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    Side Street Cafe

    4.1 (2.7k reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Salad, Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Side Street Cafe Photos

    SIDE STREET CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Side Street Cafe

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    Prime rib sandwich
    Andy Y.

    Excellent food and service and live music in the Annex. In our two visits, we had the clam chowder, scallops, lobster melt, hamburger, prime rib sandwich, and the blueberry IPA and Lunch IPA. Everything was great. I'd also recommend you upgrade a side to the mac and cheese, which was also delicious. And leave room for their blueberry pie! Special thanks to Cynthia who provided us courteous and efficient service at the bar on our first visit and at a table on our second visit.

    Burger
    Heather M.

    We weren't anticipating going to Bar Harbor this trip so I was scrambling to choose a place for our anniversary dinner. I'm so glad we found this place. Everything was delicious! I loved the mocktail. We got there a little before 5 and were sat right away. Our server was great and our food came out fast and hot.

    Captains Catch with Sweet Potato Fries
    Elias G.

    Service was very friendly, and there was no wait to sit on the porch. Lots of cute dogs. Food was satisfying - I liked their clam chowder a lot. It had tons of clams and was not super thick. The mac and cheese was just OK. Good, but not as mind-blowing as they and their reviews suggest. The sauce was also a bit broken. The pie was delicious, as are most wild blueberry pies, although I think the filling was far better than the crust. I'd say it's pretty reliable, especially if you haven't made reservations elsewhere.

    BlackBerry Bourbon lemonade - really good
    Ric P.

    As the name suggests, the "Side Street Cafe" is one-block off Main Street in Bar Harbor, literally on a side-street. Surrounded by flowering plants upon entering you'll find d a low ceiling with rough hand hewn beams. The restaurant can be a bit loud but this is managed by open windows and outdoor seating. The hamburger is listed as a smash burger ... but it is not a true smash burger... but that doesn't diminish its taste. Very juicy and an overall great burger. The Lobster Roll was excellent. LOTS of Lobster! Buttery, fresh, and tender. My only wish is the roll could have been toasted more. Then there is the Blueberry pie. OMGOODNESS THIS WAS A HEAVENLY EXPERIENCE. I love pie and this blueberry pie was tasty with an excellent crust. Could not have been any better. When visiting Bar Harbor, forget the Main Street restaurants and go find the Side Street Cafe.

    Menu
    Marilyn B.

    Side Street Cafe is located very close to main street on Rodick Street. It is worth the stop for any meal. We did not have any wait when we arrived which was surprising as it looked packed. We were seated on their outside deck overlooking Rodick Street. We ordered drinks, an app, and entrees. My drink was a blueberry mint lemonade l. It had a punch of tartness and was very pretty. Our app was the Rodick Street Corn. It arrived at the table smothered in the Old Bay crema but you could also taste the lime and tajin. It was delicious! For my meal, I went with the firecracker burger with candied bacon, slaw and cheddar on a country roll. It typically comes with chips but I swapped those for sweet potato fries. First of all, candied bacon? Yes, please. The surprising part was the country roll. It was the perfect pairing with the burger. I ate every last bite. The sweet potato fries were some of the best I've had. They were perfectly cooked with the right amount of salt. Overall, I highly recommend eating a meal or 2 at Side Street Cafe when you're in Bar Harbor.

    Side street tacos with hallock
    Erin F.

    This place has over 2600 reviews #worthit. I anticipated having to wait but we got there at the perfect time, they were opening up another section of the restaurant for seating. So maybe 5 minutes. Everything we ordered was fabulous, the drinks, the food, the fish, the fries, even the black bean patty. I've literally been talking about the black bean patty for days. We also had a side of Mac and cheese, yum! They also offer some molding clay to help keep the kids entertained. My aunt and uncle have been coming to Maine for a decade and said this was their favorite place to eat. Tried and true. The entry is unique, like a secret tunnel. We sat on the ground floor, it has a huge bar and some covered seating on a deck. It looks like there is a second floor as well, maybe next time we will check that portion out. A note also this place is year round open, one of the few after tourist season.

    Christian E.

    It was very very cold inside. They did turn the fan off for us, but it's still very cold. The lobster stew is delicious. It has a good amount of lobster in it & the chopped green onions in it and the flavor; the bartender's choice cocktail was guava rum punch, and the charity was the food pantry ($2)That was nice. The blueberry margarita was very limey and tart, but strong The server was very nice and attentive. The lobster mac and cheese is always a favorite. We also got a slice of blueberry pie to go, and it was delicious.

    Michelle E.

    July 2025: My husband and I stopped at Side Street Cafe because we wanted to have our first Lobster Roll and Clam Chowder at a highly recommended place and this was it based on reviews. We dined outside for lunch on the patio where it was dog friendly, since we had our 10 lb dog with us. We only had to wait about 10-15 minutes for seating. The clam chowder was good and flavorful, the lobster roll was very simple and minimalist. The main focus was the fresh lobster and buttered toasted bread, not so much the condiments. I considered it a little bland for me but I love adding pepper and hot sauce to my food. lol Also, our waitress, Harmony, was very friendly and provided great service. Overall we enjoyed our lunch and would recommend stopping here for a bite to eat!

    Seared tune

    Amazing food and service! Love how dog friendly they are! We love coming here every season!

    Jason L.

    We went here to escape the main streets of Bar Harbor. That said, this side street was pretty popular. I've been to Bar Harbor over ten times and I don't remember this section of town but it was one of our favorites during this trip. Anyway, we stopped in for one reason -- blueberry pie. We also ate food and had a few beers but --- nothing really stood out as exceptional. This blueberry pie was a showstopper - I'd go so far as to say it's "G.O.A.T"ed.

    Mocktails
    Paige T.

    Enjoyed- the mocktails, especially the raspberry one. The lobster (of course). My husband enjoyed the mac and cheese. The blueberry pie (regrettably, no pics, but it's delicious). No wait time when we went for dinner on a weeknight. Didn't like- it was very loud, even though the space wasn't full- sound just carries. It was also our most expensive meal in Maine (and I get it, Bar Harbor), but the food was just ok in comparison to some of the other meals we had for half the price.

    Bellina C.

    Side Street Cafe is located in a quieter part of Bar Harbor, with a relaxed interior that was fully seated when we arrived for lunch. A friend had recommended this restaurant as having one of the best lobster rolls in Bar Harbor, so of course we had to check it out. Crab cakes ($18) - we ordered this as a starter for the table. It was solid but not the standout of the meal. Lobster roll ($45 which was market price at the time we dined) - expensive but honestly super delicious and one of the best we've had. The chunks of lobster meat are succulent and juicy. Perfectly seasoned. Generous amount of lobster given the amount of bread. If it wasn't so expensive, I could probably eat three of these in one sitting! Blueberry pie ($7.95) - the best blueberry pie we had in Bar Harbor. We got it served warm and it was heavenly. It has a sugar and lime zest crust which gave a lovely crunch. Surprisingly not too sweet, which I appreciated. I still miss this pie to this day. Service was fast and attentive. Despite the restaurant being packed and busy, we got everything we needed in a timely manner.

    The top one is CYO Mac and cheese with scallions, chipotle ranch, and queso.
    Kendal R.

    This place was amazing! We were there right when they opened and the staff were super attentive and friendly when we came in. The ambience of the restaurant was great and they had music, pretty views of Bar Harbor, and just a good vibe to the place. The food was of course the best part; we both tried the CYO Mac and cheese and it was AMAZING!! The street corn is so good on it. We also tried the cornbread and it was absolutely amazing. I definitely recommend eating here!

    Lobster roll feast

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    16 days ago

    Clam chowder was tasty. They have good local Maine beer. The bar hostess was friendly.

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    7 months ago

    Service was super slow and unattentive, and I couldn't believe how tiny the lobster serving with my entree was.

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    Side Street Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Side Street Cafe

    What times are Happy Hour?

    How is this business operating during COVID-19? Are they offering takeout, delivery, or both? Anything else to note about them right now?

    My experiences have been top notch. I've ordered online, paid online, and then you go to the restaurant and pick up your order on the counter. It has you name written on the bag. Both times someone is there thanking me for my order and asking if it… Read more

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    Good food and service. We sat on the work and it was cute but the inside has a really cool vibe and…read morecutesy decor. Olive oil cake was the star!

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    Table Salt - Table salt sign

    Table salt sign

    Table Salt - Yellow Fin Salad

    Yellow Fin Salad

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    Bistro On Eden

    4.0(74 reviews)
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    Delicious food and convenient. We went to Bar Harbor during the off season and stayed at the…read moreAtlantic Oceanside Hotel. Due to a young toddler and unexpected moods we ordered take out every night to avoid annoying other diners. We ordered from the Bistro three out of the four nights we stayed there. The salmon and mussels were clean and fresh in taste but filled with so much flavor. I did not bloat from salt. As for the tenderloin medallions, it was cooked to the perfect temperature we requested and was tender to bite into. My only issue was the service. The first night, when I went to pick up the food, the service was great. The individual that gave me my check and food was so delightful. But the second and third night, another individual, was rude in her responses. I understand it can be busy but there wasn't a need to respond with a tone or to look at me up and down like I have four heads. The view inside the Bistro itself was beautiful and serene. It isn't a large place but definitely date night worthy. Would definitely still recommend going but make reservations when busy.

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    Photos
    Bistro On Eden - General area

    General area

    Bistro On Eden - Martini, came without olives, had to ask for them

    Martini, came without olives, had to ask for them

    Bistro On Eden - View from the window

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    View from the window

    Side Street Cafe - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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