If you’re visiting the beautiful little seaside town of Belfast, Maine and are itching for a cold beer or a good cocktail, you’re in luck.
While Belfast is certainly not known as a drinking town or for its social scene, it does offer a handful of unique bars where you can go to wet your whistle and enjoy some local entertainment or an excellent view.
This guide will detail the five best bars in Belfast, Maine so you’ll have an idea of which one best suits what you’re in the mood for.
The following bars make for an excellent place to wind down after spending a day up the road exploring Seal Harbor Beach, Little Hunters Beach, Dorr Point or one of the other hidden gems of Acadia National Park.
Rollie’s Bar & Grill
Rollie’s Bar & Grill is the favorite hangout of many of Belfast’s locals, situated right downtown Belfast where you’d expect the local watering hole of a small town to be.
This place is your classic bar establishment, with a large bar area and seating that runs most the length of the establishment on the right side and with a number of tables and booths lining the other side.
It’s a pretty small place, so it gets a little loud when it’s crowded – but it’s usually full of laughter and joking around among the locals and tourists, with a happy vibe to it.
Being one of the favorite bars in town, and being on the smaller side, it does tend to get crowded and the service gets backed up and can be a little slow as a result.
But the staff is friendly, the beer is cold and there is plenty of good bar food to choose from on the menu. This place is known for making custom pizza.
There are also a couple of upstairs rear deck areas from which you can see the river in the distance, making for excellent views while you have a beer and a bite.
This is an older place, with the benches and carpet a little outdated, but it makes for an excellent place to grab a quick bite or have a night out with friends and chat it up with some local Mainers.
Address: 37 Main St, Belfast, ME 04915
Darby’s
Darby’s is more of a restaurant than a bar, but there’s a good-sized bar area with plenty of spirits to choose from so it qualifies for this list.
It is situated right downtown Belfast, a few blocks from the river and harbor walk area.
Out front you’ll find a little street patio area with a few tables and umbrellas set up, which makes for a great place to have a drink and some food and watch the goings on of downtown Belfast.
Inside you’ll find hardwood floors, a large bar area and plenty of booth and tables throughout. The space inside is surprisingly large.
The menu is very diverse, offering your typical American dishes along with some Mexican and Thai choices as well.
Many Friday nights, they’ll have a band playing live music in the bar area. It’ll be nice and loud in the bar, but not too loud or bothersome for those dining at the surrounding tables and booths.
There’s also a function room upstairs that can be rented for small events, which is a bright and cheery space that offers an excellent view of the harbor.
This place has been around for 50+ years, and has remained consistently good over the years. It makes for an excellent spot for a group dinner or to grab a few drinks at the bar.
Address: 155 High St, Belfast, ME 04915
Front Street Pub
The Front Street Pub is located right downtown Belfast, just off the Harbor Walk.
It resembles your vintage Maine location with a rustic looking outside, but the inside is clean and features plenty of cool decor.
It has that classic pub vibe with a big bar area greeting you just as you enter, with plenty of different beers on tap.
There’s also a good-sized outdoor patio area with picnic tables and umbrellas where you can enjoy a drink and a meal.
The food here is awesome with big portions and at reasonable prices. They offer a number of different seafood dishes and are well-known for their haddock.
Being right downtown Belfast, this place gets pretty crowded during peak hours in the summer, so they offer limited menus and the food may take a little longer.
But there are always plenty of great food and drink options here.
Address: 37 Front St, Belfast, ME 04915
Three Tides & Marshall Wharf Brewing Company
Three Tides is conveniently located just off the Belfast boardwalk and overlooks the river and Belfast Bay.
This little bar sits between the Front Street Shipyard and Marshall’s Wharf Brewery, where they brew their own beer and serve it here.
The beer is very underrated, as is the seafood they offer at this place.
There’s a rear deck and outdoor seating and drinking area just steps from the waterfront where there’s usually a small fire on cooler days, which makes for a cozy and unique setting.
There’s also an entertaining bocce pit for bocce ball.
This place has a bit of a funky vibe to it, and is usually pretty quiet but definitely not dull.
Address: 40 Marshall Wharf, Belfast, ME 04915
Bowen’s Tavern
Bowen’s Tavern is about a five minute drive inland from downtown Belfast.
This is a local tavern which has been dubbed the “Cheers” of Belfast, and makes for one of the favorite local drinking holes.
Along with plenty of friendly locals, here you’ll find cold beer, all of the essential liquors, very underrated bar food, and the most reasonable prices in town.
There’s also plenty of entertainment, with live music most Saturdays and a small dance floor. Thursday nights are karaoke night, and there are a couple pool tables to keep you busy as well.
If you have yourself a night and are feeling a little rough the next morning, the folks at Bowen’s will cook you up some excellent biscuits and gravy to get you feeling a little better on the days they’re open for breakfast.
Address: 181 Waterville Rd, Belfast, ME 04915
Final Thoughts
These five bars aren’t just the best in Belfast, they make up all of the “bars” in the traditional sense that you’ll find in town.
That said, Belfast offers a number of excellent restaurant options not included on this list, many of which serve good local beer and cocktails along with meals.
Be sure and check out one of Belfast’s best beaches while you’re in town as well.