Durkee’s General Store

Durkee’s is the best store on the island. Richard is a fantastic proprietor and makes it easy for people like me to be able to cook most any meal. On top of all of that, the staff is extremely friendly. The menu items that you can order for lunch are wide, varied and delicious. The prices here are great, you just need to remember you are on an island so adjust accordingly. That being said, they are super reasonable. Durkee’s is the life blood of the island and without them, me and a bunch of people would probably starve! I highly recommend a visit if you are visiting Islesboro. It is the first place I stop when I arrive each summer and gives me a sense of coming home.

If you’ve made it to the island, I hope you know what you’re getting into. Islesboro is lovely. So beautiful and serene. But its remoteness means that your options for grocery shopping are limited at best. Durkee’s is on the north end of the island (as opposed to the other grocery store, which is down closer to Dark Harbor) and you’d better know the hours or else you’re totally screwed (unless you brought snacks).
I remember going here as a child and it was pretty bare-​bones. Much has changed. I was super impressed with the wide variety of food AND booze! The deli counter is a great way to grab lunch if you’re in a rush — again, just remember to check their hours.
Lastly, don’t be surprised by the prices. Remember you’re on an island and everything costs more.

As a homeowner and part-​time resident of Islesboro, I used to avoid going to Durkee’s and headed further south to the other store for groceries and lunch. When a neighbor told me a few years ago that much had improved there, I decided to give it a shot… Boy was I happy I did!
The «new» Durkee’s is nothing like it used to be years ago. Richard has done an outstanding job of keeping the shelves stocked (easily 20−30% more items than the other place), a deli full of fresh meats and cold cuts, a produce department stocked with fresh items and a HUGE menu board of lunch items, all cooked to order. The days of the dimly lit, bare shelved store are LONG gone.
The previous post mentions the staff as being not so friendly, but please don’t mistake Richard’s dedication to the store as off-​putting. The fact is that he works really hard and is actually a nice guy. When going to the other store, if you’re not a summer resident from Dark Harbor, your reception is downright frigid by the owners. A few year round residents know what I’m talking about as well.
The bottom line; love it or hate it, but Durkee’s is clearly the better stocked and priced market on the island. If you haven’t stopped there in a awhile, please do. There’s much to love about this little island gem, so please don’t be offended if there’s no red carpet and a dozen roses when you arrive; you won’t find that anywhere on Islesboro.

Durkee’s is one of the two grocery stores on Islesboro. It is closer to the northern half of the island, or up-​island, and it provides a good selection of products as well as the most varied take-​out menu on the island, especially for lunch. With offerings ranging from deli sandwiches and wraps to burgers, fries, and mozzarella sticks, everyone can find something they like. We had turkey sandwiches and wraps, burgers, fries, and pizza during our stay. The food was as good as «fast food» gets, with tasty cheeseburgers and fresh deli items. The service is the thing that makes me review Durkee’s as «Meh.» We met four different employees while we were there, and all four gave the impression of being bothered by our presence in the store. No one was welcoming or interested in helping us, so it actually became a joke with us to see if we could get a friendly response or conversation each time we went in. In a small community like Islesboro, it is wonderful to have a store and restaurant with the variety of Durkee’s but the service is aloof, at best.