Abel's Lobster has called this boatyard home since 1939. For decades, it was a quiet institution. In 2020, Mandy Fountaine and her team brought it back with a bigger menu, fuller bar, and a spirit that's always been right for this shore.
The Idea Behind It
Mandy wanted a place that felt like her grandmother's backyard lobster feeds on MDI in the summer; outside, near the water, something fresh off the fire, genuine. Simple.
Worth the drive.
That's still the idea.
The People That Make It Run
Mandy brings 20 years of food and hospitality experience to every season at Abel's, including 17 years building Bar Harbor Catering Company into one of the most recognized operations in Maine — Top 3 in the state, twice a national finalist for catering excellence, and 2019 Bar Harbor Chamber Business of the Year. She knows how to build a team, source with integrity, and create something people come back to.
Abel's is only as good as the people who show up every day. We're proud of ours.
How We Source
Beginning in 2025, Abel's joined the Gulf of Maine Research Institute's Tastemakers program, formalizing what we'd long believed in. As of 2026, our core seafood sourcing is effectively 100% local. The lobster, the oysters, the clams, they came from these waters, handled by the people who know them best.
Sourcing locally isn't a marketing decision. It's a commitment to the fishermen, the ecosystem, and the guest who deserves to taste the actual place.
Est. 1939. Reinvented 2020.
