Thurston's Lobster Pound

Since 1993, Maine visitors dreaming of the ideal coastal setting for a lobster feast have found their way to Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard, where sweet, butter-dipped lobster and other seafood specialties await. You'll love savoring just-caught lobster in this picturesque waterside setting. Thurston's is a not-to-be-missed dining destination near Bar Harbor, Maine.

The view from Thurston's Lobster Pound looks like a book cover, and indeed, photos similar to this have graced the covers of travel guidebooks and coffee table books like The New England Coast: The Most Spectacular Sights & Destinations.

Looking out over Bass Harbor from Thurston's Lobster, the scene is serene in the early evening, now that lobstermen's work for the day is done. Lobster boats reflect in vivid blue waters, awaiting the next day's crustacean chase. If there's a wait for a table—and there often is, since Thurston's does not accept reservations, even for large groups—you won't mind spending time admiring and photographing this scene.

Any doubt that Thurston's Lobster Pound is situated overlooking a working harbor will be erased when you view the towers of lobster traps piled on the docks surrounding the restaurant. Thurston's buys its lobsters right from the lobstermen who work these waters. Your dinner probably spent last night roaming the ocean floor.

Lobster traps are elaborate, well-designed contraptions. Bagged bait (typically herring) is placed in the part of the trap called the "kitchen," to entice lobsters in. This detailed explanation of how the trap prevents lobsters from snacking and running compares the ingenious design to a fun house... or to The Eagles' "Hotel California." Hauling traps is hard work, and may of the lobsters caught are tossed back if they are egg-laying females or do not meet size requirements. So, give thanks for Maine's lobstermen before you tie on your bib at Thurston's and dig into the local catch.

Screened upstairs and downstairs dining areas at Thurston's Lobster Pound offer ample seating and glorious views of lobster boats in the harbor. Salt-tinged breezes add to the authenticity of this memorable dining experience.

The view is amazing, but let's be real. It's the fresh-from-the-boat lobster—soft or hard shell, your choice—that keeps travelers beating a path to Bernard. Sure, you need a bib, but eating lobster in the rough (simply prepared) isn't really so rough.

Other highlights on the menu at Thurston's include steamer clams with drawn butter for dipping, creamy hot lobster dip with just a bit of a kick, pan-fried crabcakes made with Maine-caught crab and tasty corn on the cob. Before you go, learn how to eat a whole lobster like a New Englander. Or, if you're looking for a no-work alternative, order a lobster roll or lobster BLT. A nice selection of wine and local beers is available. Save room for blueberry cake for dessert!

Thurston's Lobster Pound is open seasonally, Monday through Saturday, plus the Sundays of Labor Day and Columbus Day weekends (but closed on those Monday holidays). They accept all major credit cards.