Mark is a huge BBQ fan which means that now, by default, so am I. On our way to Acadia we drove by this BBQ shack that already had their smoker going at 9AM. 9AM PEOPLE!!! You know what that means? Slow and low deliciousness. We instantly decided to try to stop there on our way home.
Lucky for us, their outdoor seating was dog friendly! Unfortunately for our male waiter though, Henry was not a fan and insisted on barking any time he came anywhere remotely near us. Mental note: never bring Henry out in public after an exhausting weekend of hiking.
History Lesson
This wonderful little establishment opened in 2008 and is owned and run by a family that moved to the area from Texas. (I think that fact alone gives you a pretty good idea of the quality of the food…) The family noticed the lack of BBQ places in the area and decided to set up shop…but how can you make a living in Bar Harbor without lobster?? Hence, the creation of the Lobster Pound & Real Pit BBQ. According to their website, they seem to be really dedicated to sourcing their food as locally as possible. Their pork is all natural & their lobsters are from California.
Just kidding. They’re obviously from Maine and they are delivered live and fresh every morning.
The Atmosphere
Honestly…this place looks like a dive. But I feel like maybe that look is intentional? I’ve found in my many years of eating that dives often have some of the best food, so the appearance made me want to stop in even more.
The outdoor area is part open air seating and part covered seating, both filled with picnic tables. There are what appear to be hand done murals on the walls depicting various ocean themed scenes. Very tacky and extremely wonderful.
I didn’t go inside, but it looked pretty dark.
The Food
Oh. My. Gosh.
I knew this place would be good, but it seriously exceeded all of my expectations.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and it was the best pork I have ever had in my life. Normally I like my pork smothered in BBQ sauce, but this sandwich didn’t need it. Sometimes (most times) pork can be dry on its own and have an overpowering smoky flavor. This pork, however, was nothing like that. It was juicy with a hint of smoke and surprisingly sweet flavor to balance everything out. While juicy and moist, it wasn’t so much so that it made the bun soggy.
I chose to pair the sandwich with delightfully crisp french fries and coleslaw made from an old family recipe. To be honest, coleslaw is coleslaw to me. It was good, but it just tasted like any other slaw to me. Sorry. But the fries? Awesome! Always always always choose their fries!
I paired my meal with a hard blueberry cider. I wish they had told me who made it because it was absolutely incredible! It was a beautiful shade of purple and surprisingly sweet. A very dangerous drink in my opinion but one I would indulge in further on days when I don’t have a five hour drive ahead of me.
Mark got the brisket sandwich. I want to love brisket as much as he does but the flavor just doesn’t do anything for me. So, instead of giving you a sad review, Mark has volunteered his services for the job:
“The sauce was delightfully tangy and the brisket was tender and melted in your mouth with just enough fat to add juiciness.”
(He’s a simple man, folks. What can I say?)
I’m going to go ahead and make a very bold statement:
Lobster Pound & Real Pit BBQ has the best BBQ in Maine.
Have I tried any others in Maine? No. But I’ve eaten a lot of pulled pork in my time from all around the country and the fact that this tops all the pork I’ve had in the South speaks volumes.
I am looking forward to our next trip to Acadia though so I can try their eye-catching grilled lobster…
Have any other New England BBQ suggestions? Want to challenge my statement about this being the best in Maine? Let me know, I’d love to try it!!!