Here’s a little history lesson for you. A few centuries ago on November 11, 1620, the Mayflower ship made contact with the North American continent, where they initially dropped their anchor on the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in an area that is now known as Provincetown. Though, due to a lack of fresh access and poor agricultural conditions, the Pilgrims packed their bags and sailed across the water to Plymouth, which they are now mostly associated with.
Although Provincetown had been a mere stop in a story from years ago, today, it has become renowned as the gayest town in America. With a deep history of a vibrant community of artists, musicians, and writers, and a beautiful modern culture of celebration and acceptance, P-Town is the perfect place for all kinds of visitors.
Of course, no culture is complete without a unique food scene, so obviously, I had to go there myself and find the best restaurants in town.
The Lobster Pot
No doubt in mind, the place that’s the most often recommended is The Lobster Pot. Based on the name, you could probably guess what this restaurant is known for. The Lobster Pot established its traditions when the McNulty family took over in 1979, with the restaurant having been famously frequented by Anthony Bourdain when he worked there briefly as a dishwasher in the beginning of his career.
Despite the restaurant’s fame, it was only a 30 minute wait for us – which was frankly way shorter than we imagined for a Friday night in pride month – and the service was quick when we were seated. While you wait for your order, the table is provided with the usual warm bread and butter, along with this special pumpkin bread that we probably ate 30 pieces of.
I decided to try the seafood linguine that came with lobster, shrimp, scallops, and pasta in a creamy Newburg sauce. My girlfriend tried the hot lobster roll with butter and my friend got the cold lobster roll.
The seafood linguine was great. The portion was more than enough, the seafood was really fresh, and the pasta was hot and delicious. I definitely recommend this if you want to try the lobster without getting a lobster roll.
That being said, the lobster rolls are definitely amazing there too. The hot lobster roll comes super packed and fresh, and it comes with a side of butter and potato salad (or in our case, we chose fries). I did steal a bite and I can certainly vouch for it being worth a try. The cold lobster roll is made with mayonnaise, scallion, and celery and also comes with a potato salad. I didn’t take a bite of this one, but my friend did say she really enjoyed it.
The Coffee Pot
Right down the street from The Lobster Pot is a conveniently named place called The Coffee Pot. The interior really gives deli or diner vibes. It’s super casual and was a lot less packed than some of the other coffee shops in town. While many people do enjoy the food here as it’s known in town as a burger joint of sorts, I stopped in for only an iced coffee with vanilla syrup and almond milk.
Now, I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to coffee so I did enjoy my drink. It’s by no means the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life, but if you’re looking for something cheap and quick, definitely stop by The Coffee Pot.
John’s Footlong
As the sun set in Provincetown, it got chillier than expected for a summer night. We had been walking around for a while and so when I spotted the words “fried dough” on the outside of this window joint, it felt like I blinked and all of a sudden I was waiting for my dough to be ready.
Honestly, I wish I had a photo but it disappeared too quickly into my mouth for me to even remember to take a picture. Regardless, they had a powdered and cinnamon sugar stand on the side so you could decorate your fried dough however you’d like, and it was perfectly hot and sweet enough for my craving.
Along with fried dough, this place has a bunch of other stuff such as hot dogs, burgers, and some Portuguese specialities. It’s in the middle of town and I really recommend trying it.
Honorable Mentions
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try every single place in Provincetown, but we did walk by a ton of restaurants that looked really interesting. Here are some places that I can’t speak on, but they could be worth a shot.
If you’re looking for drinks, many locals recommend either Joe’s Coffee or 361 Coffee & Espresso Bar for all your coffee cravings. Patio has great indoor and outdoor seating if you’re looking for some classic American food this summer. Post Office Cafe and Cabaret is the perfect spot for an all-day breakfast menu and live entertainment. For all the gleeks, Darren Criss will be there in July! Last but not least, The Squealing Pig is an absolute classic for bar food and drinks.
Anyways, if you’re stopping by Cape Cod at any point, definitely come by Provincetown. The food was great of course, but most importantly, the vibes were immaculate. It’s such a unique town with an incredible culture and I cannot recommend enough walking around there and hitting the local stores and restaurants.