Jordan Pond House Restaurant

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Matt Schabo
5 months ago
Get there early so you can get a seat at the restaurant. Popovers were good. I had the bison meatloaf sandwich and it was so crunchy and charred in a good way, I'd have it again (and again). If you have to wait to be seated there's a nice patio to enjoy the view of Jordan Pond. There's also a take out to get quick snacks while you wait. Blueberry lemonade is pretty good there

  Sudhesh Nayak
6 months ago
Nice place. Had to wait 10 - 15 minutes but they have nice grounds and a store to kill the time. Pop-overs were great. Were served with fresh butter and strawberry jam. Also the baked Brie was fantastic!!Don't miss the walk to the Jordan pond behind the restaurant. Absolutely gorgeous!!

  JoHannah Carpenter
6 months ago
What a beautiful experience. Our meal was delicious and perfect in every way. The pop-overs are wonderful and uniquely their own. We had the pleasure of dining with wonderful folks surrounding us, and the opportunity to share some great conversations that carried onto the trail. Most definitely, I highly recommend this experience for all.(PSA: there are bees, stay calm and they will move on ).

  David Every
9 months ago
Lunch is served on a first come basis and there can be a long wait. We walked in for dinner just before 6pm with a party of 6 and were seated immediately maybe because the weather was nice and we sat outside with our 2 dogs. The blueberry lemonade was wonderful and 5 of us ordered it. The popovers are terrific and highly recommended. The atmosphere is beautiful, set out on a flagstone patio looking out on Jordan Pond with the Bubbles on the horizon. Service was excellent and the food was OK. The Bar Harbor Stew was more soup than stew, the gnocchi was delicious. The crabcakes were small and needed more of the sauce. Overall, we were very happy to dine there.

  Tyler Cini
2 years ago
The wait can be very long, but the setting is idyllic and it's an experience that's worth it while you're experiencing Acadia. Popovers, popovers, popovers. You can't come here without getting at least a couple. Other good stuff on the menu too, but it's the popovers and the views that make the experience.

  Anirudh Pillai
7 months ago
After our hike along the Jordan Pond trail, we decided to grab lunch at this spot. It's incredibly convenient, serving as the sole dining option in the park, but be prepared for potential delays wait times can stretch to an hour or more depending on the day.This place is renowned for its popovers, and they absolutely lived up to their reputation. Even if you hadn't planned on dining here, I highly recommend indulging in their popovers if you get the chance. For those seeking a more casual option, they offer takeout upstairs, which is quite convenient.In addition to the delightful popovers, we also sampled the Organic chicken salad and the Louie salad with lobster and shrimp, both of which were satisfactory. The service was commendable, with our server consistently checking in on us.Without a doubt, the highlight of our meal was the popovers. Given the Jordan Pond House restaurant's rich history, we wholeheartedly suggest making a stop here during your visit.IG: journey_man16

  Amy Leffler (Thetravelroamad)
8 months ago
We enjoyed a nice family dinner here after a full day of hiking. Tel he views and atmosphere were spectacular. Once we were seated it took about 10 minutes for anyone to come over and take our drinks. However, once we were waited on we had fantastic service the rest of the meal. The food was lacking and overpriced for what you get. The food was ok and not great. The popovers were the best part of the meal. I gave it 4 stars because it really has great views and the service was great. If they could focus on improving the quality of their food it would be 5 stars.

  Nathanael Litter
8 months ago
We planned a lunch stop here during our first day exploring Acadia. I would recommend arriving early. Parking is a major issue. Thankfully we were able to snag a spot as someone else left during out second attempt at circling the three parking lots.We didn't have reservations, so we put our name in and waited about 45 minutes. Thankfully, it's a beautiful area, so we walked some of the trails and explored the gift shop. We grabbed a popover kit to try to recreate the experience at home.It was mid-July, so we sat outside. The inside looked as if it could use some updating and the AC had trouble keeping it cool. Thankfully, the servers did a great job making sure we had plenty of ice water.The food was good, though as others have commented, overpriced. You are definitely paying for the location. The popovers are definitely the star of the show. Next time, we would just opt for a round of those.One major pain point was our server. The kid looked annoyed to be working. My two kids ordered from the kids menu, which is supposed to come with drinks. The ordered Dr. Pepper, which they don't have. He recommended Root Beer instead. One of them went with that, the other chose lemonade. The Root Beer came in a bottle, which told me not to expect refills like with a normal soda. When the bill came, it was almost $12 for both of their drinks. When questioned, he said those weren't part of the kids meal and they should have ordered something else. I asked why he didn't let us know this when we ordered to which he replied he assumed we knew.It's clearly a historic and long-standing establishment. As such, I expected more. We can cross it off our bucket-list, but probably wouldn't go back.

  Amanda
6 months ago
My review is strictly about the restaurant, not the house or surrounding area.VERY IMPORTANT: DO NOT test your luck thinking you re going to get a parking spot anytime. Even if you have a reservation!Restaurant parking is extremely limited and the adjacent lot gets filled with day hikers, bikers and the like. Park your car at the visitor center and take the Jordan Pond shuttle to the restaurant. The ride is free and only takes about 20 minutes.This may be a hot take. The two words that came to my mind after my experience at Jordan Pond House Restaurant? Tourist trap.When researching where to dine in Bar Harbor, Jordan Pond House showed up on many tourist sites. It seems to have a lot going for it. It s been around since 1893, it s in one of the most visited U.S. national parks and it offers a killer view of the Bubbles. However, I left with the impression that this historical eatery is nothing more than a cash grab that does a really, really good job alluding itself as more.I was ecstatic to introduce my husband to tea time and thought, What could possibly beat enjoying tea at a beautiful setting in gorgeous Acadia? We began our lunch with the Tea Time Speciality Tray ($24.99) that came with two pots of tea and 3 of each of the following: mini cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon canap�s, chocolate chip scones, macaroons and mousse with strawberries and blueberries scattered around. My guess is that the plate sat fully assembled for at least an hour prior because it was awful. The scones were dry, the berries were sad and sour, the macaroons tasted awful. I don t believe anything was made in house. It was absolutely appalling and a huge disappointment. However, my husband s blueberry and my earl grey teas were delicious. It s the only reason I m leaving two instead of one star. I did find it strange that I had to ask for cream with my tea instead of it being offered.Additionally, the service was not good. Our young server did not seem to have any regard for us whatsoever. I try to be empathetic. I get that there s a staffing shortage, but that is not an excuse to hire inattentive, unprofessional kids. The restaurant was NOT busy. As I mentioned, I had to ask for cream which took an unruly amount of time to receive. Second, we weren t checked on once. Third, we never received our dessert. Lastly, he had the audacity to stand there and watch as my husband signed and left him an undeserving tip with one of those awful check out tablets.Go at your own risk.The area is beautiful and fun to hang out at. I highly recommend packing a lunch to enjoy. Also, the history behind the house is interesting and worth learning about.

  Shirley L.
8 months ago
Essentially the only sit down dining option in the immediate area; therefore it gets busy! The information window by the gift shop is where you also check in for the restaurant. The first time we went, we were told 45-60 minutes. Buzzer went off in 25. Second time, when it was raining and no outdoor seating, it was an hour wait. You can get some grab-and-go from the storefront on the second floor above the gift shop. There is a public bathroom outside around and down the ramp from the gift shop/restaurant.It was our first time having popovers and it was really good. Food is a bit pricey but that's to be expected. Lobster popover is the best dish they have according to our first server, Dexter. Across 2 visits, we had popovers, lobster popover, chicken pot pie, crab cakes, gnocchi mac and cheese, Atlantic salmon, and the popover sundae. Highly recommend the popovers.Parking: Three parking lots in the adjacent area. If you can't find parking by Jordan Pond, you might have better luck parking by the Visitor Center and taking the free bus.

  Sinitron Sinitron
7 months ago
One of the worst dining experiences of our lives. If you go here, walk the grounds and skip the house. Stayed in Bar Harbor and spent the week at Acaida, friends suggested a visit to Jordan Pond House. Beautiful grounds with views of the mountains and lake. Arrived at noon during peak season in August. They have about 25 picnic tables with pole umbrellas out back. We asked for first available table as we ran through the gift shop. A redhead with septum nose ring seated us outside, it was 92F with direct sun and no shade outside. I reached out to untie the umbrella cord and asked if I could raise it up so my kids could get some shade - was cut off with "We're NOT opening the UMBRELLAS today --- SIR." Like wow, I'm not sure who hurt you, but if you want to pick a fight with a customer, that's how to do it. We planned to snack and run, got popovers and lemonades. The popovers were well made and arrived with ramekins of strawberry preserves. We were immediately swarmed by angry yellow jackets, a well known problem if you read the other reviews. Our server smiled and said "careful of the bees!". Two tables over, a family of four was picking up their plates and silverware to head inside with the angry redhead. I pointed to our table and then inside to indicate 'can we go inside too?' and received a scowl and angry head shaking. We stood 3 tables away from where we were seated to avoid getting stung, pay our check and leave. I'm genuinely confused about what this establishment wants to accomplish in terms of customer experience. If it's to make your guests and children suffer and punish them for coming to your site, mission accomplished! Truly bizarre experience. I'm confident anyone reading this can do better elsewhere.

  cristina marin
7 months ago
We came to try the popovers in the afternoon! Reservation is only required for dinner. In less that half and hour we had a table! The popovers are really good! We ended up buying the popovers mix and recipient from the store next door. It has a unique texture! I also loved the blueberry lemonade! Great spot for an afternoon tea! Highly recommended!

  Sritama Chakraborty
8 months ago
The view is stunning and the popovers makes it special. They come with butter and strawberry jam which makes it very tasty. The restaurant is very spacious with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. You can go in and make a reservation at guest services. They will give you a buzzer. I tried to resend it online but couldn t do not sure if it works. Once seated, we ordered a few drinks. Mint blueberry mojito , the Bubbles and a local beer. We got a kids pasta which came with a popover, a side drink and chips. Adults got the gnocchi , lobster popovers, shepherds pie. Lobster popovers were the best but rest of the dishes were very under seasoned. The Tabasco helped a bit. The coffee and the flourless chocolate cake was amazing. The problem however was they do not allow popovers in the takeout place upstairs. Since many people would just want to get the popovers and get going, they literally force people to sit and eat if they want to have pop overs. The take out joint has snacks , drinks and a free other thing located upstairs and has a beautiful view too.Parking: On a busy day it will be difficult to find parking.Kid-friendliness: They do have a kids menu. Each dish comes with a popover , side and a drink.Wheelchair accessibility: It is wheelchair accessible

  N.
9 months ago
Please ignore the bad reviews! The popovers I could just live on, the absolute best hands down in New England. We were able to sit on the lawn and it was so tranquil, food was excellent as was the service. I could rave about the blueberry lemonade, pond house tea blend, lobster bisque, and the strawberry jam and butter with the popovers. The tea platter was nice and presented very well. I will totally come back here as it s the perfect spot to rest and enjoy the beauty of the bubbles and pond. I miss Jordan pond house so much! The service was excellent and the staff were beyond attentive, caring, and personable. Make a reservation!

  Emilee Hunter
8 months ago
While on vacation, many people recommended to come here...so of course we did!I did make reservations about a month prior to our trip. We were seated outside very quickly, after we checked in! The view of the Bubbles was beautiful!And of course we had to get the popovers- sooo delicious! My husband got the lobster filled popover and he also said it was the best thing ever! :)It was on the pricier side, but that is expected with a popular tourist place and with rising costs of foods these days, other than the price, everything (food, service, views) was excellent! Highly recommend coming here!!

  Margaret Skiff
7 months ago
This was one of the worst dining experiences of my life. We arrived at 1:30 for our 1:45 reservation and were told there was plenty of room inside and outside so since it was a beautiful day outside we opted for outside (HUGE MISTAKE). We weren t sat until 2:15, half an hour after our reservation and 45 minutes after we had arrived. As soon as we sat down we were swarmed by what we were told were bees. However they lied to us they were not bees they were yellow jackets big difference. We asked if we could move inside as a member of our party was allergic to bees but our server audibly sighed and told us we would have to go back to the host stand and wait probably another 45 minutes for a table inside. We toughed it out only to ensure some of the worst service I ve ever received. Our server s pants zipper was completely unzipped, his pants sagged below his butt exposing the entirety of his underwear, and he was just straight up miserable. When asked if we could get our popovers to go to try to minimize the presence of bees he stated can you just tell me that when you re ready to leave? I ll probably forget by then . Some of this may have been better if the food was decent but the crab cakes contained barely any crab and the turkey bltts had the cheapest processed lunch meat turkey I ve ever tasted. Bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with us on the carriage roads would have been a better experience than the Jordan Pond House.

  Sameer Afsar
6 months ago
Had a great time at lunch at Jordan pond house. Definitely get there early to put your name down. Parking is an issue and one trick is to park on the side of the road where the road is one way. It is a 10 minute walk. Second wait can be 90 minutes. Great time to walk around the pond. The food overall was ok. Have to have the popovers. Had the gnocchi which was kind of bland. Need something to add a kick. Had the bison meatloaf sandwich. That was amazing.

  Andy S
10 months ago
We got seated fairly quickly, about 20 minutes. Our server was nice and knowledgeable. Everything else about this place was a huge disappointment.The popovers we got tasted fine, not great and overpriced. We got the popovers with blueberry lemonade which was good. The lobster popover we got barely had any lobster in it and very overpriced. The bison meatloaf was probably the best thing we got, but it was smothered in so much sauce it was hard to taste the meat.

  Thomas Hill
7 months ago
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  Cassidy
6 months ago
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  Michael Cole
7 months ago
Great lunch. I had the chicken salad wrap pretty good, very fresh. A friend had the bison meatloaf sanwich pretty good too. They really want you to try the popover which they were know for we just need want anything super sweet. The heat was getting to us that day, i also want to add they dont have a/c some it was a warm lunch indoors.

  Daniel
8 months ago
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  A S
6 months ago
Only location in the National Park that serves food - so it was a must for our lunch stop while exploring the park. Of course, this restaurant was packed and parking wasn t easy to come by. We did eventually find the spot of someone leaving in front of us. We put our name in at the hostess for an expected 40min wait at 2:30p on a Sunday. The wait ended up being more like 1 hour, which is when we were sat. I do think they are likely understaffed as we sat at our table for about 10min prior to being greeted by our waitress. The place really is just overwhelmingly busy - so expect to need patience. I do want to preface the remainder of this review with a statement about how absolutely AMAZING our waitress was. She was busy as can be but still had an absolutely outstanding, positive attitude and was kind, respectful, and attentive. She had no problem with us requesting quick service, as we didn t expect quite such a long wait for a table, and we were running behind to get to our sunset bout tour in Bar Harbor. She also was totally fine running us on 3 separate bills. We adored our waitress. You can see my biggest complaint and what totally disappointed me and grossed me out in the pictures. I ordered the side salad with grilled chicken on top with the lemon vinaigrette and it looked so delicious. I was about 1/4 through the salad (so yummy, was really enjoying it) when I found the most MASSIVE, DISGUSTING, HAIRY bug in my salad!! I was floored and absolutely disgusted. I understand that these things happen, but I was still absolutely shocked at how massively large this bug was and my stomach was doing cartwheels. Had I consumed it s counterpart? Were there legs in my stomach now? Yuck! We immediately called our waitress over who was also just as shocked and floored as we were. She snatched the plate up and told us she would be back but that we obv wouldn t be paying for it. Sadly, since we had already paid our checks to be quick, she said she could not help us with anything but that their manager would come by soon. We were already rushed with time (which is why we had already pre paid our bills), so we were very antsy and slightly frustrated that it then took 10-15 minutes of us sitting at our table for a manager to come speak to us. I was starved, in a hurry, and still getting stomach flips from my close encounter with this large creepy crawly. Finally, a young male manager walked over and kneeled down to talk to us. This manager seemed very kind but also very anxious during our conversation. We stated to him that we were running very late and just needed to get out of here but I obviously wanted a refund on the $17 salad that I did not consume due to the large hitchhiker that was present. He kindly tried to explain that lettuce comes from the outside and so do bugs so sometimes these things happen and etc etc. He did apologize for the experience we had. Finally, he told us that he had refunded my $17 meal (just mine) and that if we weren t in a rush he would ve offered dessert on the house. He stated this is unfortunately all I can do for you. Which I didn t really understand the meaning of (we did not ask for anything else, just to get out of there). I told the manager that I understood these things happen, thanks for the refund, but we gotta go. We hurried away at that point. I realized once I had time later in the afternoon that I probably should ve requested a full refund for our small group of 3 s entire dining experience -not just the salad- as we were all equally grossed out and honestly it sadly ruined the experience for all 3 of us. We were all grossed out and over it. Again, our waitress was absolutely brilliant, and we were so disappointed that our experience was not better. I doubt I will be back after this one. Food gets 1 star due to the bug. Overall rating gets 2 stars (instead of 1) because our waitress was phenomenal.Parking: Parking lot available but a very busy spot so can be hard to find a spot.

  Florence
a year ago
Convenient but just okay food after a hike at Jordan Pond. This spot is right by the pond with parking that gets crowded. Their outdoor space with a gorgeous lake view has a good set up for outdoor wedding ceremonies and events while their indoor space has several tables with an open wall and outdoor view. Though it was quite busy around lunchtime, we were seated right away. Service was excellent but the food was just alright. My Lobster Bisque was barely warm and had a skimpy amount of meat. Then though they boast about their popovers, they were just okay and at room temperature. I've made better and have had better elsewhere.NOTES/TIPS:**It's the only food spot near the pond but there are other ones about 15 minutes driving (5 miles away).**Nice gift shop attached with rustic and nature-themed items.**Zero to very spotty cellphone service.**Bees are aplenty!!! Buzz buzz buzz!

  Laura T
10 months ago
Jordan Pond House was beautiful inside, however it was very cold where we were sitting. Possibly draft from the windows or doors? The food we ordered tasted great, but some issues included warm lobster stew ( I wish it was hot), very tough bread, both the baguette and the rye served with the salmon appetizer, and we did not get cucumbers with the salmon plate either. The popovers were great, though.

  Andrew Kassouf
a year ago
This experience was worth the wait! Our server was amazing being attentive to our needs without swarming our table. He was super busy but when he was with us he made us feel as if we were the only table that mattered. Now, most reviews will probably tell you that the popovers are amazing, and they are, but so was everything else. The food was delicious! We also enjoyed the herbal iced blueberry tea more than the hot blueberry black tea. The herbal was much more flavorful than the black tea.Parking: Parking was easier before they opened and then later in the day about 2 hours before closing. The bus is a good recommendation in peak season.Kid-friendliness: Our kids enjoyed their kids meals and the whole experience as part of their highlight from our tour of New England trip.

  Alissa Dougherty
7 months ago
My friends and I went for afternoon tea, only had about a 15 minute wait. But we were able to check out the store next door. It was raining so we were unable to eat outside, but it turned for the best because there were a ton of bees! They do have signs warning you of them, but we were not prepared for the amount when we were having our sodas!Great service. We loved the popovers and the fact that they delivered them one at a time so both popovers were fresh and warm. Wish they had come with a bit more jam and butter. We also got salads and a couple soups! We enjoyed our visit!

  Mark Hyland
8 months ago
We started off with traditional tea and popovers. Popovers were fresh, warm, and very moist. We both had the organic chicken salad, which was delicious and very filling. We got here on a Saturday morning just after opening, and there was already a 45-minute wait, so get here early. We were seated outside with a view of Jordan Pond and surrounding mountains. This is a great spot for lunch.

  Vy Bui
8 months ago
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  Charlotte Ide
8 months ago
For my first fine dining experience Jordan Pond House was phenomenal. The small touches really make it, like the popovers with local jam as opposed to bread for the table.My partner got the Bouillabaisse which was worth the price 100%. It was a large variety of seafood packed in a tomato broth.I had the gnocchi Mac and cheese, which unfortunately left a lot to be desired. It came with ziti as well as the gnocchi, which was not advertised on the menu, and the sauce was almost flavorless. Just because that dish wasn t the right choice for me doesn t mean that I wouldn t come back here, though! It would probably be perfect for an extra hungry child. Speaking of, I enjoyed the entertainment of watching a child eat a full lobster in less than 10 minutes, I was impressed!Our waiter was so kind with options and suggestions. The blueberry mojito was to die for. Will be making a return trip next time I make the trek up to Acadia!Parking: If you re patient you will be able to find parking, but make sure to give yourself time