My husband and I were only in Bar Harbor for a couple days, but lucked out on finding a great dinner here. It was busy, and we were quoted a wait, but only got partway up the street before our table was ready. We were on a quest to find the local cat but gave up in the interest of eating. Sorry, kitteh. The menu has a variety of satisfying options, and you can add lobster to anything, if that's your thang. I appreciated the family and employee photos on the tables, and the general friendly-neighbor feel of the place. For a vacation town to offer something that feels authentically local is a big plus. On that note, the service was friendly and pretty good on a busy night. After a super generous appetizer of chips and guacamole, I had room for exactly half a veggie burger. It's made with black beans and chunky vegetables in the mash. It was also seasoned generously, though I can't say with what. But a black bean burger needs a kick in the pants in order to taste like something other than just black beans, and this one had it. An overall very good experience, and their popularity is deserved. read more

Come here for happy hour!!! My boyfriend and I stumbled across this place about 15 minutes before happy hour ended and our waitress was nice enough to mention it, so we got the deals. We had a marg pitcher which was great and so cheap and then had an amazing plate of wings for $8 and the most delicious lobster Mac and cheese. Go HERE! read more

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

This is a waste. Sad. What a waste. We had a burger. Patty was frozen. Then grotesquely overcooked. We had the lobster stew. Feh, but why pay for feh? No. We had fries. They were disgusting - baked, not fried. Huh? Then they're not "fried." The atmosphere, such as it is, is all plastic. This place is a big AVOID . read more

Warning: This is a VERY outdated review. I came here this past summer and was wow'd by the food here. We were lured in with the 'lobsterman's special' ($5 off any lobster dish). We almost single-handedly saved the lobstermen considering how many lobsters we must have plowed through during our meal. This was our last meal in Bar Harbor and I could not have asked for anything better. We ordered 2 lobster mac and cheeses -- one with bacon and one without (I recommend taking the gluttonous way like we did and ordering both, too). Very generous portions of lobster, but really the mac and cheese would have tasted divine without it. It's creamy, goopy, and absolutely divine! I think our lobster rolls essentially had a whole lobster in it. There were two intact pieces of claw meat on top of my roll -- that's how great it is. The rolls were a little thick, but completely necessary for all the meat it's holding! Come here if you want a quintessential Bar Harbor diner experience. read more

Traveling through Bar Harbor on our way back from Acadia National Park and I need some food. Oh god do I need food. I'm so hungry. I'm dying. OK, probably not. But goddamnit I'm hungry and I don't want to just eat any old dump which has the word lobster in the title. So I pull out the trust ol' Yelp App and find a reasonably priced, high-rated cafe! The Side Street Cafe! Hey, we have one of those in CT! Heck, there's probably one of these every 10 miles across the United States. It's like naming your painting, 'Oil on Canvas 3.' Sure, that's what it is, but.. you know what, never mind. So we get there and have a quick seat out on the deck. The server is polite and comes over quickly with menus. We place orders. I shit you not maybe 6 minutes later our orders come out. How? Does this place have some kind of time machine in the kitchen? But somehow they're wasting it just shaving off a few minutes from their orders? Like Hermoine taking multiple classes instead of, oh, I don't know, SAVING SOMEONE'S LIFE? I ordered a steak n cheese cause I was seafooded out and I gotta say, that shit was pretty bangin'. It hit spots I didn't know I had. My buddy got a veggie burger with avocado and Jalapeno and at first he thought they forgot the Jalapenos but then BAM. There they were. Sizzling. We didn't order drinks I have no idea what the nightlife is like. The atmosphere was kinda.. fine? Sure? But you know what? The service was good, the service was fast, the food was good, and reasonably priced. That's more than enough. Next time I feel like driving seven hours for a steak and cheese, I'll see you there! read more

This was a yummy place to stop in for lunch! I had the mac and cheese and my husband had the lobster roll. We did have to wait about 30 minutes to be seated and our waitress was a little slow and inattentive. We loved the vibe of the restaurant though and really enjoyed the food. Great lunch or dinner spot! read more

Ordered the lobster roll...lobster roll arrived. Took a bite. Said "this is SO GOOD" Husband:"blah blah blah high tide." Me: "this is SO GOOD" Husband:"blah blah blah half hour drive" Me (thinking) :"why aren't you eating your roll? It's SO GOOD" Me (outloud): "I mean it, this is REALLy GOOD!" read more

This place is consistently great from the clam chowder to the sub sandwiches. I found their blueberry margarita to be one of the most enjoyable Rita's ever! read more

Visited this place while being in Bar Harbor. Great food and cool guys! Loved clam soup and tuna melt. Definitely will come back. If you are visiting then definitely check this place out! read more

Let's start with the pros: delicious blueberry pie. Paula Deen endorsed mac and cheese that you can tell your friends about. Generous portions. Now. The food is absurdly expensive for the quality. The waitstaff is all young people who seemed annoyed that we were there at all. But most importantly: we were all wildly sick after the meal. Like, bed ridden (toilet ridden?) and unable to do anything else that night. Highly overrated. Go to one of the many other delicious places in that lovely town. read more

Decent atmosphere and service. But overpriced mediocre food. We had the lobster roll, lobster mac and short rib mac. Just bland bland and more bland. Fitting the tourist trap rep of Bar Harbor. read more

Perfect. Really that is all I can say about everything at Side Street Cafe. Food, drinks, staff ... all perfect. I seriously would drive the 5 hours to Bar Harbor just to come here again no kidding. read more

Side street cafe blew away all my expectations for a restaurant in a tourist town. The food was delicious, service amazingly fast and friendly, and prices were super reasonable. We popped in on a saturday night around 7PM expecting a long wait with all the people but were seated almost immediately. We started with the NE clam chowder - which had a great creamy texture and nice large pieces of clam. I had the lobster mac&cheese which was HUGE. The cheese sauce was nicely seasoned and the portion of lobster was very generous with nice big chunks (not little shreds) of tail, body and claw. My boyfriend ordered the seared scallops with wild rice. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a crunchy crust but soft interior. The balsamic reduction was a nice touch. We could barely finish our meal with the portions and with each entree less than $25 it was a steal. The atmosphere was great but a bit loud. There was a live band playing folk music which was a nice touch. Our servers were super friendly and attentive and very fast. Would recommend to anyone in bar harbor that wants to "eat like a local" read more

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Side Street Cafe caters to a wide range of people. From grandma to the kids, we were all able to find something to suit our tastes. Grandma had the ribs, which she loved. I had the Lobster Cobb salad (which was great), and the kids were incredibly happy with the chicken fingers. A pitcher of blueberry margaritas is the perfect accompaniment to help alleviate the noise of this always packed establishment. Being right in town, it's convenient. The waitstaff was friendly and helpful. They have call-ahead seating where you can call the restaurant 30-60 minutes ahead of when you want to eat, and they'll add you to the waitlist. read more

We were unable to eat at South Side the first time we tried - post-marathon crowd - but were SO glad we made it back for lunch. This is an adorable place with great service and local art for sale on the walls. Highlights of our meal were a lobster stew that was positively swimming with lobster meat, and a delicious salad just full of fresh, perfectly-cooked veggies. It can be hard to find veggies at restaurants, let alone good ones, but South Side's veggies were a home run. Sadly, we only found them the day before we were leaving, so were unable to do a 2nd visit, but I will DEFINITELY go here again when back in Bar Harbor. The bar area is large and there's an outdoor deck, so in season, this must be an awesome place to have a drink and real, delicious food (not just bar food). (As an aside - the B&B we stayed at runs it's own private polling of local restaurants to eat at, and South Side is rated one of the best of 6-7 places. So there's another group vote of confidence.) read more

Yummy blueberry basil margaritas with some deeeeelicios mac n cheese. They don't take reservations, but you can call ahead and put your name on a wait list. Waitresses was great too! Bonus.... The night we were there they had live music :-) read more

Extremely popular restaurant. The wait for a table was over an hour, but luckily we managed to grab a small table in the bar area (first come first serve). Ordered the lobster stew, customized mac n' cheese with tomato, spinach, avocado, and corned beef, and a hometown burger. They had a nice alcohol selection, but I decided to go with a blueberry soda which was delish! The lobster stew was simple and delicious. Thick chunks of fresh lobster meat in a creamy flavorful broth that had sherry. It was a little rich, but I couldn't stop eating it. The burger was a nice thick medium cooked patty. Not particularly seasoned, but a proper burger nonetheless. The mac n'cheese with all of our random toppings turned out great! Portions were generous and we ended up taking back leftovers. The place is really busy and the bar gets overly loud and crowded. Service was friendly. read more

We stopped here on our first night that we were on vacation in Bar Harbor. We heard that they were great about dogs and had good margaritas. How could you go wrong with that combo? Well, it started off a little iffy. Their patio area is quite small and oddly structured. We have a large golden retriever and it was hard for him to find a place to lay where he wasn't in the way. In fact, he never did. Either his head or butt was in the walking space. Not his fault. He tried. However, with that all being said, the waitresses were very understanding. Not all the people were. Our waitress even brought him a bowl with ice. Aw! The margaritas were delicious. We had the classic. Although, if you're interested they have a new seasonal one each month. Yum! I could have stayed for more than one if my hairy guy was more comfortable and not having to be literally walked over. My husband had the build your own Mac and cheese. Winner all around. I had the black bean quesadillas. Meh! Ok. I think the menu doesn't offer a lot of appealing options for vegetarians. We shared some fries and they were quite yummy. Large cut. Even crispier would be even better. We'll be back for drinks. Most likely not dinner due to the vegetarian pickiness. read more

The lobster stew was salty. It wasn't much of a stew to begin with. It's more like a bisque. The bowl wasn't very big either. The mac n cheese was average at best. Poor quality cheese. I wouldn't recommend this place read more

Side Street Café, in my opinion, is one of the best options to dine in the Bar Harbor area. The menu, from the bar to dessert, is very creative, the quality is high, and the service is always great. There are even more draft beer choices than my most recent visit last year. I could choose from several local microbrewery drafts, a special series, and a seasonal brew. I chose the seasonal brew, the Peak Organic Winter Session. This was a nice choice-- an amber (apparently) wheat malt, with a fruity, hoppy flavor. Choosing a draft is usually my preference but I did have to try my wife's cocktail-- a margarita with blackberry and thyme-- creative and tasty. To start, I attempted the clam chowder (a rare choice for me) and it was good. We also got a large order of chips and guacamole and this order was large indeed. My only issue was that the flavors in the guacamole did not come out until it had warmed a bit from the refrigeration it had been stored in. I had the Northern Cuban sandwich for a change and it was also delicious (I wouldn't have minded another helping). Roasted pork, pickles, Swiss cheese, and mustard between pretzel rolls, how can you go wrong? On the side were kettle chips (you had the option of upgrading or substituting). For "dessert", I settled on the nonfat Baxter Brewing Vanilla Bean Stout. Yes it still had calories but it won't raise my cholesterol. I don't think you can go wrong here. They do everything well and at a high quality. When we stay in the area for a week, we usually dine here more than once. read more

Let's say that the taste of the food was quite ok. When we go to the US we are always surprised by the good and enormous portions which is of course wonderful for the hungry men in our company. This time we were really disappointed . We ordered a Lobster stew and a Lobster roll for around Twenty dollars each. For us it was just an appetizer and we went hungry home! For that price it is ridiculous and I don't understand why everyone is so optimistic about this crowdy place. Our waitress though was very friendly but we won't return because these are portions for mice. Adding French Fries and a salad could make things better. read more

I recently spent 2 1/2 weeks visiting my folks on Mount Desert Island. We had 2 lunches at Side Street and it is just awesome! The food and recipes are outstanding. I tried a couple of lobster sandwiches and they were super-well executed. And, I'm a bit picky about that as I grew up eating lobster in Maine. The service is great and really friendly. Attention to detail is also very high. My daughter is a vegetarian and the restaurant had some great options for her. You cannot go wrong here. Great place owned and run by great people. read more

So I'm kind of famous. Well I was in 1989. And every once in a while I still get recognized and this was one of those places. Autographs, pictures and a small stir. Bar Harbor gets real celebs, but for a while I felt like one of them. And to top it off the food was great and then they comped our meal ( for two). So hello, my picture is probably on the wall by now, but if you're under 50 you'll be like "who the heck is that" Great food and the nicest people. read more

I went to the Side Street Cafe on the recommendation of bartenders from two other establishments - they both recommended the lobster stew. I took the recommendation and had a bowl of lobster stew and a Baxter IPA beer. The bowl size was large, but not huge. The broth was quite thin, slightly creamy, and had a nice pink color from tons of lobster! Spoon after spoon contained large chunks of lobster! I'm sure if you controlled yourself you could get at least a small piece of lobster in every bite. The stew was served with standard oyster crackers - a hunk of crusty bread would have made the dish perfect. On my trip to Bar Harbor I had lobster most ways: lobster omelet, lobster roll, lobster mac-n-cheese, a 2.5 pounder, and the Side Street's lobster stew -- the lobster stew was my favorite! read more

I came here twice while on a week long vacation and both times, the service was great. I absolutely LOVED their mac-n-cheese. However, don't get it with the lobster. Not because it tastes bad, but because they totally jip you out of lobster. I think there were about 3 little pieces in it, and if I'm paying $23+ dollars, I expect more than that. It was a disappointment. Good thing I loved the mac though, as I got it again, but with sliced franks instead (which was delicious!). The lobster roll is absolutely drool-worthy, although a little less packed and more mayonnaisey than the Ocean Drive-In's roll. It's also $6 more, so you might as well go to the Ocean Drive-In, as they're great people and really pack on the meat! All in all, the food was a pleasant surprise. I gave it 3 stars mainly because they take advantage of you with the lack of lobster in the mac-n-cheese. read more

AMAZING food! My friends and I ate seafood for a 4-night, 5-day trip to Maine and this place is a must-go if you're in the area. I had Clam Chowder Soup and a BLAT Sandwich (Bacon Lettuce Avocado Tomato) topped with Lobster. The sandwich is probably the best sandwich i've ever eaten and the clam chowder was creamy and everything I could've asked for. I was so full but I HAD to finish my food as I couldn't let that amazing food go to waste. read more

A great stop! There is something on the menu for everyone and you can't go wrong no matter what you pick! My personal favorite section as a non-drinker is the mocktails - what a thoughtful little addition to the menu! Friendly staff and always a good time - just prepare for a little wait, we haven't wait more than 30 minutes - many people in town want a seat at this hot spot! read more

We used Yelp to search for a kid friendly place after our hike in Acadia. Side Street came up on every search and despite the fact it was one of the only places with a wait on a drizzly night, we decided to wait for a table. We ordered beers at the very crowded bar and put in a kids quesadilla order while we waited. We were pleasantly surprised that our table was ready before the apps were ready and they took care of transferring our tab to our table. We sat in the back by a rowdy table who sat at the same time as us, but our server was very attentive and took time to make menu recommendations for us. I chose the mac n cheese w lobster and avocado because I was trying to decide between that and the lobster quesadilla. My husband had a delicious and generously portioned lobster roll and we both had the house salad w yummy house strawberry vinaigrette. The lobster mac n cheese was as good as the many reviewers have said and our server had promised! I also appreciated all the healthy side options for the kids, including corn in the cobb and carrot sticks. The blueberry pie was also the best I have had in Bar Harbor! My only complaint was that my side of the table backed up to the wall adjacent to the swinging doors to the kitchen, so there was an almost constant thud each time a server went through the doors. Once I dove into my food, I didn't even notice and we were grateful to be seated quickly. Great service, great menu, and great staff! We will be back! read more

Plenty of reviews for this place, but why not add another when it's worth it. My wife had the lobster Mac and cheese, but I actually preferred my ribs and mac more. I typically don't like ribs with heavy sauce, but the mixture of sweet and spicy bbq sauce on the mac and cheese was delicious. The meat fell off the bones and was also very good. It gets busy, but we ate fairly early and were able to walk right in. Service was quick and attentive. I would absolutely eat here again. read more

Utterly overrated and to be avoided. We cannot understand the ratings here other than many reviewers may have lower expectations for a $$ place. The lighting was too bright, the crab cakes were very bready with little crab meat even after asking the waitress, the lobster w cognac sauce was nothing special at all and came with blase veggies and undercooked rice. Overall nothing impressed and we expect more from a place w 4 star average. Avoid! read more

Lobster rolls here are stuffed, and my kale salad was delicious. Our dog was welcome to join us. Pleasant service and plenty of outdoor seating. Appreciated the gluten-free options. read more

The pasta was sooooo good. I don't remember the name but is green color. Chicken wings were spicy and tasty. The lobster roll was average. We had our best ever lobster roll at Bite into Maine. Clam chowder was also good. Highly recommend this place!!! read more

Stopped here for dinner while on vacation. Great happy hour specials and very kid friendly menu. Just a block away from the main strip it's well worth the short walk. read more

A bunch of new friends and I checked out Side Street because we heard that their Mac and Cheese was to dieeeee for. We were able to make a reservation for 8 on a Saturday with no problem...just a short 45 minute wait which we spent across the street grabbing beers. The server was so patient with our large party! We had several pitchers of margaritas (Mango, Strawberry Rhubarb, and Blueberry) which were all so delicious. Blueberry was definitely the highlight. While I did not get Mac and Cheese, a few in my party did, and damn was it good. I regretted getting my play it safe chicken sandwich with guac after I sneaked multiple bites of my friends Mac ;) Side street is a fun, tasty place to go with friends in Bar Harbor. Oh yeah, we loved the live music!! read more

Fantastic service. Quick and so friendly. I wish I could have tipped that girl an entire paycheck. They were so busy but we did not feel neglected for a second. Kept our drinks topped off, kept mine loaded with ice, brought our food and check so quickly. I watched her interact with other guests as well. She gave great recommendations and attentive service even to children. I don't know her name but she had the cutest freckles. I wish I knew her name. The food was great. Beardyman got a grilled fish sandwich that he savored and raved about. I got a sandwich with sprouts, avocado, pesto, and mozzarella--so good. The flatbread which it was served on was toasted or grilled to give it a light crunch while not diminishing the softness. There was enough pesto to combat dryness but not enough to give me garlic breath. Tons of sprouts, mozzarella, and thick slices of avocado. The house-made chips were also great, though--I am a french fry kind of girl and would have preferred fries. Excellent experience here. read more

We went there first thing in the morning because the weather was yucky and our rock climbing adventure got cancelled as a result, it was empty and our food arrived lightning fast. The service was friendly and the food was hot and delicious. It was a group consensus that they have he best blueberry pancakes on the island! They were seriously so good, I'm still dreaming about them. I had Cinnamon Raisin French Toast and it was so good, not too sweet and had a lot of flavor. The prices were really reasonable for the large portions and their teas were so yummy, I wanted to try all of them! I loved how many vegetarian options they have, next time I'd like to try their tofu scrambles! I also would love to come for dinner as their dinner menu looks so good and I really love the decor and feel of the restaurant. There were also a ton of locals which is always a good sign of a good place to eat! read more

A little bit out of the way from the hustle and bustle, this cafe offers outdoor aeating and an extensive menu. The food was hit or miss: Lobster roll, side of lobster stew: lobster roll was lightly tossed in some mayo and was delicious and not overly creamy, which I like because you can really enjoy the sweet meat. There was a good portion of lobster in the stew but unfortunately It was also served with a ahort piece of dark wavy hair. The nomad burger: loved the crusty bread, the avocados, the chipotle sauce, and of course the bacon on the burger Chips w bean dip (app): absolutely do not get this tasteless dish, worst bean dip I've had in recent memory Overall, cute place and friendly staff but wish the food was better. read more

This place is a solid four. Mostly bc I wanted to find a healthy alternative to eating fried seafood and lobster rolls in town, and also somewhere that was affordable. I had the grilled veggie salad which was exactly what I was looking for...mixed greens, herbs, and assorted grilled cauliflower, broccoli, etc. with an asian-inspired dressing on the side. Filling and delicious, I think I'll have to try this at home. My husband had the lobster mac n cheese. He wished it had more of a cheese-flavor, but I enjoyed the creamy taste of a bechemel-style mac and cheese vs. a gloppy gooey pasta. We sat on the bar-patio outside since it was a great day. read more

This is our favorite restaurant on MDI! We have been there twice so far! The food that we have had so fas has been amazing! Our kids have to eat gluten free. Not only does Side Street Cafe offer gluten free options but it also tastes great. Our kids had to write the chef a letter to thank them (their idea, not ours). We also bought the kitchen staff a round as everyone was extremely friendly especially for how busy they were! Highly recommend Side Street Cafe to anyone looking for a great friendly place to eat! read more

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This was definitely our favorite restaurant during our stay in Bar Harbor. It's actually the only restaurant that we went to twice during our stay. It started on the right foot since the restaurant had its own parking which saved us the standard 5 - 15 minute search for a spot. We didn't make reservations (we really have to plan better on vacation) and were told that it would be a 25 minute wait. We left our car in their parking lot and walked to the park which was right across the street and let our kids run and play while we waited. When we got back we were immediately seated by their friendly staff and our orders were promptly taken. Our waitress was very nice and gave us honest suggestions on the entrees which is greatly appreciated when you come to a new restaurant. My meal could not have been better and after we left we immediately started to plan on which night that we would return so that we could try some of the other suggestions that our waitress gave us. If you are staying in Bar Harbor, I definitely suggest your try out this restaurant and suggest you try it early during your stay, just in case you want to go back again. :-) read more