Mount Desert Island, Maine, is an idyllic enclave jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean with an array of fragmented islets a stone’s throw from the mainland. The island’s most popular attraction, Acadia National Park, draws in an estimated 4 million tourists each year, however, very few visitors leave Park Loop Road for the backside of the island or venture off-island to one of the surrounding locales.
Among the cluster of small islands surrounding Mount Desert Island is Islesford, a hamlet on Little Cranberry Island with a year-round population of only 65 residents. It’s a sleepy island; even in the summer months when Snowbird residents return to their leisurely summer cottages. Like much of Downeast Maine, the island is draped in a sheath of mist in the early summer, biting flies take residency, and chilly ocean temperatures prevent many aquatic ventures.
The Inspiration for the Krusty Krab
So, why visit? If the tranquil streets, maritime museum, and untouched coastline don’t draw you in, then go for the town’s sole eatery, The Isleford Dock Restaurant. This seasonal, unpretentious establishment is home to the inspiration for the beloved Krusty Krab from the TV show, SpongeBob SquarePants. Trying their burger is the closest anyone can ever come to eating a Krabby Patty.
According to the Bangor Daily News, the late SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg spent the summers of his adolescence working as a fry cook (sound familiar?) at the Islesford Dock Restaurant. This was confirmed in a 2008 court case when Hillenburg described that the Krusty Krab and storylines surrounding it in the classic television show took inspiration from his summers working in Maine.
How to Visit the Islesford Dock Restaurant
Getting to the Islesford Dock Restaurant is difficult and time-consuming, especially since most visitors only spend a few days on Mount Desert Island. However, if you’re up for a challenge, the trip is more than worth it. The easiest and cheapest way to reach the island is through the Beal & Bunker Mail Boat out of Northeast Harbor. And yes, it is a fully functioning mail boat that the Cranberry Isles rely on for all of their provisioning and deliveries. There are also more expensive ferries and charter services. Just don’t miss the last boat out; there are no hotels on Little Cranberry Isle.
You cannot visit the Islesford Dock Restaurant at just any time of the year. Like many of the surrounding tourist destinations, it is seasonal, with opening dates from around June 7 to October 1. However, depending on the weather, the restaurant has been known to push opening back if needed. Their hours are also limited when they are open. They’re in business Wednesday-Sunday from 3-9 PM with the occasional Sunday brunch service. Reservations in advance are required to visit the restaurant, and they fill up fast.
A Meal at the Islesford Dock Restaurant
Against all odds, you secured your reservation, purchased mail boat tickets, and, through the white haze lingering over the Atlantic, the iconic restaurant comes into view. The building is unassuming–the plank wood exterior has withstood over four decades of harsh Maine winters, and the sign is barely legible, especially in the late season when its annual paint job fades into the salty air.
The interior, however, feels like an upscale joint you’d find in Bar Harbor, complete with one of the best views in all of Downeast Maine. Through the window panes, you can just make out all of the iconic peaks of Mount Desert Island with a panoramic vista of the Atlantic separating the land masses. If you can draw your attention from the view, the walls are also covered in local artwork from the town’s many artistic residents, all for sale. The restaurant is part eatery and part gallery, showcasing the beauty of the island that so few get the privilege to see.
What to Order
The menu at Islesford Dock is refined yet leans into the classics of Downeast Maine. They offer a full bar, complete with draft beers and an impressive wine list, a raw selection featuring Cranberry Isle oysters caught at that same dock, and dishes that showcase their locally sourced ingredients. As if the view and location didn’t make it obvious enough, the footnote on the menu states, “Of course, we don’t have to look far for much of our seafood…”
The obvious thing to get here is seafood; it truly doesn’t get much fresher than this. However, some of the most popular dishes here are land-based fare. To start, try the cheesy biscuits, which come with a large portion of honey farmed on Little Cranberry Isle. The clam chowder is also one of the best in the entire region. You should obviously order oysters on the half shell next, you may even watch them coming in on the fishing boats that dock right next door to the restaurant.
The obvious main course is lobster; an entire section of the menu is dedicated to the delicacy. However, if you’ve come all this way to visit the restaurant based on your love for Stephen Hillenburg and the mythical undersea universe he created, skip into the entree section and order one of their two burgers. It’s the closest thing you’ll ever get to a real-life Krabby Patty.
Now, I am not usually one to order a burger, especially at such a perfect seafood joint. However, I was on one of these nostalgia-fueled missions and went with the bacon burger (The Boykin Burger). It was perfectly juicy, had thick slabs of bacon, and was paired with a well-seasoned accompaniment of herb-crusted fries. It was one of the best burgers I have ever had.
I may not have uncovered the secret formula to the Krabby Patty on my trip to The Islesford Dock Restaurant, but the meal brought me back to that feeling of rolling out of bed on a Sunday morning, turning on cartoons, and indulging in a moment of solitude before the rest of the world woke up. It’s been years since I watched SpongeBob, but dining here, I was entertained, once again, by Hillenburg’s cheerful creations.
