frequently asked questions

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN VISITING SSC

WHAT IS THE ANNEX?
THE ANNEX IS OUR SISTER PROPERTY, HOME TO INCREDIBLE CRAFT COCKTAILS, AND OFTEN TIMES, LIVE MUSIC! OPEN DAILY FROM 5 PM TO 10 PM, THE ANNEX SERVES THE FULL SIDE STREET MENU, AS WELL! FOR ALL UP-T-DATE INFORMATION, FOLLLOW THE ANNEX ON INSTAGRAM!

CAN WE SIT WHEREVER WE WANT?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A TABLE, OR WANT TO SIT OUTSIDE ON THE PATIOS? PLEASE SEE THE HOST STAND TO BE SEATED. WANTING A SEAT AT THE BAR? YOU CAN GRAB A SEAT ON YOUR OWN.

HOW DOES TAKEOUT WORK?
THERE ARE 3 WAYS TO PLACE A TAKEOUT ORDER:
1. ORDER THROUGH OUR WEBSITE
2. ORDER THROUGH THE TOAST APP
3. CALL 207.801.2591 TO PLACE AN ORDER
ONCE YOUR ORDER HAS BEEN PLACED, WE WILL SEND YOU A TEXT WHEN ITS READY. WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR ORDER IS COMPLETE, YOU CAN PICK IT UP RIGHT BEHIND OUR HOST STAND. ORDER A BEVERAGE? THE HOST STAND WILL NEED TO SEE YOUR ID, BEFORE HANDING YOU THE DRINK(S)!

DOES SSC ALLOW DOGS?
YES! DOGS ARE ALLOWED AT SSC ON OUR OUTDOOR PATIOS.

HOW CAN I MAKE A RESERVATION?
SSC DOES NOT ACCEPT RESERVATIONS. WE DO HAVE A WAITLIST YOU CAN ADD YOURSELF TO FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME OR HOTEL. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT HERE

WHAT IS THE MAX NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAN BE SEATED TOGETHER?
THE LARGEST TABLE SSC HAS IS FOR 8 GUESTS. HOWEVER, WE CAN SEAT PARTIES OF MORE THAN 8, JUST AT SEPARATE TABLES. THE SMALLER THE TABLES ARE SPLIT UP INTO, THE QUICKER YOUR PARTY WILL BE SEATED.

DOES SSC HAVE A REQUIRED GRATUITY?
PARTIES OF 7 OR MORE TOTAL GUESTS ARE SUBJECT TO A 20% MINIMUM GRATUITY.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DINE AT SIDE STREET?
THE CHEESY ANSWER WOULD BE “ANY TIME YOU WANT!” WE OFTEN GET THIS QUESTION, FROM PEOPLE WHO WISH TO AVOID CROWDS. THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO IS CHECK OUR ONLINE WAITLIST, ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE YOU WANT TO EAT, DOUBLE CHECKING THERE IS NO WAIT. IF THERE IS A WAIT, YOU CAN ADD YOUR NAME!

OUR SHORTEST WAIT TIMES ARE TYPICALLY AROUND 11 AM, 5 PM, AND AFTER 8 PM. WHILE THIS CAN FLUCTUATE, THOSE ARE THE TIMES WHEN YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO WALK RIGHT IN AND BE SEATED!

CAN SIDE STREET HANDLE MY ALLERGIES?
WE CARE ABOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON HAVING SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, ON OUR MENU. WE WORK TIRELESS TO TRAIN OUR STAFF ON ALLERGY AWARENESS AND CARE. PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR SERVER OF WHICH ALLERGY WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF.

WHERE CAN I FIND A CURRENT MENU?
WE ARE OFTEN ASKED WHY A MENU IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. WE NO LONGER PLACE ONE ON OUR MAIN WEBSITE, AS THRID-PARTY SITES WILL PULL THEM, POST THEM AS US, AND THEN CUSTOMERS WILL GET FRUSTRATED WHEN THEY ASSUME THOSE MENUS ARE CORRECT. SINCE WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIRD-PARTY SITES, IT WAS OUR WAY OF ELIMINATING THAT PROBLEM. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR CURRENT FULL MENU, YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.

WHAT IS “TOAST”?
YOU WILL SEE SSC TALKING FREQUENTLY ABOUT TOAST, WHICH IS OUR POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM. IT IS WHAT WE USE TO PROCESS ORDER/PAYMENTS FOR IN-PERSON DINING, AND ONLINE ORDERING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE. THERE IS ALSO THE TOAST APP, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO ORDER FORM SIDE STREET, AS WELL AS OTHER RESTAURANTS IN BAR HARBOR.

WHAT IS THE LOBSTER LOWDOWN AT SIDE STREET CAFE?
WHILE WE DO NOT OFFER LOBSTERS IN THE SHELL, SSC LOVES LOBSTER MEAT… HOW COULD WE NOT?! WE OFFER A VARIETY OF LOBSTER DISHES, SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. OUR LOBSTER IS CAUGHT DAILY, IN THE WATERS RIGHT OFF OF BAR HARBOR!

DO WE HAVE PARKING?
PARKING IS A CHALLENGE IN BAR HARBOR. WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE A LARGE PAID PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR PROPERTY. BUT IT FILLS UP…FAST! THERE IS ALSO METERED PARKING AVAILABLE ON NEARBY STREETS. ITS RECOMMENDED, TO ANYONE LIVING/STAYING IN TOWN, TO WALK WHEN POSSIBLE. IF YOUR HOTEL HAS A SHUTTLE, OR IF YOU TAKE ONE OF THE TAXIS IN TOWN, OUR ADDRESS IS 49 RODICK STREET.

CAN I WORK AT SIDE STREET?
THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES…YOU CAN! SIDE STREET IS CONSTANTY ADDING TO ITS MASSIVE WORKFORCE. WE ACCEPT APPLICATIONS AND INTEREST FROM ALL EMPLOYEES ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN THE UNITED STATES. WE ALSO APPLY, YEARLY, FOR THE H2B VISA TEMPORARY VISA WORKER PROGRAM. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING AT SSC, PLEASE EMAIL INFO@SIDESTREETBARHARBOR.COM

IS THERE HAPPY HOUR AT SIDE STREET?
YES!!! MONDAY - FRIDAY, FROM 3:30 PM TO 5:30 PM, SSC IS HOME TO HAPPY HOUR! TO CHECK OUT OUR HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS, CHECK OUT OUR MENU HERE!

CAN I GRAB A DRINK WHILE I WAIT?
WHILE WE WORK TIRELESSLY TO NEVER HAVE A WAIT, ITS INEVITABLE THAT, FROM TIME TO TIME, WE WILL GO ON A WAIT TO BE SEATED. WANT TO GRAB A DRINK WHILE YOU WAIT? ABSOLUTELY! THE BARS AT SIDE STREET, AND THE ANNEX, ARE OPEN FOR YOU TO WALK UP AND PLACE A DRINK ORDER, ANYTIME!

DOES SIDE STREET STAY OPEN YEAR ROUND?
SIDE STREET IS SET TO HAVE ITS FINAL DAY OF 2021 SERVICE, OCTOBER 31ST. WE WILL RE-OPEN FOR SERVICE ON MARCH 1ST, 2022. WE WILL SPEND THE OFF SEASON WORKING ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS MUCH-NEEDED REST AND RECOVERY FOR OUR HARD-WORKING STAFF! DURING THIS CLOSURE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, SUCH AS OPENING WEEKLY FOR A LOCALS-ONLY HAPPY HOUR, BENEFITTING AREA NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

WHY DON’T YOU PICK UP THE PHONE?
SIDE STREET IS A LARGE PROPERTY, AND IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO TRACK SOMEONE DOWN ON THE PHONE. OTHER THAN OUR TAKEOUT HOURS (11 AM TO 5 PM), OUR HOUSE PHONE IS USUALLY NOT NEAR A TEAM MEMBER. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND CONTACTING US THROUGH THE WEBSITE, OR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. OUR GOAL IS TO RESPOND TO EVERY PERSON WITHIN 24 HOURS.