Islesford Dock Restaurant and Gallery

Christine Thompson

2023-05

Great spot right on the dock of Little Cranberry Island. The staff was smiling and attentive. Our waiter also said they put them up in nice housing for the summer work season which is amazing for servers and restaurant staff!!The food was so fresh and full of flavor. The lobster was large and actually market price - tasted fresh off the boat! It came with a seasonal vegetable (parsnips) which was seasoned and perfectly cooked. The scallops and risotto were rich and filling. The oysters were local and briney. Staff was courteous of allergies and made sure my food was gluten free. Come out to the restaurant on the Beal and Bunker family run mail boat - they’ll pick you up from the restaurant at 930 pm. The whole experience was a really unique night! 10/10 would recommend!

Mitchell Stein

2023-07

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Michael Smith

2022-05

My wife and I took a cruise out to Little Cranberry Island and visited the Islesford Dock Restaurant & Gallery. We put in at Manset, in Southwest Harbor, on Mount Desert Island. It took us about 10-15 minutes to get there, and we took about 30 minutes to come back, and drink in the sunset. We were not disappointed. Great atmosphere, super food, nice service, perfect views. Restaurant staff also assisted docking the boats. I easily got over the sticky table (from the humidity) and the rickety feel of the dock. Honestly, it was a great building and dock. A little pricey, but a lot wonderful. This is the kind of restaurant I want to run - they cook from their garden in the back of the dock, locally sourced foods, and farm/sea to table. The food was a sight to behold, and a pleasure to eat. The Cheesy Biscuits were simple dropped biscuits with some cheese in them; what really stood out here was the creative whipped salted butter, TOPPED with honey. Really delightful presentation, just a little dry. Beet Salad was next. The tangy citrus dressing matched perfectly. My observation was that if it’s a beet salad, then the beets need to be the star of the show. There simply weren’t enough beets on the greens. Maybe if you read the menu item, you’ll understand. “Beet Salad - with a tangy citrus dressing and Gorgonzola “doughnut”.” Let me ask you something - would you get this for the beets or the doughnut? I was curious about that doughnut, but I admit, I was excited about the beets. Since I had no idea what a Gorgonzola “doughnut” was, I decided to look forward to those beets. But - when I got the salad, the star of the show as that Gorgonzola “doughnut”. Center stage was this small, tasty ball of gorgonzola cheese, lightly battered and deep fried. It was amazing! Great presentation, creative palate. The citrus, beets and doughnut all worked sooo well together! I just have one thing to say about it…it needed more beets less greens. I decided to keep ordering off the Soups, Salads & Starters menu for my supper…I’m a sucker for crab cakes! “Crab Cakes - Summer greens, grapefruit & a citrus aioli.” Again! Islesford Dock Restaurant did not disappoint. The crab cakes were pan seared and had so much flavor - warmed through and through, both with spices, and with temperature. Honestly, they looked like a large scallop - so I was a little surprised at first. I had to study it out for a moment - crab cake, or scallop? It was just moist enough. Grapefruit and citrus aioli were a perfect garnish! My wife had a half rack of ribs. The ribs were a great mix of flavorful, tender and crispy. It just had a few dry spots…but that’s expected with ribs.

Jim Frey

2018-05

This place ALWAYS IS WONDERFUL. If you visit Acadia National Park or Bar Harbor... take the water shuttle to this amazing destination bar/restaurant. Great ribs colorful "action packed" salads. Maine-produced spirits and beer. Attentive staff. get there at 530!

Henry Katz

2022-05

Very nice island. Unfortunately our Restaurant experience was unsatisfactory. The food was … meh. The service was ok. The floors under the table were squeaky and bouncy. Every time a waitress rushed by (every two minutes) our plates shook and floor made scary screeching sounds. . Very loud.

J Gadde

2019-05

Food was very good, service was ok (customers shouldn't have to ask for refills on drinks, etc). Amazing views of the water, especially at sunset.

marshall siegel

2023-05

Highly recommend coming to Iselford aka Little Cranberry Island. Didn't see any Cranberrys, but maybe because they were too small.In addition to the Iselford Dock restaurant, take a walk to the Gilley Beach if you can dodge the man eating mosquitos. Don't fear they do have friendly dogs that will escort you on your journey.Get the ribs at the dock. They build intricate structures which are guaranteed to impress.Finally, if you are lucky, you will get to see the fish transport system administered by Sea Gulls.Say hello to the beautiful lobsterman while you are there!

Grumpy 1

2023-05

Plan foraking dinner reservations WEEKS in advance!The food is ok, the view is one of a kind!

James Durland

2020-05

Good beer selection. Nice bar and views. Fun stop during a boat trip. Couple of cute shops.

DockLight Productions

2020-05

If you get the lucky opportunity of visiting this amazing restaurant and bar, TAKE IT! The steamed muscles were incredible, best I’ve had in Maine. The ambiance and athletic was wonderful, the staff was super knowledgeable, and the beers are cold. I’m going to be back in the fall for sure. Thanks everyone who helped make this place a reality.

Pamela Poarch

2018-05

Chowder was excellent! Louie salad was delicious and full of fresh seafood! Desserts are heavenly!

gretchen hanson

2023-11

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Mike Caldwell

2023-05

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Jackie Hibbard

2022-05

We sat at the bar. The bartenders were great. The chowder was delicious and very fresh. I ordered the fish of the day, thinking it would be extra fresh and good because it was a special. I got the tail piece and it was overcooked and not good. It had the consistency of canned tuna and was very dry. The woman sitting next to me at the bar tapped me on the shoulder to ask how the salmon was. She said “it looks overdone.” She enjoyed the local oysters very much and said she was glad to have not ordered the salmon. My husband got his usual choice, fish and chips, and said it wasn’t as good as in prior years. We’ve been making a special stop here for years, while cruising the Maine coast. Not sure we’ll be back. It was very disappointing.

Janetta Messmer

2023-09

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Avery Mohr

2023-05

Misleading menu—I ordered the smoked salmon plate which the menu said had “house made bagels.” When it arrived, it was clear the bagel was not house made—in fact it seemed like it had been frozen, and one could barely even call it a bagel. When I inquired, the waiter confirmed that their bagel maker had left last year and the bagel wasn’t house made. Okay, but then don’t say it’s house-made on the menu, or warn ppl. Totally unacceptable and dishonest behavior from a business. Also—the restaurant doesn’t have their own bathroom so you’re forced to use the public ones.

Jenny Bohn

2023-05

Awesome setting, great service, delicious food! What a fun day at Islesford Dock!

Wayne Meyer

2022-05

A restaurant that we were greatly looking forward to. The appetizers of cheesy biscuits and clam chowder were excellent, although the bacon in the clam chowder was trying too hard and detracted from an excellent chowder. The entrees were disappointing and in several cases, overcooked. Nothing worse than overcooked seafood. Catch of the day salmon should never be poached overcooked. Very pricey. The ambience was wonderful, but hard to stomach mediocre meals and exorbitant prices.

Ronelle Adam

2020-05

First of all the ambiance of its location is enough for me. The sunsets, the relaxed atmosphere, the staff and the chefs are obviously incredible.Crab cake - best my husband and father have ever hadFish and Chip - Best I have EVER had (and I don't much like seafood , so that says A TON)Loster Roll - my husband was droolingLazy Lobster - My mother was in heavenScallops - My father was impressed at there freshness and he is a difficult one 😉Clam chowder ⭐ - rolls with honey butter ⭐Everything was what we were hoping it to be. Will definitely return

Joshua Eickmeier

2020-05

Amazing restaurant with disappointing cocktails. I highly suggest this place for a sundown dinner - you can't beat the views. Take the water taxi (or charter a small boat for a larger group) right to the dock. Order the outstanding appetizers (ribs, biscuits, mussels were all excellent) and some creative salads and entrees. Skip the cocktails - ours were watery, weak, and extremely disappointing. We tried several different ones and ultimately just switched to drinks that come in bottles. Maybe it was a bad bartender night, but this would be an easy 5 star review without that part of the experience.

Richmond Parker

2018-05

We stopped in one afternoon after getting off the boat for a guided tour. We only had an hour before we had to leave and were a little put off when the hostess refused to seat us because they didn't officially open for another five minutes. I saw several staff members roll their eyes, and we dutifully sat outside, then walked back in and were quite pleased with both the food and the service. Our waiter was very attentive and made sure that we were out in plenty of time to catch the boat.

David Charron

2019-05

Fantastic! Food was great, view was incredible... and the sunset!

Ashlee Grindle

2017-05

Two visits in a row we have had terrible service. Waited 30 minutes to be seated which is fine because they were very busy, once seated it tool 15 minutes to get drinks and some in our party never got theirs, took 45 minutes to get our food and people who came in after us received their food long before us and multiple rounds of drinks. The owner was disrespectful to many patrons. We left very unimpressed and it use to be one of our go to places for lunch. It will take a lot for us to go back. If you must try it, bring your patience and have a lot of time to waste.

Jeff Thurston

2019-05

The access, the scenery, the interior decor, and the waitstaff all contributed to a great meal and a lasting memory.

John Palfrey

2020-05

We love this restaurant every time we go. It is a great family experience, out on a pier on Little Cranberry Island, next to an art gallery. Very positive atmosphere, terrific food, good service.

Katie Davis

2019-05

Delicious food! Especially dessert!!

Steve Young

2020-05

Most incredible setting, secluded remote island with authentic everything.

Clinton Wike

2019-05

I was very frustrated that this place happened to be closed at the time we were on the island. It is literally the only thing to do. So we waited around trying to avoid their dumpsters you have no choise but to walk by on your way back to the docks to leave. The rusted out excavator was also a nice touch.

Chip Kaupp

2022-05

What's not to like! Excellent food and an awesome location. Loved the short mail boat ride to and from the island.

Charles Clement

2023-05

excellent place to grab a bite on a day trip to little cranberry. oysters, clam chowdah and the view were particularly noteworthy!