The Thirsty Whale Tavern

Classic pub style restaurant with a large selection of beers on draft and in bottles. The food was pretty standard bar food with New England seafood items as well. The clam chowder was tasty and nicely seasoned. The lobster roll was ok, but mine had shells in it. The fries were a little bland because they weren't seasoned. The wait staff and hostess were very nice and friendly.

Super friendly staff. Buns are locally made fresh by a bakery. Mayo and ketchup are not Low Fodmap friendly (high fructose corn syrup), but the burger was great. Because of the mayo I unfortunately had to skip the lobster roll.

Great food and one of the bars on the island that stays open late. Amazing clam chowder - creamy with plenty of clam. Food came quick even though the restaurant was packed.

Noting that this is an offseason review, there are pluses and minuses to eating out in Bar Harbor in the winter. The Whale is one of only a few year round restaurants in town. Service is actually slower due to minimal staffing vs busy tourist season with seasonal help. Other locations I have eaten at had higher quality food due to more fresh options and un-rushed kitchen staff. The seafood here was not the best. Small portions and overcooked. The scallops in the fishermans platter was the only saving grace. The clam chowder was a bit to thick and not very hot, but had lots of clam bits and good flavor.

It was a good place to eat. We were a large group so it took a while for us to get seated but once we were the service was really good. The food was good too.

The food was pretty tasty and the atmosphere is kinda fun/trendy. The burgers and fried fish sandwiches were really good and worth the trip. We found ourselves only going there twice while in town due to the line/wait to get a seat. There were enough other places to try and not worth investing in the time to get seated.4 Stars - Really good and wouldn't mind returning

Good clean flavors. Went twice, first night we all ordered lobster rolls​ with cup of chowder. Cold crisp fresh lobster flavor. Hearty portion, and probably one of the lesser expensive lobster rolls here in town. Second night we had fish and chips, soups and salads. The haddock (fish/chips) was 4 deep fried sticks, tender flaky and moist. The wait was about 20 minutes... Well worth it.

Loved the fish sandwich! I'm not a huge seafood person either. Clam chowder was incredible! Such a cozy little place! Love it!

Came here first time back in 04-28-2017. It was a nice experience. We ordered food that was recommended to us.

Chowder and lobster rolls were excellent!

We enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch at The Thirsty Whale! We ordered a lobster roll, blackened haddock fish & chips, clam chowder & grilled haddock sandwich. Great beers, wines & local root beer choices. The atmosphere was quaint and the staff very friendly. The price was decent for the quantity and quality of food.

Delicious grilled cheese and awesome full lobster roll, both served quickly after our Spiderman movie (at the Criterion theater across the street). Prices were quite reasonable, and the service was friendly. Thanks for a great (post-popcorn) meal!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Bar Harbor, but let me be clear. This city is a tourist stop because of its quaintness and its closeness to Acadia National Park. When my family came in June 2019, it was wall to wall tourists. So most places we went, The Thirsty Whale Tavern included, we had a pretty long wait to be seated. Once inside, the Thirsty Whale was a cute little place with alot of character. You feel like the place has been just like this for a hundred years. The food was good. Prices were typical of touristy places, but nothing was too overpriced. I suppose I did have some sticker shock with the Lobster rolls, considering every corner has a 'fresh lobster' sign on it. If there is so much lobster here, shouldn't it be cheaper? But I get it. Thats what people eat when they get here. Overall, I enjoyed the Thirsty Whale.

Nice variety on the menu. We've tried many appetizers and main dishes. My wife enjoys the Perpendicular (drink). I have had fish, burgers, sandwiches and salads. We've been going to the Whale for over 8 years, have always been served by friendly people and been happy with our meals. Enjoy!

This place was great! The shrimp Caesar salad was awesome, and big enough to split as a starter. Food was fresh and fairly quick for a Friday night. Fantastic prices too! Most fare was $9-$16. We have added this to our favorites list for Bar Harbor âš“