Very, very disappointed in our experience at The Dolphin. This restaurant is extremely unfriendly to those with Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy. You will not have any crackers so you can share in the cheese dip that is served before dinner. You will not be given a separate menu. You will not have any rolls to eat, and there are very few things on the menu that you can eat. Very shocking in this day and age. Secondly, the service is worse than poor. Our waitress had to handle six tables, one of which was a round of seven. However, that's no excuse for surliness and incompetence. She brought out my appetizer and my father's dinner at the same time, while my mother just sat there. We had asked her to bring out my parent's entrees and my appetizer at the same time, but she argued with me about it and insisted we'd asked her to bring out my mother's entree later, when she brought out mine. So my mother just had to sit and wait for quite some time. When she finally got it, her four (yes, FOUR!) strips of asparagus were burnt, and her steak was overly done and tough instead of the medium rare she'd ordered. My father said his fried oysters and clams were only so so and didn't begin to compare to Cooke's. His fries were good. My fried calamari appetizer was decent but rather greasy. The vinaigrette sauce that comes with it was totally out of place, and I had to ask for cocktail sauce. My lobster "salad" was just lobster meat. Plain. And not the freshest. With sides of bland potato salad and coleslaw. Everything needed salt. Lots of it. Nothing was cooked with any salt at all, which just added to the blandness of the food. There are many, many other restaurants on the Cape in this price range that serve much better food and certainly have better service, although that wouldn't take much. I'd give The Dolphin a pass and go elsewhere. read more

Had reservations last evening for eleven people which was a Saturday night for dinner and each of had an excellent meal, great service and a lovely server (wish I knew her name to give her a special shout out). Great restaurant, ambiance, service, food and reasonably priced. read more

We are also one and done! I really don't enjoy giving a negative review, but my meal was a salty mess, and the other person's was bland. Go figure. They must be the only restaurant in the village. Maybe your experience will be better... read more

Family owned for 70 years, the Dolphin Restaurant staff pays attention to detail. Tables are meticulously set in a lovely dining room. Ambiance is just right for conversation. Service is excellent. The lazy man's lobster casserole is terrific. As is the sea scallop & crab casserole. Macadamia crusted scrod with orange butter sauce was delicious. Apple pie a la mode & Dolphin seasonal crisp with ice cream & whipped cream was the finishing touch. read more

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When I visited the Dolphin last week, the Yelp 3.5 rating seems right. The food was okay - not bad, not great. They start the meal with a small crock of their homemade version of boursin cheese spread with some ritz crackers (I wondered what they do with the leftover spread from each table. I assume they toss it, but could also imagine a frugal owner trying to reuse the leftovers so I didn't dig in other than to taste it.) I started with portuguese clam - kale soup. The soup was typical portuguese kale soup with no evidence of any clams. I ordered the fried clams and oysters. They were great when they first arrived. The fried food was crisp, but only on the top rows of the pile of seafood. As I got down beneath the top layer, the crust was mush. And I had the benefit of comparing that to the fried clams at Woodmans a few days later and the Woodmans clams were crisp to the bottom of the box. That says something was different about the Dolphin's fried clams that allowed some of them to go to mush. My dining partner had scallops in a cream sauce and she loved it. The service was fast and courteous. read more

My daughter broke her tooth on a lobster roll and the owners husband was so rude would not comp our lunch and wanted to blame the poor waitress that served us he was a horrible rude man and now we are dealing with a dentist bill read more

The food here is really really great! we had reservations for 6 PM and the night was about 90° outside. Walking inside from the terrible heat I really thought I was going to be wowed by the air conditioning. Unfortunately the inside was only a few degrees less than the outside. anyways, we were greeted and sat down by a very pleasant hostess. Our waitress was nice and very attentive. I ordered the calamari which was unbelievably awesome! Four people at my table ordered the clam chowder and they all liked it. Main course I got a lobster roll. The lobster was big, thick, and beautiful. They did not skimp on the good product. One person order the shrimp scampi and loved it. My wife or the swordfish and said it was unbelievably great. When all is said and done this place is absolutely fantastic. The food was cooked very very well and I would recommend it to anyone. The only negative was how hot it was in the restaurant. By the end of the meal while waiting for the check I had to excuse myself because I was profusely sweating As we have been waiting for a long time. Other than that, four stars, easy! read more

Had fish and chips. We live on Cape Cod why can't we get fresh fish? The fish here taste like ammonia. That's what they usually ship it with. They said it was Fresh! BS I say. I've lived here for 45 years and I know what fish taste like. Sorry got to run to the bathroom!! Don't think I'll ever be back. read more

Dolphin Restaurant - Looks can be deceiving. Worst fish I've ever had. - Sandwiches Near Me - Barnstable, Massachusetts

Foods good, but the service during lunch is pathetic to say the least. If you want to have to seat yourself, get your own menus and sit for 2.5 hours for lunch then ENJOY. If you want a better experience for lunch in the Village try out the tavern 5 seconds away. They have revamped their menu and have a beautiful new bar. read more

My fiancé and I were visiting from NY in mid April. The food was delicious and bartender was generous with drinks. The ambiance was romantic. Staff was very friendly and attentive. read more

Admittedly finding a middle of the road restaurant on the Cape is a bit difficult ( not to elite not to shacky) - the Dolphin fits the bill. Nancy the chef is great and dinner never disappoints - swordfish with mojo salsa!!! The sole almondine is a classic so perfect. Further the decor is clean but clearly a converted house - would paneling/ gas fire place. The bar ohhh the bar - the only safe spot at lunch - WARNING - lunch chef is no so consistent - stick with half a sang-which and soup or the fish and chips. They have a liberal hand at the bar I love those boys. ( ewww the bathroom always stinks) read more

I took a friend out for dinner this past Saturday. I didn't call for reservations. My error. We arrived just after 5 PM. We entered from the back parking lot & eventually were directed to the host stand. We were told there were no low tables available and were directed to the high top area. We are both senior citizens and my companion is quite short. After managing to get seated , we received menus and orders drinks. A couple came in right after us, also seated in the high top area. Very quickly, the host approached then and offered the a low table even though we were there first. I can only assume that as two women we were marginalized. This placed a pall over what was to have a pleasant evening. We are residents of an upscale 55+ community and we are always discussing local eating establishments comparing value to service. At this point, I would be hard pressed to recommend this establishment. Ann-Marie Kopaczewski read more

A fine eating establishment if great tasting food is less important than 'cape cod charm'. The menu is uninspiring and that's good because so is the food. In fact there are some dishes that lacked any reason before being. The salmon.. Crusted in a pepper sauce so strong ...rendering it inedible. The cape / New England all seem to have a habit of overlooking their foods but not before burying it in some hermetically sealed crumb coating with a sea of pepper. May be a throwback to pre-refrigerator times when the colonists would steal all the Indians ' food and try to make it more English. Gag. Drinks are watery. Wait staff is typically antisocial -- another cape tradition. A bit pricey especially when you can't talk to your table mates due to the loud din coming out of the always over-packed bar area. What do they know that we dont. Reco a Rez at busy times. Somewhere else. Very quiet in winter read more

The staff here is terrible, the owner is rude, the waitresses are rude, I would never go here again. The things I've seen at this place would make you run and not wanna give your business to them. All they care about is themselves and how much money they make period. read more

We had a delicious dinner - the special -coconut crusted cod - yum and piping hot. Three of us ordered the same thing and loved it. Will be back. read more

Chowder was excellent, Scallops in lobster sauce, outstanding. Squash was flavored just right.

Never had a bad meal here! Have been going for 7 years now. Always great service and they really know how to cook seafood, which is all I ever get there. My husband often gets the duck, which he says is the best. read more

I love this place. The staff, especially Penny, are a delight. The food is solid, and moderately priced. My favorite menu items would have to include the French Onion soup and the Caesar salad. The desserts are huge and rather simple, but very tasty. Tip: dining in the lounge is a much better vibe than the dining room, plus I believe the bar staff covering it are more personable. read more

For the over 60 crowd. My son was hungry after we did a lot of hiking on the beaches. Suit and tie crowd to justify very expensive small portions. I got 4 stuffed shrimp with just some breadcrumbs and some lemon sauce drizzled over it. No lobster in it. Sons small fish piece had a cream sauce. Both sorta bland and generic. read more

Always fresh seafood served with a flair. The room is comfortable, authentic, and quaint. The service is the best, especially Penny at the bar if you're fortunate to have her working. Pricing is reasonable, especially for the quality of preparation and ingredients. Those folks who trash the place should look within as that's where the issue is. The Dolphin is a consistent winner for lunch or dinner on the Cape. read more

This is a very cozy place. The service was great I didn't get any extravagant to eat just a turkey club and onion soup both of which were good. I'd go back if I were in the area. read more

Dolphin Restaurant - Main st Barstable. - Sandwiches Near Me - Barnstable, Massachusetts

Went to the Dolphin Restaurant on 02/12/22. Had 6:30 reservations and was told they still haven't seated all of the 6:00 reservetions yet. The place was packed, you could hardly move. The wait staff that wasn't wearing masks,were having a hard time getting to the tables to serve. Good thing the fire dept. didn't come in, as I am sure they were way over capacity. So we waited close to an hour and were asked if we would consider sitting at a high top, we agreed. So after waiting another 15 -20 minutes for the bartender to take our order. He brought our drinks, I said "we are ready to order" The bartender said I'll be right back. He proceeded to go help bring in the equipment for the band who were setting up 8 - 10 feet accross from our table. At this point I flaged him down asked him how much for the drinks and left. I have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines Day at the Dolphin for years. I will never return! They pissed a lot of people off for their way over booking. We just weren't smart enough to leave at the begining like a lot of people did. I have never seen a business with so little reguard for their customers. read more

As a student studying both culinary and hospitality, I thought that it would be very important to take my mother out to a nice restaurant known for good food & service for Valentine's Day. Clueless as to where to go, I asked my teacher where she recommended. She immediately said that if my mother liked fish, I should definitely take her to the Dolphin. I took her word for it and brought my mother down for lunch. The prices were very reasonable & portion sizes amazing. She ordered the daily special, which was stuffed scrod & mashed potatoes, and I, being one who doesn't particularly care for fish, decided to have a go at their fish sandwich anyways. I can't say enough good things. Her meal was very flavorful & filling and mine was served on a heaping plate of hot french fries. Their house slaw was great, and the fried fish was very well prepared and tasty. I don't remember our server's name, but she was extremely pleasant from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. She was very patient with us and even made extremely helpful suggestions to better our meal! read more

New Year's Eve lunch. As noted in other reviews, service was slow so don't come unless you have lots of time to kill. When the food finally arrived my friend's chowder and fried food was good, but don't try to eat healthy here - $11 to add 4 grilled scallops to a relatively expensive salad. Scallops arrived burnt and cold. When we spoke to the waiter about it he offered to microwave them. Really???? An insult to Cape seafood. And, when my boyfriend asked to buy a scallop appetizer so he could fix my lunch, the waiter said we don't offer that. Staff not accomodating at all, as a visitor for many years I can tell you there are much better choices on the Cape. read more

Excellent service! Appetizers and my wife's swordfish meal were absolutely perfect. I had the smallest and worst cooked seafood platter I've had in years. A pile of fries with 3 scallops 2 shrimp, a tiny fish filet that would not stay on a fork without crumbling & a small pile of deep fried bits of clam with three separated bellies. Really a shame since everything else was well above average. Not worth the upper end of the price range for this kind of food....So disappointed read more

Great find for seafood and good food lovers on the old king's highway. Stopped here for lunch and the prices were very reasonable and the food excellent. The service was very attentive. Very patient with our finicky eaters. Be sure to stop by. The locals seem to know about this place. Budget and quality minded visitors take note! read more

For years the Dolphin has been one of our nearby favourites. The food is OK, sometimes very good. The service is generally very accommodating with ambience of a neighbourhood restaurant. The reservation policy is inconsistent bit that's always been fine to deal with. Sometimes they take reservations, sometimes not. Last night we had a reservation for 5 people at 7. When we arrived they acknowledged our rez but said that it was very busy and that it would be a very long wait. Over an hour. That's just the way it was. No apologies, no interest in accommodating us. In other words, the rez was completely meaningless. They were just seating whomever arrived when they arrived. So we left, went to Primavera in Cummaquid and had a fine meal. Sad to say, but after dozens of visits over many years, we won't be going back. read more

Not sure what was the best, the people or the food. Do yourself a big favor and try this place.

Being locals... the Dolphin has always been a favorite. Last night we sat comfortably in the Tavern and was promptly greeted and waited on by Marty Bartender/server. Marty is always a delight. The encrusted fresh halibut was scrumptious and disappeared from my husbands plate!! My sirloin cooked to perfection , was a very tender juicy cut. All in all, just what we needed. Thanks again. The food was great and... Marty, you were terrific!! read more

We've been coming to the Dolphin for years and it used to be a really special place that we'd look forward to. My wife and I ate here again last night and I have to say... the last few times have been unimpressive. It's all ok, but not exceptional. I will say our waitress Julie was excellent... but no other part of the experience was particularly memorable. My wife and I both started with salads - my wife a house and me a wedge & they were good. We both had cod - I had a stuffed cod with lobster sauce that was ok. I thought the portion of fish was really small, the roasted potatoes were cold and the only vegetable offered was asparagus (want anything else... they don't have it.... not corn, not carrots, not anything... that sucks). So cold potatoes and cole slaw with my mini fish. Not too impressive. My wife's fish was the same... not worth the $24.00 and we finished with a banana cake that was a bit stale. There are many restaurants that are so much better - but if you really want to blow $100.00 on a mediocre meal you could check out the Dolphin. read more

Had the Halibut special. Amazing! Great food and really great service. Nice staff and our waitress was a doll

Let's just start with the positives - the food. The food was great - everything we got was terrific. The servers were kin, however - and this is a HUGE however, they were not knowledgeable about the food. I can eat anything and enjoyed everything. There were several people in our group with anaphylactic allergies. We explained to the server - and went through each item, sent her to the kitchen several times to get clarification from the Chef since she did not understand the words we were using and was unclear on ingredients in any dish. She ended up serving my husband a dish containing oyster sauce - after she cleared the dish as being shellfish free with the chef. If this weren't enough, the server told us they were sold out of clams , so one of the guests at our table changed her order. I was told there would be no clams for the seafood platter and ok'd the dish anyway. When my dish came , it was piled high with clams. My friend was so upset that she could not enjoy her meal. I offered to share my clams - but you know how you feel when you've had enough? That's where she was. My summary is this - if you want quaint style, delicious food, have no allergies or food concerns, and don't mind teenaged servers, this is the place for you. If you fit in any other bucket, rethink your choice. read more

Third generation owner/chef Nancy Smith works very hard to make your experience here the best it can be. Good food for not a lot of money. Bar is small and "intimate" and has its share of local color. Drinks are well poured, and like the food, the bartenders are fresh! :-) Open year round. Yay! Eat here. You will like it! read more

This place...where do I even start? Looked nice from the outside, was hoping to get some quality seafood cooked here. This is not the place for that. They overcooked my dish which had 5 types of seafood in it (clams overdone, mussels overdone, shrimp overdone). They had about 1/16th of an inch of sand at the bottom. My wife's dish (yes, this is her yelp) was covered in a caramel sauce, even though the "baked cod" mentioned nothing of being smothered in breadcrumbs and caramel apple sauce.... Crab cakes were okay... The dessert was okay... lemon cake...meh, I've had better for "home made" Hostess or waitress was talking like a valley girl for about 20 minutes loud enough for us to hear about her hair color problems and issues with her new stylist. Honestly, this is THAT restaurant which has been around too long and has not changed with the times. They have too big of a menu and don't take the time to make their dishes worth it. Just because they give you a big portion of potatoes and bread DOES NOT MAKE THEM A GOOD RESTAURANT. I would never go back. Oh! Forgot the best part! wife had to double back and go throw up in their bathroom! fantastic! No alcohol was served (in case you were wondering). We spent around 100 for the two of us, tip included. read more

If you like stuffy uppity Cape Cod this is the place for you. Outrageous lack of service, it's as if they don't want your money. Awful

Cozy, roadside tavern on the Old King's Highway (rt 6A) across from the courthouse. Stuffed with prosperous and pompous lawyers during the weekday lunch and after work hours and the usual Cape sots the rest of the time. Nautical, old Cape Codde decor, fireplace, low beamed ceilings so its very tavernish. Service is weak (slow and not really into it) but the food and drink is good. I had a crab and shrimp open faced melt with pub fries and it was very big and very well presented(and tasty). My pal had crab bisque and said it was great, this along with half a big sammie was $7.99. I will go back, but sit at the bar where the service is better. read more

We came here on a Friday night (early, around 6:30) and the place was packed. There is a dining room, a bar, and a few high tops in the back. The dining room was full, so we took our chances at a high top. Our waitress admitted she was new, and it quickly became evident. Service was slow, oysters came without any sauces, and such. The food is good, but not outstanding, and portions are reasonable for the prices. Overall good for dinner, but we weren't wowed by anything. Also, with a hopping bar scene, this place gets loud, so don't go for an intimate dining experience. read more

Another in a long list of Cape (6A) eateries. Nice staff, typical okay boring menus prepared like all the others along this corridor. If ya have to... read more

I've lived less than a mile for over 24 years and the Dolphin is an absolute gem. I have a close group of about a dozen friends who all grew up around Barnstable village and we love to get together late on a weekend night to have a few drinks with the best, most entertaining bartender on cape, Johnny Mac. He's truly a good person. We all have a blast and listen to great music and tell stories that always end in epic laughter. The dolphin is a great spot. Stop in on a weekend night and get to know Johnny at the bar! read more

The bar is tres adult which I love. Drinks are poured like you're an adult and the patrons are friendly and always willing to share a good word or recommend a places to visit. I love Barnstable even though the diversity is low, it's either you feel like you belong or you just don't. My sister and I have been coming for years and we love it there as it feels like home. Thank you to the bar hostess on Thursday last week. She is amazing and attentive and friendly. Food was awesome and the ambience is just right. Can't wait to see you all again next year! read more