Asticou - Northeast Harbor

A local over in Bar Harbor encouraged us to visit this place on the quiet side of the island. We didn 't have reservations and they were full, but the hostess and the bartender were as nice as could be and took care of us at the bar. We started with the best popovers we 've ever had, huge, fluffy and accompanied by soft butter and fresh Maine strawberry and wild blueberry jam, respectively. My wife enjoyed tremendous fish tacos and I had the lobster popovers. Our food was incredible and Kip, our bartender, was incredibly pleasant and helpful. The view from the restaurant is fantastic as is the food and the staff.

Walk in to find two young staffers suffocating under dirty black masks in front of the entire floor of 50 plus employees and guests. This was the most demeaning, humiliating and forced control over innocent healthy people. We will never go back. Get educated Asticou. Or stick with Satan. Those poor kids.

I regret to say this, but I feel it’s important to share my experience. I ordered the crab cake appetizer as my main dish, expecting three crabcakes. However, when they arrived, they were far from appealing—three misshapen brown mounds that looked quite unappetizing. They appeared more like something else entirely. To make matters worse, they were predominantly bread with hardly any crab meat inside. For $34, I expected much better quality. My boyfriend chose the halibut, which unfortunately turned out to be chewy rather than flaky. We also noticed there was no bread served at our table. On a positive note, the waitstaff were friendly and attentive. However, I cannot recommend this restaurant based on my experience. This was my first visit to Bar Harbor, and it was disappointing.

My husband was adamant that we have popovers while going around Acadia. My original plan was Jordan Pond House until I found out their reservation was not for an actual table at an actual time; It was a reservation to be on the waitlist. The Stadium is not reliable as to when or if they make popovers, so that left Asticou Restaurant at the Inn. The staff at Asticou replied to my emails promptly and were able to accommodate my allergies. I was able to make a reservation for a table via Resy and we were seated without any delays. The lobby of the Inn is rustic and charming and the big porch is pretty. They have a few parking lots, so we were able to park with ease. The Inn and restaurant are in Northeast Harbor, so not as crowded as the Park Loop area of Acadia. The Island Explorer runs near; if we had known, we could have taken the bus here. Our waiter, Ricardo, was wonderful and attentive. We were seated out on the covered porch which had a couple of patio heaters. I liked being out there with the fresh air and a good view of the yard. We decided to double down on popovers by ordering the Lobster Popover with sherry cream for lunch and a popover sundae for lunch-dessert. The Lobster Popover was served warm in a freshly made popover and both of thought it was absolutely delicious. For the sundae, the popover was still hot and the vanilla ice cream was cold (of course). Also delicious. All in all, a relaxing, delicious and enjoyable lunch in the National Park area.

Have not been to restaurant yet. Just commenting on the accommodations. Very old and antiquated. No AC....No TV.... No elevator....No Bellman to take up luggage. Bathrooms are tiny. There must be an elephant staying in the room above is because footfall is extremely heavy!! Not sure how this Inn stays in business....They said coffee is served in the lobby starting at 5:00AM.....we'll be out of her by 5:15 AM!