We stopped by for a beer and an appetizer. It was after lunch and before dinner so the place had a bunch of seats, we opted to sit at the bar. The bartender brought a menu quickly and when I wasn't sure on which beer to order she offered a taste. We ordered beer and fried seafood sampler and it was terrific, as was the beer. I can't speak to the entrees or table service, but the bartender was great as was the food and beer. read more

Thirsty Whale - Popped in for a snack and a beer! - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

They were so accommodating with my large group of 11 people, and fit us all in the restaurant quickly! I loved my blackened salmon sandwich, it was perfectly seasoned and filling. Their chowder also hits the spot. This place gets crowded during the peak season at Acadia (as expected) but we didn't have to wait too long to get seated. Also had a good selection of local beers! read more

Thirsty Whale - Blackened salmon sandwich - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Came here on a Saturday night and sat at the bar because some people just left. It is a small narrow place, so there's not a lot of seating. The blackened fried fish & chips was okay. The haddock was a bit dry inside (overcooked?) but had decent flavor from the spices and seasoning. The waitress was very nice and service was a little slower but not her fault at all because it was very busy. read more

Thirsty Whale - Blackened fried fish and chips & Maine root blueberry soda - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Bottom: Casual pub and grill, friendly staff and good food. My husband and I were looking for a casual place for a late-ish dinner and Thirsty Whale was the perfect pick. On our late May visit we were seated immediately and our server was super friendly and attentive. My husband and I both enjoyed their lobster roll. Of the seven lobster rolls we had during our trip to Maine we thought Thirsty Whale's was middle of the pack - it was satisfying's but not our most favorite. My husband had his lobster roll with their yummy pasta salad and I had mine with a cup of clam chowder. After a long day we appreciated the quick service. read more

Thirsty Whale - Thirst Whale - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Well run place with great service and food. Came on Sat night just before 6PM and waited 30 mins for a table. My bride ordered the burger and loved it....said it was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. I ordered the blackened fish sandwich (they broiled it instead of being fried) and the taste was excellent. The fries were also tasty! Lisa was our server and was outstanding! Loved her super friendly attitude and prompt attention! read more

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I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time. Every place in Maine steams their lobsters and just chucks them on a plate or bread. Here in the South, we put seasoning on our seafood. The lobster bisque was equally bland and had nary a piece of meat in it. Good service with a competentstaff. read more

Amazing lunch spot! We were craving some good fish and chips...and after looking at their menu and seeing blackened fish and chips we could resist! We arrived around 2pm on a Friday and were seated immediately. We ordered a couple beers from the local selection and an order of the blackened fish and chips and a blackened fish sandwich! The food was delicious and so flavorful with the blackened seasoning. I would 100% recommend stopping in here, having a beer and good food while talking with the friendly staff. read more

Thirsty Whale - Blackened Fish N Chip's - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Sat outside in a great little court yard with its own tiny bar. Staff were great. I had the Fish Taco Wrap which was great and absolutely GIANT! Stuffed with fried fish. I loved it. read more

Lobster rolls were really good, clam chowder soup was very tasty and creamy. It was a busy day but I got seated at the bar right away. Great atmosphere, good food and good customer service. Definitely a must go place to try Lobster rolls after a hike at Acadia national park. read more

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I think this is a restaurant that doesn't get enough attention, considering I had no idea it existed and the experience was exceptional. We were visiting Acadia and needed some food, we stumbled upon this bar just down the street from the marina. We ordered the lobster roll, pasta salad, clam chowder and seafood sampler. My fiancé got an IPA and I had a blueberry cider. We were blown away by the quality of the food, drinks and service. The bar was warm, energetic and just big enough for the cozy beach town feel. Everything was so damn delicious and the food came out quicker than we could even plan for! We went to the bathroom to wash our hands and the waitress nearly beat us back to the table! Can't recommend enough! read more

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Food was amazing. The service was great. We had a southwest burger and the fish wrap. I'm not a fish person but I wanted to try something new. I would go back just for the wrap. read more

Delicious and had non-alcoholic beer! bartender was on top of it. Good atmosphere good food. read more

Thirsty Whale - Delicious and had non-alcoholic beer! - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

We walked here as Bar Harbor is just busy Labor Day weekend. The hostess was very nice, had a 40 minute wait and got sat in about 20 minutes. The place is loud, but it's a tavern with an energetic waitress named Ann. She was patient with our questions and ordering after a long day of travel. Everything came out at once, but it was all so good! The starter - broiled cheese curds is a must get item! Basil flavor, hot, with soft pita bread. The Lobster roll ($25) was fantastic, more lobster than Mayo thankfully - a bit small but good! I loved the toasted bun. The New England clam chowder was some of the best I've had. ...but it's early and I'll be eating these two items all weekend to compare. LOL. I like this place, and could see myself coming back to sit at the bar and have some of there wide draft beer selections. read more

Thirsty Whale - New England Clam Chowder Background- Broiled Cheese Curds as a starter - must get! - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Great service, great food. Had the haddock sandwich and it was perfect after a long day of hiking.

We came in here after a full day of hike to fill out stomach. We had the blackened haddock sandwich and beyond burger. The haddock fish was soft but the seasoning was way too salty. The beyond burger was just average and nothing to brag about. The fries were a little soggy for our taste. We gave it 2/5 because the food is just not as good. read more

Thirsty Whale - Beyond burger - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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This is definitely a place for tourist. The fish and chips were very greasy. The shrimp are popcorn size and could not be tasted. The clam Chowder was pretty decent. I suspect it is popular for the bar more so than the food. read more

Great little bar and restaurant in town. Stopped in with 10 and they sat us quickly. We just stopped in for drinks and appetizers so didn't get to try the full menu. Some Atlantic blueberry ale of course and some other drinks were at the table right away. We got the hummus, seafood sampler and some kids food. All were great and gone in a flash. Definitely give them a try and will be back next trip. read more

SO GOOD! Service was fast and friendly. The lobster roll is what dreams are made of, so fresh and delicious. It was an expensive dinner for two, but par for the course for lobster. Highly recommend! read more

Love this homey little tavern! The food is serviceable, service is, dare I say, actually better than serviceable, and the cider and beer list is top notch. For casual meal in a no-frills venue, Thirsty Whale is a solid choice. It might not blow you away with the food, but it's wonderful and warm spot to enjoy a meal and a cold one. We had the pleasure of visiting Thirsty Whale on its first day open in 2023. We came to the Acadia area at the very beginning of the season to beat the crowds, so we were there for the opening of several of the venues in town. There weren't too many people at Thirsty Whale when we got there, but that was expected for a chilly April night. We started out with drinks, which was the main draw here for me. Maine overall is a mecca for breweries, so it came as no surprise that there's an impressive draught and bottled/canned beer list. My husband is a beer drinker and I'm a cider drinker, and we were both very happy with what we tried. He tried two draught beers, and I tried one draught cider and a canned cider. Both of my drinks were exceptional. To start, I had the Carlson Orchard's Honey Crisp Cider, and to finish I had the Mainiac Blueberry Cider. The blueberry one was pretty sweet, but still delicious. For my main, I got the Garden Salad with Blackened Haddock. Solid salad, nothing to write home about, but still something to write a Yelp review about. Ha. Anyway, the haddock was definitely the star here, as seafood typically is in Maine. Awesome, spicy-ish spice rub on the fish that made it super flavorful. My husband got the Fisherman's Plate, which is an assortment of fried seafood (as an aside, Thirsty Whale has a ton of fried options, it seems to be a specialty). I don't do fried but I did try one of the fried clams (albeit with the breading taken off, so sue me) and it was yummy. read more

Food was outstanding. We had a wrap fish and chips had fish sandwich in smoke fish. It was delicious and very fresh. Our waitress who's with Lisa was so helpful and so kind and incredible waitress. If out of town. PLEASE STOP HERE. FABULOUS!!!! read more

What a negative reception, hostess was so rude. We travel with a well trained service dog and were made to feel anything other than welcome. If you are traveling with a service animal better to pick another spot. read more

Everything is amazing! Love the food and beer! We will definitely come back when we are visiting the town next time! read more

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Best clam chowder in Bar Harbor. Meaty and juicy. I could have eaten 5 bowls. Great service. We were there for lunch, but I imagine the place is really jumping at dinner time. Wife was mildly disappointed with the lobster bisque. read more

First time in Maine and we are staying in Bar Harbor. The food here was very fresh and not over breaded on the dried entrees. We all tried different dishes and loved our selections. Service was good. Drinks were good. I would go there again read more

Can you say delicioso? Because hot damn is this place delicioso! The service is great and the food is a chefs kiss. I got a lollipop forest blueberry sour and the blackened fish sandwich with the clam chowder. We also got the smoked trout dip, lobster bisque, and the fish wrap. (Also the blueberry margarita and blueberry ale). Get it all, try it all, enjoy it alllll! read more

Super good food! My sister and I split the chicken tenders and fries and it was delicious, plenty to split. My mom got the fish and chips and loved it as well. Service was quite fast for how busy it was. read more

Delicious, fresh and hot haddock sandwich, HUGE, had to share. Decent prices, considering other places in Bar Harbor.

I decided to try the chowder considering that I was in a coastal town. What I experienced was much more like potato soap with an occasional bite of seafood. Very disappointing. At 5:45 the server came around with my check wanting me to close out without asking if I was done. I guess his shift was over at 6:00 and he wanted his tip. read more

Delicious lunch!!! Haddock was fresh. Fries were crispy. Dill sauce for salmon sandwich was amazing. All around yum at reasonable prices. Great service. Straightforward menu! read more

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Cute place! Perfect for a casual dinner.. many options! Food and drinks were tasty! Went twice during my trip due to enjoying it ! Only reason I am not giving 5 stars is I felt a little rushed however overall would go back ! read more

Spent a week in Bar Harbor and went here 3 times. Great service. Fried clams were awesome. Had a great beer special. Just a chill cool place to hang out while my son and dil hiked. read more

Came in on a weekday during lunchtime and ordered our meals to-go so we could eat lunch at the park. Service was great and we did not wait long for our order to be ready. I ordered the Grilled Tuna Sandwich, Caesar Salad side, and a cup of New England Clam Chowder. They provide so much food, I was able to save half for dinner. I love that there was an option for my sandwich to be grilled. The balance between hot and cold was perfect. The New England Clam Chowder was great. It was creamy and had the perfect balance of clam, potato, and soup. Overall, it was a great take-out experience. I might come back and dine-in in the future. I did see a sign that is supposed to lead to a beer garden, but it was not set up at the time. read more

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We ate a lot of clam chowder on this New England trip but the Thirsty Whale was hands down the best.

Fun atmosphere, outdoor patio umbrellas and tree growing through the deck. Very efficient staff, packed and still fast service with a smile. Not fancy or quiet lots of fun. Everything we had or saw being served was amazing. Blackened fish chips was unusual and good. Fries fresh not greasy. Burger char broiled. Even grilled cheese on craft bread. read more

Arrived to Bar Harbor after a long day of hiking at around 8P and this was our first stop for some delicious comforting food. This harbor town restaurant was perfect for a cozy night even though it was well packed with the friendliest locals. The restaurant was welcoming with incredible home ambiance and great service. For food we started with the cheese sticks which were a bit different than I've had them before- the batter was more bread like than "panko". Nonetheless, the cheese sticks were cheesy and delicious. Next, for starters, I had the lobster roll with the clam shower side and it was exactly what my soul desired. My husband had the blacked chicken tenders with fries and he was very happy with his order. For drinks he tried the Lone Pine Time and Temp beer and he loved both. The menu offers loads of comforting delights and specials. I would definitely be back and recommend all my friends to this local spot. read more

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This place came highly recommended on the internet (trip advisor, yelp etc) which has led me to doubt these sources. If you like deep fried food that all tastes the same, its the place for you. We started with the seafood platter and everything tasted the same. It was underwhelming. read more

The fried clams were amazing, definitely get them if you like clams! Kids got the 4oz lobster rolls and it was jammed pack with lobster. Great place to eat after doing the Carriage Roads! read more

We loved the thirsty whale!! I ordered the lobster bisque and it was phenomenal. Someone had the blackened haddock salad and loved it. Fish was cooked perfectly and the dressing was amazing. We also ordered the spicy fried pickles. I'm not sure where the "spicy" part was from it. They were just average. The service was just lovely! Everyone was friendly and enthusiastic. read more

Thirsty Whale - Lobster bisque - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Stopped in for dinner on our last night in bar harbor. After having nothing but seafood for 4 days, we were ready for something slightly different. Got a chicken sandwich which was good but nothing too crazy. All around good experience and a wide variety of food. read more

The clam chowder was amazing! And Kevin the bartender provided perfect service! Highly recommend and well worth the short wait to sit.