Old Yarmouth Inn — Restaurant in Yarmouth

I spent months planning a special trip to Yarmouth Port for my wife and me. I carefully chose a beautiful place to stay (The Inn at Cape Cod — a solid 5 out of 5 stars!), mapped out a whale watching tour, a relaxing day on Nantucket with lunch at the Rose and Crown, and a visit to the whaling museum and quaint shops. For our final evening, I wanted something a little more upscale to cap off the trip — and The Old Yarmouth Inn seemed the perfect fit.

And it is upscale. Housed in a well-preserved late 17th-century building, the Inn evokes a sense of colonial elegance. The seafood menu is broad, and yes, the prices reflect that — but so do the portions and the flavor, which helps justify the cost.

But there’s a line between upscale and snobby.

Things began well. We had reservations and were seated quickly in the main dining room. Nearby were several small parties, and one table of four with a rather loud, opinionated gentleman — I only know he was opinionated because he made sure everyone could hear it.

We skipped appetizers, opting for entrees and dessert. My wife had the Lobster Pappardelle, and I chose the fish and chips. Once our meals arrived, however, our server more or less vanished. My water glass sat empty for 15 minutes while she tended, almost exclusively, to the louder table nearby.

Obviously, larger tables can mean larger tips, and no restaurant can be held responsible for a guest who insists on commanding the floor. Still, we began to feel… invisible.

Eventually, my wife gently called out to ask for water. The server smiled and said, “Of course,” but immediately turned to the busboy with a quick, dismissive, “Water here,” punctuated by a flick of the finger in our direction. From then on, he was our point of contact — including when he kindly relayed our dessert order.

Aside from being a quiet table of two, I honestly don’t know what we did to receive such cold treatment. We were polite, dressed appropriately, and though I had a camera and took a few discreet photos, I wasn’t disruptive — others were doing the same. We were simply a couple hoping to end our trip on a warm and memorable note.

Everywhere else we went in Yarmouth and Hyannis, we were met with kindness. And to be fair, any restaurant can have an off night, and any server — or owner, for that matter — can have a day when things feel a bit overwhelming.

At The Old Yarmouth Inn, the food was very good — but the experience was not. And when I planned this meal, I was hoping for both. We were served, but we were not welcomed.

Update: After I posted this review, the owner personally reached out. He was kind, professional, and made it clear he cared about both the customer experience and his staff. He also offered a refund — which I hadn’t asked for — as a gesture of goodwill. I deeply appreciated the call. It was a stand-up response from someone who clearly wants his restaurant to reflect both quality and hospitality. Were I to travel to Yarmouth Port again, the care shown in his response demonstrates that this is a class establishment worthy of another...

Read my full review below. This place has somehow blocked yelp reviews that don’t positively favor the restaurant. Even more reason not to go, the high ratings are bogus!

Overall 1

I’m so disappointed that we waisted the time driving from New Bedford to Cape Cod to be served this warmed up excuse for fine dining.

For starters I had lobster bisque and J had clam chowder. I knew when the soup arrived literally a minute after ordering it was either from a soup vat or microwaved to warm. The tell tell warmed up bread served in foil is another warmed up example of what we were dealing with.

Second course; Oysters Rockefeller and Aronchini. Again I was shocked at the speed this food came out. I’ve shucked oysters and both dishes were on the table in the time I could have just shucked the oysters. The Oysters were pre prepared refrigerated and finished off for service. Problem they were dry from being refrigerated and lost the brine leaving only the cheese and toppings to offer moisture, the oysters shriveled slightly as well. The flavor was void of salt pop that one expects from fresh seafood. The topping was barely melted and the shell was ice cold, which is fine for raw oysters but not how Rockefeller’s are served. The aronchini was the same quality, frozen burned exterior and still cold in the center, dry and void of flavor. I had enough and we paid our bill showing little displeasure we were just going to pay and leave without ordering main courses. Yes I was upset to say the least because this was supposed to be special.

When leaving the son of the owner decided it was a good idea to make a comment in the hall/lobby. He started with an apology but when I questioned the quality of the food he stated he’s just shocked our experience could be so bad and he’s never had someone dislike everything. He got more defensive and I will admit I was growing more agitated, at this point after a disappointing experience I’m basically being told it couldn’t be that bad. He admitted the aronchini was frozen and the oysters pre made. I already knew this, I tasted it. I told them the food wasn’t worth the drive and the restaurant was empty because of that not COVID. The only hint I reality the gentleboy said was “you have a bad attitude and need to leave” bahahahaha... ding ding we have a winner. Yes 45 minute drive for frozen food and I’m certain anyone would be upset. BTW the restaurant was empty or I would have avoided the exchange. But that fact made me even more upset. Your not busy so then why not knock it out of the park with a great experience serving fresh made...

The selfish part of me doesn't really want to tell you how great this restaurant is, all to make sure I can always get a seat when I show up ;-)

But honestly, this is one of the BEST restaurants I've been to in a while!

Starting with the staff, everyone is is so warm and friendly and welcoming. From the managers, to the waitresses, to the bartenders, they all make you feel at home and they are a fun bunch. Our waitress, Dani (hope I spelled that right) was awesome. She gave great recommendations on the food and drinks and she was so much fun. Laura, the bartender was also excellent (we sat at the bar the second night - yes we came two nights in a row because it's that awesome)

Now on to the food! You start out with bread and it was delicious. The butter was at the perfect temperature for spreading and was a nice complement to the bread. For our appetizer we got the crab fritters. Oh my days!!!! They were so tasty! Nice crunch on the outside, hot and tender on the inside. Heaven! There was a sauce that came with it to and that only enhanced the experience. For mains, I got the lamb and my husband got the short rib. That short rib was done right! You didn't need a knife, it just fell apart beautifully. Tasted divine, was flavorful and so tender. He ate every bite! I loved the lamb. It was cooked to perfection and was so tender and juicy that I almost forgot to eat my sides. I like that they also offer a mint jelly for the lamb, takes it up a notch. Both of our sides were potatoes (his mashed, mine oven roasted) and carrots. No complaints on these either.

For dessert, I was delighted to see that they had sticky toffee pudding! That's not something you see every day if you're not in the UK. So, we got that and it was wonderful. The cake itself was mosit and delish and the toffee sauce was perfect.

Our drinks were very good as well (got a few cocktails and some wine). And even though it was super busy, the service was still stellar.

Loved this place and we'll definitely be back next time we're...