If you’re going out for lunch while vacationing on the Cape, there’s a good chance you’ll end up somewhere with a lobster roll on the menu. After all, very few dishes encompass all that is Cape Cod like lobster mixed with mayonnaise on a bun.
Those with a vacation rental in Harwich are in luck when searching for lobster rolls because numerous restaurants in town serve their own take on this regional delicacy.
Here’s a look at the top five places to pick up a lobster roll in Harwich, Massachusetts.
1) George’s Place Fish Market
Although George’s Place Fish Market isn’t necessarily a restaurant, you can grab some pre-made menu items like clam chowder, lobster bisque, fried clams, and, of course, lobster rolls.
George’s lobster roll comes with a generous serving of locally-caught lobster meat and mayo served on a croissant. You can also make it a meal by adding potato chips, coleslaw, and a drink.
You can even pick up some fresh lobster, shrimp, scallops, swordfish, and many other seafood items to take back to your vacation rental with you. All of this comes together to make George’s Place a must-stop location on Harwich’s Main Street.
2) Brax Landing Restaurant
Right on the water in Harwich Port is Brax Landing, a popular local eatery with a diverse menu featuring soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, chicken, steak, and seafood. There’s a kid’s menu, too, should you show up with the whole family.
The lobster roll at Brax Landing features a large helping of lobster meat mixed with mayo and celery on a sizable bun. It also comes with your choice of fries or potato chips, although you can substitute sweet potato fries or onion rings for an additional fee.
As a bonus, you can enjoy your lobster roll on the restaurant’s patio, which overlooks the water and creates a quintessential Cape Cod dining environment.
3) Hot Stove Saloon
From the outside, the Hot Stove Saloon doesn’t look like a place to grab a lobster roll. After all, it’s a baseball-themed pub that, from outward appearances, doesn’t seem like it would have a diverse menu.
However, writing the Hot Stove Saloon off would be a mistake, as this bar offers burgers, sandwiches, pizza, ribs, seafood plates, wings, soup, and salads from its Main Street location in Harwich Port.
The eatery’s lobster roll is one of the more popular items on the menu. The reason? It comes with over a half-pound of lobster claw and knuckle meat that’s served with shredded lettuce on a croissant. The sandwich is delicious and reason enough to visit this small Harwich pub.
4) Jake Rooney’s Family Restaurant
Another lobster roll spot in Harwich Port is Jake Rooney’s, a family restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere and a cozy fireplace known as a live music venue. The restaurant sits on Brooks Road, just off Main Street, so it’s easily accessible from most Harwich neighborhoods.
The menu at Jake Rooney’s has a little bit of everything, as you can get steak, chicken, ribs, seafood, soups, salads, tacos, pizza, and sandwiches. You’ll find prime rib specials every weekend and weekly dinner specials, as well.
As for the lobster roll, it arrives with a massive helping of claw and knuckle meat on a toasted bun with a bed of shredded lettuce. It comes with rice, coleslaw, or fries, and you can substitute onions rings or sweet potato fries at an additional cost.
5) The Weatherdeck
Finally, there’s a great lobster roll at The Weatherdeck, a family restaurant that’s a full-on destination to visit during the summer. That’s because, in addition to its great menu featuring burgers, chicken, soups, salads, seafood, and kid’s meals, the restaurant has a mini-golf course and an ice cream shop.
If you’re visiting the Cape with kids, stopping for a meal at The Weatherdeck can provide you with hours of entertainment, and as a bonus, you’ll get to try their famous lobster roll for lunch or dinner.
The lobster roll here comes on a bun with lettuce. Keep in mind that the sandwich costs a bit less than other places on this list, but it doesn’t come with any sides. However, you can add fries, onions rings, coleslaw, clam chowder, jalapeno poppers, crab cakes, or chicken wings to your order for a small fee.
Some of the Best Lobster Rolls on Cape Cod
Harwich is a great place to make your home base on your Cape Cod vacation because you’ll have access to beaches, biking and hiking trails, marinas, and family-friendly activities. Other parts of the Cape are also easily accessible from Harwich because Route 28 runs through the heart of town and the Mid-Cape Highway is simple to reach from North Harwich.
The dining scene in Harwich is also notable because there is a high saturation of wonderful restaurants within minutes of each other, including some great places to sample Cape Cod’s famous lobster rolls.
You really can’t go wrong selecting a vacation rental in Harwich because there’s something for everyone in this town with about 12,000 residents on the Lower Cape.
