Reviews, raves, slams, and damns.
A lobster in a shoe? Yep, that’s right. A lobster in a shoe. I thought it was a lobster shoe of some kind, but MG corrected me. It is, in fact, a lobster in a shoe. Why a lobster in a shoe? I dunno. I guess sometimes, you just need to have a lobster in your shoe.
Wanna’ see the menu? There it is. No surprises.
I asked the waitress if I should have the lobster bisque or the clam chowder. She recommended the chowder. I am very, very glad that she did. I now have a new favorite chowder on Cape Cod. Next time, I’ll see if I can get them to just bring out the vat. Chunky, slightly briny, creamy, but not too think, it was great.
Sadly, steak tips do not seem to be the forte of any place on Cape Cod. Once again, MG was disappointed. She loved the rice, but found the tips once again, well cooked, but bland.
The corn comes in a husk. Notice the nice little container of melted butter adjoining it on the plate. It was well cooked and very nice.
The Lobster Roll was great. It is filled with plenty of well cooked, but not overcooked, fresh lobster. The Lays potato chips that accompany it aren’t bad, but shouldn’t a place on Cape Cod use Cape Cod Chips? Ahhh… whatever.
The Wooden Shoe is supposed to be a popular spot with locals. I can understand why. The menu is simple, and the small number of things that they do, they do well. The restaurant has a very “no frills” feel. It’s the kind of place that a food makeover show would love. They would gut the interior and leave the menu. Don’t let that deter you. Drop in wearing your casual clothes and enjoy a drink and good meal.
The Wooden Shoe
419 Lower County Road
Dennis Port, MA 02639
508-394-6431
(Google Map)
Spanky’s is a pretty popular place. Granted, I was there on a day and during the hours that they were not too busy, cause that’s just how I roll, but I could tell. They have their own custom T-shirts, a huge stack of paging devices to tell you when your table is ready, two hostesses ready to seat you, and plenty of waitstaff for the indoor dining, outdoor dining, and bar. Furthermore, Spanky’s is located in a harbor.
I’ve never been a proponent of boats. I’m not saying that I disapprove of them as a means of transport, but it has never been my desire to own a schooner, yacht, ship, or any other sort of maritime vessel. However, many people love to be anywhere that they can gaze upon ships. Some enjoy the activity more when at a bar. Come to think of it, maybe the bar is where the ship owners, and ship desirers meet. Oh well, enough speculation. Onto the food.
The Onion Rings are amazing. They are crisp. They are meaty. The shell is gluten free (made with cornstarch). The onion tastes fresh. There is no excess oil. They are the zenith of onion rings. Ok… maybe I am going a little overboard, but they are really, really good.
Sadly, the Steak Tip Salad did not fare quite as well. MG pronounced the lettuce “tinny”. While the steak was well cooked, it left something to be desired in the way of seasoning. MG ended up eating the steak with a healthy dose of salt, pepper, and steak sauce. She ate it mostly without the lettuce, but with the cucumbers, peperoncini, and other salad accoutrement.
Our waitress was Gina. She was great. She took MG’s order first, which is a great quality. I’m a big believer in ladies ordering first. When MG told her about the tinny lettuce, Gina was mortified. She tried her best to make it right, from offering us drinks to dessert, but we were OK at that point. However, her efforts should not go unmentioned. Ask to be seated in her section. She will treat you right.
The Lobster Roll, as you can see, is absolutely bursting and overstuffed with lobster. The lobster was not anything amazing, but that is the beauty of lobster. It just needs a little salt, and maybe a touch of lemon, and it tastes wonderful. The accompanying french fries were pretty good. The pickle slices were especially nice.
Stop in a for a drink. Have the onion rings. Watch the boats. Who doesn’t like the restaurant that sports a happy clam?
Spanky’s Clam Shack and Seaside Saloon
138 Ocean St #115,
Hyannis Port, MA 02601
508-771-2770
(Google Map)
Ahhh…. the joy of a good crepe. They can be used as receptacles for many different ingredients, but I tend to stay with items that go well with pancakes and waffles. That’s why I decided to get the Peanut Butter and Jelly crepe.
What you see is not exceptionally large, nor is it small. It’s a pleasant proportion, and the price ($7.95) isn’t bad for a high traffic, high tourist area like Main Street in Hyannis on Cape Cod. The crepe is nice. It is not the magical crepe of a certain Ybor City creperie, but they were not the throwaway tasteless trash of many a street fair. The powdered sugar is a nice touch, and the folks at the shop are good enough to ask if you would like it before making the addition.
As you can see, the innards of the crepe are sufficient without bursting. The peanut butter is standard supermarket fare. The jelly was grape and good, but nothing amazing. Overall, a nice crepe, but nothing to run for at top speed.
MG was overjoyed that they offer Gluten Free Crepes. At least, she was overjoyed until she tried a bite. It was horrible. It has the texture and taste of a stale corn tortilla. If you need a crepe sans gluten look elsewhere. Lack of gluten is not worth the horror that this crepe will impart to your palate.
Now, I am not writing this to be unkind. MG has been gluten free for nearly a year. It can be tough finding accommodations and alternates, and I am always very appreciative of the businesses that offer options. These options can run the gamut from exceptional to awful. Few are the exceptional, occasional are the awful, but very often, they are fair. This time, sadly, it was just bad.
The innards were very nice and very plentiful. MG got blueberries, strawberries, and if my memory serves correctly, honey. She loved the fillings, but she said, “I should have just cheated,” (meaning gotten the crepe filled with gluten).
The Rendez Vous Cafe is a nice spot. They have a juice bar, plenty of coffees, and the main dining area is big and open. There are plenty of tables and a few couches, and it appears to be a popular spot for the brunch crowd. If you are in the mood for a crepe, definitely stop in, but avoid the GF option.
Rendez Vous Cafe – Creperie Meeting Place
394 Main Street
Hyannis, MA, 02601
508-827-4449
(Google Map)
The funny thing about the Seaside Pub on Main is that it looks very different from what you would expect upon seeing the menu. The pub itself is simply that, a pub. It looks like a sports bar. A nice sports bar. A clean sports bar, but a sports bar nonetheless.
That’s actually part of the charm. They are serving a menu that is a little above standard pub fare, or maybe you could call it pub fare especial, but the atmosphere is chill. You can watch the game and enjoy a gluten free delight.
MG had the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. She got it on a Gluten Free bun, with bacon, onions, and goat cheese. The chicken is well done, not dry, and pretty well seasoned. I can’t really speak to the goat cheese as I can’t stand the stuff, but MG liked it. The bacon was thin, really thin. It is more essence of bacon than bacon.
The sweet potato fries that MG opted for were very nice. They were crisp, tasty, and properly salted.
I went with one of the specials. It was two lobster rolls in pretzel buns topped with bacon. Lobster and bacon? I wasn’t sure, but decided to live on the edge. I got it with their Loaded French Fries option.
My suspicions were confirmed. I do not believe that lobster should be paired with bacon. The bacon sort of overpowers the shellfish. I just ate the bacon as an appetizer. As for the pretzel bun with lobster… the pretzel is a little too hefty for delicate lobster meat. It wasn’t bad, but given the option, I would go with the more traditional lobster bun. The pretzel buns would be an awesome vessel for bratwurst or some other porky cased meat. The lobster itself was sufficient. Nothing amazing, but pretty good.
The Loaded fries are covered with Parmesan Cheese and Truffle Oil. I was absolutely delighted by them. I could not stop shoving them into my mouth. I would label them a must order.
Seaside Pub is definitely a great option for a bite. For the extremely gluten sensitive, they keep separate friers to ensure that there is no cross contamination. Give them a shot, especially if you want to watch the game.
Seaside Pub on Main
615 Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
508-815-4517
(Google Map)
Eat It, Damn It! 