We always stop here when we're in MDI. Excellent fried seafood, lobster rolls, and clam chowder. Great bar as well.

Terrible service. After waiting far beyond our waiting time, we were told we were "next in line" and assured we'd be seated next. I heard her tell the hostess something about 45 minutes but assumed it would be for those getting on the waiting list. Another ten minutes went by, and the hostess finally tells us it would be that long to get our food. At this point, we didn't have any time left because we had to get on a boat tour. Do not go. They were total jerks. read more

This place slaps and there's just no way around it You can try to run from it, you can try to hide from it, but there's no denying a great restaurant in its prime You're going to read this review and be compelled to give this place a try whether you originally wanted to or not read more

We loved this tavern during our visit to Maine. We loved the pub burger, clam chowder, chicken sandwich, fish n chips, and seafood platter. All of it was reasonably priced and the food was SO good! read more

This was okay. The food was fine, but we didn't find it to be amazing, just regular pub food. The lobster bisque was a bit too creamy and the macaroni salad a bit too oily. Service was fine, kinda cranky. I wasn't a fan of how squished we felt either, but that's on me for not asking for something away from the bar. All in all, it was okay. I wish we'd gone to the pizza place next door instead. read more

I had the lobster roll with cole slaw, which was delicious! Service was quick and friendly. We will be back.

Reliable comfort food. They were one of the only places open in the off season in mid April. Their ads boast that they are famous for their haddock. We ordered potato skins, chicken tenders with buffalo sauce (i ordered the wings but they misunderstood), mozzarella sticks, burger and fish &chips. The food is ok, not bad but not great. My fish & chips consisted of 4 fried fish sticks and fries. I thought this was pretty good and stood out. I'm not a fish stick expert but the fish was flaky and the breading was crunchy, no mushiness at all. I usually don't like fish patties and fish sticks because there is some mushiness factor. The other comfort foods we ordered were fine and as expected. It's targeted to tourists since it's right in the midst of the little village. , read more

Good food, quick service, and our kids loved the music (70/80 rock). We were able to walk in and get a table right away.

We really enjoyed it here. Lovely welcoming atmosphere! They were friendly and the kids were very comfortable too. I had the lobster roll and the chowder and enjoyed every bite. Great selection of local beers. On my list of places to return to. read more

Food quality not consistent. I ate there at dinner time a few days ago and got the seafood sampler which I really liked. I came by today to get the fisherman's plate (priced a lot higher than sampler) as takeout. When I got back to hotel, I discovered that the portion was not noticeable larger than the sampler at all, and several pieces including scallops and clam strips just straight out stank. If the restaurant has to skimp on takeouts, they should just not provide this option instead of ruining their own reputation. This is the 3rd time I had their food and I will not come back to this place again. read more

Love this place, but one of the bartenders has been stealing from my card for a while now and I straight up caught her last night. When we go out for drinks in town, we always end up at this place on our way home. It's a phenomenal bar, accept this one rude bartender. It sucks when she's there, and everyone in place ends up talking about how much she sucks. But putting that aside, she stole and now I will never spend another penny in that place again. have pretty thick skin when it comes to bullshit but stealing from me will never be accepted by me.. I've met the owner a few times, she's the best and she runs a great little bar!! I just hope this scumbag bartender disappears and nobody gets blatantly scammed from her again!! read more

Straightforward classic/no frills lobster roll. Good, but not particularly noteworthy (though to be fair, a "decent" lobster roll in Maine pretty much blows away every other roll we've had anywhere else in the world in the past). The fried haddock sandwich was one of the best fish sandwiches we've had, and the thick, rich, creamy New England clam chowder was excellent. read more

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My wife and I have been eating at the Thirsty Whale for many years and it never disappoints us. We ate there about 3 days ago and once again were quite happy with the food and service. My wife had a lobster roll with clam chowder and I had the fisherman's platter. My wife really enjoyed the lobster roll and the chowder. The fisherman's platter was fried shrimp, haddock, clams and scallops. The shrimp were the real small shrimp which I'm not fond of, but they were fine. However the haddock and scallops were great. The clams were very good, just a bit overdone but still good. Nothing was greasy. I had to cut out something fried so I had the coleslaw side instead of fries. I liked the coleslaw for what it's worth as the fish is what I came for. We sat at the bar and the bartender was efficient and friendly. Considering how busy she was I thought she did a great job. The wine list could be better, but this is more a beer type place. Kind of a bar with some tables but that's what I like about this place. Relaxed but busy atmosphere, good food. I didn't see anyone taking selfies or pictures of their food, so if that's what you're into go someplace else ... please. I alway look forward to eating here and I wasn't disappointed. read more

This haddock sandwich and chowder- so good! Do not miss eating here. Blueberry margarita is great too

Stopped for a light lunch and had the cup of clam chowder and lobster roll special. The chowder was excellent and the lobster roll very good. So am use to having more lobster salad on the lobster roll than what I had here. Today's was filled with lobster meat which surprised me. I would repeat. read more

Thirsty Whale - Lobster Roll with a cup of clam chowder. - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

12:15 pm 09/26/17 Monday. There was a little bit of a line of course it is lunch time and this place has a good reputation. We decide to sit at the bar since we skipped breakfast and are hungry. Keegan greets us; he is super friendly and a cutie to boot! He takes our drink orders and put menus down. No pressure and friendly. We order the haddock sandwiches $8.99 each, we add lettuce and tomato for just a small upcharge he says. We all know what that means; small upcharge= code for limp lettuce piece and sliver of tomato. I have mine sandwich with Caesar salad and hubby gets fries with him. A few minutes later our sandwiches arrive. The Caesar salad is really good; I mean better than the expensive salad we had a few days ago in VT! Greens not as crisp but dressing is flavorful and not watery and good bits of cheese! Hubby's fries are hot! The sandwiches are a good size and are light and fresh tasting. My only complaint they could use a little salt. The tarter sauce is a bit sweet which is not what I am used to. Oh yeah and the up charge for lettuce and tomato?! $.25 and an extra $.25 for onion that hubby had on his. Wow!!! Great experience for solid food. Nothing fancy but didn't overcharge just because they can! Two more cool little things. The bathrooms are clean and smell good. The water they serve didn't taste funny at all! read more

Thirsty Whale - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Food was okay at best. The fried shrimp was a disaster of batter. I felt like the Wendy's owner "where's the shrimp". The shrimp were so small that they looked like clam strips. I can't imagine why someone would purchase minuscule shrimp. It was literally like eating only batter. The blackened fish sandwich was so salty that the fish was overtaken by it. The burger was overcooked and the salmon sandwich was okay. Not great. read more

Got there 3 minutes before they stopped serving food and they still sat my girlfriend and I. great service and even better food. I had the pub burger, it was cooked perfect and tasted amazing. It was honestly the best burger i've had in over a year, I plan to go back and get another before I leave this place. read more

Thirsty Whale - pub burger with bacon & fries - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

appetizers and salad came with the food after a long delay. The fries were cold out of the gate. Blackened fish was salty. Biggest complaint was the shrimp. They were the size of salad shrimp- like half the size of your small fingernail. When we said they were missing the reply was they are there, you just have to look for them. We thought they were dough crumbles. The table next to us were seated. They left after 20 minutes when no one else came back to wait on them. read more

LOVED IT. The lemon drop drink is amazing- dangerous! The clam chowder is great. But let's not forget that buttery garlic bread that comes with the soup. AMAZING. Probably my favorite part of the entire meal. Well, actually, I loved everything so much I can't really truly pick a favorite. But the bread was so good. So good, that you should get the appetizer of it. The cesear salad was great along with the lobster roll. All so good. read more

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Seafood Tavern on the Main Street in Bar Harbor. Open in early May even when slit are not ready for the season yet. Bar seating as well as low tops and high top tables. Some entrees but mainly sandwiches and appetizers- Tavern style! Good selection of beers most being local. I started with a bowl of clam chowder ($6.50) which had very good flavor! I ordered the fried Maine while belly clams with a whale salad as the side. ($16.99). Clams were outstanding! Good sized portion and the salad was also very fresh and flavorful. read more

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It's not a fancy place, but Thirsty Whale consistently delivers good food (from a huge menu!) at a great price. We got classic Maine things such as clam chowder and lobster rolls-- not exceptional, but solidly good. There's also a huge list of sandwiches and burgers, not to mention lots of local beers on tap. Not many tables, so arrive early for the best value dinner you'll find in Bar Harbor. read more

Thirsty Whale - lobster roll and bowl of clam chowder - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Happened across this place while walking by and OMG - it was amazing!! The amount of food you get for the price beats so many others in town, plus it is delicious!! We got the lobster bisque (get it with the garlic bread), the fish and chips, and the seafood platter. We will absolutely try to come back again before we head home. Highly recommend!! read more

Thirsty Whale - Fish and chips - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

I read a lot of reviews raving about this place. That, coupled with the wait outside made me feel confident we were going to have a stellar meal. We arrived around 6:30 on a Wednesday and were told 45-55 min. So we decided to walk around the shops and came back 30 mins later. Good thing we came back early because we were next to be seated. I wanted to order the chowder because that's what everyone talks about, but it was just too warm & humid outside. Our meal was a mixed bag. The chicken wings had good flavor & heat. Haddock sandwich was enjoyable. The burger & lobster roll were just ok. The fish taco wrap was not what I was expecting. It was huge and I wasn't a fan of lime cabbage slaw. That being said, my uncle finished the other half of the wrap and enjoyed it. Since our meal was inconsistent, I would definitely give it another try at the very least for the chowder. read more

Dined here twice in one week. It is a very popular spot (45 mins and 15 mins wait times) - sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo sauce is very tasty. Lobster roll is small and consists of plain lobster meat on a buttered roll. I added the clam chowder combo with lobster roll ($29). Pesto sandwich is good but it is light on the pesto sauce. Pulled pork sandwich was very tender. Buffalo (BBQ sauce) chicken sandwich was just ok. read more

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This spot was exactly what we were looking for for dinner - a cute, casual, delicious pub right in the heart of Bar Harbor. The environment felt like a higher end (but still very casual) pub, with TVs at the bar but not overly noisy. Plenty of table and booth seating as well. I got the lobster role which was quite tasty, and my dad got the burger (it was huge) and my mom got the fried haddock sandwich (also huge). Definitely try the Whale Salad, it was amazing. Our server, Anna, was super friendly and attentive. Highly recommend all around! read more

Thirsty Whale - Fried haddock sandwich with Whale Salad - American Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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I got the fish sandwich, per our waitress's recommendation. We sat outside in the back which was nice. The staff wasn't as welcoming/friendly as our other Bar Harbor visits, but not bad either. I loved the clam chowder and Bloody Mary. read more

Best fried clams in the state. Local resident writing this to give you all a heads-up. It's the end of May 2021 and Bar Harbor is already packed with visitors. Our season doesn't usually start until late June, so most places don't have all their staff in place or trained yet. A lot of places aren't even open yet, so there are a lot of people expecting seats at the restaurants that are, and everyone has fewer tables now because of the pandemic protocols. Call for reservations or prepare to wait 45 minutes or more for a table, especially if you have more than four people in your party. Also, early June can be cold. Bring warm layers. It's been a rough year for everyone - be kind, be patient. The Thirsty Whale is a local institution. It's where we meet for lunch year-round because the food is really good, the seafood is fresh, and the prices are reasonable. Really really good clam chowder. Get one of their Parker House rolls with it instead of the crackers. They do a great lobster roll, or try the fish taco or the blackened fish sandwiches. The Whale's house salad is awesome. Kid-friendly but not the kind of place that hands out crayons. read more

Came here for lobster rolls several times before in years past. They were always enjoyable. Most recent visit though they were extremely tasteless and bland. We asked the server why the drastic difference in taste. She informed us the place was under new ownership. Disappointing. read more

We wanted fish and chips. It was a crazy busy day in Bar Harbor---after a rather isolated day up in the mountains of Acadia a trek down into the tourist section of Bar Harbor was almost overwhelming as it was wall to wall people and every place had a lunch wait and a line at the register. But it was a sunny Saturday, the first following a few days of rain and it was peak tourist season so hey, what did we expect? Thirsty Whale obliged with the fish and chips. After a 30 minute wait we were seated. Prices very reasonable--most dishes were 10 bucks or so and even lobster rolls topped out at 15. I got my fish and chips blackened my wife went traditional. Blackened fish was good and spicy, the tartar sauce was good (house made?), the fries good and not too salty. I added a cup of clam chowder after seeing how good it looked at neighboring tables. Midday with a trek across a mountain by car left to do I wasn't feeling like beer (good selection here) so I got a locally brewed root beer that was pretty good. Other menu items looked appealing as well (including dessert) but I was out of room. read more

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We went in to the Thristy Whale for a drink after our excursion was cancelled. We sat at the bar I order a drink, my husband was finishing up a frozen coffee which the hostess said was fine for him to take in. The bartender was not friendly at all and reprimanded the hostess for letting us in. She did this in front of us. We had planned to eat there for dinner but after her unprofessional behavior decided to go somewhere else. read more

We had a delicious lunch here. We would definitely eat there again, beware there might be a wait. We had the fish and chips, chowder and smoked fish dip. The smoked fish dip was EXCELLENT, the best I've ever had. Fish was fresh with a great batter. Only downgrade was my chowder had started to separate and was very clumpy, my boyfriend loved his though and had zero complaints. read more

Extremely disappointed in Thirst Whale. Mixed up my drink order first and had to return it to the bar. The seafood (blacken haddock & clam chowder) was too salty. Left most untouched. Had to scape off the haddock's seasoning before it was eatable. Won't be returning. Wouldn't recommend unless you enjoy high salt content food. On a positive side, the staff was friendly. read more

Super cute place! Really delicious clam chowder (get it with the garlic bread, yum!) and we had the Pub Burger-really good. Definitely recommend if you are in Bar Harbor. read more

This was the first place we visited while staying in bar harbor. It did not disappoint! We sat at the bar and the bar tender was very nice and fast! I got a lobster roll and it was so fresh. I also got chili. The chili was too spicy for me. I can't wait to go back one day. read more

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

The fish sandwiches were a great meal. Staff was very inviting and delightful. Will be back when we visit again....

Awesome place. Food was fast. Affordable. Service was excellent. Recommend. We would eat here again

We were really lucky to be seeking out a late lunch and got right in. The place is pretty small so if you're not willing to wait, move on, BUT it's worth it if you do. Great variety of local brews, the food is superb. I had the blacked fried fish sandwich and my husband had the grilled pesto chicken...yum! Their chowder is clam filled goodness. It all comes out fast and delicious. Highly recommend! read more

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Got charged for 2 soft drinks when only one was ordered. When asked why was told you only get one refill. For the third refill we got charged another soda. What kind of place charges for more then 1 refill of a soft drink. Also waitress was very grumpy and NOT friendly at all.. Food was just average. read more

Was seated promptly and the food was excellent. Lobster bisque was the best I've ever had. I know lemonade and mozzarella sticks are usually kids-menu items but they really hit the spot on this particular day. read more