12 Best Restaurants in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

With indoor and outdoor tables, a location on bustling Main Street, and a lively vibe (lots of families), this Mexican restaurant and bar—open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch—is a fun find. The tequila menu is extensive, and the food doesn't disappoint: Think tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos featuring handmade chips and all the classic toppings, plus achiote chicken and their own chorizo. Gotta have lobster or quahogs? They give a Mexi-spin to those as well. Langosta taquitos, anyone?

You can't miss this hot spot on the side of Route 6: look for the riot of colorful flowers lining the road and the folks waiting in long lines for fried seafood and other fixings. Unusual for a clam shack like this is the full bar, offering beer, wine, mixed drinks, and the house specialty: margaritas. You can also play a round of minigolf.

A great stop after the beach, this casual seafood shack has a regular menu of Cape classics like fried clams and fish-and-chips supplemented by specials posted on the board and a counter where you order and take a number written on a French fries box. There's seating inside as well as outside on a shady brick patio.

The friendly, family-run Fairway specializes in Italian comfort food but also has a very popular breakfast. Attached to the Hole in One Bakery—a favorite among locals for exceptional hand-cut doughnuts and muffins—the Fairway puts a jar of crayons on every paper-covered table and sells its own brand of root beer.

Lining up for an ice cream cone or frappe at Four Seas, a former blacksmith shop near Craigville Beach, has been a rite of summer on the Cape since 1934; it made the ice cream for Caroline Kennedy's wedding (the flavor: fresh peach) and has won a bazillion 'best' awards. They also sell lobster salad rolls, hot dogs, and other sandwiches. 

Open year-round, this friendly family-owned and operated restaurant serves up homey food for breakfast and lunch. Favorites from the extensive menu include traditional breakfast items like pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and fish-and-chips and a variety of sandwiches at lunch.

Fresh and ample portions of fried seafood take center stage at this casual joint, which is very popular with families. Place your order at the counter and sit inside or out: be sure to save room for ice cream.

Located at Wellfleet Harbor, this rustic but ambitious little spot serves some of the freshest seafood around. Sit along the pier and soak up the great water views while you chow down on a vast variety of local fish dishes, plus globe-trotting fare like burritos (with their house-made Scotch bonnet pepper sauce), a Caribbean seafood bowl, and tuna poke made with fresh local fish. The adjacent ice cream counter offers hard and soft-serve treats, plus sundaes, smoothies, and frappes.

A meal at this friendly, rough-hewn fish shack with an over-the-top nautical theme is a Cape Cod tradition for some people. Bring your own libations, and if you need to kill time (the lines are sometimes daunting), stop inside Moby's Cargo, the bustling gift shop next door.

Since 1971, this family-run seafood and ice cream shack has been serving hungry vacationers. It's a go-to joint for a quick post-beach dinner (or pre-beach lunch) with a menu that goes beyond the usual deep-fried items: options include broiled seafood plates, hot and cold lobster rolls, and more than a dozen different salads. Order dessert at the soft-serve ice cream window. 

Churning out ice cream in small batches since 1976, this award-winning shop usually has lines out the door. The shop uses only the freshest ingredients, so flavors like banana or blueberry are made with the real deal, with fresh fruit toppings, while classics like vanilla and chocolate never disappoint. They also sell frozen yogurt and frappes (milk shakes). There's another location in Dennis Port.

Pop into this popular spot for an ice cream cone, sausage roll, or a sundae and enjoy it on the 2 acres of landscaped grounds dotted with gardens.