Best Restaurants on Cape Cod

Cape Cod’s food is the Atlantic Ocean on a plate — lobster rolls, fried clams, raw oysters, and fish so fresh it was swimming that morning. The best restaurants here range from roadside shacks with picnic tables to white-tablecloth spots overlooking the harbor.

Clam Shacks & Seafood

Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar (Eastham) — The most famous clam shack on the Cape. Fried whole-belly clams, lobster rolls, and raw bar. Outdoor picnic table seating. Cash preferred. Lines are long in summer and worth every minute.

The Lobster Pot (Provincetown) — Waterfront institution at the tip of the Cape. Lobster in every form — boiled, baked, stuffed, bisque, roll. The bouillabaisse is excellent. Commercial Street location with harbor views.

Captain Frosty’s (Dennis) — Drive-up window, picnic tables, and fried seafood plates that locals rank among the best on the Cape. The fish and chips and the fried clam strips are outstanding.

PB Boulangerie Bistro (Wellfleet) — A legitimate French bakery and bistro in a Cape Cod village. Croissants, breads, and pastries baked fresh daily, plus a full French dinner menu. Improbable and excellent.

Lobster Rolls

The Cape Cod lobster roll debate: warm with drawn butter (Connecticut style) or cold with mayo (Maine style)?

Mac’s Seafood (multiple locations) — Fresh lobster rolls, fish tacos, and raw bar. The Wellfleet location has a waterfront deck.

Sesuit Harbor Café (Dennis) — Waterfront, sunset views, and an excellent lobster roll. BYOB.

Spanky’s Clam Shack (Hyannis) — Generous lobster rolls and fried seafood on the harbor.

Fine Dining

Chillingsworth (Brewster) — The most acclaimed restaurant on the Cape. French-American tasting menu in a historic 1689 house. Elegant, seasonal, and worth the splurge.

The Red Inn (Provincetown) — Harbor views, creative seafood, and cocktails at the tip of the Cape.

Raw Bars & Oysters

Wellfleet oysters are legendary — briny, plump, and harvested from the cold Cape Cod Bay waters.

The Wellfleet Oyster Bar — Oysters from the harbor, served steps from where they grew. Shucked to order.

Catch of the Day (Wellfleet) — Fish market and raw bar. Buy a pint of oysters and eat them on the deck.

→ Cape Cod Fun Things To Do → Cape Cod Timeshare Promotions