Bar Harbor, ME - Gluten Free Mexican Two Ways

Every year Mike and I head up to Acadia National Park in Maine for four days of hiking and camping. This year we stayed in a screaming child infested campground called Hadley Point. It sucked so much we actually spent time driving around looking at campgrounds for next year.

 While out in Southwest Harbor looking at Seawall Campground, which looks awesome by the way, we decided we wanted nachos. I busted out the google phone and typed "nachos" into the yelp application. It turned out there was a Mexican place called XYZ right around the corner. When we pulled up it was only about 4pm and there was only one car there and it was way back on a side street. We decided to go in and were very pleasantly surprised, not by nachos, but by an authentic Mexican restaurant. The food was incredible. I got some kind of grilled shrimp with a stuffed relleno pepper which was to die for and a margarita made with rum. The owner seated us and talked to us about gluten free options for me and they even gave me corn tortillas instead of bread to use with the various fresh salsas. By the time we left, I was pleasantly full, mildly buzzed and the place was packed. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who loves delicious authentic Mexican Food and staying gfree. I can't wait to go back next year.


XYZ Restaurant Website





** Update: Miguel's has been sold and is now a different restaurant. Sadness**

The first year we went to Maine I googled "Gluten Free Bar Harbor" and found an article someone wrote about Miguel's. This place is more of an americanized Mexican restaurant, but is still pretty sweet. They have a special gluten free menu that has their regular menu color coded red and green. Red = Not Gluten Free and  Green = Gluten Free. I always get the tacos when I go and they are pretty tasty. If you're up in Bar Harbor give this place a try.

Miguel's Mexican Restaurant Website

Other Restaurants in Bar Harbor:
Bar Harbor is pretty good with gluten free. I've been told that most restaurants can put together gluten free options for you or have special menus if you just ask. We always go to Main Street Diner for breakfast and never have a problem. I just ask them to leave the toast out.

Also, try A & B Naturals. It's an awesome natural foods store and even carries St. Peter's Gluten Free Beer, which in my opinion, is some of the best gluten free beer around.


A & B Naturals Website

Places to be careful eating at:
One place I did go to though, didn't leave me feeling so great about the food I was eating. We went to Tamarind one morning for breakfast and I ordered an egg sandwich on a food for life gluten free english muffin. They prepare the sandwiches out in the open so I asked the teenager that was making my sandwich if he could change his gloves and put down some foil so he wasn't making my gfree sandwich on bread crumbs from regular bread. The haughty attitude I got in return was not appreciated. I explained again that my food cannot touch anything other bread touched. He got all offended and  told me that he cleans the surface all the time and that I didn't need to worry. I was pretty worried and stupidly ate the sandwich anyways... bad idea.

All in all. Bar Harbor is really safe place to travel to and stay gluten free. There's amazing hiking and puffins if you're willing to get up early and go on a boat. ;o)


View from Champlain Mountain!