Lobster Rolls, Fried Clams, and the Steak and Cheese People Can't Stop Talking About
When Jillian Jamo-Cole moved to Mount Desert Island in 1999 for what she thought would be one quick season, she had no plans to stay.
"I just fell in love with it," she says. "The whole vibe here."
More than 25 years later, she and her husband, Scott, are now in their fourth season as owners of Docksider in Northeast Harbor, a restaurant that has been serving customers for nearly a century.
"This place has been here for 95 years," Jillian says.
Long before she owned the restaurant, Jillian was already working in hospitality. Her first job came at age 14, helping at a hot dog cart in Millinocket. She has spent nearly her entire life in the restaurant business, and she and Scott eventually found themselves back where they felt most at home.
Today, Docksider remains a true family operation. Their children help out. Their year-round staff all live locally. And regular customers have become more like an extended family.
"Everybody has the sweetest, most nostalgic stories around this place," Jillian says. "It really is meaningful to people."
One customer, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, has been coming to Docksider since he was five years old.
For Jillian, those connections are what make the restaurant special.
"They see us when we're busy and snapping at each other, or when we're goofy and silly," she says. "They see it all."
The menu is intentionally simple. Fresh seafood arrives daily. Jillian says the goal has always been to focus on doing a handful of things well.
"We just do a few things, but we do those things really well," she says.
Lobster rolls remain a favorite, featuring five ounces of fresh lobster meat. Whole-belly fried clams have developed a devoted following of their own.
"People go wild for our whole-belly fried clams," Jillian says.
And then there's the surprise menu item.
"We actually have a cult following for our steak and cheese," she says with a laugh.
Famous for:
Nearly a century of memories in Northeast Harbor.
14 Sea St in Northeast Harbor, ME / no website
photos by Peter Logue
