Rooftop at Pelham House Resort a USA TODAY’s best restaurant: Video
Take a look inside Rooftop at Pelham House Resort in Dennis Port, Mass., named one of USA TODAYs best restaurants for 2025.
We started with 16, and hundreds of votes later we’re done to eight in our Cape Cod waterfront dining bracket.
The advantage in Cape Cod being a peninsula is there are views aplenty which means the hardest part can be picking where to go. With locals and tourists alike looking the most idyllic Cape Cod views with their breakfast, lunch or dinner, we thought we would put it to a vote. Winner gets bragging rights.
It’s time to narrow the field down further. Voting in the first round will go through Wednesday, April 2 at midnight. People can vote once a day.
Pearl Restaurant & Bar vs. Brax LandingPearl Restaurant & Bar, 250 Commercial St., Wellfleet, 508-349-2999, wellfleetpearl.com
It’s not summer until you have had New England Shrimp and Grits on the Pearl’s deck overlooking Wellfleet Harbor. The website says the seasonal restaurant will reopen May 8.
Brax Landing Restaurant, 705 Route 28, Harwich Port, 508-432-5515, braxrestaurant.com
Brax Landing Restaurant, overlooking Saquatucket Harbor, is open daily year round, featuring classic seafood dishes including a seafood platter served either broiled or fried. The busy bar has a drum grinding ice into a frozen slush for a steady supply of margaritas and other frozen drinks.
The Ocean House vs. Tree House BrewingThe Ocean House, 425 Old Wharf Road, Dennis Port, 508-394-0700, oceanhouserestaurant.com
The seasonal Ocean House reopens April 9, but don’t tarry getting a reservation as those oceanfront window seats tend to go quickly with some people booking July vacations in April. The menu is Asian-influenced seafood, with a few dishes for landlubbers.
Tree House Brewing ― Cape Cod, 98 Town Neck Road, Sandwich, 413-523-2367, treehousebrew.com
The menu is limited ― pizza year round and lobster rolls in the summer — but the view is stunning at Tree House Brewing, overlooking Cape Cod Bay. You can also order beer to go. Check out the website before visiting.
The Chart Room vs. Fishermen’s ViewThe Chart Room, in Kingman Yacht Center, 1 Shipyard Lane, Cataumet, 508-563-5350, chartroomcataumet.com
The Chart Room first opened in 1966 on board a converted turn-of-the-century New Jersey Central Railroad barge to feed people coming to Cataumet Marina, according to the history on its website. The dinner menu is extensive with more than 50 wines and a score of cocktails, including one with non-alcoholic tequila. Lunch menu is just what you would want on a boat, including clam cakes and cheese and crackers with house-made cheese.
Fishermen’s View, 20 Freezer Road, Sandwich, 508-591-0088, fishermensview.com
Fishermen’s View has a horseshoe-shaped upper and lower deck that allows diners to drink in a 270-degree view of the Cape Cod Canal and Sandwich Marina. As expected, the menu is seafood heavy, with an entire page of sushi and sashimi selections. Described as a sea-to-table restaurant, Fishermen’s View is open year round and changes its menu seasonally.
Sesuit Harbor Cafe vs. Mattakeese Wharf Waterfront Seafood RestaurantSesuit Harbor Cafe, 357 Sesuit Neck Road, Dennis, 508-385-6134, sesuit-harbor-cafe.com
Known for its cold and hot lobster rolls, as well as lobster boiled dinners, Sesuit Harbor Cafe overlooks Northside Marina and Cape Cod Bay. Cafe food is also served on the sightseeing boat offering lunch and dinner cruises.
Mattakeese Wharf Waterfront Seafood Restaurant, 273 Millway, Barnstable, 508-362-4511, mattakeese.com
A summer staple since 1968, Mattakeese Wharf Restaurant (opening for 2025 in May) has been a family-style place where teens get first jobs working hard while making a lifetime of memories. Located on the water, off Route 6A in Barnstable Village, it is one of Cape Cod’s oldest restaurants, serving baked and fried seafood, as well as hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and house-made potato chips.
Gwenn Friss is the editor of CapeWeek and covers entertainment, restaurants and the arts. Contact her at gfriss@capecodonline.com. Join the Cape Cod Times free Facebook group, Good Stuff at Cape Cod Restaurants, to share tips and participate in food polls.
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