Cheap Eats of Seaside Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor is a seaside village in Mount Desert Island, Maine about 10-15 minutes from Acadia National Park. The village is open to tourists from spring to late fall, and is a great place to stay when visiting Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor is also the location of the Shore Path Trail of Acadia National Park. Main Street and the streets perpendicular to it are filled with eateries and gift shops. I’m always in search of tasty, inexpensive food wherever I go and this time was no exception since Bar Harbor is known for its expensive eats. 

For savory treats, Morning Glory Bakery on Rodick Street serves freshly baked foccacia, pretzels, various kinds of breads, bagels, and sweet treats from $2.50 to $3.75. They are open from 7am-5pm, and their baked goods are a great takeout lunch option for Acadia National Park. 

Morning Glory Bakery Storefront (left), Tomato and Rosemary Focaccia (top-right), Maine Parmesan & Herb Pretzel with Spicy Mustard (bottom-right)

There’s a lot of happy hours around town, and my favorite was at Side Street Cafe on Rodick Street. Their happy hour specials run from 3pm-6pm: $10 margarita pitchers (about 4 full glasses), $3 off bar bites, and $3 off draft beer. A great way to wind down after a long day at Acadia National Park.

Side Street Cafe (left), Clementine/Hibiscus/Ginger Margaritas (right)

For dessert, Mount Desert Island Ice Cream Shop on Firefly Lane has some of the most unique ice cream flavor combinations for $3.75 single scoop and $5.50 for a flight of four different flavors. I tried a flight of Mango Jicama Habenero Sorbet (mango sorbet infused with jicama and spicy habanero pepper), Maine Maple Pecan (maple syrup ice cream with chopped pecans), Raspberry Coriander Streusel (raspberry ice cream infused with hints of coriander and mixed in with streusel pieces), and London Fog (vanilla ice cream infused with earl grey tea). My favorite was the Maine Maple Pecan which had the perfect balance of maple syrup flavor and chopped pecan crunch.

Mount Desert Island Ice Cream Sign (left), Ice Cream Flight (left, from left: Mango/Jicama/Habanero Sorbet, Maine Maple Pecan, Raspberry Coriander Streusal, and London Fog)