West End Drug

While on vacation, our family stopped by there to fill a prescription. Little did we know that we’d be having lunch there also — — at a Rexall. We enjoyed our BLTs, ice cream sodas, and egg cream. The retro vibe of the store and its employees matched the food. Childhood memories of having such treats at a Woolworth’s counter or at Schraft’s came flooding back. (Yes, I am a native New Yorker and over 40 — over 50). It was interesting that the person who prepared our lunch handed us our prescription an hour later. It felt like a one-​hour trip in a time machine.
Finally, this was the only drug store I’ve been in that sold leather shoes. Maybe that’s a Portland thing?

I went for an old fashioned ice cream soda and the girl there was incredibly sweet and helpful. She didn’t mind me asking 100 questions although I’m sure she has heard them all before from all the tourists that have come in before me. Prices are excellent. Only paid $ 4 for a delicious and large ice cream soda while other ice cream shops are charging $ 6 for a small cone. Clearly the better choice. So glad I stopped in!

We love to locate old soda a fountains and when we found this location we were very surprised. We were off a cruise ship during the off season and there was no customers on the stools at the bar. This place was just like the old drug store back home in Kentucky. There are the usual soda fountain drinks plus some other goodies that the old time drug store fountain did not serve. All in all though this is worth a stop if you are in Bar Harbor.

Kind of retro and cute. Conveniently located. If you are going for postcards or snacks, fine. If you are going to buy actual drugstore products that you forgot to pack for your vacation, expect to experience sticker shock!

Stopped in twice during our stay for drinks (cherry and vanilla Cokes-​mmmmm) at the soda counter, and met the nicest lady. She suggested a local playground for our toddler son, refilled his zippy cup with water, pointed us to lollipops his size, just basically gave Ritz Carlton service. At a drugstore. Wish we were locals just so we could hang out here regularly.

Run by some of the nicest folks in Bar Harbor. Stepping into West End Drug is like opening a time capsule to time gone by. They have an awesome old fashioned soda fountain complete with Egg Creams (get one if you don’t know what it is, they are AMAZING), Sandwiches and milk shakes. They are also a fully working pharmacy, and I had a lot of questions about some meds I was just put on, Mike answered them all with a smile on his face. Would definitely recommend West End over the chain stores!

I was shocked by the rudeness I encountered at this place. I needed some medicine, and being on vacation made it even more important that I get what I needed asap. The problem is this place and the other pharmacy in town are both closed on Sundays, so the fact that it was 5pm on Saturday meant I had to hightail it over to beat the 6pm closing time. I arrive with 45 minutes to spare, psyched about my hightailing abilities, when I realize the door is locked. Confused, I look down at the big sign on the door with the hours on it. Yup, I was right, it closes at 6. So what gives? I start knocking and some dude with a broom in his hand takes his time to come over to me, then (this really happened, I still can’t believe it) opens the door A CRACK and proceeds to ask me THROUGH THE CRACK whether I was a guest from a certain hotel in town picking up a prescription. I was not that guest, I assured him, but I needed to come in to try and find some medicine I need. He then, THROUGH THE CRACK makes me tell him what I need and why I need it. Yes, he makes me talk about my medical issues on a sidewalk full of tourists, while talking to his stupid face through a crack in a door…45 minutes before the place was even supposed to close. Don’t waste your time with these fools.

…this was a wonderful find. I was taken back in time to a simpler day when people would lock up the office and walk across the street to have a grilled cheese sandwich at the soda fountain counter. A time when people would come in to the drugstore to get a poultice or a bottle of smelling salts.
Okay, maybe that’s going a bit far, but this was definitely the archetype for small town pharmacy/​drug store. The Rexall sign always brings back that nostalgia for me, but this was very definitely the real thing!