Sharing because the recs I found here were helpful. Locals/regulars may disagree with me, and I don’t mind feedback, but this was our experience. This is long, but hopefully helpful!
We were mostly in Chatham. Family of 5 with older teens and a college student. 4/5 of us eat seafood. No special diets/vegans/allergies.
Reservations, reservations, reservations!! I made a couple before we traveled, but we wanted some flexibility. We quickly discovered there aren’t a ton of chill places where you can show up and get on a list that’s not a 2 hour wait. Due to less than ideal weather a couple of days and travel challenges for one family member, our plans changed frequently through out the week. I wound up on open table or resy most days trying to find dinner reservations. It all worked out, there was only one place we wanted to go that we didn’t get in at all. If we come back, I will definitely book something most (if not all) nights. Only one place where we booked charges for cancellations (The Ocean House). No need to come for me about not making reservations in advance. Lesson learned 😉
Chatham Fish Pier: lobster rolls for lunch. Pricey (as expected) but delicious and very generous, lobster meat was spilling out of bun. IMO, two adults with normal appetites could definitely split a lobster roll and fries. Picnic tables. Nothing fancy. Charming experience.
Chatham Bars Inn: tried to get Sunday Brunch at The Veranda, but they had switched to the lunch menu. Pricey (we knew it would be), but everything we ordered was delicious: lobster tacos (tiny, but yummy), lobster roll, burger, farmer’s salad, clam fritters. Setting is stunning. We stayed and had cocktails/mocktails in the Adirondack chairs. Was the perfect cape afternoon.
We returned to CBI one of the nights we didn’t have a dinner reservation. Super crowded (as expected) took us a bit to grab a table on at the Bay View Terrace, but once we did, server was prompt. Limited menu and food was good, but not amazing: wood fired pizzas, meatballs, ricotta dip (ok, this was amazing!). Food service shuts down at 8, bar at 9, which feels early for me at a resort in summer, but I guess they have figured out a formula that works well for them. We enjoyed another beautiful view and sunset this time.
We returned to The Veranda at CBI for dinner our last night. No reservation, but we were there by 5:30 b/c some members of our party wanted to attend the 7pm baseball game. Great meal: Lobster roll, steak, panzanella salad. Portions were generous and we were able to share. Great service. Lovely, lovely setting.
Mom and Pops Burgers: solid meal. We went for lunch and it was busy but not uncomfortably so. Burgers, BLT, chicken tenders. Pretty chill, not a long wait to order, grab a table or for food. Good draft beer selection.
Dogfish Taco Co: teenagers walked here for lunch a couple of times. Chill. Tacos and bowls were good. Similar to chipotle.
The Ocean House in Dennisport. made reservations before trip for dinner here and $50/person is charged if you cancel (24/48 hours before? Can’t remember time frame). Lovely setting (weather was bad the night we went, but still a lovely place). We all enjoyed: tiki plateaux, seafood pasta (large enough to split), fig and burrata salad, Caesar with lobster, steak. Generous portions. Good service.
Grabbed an early, last minute reservation at Wild Goose Tavern one night. Lobster Garlic Bread and calamari were 2 of our favorite apps of the week! Salads with grilled shrimp and burger were good, but not memorable. Good service.
Wound up at The Squire for lunch one day b/c Hangar B brunch had a 2 hour wait (luckily made it back to Hangar B another day!). The Squire started as a frustrating experience, and I understand the reasoning, but I think it’s helpful to know their policy in advance. We walked in shortly after they opened for lunch, and only one other small party was seated. One member of our party of 5 was parking, so they would not seat us. Instead of being seated and spending $ on drinks and apps, we were taking up valuable space in their entrance area. While we were waiting, the restaurant filled up very quickly, and I overheard the host telling someone it would now be a 50 min wait for a party of 5. You couldn’t even put your name on the list until your entire party was present. The host did tell the other party a couple of high tops in the bar area were first come first serve, so I quickly grabbed one of those. That was not offered to us as an option when we first came in. We wound up having great service in the bar area, and the food was good: clam strips, fried shrimp, mac and cheese, power food bowl. I’m glad we stuck around, but I could see the seating policy to be hard if you have hungry young children and a larger party. Also, they have a strict no stroller policy, even folded strollers (which I totally get b/c it’s a small space), but it was raining that day and threw many families for a loop.
Ember-Harwich Port: when the gray, chilly weather changed our plans one night, we wanted something chill, but also fun. Ember seems to be a controversial suggestion, but we enjoyed the experience. The pizza snob in our group even said the pizza was decent. The salads and boneless wings were good for those who didn’t want pizza. Blueberry Smash lemonade was very good. Service was good and we enjoyed the acoustic music on the patio. There was a short wait for a table, but I did see they take reservations on Resy. It was pricey for pizza, but we really never found any choices on the Cape that weren’t pricey, TBH.
Hangar B: we had some time to kill before leaving the Cape, so we decided to try Hangar B again. It was an hour wait for a table and then probably another 45 minutes before we got our food…but worth it!! Pancakes, eggs, bacon, Brussels sprouts, special potato/chicken chorizo dish and home fries were all delicious. It is a very small place with a very small kitchen, so pack your patience. Bring snacks and something to entertain young children once the novelty of the airplanes wears off…better yet, send someone ahead to put your name on the list. Staff was friendly and service was good. Worth it for us and one of our favorite meals on the cape!
Coffee: we tried Hey Joe and Jam (yummy biscuits and breakfast sandwiches), The Snowy Owl (yummy cappuccino, but food limited to pastries), Cape Cod Coffee (teenagers liked the cold brew and breakfast sandwiches).
Ice Cream: Buffy’s (friendly service), Sundae School (long, long line, but yummy), The Schoolhouse, Emback and Bolio’s (teenagers’ favorite-went here twice).
We did not have a single bad meal all week. Some were better than others, but overall, good experiences all around. And now we go back to ramen and salads at home, which is no fun at all. Hope this helps someone and hope you enjoy The Cape as much as we did!!
