Nice restaurant and bar just off the Main Street in Bar Harbor, ME. Try the custom macaroni and cheese with toppings (we tried mushrooms and bacon). Yum! read more

Side Street Cafe - Local beer selection - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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The review on yelp and TripAdvisor were very high, so I must have gone on a very bad day. The place was packed and the wait for a table inside was about 45mins long around 7pm, but if there's seating on the porch or bar it was up for grabs. The atmosphere and staff were nice and average. Overall, 4/5 stars. As for the food... It was just horrible. I ordered the 1/2 rack of ribs with mac and cheese. Let's start with the ribs. They were over cooked (black all over) and very dry to where no amount of BBQ sauce could save them. The mac and cheese were bland and very sad. It needed salt and more flavor. Eating the mac with the ribs was the only way I could eat this meal. My boyfriend ordered the cold lobster roll (cold is the traditional lobster with mayo while a hot lobster roll is mixed with melted butter) with the pub fries (cost extra to sub). He said it was disappointing. The lobster mix was bland in taste, and the roll taste like a Texas toast from Cane's. Also, the pub fries would have been good if they weren't undercooked. We also split a bowl of clam chowder, which was good. I had 5 different bowls of clam chowder in Bar Harbor and this one was good, but not my first choice. Overall, I didn't like the food at all. Recommend skipping this place. read more

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Like this place a lot! Great menu and very friendly staff. It has a surprisingly deep menu for Bar Harbor. I had a steak, my companions had a lobster roll, chowder, and steak tips! Great blue berry pie as well. Side Street is just off of the waterfront in Bar Harbor which is an added plus. The breezy from the harbor will cool you off as well. Delicious and delightful spot with lots of room so don't waste your time on Main Street, walk a little way and hit this gem of a spot! read more

Great environment and solid food. We waited about an hour and fifteen to be seated but it was worth it. We sat at the bar and I enjoyed a delicious blackberry and bourbon drink and my husband at Atlantic brewing blueberry ale (nice touch to add the blueberries). The lobster bisque was delicious and we wish we got the bowl instead of the cup to share (and could have used a little more lobster, only two and half small pieces). Then we shared the bangin shrimp and haddock tacos. The shrimp had a little bit of a curry flavor with delicious bread to sop it up. This was one of the best meals we had in bar harbor. read more

Visited Side Street for Lunch and i had zero complaints! The atmosphere was relaxed although i could see it getting lively at night. I had the Lobster roll and Clam Chowder both of which were top notch! Service was friendly and fast! I would visit again! read more

This place had a great atmosphere and for being tucked up along the side of the street (as the name implies), it had a lot of seating space. The lobster roll was terrific and the lobster mac was amazing. read more

Solid lunch bites! This was our first lobster roll and I was pleasantly surprised by the generous heaping portion of lobster atop a light piece of toast. I was expecting heaviness and grease but the lobster was unburdened by much of any sauce and the toast was barely buttered if at all, letting the lobster flavor shine. The chowder was nothing too memorable but was tasty at the time. We also tried the kale and chickpea salad, which came with nice crunchy chickpeas, plenty of greens, and a nice dressing that tasted like apples to me. I added the Jamaican jerk chicken for some protein and appreciated the sweet/spicy sauce. This salad was a sufficiently filling but still light and healthy-feeling entree. Final impressions: satisfying American fare with some nice lighter options on the menu. read more

Side Street Cafe - Roasted chickpea and kale salad with added jerk chicken (+$6) - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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I recommend the specialty margaritas. I had the blueberry (twice) and my wife had the "margarita of the moment" which was Mandarin Hibiscus; both were great! We ate here a couple of times on our trip. Meal #1 I had the crab cakes and pub fries. The chipotle sauce with the fries was excellent. The crab cakes were good but not the best I have had. It may be my preference for a bit more crispy exterior. These were very soft inside and out. Still good. My wife had the Mac & cheese which she liked a lot. Meal #2: I wanted to try the lobster roll but could not get myself to "shell out" $42 for it. Instead, the haddock Ruben intrigued me. It was excellent. Heavy on the haddock and just enough of the sauerkraut, cheese and thousand island dressing to round out the Ruben flavor. Oh, and the marble rye- great combo. If you like Rubens and white fish, I strongly recommend you give it a try. My wife had the chicken burrito. I also tried some and it was very good. Over all, dine at least one meal at the Side Street Cafe. read more

Seafood mac and cheese: delectable, rich, well cooked, and a decent amount of seafood. Add pepper as necessary. Scallop and shrimp fra diavolo: they skimp a bit on the shrimp and scallops, but the sauce is delicious. Mussels: pretty good, though we had better this trip, and the larger ones taste so much like the ocean that we had to just set them aside. Chocolate bread pudding: well made bread pudding complemented by classic vanilla ice cream. The rich chocolate flavor stood up well, but they did themselves a disservice topping it with cheap Hersheys syrup. Leave it be or use something that doesn't put a lower quality perception in the customer's mind. read more

Enjoyed the most wonderful meal here. i got the very fresh, incredibly tasty halibut. So delicious! my husband had the haddock sandwich. Messy but delicious! Our friends had the steak sandwich and fish tacos that they enjoyed. the clam chowder wasn't spectacular but was good. my cocktail wad the blueberry-basil margarita and oh my that was soooo great! what a treat! very happy we happened upon this spot. live music started at 8 and the band was really terrific, a great first night in Bar Harbor. read more

We had half-order lobster Mac n cheese, clam chowder, and burger. All of it tasted great!

I was in town for the weekend and ran into this place after taking a wrong turn into this small street. Turned out to be a great detour. The appearance (outside and in) is casual and inviting. The staff is very friendly and provide solid service. The food is great and the prices are low. I ordered the lobster quesadilla and was happy with both the taste and the portion size. Everyone with me was please with their experience and would definitely return. I would say that if you are in town and want a diverse menu filled with good food at fair prices come check out this off the beaten path place. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND! read more

Side Street Cafe - Lobster quesadilla! - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

I stopped by this place 2x during my 7 days stay in Bar Harbor. Just like its name, it is located in a side street. One thing that's really horrible is finding parking. If you live closeby, I highly suggest you walk to this restaurant. Other than parking, everything about this is pretty good. The servers were friendly. Pulled pork sandwich and claim chowder were especially good. I have young kids so mac-n-cheese was a MUST-HAVE! I ranked Side Street Cafe's mac-n-cheese as one of the best! In regards to lobster rolls ranking in places I've been during my 7 days in Maine: 1. C-Rays Lobster (around $16) 2. Stewman's Lobster Pound (around $23) 3. Eventide Oyster Co. (around $16) - in Portland, ME 4. Side Street Cafe (around $15) read more

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Came here before setting up shop at Acadia National Park and wanted a good meal. This was definitely the place. It was packed when we (party of 2) arrived at lunch time, but were able to find a seat outside immediately. We ordered the special margarita which was a watermelon and mint combination - very tasty. I also ordered the mini burger with a side salad and shared a half portion of the mac-n-cheese (added red bell peppers and tomatoes). It. Was. Delicious. Get the mac-n-cheese. I normally would have splurged on the lobster mac, but was sharing with someone who doesn't eat seafood. If you do eat seafood, please eat it so I can live vicariously through you. Otherwise, experience the nice ambiance and friendly staff. read more

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Cool cafe and great food and nice deck and staff that is off the main touristy area!?

Probably one of the best food we had in Bar Harbor. We ordered the lobster with came with clam chowder and corn on the cob. The chowder was excellent! Creamy and thick as chowder should be. Excellent taste! The lobster was cooked just right and the corn was freshly picked. Lots of butter was given for the corn and lobster. My husband has the scallops and that was a huge portion! The taste with the rice and fresh vegetables was out of this world! The best part of the dinner was the blueberry pie ala mode. This was the best blueberry pie I've ever tasted! The crust was amazing and the pie was full of blueberries! Be sure to save room for this pie! Wait staff was very kind and efficient! read more

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Somewhat basic food, but it's done really well and it's decently affordable (for bar harbor).

Great late lunch and excellent service today by Kery S today!! We had the lobster roll and the nomad chicken sandwich. Both meals were great portions and super tasting! And the margarita's.... delicious!!! We had the blueberry and a jalapeño/pomegranate!!! YUM!!!! I completely recommend this place! read more

Side Street Cafe - Blueberry and jalapeño/pomegranate margs!! - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

This place was amazing. Small joint, great atmosphere. Service was unbelievably fast. Server Matt did an excellent job. Lobster Mac was incredible and the drinks were very good. Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade was excellent. Highly recommend. read more

Wasn't that great. Had high expectations because it's ranked highly on trip advisor but honestly there are much better places to eat in bar harbor for cheaper. The cocktails were very sweet and pricey. The lobster roll was very expensive for the quantity of lobster meat. The chowder was mediocre. The lazy lobster presentation wasn't great also, most places will still have the lobster shell present on the plate for the tail etc to make it look nicer. The wait was extremely long as well. Overall I wouldn't come back here. read more

Went for dinner at Side street cafe based on all these wonderful reviews unfortunately only thing we enjoyed was the lobster stew. Sent back the jerk chicken wings and the ribeye dinner. Very disappointing dinner. read more

Ordered the lobster stew and basically was drinking straight cream and had one small chunk of lobster. Definitely was not worth 11$ for a tiny cup. The clam chowder was tasty. Lobster roll was mediocre and overpriced. Would highly recommend Trenton's lobster pound for an amazing lobster roll read more

Only did takeout as it was quite busy. The salmon on the salad was done perfectly. The clam chowder was tasty as well. Done way ahead of time the app said it would be ready. Will be going back for more. read more

While in Bar Harbor we got multiple suggestions to come to this spot. I'm all about a vibe and the vibe was cool with an indoor outdoor feel with the huge sliding doors opened. This helped because it was hot when we went and it had no AC. Our server and the service was amazing overall we got the food quick and great suggestions not only about food/drinks but the hikes in Acadia too. I got a blueberry mint margarita and it was very good but I preferred it without salt and ordered the salt on the rim. Now in Maine you gotta get the "Lobstah" so I got lobster nachos and cheese. It was a very creamy cheese sauce but it wasn't real thick. The flavor profile was good but I felt like it was missing a little something. So I asked the staff for some old bay and wow that did the trick it was sooooo good. Now who would've thought in Maine that the crab would be the real winner but I will tell you being from Maryland that crab dip was some of the best I've had and the pita on the side for dipping was fantastic! (Pro tip order extra pita! Good enough to eat by itself). read more

Side Street Cafe - Crab dip with pita - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Honestly, I know that this is a pretty low-key place with a slightly upscale take on greasy-spoon fare, but they're consistent and good. It's worth the five stars. We always get the mac and cheese and it's always rich, creamy, indulgent, and just overall good. I always get a seasonal drink and they're made well, consistently. They're different each year and I'm still desperately seeking the recipe from one of last year's. This place, which seems to be a mix of locals and tourists, is generally easy to get into, even when there's a slight wait. We come back year after year and generally eat here more than once during our stay. Definitely a must-try! read more

Side Street Cafe - The specialty drinks are consistently good: flavorful but not overpowering (yet, they still have a kick to them!) - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Our waiter was AMAZING. He was so friendly and excellent at promoting menu items. The food was very tasty as well (my mom said it may have been the best Lobster Roll she's had). read more

We love this place, it is very popular but for good reasons. Super clean, food is fresh, beer is great, something for everyone. We have gotten the same exact items our last 3 visits. Spinach Artichoke dip, black bean burgers, veggie salad, mac and cheese, pulled pork sanwhich, blueberry or other ale. My only issue is that sometimes we get a fantastic table sometimes we get stuck in a dark corner against a brick wall. read more

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The lobster roll has a lot of lobster! And the homemade white has a fruit flavor. The soup is also good! read more

Side Street Cafe - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Excellent food and drinks. Even better service. Highly recommend. Blueberry pie is absolutely delicious. The service, the staff everything was such a pleasant experience! read more

We were walking around town at 6pm trying to find a place to eat. Walked in to a large group of people standing outside the restaurant. Was told a 20 minute wait which surprised me. They were true to there word. They move through customers quickly. I was very impressed. The food was good, nothing amazing. I had the Meatball Sub and a side salad. My wife had the original burger and my kids had a grill cheese and the Mac and Cheese. Everyone was happy with their selection. Would be happy to return again. read more

Came by for a quick bite. Was very happy with our food and the atmosphere was friendly. We sat outside with our two dogs and we all had an awesome tome! read more

I recently visited Bar Harbor with my brother and we stayed three nights. Each night we ate at Side Street Cafe. I highly recommend this business because we had an amazing experience. The waitresses were super nice and very knowledgeable about their menu. They each had suggestions for drinks and food that was popular but also what they personally liked. They were personable and seemed like they truly enjoyed talking with customers. The food was delicious and always came out fresh and warm. I ordered the Northern Cuban, the Grilled Reuben, and the Nomad burger. Every single plate was amazing and the quality was excellent! My brother ordered the Clam Chowder and Lobster Stew. He loved both, but the clam chowder was especially amazing! I tried it as well and would definitely recommend! My favorite dish I tried was the Northern Reuben because of the pretzel bun! All in all, I highly recommend this place for anyone looking to get a bite to eat in Bar Harbor, Maine!! read more

As promised returned one year later. The gold standard for lobster roll. Absolutely the best. Friendly service.

This is a few streets off the main block. Packed even though other restaurants were empty (good sign)! We got a table on porch with our pup. Service was quick and friendly. Got the Mac and cheese and jeans jam which was a bowl with beans, rice, veggies and chicken. Delicious. Would go back! The menu has lots of good choices. read more

I have eaten here in the past 3 years and the food was ok. Went to eat here today, and saw a line outside. Even though the restaurant advertised no lines and that it was open, the restaurant was actually closed. Won't be wasting my time here in the future. read more

Great restaurant. Up the street from Main Street. My lobster was delicious. My daughter got a salad and the shrimp appetizer with enough sauce to dip bread in. Yummo! Hubby got meatball sub and it was very good. read more

Love love love! Excellent lobster roll and delicious grilled halibut . Great shrimp appetizer

The clam chowder was good. The burger was not so good. The lobster roll was decent but very small. The staff at the front were completely rude and unfriendly. read more

friendly service and prompt attention ... lobster roll was delicious and the chowder sooo good .... first time here , after a long drive this was a good spot to get our first taste of bar harbor . read more

This spot has gone down hill badly. Used to be great 5 years ago. Today it's over priced diner food. Even the lobster grilled cheese that I used to love and order frequently has been barely worth eating the last few times I ordered it. During this last visit, the male bartender was rude and demanding. I spent too much money on garbage food and unpleasant service too many times hoping it was a bump in the road but it wasn't. It has proven that it's quality is no longer like it used to be. Like many have been doing the past couple years, I am done frequenting this spot as a local. read more