Bistro On Main

4^th time here and finally a review. So glad Vinings came down to street level! And expanded with raw bar. Just sat at regular bar tonight, with one cocktail and poke appetizer. Really pretty. Great. Here last summer with family for lunch, husband for dinner, and other solo bar adventure. All good. Loved Thai mussels last summer. And nice lunch menu. Wanted to sit at raw bar side tonight, but all taken. Looked lively and fun. Regular side a bit calmer, but nice conversation with other bar stool takers. Very good experience.

When we first sat down we thought the place seemed stuffy and old, but the food was delicious! Lots of garlic and flavor. Really fresh. The clams were fabulous (on pasta and as a dish on its own). Great, classic, seafood.

By far the best oysters in Chatham. Large, meaty and briney just the way I like em.
The grass fed burger left much to be desired and was unevenly cooked. The garlic Parmesan French fries were good.
Those at the table who had the clam chowder said it was the best they had. Lobster bisque was ok.
Service was ok. A little inattentive as far as water refills went. Bloody Mary was 90% tomato juice and no vodka.

Good food and good service. Everything we ate here was great and fresh. Will be back! Thank you!

Cozy spot, which had been extended over the years; nice addition — The Raw Bar. Fresh seafood, great menu with plenty of options, outdoor seating available in warmer days. Food is flavorful, that type which you never get tired of.

This is an average to above average spite in Chatham. The plus is it is on Main Street and has buckets of parking. They have outdoor seating in the summer too. Great big honking bar in the restaurant as well. Lots of fresh shellfish at their raw bar. It is completely local in terms of its origin. The prices are pretty reasonable for Chatham and you will see locals eating there as well. While the location is great, the space is more office than restaurant. Low ceilings with crummy ceiling tiles really reck what could be an intimate and fun spot. The chef also believes that garlic is the only seasoning in his kitchen. So the bottom line is the menu is pretty unimaginative over all. A bit more attention to the menu would help this place a lot.

Fabulous food! Sat at the bar tonight and had appetizers-​shrimp, calamari and spring rolls. Absolutely amazing! Incredible bread pudding with cranberries too. Awesome service!

Our favorite Chatham restaurant during a three day stay, we visited during Restaurant Week and were able to take advantage of more reasonably priced menu options. My Portuguese Scrod was an excellent choice and a dish that I wish I could have again. Wonderfully fresh and mild fish was complemented by a flavorful broth and deliciously fresh vegetables all served on rice with ground chorizo. My clam fritters were my least favorite part of the meal but the apple tarte tatin was absolutely delicious.
Service was friendly, prompt and efficient. We thoroughly enjoyed this pleasant restaurant.

Not cheap but it is Chatham so did you think you’d get a bargain? Anyhow, it was so good, and so worth it! Bartender hooked us up, service was excellent, and the ambiance was just right. Hubby and I split the raw bar «Shore Road» and it did not disappoint. Our mansion stacked platters of raw bar were superb. Dessert and soups were wonderful. Whomever got the raw bar menu together for this really knew their audience. We’re fans and in the words of Ahhhnold., «We’ll be bahhk!»

Delicious! Their service was excellent, our dinners were well prepared, nicely served. Our server, Victoria, was wonderful. Well done! We’ll be recommending to our friends.

Very tasty, some imagination there rather than the normal Cape Cod fare. Good wine list — service is friendly too.

We LOVED this place. Every kind of local oyster is available, all on a thick bed of ice and perfectly shucked. The cooked items were delicious, as well — the only slight disappointment were the parmesan garlic fries, which didn’t live up to their delicious description and tasted slightly sour. The desserts were fantastic, particularly the chocolate peanut-​butter torte, though it didn’t need the sauce at all — just the fresh whipped cream they served with it. We also adored our waiter — thank you, Sam!

Over priced food
Lobster roll looked so good but tasted terrible dry no butter charged $ 22 for 2 small bowls of angel hair pasta for my grand children w NO butter
Service was slow I would NOT recommend

Food was mediocre at best. We go the crab cakes to start. Those were very poorly done. The steak was average the vegetable ravioli was okay. The restaurant tried rushing us out. The service was extremely quick but the felling was that they wanted us out and he food was pre prepared. It was priced like one of he nicer restaurants in the area. For the price I will elect to eat in other areas when in town.

So VERY disappointing… the Crab Cakes were nothing but bread and spice, if there was any crab it was undetectable. I ordered a Greek salad that was composed of ½ cup greens, one chunk of feta and three olives!!! And possibly one whole supermarket tomato half ripe sliced under all. My husband and a friend ordered the Clams Linguini .one might think there would be a good amt. of linguini as it costs pennies to put on a plate. Not here. The whole meal was expensive and a very underwhelming disappointment. Won’t be going back.

Formerly, Vinings, this new spot moved across the parking lot and scored a new name. We called at 4 for a res that evening. It was a Tue. evening in July. The hostess was hesitant to offer at table due to being booked but offered a high top at 6:30 or a table at 8. We accepted the 6:30 seating. There is plenty of parking in back. Upon arrival, we were greeted and brought to a side area to a two top. I noticed several high tops and a few deuces free. Our table faced the sun (hot too) so we eventually moved to a more shaded table. Our server was sweet Danielle. She was helpful when asked for wine and meal recommendations. One point of mention, it was hard not to notice every reply ended with «no problem». Also, she respectfully called me M’am quite a few times. It’s just such an old term, one I am never addressed and one that made me feel ancient. This clearly is my issue but something that brought discomfort. Aside from these points, Danielle strived to enhance our dining experience and was pleasant and helpful all around.
On to the food and wine and beer. They sell Devil’s Purse locally brewed beer which my boyfriend loved. They have an expansive raw bar list featuring local shellfish. Prices are around 3.00 per shell, a bit pricey compared to other spots. They have a few «tower» of shellfish options, two priced at 99.00. Prices overall are at the high end of Cape Cod standards. My Day Boat Scallop dish was 34.00. My boyfriend’s linguine in clam sauce was mid 20’s. Wine averaged 10.00 a glass, pretty typical now days. The Ballard Lane Chard was amazing.
On to my dinner choice. The scallops were cooked to perfection. I had thought Day Boat Scallops were large and a typical serving were about 3. The plating came with 6 medium/​small scallops. I did not mind as I actually prefer small scallops vs day boat. The «risotto» was a fail. It was a mushroom potato mush. I am not sure why it’s called «risotto» but I did not love it. I was starving, and continued to pick at it but it was odd. The few pieces of fresh veggies were cooked al dente to my liking. Side orders are a la carte but we declined. My boyfriend’s dish was really flavorful. We had to ask for a basket of bread to soak up the lovely broth. The bread was crusty good. They served a bean dip that I did not try.
I saved the best to last; the local tuna poke app was the star of the day. It was so delicious and so fresh. I loved the avocado on top. It was wonderful all around and priced at 14.00.
I recommend requesting a patio table outside when reserving. I noted they are dog friendly which is a plus in my book. The bar looks promising after summer season, in fact, the wood interior leads me to believe this would be a nice spot in the fall or winter months.
Overall, we enjoyed our evening and recommend you try the new carnation at Bistro on Main. I’d go back but would sit at the bar or outdoor patio. The close proximity to other tables and wood seats make dining slightly uncomfortable for my liking. One point of mention, when leaving, no one said goodbye but the hostess did return our initiated salutation. I find that odd in food service not to notice patrons exiting and to extend thanks.

Excellent!!! We had a party of three and had a table ready at the exact time of our reservation. The place is small but has a nice summer essence to it, that felt perfect for a rainy evening in the Cape. We had steak and chicken, and all three dishes were delicious. Chicken Milanese (I think was the name) was delicious. Crispy and flavorful on the outside… Juicy and moist on the inside.
According to my friend, the meat (ordered medium/​rare) was cooked to PERFECTION! The drinks were great as well.
Try the tartar sauce as a filling sauce for the bread… It’s to die for. We made this interesting discovery ourselves

Came here on a Saturday and enjoyed the ‘light fare’ menu in between lunch and dinner time. There was only one other occupied table that I noticed in the place — may be because it is a bit hidden from the road and there was construction outside?
There was a good amount to choose from on the menu and a variety of different options — pasta, a burger, a crab cake, duck spring rolls. All the food I sampled was very good — the pasta was garlicy delicious, the burger and fries hit the spot and the crab cake (wrapped in phyllo dough) was also tasty. Service was good.
Would definitely consider stopping into the Bistro again for a bit to eat.

First of all, the owner allowed us to sit outside with our dog and brought her a bowl of water and treats.
The waitstaff was prompt and friendly, the food delicious. A must.

Greg and I went to walk around Chatham, and had a 9:00 reservation. But we figured that was way too late, and we were already hungry. Seeing how Vinings had good Unilocal reviews, we called and they said they could seat you if you call 30 minutes prior. This was not necessary since the restaurant opened at 5:30, and it was 5:20.
We awkwardly waited outside for it to be 5:30, only to find out that we could have gone inside and sat at the bar first. We did think it was weird if they weren’t open for lunch or before food was served. Apparently we were just naïve in thinking that if they said they opened at 5:30, the door would be locked. It also was very confusing because the sign in the parking lot, and on the front door, has a different name for the restaurant… so we weren’t sure if we were going to the same highly acclaimed place or not until we actually saw the name on the menu.
We were seated outside, which first really bothered me that the deck was in a parking lot. Greg would not tolerate my comments of, «how can this place be so nice if we are eating in a parking lot». But after a sweet (Romantic) pandora list i soon forgot. Our waiter only offered us 1 of 2 choices to sit at for a table of 2 (which were lined right next to the window), but the next person was offered another table that was secluded under the trees! We were slightly offended. We also were concerned as we were one of few there… but after about 15 – 20 minutes the place was completely jammed.
This place gets 4 stars because it exceeded all expectations (considering the name confusion, siting in a parking lot, looking directly in another couples eyes through the windows etc.) and delivered extremely well. Our bread was phenomenal (thats all that matters, right?!), my wine was perfect. I got the swordfish special and finished every bite, but the sauce was a bit too tangy for my liking (Again, rule number 1, no sauces). Greg got the chicken and devoured it… even all of the fresh greens!
I really shouldn’t of gotten the swordfish… my mercury levels were probably through the rough because it was my second serving in 5 days… but it is the swordfish season so it was to good to pass up! I can worry about my mercury later…
Their menu is primarily seafood/​fine dining options (roast duck etc.), but for a very reasonable price and excellent service.