Cape Cod Vacation Food Recap

For those of you who follow our podcast, the Ohio Sports Radio Show you know that I have been talking about my family going on vacation to Cape Cod, Massachusetts for weeks now.   This is a trip that we have been excited to take for months. We usually go to Florida on vacation like every other Midwestern family, but the vacation house we usually rent in Florida was sold, so we decided to throw a curve ball and go somewhere new.   We researched for days before we finally decided to rent a cottage in Dennis Port, MA.   Photo Credit: visitdennis.com   We chose Dennis Port because it is mid-cape and centrally located to the other towns that’s we wanted to visit on our first time down the Cape. From our cottage we could drive all the way up to Provincetown in about an hour. Provincetown is located in the tip of the lower Cape (it’s backwards. The lower Cape is at the top and the upper Cape is at the bottom…just go with it). We could also go down to Falmouth in the upper Cape in about an hour as well.   We ended up loving Dennis Port and the beaches there. If you’re going down the Cape for the first time, I can’t recommend it enough.   We ended up seeing and doing a lot while on Cape Cod, but the thing I was most excited to do was try all of the new restaurants and eat tons of fresh seafood. Here are the 5 best things I had while on the Cape:   5. New York style pizza from Good Eats on 6 in Eastham.       We decided to take the boys up to the drive-in movie theater in Wellfleet to see Inside Out 2 one night (we loved it) and on the way we decided to pick up a pizza for the movie. We did tons of research before deciding on Good Eats on 6 and I’m so glad we picked this place.        The pizza was a perfect New York style pizza. It was perfectly crunchy and cheesy. The sauce was fantastic. It was just a great all around experience and the owner and the entire staff were awesome. We will be back for sure next year.   4. Everything at The Dog House in Dennis Port       As someone from Ohio, hot dogs are near and dear to my heart. When I first read about this place leading up to our vacation, I knew it was a place that I absolutely had to try before leaving. It did not disappoint.   Everything in that picture was FANTASTIC. I ended up going with the Mayflower Beach Dog, which had skin-on fries, melted cheddar, bacon bits and a house-made garlic aioli on it, while my wife went with the West Dennis Beach Dog, which had macaroni and cheese, crispy onions and bacon bits on it. Both of them were crazy good! We ended up getting a side of the Dynamite Fries, which had queso cheese, bacon bits, green onions and sriracha. These were also fantastic.   Everything was cooked perfectly here. We all really enjoyed our meals and the vibes of the place are just fantastic. I cannot recommend The Dog House enough.           3. Everything at Lighthouse Keeper’s Pantry in Yarmouth       We went to quite a few local coffee shops while on the Cape, but Lighthouse Keeper’s Pantry in Yarmouth was by far our favorite place. We ended up going to this spot multiple times and every single time it was a home run.   We ended up getting their Schooner breakfast sandwich, which had homemade egg frittata, cheddar, pork sausage and tomato chutney. It was FANTASTIC. We also got their apricot and apple danish, which was to die for. I have never really been the biggest danish fan, but I’m not lying when I say that I could eat this danish every single day of my life and it wouldn’t be enough. It was so flaky, so buttery, the perfect amount of sweet….just perfection.           This place was fantastic. They had excellent coffee and we really enjoyed the vibes. We sat outside every time and just enjoyed kick-starting our day with some good food/coffee and sunshine. I cannot wait to go back to this place again next year. In the meantime I will be dreaming about that danish.   2. Everything at the Chatham Pier Fish Market       The Chatham Pier Fish Market is an iconic place on the Cape. Everything we read leading up to our vacation said that this place was a “must try” and after trying it, I definitely see what all of the hype is about.   We went to the Chatham Pier Fish Market multiple times during our trip and each time was fantastic. Our first time we had to try the lobster roll and we decided to try the lobster bisque as well.       Both items were incredible. The lobster bisque was the best I’ve ever had by far.   On our next visit we decided to switch it up and try a few different things. We got an order of their famous clam fritters, which were beyond incredible. It was like a hush puppy, but with big chunks of clam in it and they were just so insanely good. I also got an order of their fish and chips and my wife got an order of their fried shrimp.       Everything here was just so, so good. They also have the best fries on the Cape and I don’t think it’s close.   This place is fantastic not only because of the food, but also the views and vibes. The restaurant sits right on the water and you can literally watch the fisherman dock their boats and bring the fresh fish up to the restaurant. It is fantastic and it’s definitely a must try if you visit Cape Cod.       1. Artie’s Famous Italian at Bandera’s Market & Deli in Dennis Port       We ended up going to this place multiple times during our stay. This was easily the single best Italian sandwich I’ve ever had in my life.           I can’t even begin to describe how incredible this sandwich was. The bread was so insanely fresh and baked in house. Everything was cut to order. It was just to die for.   The vibes at Bandera’s Market are incredible. There is a line out the door from open to close and for good reason. Bandera’s Market was voted the best deli in Massachusetts.   If you go to Cape Cod, you have to check this place out. I could eat that Italian sandwich every single day of my life. I will be dreaming about it until next year.       BONUS – Ice Cream       When on vacation you absolutely have to get ice cream. It’s a requirement. The best ice cream experience we had was at Sundae School in Dennis Port. This place does everything old school. My wife and I always got the hot fudge sundae and the best part about it was the handmade whipped cream. It was fantastic.       The best ice cream flavor we tried was from Holy Cow Ice Cream Cafe in Dennis Port.       This place was equally as great, but they really specialized in the unique ice cream flavors. Their Ritzy AF flavor was so insanely good.   Photo credit: North Shore magazine   It was a Salted Butter Cracker ice cream loaded with house-made Ritz Cracker Toffee Bark. This flavor was voted the best ice cream in North America in 2022 by the North American Ice Cream Association. It was so insanely good.   Photo Credit: @ holycowicecreamcafe on Instagram   There are countless other items and restaurants that could have made this list. The Cape is full of so many good restaurants. If you have never been to Cape Cod I cannot recommend the trip enough. It was so relaxing and we had such a fun time. We cannot wait to go back next year.