Beal's Lobster Pier — Restaurant in Southwest Harbor

In Maine, the lobster is king, and few do it better than Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor, which is mere minutes away from parts of the famous Acadia National Park. Or at least that was my experience during my honeymoon last week. Acadia is what attracted my newlywed wife and I to the area, but it was Beal’s Lobster Pier that offered a unique experience, because not only do they offer the freshest seafood, they make it fun, messy and something to always remember.

I had once experienced a similar type of restaurant in Aruba, to where fishermen would dock alongside the docks of the restaurant and then within minutes, the freshest of fish is cooked and served before you. And let me tell you, that was the best seafood I had ever had… Well, that is until I thoroughly experienced what Maine had to offer. Lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, haddock, scallops and more are delivered fresh right to Beal’s pier, all year round, and even though they close from October to May, you can still get the freshest seafood from them.

When you walk into Beal’s, you’re greeted by a long rectangular tank, filled to the brim with living lobsters. The next part is the hardest, because choosing what you want from the myriad of delectable options is a bit of a chore, especially for those of whom have never been to Maine prior. On my first visit, I went with the classic fresh cooked lobster, which you must work to enjoy, but it is very rewarding, although quite messy. You use your hands and a few tools to crack open the claws, then the tail, fins, and body (if you’re into the tamale), and then as you move through each piece of the lobster, you douse it in a garlic butter sauce that sends your tastebuds soaring.

I also tried the clam chowder, which was different than I was expecting, considering it was very liquified, compared to other variations where the use of cream creates a more creamy soup, but it was still very good with great flavor and spices. The next day, I returned to try the famous Lobster Roll, which is a healthy helping of fresh cooked lobster served with lettuce on a brioche bun, and is a fine alternative to cracking open your own fresh lobster. All in all, I came away very impressed with Beal’s, because not only is their food top quality, but the atmosphere of being right on the coast adds to the experience; the smell of the fresh sea air, the smell of the kitchen, and the hands-on approach is something everyone should experience, and from every restaurant I tried, Beal’s...

After looking at the options in and around the Bar harbor area, we saw great and consistent reviews (food and value) for Beals. We had already planned to be in Acadia National Park so this worked out well.

Beals in located in the Southwest Harbor area of the park…not far from Bass Harbor and the Bass Harbor Lighthouse.

We did stop by one our first day for mid-week dinner (late August) but there was a bit of a line so we delayed our visit for lunch the following the day. We arrived there around 12pm (They open at 11am) the following day and there were only a few people on line…which moves pretty fast by the way.

There is a smaller parking lot with about 10 spaces immediately outside of Beals…but there is a larger area adjacent with spaces for another 20 vehicles. We did have to wait a few minutes before a space opened up despite the minimal crowd at Beals…I suspect parking during the peak (later in the afternoon/dinner) times is challenging and you may have to wait longer for space to become available.

You wait on line and can view the clear and vast menu on the board. If you intend of having a fresh boiled lobster, a person there takes your order (the requested weight) and chooses a lobster from the tank right there. You then proceed to the register where you can add all of the other items including drinks. You pay and then make your way to your assigned table. (You can choose indoor/outdoor/shaded)

We had a lobster (2lbs - $40), haddock and chips ($24), shrimp and chips ($24), corn, cornbread and chicken fingers ($10). The food took about 20 minutes or so…which was great given that the food (and lobster) was made fresh to order. Everything was really good…everything!

There is a small area where you can get utensils, condiments and take-home containers if desired.

There is also a bar area where you can get additional drinks if desired.

There are bathrooms in a separate small building just outside of Beals.

Great views from the dock tables.

All staff we encountered there were friendly and efficient. I did see what seemed to be management walking around checking to see if the patrons were okay at each table…which is always nice to see.

I would highly recommend Beals to anyone in the Bar Harbor/Acadia looking for a seafood fix…great food at...

I ate here on Sunday for the first time. We ordered two lobster rolls, $39/each (+ $4 to get a side of fries instead of chips and + $4.50 for a side of onion rings instead of chips), one firecracker, one with butter, two bloody mary's, $14/each, and the fried pickles, $13. Unfortunately, the drinks were probably the worst I've ever had. Super watered down with no tomato flavor or any flavor at all really. I was also really disappointed because the firecracker is described as "Our classic roll with Beals Spicy Aioli" and the pictures on the website show the same thing. However, what I got was a lobster roll absolutely doused and dripping in a sweet and spicy sauce. My bun was soaked through with the pink sauce and my tray was also covered in it. It looked similar to Chinese sweet and sour sauce or Thai sweet chili sauce. It was not an aioli at all and kind of disgusting how much they put on the sandwich.

It wasn't what I wanted and wasn't what I ordered. What it was was a waste of $39.00.You guys should update your menu to state that the firecracker lobster roll is no longer a spicy aioli but is now a sweet pink sauce. Also they obviously know they are serving it with that nasty sauce by choice and should put that on the chalkboard menu instead of just saying it is "Beal's spicy lobstah roll".

I didn't complain because the crew was sort of having an attitude with people already that day. Heard someone ask for water and get told "it's in a jug outside but it might be empty" with a shrug. Another person asked the bartender where the bathrooms were and she practically barked at him to go look outside.

Also upon paying the cashier told us "I'm going to seat you at a large table by yourself since it's the only one open" but didn't warn us that he was going to also seat strangers with us halfway through our meal. That was really awkward with no warning and I would've asked to sit at a smaller table outside if he had communicated that although he said we would be seated by ourselves, that it is actually communal seating.

The fried pickles were the best part. We agreed this $140 lunch before tip was not...