Maine Eats · region guide · checked October 2026
Downeast & Acadia: lobster shacks & dairy bars
14 lobster shacks and roll stops, 4 dairy bars and 1 clam shack in Maine's Downeast & Acadia region, each checked in business in October 2026 against a 2025 or 2026 source, plus the 408 restaurants in the app's directory here.
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About this region
The Downeast & Acadia region is Hancock and Washington counties. Of the 408 places to eat and drink the app knows here, the most are in Bar Harbor, Ellsworth and Southwest Harbor. Our hand-checked lists have 23 places here; the towns with the most are Mount Desert (3), Bar Harbor (2) and Eastport (2). The most common kinds of place are Bar & Pub (87), Seafood (68) and Coffee & Café (56). The longest at the same address is Pentagöet Inn in Castine, there since 1894.
How we draw it: the Maine Office of Tourism's Downeast & Acadia region, on county lines. Counties: Hancock, Washington. A place is in it when its town is in one of those counties. Town pages here: Bar Harbor, Ellsworth, Mount Desert.
Where to eat in the Downeast & Acadia region
The 12 towns here with the most places to eat and drink by the app's count; each link opens the web search for that town alone.
Lobster shacks & rolls in the Downeast & Acadia region
14 places, by town. The statewide guide has 37.
Stewman's Lobster Pound
123 Eden St, Bar Harbor
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: Downeast lobster bake; lobster roll · Season: typically early June to early October; opened Memorial Day weekend in 2025 · A branch of Stewman's Lobster Pound, Bar Harbor (35 West St)
The second, oceanfront Stewman's, on the grounds of the Bar Harbor Regency hotel on Eden Street.
Stewman's Lobster Pound
35 West St, Bar Harbor
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: Downeast lobster bake; lobster roll; crab roll · Season: typically early June to early October; opened Memorial Day weekend in 2025
Oceanfront lobster pound on the downtown Bar Harbor waterfront serving lobster bakes; a second Stewman's is at the Bar Harbor Regency.
LDI Lobster Dock & Dine
202 Little Deer Isle Rd, Little Deer Isle (Deer Isle)
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; steamed lobster; chowder; fish sandwich; ice cream · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Seasonal takeout with outdoor tables on Eggemoggin Reach beside the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge, reachable by land or by sea.
Look Lobster Rolls and Market
7 Sea Street, Eastport
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; crab roll; live lobsters · Season: closing for the 2026 season on October 8
Waterfront lobster shack and fish market in Eastport with a deck looking over Passamaquoddy Bay, run by the Jonesport-based Look Lobster Co., which also has sites in Addison and Portland.
Jordan's Snack Bar
200 Downeast Highway, Ellsworth
Lobster rollDairy bar Known for: lobster roll; Big Jim triple cheeseburger; shrimp and scallops; soft serve · Season: now open year-round · At this address since 1981
Ellsworth snack bar on the Downeast Highway with seafood, burgers and weekly soft-serve specials, a playground and game room, and Wednesday-night cruise-ins.
Union River Lobster Pot
8 South St, Ellsworth
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster; seafood · Season: opens in June
Seasonal lobster restaurant overlooking the Union River in Ellsworth.
Ruth & Wimpy's
792 US Route 1, Hancock
Lobster shack Known for: lobster cooked over wood-burning cookers; seafood plates · At this address since 1990
Family-owned roadside lobster restaurant on Route 1 where Wimpy still cooks the lobsters outside over wood-burning cookers; out front stands 'Wilbur,' an 11-foot fiberglass sculpture by Joe Rizzo.
Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant & Seafood
69 Johnson Street, Lubec
Lobster roll Known for: lobster roll; lobster eggs Benedict; lobster dinner
Restaurant of The Inn on the Wharf, in the old boiler room of a former Lubec sardine factory on Passamaquoddy Bay; lobster turns up at every meal.
Chipman's Wharf
304 Wyman Road, Milbridge
Lobster shackLobster roll Known for: lobster roll; lobster dinner; seafood pie
Family working lobster wharf in Milbridge with a seafood market and a daily lunch grille, with tables on the waterfront and an upstairs deck.
Abel's Lobster
13 Abels Lane, Mount Desert
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster; clams; traditional Maine seafood · Season: May 17 to October 20 per its page (year not given); opened May 15 in 2025 · At this address since 1939
Seasonal lobster pound and clam house with a dining room and waterfront seating in Abel's boatyard near the head of Somes Sound.
Beal's Lobster Pier
182 Clark Point Rd, Southwest Harbor
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster dinner; lobster roll · Season: restaurant closed from October to May; opened May 15 in 2025 · At this address since 1969
Restaurant on a year-round working lobster pier on Southwest Harbor, where lobstermen unload their catch beside the tables; it also ships lobster nationwide.
Thurston's Lobster Pound
9 Thurston Rd, Bernard (Tremont)
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster dinner; lobster roll; crab roll · Season: Memorial Day weekend through mid-October · At this address since 1993
Wharf-top lobster pound under yellow awnings over Bass Harbor, where boats unload the day's catch.
Gateway Lunt's Lobster Pound
1133 Bar Harbor Rd, Trenton
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster dinners; lobster specials; fresh seafood · Season: open daily May to October; opened May 6, 2026
Traditional lobster pound on Route 3 across from the Bar Harbor airport.
Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound
1237 Bar Harbor Rd, Trenton
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster boiled in seawater over wood fires; steamed clams; clam chowder; lobster stew; blueberry pie · Season: dine-in June 21 to October 25, 2026; retail pickup and shipping year-round
Roadside pound on Route 3 just before the bridge to Mount Desert Island, with a row of wood-fired seawater cookers out front and a 'LOBSTERS' sign on the roof.
Clam shacks in the Downeast & Acadia region
1 place, by town. The statewide guide has 11.
Bagaduce Lunch
145 Frank's Flat, Penobscot
America's ClassicClam shackSeasonal Known for: fried haddock sandwich; fried seafood; ice cream · Season: summer only; opened May 14 for 2026, generally through Labor Day · At this address since 1946
Counter-service seafood shack with picnic tables over the Bagaduce River reversing falls, run by the same family for three generations; James Beard America's Classics honoree in 2008.
James Beard: America's Classics 2008 (winner)
Diners in the Downeast & Acadia region
1 place, by town. The statewide guide has 13.
WaCo Diner
47 Water St, Eastport
Diner Known for: diner breakfast and lunch; Schooner Room dinners; Tex-Mex Tuesday dinners · At this address since 1924
Downtown Eastport diner with a full bar and a waterfront deck, plus the Schooner Room dining room for dinners.
Oyster bars in the Downeast & Acadia region
1 place, by town. The statewide guide has 10.
The Stoop Oyster Bar
27 Water St, Blue Hill
Oyster bar Known for: Long Cove oysters from Deer Isle Oyster Co.; tinned fish; local cheese · Season: aims to stay open year-round · At this address since 2026
Oyster bar from Deer Isle Oyster Co. farmer Abby Barrows serving her Long Cove oysters alongside other Downeast farms' oysters, with small plates and a full bar.
Dairy bars in the Downeast & Acadia region
4 places, by town. The statewide guide has 54.
The Dairy Port
79 Main St, Bucksport
Dairy barSeasonal Known for: house-made soft serve; Gifford's hard ice cream; sundaes; shakes · Season: opened March 28 for 2026; open daily in season · At this address since 1954
Walk-up ice cream window in a narrow historic storefront on Bucksport's Main Street, across from the harbor and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge; known for its daily soft-serve flavors.
Jordan's Snack Bar
200 Downeast Highway, Ellsworth; listed above
Polar Treat
816 US-1, Perry
Dairy barSeasonal Known for: ice cream; specialty treats · Season: closing for the 2026 season on October 11
Ice cream spot with a full food menu on Route 1 in Perry, near Eastport.
Stonington Ice Cream Company
66 Main St, Stonington
Dairy barSeasonal Known for: ice cream (sixteen flavors); lobster roll; lobster and crab quiche · Season: aims for early May to late October; closed before the end of September in 2026 for lack of staff · At this address since 2008
Harborside ice cream shop on Stonington's Main Street with deck tables at the edge of the harbor; its owner added the Stonington Food Company restaurant next door.
Icons and old favorites
Hand-checked places here that aren't in the guides above: James Beard honorees, long-running places, inns and bakeries.
Pentagöet Inn
26 Main St, Castine
Known for: pub and wine-bar small plates · At this address since 1894
Queen Anne Victorian summer hotel in Castine village with a cozy pub and wine bar serving small plates most evenings.
Jordan Pond House
2928 Park Loop Road, Seal Harbor (Mount Desert)
Seasonal Known for: popovers; afternoon tea · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Acadia National Park's historic tea house and restaurant on the south shore of Jordan Pond, famous for popovers and tea on the lawn facing the Bubbles.
The Asticou Hotel
15 Peabody Drive, Northeast Harbor (Mount Desert)
Seasonal Known for: local seafood at Dahlia's · Season: opened May 15 for 2026
Historic shingled summer hotel above Northeast Harbor whose restaurant, Dahlia's, serves a seasonal menu of local seafood; under new ownership in 2026.