13 Best Restaurants in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Once a clam shack, this bistro has found new life and won legions of fans in this seaside town selling just-baked bread and succulent pastries—by early morning (even in off-season) the line snakes into the parking lot. They also offer prepared gourmet foods to go, and a well-curated menu of sandwiches (on excellent bread, of course!), plus there's outdoor and indoor seating, and they stay open all year (hours vary come wintertime). 

Inside the snazzy Crowne Pointe Inn, this intimate, casually handsome restaurant occupies the parlor and sunroom of a grand sea captain's mansion and serves finely crafted, healthful, modern American food with specials focused on local ingredients. There's a substantial wine list, with more than 125 selections to choose from, as well as a large martini menu.

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?

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.

It's notoriously difficult to snag a table here in the summertime, but worth the wait as their wood-fired flatbreads are positively toothsome, made with organic four, local sea salt, and tasty toppings like braised beef short rib, butternut squash, and linguica sourced from a Massachusetts farm. Pasta dishes are a good option, too, and salads are fresh and creative, not an afterthought. Eat here or wrap it up and head to nearby Craigville Beach. Can't wait? They operate a take-out shop, Crisp Too, across the street.

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.

Fried clams are crisp and fresh at this basic seafood joint right on Falmouth Harbor; the meaty lobster roll and the fish-and-chips platter are good choices, too. Place your order at the counter, and then take your tray to the picnic tables on the roof deck for the best views.

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.

Tried-and-true tavern fare—fish-and-chips and pastrami sandwiches are popular choices—is the rule at Orleans's flagship local restaurant. The scene is usually fun and boisterous; dozens of homemade wooden signs heralding local businesses hang from the rafters above the red-checker tablecloths.

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. 

This fun and funky establishment offers a range of craft beers and bar food in a convivial space. Relax with a Double Rainbow IPA or nonalcoholic kombucha on a comfy couch inside, or bring Fido and sit on the pet-friendly patio. Burgers, sandwiches, and shared plates like pretzels and mozzarella sticks are on the menu. Not only does this brewery offer great beers, it offers a side of activism with each pour: 15% of all beer sales go to a worthy cause.