Great Places to Eat along the Cape Cod Rail Trail: A Few Recommendations
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Biking 55 miles really works up an appetite! During our ride all-day ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a 22 mile recreational path starting in South Dennis, Massachusetts, we made pit stops at 2 great restaurants. The CCRT (as it is known) is the nicest path we have biked on thus far in the state, as well as one of the most beautiful I’ve come across in recent years.
The beautiful tree-lined path takes you on an adventure through the gorgeous forests and cranberry bogs of Cape Cod.
A nice aspect which sets this trail apart is the ease of finding food along the way. This can be a problem on many trails as there is no direct access. Being that you will be biking over 40 miles, I recommend planning a light meal/snack at one of the restaurants I have featured in this guide. I have not seen many bike paths with access to restaurants along the route, so this is definitely one of the many perks of this wonderful path.
On the news recently, I saw a segment about this long running clam shack called Cobie’s. It’s conveniently located along the path so I knew we had to check it out. You will also find a great ice cream shop near the half way point and a local Italian gem near the start.
Cobie’s
The first restaurant we stopped at, called Cobie’s, is easy to spot out as it is located directly on the trail. You can’t miss the sign! This small local restaurant stand has many awards including Best Clam Shack in 2009 from “The Today Show.” Mike and I actually saw this cafe spotlighted on a local news channel, so we purposely planned to stop here for lunch.
Located at the halfway point on the trail (approx mile 10), Cobie’s is an ideal place to grab a few snacks to refuel yourself before getting back on the path. They have plenty of choices available including: sandwiches, wraps, seafood, seafood rolls, fried foods, ice cream, and frozen yogurt.
Mike enjoyed a seafood sandwich, unfortunately, I am a vegetarian so I went with something a bit healthier. I ordered a baked potato and a whole wheat veggie wrap, which was a perfect choice to give me enough energy to finish our long bike ride.
There is a nice outdoor seating area to enjoy the beautiful New England spring/summer weather. Nothing too fancy here just a nice place to take a break and relax outside with a sandwich.
Location: 3260 Main St Brewster, MA
Hours: 11am-7:30pm, 7 days per week
Hot Chocolate Sparrow
On our return route, at around mile 17, we made another pit stop for food this time at a cute cafe/coffeehouse called Hot Chocolate Sparrow. In addition to a coffee and chocolate bar, there is also a large selection of homemade ice cream options, fudge, pastries, smoothies, and desserts.
They offer lots of great pastries if you plan your ride in the morning. You can choose between croissants, muffins, and scones. You can even order a slice of cake (they serve everything from boston cream cake to tiramisu).
We opted for ice cream as it was a warm day outside and we were hot from bike riding all day. The ice cream was the best I have ever tasted (I ordered cookie dough – my usual). They also offer over a dozen frozen drinks including a frozen hot chocolate, frozen mochas, cream sodas, and an espresso shake.
Everything in the entire shop looked absolutely delicious! I loved the nice cozy coffee shop atmosphere too. I will definitely be making a return visit for a slice of cake/pie and a cup of joe.
Location: 5 Old Colony Way Orleans, MA 02653
Hours: 6:30am-8pm (Sunday-Thursday), 6:30am-9pm (Friday and Saturday)
Morrell’s Restaurant
At the end of our long bike ride, we were craving some carbohydrates. We stopped at a local restaurant called Morrell’s, which was conveniently located right next to the trailhead parking lot. We were able to walk right over after putting our bikes away which was so convenient.
Morrell’s was definitely a fantastic choice – we loved the salads and Alfredo pasta, the cozy dining atmosphere, and most of all the convenience! The large menu with various seafood, pasta, meat, and vegetarian options, should please just about anyone.
Location: 430 Route 134 South Dennis, MA 02660
Update: As of 2023, this restaurant is closed. There is a new restaurant which opened in 2021 called Pete’s Point. You will find a lot of comfort fare on the menu like lobster rolls, clam chowder, chicken alfredo, and fish and chips.
