Real Cape Cod places, checked by us — not ranked by algorithms.
Explore what's hereThe Local Directory
Restaurants, cafés, shops, spas, galleries and experiences across Cape Cod and the islands. Each one is visited and photographed in person before it's listed.
177 places in Cape Cod
A Menemsha institution since 1930, The Homeport Restaurant & Oyster Bar is the quintessential Martha's Vineyard waterfront dining experience. Fresh oysters, lobster, and local seafood served on a sunset-facing patio overlooking Menemsha Harbor. BYOB. The kind of meal you plan your whole MV trip around.
Rolling since 2013 at Mashpee Commons, The Lanes Bowl & Bistro reinvents bowling night — ten ten-pin lanes with lane-side wait service, comfy seating, plus bocce, cornhole, and a seasonal outdoor bar. The upscale-casual bistro and full bar keep plates and pints coming, while trivia, music bingo, and live music fill the calendar. Book birthday parties, corporate events, and adult packages. An uncommon bowling experience in the heart of Mashpee.
The Mews is Provincetown's waterfront classic — a onetime 1964 stable grown into a beloved institution, now "reimagined" across two floors. Upstairs, the Bistro keeps it casual with a beachfront view; downstairs, the Beach Level bar's French doors and full-length windows put you practically on the sand. A celebration of the finest local ingredients, crafted with passion.
The Newes from America is a historic pub on Kelley Street in Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard. It is part of Faraway Martha's Vineyard. The pub dates its tradition to 1742 and serves locals all year. The menu is comfort food: French onion soup, creamy pastas, fresh catches and savory sandwiches. Lunch runs noon to 3 p.m. and dinner 4 to 9 p.m., and the bar stays open until 10. Seating is walk-in, first come, first served. Parties of six or more can book ahead, and the pub also hosts events. Cape Cod Certified visited and photographed The Newes in person.
Open daily 6am to 2pm in Mashpee, The Picnic Box is a local-all-the-way breakfast and lunch spot turning out some of the Cape's most raved-about morning plates. Dig into a classic lobster roll, golden fish and chips, hearty sandwiches, and homemade-style home fries served by friendly faces who treat regulars like family. Casual, consistent, and genuinely local, this Mashpee kitchen is where breakfast lovers keep coming back.
Billed as the friendliest pub and cafe on Cape Cod, The Seal in Harwich Center pours from 6am breakfast sandwiches straight through to 1am, anchored by famous fish and chips and golden-fried shrimp, scallops, calamari, and clam fritters. Add hearty chicken nachos, clam chowder, French onion soup, and expertly mixed dirty martinis, then finish with house carrot cake or cheesecake. Comfort food and craft cocktails in the heart of Harwich.
At 47 Main Street in Plymouth, The Speedwell Tavern is comfort food done right, served laid-back and unpretentious. Sink into the South Shore's best wings, Certified Angus smash burgers, steak tips, and chili-loaded house-chip nachos. The craft beer list runs deep with local brews, the cocktails are honest, and live music plus game-day energy fill the room. This Plymouth bar and grill pours craft beer and good times in equal measure.
The Tasty is an upscale-casual New American restaurant in the center of historic Plymouth, earning a loyal following for creative seasonal dishes and a warm, neighborhood-bistro feel. Dishes are ingredient-driven and locally sourced where possible, making this a standout option in a town better known for tourist traps. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.
The Tavern on the Green sits at the Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course in Marstons Mills, offering a casual dining experience with scenic views of the fairways. Serving breakfast and lunch daily, it's a welcoming spot for golfers and non-golfers alike — a relaxed Cape Cod tavern with local character and a comfortable atmosphere. The full bar and outdoor seating make it a pleasant stop any time of day.
The Wharf Restaurant & Pub sits at the foot of Main Street in Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard. The Coogan family has owned and run it since 2004, and it's open year-round. There are three ways in. The Pub is a cozy, wood-paneled bar with 12 beers on tap and the Red Sox on TV. The dining room is the family-friendly side, with booths, big tables, fresh seafood and classic pub favorites. The Back Bar is where the night picks up, with live music, DJs and dance parties. In summer there's entertainment every night; in the off-season the shows move to weekends. Open 7 days a week, 11:30am to 12:30am. Cape Cod Certified visited and photographed The Wharf in person.
You'll find bold, chef-driven sandwiches unlike anything else on Martha's Vineyard at Tigerhawk Sandwich Co., Oak Bluffs' most exciting spot for globally inspired flavors. The menu is built around scratch-made sauces, high-quality ingredients, and inventive combinations — think Korean short rib with gochujang mayo and kimchi, local oyster po'boys, fried chicken hoisin, and porchetta with caper aioli and chimichurri. Everything is crafted fast without cutting corners, making it a favorite for lunch, dinner, and late-night bites. The approachable, counter-service vibe fits perfectly into the Circuit Ave energy, and online ordering makes it easy to skip the line. Whether you're island-hopping for the day or settling in for the summer, Tigerhawk delivers the kind of serious sandwich obsession that earns devoted regulars and well-deserved word-of-mouth buzz across the Vineyard.
Tin Pan Alley is Provincetown's piano bar, patio and dining room rolled into one — live music every night and a kitchen that makes its own sauces, dressings, bread and desserts. The menu runs from baked stuffed cod and a Cape Cod Sampler to flaming tableside saganaki, and the daily appetizer happy hour at the bar is one of town's best standing dates.
Toccopuro is a Martha's Vineyard café at 3 South Water Street in Edgartown. It has a sister café at 45 Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs. It is a handy stop for coffee and a pick-me-up while exploring Edgartown village. Cape Cod Certified visited and photographed Toccopuro in person.
Spice up Sandwich at Tomatillos Southwestern Grill & Tequila Bar on Cotuit Road, where sizzling fajitas, shrimp tacos, and a knockout shrimp-and-lobster quesadilla meet an ocean-deep tequila selection. Sip a hand-shaken margarita, cap the night with fried ice cream, and ride the buzz of Taco Tuesdays, musical bingo, trivia, and weekend live music. Bold Southwestern flavor and Cape Cod nightlife collide in one lively, margarita-soaked Sandwich destination.
Old-school Italian meets modern Italian-American at this Sandwich favorite on Route 130, where Sicilian country cooking and Northern Italian traditions share one generous, fresh-made menu. Expect heaping plates built from healthful ingredients, a welcoming bar, and dishes that satisfy both classic and adventurous appetites. With reservations, take-out, and delivery available, this Sandwich Italian grille and bar serves authentic Cape Cod dining the whole table can savor.
Truro Vineyards pours its wines in a restored 1830s farmhouse on Route 6A in North Truro, with rows of vines behind a white rail fence and picnic tables spread across the lawn. The property is also home to South Hollow Spirits, its on-site distillery, which makes Twenty Boat rum and Dry Line gin in a copper pot still. The Crush Pad by Blackfish serves food on the grounds, so a tasting can easily turn into lunch.
Two cultures, one kitchen: Two Brothers Pizza & Mexican folds Greek-style pan pizza on dough made fresh every morning together with sizzling tacos and burritos at 331 Cotuit Road in Sandwich. Their family's secret sauce and three-cheese blend crown calzones baked golden, while hot pastrami and steak-and-cheese subs ride bakery-fresh rolls. For pizza, Mexican food, and overstuffed sandwiches in Sandwich, these brothers deliver two appetites' worth on every plate.
Van Rensselaer's is a sit-down restaurant and raw bar on Route 6 in South Wellfleet, right across from the turnoff to Marconi Beach and the National Seashore headquarters. The raw bar leads with local Billingsgate oysters and littlenecks, and the dinner menu runs from New England clam chowder ("a house specialty") and lobster cakes to local lobsters, a nightly catch from Chef Derek, and land dishes like prime rib. Their roadside sign sums it up as "Fresh • Local • Land • Sea," with salads and plenty of vegan and gluten-free choices marked on the menu. Dinner starts at 4pm, there's an early appy hour, and Sunday mornings bring breakfast.
Vela's Cedarville shop is a small blue cottage at 2307 State Road in the Cedarville section of Plymouth, easy to find from the striped smoothie-cup sign and the painted Adirondack chairs on the lawn. The juice bar serves fresh juices, smoothies, açaí bowls, wheatgrass, salads, sandwiches, wraps and baked goods, including gluten-free and vegan options, and also makes juice cleanses and cold brew. Inside it's bright and clean, with a few café tables and a wall of Vela merch.
You'll find the kind of unpretentious island charm you didn't know you were looking for at Vineyard's Best Ice Cream & Coffee — a small, cash-only spot near the Oak Bluffs ferry terminal with a covered wraparound porch made for lingering. They scoop Richardson's Home Made Ice Cream (crafted in Middleton, MA), serve Seattle's Best Coffee, and knock out breakfast with MV Bagel Authority bagels, breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, and frappes. It's the perfect stop before or after the ferry — low-key, welcoming, and exactly the kind of place that becomes a morning ritual by the second day of your trip. Grab a seat on the porch, watch the Oak Bluffs foot traffic roll by, and enjoy a breakfast sandwich or a scoop without any fuss. Cash only, ATM on site.
Showing 141–160 of 177 listings
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