Gerardi's Cafe — Restaurant in Yarmouth

When visiting the Cape, Italian food is not generally on my radar. However, my friend expressed a desire to try Gerardi's and boy, am I glad she did!

We called ahead while en route and the very friendly hostess assured us a table would be reserved in our name. Upon arrival, Alex showed us to our seats, shortly thereafter offering us an almond/marscapone treat from the kitchen...that set the mood for what was yet to come.

We both ordered the Ruby Red martini, which was simply crafted to perfection...a rather healthy pour that tasted anything, but! It was bursting with flavor and went down too easily.

Next up was warm, flavorful bread followed by the potato encrusted crab cake appetizer. The crispy crust lent a nice texture and the large pieces of crab that were contained within couldn't have been sweeter!

The haddock milanese entree was flakier than expected with the parmesan risotto as a compliment to the main dish. Moist, homemade carrot cake brought the perfect touch of sweetness to the end of meal...by the time we were done, our palettes were dancing!

Throughout the evening, Alex seemed to know exactly when to check in with us. He was as gracious as he could of be, sharing the history of the restaurant along with the story of his tenure at Gerardi's. He possessed both class and attention to our needs; he alone is reason to stop by to enjoy a meal!

Going forward, at random times during the day or when I am awake at 3am, it will now be Gerardi's on my mind whether on the Cape or otherwise. You will be doing yourself a disservice if you don't stop by on your next visit to...

Dined here 50 years ago and it hasn’t lost any of its charm or ambiance. Small, dark, old school European charm. We came on a busy weekend (New Years Eve) without a reservation. It was packed but they did seat us pretty quickly at a small table for 2. It was near the kitchen & bar so there were servers going back and forth all evening. But for no reservation on a busy weekend I can’t complain. I eat GF mostly and am pleased when I see choices on a menu . Gerardi’s does offer GF pasta at a 4$ up charge. Nice that they offer it but $4 is above average upcharge. When I eat at an Italian restaurant my go to dish is chicken parmigiana.

My Chicken parmigiana was very good. Not the best I’ve ever had but good. It was an ample piece but again I’ve had larger portions in my experience. My piece of chicken was prepared well, plump, lots of sauce and cheese. It was charred on the edges just the way I like it. The Sauce for my liking was a little thick and not sweet enough, on the other hand the Mrs thought it was just a little too sweet. So I guess you’ll have to judge for yourself. Bread with dinner was just good old fashioned Italian bread, crunchy, warm & soft.

We opted out of dessert. Our server was busy and somewhat distracted by everything. She was good but nothing special. There was a lack of disconnect and personality.

I would still recommend Gerardi’s not only for the food but the ambiance. It’s a small cozy place that is comfortable, warm and inviting. So far it’s probably the best place for Italian food on the Cape for me, all...

Gerardi’s was on our list for over 2 years and finally made it, and it was worth the wait! Would 100% go back, and only a handful of Mid Cape restaurants are in that category for us.

Highlights of our early dinner: Our server, Dominic was friendly, quick and accommodating. We went with our menu choices, didn’t ask for any recommendations and he didn’t try upselling any specials or desserts once, which was much appreciated. Crab cakes were generous in size and unique in flavor and design with the crispy potatoes and sauce on bottom. Our 3&4 yo kids loved the meatballs and they’re picky so that’s an award itself. Chicken picatta was super rich while also very light with the crispy risotto on the side. Short rib pappardelle was rich with unique flavors (never had anything similar to it).

The place got super busy by the time we left but service kept up with the crowd, we didn’t experience less quality or longer wait times.

Should’ve taken some food pictures but we were starving. 😆

Dining with young children might get challenging as the restaurant has two single stall bathrooms. We didn’t have to wait once (lucky us), but I see how that could be frustrating with toddlers needing to wait for potentially minutes to use...