Visitors to the Cape often want to indulge in the most exemplary sights and sounds of the Cape.
The best way to do this is through food, of course! We cover our five favorite Cape Cod restaurants. Whether you stay for an exuberant dinner or simply see the building from across the way, these are all incredible and worthwhile places to visit on Cape Cod during your vacation.
Captain Frosty’s
Looking for fried food? You found the goldmine with Captain Frosty’s in downtown Dennis. This low-key casual eatery divides its menu into basic sections: sandwiches, plates, sides, and seafood. Select as many as you want in an a la carte fashion as you dip from clam cakes to scallops, chicken tenders to salmon, and calamari.
Captain Frosty’s earns its name from its ice cream. Conclude your meal with a big old soft-serve scoop of vanilla, chocolate, twist, or coffee. Frosty’s keeps it simple. You can also mix it up with a flurry, orange freeze, brownie hot fudge sundae, and more.
This down-home shack, with ice cream, lobster rolls, and an open patio, is possibly Dennis’ best casual seafood restaurant.
Captain Frosty’s is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.
The Lobster Pot
The Lobster Pot bookends the Cape. With one location in Wareham and another in Provincetown, the Lobster Pot easily sums up what makes Cape Cod so spectacular.
It is perhaps the restaurant’s low-key sincerity that has drawn people to either location for decades. The restaurant cuts out all the glitz and glam, giving you bold bay views in an honest ambiance. The deck offers views of the village and beachside.
The Skipper Restaurant & Chowder House
You can find the Skipper Restaurant right in South Yarmouth. This chowder house offers everything you could ask for. A lovely and classic décor dating back to the 1930’s? Check. Large seafood sandwiches, grilled, blackened, or fried? Check. Views of the Nantucket Sound? Check.
The Skipper is the culmination of everything that makes Cape Cod a special place to visit. It has even carved a nice name for itself with fantastic fish-themed merchandise.
Riverway Lobster House
This West Yarmouth lobster house is a treat for enthusiasts of the clawed creature. The restaurant has splashes of upscale eating in its tavern half, with weekend piano music and a cozily-lit interior. But you can also check out the more casual restaurant side, with televisions and a big bar.
Red Cottage Restaurant
This South Dennis restaurant stands as one of the area’s premier attractions. It perfectly encapsulates what makes the Mid-Cape so appealing- a local-centric culture, lovely architecture, and some of the best french fries in the world (this is hardly an exaggeration). The Red Cottage menu is one of the oldest restaurants on the Cape. Its menu captures this history wonderfully, with old pictures and details on what makes the restaurant unique. It is a delightful stop for families, and the perfect definition of “classic.”
No matter where you eat on Cape Cod, you can capture a piece of the area’s history. All of the above restaurants provide special insight into Cape Cod history, like the Lobster Pot’s brilliant chronicling of fishing on the edge of the Cape, and the Red Cottage’s authentic 1800’s American architecture in the northeast.
Between enjoying bites of butter-soaked lobster, be sure to take in the view. It shows you just how special the Cape is. Let us be your personal travel guide to the world of Cape Cod.
