Moby Dick's on Cape Cod: Seafood Squared

Moby Dick's on Route 6 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts is the ultimate family restaurant on Cape Cod. If you're heading toward Provincetown, it's on the left-hand side after the Wellfleet turnoff and Briar's Lane. You can also find a pirate-and-beach themed gift shop, Moby's Cargo, next door. Open year-round, the restaurant serves a variety of locally caught seafood - fried, broiled, grilled and raw - in an open, airy environment. It is extremely kid friendly while also managing to serve good seafood.

Moby Dick's has been run by the Barry family since 1982. Todd Barry and his wife Mignon took over when the older Barrys retired. One year, while on vacation, the family decided to buy the establishment, then called "Al's Hamburgers", from the former owners. It's been a family-run business ever since. You can get a decently priced meal, starting at around twelve dollars.

Offerings can include Cape Cod Clam 'Chowdah' from the Starters and Soup menu, Wellfleet Littleneck Clams (half dozen or a dozen) from the Raw Bar, Moby's Clambake Specials, Broiled Chatham Cod and Lobster-in-the-Rough (1 1/4-2 lbs.). As the names imply, Moby Dick's prides itself on buying only local (and therefore fresh) seafood from the Chatham and Provincetown Harbors on Cape Cod. The menu also includes turf items like the Massachusetts Burger, but the main focus is on surf. You can also find a small dessert menu of Sweet Endings that includes such entries as Moby Madness (a hot fudge sundae) and Buck's Ice Cream and local drinks like "Beanstalk Coffee-a Wellfleet roaster".

The restaurant has that down-Cape atmosphere of sun and fun that you'll find from Eastham to Provincetown. Moby Dick's has a bright, cheap and cheerful décor with lots of nautical and beach themes-screen windows, netting and lobster pots, as well as beach scenes. You come inside downstairs and place your order at the front desk. Then, you can go straight ahead to the nighttime (and winter) restaurant area or turn around and go upstairs into the screened-in area, which overlooks the water. The latter is closed during the winter, but it's the most fun during the summer, especially on a summer's night.

Moby Dick's is open 10:30am to 11pm during the summer and less during the winter (usually around 9am to 6pm). You can order to eat there or you can get takeout. During the summer, Moby Dick's hires a lot of kids from out of state-even out of the country. It's a young, eager crew with high spirits, though they are very busy from time to time. Be careful about arriving between 1 and 3pm, since it can get crowded and the line can go all the way up the stairs into the restaurant. Once you do order, though, you can find a table to sit down and wait. Kids can amuse themselves with Moby Dick's themed coloring sheets, crayons supplied.

Overall, if you're looking for a summer beach experience while eating good, fresh seafood, check out Moby Dick's in Wellfleet. They're a good example of family-friendly Cape Cod.