Mattakeese Wharf Waterfront Restaurant

We selected this restaurant from the menus in the «recommended» pile from the Inn we stayed at. I ordered the roasted half chicken with pan jus, what I got was a chicken breast with orange goop on it. My hubby ordered the flat iron steak which was supposed to come with onions & a veg, he only got French fries. My sister ordered the pan roasted vegetables over pasta which had one solitary veg and no cheese and was a greasy mess. Save your money and eat anywhere else.

I live on the Cape year round and I’m comfortable in saying that the majority of restaurants on the Cape are mediocre and overtly designed to trap unsuspecting tourists with fast-​food-​like fare at inflated prices. Mattakeese WWR, is unique, however. This restaurant stands above all others as one of the biggest tourist traps for several hundred miles in all directions. Make a reservation and you’ll still have to wait. Get to your table, wait 20 minutes and then plead with a passing busboy to find a waitperson. The waitperson will eventually show up without apology. Order food and then set your watch because she won’t be back for 40 minutes. When she deigns to show herself, it will be to say the food will be right out. Sadly, she won’t be back for at least another 20 minutes or more (I can’t be sure because I never saw her again). At that point, you decide a can of beans back home would be mighty tasty about now. So, what do you do? You leave. Hungry. Not only we never got anything resembling «service,» but we also never got any food. Don’t forget a couple of bucks for the guy who parked your car because valet parking is the only option. The place is on the waterfront but the view is not as nice as seeing the back of the shacks on Cannery Row. The sun sets, which in reputable places would be nice to see, but the sun blasts through the dining room, burning your retinas and creating a haze of strange-​looking floaters. The entire dining room was squinting like one giant eyeball. If, despite all, you decide to try this joint, bring ear plugs because it’s freaking loud. I’m tempted to say this place is overpriced but to be fair I would have had to have eaten some food to decide that with any certainty. I was about to award MWWR as the worst Cape restaurant of 2015 but I thought it deserved more. As we passed the line of poor suckers lined up to go inside, I noticed the same faces that were there an hour before. Yep, this is the worst restaurant I have ever been to on this and two other continents in every decade I have been alive. It’s just that bad. I’ll close by saying the place was very busy (holiday weekend). Apparently the people who run the front and back of the restaurant were so surprised that people might want to eat there that they couldn’t handle it. Maybe it’s because they are stunningly incompetent. Hard to tell.

We went here on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. They were busy, so we stayed in the bar area. Service was great, very friendly and prompt. They had live entertainment, a duo that was a good style for the place. Not too loud, you could still have a conversation. Will be back for a sunset dinner soon.

Food is alright. The atmosphere is naturally great. During the daytime there are no lights on other than in the hall, natural light fills the bar room and dining areas. This restaurant has the potential to be amazing. However, while sitting at the bar I couldn’t help but notice a few major downfalls. The music is a pop station, I’m in my 20s and still find pop/​rap inappropriate for a dining or casual bar experience. I like Eminem, but not when I’m trying to relax with a Bloody Mary. The bloody was watery, came with a tasteless shrimp, and I was eager to be done with it after a long day at work.
The Cape Cod Red on tap was cold, thankfully. Did notice the Yinglings on tap as well, hate seeing this beer taking over Quality local taps… but that’s another story. The bartender was OK. I asked him what kind of vodka he had and instead of listing them for me he said «anything you would want.» I really just wanted to know my options… so I went with the bar vodka.
A gentleman next to me inquired about striped bass. The bartender went to the kitchen to inquire, returned with a reply of it being a dinner special, ready at 4:30 (current time was 4:10). He asked the man if he wanted it now (clearly that’s why he inquired) so he went back to kitchen only to return with the answer he had just provided, as well as being unsure of how it would be prepared.
More than anything, the waitress retrieving a wine glass for the bartender by putting her thumb inside the glass turned me off. Unnecessary and inappropriate. Couldn’t recommend this place to anyone in good conscience unless they wanted to grab a beer with a breeze.

Absolutely the best restaurant in Barnstable, possibly in Cape Cod.
I had the Pasta Livorno Sauteed scallops, jumbo shrimp, lobster, marsala, fresh tomato, & roasted garlic, finished with a shrimp and lobster broth, served over fedilini.
Excellent!!!