Ironbound Restaurant and Inn

The food was fantastic! Very creative & developed flavors. We enjoyed a butternut squash, coconut milk & curry soup. Best hamburger of our trip. Great fries and dips. The bread was super soft. We haven't had a good chicken parmesan in a while & so glad we took a chance. The toffee bun was enjoyed as a dessert & a morning treat with coffee on the deck outside our room. We had a lovely dinner & overnight stay. Comfy & cozy with beautiful grounds and views. Leslie the owner & staff are very attentive, friendly, passionate & helpful. The vibe inside is great evenmore so when everyone goes home & all you have to do is walk upstairs :) You could tell she had new guests & regulars. Great service for being busy. Would love to enjoy a summer visit here too.

Excellent ambience and the food had potential but didn’t quite hit the spot for me. The service was great and they accommodated our little one by offering to bring out a small sample of daily soup for her dinner (so sweet). My husband enjoyed his seafood pasta and we considered going back because we enjoyed the vibe, but we got busy on our trip and didn’t get the chance.

We stayed two nights at Ironbound and couldn’t have been more pleased with the lodging. With only five rooms, this charming Inn feels intimate and personal, giving a true sense of escape. Our room was cozy, clean, and comfortable — perfect for a restful stay and my wife slept better than she had in weeks. While it could use a touch of a designer update, the warmth and character of the space more than make up for it.||The Inn is perfectly complemented by its incredible restaurant. Leslee, the welcoming energetic hospitable owner, made sure we had a table on a fully booked night, going out of her way to accommodate Inn guests. The food was outstanding — the Portuguese Cataplana rivaled anything we’ve had in Portugal, and the Lobster Mac & Cheese was a highlight.||The property itself is a true retreat. The backyard and pavilion offer a peaceful, thoughtfully designed space with ample seating, tables, and even a fire pit. We loved relaxing there after dinner while a local band played nostalgic Americana music. There’s also a hiking trail on the property that we only explored partially, but it apparently leads to an old ice pond — a perfect excuse to return.||For anyone looking for a cozy, intimate stay paired with amazing dining and relaxing surroundings, Ironbound Inn is an absolute gem.

Damn! What a great meal. The best food we had was the Spanish artichoke dip, local oysters, smash burger, and bouillabaisse. The only okay dish we had was the steak, but it was plenty flavorful and cooked exactly as we asked. Overall a wonderful experience with local color. :)

Ironbound has the BEST oysters. We live in Maine and we tend to order oysters a lot. Ironbound by far has the best. The rest of the menu is great as well. They always have good specials and make amazing cocktails. They only have oysters Wednesday through Saturday so plan accordingly. The pan seared halibut is my favorite entree. ENJOY!

I’m from New Bedford, MA and live in San Diego. Two great seafood locations. The meal I had tonight at Ironbound was the best I’ve had in a long time. I got the cod special and the mussels. Fantastic. My six year old daughter was obsessed with the mussels as well and my 4 year old ate a full-size portion of fish and chips. House special salad was also great.

Working in area. Looking for a good diner. A short wait for table, ordered house green salad, very good. We both ordered the steak of the day. Flat iron steak with crispy Brussels sprouts over parsnip puree, the steak was under seasoned and served warm, the puree was good should have had more. Overall, a 6.5 out of 10. Probably would order a burger next visit.

We found this lovely restaurant in Hancock as we planned our trip to Acadia National Park. Dinner was delicious. We started with the local oysters- excellent! We enjoyed the seasonal salad, artichoke dip and lobster Pakora as appetizers. The Mussels were delicious and it was a generous portion. The limoncello cake was light and tasty. Penelope Moon was an outstanding server. She gave us excellent recommendations of where we might explore. Highly recommend!!

Excellent food and service Nice atmosphere but a bit on the noisy side On the more expensive side would recommend Parking can be problematic if busy

Iron Bound Inn is located in Hancock and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is easy to read and provides your typical Maine food options. I've eaten here twice and recommend trying if you're in the area. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to come here if it's not already part of your route to or from your destination. A plus is that they have EV charging in case you drive an electric car.

Very friendly and welcoming ambience. A bar at the front entrance as well as seating to the right. Outdoor tables available as well. Very flavorful food, cooked to perfection. Service was was professional, kind, and quick- always checking on us. Worth the drive and one of the best dinner locations in Hancock.

The food was delicious. The maple cornbread was great. My boyfriend loved the oysters. We both got fish tacos & I wish I could eat these everyday they were so good. The drinks were good. Service was great too! The inn & restaurant were lovely - very cozy! I thought prices were fair for great food from a small business, I wish I lived close by so I could come here more often. Looking forward to it again!

We stopped in without reservations, it's not as causal as some ME places, but after waiting a few they sorted us out and sat us even though it was late. The food was fantastic as were the cocktails. Good menu. Good wine list. Not as heavy on seafood as you might want but a very good menu. Some gluten free options. Not inexpensive.

Horrible. Over 1 hour waited for table. Walk in -forced to wait outside even though there were a bunch of open tables. Unless you have a reservation or know someone you don't appear to be treated well . It's like we were a hassle? . Finally Ordered after sitting for another 15 minutes waiting for waitress. then we were told several things were sold out 15 minutes after we ordered . . Yea right. Some things are Not really gluten free although menu says so. 3 hours of my life I won't get back. We were Very patient because we were starving at that point . Food was just ok diner quality at best. No apologies or care from the establishment. Waitress was pleasant but that didn't help situation. Will never go back. Worst experience in many restaurants in the area over a week. .

We went back to this place 2x in 1 week. The food is amazing. The oysters are the best we ever had. Very clean and fresh tasting. We also had the fried artichoke appetizer and a lovely fresh salad with poached pears. The halibut melted in your mouth. Their seasonings and sauces are spot on. The staff and owner are very friendly and helpful. The inside is cozy and very New England. I would highly recommend this place.

We enjoyed dinner for two on a weeknight at this local spot. The ambiance is country cozy but upscale. The service was excellent. We were delighted to find a Sancerre on the short wine list. It was a great pairing for seafood. We tried the scallion and lobster pancake for appetizer and it came out hot, with a tangy soy sauce. The cornbread is à la carte, and on the sweeter end. Our seasonal salad (easily split into two portions) was very fresh and included some tangy cherry tomatoes. For mains we had the lobster ravioli, smothered in a red cream sauce. Very yummy. And also the seared halibut, which was a very generous portion and cooked perfectly. Dessert was the pistachio cake, beautifully presented. All in all this is an out of the way gem that's worth the trip. We understand that the outdoor biergarten is something of a local hangout, but we'll have to come back to try it.

The Iron Bound Inn is an amazing place to dine. The menu had many excellent choices and the specials were great. The food was amazing and affordable. But more importantly to me, the employees were also superb. Very knowledgeable about their menu, extremely kind, and the owner was super friendly. The Iron Bound Inn is now going to be one of our go to places every Summer!!!!

This is a fantastic place to eat relax and enjoy beautiful Maine. Cute place with great selection and service. We called and made reservations so might be a good thing to do. I just left a message and let them know. If there was a problem they would call you back. Different but she did call and ask if we could come 15 minutes later. No biggie. My haddock was fantastic. Drinks made great. Enjoy.

We stayed at the Iron Bound Inn with our dog in room 1. Very cozy quaint ambiance. It feels almost like home. We were there on a Thursday (which I highly recommend if you can) they had fantastic live music out back from 6-8. I can't say enough about Leslie the owner and her responsiveness and wonderful hospitality. We were getting into town before her arrival to the In. so she reached out to me and gave me the details we needed to let ourselves in. They have a beautiful beer garden and outdoor seating which is dog friendly. We were able to have our pooch with us at dinner. For appetizers we had the locally harvested (that day) oysters which were the best I have ever had and the charcuterie board. The smoked eel on it was amazing! For dinner we had the chefs cut (NY strip) EXCELLENT! Cooked to perfection at medium rare. We did deferred the mushroom glaze. We also had the halibut. WOW another delicious dish! We had to leave early the next day and we were so pleasantly surprised. Hot coffee and homemade blueberry muffins were waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs! We were able to grab and go. I can't say enough about this place. If your looking for a great meal, a nice and clean, comfortable, moderately priced room this is your place!

We were recommended to try Iron Bound by the B&B we were staying at, as the best restaurant in the area for dinner. When we arrived, they had just opened for dinner service, and were greeted with a hearty hello and seated immediately. I was struck by the genuine friendliness of everyone we talked to on staff here, as well as the welcoming friendliness of many of the patrons as well. Quite the wonderful surprise. Our waitress took a lot of time to really explain all the nuances of the menu items, and was warm and helpful. To start, we ordered the salad special, a local tomato and panzanella salad which was absolutely packed with flavor. Our entrees were the smoked fish pie and the ricotta gnocchi, both of which were super interesting and different than what we were expecting. Hubby said the smoked fish pie was one of the best things he ate all trip! I had a great glass of wine with my meal, and we opted for dessert elsewhere. Service is excellent, dining options are varied, and parking is plentiful and free in their private lot. Prices were equitable for the portions and quality, but the real stunner was the presentation which was lovely. I would definitely return here if we came back to this area, no doubt.

Been coming to the area every summer for over 30 years and this was my first time stopping by Iron Bound since friends were in town. The staff seemed annoyed that our group of 5 showed up without a reservation and made it pretty known that we were an inconvenience - with crass side comments about how we were the walk-ins. Having worked with some of the top restaurants and chefs in the country for many years, I understand how a walk-in can be a lot but it's no reason for rudeness. After seating us, they went through the specials and when we ordered almost everything my party wanted from the menu suddenly wasn't available- so it was back to the drawing board and we wish the unavailable dishes were shared in advance. Tofu Reuben - nothing to write home about. The tofu size was small compared to the bread and the kimchi tasted off. Served with a side of potato chips it wasn't worth the price. Roasted Chicken sandwich - ordered thinking it would be a good hunk of chicken for the price. It came out a thin layer of chicken salad between bread served with potato chips. Flavor was bland and it reminded us of school lunches. Lobster Mac & Cheese - this was the dish we were most excited about but it had zero flavor and was wet/runny. It reminded us of a frozen Mac and cheese but with lobster tossed on top. For the $34ish price tag it was the biggest disappointment. Halibut - the only dish we had that actually was good! Overpriced but good. Seltzers/club sodas were 4-6oz pours and $4 each. Ridiculous. The staff seemed cold, rude, and like we were an annoyance in their evening even though we were nothing but kind and thankful. We didn't feel welcomed upon arrival or during our entire dining experience. The staff avoided our table and we had to flag servers to even make an order -- nevermind the rude stares from them as they passed, making it even more uncomfortable. The restaurant is perfect if you're over 65 and think even salt and pepper is too much seasoning -- and if you want to spend way too much money on very lackluster food. In the end my party and I left a hefty tip and were able to have a good laugh about how terrible the entire experience was, but I wouldn't recommend it and have no intention of returning next time I'm in the area.

If i could give this place a zero i would The entire staff my group had contact with was extremely rude to us the entire time. We came in as a group of 5 without a reservation and we were happy to wait. The hostess kept referring to us "walk ins" in a derogatory tone. We all come from the NYC area, and never have been treated this way at any top restaurants in the tristate area. The waitress was rude, didn't disclose that items were sold out until after we had ordered (at least 30 min after we were seat). Everyone's food was terrible except the Halibut. The lobster Mac and cheese tasted like Stouffers but worse, watery and flavorless. The mock tails were $12. The chicken sandwich was chicken SALAD. This place was so over priced, we should have gone to Taco Bell.

Went here our last night in Maine. We would have spent the week eating here if we knew about it sooner. Everything was delicious and beautiful. The staff was super kind and even had a wonderfully inspiring chat with our waitress. 10 out of 10. Gorgeous inside, loved the esthetic, everything was plated beautifully and the atmosphere was welcoming. Loved!

First, I want to say that the ambiance was cozy, the food was good, BUT the prices were way out of line. One of the specials the night we were there in August 2023 was ravioli. I got 3 big ravioli for $38.00!!!! My husband's two fish tacos were $23, our nephew's halibut was $42. These came in a little bigger than cereal sized bowls. No sides included. When we came home from vacation, and I had to enter this receipt on Quicken, I became so angry with myself for not raising a fuss when the ravioli dish was placed in front of me. Live and learn, but the old adage applies... if you have to ask the price and the serving amount... you can't afford it. Inflation is here to stay, but some things are just not worth what they are asking. Ironbound Restaurant is in that category. Bill for 3 adults, 5 beers, 1 dessert shared...$252.72 including 20% tip. Prepared at home, this meal would have been under $50. Jacquie K

Loved this restaurant. The wait staff was brisk and friendly. Service was timely. Food was great!

We love going to Ironbound when we are in Maine as we are 3 times per year. The food is outstanding. A fresh twist on seafood. The Halibut is a favorite. Their corn fritters and corn bread are great apps as well.

Ate dinner on 7/6/23 in outside patio. Fresh oysters by Graham from Waukeag Neck were delicious and main meal of Halibut was very tasty. Live music topped off a great evening.

Our family is very happy with foods & service tonight. Highly recomment to make reservation before you visit. Everything we eat is very delicious. Inside the restaurant is very clean & welcoming. We would come back next time we visit Maine.

Checked out this restaurant while vacationing in Hancock Maine. Food was delicious, service was great! Staff were all very friendly. Oh and the drinks were great too!

Fantastic restaurant! The ambiance, service and food was incredible! You must give the Iron Bound Inn a chance. Be sure to make your reservation. This place is special!

We went to this restaurant for dinner while visiting the area. I am allergic to gluten and they listed several GF items on their menu so we thought we would give them a try. Most of the GF items on the menu were not available so I had the corn bread (delicious) and the panzanella salad. It was listed as GF so I thought they would use GF bread. I received a plate of bitter greens with 3 small pieces of cheese for $18! Crazy they would say it was a panzanella salad. Other folks in our party had the calamari (supposed to be GF but was not) and it was just OK. The soup was a smoked Gouda with lobster and they said that was good. Overall very expensive and don't count on menu accuracy.

Very nice place & nice staff. It's one of the few nice restaurants in the area so make a reservation. Appears to be popular with locals as well as tourists.

Great way to start our vacation in Maine. The staff were so kind and offered travel tips and recommendations for our trip. Lobster Mac and cheese was phenomenal and the blueberry pie with ice cream was a great way to end the night. Very beautiful place.

We really enjoyed our meals at Iron Bound Inn! We had the most delicious oysters and LOVE the toffee sticky cake! I can't wait to go back!

Leslie, Danielle and the whole staff here are so welcoming and kind. As out of towners we felt right at home. On top of that the food was delicious. We had the halibut, chicken sandwich, Cesar salad and finnan haddie. We also had calamari, rolls and the oysters. Some of the best oysters we've ever had. Someone in our group had never had oysters and loved it. Everything was super fresh, too. We hope to be back someday.

This place is great! Oysters were amazing, great service! A must when visiting Sullivan Harbor.

We were recommended this place by our BnB owners so checked it out, unfortunately our experience was lackluster at best. Many key items were "sold out" when we dined. One item selling out suggests there is demand, multiple likely implies poor planning. One of my friends with minor dietary restrictions had to end up skipping entrees altogether. Most importantly - I am not sure if the food / experience was deserving of the price tag: the wine glasses had "spots" over them suggesting they were not cleaned well (I had cleaner glasses when I lived as a student in my dorm) and with regards to the food, I have personally seen a higher degree of innovation +presentation at other restaurants at similar price points. I have not seen "two tacos" priced at $22 and draw on a commonplace recipe/ingredient profile. I am giving 2 stars because the bluefin tuna was fresh and we liked that, but overall, I would not dine here again.

OMG from start to finish delicious. Didn't have a reservation but managed to get a table for two at 5. Next time I'll make sure to make a reservation because it's a meal you don't want to miss. The drinks spectacular, cool hand cuke and a pomegranate martini booth delicious. Ordered the oysters as an app - fresh, salty, ice cold the best I've had in a while. Steak special was on point. Halibut was decadent. Finished with creme brûlée. Atmosphere welcoming and homey. Loved it.

Food was ok. A little salty. The service seemed highly pretentious, curt, and a little judgmental. Ambiance was very nice. Waitress would not split up the ticket for 2 parties even after asking twice. And then the waitress hovered over the credit card pos and watched as you entered your tip. Uncomfortable.

We found this wonderful restaurant... well worth the drive from Bar Harbor! Great menu, cooking and staff!

OK, first we were impressed bc as soon as we walked in the owner greeted us like old friends. There was a party in the back room so she gave us a choice of seats. Yes, they were out of some foods, but as it was 8o'clock on a Saturday night, we knew that could happen. No biggie, we adjusted our order. The oysters we got as an appetizer were delicious. The steak dinners were good. And the dessert... between all of us we had chocolate mousse cake, blueberry cheesecake, and creme Brule... all delicious. When we left, we were again treated really well with good wishes from the owner and our nice waitress. We were a little surprised that lobster wasn't on the menu, but overall a very nice experience!

We enjoyed yet another great meal at Iron Bound. Leslie and her staff always are friendly and welcoming. The service was top notch and we received our drinks and orders in a timely fashion. If you like fresh oysters and a wide selection of local seafood, you can't go wrong. The halibut dish was outstanding! They have just added a provisions shop for carry out next door. Lots of goodies there!

Great meal from start to finish at Ironbound. Highly recommend! Martini was perfect. Oysters were freshly harvested and scrumptious. Can't beat vichyssoise on the menu ( although a bit thick). Caesar salad with salmon served with anchovies in a beautiful wooden bowl was so tasty and just the right amount of food after great appetizers. My husband loved the fish tacos. Servers were DownEast friendly people and conscientious of social distancing. Totally great experience!

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! We were staying in Winter Harbor and saw how popular the restaurant was when we passed by so we decided to eat here. We called for a last minute reservation and they were very accommodating. It was really nice inside, i'm sure the inn is also good. The restaurant had fantastic service. We ordered drinks, a few apps and then entrees. The bread, clam chowder and the clams casino were great starters. Clams were my favorite. We also ordered the ribeye and chicken parm. Ribeye was soooo tender and the sauce was amazing, one of the best cuts of meat I've had in a long time. Chicken parm was really tender and moist but I thought the pasta was a bit bland. We were stuffed and had no room for dessert but the meal was fantastic. Prices were ok with entrees roughly around $30. I would definitely come back if i am back in this area and maybe stay at the inn.

Quaint place with tons of history! Leslie the owner was outstanding.. she gave us several excellent recommendations for our 2 days there.... And they were spot on. Bed was comfy with eclectic furnishings... very nice bed linens. No tv but this was not an issue because we did so much throughout the day, we just came back to the inn and crashed. Private-ish balcony which was also quite nice. Definitely have dinner at the restaurant!!! Excellent food, wine, and service! Fresh oysters for app which were huge and they had a really unusual sauce in a dropper which you could add to the oysters. It was red wine vinegar with shallots (which would never be on my wheel house) but I tried it and loved the oysters!!! I then had the hanger steak (which I typically do not get) but it had been marinated for 3 days.. it was truly amazing! Desert with lemon pannicotta was truly refreshing! The only thing I would've done... stay more than 2 days! She has a trail at the back of the yard to explore, great landscaping, and an area for drinks and a fire outside. Very unique and relaxing place in Maine... enough of the way out of town that you feel relaxed but close enough to things to go hiking, bar harbor, schoonic peninsula, etc.

If you're visiting this part of Maine, this place is a must! We showed up here as a party of 8 on a very busy night and not only was the owner super sweet and accommodating, but our service was excellent! I got the Shrimp and Scallop Pappardelle and it is one of the best meals I've ever eaten. I do recommend that you make a reservation BEFORE you come to the restaurant to help the staff and make sure you get a table. Highly highly recommend!!

Ordered takeout during the pandemic. The owner gave herself a 20% tip. When confronted she said that's just what she does even though it's not stated on her website or announced when the order was called in. She said she would take care of it but never reimbursed the amount. The food might be delicious but not worth it.

Strange and overpriced menu, decent food, and terrible service... the original waitress from hell. The halibut was overcooked, the wine was off, the salad never came despite being asked for twice and not deleted from the bill, asked for a receipt twice but never came, and very s-l-o-w service with attitude.

Nice atmosphere, food is pretty good, great outdoor area!

Excellent food and cocktails--truly memorable. Food came quickly as we arrived early on a weeknight. Atmosphere is quiet (except for the traffic out front) and elegant, but is informal as well. I felt comfortable in my hiking clothes, but would have also felt comfortable dressed up for a night out. I got lamb sliders, my mother got the mussels appetizer. Both were filling and delicious and truly stood out as special. Fries were crispy in a light batter. Warm bread served before the meal. Got a Smoky Old Fashioned, which was truly one-of-a-kind and delicious. Also, be forewarned--they make their drinks STRONG! The cocktail came filled overflowing the brim, and with lots of delicious ingredients, not just ice. Only reason I'm not giving it a full five stars is that the prices for the entrees seemed a little steep--higher than I was expecting. Stick to the salads, burgers and apps if you want to avoid paying over 30 bucks. Also, it took us quite a while to be sat as the hostess was nowhere around and the place looked empty (though it was after 5), which made our first introduction to the place awkward.

Great food, wonderful service. This local gem is a must if you are in the area. Pro Tip:: make a reservation. Locals and summer folks love it, and even with the expanded outdoor space, call to make sure you get a seat. I love the Fish Tacos, and the lobster beignets. Mussel and Frites are amazing. Can't go wrong with the burgers either. The staff is great and always make it such a great evening.

We went here for our anniversary dinner last summer and everything was delicious!! Great drinks and appetizer and both entrees were perfect. Excellent service from our waitress too

Hands down the best restaurant in the area. Staff is top notch, food is superb & Leslie the owner has made the environment so welcoming to guests. Ironbound has become a staple in our summer family routine - can't wait to get back up to Maine and enjoy it again soon!! * highly recommend the halibut!!

We've been going to family dinners (10+ ppl) since Ironbound opened and it never disappoints. This season's first visit started off with a new menu and new chef, and we were thrilled. From the Smokey Old Fashioned to the simple green salad, to the halibut, and the blueberry sorbet, everything was 5-star. Thanks so much to Leslie, our waitress Nancy and the others who work hard to deliver premium service. We can't wait to come back.

After a world wind 30 hour mistake by airlines for our redirected St Louis to Portland, ME (NOT Oregon) trip from , we arrived late but we're fortunate that Ironbound was still open and serving at 9:30 pm. It was as if they knew a starving couple would be coming in. We want to shout out a THANK YOU to the Ironbound Management and Staff for providing an amazing experience: GREAT FOOD (Lobster and Mac, Halibut, desserts), GREAT service and SUPERIOR dining experience. We look forward to our return...this week!!!

Excellent food. We sat outside and it was idyllic. Grand food and drinks. Everyone really enjoyed themselves. Pricey so if you want to splurge a great place for a special meal.

Stopped in to try this relatively new restaurant out. I've been coming to the area for almost 40 years and I have to say that this place is exactly what Downeast Maine needs. The staff was very friendly and warm. The owner was also very nice and welcoming offering us insider tips on things to do and other great restaurants in the area. The restaurant has a good amount of seating with at least 20 additional seats at the 2 sided bar. There is also a great chill area with a couple of sofas and chairs... a nice spot to relax and enjoy a couple cocktails. They also have an outdoor area with live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. My wife and I sat at the bar and ordered an appetizer, chick pea fritters, along with a glass of wine and a beer. The bartender was very attentive, which is so important. For dinner I ordered the Angus burger and my wife had the beet salad with grilled shrimp. Dinner was great. The burger was cooked perfectly and I still can't stop my wife from talking about her salad. Overall, this is a great addition to the area. We both look forward to coming back.