peak season -it was packed and people were sitting outside on a 50 degree night (with portable heaters) Service was great. Large menu with plenty of food and drink options Food - salmon delicious but small portion - Cioppino was done well- scallops perfectly cooked. Shrimp overcooked. Sauce was a little watered down - sticky toffee pudding: best thing we ate hands down. Get it. - fall risotto: loved it - blueberry pie and French onion soup was okay - sweet potatoes fries: fantastic but we got 7-8 medium sized waffle fries for $6 Honestly for the price? Underwhelming BUT it's Bar Harbor and this is the standard. Outside of Bar Harbor 3.25. In Bar Harbor 4 stars read more

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Writing this review a month after the fact. I'll just say we ate at a bunch of fantastic restaurants in Bar Harbor but this was above and beyond. Fantastic drink menu, phenomenal food. Really cool interior that felt like a break from the normal restaurant vibe in the area. Will definitely be back next time we come through. read more

God created this restaurant! I truly would offer my life savings on a bet that this is the best restaurant in Bar Harbor because omg read more

McKays Public House - Pork and Belly Special with something else that was tasty - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

McKays was a spot recommended to us and so happy we got to check it out! We showed up close to closing time so I am keeping this in mind for my review. My husband and I walked up to the host at like 8:30pm and the sign said they close at 9pm. I was expecting a sour face as the reluctantly took us- nope! SMILES. Staff welcomed us in, our waitress (sorry her name escaped me) was attentive and provided great insight on the menu. We didn't want to overstay our welcome so we stuck with dinners. Husband enjoyed his braised short ribs and said he would get it again. My Shepard's Pie was extremely delicious and came out piping hot. We sat indoors but the outdoor seating looked adorable. I wasn't totally wowed by the place. McKays is a solid food spot. I'd treat it like my local go-to if we lived around there. read more

Such a quaint little place! You feel like you're in a private garden. The seafood risotto was the star for us. We liked it so much my husband ordered it two nights in a row. My lobster was a female full of eggs in the tail, so I got lobster caviar as a bonus! Both servers we had were very friendly and attentive. read more

McKays Public House - Truffled Seafood Risotto - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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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! read more

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We waited 90 minutes for our food. It of course came out cold. The "burger" was on a stale pita bread. They took back and gave us 2 desserts and we had 6 people. Then for parties over 5, automatic 20% tip! Save your money and find some place else. read more

I'll start with the Cioppino, which I thought was excellent, with perfect toasted baguette on the side. My husband's French onion soup was tasty, but arrived scalding hot, so it couldn't be eaten right away, the cheese on top was thick & stringy so it had to be cut with a knife, and it would've been nice to have some bread or crackers on the side. The seafood risotto was flavorful: the seafood plentiful and tasty, but the consistency of the risotto was too soft & creamy for my husband's preference. Our server was friendly, attentive, & remembered every request the 1st time we asked, like the extra napkin which he delivered folded on a plate, and my hot lemon water. We had the option of eating outside, which was a lovely space, but chose inside due to the strong breeze. This was our 2nd or 3rd time eating here and will likely return. read more

I hate to give this place 3 stars, because the food was fantastic. But the service was just not great last night. After being seated, about 10 minutes passed before the waitress came over to get our drink orders. I had a cocktail off the menu and it was fantastic! We started with the Brussels sprouts - they were truly divine. They came with a pineapple sweet chili sauce and spicy peanuts on top. The peanuts added an addictive crunch that I didn't know I needed! This is where things went downhill. The time between when we finished our appetizer and when we received our entrees, was a LONG time. I tried not to care, because it is vacation and we had nowhere to be - however my husband was very close to asking what was going on. Finally, the entrees came. I ordered the soft pretzels. They were great! You can tell they were homemade, and the beer cheese it came with was yummy. My husband had a burger, which he said was really good. After our meals, we really wanted to try the blueberry pie. The waitress warned us that "the desserts are taking a really long time to come out tonight - 10 to 20 minutes". But we proceeded - thinking what on earth could take a slice of pie so long to come out? Lo and behold, that piece of pie took 25 minutes to come out from when it was ordered. Again, we had nowhere to be so I didn't care too much. But the entire meal when it was all said and done took over 2 hours for 2 people. I don't know what we would have done if our toddler was with! Overall, the food was fantastic though. I am hoping the service was not an every day thing. read more

Ambiance was absolutely lovely, both inside and outside--the inside is a cozy old house and the patio has Christmas lights. But the cocktails & food were disappointing, so the $250 for 3 people was not worth it. House salad had so much sour dressing it was inedible. Crab Cakes were undercooked and mushy, like a veggie burger, and were served with what resembled a fry-sauce. Seafood Risotto was too creamy and tasted flat, like an under salted and slightly-soupy mac & cheese. The Short Rib & Halibut were the tastiest items. Our server was very friendly, but too busy to keep waters filled, etc. We wouldn't return, might only recommend for the ambiance. read more

Stopped in for a light dinner and a glass of wine and had a lovely meal and relaxing time. We had some apps and the risotto. I could definitely recommend the pretzels, pork belly and scallops and the Brussels sprouts! I would come back and try a full meal but feel like anything they had would be great. Service was impeccable. read more

Incredibly rude staff. Hostile environment, especially towards parties with babies and young children. Definitely other more welcoming places nearby serving more appetizing food and drink read more

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. read more

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The prime short rib was great and super tender and paired well with the mashed potatoes, I gave it an 8/10. Fish and chips also good, just needed a little bit more flavor, 7/10. And lobster Mac and cheese was also good but I felt like it needed more lobster to be considered lobster mac and cheese and for the price. Cute outdoor seating and service was okay! read more

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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. read more

McKays Public House - Chardonnay and blueberry soda - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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This is our go-to restaurant in Bar Harbor. The ambiance outside is lovely. Attentive and friendly service. Great menu, expanded from our last visit. Fresh Halibut with Lobster Risotto, Steak Diane, Fish n chips, lobster mac n cheese etc. Nice wines. Yummy blueberry pie too. Musician some nights. Right downtown. Enjoy!! read more

We only went for drinks and dessert, but wow this place was good! The atmosphere is a little mixed up, you can tell it's an old house which has had a few identities in its time, which I much prefer to something phony so that's not a problem. We had a great seat with a server who understood we were there to gossip and catch up -- thanks, Hannah! read more

Toxic work environment. I was so excited for the Cioppino soup- this restaurant was my number one spot to go to. Our waitress was absolutely fantastic. I did ask for a little bit of spice after the soup came, broth was watered down. The skinny, short black haired manager came over with an overbearing attitude *twice* when all I was asking for was spice for flavor for the soup - no spice needed from management. We could hear the kitchen staff yelling watered down. My husband and I made a joke that the fire department must be here. The attentive waitress came back crying because the kitchen staff made her feel bad for something she did not prepare. I stood up to hug her and you could see the desperation in her eyes. I would not support this restaurant again. Sidenote, there's no reason to fill the street outdoor patio when upstairs was basically empty. read more

Great cozy restaurant. Great atmosphere, we sat outside, it was packed but didn't feel like it. Service was great, very attentive. We had lobster bruschetta(delicious) and we also had lobster ma& cheese and the Acadian cioppino both delicious and flavorful. The drinks were ok, we had chili infused drinks and an old fashioned. Chili infused was supposed to be spicy but it wasn't and old fashioned was below average wouldn't recommend but overall food and atmosphere were great. Would definitely come back again. read more

Always the family favorite. We make sure we get at least two meals here every summer. Staff has amazing attention to detail and service is impeccable--thanks Brian and Braeden! Cioppino and sticky toffee pudding are two of the best dishes on the island. If you can swing an outdoor table, you really feel like you soak in the local charm. Even on the cool nights, the heaters keep everyone comfortable. read more

The good: our server was phenomenal, she was very attentive and nice. The bad: we had a reservation and arrived on time, were told our table was not ready and that we could wait inside at the bar, waited about 20 min to be seated at our outdoor table. I recommend not ordering anything with seafood. The oysters, seafood ciappino and seafood risotto were terrible. My son had the steak frites and said it was good. I'm still scratching my head wondering how the seafood dishes here were so bad when everything is made "fresh". First time to Maine and I love seafood so was very disappointed in the food read more

Enjoyed a lovely dinner outside! My burger was excellent and the hand cut fries were delicious. My dining compadre had the beet salad with shrimp, another hit. Our meals arrived quickly and our server was pleasant too! The traditional crème brûlée was delightful! read more

We ended up here only because it was the only restaurant in Bar Harbor that had last-minute availability on a busy weekend night. Every other restaurant -- including many with better or even similar ratings -- was completely booked. That should have been the red flag. It wasn't a hidden gem; it was the place everyone else had wisely avoided. This was the most expensive meal we had in all of Maine, and it was by far the worst. The food was clearly not fresh. We ordered the cioppino, which came with several mussels that couldn't be opened, and others that tasted like they had gone bad. That's not just disappointing -- it's unacceptable and concerning from a food safety perspective. The risotto was an unrecognizable version of the Italian classic -- an overly creamy, poorly textured dish with none of the depth or subtlety risotto should have. It felt like someone tried to Americanize it and failed. The halibut was dry, overcooked, and completely lacked flavor or finesse. Despite the poor food quality and minimal, disengaged service, they still imposed a 20% automatic gratuity for our party of five. The service didn't come close to justifying that charge -- we were barely checked on, and the experience felt transactional and rushed. There's a reason this place had open tables when everywhere else was fully booked. It's overpriced, poorly executed, and absolutely not worth your time or money. This restaurant is not a hidden treasure -- it's a glaring example of how price and presentation can't mask the absence of quality. We will not be back, and I strongly recommend you look elsewhere. read more

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 read more

McKays Public House - WTF- seafood risotto looks like scrambled eggs - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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We had a great dinner. A great waitress (wish I knew her name...she was really good). Started with truffle fries and my husband had the short rib and I had crab cakes. All was fantastic. But the real star was the sticky toffee pudding which our waitress recommended. Get it. It's amazing. read more

Had a lovely dinner here on June 14....food and service was excellent. There is outside dining with twinkling lights and heaters or inside dining in a lovely old pub type home. We had great drinks, bread and entrees. Service was amazing...we would love to go back... I had the short ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli. My husband had a seafood risotto. All delicious. read more

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 read more

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The restaurant itself is charming and in a nice location. I am sorry to say that the service was way off. After 45 minutes, I finally got the appetizers that I ordered while tables around me got there's before. I was a party of two, the other s 4+. The waiter apoligized, but didn't check-in. He then brought the manager over who barely apologized and blamed it on the kitchen. Not right. Finally, the burger and meatloaf arrived. Meal was tasty, but the delay was disappointing. read more

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. read more

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