Ok, you’ve hiked, biked, and explored much of Acadia National Park and now you are hungry. If you are anything like me, deciding where to eat while on vacation, and then worse..deciding where to eat and having a bad meal, can just put me in a mooood. You know what I mean? When I go out to eat, especially in a place or area I don’t know, I want a good meal. Period. End of story. So I am going to take that pressure off of you and give 5 places where you can grab a good meal while exploring Mount Desert Island plus one bonus off-island spot that is worth the stop.
Before I do, I wanted to share with you 3 items I love to have with me when dining out with kiddos.
- Disposable Place Mats: I loved using these with my daughter! It made for some table fun and was super helpful as I wasn’t putting her food directly on the table (eek, germs), plate (I can hear the crash now), or on the paper placemats they usually give out.
- Travel Utensils: This is a two piece utensil travel set. Hooks onto your bag and you can throw everything into the dishwasher.
- Highlights: Now that my daughter is a little older, I keep these in the car for restaurants, appointments, etc. I like having them available anytime we might have to wait awhile.
Top 5 (plus a bonus!) Places to Eat
Best Popover: The Common Good Soup Kitchen.
The Common Good is a community food kitchen located right in downtown Southwest Harbor and they have the BEST popovers on the Island! They offer popovers, oatmeal, juice, coffee and tea on most mornings of the week along with music on their outdoor pavilion. It’s a donation based system with all donations going to support their food kitchen. Their location is adjacent to Pemetic Elementary School’s playground so it’s perfect for grabbing their breakfast to go and hanging out at the playground. Southwest Harbor has public restrooms near the Police Station (just across the street from The Common Good) if you need them.
If traveling around the island using the Island Explorer bus system, you can get here by taking Bus 7 and getting off at the Southwest Harbor/Main Street stop.
Best Fresh Seafood: Thurston’s Lobster Pound
Thurston’s Lobster Pound is one of our FAVORITE stops when we are up on Mount Desert Island. Located just past Southwest Harbor in the village of Bernard, Thurston’s Lobster Pound sits right on the water and any seat in the house will give you fantastic views of Bass Harbor. If you are looking for a traditional lobster dinner, lobster roll, steamed clams and mussels, you will find it here! They have the FRESHEST seafood (nothing is fried) I have ever tasted..and for the non-seafood lovers or children in your group, they have a small but mighty menu of non-seafood items.
*Note here: lines can get pretty long around dinner time so best to show up before 5 or after 7 to avoid the crowds.
If snagging an early dinner, keep your receipt and stop by Slack Tide, just up the hill from the Lobster Pound. Slack Tide is a small, curated shop of goodies and I always managed to snag a great candle from them each year! Your receipt from dinner gets 10% off at the shop.
If traveling around the island using the Island Explorer bus system, you can get here by taking Bus 7, get off at the Southwest Harbor/Main Street stop and transfer to Bus 11 for the Southwest Harbor/Bernard bus. You will get off at the Bernard Stop.
Best Hearty Meal: Peter Trout’s Tavern and Inn
Peter Trout’s has some of the best hearty meals on the island. Located in the village of Manset with fantastic views of Southwest Harbor, Greening Island, and Parkman and Flying Mountains, the location will not disappoint..and neither will the food.
For the longest time, the building that now houses Peter Trout’s was a shuttered motel and bar and it was so exciting to see the new owners bring it back to life.
They are open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays with indoor/outdoor seating options. Menu items like the meatloaf dinner, crab cakes, and the skillet chicken dinner will leave you wanting more. They do not feature a kids menu but you can definitely cobble something together from an extensive sides menu like we did. Biscuits, carrots, and chicken from our skillet dinner did the trick.
Need lodging? They have that too! They renovated 3 rooms of the former motel into fantastic lodging options (the owners have their personal residence in the other part of the motel).
If traveling around the island using the Island Explorer bus system, you can get here by taking Bus 7, get off at the Southwest Harbor/Main Street stop and transfer to Bus 11 for the Southwest Harbor/Manset bus. You will get off at the Manset Dock Stop.
Best Sandwich: Mother’s Kitchen
Mother’s Kitchen is a great place to grab sandwiches and salads as well as coffee and drinks. Located on Route 102 in the village of Town Hill. This is a great place to stop and get lunch if doing any exploring on the western/quietside of the island. All sandwiches can be made as salad and they have yummy gluten free bread as well! I featured them on my blog about the Oceanarium on Mount Desert Island.
If traveling around the island using the Island Explorer bus system, you can get here by taking Bus 9 and make a request to get off at Mother’s Kitchen.
Best Farm Stand: Beech Hill Farm
Beech Hill Farm is one of our favorite places to stop after hiking Beech Mountain. If you know me, you know that I love a good charcuterie board and Beech Hill Farm has the goods! They have a wonderful selection of meats, cheese, fresh baguettes, fruits and veggies to make for a great board or just grab a couple things for a beach picnic and head down the road to Echo Lake. Not in a rush? Feel free grab a picnic table and enjoy your snacks right on the farm.
*Note: Beech Hill Farm is not accessible by the Island Explorer.
Best Off-Island Spot: Momo’s Cheesecake
Momo’s Cheesecake is located in Ellsworth and is open 24/7 (not kidding!) with an honor system. Cash, checks, or Venmo are accepted. With over 70 flavors on the menu, grab a single slice or a whole pie. Gluten free options are available too! Try their traditional flavors of strawberry cheesecake or be more adventurous and try the lemon blueberry or nutella flavors.
Be sure to also pin your hometown on their map when you go!
*Note: Momo’s Cheesecake is not accessible by the Island Explorer.
So what do you think? Which place are you going to try on your next visit to Acadia National Park? Leave a comment below with which place you are going try.
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