Woods Hole
Candy & Go Nuts Luscombe Ave. 508-548-1758. Assorted candy, ice cream, fudge. Open only in summer.
Captain Kidd Restaurant 77 Water St. 508-548-9206, lunch/dinner, bar ($5-$15). The best burgers in Falmouth ($5-6). The clam chowder is usually very good. Twelve beers on tap, ranging from Budweiser to Guinness. Great view of Eel pond with a wood-burning stove in the winter. It's a "parent place", but it can get noisy in the evenings. Open year around. http://www.thecaptainkidd.com
Coffee Obsession (Coffee O): 2 Water St. Woods Hole, corner of Water St. and Luscombe Ave. 508-540-2233. One of two coffee shops in Woods Hole village (the other is Pie in the Sky), and home of coffee, coffee drinks, tea, etc. They also have baked goods (not made in-house, though), gelato (during the summer), and a selection of juices and sodas. Free wireless internet, a public access computer and printer, coin-operated laundry, jewelry and pottery and some other souvenir-type things for sale. You can get an in-house card to earn free coffees and keep a tab. They occasionally have Jazz nights to stay open later, so keep your eyes peeled for flyers. There’s sometimes Jazz on Sundays in the Summer, too. www.coffeeobsession.com
Fishmonger's Cafe 56 Water St. 508-540-5376 breakfast/lunch/dinner, bar ($5-$20). Nice atmosphere, good food. One of the better sit-down lunch spots in the Hole. Lunch prices are very reasonable but dinners tend to be a bit pricy. Fishmonger's has real New England charm, complete with views of the Woods Hole drawbridge and the Hole itself. Good for both locals and tourists. Definitely a "parent place". Closed on Tuesdays during the winter. Has a 10% WHOI discount (you have to ask for it). Trivia Wednesday nights (except summer). www.fishmongercafe.com
Woods Hole Market 87 Water St. 540-4792 Sandwiches, soups, pizza. Small grocery-type store. If you walk through the store you can eat at tables on Eel Pond. Open year round, 7am - 7pm M - F.
Jimmy's Luscombe Ave. 508-540-6823, lunch ($3-$5). Sandwich and ice cream shop. Fairly cheap. Open only in summer. jimmyswoodshole.weebly.com
Landfall 2 Luscombe Ave. 508-548-1758, lunch/dinner, bar ($5-$18). Steak, lobster, etc. Good place to go with parents (dinner entrees $15-30). On Monday nights during the summer, prepare for "Monday Night Madness," a dancefest with one dance list for the summer and on Thursdays, go swing dancing. Open only during the summer. Good happy hour 4-6pm (featuring $0.25 "fish bites") - discontinues after July 4th. Local tip: The immediate waterfront that bounds the Landfall to seaward is a state-owned public dock. Access is via an alleyway to the left of the Landfall as you're looking at the front of the restaurant. Locals have been known to bring their own beverages for consumption on the dock, much to the chagrin of the Landfall management. www.woodshole.com/landfall/
Leeside Bar & Grill 29 Luscombe Ave. 508-548-9744 A local's bar with plenty of loud 70's and 80's rock and rowdy patrons. Now owned by the Captain Kidd, caused much angst in recent years when it almost became a McDonald's.
On the Waterfront Dining Room at the Captain Kidd 508-548-8563, dinner ($10-$30). Fine dining featuring traditional cuisine. Dinner here is more expensive than at the Kidd next door. Open only in summer from 6 to 11 pm.
Pie in the Sky 10 Water St. 508-540-5475, breakfast/lunch ($4-10). Open until 9pm in the winter. Your only reliable bet for a late-night meal or sandwich in the WH off-season. Great for pastries, sandwiches, etc. -- spanikopita, roll ups, variety of soups (the clam chowder is always good but not always available). Coffee, espresso, cappuccino. Vegan cookies! Day-old pastries (usu. 3 for $1.61) are located in the giant coffee mug at the back window. www.woodshole.com/pie/
Quick's Hole 6 Luscombe Ave. 508-495-0792. Seafood (and other) burritos, tacos. A bit pricey, but tasty. Beer, wine, sangria. Only open in summer 11am - 10pm. www.quicksholewickedfresh.com
Phusion Grille 71 Water St. 457-3100. $$$, go with your parents. Open only in summer. +www.phusiongrille.com/+ (http://www.phusiongrille.com/)
Shucker's 91a Water St. 540-3850. Fresh local seafood, raw bar, lobster, etc. www.woodshole.com/shuckers/index.html
Between Woods Hole and Falmouth (up to Main St. & Off Main Street)
Cape Cod Bagel 419 Palmer Ave, 508-548-8485, 6:30am - 5:30pm, free wifi. This is the place that supplies buffins, but they also have other pastries and sandwiches. Take-out or sit-down cafe with patio outdoor seating. Popular with locals.
Clam Shack 227 Clinton Ave, 508-540-7758. Standard deep-fried seafood, not exactly a bargain despite "shack" atmosphere, but nice views of Falmouth harbor from outdoor seating.
Coffee Obsession 110 Palmer Ave., Falmouth 540-2233. Open 6:30am - 9pm The only honest to goodness coffee shop (in the 90's sense of the word) in Falmouth. Coffee, coffee drinks, muffins, etc. Also a good source for coffee and tea paraphenalia.
Grumpy's Pub 29 Locust St, 508-540-3930. They only have beer, but there's an okay selection. There is often live music on the weekends. Make sure you grab tickets to avoid a cover-charge from CoffeeO or Pie in the village. Coin-op pool and air hockey.
Persy's Place 40 N Main St, 508-540-3500. The restaurant attached to Inn on the Square. Decent brunch. http://persysplace.com/
Main St. Falmouth
Añejo Mexican Bistro and Tequila Bar 188 Main St., Falmouth Ma. (508) 388-7631 Standard if a little expensive Mexican food. Big margaritas, and a truly impressive selection of tequila. During the winter offers 50% off appetizers during happy hour. The sunday brunch is excellent and is a much better value than the lunch/dinner menu.
Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium Main and Walker Streets, Falmouth 548-7878 One of the finest local sweet shops in Falmouth. Ben and Bill's has several flavors of home-made ice cream - including the esoteric "Lobster and Butter" flavor with real lobster meat - and hundreds of hand-made candies.
Betsy's Diner 457 Main St., Falmouth 540-0060 B/L/D open every day at 5:00 am. Typical diner fare in a classic 1957 Mountain View Diner. A popular breakfast spot with inexpensive to moderate prices. Excellent, speedy service with a great wait staff. Open year round.
C Salt Bar & Grille 75 Davis Straits, Falmouth 774-763-2954 summer hours: 5-10pm. Entrees $25-35. Wine by the half bottle ($23-99) or bottle ($40-180). http://www.csaltfalmouth.com/
Dairy Queen 839 Main St., Falmouth 540-0669 Open only in summer. Ice cream, shakes, burgers and more.
DJ's Wings 882 Main St. Sports bar with extensive selection of wings. There are a million tv screens, so this is the place to watch games for your obscure hometown team.
Dunkin Donuts Main St., Falmouth Donuts, coffee, bagels.
Friendly's 5 Davis Straits Rd., Falmouth 548-2361. Open year round. Caters to the family crowd looking for a fast and inexpensive meal.
Ghelfi's Candies of Cape Cod 878 Main St. 508-457-1085 and Falmouth Mall 508-457-1123. Candies and chocolates.
Glass Onion 37 N Main St, 508-540-3730. Impress your date with the size of your wallet. The food is good, though.
Golden Swan 323 Main St., Falmouth. 508-540-6580. Falmouth's only Indian restaurant, takeout available.
La Cucina Sul Mare 237 Main St, 508-548-5600, website. Expensive Italian.
Liam McGuire's Irish Pub 273 Main St., Falmouth 548-0285 D Bar Live music $6-$12. Serves an "Irish breakfast", and burgers and fish and chips as well as wings and other bar food. The food is pretty good. They have Guiness, Bass, Harp, and other imports on tap. Great place to go for a few drinks with some friends, and there is live music Thursday nights year round. Closed Monday and Tuesday nights in winter. They have other bands from time to time as well. Has a smoking section.
Main St. Deli 271 Main St., Falmouth 548-7953 lunch/dinner $5-$15. They don't deliver, but they will prepare a pizza for you to pick up and cook at home. Vegetarians will love the "Nature's Treat" while flesh-eaters are sure to enjoy "the Branch". "The Greek" is also quite tasty. They serve sandwiches as well, and have assorted chips, drinks, and bottled beer. It's a nice casual place to hang out. Does this still exist?
Maison Villatte (aka the French Bakery) 267 Main St., Falmouth (774) 255-1855 Easily the best pastries in the area and the only authentic French boulangerie/patisserie within 50 miles (Wellfleet), also they serve espresso. If you come at peak brunch hours on weekends, you will inevitably have to fight in line for your pastries, but they are well worth the wait.
Mary Ellen's Portuguese Bakery 829 Main St, behind Dairy Queen, 508-540-9696. Best value for a traditional breakfast in Falmouth. More greasy spoon than Betsy's and cheaper than other brunch options in town. The food is decent, and they have some bakery items for sale.
Min's Kitchen 352 Main St, 508-495-3388. Chinese.
Osteria La Civetta 133 Main St, 508-540-1616. Italian. A place to take parents or a date you want to impress. Excellent food, but it's expensive.
Paul's Pizza & Seafood 14 Benham Rd., Falmouth 548-5838 year-round, dinner only, closed Monday and Tuesday. Seafood, hot sandwiches, 28 types of pizza (crispy crust, 10" only) Local family style atmosphere, inexpensive to moderate prices. Takeout available.
Peking Palace 452 Main St., Falmouth, 508-540-8204, lunch/dinner, bar ($5-$12). The best Chinese restaurant in Falmouth. The atmosphere and service are good. Try the tangy cabbage or Peking ravioli, special sesame shrimp, lemon chicken, and Peking eggplant. They have an unbelievable drink menu. They also deliver, and are open until 2 am in the summer, and in the winter to midnight on weeknights and 1 am on weekends.
The Pickle Jar 170 Main St, 508-540-6760, 7am-3pm (closed Tuesday). Excellent brunch (try the pastrami hash or blueberry muffin french toast). http://www.picklejarkitchen.com/
Pies A La Mode 352 Main St, 508-540-8777.
Stone L'Oven 271 Main St., Falmouth, MA. 508-548-1222. You can't stay on the cape very long before eating some of their pizza. The fig and prosciutto is a perennial favorite.
The Quarterdeck 164 Main St., Falmouth 508-548-9900, lunch/dinner, bar, ($10-$20). Standard sandwiches, burgers, and seafood. Even more so than everywhere else, packed with tourists in the summer.
Starbucks 11 Davis Straits (Falmouth Plaza parking lot). Has a drive-thru.
Steve's Pizzeria 374 Main St, 508-457-9454, website.
Beyond Main St. Falmouth
British Beer Company (BBC) 263 Grand Ave, 508-540-9600. Trivia and 2-for-1 pizza Tuesday nights (except summer). Great relaxed atmosphere, right on Falmouth Heights beach, a local favorite.
Chapoquoit Grill 410 W Falmouth Hwy, Falmouth. Classy place on 28A in Sippewissett serving an electric array of Mediterranean-Italian dishes. Somewhat pricey; a great date place or excellent place to take your parents. Good wine list. Not to be missed: The fried calamari appetizer. Wood-fired pizzas are also excellent, and can be ordered for take-out. http://www.chapoquoitgrill.com/
Coonamessett Farm 277 Hatchville Rd, E Falmouth; (508) 563-2560. On Wednesday nights in the summer Coonamesset Farm offers a Jamaican Buffet for $21.95. Enjoy dinner in the garden and BYOB. Don't miss the Farm Dinners on Friday nights, also $21.95.
Coonamessett Inn 311 Gifford St, 508-548-2300. Excellent all-you-can-eat brunch (Sun 11am-2pm). It's expensive (~$25/person) so go hungry, but worth doing at least once.
Crabapples 553 Palmer Ave, 508-548-3355, 7:30am-9pm. Really tasty, an under-appreciated brunch option. Lots of families on weekends. Open year-round.
Dana's Kitchen 881 Palmer Ave, 508-540-7906. Delicious deli-style sandwiches and pastries, lovely atmosphere with outdoor seating. Open year-round. http://www.danas-kitchen.com/
Homeport Sushi 316 Gifford St (enter through Homeport parking lot on Jones Rd - tiny sign visible from street), 508-540-0886. Pretty good sushi for Cape Cod.
Seafood Sam's 350 Palmer Ave, 508-540-7877. Do not go here.
Subway 236 Teaticket Hwy. The sandwich chain. There is also a Subway in the Falmouth Mall Walmart.
Supreme Pizza 147 Teaticket Hwy. Not as good as Steve's or Stone L'Oven on Main St.