Bar Harbor, Maine

Wargo wrote:
|> Looking for recomendations for great places to eat in Bar Harbor.  We'd
|> like to also really get a flair for the local fare.  We'll be there a week
|> in late
|> August.  Any pointers would be great.  Also, any information in general.
|> Email or post away.   thanx,   john

I recommend the Island Chowder House on Cottage St.  Mostly seafood ranging from $8-11.  AAA recommended, too.  The food and chowda' was good with pretty decent servings.  Decor is bright and fun.  There's an electric train that's supposed to run above your head and along the walls.  It wasn't running when I went there. :( It's a nice family restaurant.  Also, try the early dinner specials which range $7-9.

* AVOID * the West St. Cafe on West Street.  The food is okay but WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY overpriced!!!  The $12+ entrees came in 6 inch diameter dishes!  My friend bought a fisherman's platter for $14 or $15, and he got about 10 or 15 pieces of scallops, shrimp, and fish.  Each lump costed him almost a dollar!  The only thing that's worth it there is the lobster.  Maybe we were just plain unlucky that day.  We ate there in May before the peak season.  Could timing be the reason?  Has anyone else had any experience with that restuarant?

The Acadia Sandwich Shop on Main St. is a good place to get some cheap breakfast.
 It's a typical American breakfast/sandwich place.  It still looks like something out of the seventies, and it's the standard American breakfast experience, not a unique Bar Harbor experience.

There's another sandwich or pizza place nearby.  I forgot the name, and I think it's on Cottage St.  No atmosphere.  Cheap meals.  And video games in the back.

If you really want the flair for the local fare, go out of town and look for some roadside lobster pounds.  I don't know any good ones though.  I hear that they put lobster, clams, and corn in a rope mesh bag.  Dump it into the giant pot of boiling sea water.  Pull it out, and voila!  Instant Maine dinner.  Mmm... Sounds good...  :-9

In terms of romantic dinners or other fancier restaurants, sorry, I don't know any of them.  I focus more on the economical.  Look in "Maine: an Explorers Guide" by Christina Tree and another author for ideas.  This is ***The Guide Book of Maine, and it should be easily found in bookstores.  Also, try to get the Chamber of Commerce guide for Bar Harbor.  The restaurant list os more or less complete in it.

Well, those are the only restaurants I've had experience with.  Anyone else out there who can tell us about more Bar Harbor or Mt. Desert Island restaurants, please do post!  :)

I hope this helps

-- Chau

>Can anyone recommend good restaurants or B&Bs in the Bar Harbor area of
>Maine?

For more elegant dining than standard family style fare, I'd recommend George's, off Main St. in Bar Harbor.  The menu is eclectic Greek and the prices are on the expensive side.

                  Naomi Schmidt