THE BEST PLACES YOU NEED TO EAT AT ON CAPE COD
UPDATED JULY 14, 2026
When people think about Cape Cod, I feel like they instantly think of seafood and lobster — and they’re certainly not wrong, but there is so much more to offer. In this article, you’ll find some of the best places to eat at while on the Cape. I do want to preface this with the fact that I certainly haven’t eaten at every restaurant, but those below are some of our favorites. As I try more places, I’ll be sure to update this list. Below you’ll find each restaurant separated out by the town they’re located in on Cape Cod.
Cape Cod is comprised of 15 towns, and each town has its own constellation of villages. This had me very confused when I first visited, but once I learned about all the little villages in each town, it made it a lot easier! The Cape is divided into three portions—the Upper, Mid, and Outer Cape. The Upper Cape towns are: Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, and Mashpee. Then there are the Mid-Cape towns, which consist of Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, and Brewster. Finally, we have the Outer Cape towns of Orleans, Chatham, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and my favorite, Provincetown or P-Town.
Where are the best places to eat at on Cape Cod?
FALMOUTH
Enjoy a wine flight and food at Cape Cod Winery
Cape Cod Winery is located in the neighborhood of East Falmouth. From the moment you drive up, you’re greeted by the cutest and most aesthetically pleasing winery. Cape Cod Winery is definitely a place to sit back, relax, and enjoy the great weather and wine. We didn’t struggle to find a place to sit, as there are numerous tables and chairs, plus some covered areas, and we even sat in the grapevines for a bit, too. They even had crushed seashells on the ground, giving it the ultimate Cape Cod vibe. I really felt like we were at a winery on Cape Cod, ya know? From the crushed seashells to the nautical theming to their signature wine being called the Rosé Mermaid Water, Cape Cod Winery is THE winery to visit. With over nine different varieties of wine to choose from, there is surely something for everyone. We started with the wine flight, which includes samples of five wines and a souvenir wine glass. I still actually have my glass, too, and love to drink out of it! I think my favorite ended up being the Mermaid Water, which is a dry rosé. They have a Mermaid Kitchen Food Truck that serves bites such as Charcuterie boards, margarita flatbreads, lobster rolls, and more. See the menu here.
Taste some of the best pizza at Wolf Pizza
Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what words to use to describe this pizza… INCREDIBLE. AMAZING. DROOL WORTHY. I’m fairly picky when it comes to my pizza, so for me to say this means a great deal. I love a wood-fired pizza where the dough is part of what makes it so good, not just the toppings, and Wolf Pizza delivered on all fronts. I had the Post Malone, which is: vodka sauce, heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, and pesto, and my friend had the Honey Badger, which is: ricotta, mozzarella, pistachio pesto, and fermented garlic honey. I don’t know if it’s the dough and/or the flavor combinations or maybe just the love David Haddad (the founder) puts into his pizzas, but they are well worth it. My friend and I joked that we never finish a meal completely, yet we both cleaned up these 12-inch pizzas. You can read more about David and his pizza here, and be sure to follow Wolf Pizza on Instagram too.
UPDATE 2026: Sadly, Wolf Pizza looks like they only do catering and events, so if you’re at a wedding on the Cape or an event, look for them!
YARMOUTH
Grab a coffee and pastry at Old King’s Coffeehouse
Old King’s Coffeehouse was our final stop on Cape Cod as we made our way to Boston to fly back home. The coffeehouse was right across the street from Bayside Resort, where we stayed for the last evening on the Cape. I’m a sucker for a good coffee shop with freshly baked goods, and Old King’s Coffeehouse totally delivered. Their cinnamon sugar doughnut holes were great, and I’m pretty picky when it comes to doughnuts. I don’t want them to be too cakey or fancy. I just want my doughnuts to be fluffy, light, and basically melt in your mouth. In addition to bakery items, they have traditional breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, yogurt, and even overnight oats. I ordered my usual — vanilla latte with oat milk and it was really good. I thought the espresso tasted great! The coffeehouse has plenty of tables both inside and outside, and its to-go line moves fairly quickly. So if there’s a long line when you walk in, stick around. It’s worth it.
WEST DENNIS
Get a lobster roll from Holly’s Deli then head to the beach
If you’re looking for a total hole-in-the-wall deli with great food and an absolutely delicious lobster roll, then look no further than Holly’s Deli. It’s certainly not a tourist stop and nothing fancy, but their food is extremely tasty. I ordered a cold lobster roll and, of course, had to grab a bag of Cape Cod original chips to go along with it. We got our food to-go and then headed to the beach to enjoy it by the ocean — watch out for those seagulls, though; they mean business! The lobster tasted fresh, and with the salty potato chips, it was just chef's kiss.
Enjoy dinner at The Meridian at Lighthouse Inn
I highly recommend stopping by The Waterfront Restaurant (called The Meridian now) at Lighthouse Inn for a meal. My friend and I actually ate there for dinner twice and thoroughly enjoyed the food. In addition, the service was great, and the views of the ocean out of their giant windows were gorgeous! On a nice day, you can even sit outside and soak up the sun. Lighthouse Inn is on a private beach, so when you look out the window of The Waterfront Restaurant, you have unobstructed views of the Atlantic. The first evening we visited, we had the sweetest server who recommended the fish sandwich, which my friend ended up ordering. It tasted fresh, was super crispy, and overall delicious. The fries were crispy and very good, which unfortunately is kinda rare. Most places have pretty mediocre fries these days. I ordered the lobster tacos, and oh mama, they were yummy. I really enjoyed the crema drizzled on top. While on the East Coast, I ordered lobster as much as possible in every way I possibly could. Who can blame me? It just hits different on the East Coast. I love a good cocktail while on vacation, so I started with a strawberry Moscow Mule, and it was great! The sweetness and tartness of the strawberry brought out the flavors of the ginger beer very nicely. I’m definitely going to try to recreate this drink at home by muddling some strawberries and mixing them into my regular Moscow Mule.
My friend ended up ordering something strawberry too, a frozen strawberry lemonade that was very good and refreshing. I do recommend sticking to the drinks on their drink menu because I ended up ordering a margarita on the second evening we visited, and it was just okay. I am from Texas, so I’m a little pickier when it comes to margaritas; that could have been the case too. The servers, again, were so kind and asked if our drinks tasted okay, and they could tell by the look on my face and by the fact that I wasn’t drinking it that I didn’t like it. They insisted they remake it, and it was better, but not great. In all honesty, I wish I had just ordered that strawberry Moscow mule again because it was the star of the show. That second evening, we tried completely different dishes from those we had before. My friend ordered the Cape Cod Quesadilla, which she said was good but not life-changing. Sometimes you just want a good ole quesadilla, you know? For my meal, I ordered the New England clam chowder, which you can get in a bread bowl, and a house salad. They were both pretty great, especially during a rainy Cape Cod day! I would order both of the meals I had here again, as well as that dang strawberry Moscow Mule.
UPDATE 2026: The restaurant at Lighthouse Inn is now called The Meridian and looks way nicer. They look like they’ve updated the inside, and they have a different menu. Some of the items that we had that are still available are the clam chowder, instead of the lobster tacos they now have 3 mini lobster rolls hot or cold (honestly sounds better), and the fried fish sandwich (now on a brioche roll).
CHATHAM
Experience the amazingness of Mac’s Chatham Fish & Lobster
We stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant by just driving by and seeing a sign that said lobster. I pulled a U-turn real quick, and I’m so glad I did because this place is actually my FAVORITE out of everywhere we ate on the Cape. It was some of the best seafood we had during our entire trip. Mac’s Chatham Fish & Lobster is a fresh fish market and restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. They have daily specials, so be sure to ask about those. Additionally, they offer a great selection of beer and wine. I was shocked to see they had a sour beer on tap, so of course I had to get it. I’m a big fan of sours, so finding that here definitely raised my rating of the place before I even tasted the food. The outside area feels very much like a beer garden, with nice picnic tables and flowers surrounding it. For food, I had six of their local Cape Littleneck clams and six of their local oysters, served with cocktail sauce, an onion sauce, and horseradish. They tasted super fresh and were beyond delicious. I slurped them up so fast! My friend had the fish and chips with a side of coleslaw and fries, and it was all really nice — even the fries! The fish was fresh and flaky, and the fries were crispy and perfect. This is somewhere I’ll absolutely visit every single time I visit Cape Cod.
PROVINCETOWN
Snack on a lobster roll from Lobster Pot or Lobster Pot Express
If you’re looking for a lobster roll in Provincetown, look no further than Lobster Pot and Lobster Pot Express, which is just a block over from the former. We heard numerous rave reviews about Lobster Pot’s lobster rolls, so even after brunch, we made room in our bellies for one. We headed over to Lobster Pot first, only to find out they had an entirely separate shop for to-go orders. So if you want to grab a lobster roll and sit on the beach as we did, then head to Lobster Pot Express. We ordered a basic hot lobster roll, which came with butter and a mini bag of Cape Cod potato chips. The lobster is market price, so sometimes it’s more expensive depending on, you guessed it, the market. This time the roll was $26, making it the most expensive lobster roll I’ve ever had. I will say that for $26, they did pack that bun full of lobster. I felt like it was packed so full that it was falling out. After smothering it in delicious melted butter, I took a bite and pretty much left my body. The people were right, the lobster rolls at Lobster Pot are heavenly. The lobster is clearly fresh based on the taste, and the toasted buttery bun adds a little crunch that makes it perfect. I think I’m a hot lobster girlie after this one. I like a cold lobster roll, but I don’t know there’s just something about a hot lobster roll with a toasted, buttery bun that did something to me the other one didn’t. In addition to the basic lobster roll, they have a lobster grilled cheese, lobstercado roll, lobster salad roll, and even a lobster rueben! I’ve gotta go back to try some of these other fun sandwiches.
There are, of course, other places to eat on the Cape that I haven’t been to yet, so I will be sure to add more restaurants to this list as I experience them. What are some of your favorite places to eat on Cape Cod?
UPDATED 2026: Unfortunately, a lot of restaurants that were previously in this article have since closed or pivoted to just doing catering and are not open to the public. They’ve been taken out now, but that’s why the list is a little sparse. I’ll be sure to visit more places in the future and update this list. 😊
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