Thurston’s Lobster Pound

Verdict

If you have been to Thurston's Lobster Pound once and enjoyed it, come back with a larger group and make an afternoon of it. This is one of the few lobster pounds in coastal Maine with consistent recognition from Opinionated About Dining; ranked #801 in its Casual North America list for 2024 and recommended the year prior; which puts it well above the average tourist-trap waterfront spot. It is easy to book, open Tuesday through Saturday, the kind of place where the experience is shaped almost entirely by who you bring and how long you stay.

The Experience

Thurston's sits in Bernard, a quieter village on Mount Desert Island that most visitors skip in favour of Bar Harbor. That geography matters: the energy here is unhurried and local-feeling, with none of the carnival atmosphere that can undercut a meal at a more trafficked lobster pound. The ambient mood is outdoors-casual, think picnic tables, salt air, boats in the water, which sets the tone for the whole visit. It is not a venue you go to for a quiet conversation over candlelight; it is a venue you go to eat well with people you like, in the open air, without fuss.

For a returning visitor, the format is familiar enough that your second trip is better than your first. You know how the ordering works, you know to arrive when they open at noon before the midday rush builds, you know that Saturday hours cut off at 4 pm, so a leisurely Saturday session requires an early start. Christina and Derek Radcliffe run the operation, the consistency that earned two consecutive years of OAD recognition reflects a kitchen that does not drift.

The group dining question is worth addressing directly. Thurston's is not a private dining room venue, there is no bookable private space in the way a fine-dining restaurant might offer. But for groups of six or more, this format often works better than a traditional restaurant setting: shared picnic tables, communal ordering, no pressure to turn the table. If you are planning a group meal in the area, this format suits it more naturally than trying to book a large table at a sit-down restaurant in Bar Harbor. For intimate dinners of two where conversation and service are the priority, a different setting would serve you better.

Compared to Ogunquit Lobster Pound or Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery Point, Thurston's carries stronger editorial credibility, OAD does not recommend many lobster pounds, consecutive-year recognition is a meaningful signal in the casual-dining category. If you are making a special trip to coastal Maine and want one lobster pound you can point to as the considered choice rather than the convenient one, Thurston's is that place for the Mount Desert Island area.

Booking is direct, no reservation system is required at a walk-up lobster pound of this type, with no closed days except Sunday and Monday, mid-week timing gives you the most flexibility. If your schedule allows a Tuesday or Wednesday visit, you will have an easier time than a Friday or Saturday. Price information is not publicly listed in advance, so budget as you would for any Maine lobster pound: market-rate lobster, typically priced by weight, with additional seafood and sides available.

Explore more of what the area offers through our full Bernard restaurants guide, Bernard hotels guide, Bernard bars guide, Bernard wineries guide, and Bernard experiences guide.

Quick reference: Open Tue–Fri 12–8 pm, Sat 12–4 pm; closed Sun–Mon. Walk-up, no reservation required. Booking difficulty: easy.

Ratings & Recognition

• Opinionated About Dining, Casual North America Ranked #801 (2024)
• Opinionated About Dining, Casual North America Recommended (2023)

How It Compares