Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor

Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor wasn’t inherited or bought turnkey. It was built from the ground up by Jena and Jeff Young, who transformed a small house into what is now one of the highest-volume restaurants in town. “When we started, we had nine tables,” Jena says. “Now we seat around 240 and serve up to 1,500 people a day during peak season.”

The menu is anchored in American comfort food with a creative, quality-first approach. Their lobster roll is the top seller, but Side Street is also famous for its lobster mac and cheese, Cadillac Fries, and Margarita of the Moment program—a monthly rotating cocktail that locals anticipate and share across social media. Guests also love the option to make almost any margarita non-alcoholic, something Jena says they work hard to accommodate.

What sets Side Street apart isn’t just the food. It’s the culture. “The comment we get the most is, ‘I come in because I know consistently that I’ll be treated well,’” Jena says. With a team that swells to nearly 100 people each summer, it would be easy to let the guest experience slip, but the staff is trained around three core values: act with integrity, communicate with clarity, and keep growing. “Everything comes back to those values,” she says. “That’s how we decide what to serve, who to hire, and how we lead.”

In addition to Side Street Cafe, Jena and Jeff are also behind Thrive Juice Bar, Acadia GEM, The Yellow House, and operate the Links Pub. Jena also hosts the podcast Elevated Leadership, where she explores exactly what it takes to build teams and businesses that people want to be part of.

FAMOUS FOR:
Known for their best-selling lobster roll, over-the-top Cadillac Fries, and ever-changing Margarita of the Moment, Side Street Café has become a go-to in Bar Harbor for locals and visitors. It's casual comfort food done consistently right.

ADDRESS:
49 Rodick St, Bar Harbor, ME

WEBSITE:
sidestreetbarharbor.com

photos by Peter Logue