Restaurant Recs - Cape Cod August
 

DH, DD (14 years) and myself will be staying in Ocean Edge, Brewster for a week in August. For budgetary reasons we booked a simple room in the mansion. I rather use my $$$ on food than on lodging. We plan on visiting P-town and some other beaches around the cape. Also, lots of relaxing, book reading etc.

Would appreciate any information about:
- breakfasts in the Brewster area
- dinners anywhere on the cape, especially lobster, we enjoy good food and have often found great outdoor places, the types of places where you order your food and then eat it outside on tables or waterside
- our daughter enjoys some sight seeing and shopping, any suggestions that may be a little offbeat would be great. Although we live in the burbs of NJ, she is really a NYC kid at heart

Thanks for any suggestions

A couple spots for breakfast in Orleans next door:

-Hole in One is a donut place that also serves breakfast. Liked the to-go donut and coffee I had there, and the place was mobbed for breakfast when I went.

-Hot Chocolate Sparrow is more like an expanded Starbucks-style coffee house than a real sit down breakfast place, but I did like their coffee and baked goods.

There are several dinner type places in Brewster along Rt. 6A. For break the bank dining, Chillingworth is a worthy option (I did the cheapskate's munch out of their to-go pastry shop annex, and it was scrumptious). Also consider the Brewster Inn and Chowder House (good version of thick-style chowder), Cobie's (clam shack place, good fried seafood), or Brewster Fish House (didn't try them). In next door Orleans, The Lobster Claw is a very good sit-down casual seafood place, and Sir Cricket's is a good hole-in-the-wall fried seafood spot. For other dining, I posted the following on a recent thread (amended a bit):

"I can't say that I've been everywhere in Cape Cod for seafood, but I've now eaten at over a dozen places or so that would qualify. These so far include seafood shack style places such as Mojo's (Provincetown), Kream 'N Kone (Dennis), Cap'n Cass (Orleans), or Baxter's (Hyannis) as well as more sit-down style places like the Lobster Pot (Provincetown) or Fishmonger Cafe (Woods Hole) and somewhat more upscale sit down places like Impudent Oyster (Chatham) or Naked Oyster (Hyannis). My experience suggests that while no place (except maybe the upscale sit-down spots) will utterly wow you here, none are ragingly awful, either -- as long as you avoid pub grub type places (Land Ho and The Yardarm in Orleans both come to mind here, though Chatham Squire in Chatham and Captain Kidd in Woods Hole are a little bit better of this type). There are several spots that make their own ice cream, and two places I liked when I tried them were Sundae School (various locations) and Four Seas (Centerville)."

As far as attractions, they do exist on Cape Cod. Most every town has a grist mill and/or windmill (Brewster has both), a little town historic museum (or is it rummage sale? sometimes it's hard to tell the difference), and a historic site. For me, the best attractions are the beaches and outdoor hikes. The finest beaches are the ones along the Cape Cod National Seashore, which are world-class level -- but note that the water is cold. Brewster does have a large state park, Nickerson State Park, which has hiking and lake beaches. For other attractions, you're best off doing a guide book search to see what appeals most, but for the most part, don't expect world-class level attractions. Luckily, many of these are free.

Good shopping stroll towns would include Chatham (upscale feel), Provincetown (offbeat feel), Hyannis (urban feel), or Falmouth (suburban feel).

Top picks for dining in Provincetown:

The Red Inn
The Mews
Front Street
Cafe Edwige
The Lobster Pot - a bit touristy and basic inside - but very good lobsters

In all cases reservations are a must!

Mac's Seafood is on the harbor in Wellfleet. Picnic tables, byob, and sand underfoot with decent food (not all fried) and the breeze from Cape Cod Bay in your face. I think it's a memory a 14 year old will hold dear!

Arnold's in Eastham is also great. Right on Rt6 but with mini golf attached!

Perhaps your daughter would like to be a Jr. Ranager at the Cape Cod National Seashore? Or take part in stories by a campfire on the beach. You can check out the goings on in the National Seashore at www.nps.gov/caco

If you end up in Dennis one day, go up to Scargo Tower for a beautiful view.

Grumpy's in Dennis has great breakfasts. Go early and not on a weekend. The lines can get long. Order the red flannel hash if you like beets.

I second bachslunch recommendation for Chillingsworth. The Red Pheasant in Dennis is another good upscale restaurant. Chapins, also in Dennis, has good seafood in a more casual, family-type atmosphere.

For lunch, Sesuit Harbor cafe is a perfect spot to order lobster rolls and sit at the picnic tables watching the boats go in and out. It is the one restaurant we make sure to hit every time we're on the cape.

Thanks so much these suggestions all sound great.

The town of Wellfleet has some interesting shops and galleries. I love the Left Bank Gallery, which has many interesting gifts as well. Mac's Shack on Commercial Street is a good place for dinner, and there is a casual Mac's on the harbor--ice cream, fish, burgers, etc., where you order at the window and eat on picnic tables overlooking the harbor.

The Park Service visitor center in Provincetown is worth going to for the viewing deck on the roof. You can see downtown Provincetown and the Bay and look the other way out over the ocean. Lots of fun small shop in Provincetown as well. It can get very crowded at mid-day.

there's no place like the Cape for whole belly clams. mmmmm
mm good.

Anybody know the name of the little place with oudoor picnic tables. You buy the clams at the window and sit down and gulp em down. Around Wellfleet I think but it could also be Eastham.

Mahya,

Are you thinking of Arnold's on Rt. 6? It's in Eastham fairly close to Wellfleet, but it's not so little. There is also a Dairy Queen type place, I forget it's name right now, near the Wellfleet Center exit off of Rt. 6 that has good fried clams. Thankfully, many places on the Cape match your description!

Kate's on 6A in Brewster is a window-ordering-only place with outdoor tables and great fried clams.

I'm going to amend my comment about Cape Cod attractions above slightly. I originally posted above:

"As far as attractions, they do exist on Cape Cod. Most every town has a grist mill and/or windmill (Brewster has both), a little town historic museum (or is it rummage sale? sometimes it's hard to tell the difference), and a historic site. For me, the best attractions are the beaches and outdoor hikes. The finest beaches are the ones along the Cape Cod National Seashore, which are world-class level -- but note that the water is cold. Brewster does have a large state park, Nickerson State Park, which has hiking and lake beaches. For other attractions, you're best off doing a guide book search to see what appeals most, but for the most part, don't expect world-class level attractions. Luckily, many of these are free."

Having now visited most all the Frommer's and Fodor's guidebook listed attractions in every Cape Cod town except Dennis and Yarmouth (with the exception of the ZooQuarium in the latter town), there's indeed one attraction I consider to be at world class level:

-Sandwich Glass Museum

and two I'd put close to that status:

-Heritage Museum in Gardens (Sandwich)
-Church of the Transfiguration (Orleans).

Am not expecting to encounter anything to add to this list in Yarmouth or Dennis, but will amend further if I do.

Sadly, there is no public transportation (or for the most part, even sidewalks!) that will allow a car-less person to visit any of these three. Expect a decent sized walk from Orleans Center along the side of a moderately busy street with no sidewalks to reach Church of the Transfiguration, and a grueling Herculean level hike from the other side of the Sagamore Bridge to reach Sandwich, all of it along rather busy roads -- and there are no sidewalks once you reach the town of Sandwich, either, except within a few blocks of the city center. Utterly ridiculous.

Sorry, should be "Heritage Museum and Gardens" above.

Thanks for all your help.

We LOVED the cape and I hope to post a trip report.

debsnj:

Last year we rented a house on the beach in Eastham and enjoyed a lovely week.

We have booked a house on the beach in Sandwich for next year. So keen to read your trip report and recommendations.

Sandy