Dog & Pony Tavern (Bar Harbor, ME)

6/29/11

After sampling beers at the Bar Harbor Brewing sampling room, we headed over for a pint at the Dog & Pony Tavern before dinner at Lompoc Cafe. The person pouring at Bar Harbor suggested we try  Atlantic Brewing's IPA and it was on tap at the Dog & Pony that last time he had been there.  

Unfortunately, the sought after IPSA was out, so I substituted Atlantic's Coal Porter instead: a good Porter with a full flavor. Next pint I tried a Black IPA from Otter Creek, which was exceptional. Both were well served, clean and fresh. 

With 14 taps, the range in the pub is not extensive (no Meadhall in Boston), but a nice mix of macros (PBR), regional favorites (Long Trail and Shipyard) and local micros (CASCO and Atlantic). With limited taps, they have different beers set up inside and outside on the patio. The bartender got one from the back bar that I wanted since it wasn't busy, so that might be an issue when more people are there. 

We ordered an order of french fries, which showed up in a silver pet food bowl and was just cool--fries were good on top of it. Rest of the menu seems to be what I started to call basic NE pub grub: mac n cheese, burgers, chowder, deep fried apps, etc. Not an extensive menu, like the tap list, but a clear indication that they are trying to do a good job with limited space and resources. 

We were there late afternoon, and it was quiet with light chatter, and quite comfortable inside the pub by the main bar. I can see where it might get a little noisy later at night, but our stop was a lot of fun. After dinner, we walked by the pub and it seemed pretty lively with a lot of people enjoying the partially covered outdoor space.  Good pub to check out, especially for a pint or two of a local brew.