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We are fortunate to have a vacation home on Nantucket and use it most every weekend during the summer. Nantucket has many fine restaurants but we also like to dine more casually. We recently had dinner at Millie's, the new "Cal-Mex" cantina that is in the location of the former Westender in Madaket. We always felt that this was a great place for a restaurant, but there was nothing exceptional about the food at the Westender. That's changed with the arrival of Millie's. It fills a void in the island dining as there was never a good Mexican restaurant. An extra bonus is that it is moderately priced.
We ate there in late June just after sunset. Our dinner started with an order of chips and salsa, which were very good. My husband had the lobster quesadilla and I had the chicken tacos. Both were outstanding. They also serve local brews from Cisco Brewery on draft. Millie's has a free shuttle which stops in front of the tourist information center on Federal Street to take people there from town. The wait staff is friendly and the service is prompt. If you time your visit, you can also enjoy great views of the sunset.
We also enjoyed Easy Street on Steamship Wharf (the restaurant, not the more casual place across the street which is good by the way for tacos, wraps, etc.). We sat outside and took in the street scene just after the freight ferry arrived on a Saturday night. The food was also very good (fried clams and lobster roll) plus it arrived piping hot. We saw that many people ordered the $20 lobster which looked good and is a deal at that price. They also had good service and cold beers on draft.
We'd recommend both places as proof that you don't have to take out a second mortgage to enjoy good food on Nantucket.
Nantucket dining (moderately priced restaurants)
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Don't forget to include Centre Street Bistro among the moderately priced yet VERY good restaurants on the island!
We have also liked Easy Street and feel that it is mercifully priced for what you get.
We are going to Millies tonight on your recommendation. The past incarnations of the this spot bring back a lot of really bad memories, but I need a Cal-Mex fix, and as you know, they are few and far between here. The owner has not gotten off to a good start with the community, so it will have to survive, and I hope thrive, on the quality of food and drink.
We went to Millie's in Madaket last night on your recommendation and had a good meal.
We had three Cisco beers, a guacamole and chip appetizer, a fish taco plate and a steak taco plate. All were flavorful and came in substantial servings. With a good tip, it was $71 for two, which does pass for moderate on Nantucket. The guacamole, which also appeared on the tacos, is homemade and very good. All the food is well seasoned, though not really hot, and each comes with a side of rice. The chips are suspiciously regulare but freshly fried.
Millie's has several different incarnations.
During the day, it is a beach taco shack (counter service on the ground floor) since it is only about 150 yards from the water. Around 5 or so, the young families arrive -- mom, dad, moppets, baby sitters. They can go upstairs for table service, eat downstairs in the room with counter service, or eat outside on a porch or at one of several picnic tables outside. Around 7, the grandparents start arriving, with and without grandchildren, and the upstairs fills up. By eight, the evening crowd is arriving, and the small children are almost gone. Sunset these days is shortly after eight, and the upstairs has an especially good view.
We arrived immediately after dropping someone at the airport, right in the middle of family time. Our granddaughters and their parents arrive on Monday, and we immediately added this as a place to go. There is plenty of room for the little ones to run, the place is very, very child friendly, and the parents can get drinks and Cisco on draft! What's not to like?
Glad you liked Millie's, Ackislander. We ate there mid-June on a Saturday night around 8:00 and it was fairly quiet. I'm glad that it's picked up with the summer activity and that it also does well at lunch and afterwards. Coincidentally, my BIL and his family (who are staying at our house this week) ate there last night on our recommendation and also enjoyed it.
Was the outdoor seating area noisy? I recall that's what got them off on the wrong foot with the neighbors.
Also, Acksuz, we do like Centre Street as well, especially for breakfast as an alternative to the crowds at Black-eyed Susan's.