Restaurants in Harwich

In 1941, AJ and Rose Bonatt started baking the sweets that would delight the tongues of Harwich Port for generations to come. Whether serving Communion breakfast for Holy Trinity students or perfecting the recipe for their famous meltaway—a horseshoe-shaped pastry kissed with a light touch of icing—the pair won over hearts and mouths with goodies baked using natural, locally sourced ingredients. Originally open only during the summer months, the restaurant now serves the community year-round under the guidance of Alice Bonatt. In addition to their desserts—which include cakes, cupcakes, pies, and more—the eatery slings diner-style bites for breakfast and lunch. Pancakes and french toast help sweet teeth shake off morning grogginess, and lobster salad rolls and bacon cheeseburgers give bodies the strength they need to discover the fish-stick reef hidden at the bottom of Cape Cod.

Clancy's, heralded by Cape Cod Life in 2009 as one of Mid Cape's "Best Family Dining" restaurants, brings its beloved banquet of fresh fare into area homes with its to-go family-style menu. Serve four to six diners desiring bite-sized beef with Clancy's half-pan of choice sirloin-steak tips ($80), or feed the other four members of your Aerosmith tribute band with a half-pan of fettucine alfredo ($40). An array of appetizers is available, including 24 potato skins ($30) or a full pan of boneless buffalo wings ($65). Salads, stir-fry dishes, and baked seafood entrees are also available for bulk buying.

Growing up on a New York dairy farm and rural Maine town, respectively, Sailing Cow Cafe co-owners Robyn Thibodeau and Sandy Jessup were always proud of their landlocked homes, but each longed for the sea. The pair eventually opened their waterside Sailing Cow Cafe in 1998 to serve up the tastiest catches the waters could provide, plus land-raised specialties. Nestled along Nantucket Sound, the eatery concocts breakfast, lunch, and dinner coupled with the fresh sea breeze on its open patio during fair-weather months or inside its protective walls during the rest of the year. During dinner, guests can sup on lobster loaded with a homemade crabmeat stuffing, broiled scallops, or country-classic liver and onions. Live blues, folk, and rock occasionally fill the dining room, while out on the patio guests can enjoy a cocktail as seagulls audition for local bands. Early risers can grab breakfast starting at 7 a.m. or pop in between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to take advantage of lunch specials.

The aromas of hickory-smoked meats and rotisserie sauces spiral upward from the dark, wooden tables at Porky's BBQ and Grill, a haven for lovers of all things barbecue. Here, tangy tastes range from St. Louis–style ribs to Texas-style beef brisket to slow-baked beans culled from the bubbling pit of barbecue sauce that lies under Kansas City. As patrons dig into Southern sides, rustic aluminum siding and tree-trunk poles conjure the atmosphere of a country hideaway. In the winter, Porky’s opens its doors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and serves dinner Thursday–Saturday during the warmer months of May and beyond.

Owner Howie Mallowes set up shop across from the Martha's Vineyard ferry terminal, where his restaurant specializes in infusing New York–style pies with gourmet ingredients such as shrimp, gorgonzola, and steak. Amongst the fresh harbor air, staffers shuttle whole pizzas and single slices to tables of visitors and regulars until the wee hours of 2 a.m. every night. The menu plays host to more than a dozen specialty pizzas such as the Pizans "Soon to be Famous" Clam Pizza, which just signed a three-picture deal with DreamWorks. Pizzas share stomach space with pastas, oven-baked grinders, footlong subs, beer, and wine.

For decades, The Union Chowder House has been a homey respite from the blustering Atlantic winds, dishing up hearty plates of pasta, seafood, and steaks for the South Weymouth community. Classic New England cooking is the star here, with a menu populated by mainstays including chowders, lobster rolls, and fried oysters. Guests will also find specialty pizzas and kids’ options, a people-pleasing move more effective than serving pasta shaped like Tom Brady’s silhouette.