Cheap Date: Dinner Deals on Cape Cod

By: Elizabeth Sherman, January 10, 2012

Liz Sherman - a native Cape Codder with a passion for Surf Drive beach and all things food. Born and raised in Falmouth, she scooted away to Boston and Chicago for a few years, only to be called back by the Cape's siren song. She works as a marketing consultant for Cisco Systems by day and contributes food and lifestyle articles to InsideOUT by night.

I’m not a cheap date. I love eating, drinking and general merriment and at the Cape’s staggering tourist-driven prices, it can run me (or the nice guy taking me out) a pretty penny.

In the heat of our booming summer season, while waiting two hours for a table or paying $37 for a lobster roll, I often wonder why locals can’t catch a break! In the summer, we pay through the nose or can’t get a seat—and in the winter half the restaurants are closed.

Alas, my New Year’s resolution is to fix my attitude and in doing so, find the great, inexpensive adventures that are out there on Cape Cod. So stay tuned for our Cheap Date column, focusing on food, outdoor adventures, getaways, music, and art—whatever we can find that’ll help romance survive the recession!

This week, it’s all about the restaurant deals. The holidays are behind us, we’ve all spent (and eaten) way too much, and our friendly local restaurateurs get it. That’s why at most establishments, especially during the week, you can get a lot more for your money.

Cheap Date Tip: When the temperatures plummet and the tourists are gone, don’t pay full price for your meal! Read the iO Cheap Date column and walk away from your night out with a full belly and a full wallet.

Here’s a sampling of the types of deals you can find. If you stumble upon a dinner date for two under $40, tell us about it in the comments below!

Dinner Deals

Mezza, Davis Straits, Falmouth

• Monday Beat the Clock Special: Order your pizza between 5 and 9 PM and the time you order equals the cost of your pizza (ex. order at 5:10 PM your pizza costs $5.10)
• Couples Night Out (Sunday through Thursday): $39 dinner for two includes an appetizer, two entrées and a bottle of wine.

Siena Restaurant, Steeple Street, Mashpee

• Sunday through Thursday, 4:30 to 9 PM: $23.95 four-course Italian-style dinner includes appetizer, soup or salad, entrée and dessert. Add $11.95 for three wine pairings.

Bobby Byrnes Pub, Mashpee Commons, Hyannis and Sandwich

• Thursday: $39 dinner for two includes an appetizer, two entrées and a bottle of wine. Call ahead for daily dinner selections.

Nimrod Restaurant, Dillingham Avenue, Falmouth

• You say it’s your birthday? Go in on any day of your birthday month and get a free entrée up to $16 value!  (If you choose to go in on a Friday or Saturday, that must be your actual birth date.)

Coonamessett Inn, Gifford Street, Falmouth

• Seven days a week: $20 or $25 three-course dinner includes appetizer, entrée and dessert. Not bad for veal parmigiana, swordfish, fried clams and steamed lobster!

The Beach House, Nathan Ellis Highway, North Falmouth

• Wednesday is $5 pizza night! Get a 10-inch personal pizza and a weekly drink special (draft beer is $2, bottled beer is $3, and mixed drink $5) and walk away at $10 per person! It’s a diet for your wallet!

Small Bites

Roo Bar, Main Street, Falmouth

• Happy Hour! Two for one tapas at the bar, Tuesday through Friday, 4 to 6:30 PM.
• Bistro Menu: Get a half-sized portion of any dinner entree with a choice of soup or salad and a petite-portioned dessert for $19.95, offered Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 9 PM.

Island Merchant, Main Street, Hyannis

• $10 Fish Taco Thursdays! Enjoy Island Merchant’s signature seared cod tacos for half off the usual entrée price. Stick around and enjoy live music from Boombasnap starting at 9:30 PM.