Trailhead Café

Unique little eclectic spot with AMAZING breakfast sandwiches and fabulous coffee. This was one of the only places open in the off season and were so thankful we stumbled upon it!

2 stars for being open year-​round when not much else is open in Bar Harbor during the off-​season. Coffee is good and the breakfast was mediocre at best. Microwaved egg patty on the breakfast sandwich. Had the egg scramble which was at least done on a flat top but then finished in the microwave to melt the cheese on top. Very nice staff but unfortunately the food didn’t stack up.

Dirty inside. And I ordered an everything bagel and got a NOTHING bagel, i.e. Plain. Lame! Coffee was good though. Just order it to go.

I first went here a few years ago when this place was known as The Spot, and my mom and I had some Coney Island hot dogs with the waffle fries. The waitress was nice and greeted us with a smile as she gave us a menu. The hot dogs tasted great, and so did the waffle fries. I guess this was a real opportunity to say we had a meal that «hit the spot».
Brownie points here are for the location. It’s right off Main Street, so it’s a short walk from some of my favorite shops. Also it’s right across the street from The Thirsty Whale, another one of my favorite spots. Now I have to back and check out the place in its new incarnation as the Trailhead Café and see if it still «hits the spot».

Food = decent. Coffee = not so good. Service = slow (even on a slow day). Blueberry Oatmeal was exceptional.

Really feeling the coffee withdrawal led me running into Trailhead Café during the middle of the afternoon for a quick pick-​me-​up. The coffee shop is pretty small and awkwardly laid out so that while waiting in line, we constantly had to let leaving patrons maneuver around us. The menu was quite large but when I asked what flavors were available for my latte, the barista just said many. I ended up getting your typical hazelnut latte which on one hand is good because I knew what to expect, but on the other hand, disappointing because what’s the point of trying out new coffee shops if you don’t have any exciting options?

As my wife says, the coffee is better than the place looks. We had Americanos from there twice, and they were strong and excellent.
Also, I would dispute the comments that say that the person at the counter was rude. I would say that she’s outgoing, has opinions, and likes to engage with customers. If you want want an automaton to serve you with no more than a «yes, sir,» then go somewhere else.
One more thing, and this is VERY unusual in any tourist town. They have a sign on the bathroom door that says non-​patrons can use it. Where else do you see that?

I’m a Starbucks addict & the awesome ladies working hooked up my caramel mocha to the point that I didn’t miss Starbucks! ;)

The only reason i give this 1 star is that they were actually open past 6pm when everyone else who had coffee seemed to be closed. It took like 25 minutes to get a couple lattes and then the bill was like 15.00 for 2 20 oz. cups, which i didn’t even question because i just wanted my coffee so i could leave. I should have never went there because it had to be about the weakest coffee I’ve ever had.

Extremely rude and condescending woman taking orders. Asked my cousin if he could see a place for sides on the menu (looking for hashbrowns) and apparently this really upset her. Im sorry I havent seen your menu before and might be missing something? Sarcastic and snarky when I asked if there was a credit minimum. Clearly dislikes tourists, so if you are here on vacation do not go. I refuse to give this place my money, and will be telling anyone and everyone who will listen not to go here.
Food was mediocre at best, and took a very long time to arrive.

Great hipster coffee shop. Had a very good breakfast sandwich bagel there this morning. Going back tomorrow I think.

Slow as molasses. One person taking orders and making coffees. 20min for a bagel and cream cheese with 3 people ahead of you.

I was in Bar Harbor on a vacation. As a huge fan of coffee, I wanted to check out all the coffee shops in town. After trying Matsumoto Joe Café, the Opera House Internet Café, and this place, I have to say, this place had the best quality coffee. I ordered iced caramel latte — they use caramel sauce instead of syrup and it was very smooth. The café itself was cute but I think it could’ve used more AC!

Pretty good coffee, a little messy of a shop. Only one person working so takes a while to get the drinks.

We stopped into this coffee shop for a shot of espresso and a light breakfast. It was really cute and clean inside and had a lot of charm about it. They were playing cool music and it was a relaxing place. They serve lots of flavored coffees, teas, etc. They also serve bagels and sandwiches.
My friend had an espresso and said it was good. I ordered a bagel with peanut butter, and asked for it to be double-​toasted. It was barely toasted once, much less twice. It was sloppy with peanut butter and average at best (really, how can you mess up a bagel?). Plus, it was wrapped in tin-​foil, even though I was eating it there — it could have just been put on a plate. That was the only food I ordered, thank goodness!
The problem with this place wasn’t the bagel; I could have lived with that. It was the RUDE guy taking the orders. He barely acknowledged us, and clearly didn’t listen when I ordered the bagel double-​toasted. I had to ask twice for some water. Ugh. There are so many GREAT places to eat in this town, I was so mad that I wasted my time and money here.
5 stars for a charming place and good music. 2 stars for the food. 1 star for the rude guy! Could have been an off-​day all the way around, but I won’t give them a second chance.

A good place to get a good cup of coffee and warm up on a chilly day. Not a ton of seating, but the atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The Oregon chai latte was tasty and house coffee is pretty good.

I can tell that the high ratings come from judging Trailhead as a coffee shop, but it was listed as a breakfast place, that’s what I was looking for, and that’s all I can comment on.
The bacon scone sounded like a fun idea, but it was not great, a bit dry. I also got the salmon cream cheese bagel sandwich. The bagel itself was mediocre. I bit into something that was too tough to chew through, probably a piece of salmon connective tissue. I couldn’t get it down and just abandoned the sandwich.

The coffee was very good and the breakfast sandwiches we had were tasty. My only question was the cleanliness. I couldn’t see the kitchen area, so couldn’t say how that was, but the dining area could have been a bit cleaner.
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I’d like to post a followup to this. Since I posted the review the owner has contacted me. I don’t think he would mind if I post this portion of the message:
I can assure you that the kitchen is kept up to all servsafe standards for sanitation, There does tend to be a lot of dirt and dust tracked in into the front of the business in the winter as the town uses a lot of sand on our sidewalks. We do try our best to make sure it all gets swept up, but sometimes it feels like it’s a losing battle.
I really do appreciate an owner that takes comments seriously and feels the need to apologize and follow up. I wouldn’t hesitate to give this place another chance.
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6÷29÷13
Just another followup that I have heard again from the owner to let me know they have replaced the floors in the café and it has made a big difference.
I would definitely give them another try and I suggest you stop in as well.

My fiancé and I went here 5 of the 5 days we were in Bar Harbor. Now what does that tell you? HEAVENLY!
The best coffee on the island! We loved this little shop and their selections of coffees. I had the cappuccino one day, an ice coffee the next and the «Dancing Goat» Blend the other 3 days which ended up being my favorite. The staff is friendly and patient. The breakfast sandwich we had also hit the spot! simple place with high quality menu items.
We bought 2 bags of the «dancing goats» to enjoy at home. I think we are halfway thru the bag (and just got home 2 days ago) ;)
Great place! Star off your adventures in Acadia here! you won’t be sorry!

Friendly, chatty service. She wasn’t rude as some people have mentioned, just wants to be specific about the drinks so you get what you want. It’s small and slow because 1 person does everything so leave enough time. Breakfast sandwich and chocolate chip coconut muffin and drinks are good.