Side Street Cafe was recommended by our hotel because it was a short walk and it was drizzling. We were not disappointed. We were not very hungry so we split the Fish Tacos entree. Delicious, perfectly prepared and just right for 2 people with small appetites. We also split the Chocolate Lava Cake. Great decision along with a good cup of decaf coffee. The house red wine with dinner was a decent pour. As the name says this restaurant is on a side street, not the main street but it is worth checking out.
COJOWisconsin
We started with woodford reserve old fashioneds. They were absolutely horrendous- we couldn’t even finish them. We then had clam chowder- that was more like soup than creamy chowder. Moving on to entrees, we tried the lobster mac and ahi tuna wrap. The lobster in the mac was good but the mac itself was lackluster. We picked through and ate the lobster. We also picked through the wrap and ate the ahi that was decent. We also had a reservation but for some reason we got sat in the bar with bar staff as our servers. Not the greatest service. We were actually mad at ourselves for picking this place with so many great places in bar harbor to eat at. Learn from our mistake and go elsewhere.
Sergio Ramirez
Food and price really good! Service not at all good.
Appetizer, 2 drinks, and 2 entrees was $56. Fair price for the portions and quality of food.
Unfortunately, they lost us at the service. Once seated, we had our main waitress, Jocelyn, come to get drink orders. Someone else came to get food orders, another person to run food, and other person to check us out.
Main waitress never came by again even though she walked right past the table a dozen times. Was not even half full in restaurant so not busy. Drinks were empty, never asked how food was, nothing :(. She had time to chat with coworkers, and walk outside to record videos. Perfectly fine if you make sure your tables are good!
I’d recommend Leary’s pub, Tap & Barrel, or Dinner instead. Same price, same quality or better for food, and exceptionally better service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Ali Beran
I had the 2 for $9 with the shrimp and veggie wrap. The food was great and I really liked the portion sizes because I don’t eat too much. It was nice to see portions that are advertised as small. However, I was extremely disappointed with our service. We were greeted by three staff members but not one of them checked in with us until they bussed the table. No refills were offered and the person I was dining with would’ve liked a water to compliment his meal. Overall, I would go again for the food but definitely not for the service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Lschlater
Excellent food, atmosphere, and service! Highly recommend! Side salads were great as were the chicken and burgers we had.
NYC
Everything we ordered came out super fast the lobster chowder was so good and plenty of lobster meat inside!
Food: 5
Hugo G.
We had the lobster Mac and cheese and the lazy lobster. It was fine, but not enough to justify the price at $38/dish each. Really mid tier quality. It could have been better and more refined/elevated for such price (like we found at some other places). The outside of the restaurant looks great and quint, but once inside it’s a very typical American restaurant; loud, big impersonal volumes, bright harsh lighting, no charm… We had a good date, but to us the place didn’t live up to the hype. Still an adequate place to try.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
yvetteg490
This restaurant was recommended by staff at our lodging. The lobster stew and the clam chowder are really good. My husband described the ribs with macaroni and cheese as "less than mediocre". I had a black bean and rice dish that sounded flavorful but was very bland
L Toba
We ordered lobster mac and cheese, salmon, sweet potato fries and a drink. Food was generally quite tasty and served warm but small portion. Mac & cheese was in right proportion, cheese not too rich or light. Yet, a bit disappointed on lobster which was cold and cut into small pieces (was that the lobster from lobster roll?)...
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Edie Frantzen
This place is a gluten free paradise! So many gluten free options and very knowledgable staff. I had the mac and cheese with ribs and it was so creamy and flavorful. I also had an apple cider margarita which was very refreshing. If you're gluten free, Side Street Cafe is a must visit.
I discovered this restaurant on Tiktok and knew I had to check it out! It’s a bit farther from downtown Bar Harbor, but still within easy walking distance and with better parking options. We walked from our hotel on Mount Desert street — it only took about 8minutes. We went for lunch without reservation and were seated right away, even though the bar area was pretty busy. My husband ordered the Lobster Roll Feast, and I had the Lazy Lobster. Both were listed at market price, which was around $35-$40 at the time. The food came out quickly and the portions were generous — we left feeling full and satisfied. The clam chowder that came with the lobster feast was a bit thinner than I prefer, so that wasn’t my favorite part. Overall, I’d still recommend this place to friends, though if we come back to Bar Harbor next time, I’d probably explore other restaurants too.
L _
Our waitress was fantastic, we enjoyed the availability of outdoor seating and the lobster mac and cheese and blueberry pie a la mode were incredible. 10/10 would come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
capecodtraveler01
We had a very nice dinner at the Side Street Cafe. Arrived around 6PM and we scored a table for 4 with a very short wait, less than 5 minutes. The place was busy. Our server was very attentive and took good care of us. Meals included clam chowder, burgers and warm, ham/cheese paninis. All were delcious. For those lobster lovers, the women sitting next to us was enjoying her lobster grilled cheese that she said was filled with lobster (I could see it) and so good. I should have gotten that but my loss. Meal prices were very reasonable. Would recommend.
Jeff M
Kelsey and Tony were great! They made the bar area fun with their witty and laid back attitude!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeffrey M
Tony and Kelsey were great! They brought great energy to the bar area! Our group enjoyed the banter with these guys. Cocktails were awesome!
Side Street Cafe was recommended by our hotel because it was a short walk and it was drizzling. We were not disappointed. We were not very hungry so we split the Fish Tacos entree. Delicious, perfectly prepared and just right for 2 people with small appetites. We also split the Chocolate Lava Cake. Great decision along with a good cup of decaf coffee. The house red wine with dinner was a decent pour. As the name says this restaurant is on a side street, not the main street but it is worth checking out.
We started with woodford reserve old fashioneds. They were absolutely horrendous- we couldn’t even finish them. We then had clam chowder- that was more like soup than creamy chowder. Moving on to entrees, we tried the lobster mac and ahi tuna wrap. The lobster in the mac was good but the mac itself was lackluster. We picked through and ate the lobster. We also picked through the wrap and ate the ahi that was decent. We also had a reservation but for some reason we got sat in the bar with bar staff as our servers. Not the greatest service. We were actually mad at ourselves for picking this place with so many great places in bar harbor to eat at. Learn from our mistake and go elsewhere.
Food and price really good! Service not at all good.
Appetizer, 2 drinks, and 2 entrees was $56. Fair price for the portions and quality of food.
Unfortunately, they lost us at the service. Once seated, we had our main waitress, Jocelyn, come to get drink orders. Someone else came to get food orders, another person to run food, and other person to check us out.
Main waitress never came by again even though she walked right past the table a dozen times. Was not even half full in restaurant so not busy. Drinks were empty, never asked how food was, nothing :(. She had time to chat with coworkers, and walk outside to record videos. Perfectly fine if you make sure your tables are good!
I’d recommend Leary’s pub, Tap & Barrel, or Dinner instead. Same price, same quality or better for food, and exceptionally better service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
I had the 2 for $9 with the shrimp and veggie wrap. The food was great and I really liked the portion sizes because I don’t eat too much. It was nice to see portions that are advertised as small. However, I was extremely disappointed with our service. We were greeted by three staff members but not one of them checked in with us until they bussed the table. No refills were offered and the person I was dining with would’ve liked a water to compliment his meal. Overall, I would go again for the food but definitely not for the service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Excellent food, atmosphere, and service! Highly recommend! Side salads were great as were the chicken and burgers we had.
Everything we ordered came out super fast the lobster chowder was so good and plenty of lobster meat inside!
Food: 5
We had the lobster Mac and cheese and the lazy lobster. It was fine, but not enough to justify the price at $38/dish each. Really mid tier quality. It could have been better and more refined/elevated for such price (like we found at some other places). The outside of the restaurant looks great and quint, but once inside it’s a very typical American restaurant; loud, big impersonal volumes, bright harsh lighting, no charm… We had a good date, but to us the place didn’t live up to the hype. Still an adequate place to try.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
This restaurant was recommended by staff at our lodging. The lobster stew and the clam chowder are really good. My husband described the ribs with macaroni and cheese as "less than mediocre". I had a black bean and rice dish that sounded flavorful but was very bland
We ordered lobster mac and cheese, salmon, sweet potato fries and a drink. Food was generally quite tasty and served warm but small portion. Mac & cheese was in right proportion, cheese not too rich or light.
Yet, a bit disappointed on lobster which was cold and cut into small pieces (was that the lobster from lobster roll?)...
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
This place is a gluten free paradise! So many gluten free options and very knowledgable staff. I had the mac and cheese with ribs and it was so creamy and flavorful. I also had an apple cider margarita which was very refreshing. If you're gluten free, Side Street Cafe is a must visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I discovered this restaurant on Tiktok and knew I had to check it out! It’s a bit farther from downtown Bar Harbor, but still within easy walking distance and with better parking options. We walked from our hotel on Mount Desert street — it only took about 8minutes. We went for lunch without reservation and were seated right away, even though the bar area was pretty busy. My husband ordered the Lobster Roll Feast, and I had the Lazy Lobster. Both were listed at market price, which was around $35-$40 at the time. The food came out quickly and the portions were generous — we left feeling full and satisfied. The clam chowder that came with the lobster feast was a bit thinner than I prefer, so that wasn’t my favorite part. Overall, I’d still recommend this place to friends, though if we come back to Bar Harbor next time, I’d probably explore other restaurants too.
Our waitress was fantastic, we enjoyed the availability of outdoor seating and the lobster mac and cheese and blueberry pie a la mode were incredible. 10/10 would come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a very nice dinner at the Side Street Cafe. Arrived around 6PM and we scored a table for 4 with a very short wait, less than 5 minutes. The place was busy. Our server was very attentive and took good care of us. Meals included clam chowder, burgers and warm, ham/cheese paninis. All were delcious. For those lobster lovers, the women sitting next to us was enjoying her lobster grilled cheese that she said was filled with lobster (I could see it) and so good. I should have gotten that but my loss. Meal prices were very reasonable. Would recommend.
Kelsey and Tony were great! They made the bar area fun with their witty and laid back attitude!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tony and Kelsey were great! They brought great energy to the bar area! Our group enjoyed the banter with these guys. Cocktails were awesome!
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