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McKay's Public House, Bar Harbor, ME

McKay's Public House

4.6 (990)
$31 to $50
American
231 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Make a booking

A photo of McKay's Public House restaurant

McKay's Public House

4.6
$31 to $50
American
Bar Harbor

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 1 time today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Neighbourhood gem
McKay's Public House serves savory pub fare in a quaint space—complete with a lovely outdoor garden. The menu offers a fine balance of classic American, English, and Irish pub fare in conjunction with fine-dining and casual favorites. Try some of the restaurant's special seafood risotto or spoil yourself with a Maine lobster and bone-in ribeye. McKay's Public House also offers a tidy list of comfort grub, including burgers, fish 'n chips and simple but elegant salads and soups. A popular neighborhood haunt, McKay's is a nice spot for socializing or enjoying a leisurely bite. The dining area includes an intimate bar, where guests can enjoy a drink. McKay's also boast a serene garden and a second-floor dining room that is ideal for quiet conversations. Come find us right in the heart of downtown Bar Harbor!

Additional information

  • Area
    Bar Harbor
  • Parking Details
    Private Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer Garden, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at McKay's Public House.

4.6

4.6
(990)
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Maine

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Maine

    American

  • Maine

    Most Booked

  • Northern Coast

    Best Ambience

  • Northern Coast

    Good for groups

  • Northern Coast

    Healthy

  • Northern Coast

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Northern Coast

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Northern Coast

    Romantic

  • Northern Coast

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
McKay's Public House in Bar Harbor offers a delightful dining experience with "fantastic food" and a "beautiful outdoor garden seating" area. Guests rave about the "amazing seafood risotto," "wonderful service," and the "cozy, charming atmosphere." Many recommend the "sticky toffee pudding" and note the staff's attentiveness. A must-visit spot!
990 Reviews
  1. Sergio Gold

    Chicago / Illinois13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 25 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Glad we have visited this restaurant. Charming dinner experience with service and food of excellent level.

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  2. Ryan Gold

    Las Vegas16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best place to eat on our entire trip to Bar Harbor, ME

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  3. Tina Gold

    New York City30 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Sat upstairs near 2 larger groups which elevated the noise level but it did not bother us. Food & service was fantastic! Definately would recommend and return.

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  4. Roy

    Las Vegas4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 21 October 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I had the lobster mac and cheese and my husband had seafood risotto. Both were very rich and decadent. Service was great. If it hadn't been so cold, I would have loved to set outside in the garden. They did have a few firepits, but we didn't want our food to go cold. It is so charming with fairy lights and great ambience. Highly recommend.

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  5. mark

    Pittsburgh / Western PA6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 20 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I have to say, that without a doubt, McKay's is at the top of the food chain (pun intended) when it comes to dining in Bar Harbor. Let's face it, even ice cream stands sell lobster in Bar Harbor.........but taking a DINING experience to the next level is another thing. Take it from a food curmudgeon, you will not be disappointed here.

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  6. Kim Gold

    Detroit / Eastern Michigan10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 18 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had the meatloaf and it was excellent. Also recommend the bread service and white chocolate blueberry cheesecake.

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  7. Kim

    London3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 17 October 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Server was polite but not very attentive. Food was good. Reservation system is flawed. Online booking made us choose outside even though it was very cold out, but message with confirmation stated all online reservations were for inside dining only, and we had to call if we wanted outside dining. I wanted to be inside so kept the reservation. Upon arrival we were told we had to eat outside but it was far too cold. Thankfully they had a porch table available.

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  8. Peter Gold

    Maine202 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 16 October 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Great friendly service although they were very busy. Had to wait on our reservation and the host seemed to forget we were waiting. Good beer list, lots of local. Fish and chips was a good choice as was the burger and chicken sandwich. Good, not great food. Small portions. Onion soup was mildly flavored. Pretzels were the highlight. Good for pub food.

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  9. Jessica

    Minneapolis - St. Paul2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 16 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The seafood risotto was so good and would recommend it 10x over. Our kids ordered the chicken breast meal and chocolate Sunday and rated it 100/100. Will come back!

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  10. Barbara

    New York City8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 15 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    WOW, what an experience! The food is fantastic! The beet salad was great, the lobster dinner was outstanding!! The blueberry pie with ice cream was delicious. A great place from start to finish!

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Additional information

  • Area
    Bar Harbor
  • Parking Details
    Private Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer Garden, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway

FAQs

Private dining isn't part of McKay's Public House's offering, private parties are not allowed, though the restaurant does feature an intimate bar, a serene garden, and a second-floor dining room ideal for quiet conversations.

Tuesday evenings can be especially lively, one guest noted the place was "packed on a Tuesday night, " so expect a buzzing atmosphere then.

Certain dishes are described as satisfying, reviewers call the food "delicious and plentiful, " and the seafood risotto is specifically noted as "quite filling."

Yes, McKay's Public House is often recommended for romantic evenings, with guests describing it as "nice, romantic" and "great for anniversaries, " and the second-floor dining room is praised as ideal for quiet conversations.

McKay's Public House is a quaint, cozy spot, an old house with an intimate bar, multiple dining rooms and a serene garden, offering both lively and tucked-away, quieter spaces for conversation.

For a quieter visit, try a Sunday evening, reviewers were seated right away on a Sunday night; for a lively, garden-side experience, pick a pleasant summer evening when outdoor seating is popular.

Yes, McKay's is family-friendly: guests frequently dine there with children, enjoy the outdoor garden seating, and report staff being welcoming to families.

Yes, the outdoor garden/patio is dog-friendly in practice: guests report being seated outside with their dogs and receiving friendly service.

Casual dress is the guide, comfortable, informal attire is appropriate, though some guests note it's a popular spot for anniversaries and special evenings where diners may dress up a touch.

McKay's Public House can get quite busy, one guest noted it was “packed on a Tuesday night”, while the restaurant's second-floor dining room is cited as an ideal, quieter spot for conversation.

McKay's Public House spreads across an intimate bar, a main dining room and a second-floor dining room, plus a serene outdoor garden/patio for al fresco meals.

Yes, McKay's Public House features a lovely outdoor garden/courtyard where many guests choose to dine, and reviewers note outdoor seating with heaters available on cooler nights.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Maine
  4. Northern Coast
  5. Bar Harbor

Make a booking

A photo of McKay's Public House restaurant

McKay's Public House

4.6
$31 to $50
American
Bar Harbor

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 1 time today
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