Lobster at Bar Harbor?

[Chief57]

Originally Posted by grumpy0374

Leaving on a month trip to Maine, NH,Vt, Niagara Falls in 2 weeks. Have all campgrounds booked
Spending a week at Bar Harbor...
My better half is looking forward to some lobster binging...
Looking for opinions on best resteraunts to hit for the creatures. Don't care if their fancy or hole in the wall.
She just wants LOBSTER!!!
Grumpy

Aside from the places already mentioned, you can normally also get lobster roll at any Shaw's supermarket. Mine set me back $7.99 for a modest roll. At a restaurant, expect to pay $18 and up. MacDonald's normally sells lobster roll there, but the price of lobster this year is way up, so none of the New England locations currently offers it.

FYI, we stayed a couple of nights at Timberland RV Park in Ellsworth/Trenton in mid-August....it was ok.

[psikora]

I apologize if this has been mentioned before but if you'd rather not deal with the hustle/bustle of Bar Harbor, over on the "quiet side" of the island in Bass Harbor is Thurston's Lobster Pound. You sit on a deck overlooking the harbor. Parking can be tricky. We tend to eat at off hours so hasn't been a problem for us. My first trip there was in 1978 via motorcycle and have been going back ever since, and to the same campground, Mt. Desert Campgrounds. Unless your RV is no more than 20', you'll have to tent it to get in there. But the water sites are unparalleled.
While you're on the quiet side, Red Sky in Southwest Harbor is a fancy and great restaurant.
Places in Bar Harbor come and go but Havana and Blaze have been there a few years and are also favorites of ours.
If you're into birding, the NPS leads a nice early morning tour from Sier du Monts Springs in Acadia. I think it's Wednesday mornings.

[Retired JSO]

A little off topic but while in the bar harbor area be sure to visit Fort Knox State Park and the Penobscot Observatory. I’ve been twice once before and after the new bridge. Great view of the area if you go up inside the bridge observation tower..
https://www.fortknoxmaine.com/

[WilsonsOnTheGo]

We spent two weeks in Old Orchard Beach(OOB) (Portland) and two on Desert Island (Bar Harbor ).
In Portland take the "mail" boat around the local islands. Cheap, beautiful and fun. It delivers supplies etc to the islands.
On the waterfront in downtown Portland on Commercial street there is free all day parking on the south end. Very limited but arriving off peak or early will make it easier on you. Loved Portland Lobster Company. Visit Port Allen Park and East End Beach for nice views of the harbor, food trucks and paddle boarding etc.
OOB,Saco and Scarborough have many fun places to eat and visit. The Eastern Trail is 80 miles of walking and biking trails in area. Portland Sea Dogs minor league team is inexpensive fun and my wife's favorite lobster roll. Kennebunk Port and several other towns were fun but crowded.
Bar Harbor is too much to believe. Park the car and take the LL Bean free shuttle around the island. Walk or ride a carriage trail. Northeast Harbor is a must see and has another mail boat that visits Cranberry and Little Cranberry islands. Get off and visit and wait for the next boat. Near NE harbor the Thuya garden is beautiful and has great views of the harbor. The local brewery on the island serves a good pizza.
Enjoy your visit, the weather should be perfect.

[gclark]

I grew up down the road in Ellsworth and was just there just last month. The road into Bar Harbor was all tore up for construction and is a complete mess just so you are aware of the delays. The roadside lobster pounds are fine, but you'll pay a premium. It's more fun to cook them yourself! If you have a turkey fryer pot, just pick up some live lobsters and steam them in the pot using salt water from the ocean next to your site and STEAM, don't boil. Put a little seaweed (from the rocks on the beach) on bottom and put the lobsters on top of the seaweed, and some clams of course :-)... done in 10-11 minutes. Enjoy!

[Bigtee4]

Go directly to the South Harbor marina. Along the water there is a large building that has fresh caught lobsters. I got a 4.25# for $30. Delicious and was so large I could not eat it all.

[Drenjoey]

Folks talked about Bass Harbor, Northeast Harbor and South Harbor, but no one mentionned Winter Harbor. You will find there the nicest campground of Acadia National Park (Schoodic Woods Campground). Not one campground in Acadia is as nice as this one......Check it out online!
From there, you can take the L.L.Bean shuttle to Bar Harbor, or take the ferry boat. You can also find nice lobsters in the town of Winter harbor, or go to one of their restaurants.
This summer was our third visit to Schoodic Woods..........and it won't be our last !


Dre

[igor2brvn]

Originally Posted by MT Biker

If by any chance you are staying at the Bar Harbor KOA they cook up live lobster right on the premises at a pretty fair price. We were there over 4th of July this season and they were offering 1–1/4 to 1-1/2 lb lobster dinners for $24.
But if you don’t mind steaming them up yourself you will find plenty of places selling live lobsters all over the area, we grabbed some 2-1/2 & 3 lb lobsters to cook up on our own (bring your wallet as they get pricey!) .

2X on cooking yourself. We went to harbor and bought fresh lobsters, cooked them ourselves, and enjoyed or best lobster meal in Maine.

[Meven89143]

Forget restaurants. Just look for smoke rising as you drive, the lobster cookers are everywhere and they are all good

Mike Evenson

[Duneit]

Don't forget the steamers!

[sherman12]

Can't beat the roadside lobster shacks. Fresh caught lobsters cheap. If you go to Freeport, you should, down side streets is Freeport Harbor, follow the signs for "yacht sales" through the residential streets. Great seafood dive restaurant there and around the corner, marina side is a small narrow walk way. Last time I was there about 5 years ago I got a 11/2 lb. lobster, a dozen clams, and salt potatoes for $11! Took it back to our campground in Portland, 18 miles away and cooked a fat ribeye steak on the grill by the campfire. The absolute best surf and turf DW and I ever had. By the way, besides Freeport (LL BEAN and 150 + Outlets) if time permits Portland is also a must see town to spend a night in. Many acclaimed eclectic restaurants and overall cool vibe on hilly cobblestone streets leading to the ocean front harbor area.

One more note, across from Desert Island Campground, I believe Hwy 3 leading into Bar Harbor, 3 miles outside of town, is a fresh lobster house. Looks like an ordinary older home. Great place to pick up fresh lobster after normal 5 PM closing time of most of the roadside lobster shacks. Fresh caught daily, that's what the folks do for their living.

[Mr Towed]

Ate there yesterday! It was fantastic! Loved watching them put the lobster in the mesh bags and putting logs underneath! Also got steamers while we waited!

[sherman12]

Mr. Towed, how cool is that!

[grumpy0374]

Thanks to everyone and your input/ideas/recommendations.
Leaving Sunday and wife is looking forward to her "critter" binging!!!
Me, take em or not, I'm more of a fresh fish lover, haddock, flounder, cod, so thats what I'll be enjoying.
Have a list of everyones places to go, and puter is with us, so we'll let you know where we ended up.
Thanks again,
Grumpy