They post that they have award winning chowder and lobster roll. They might be right. Clam chowder comes in a mug and is creamy and filled with plenty of goodies. Not the best I've had but up there. The lobster roll is awesome. Great portion size, buttered warm roll, and the lobster is lightly seasoned. Split it with 2 other people and none of us felt cheated. The location can't be beat and I had a great Bloody Mary here as well. Service was quick and they have a decent bar area for when you can't wait for a table. If you're in the area and want local fare and good booze. Look no further. read more

TERRIBLE! I really don't understand how this place has such a high star rating. Over my 4 day stay in Cape Cod, this was by far the worst meal I've had. Clam chowder was served barely luke warm. Chicken wings were served in similar fashion, and the fried calamari was heavy on breading, light on the calamari and still served lukewarm and soggy, as if everything had been sitting in the kitchen for 10-15 minutes before it made its way to our table. The servers were very nice, but unfortunately they can't save this restaurant because it seems like they need a new chef in the kitchen. Having eaten at Spankys twice and Skipper Chowder House once before we came here this week, it was hard to believe this was a respectable or even halfway decent so-called "seafood" restaurant. It's pretty difficult to mess up fried calamari, but they DID. Its a tourist trap and a place for a quick bite if you're in a hurry ... but if you actually want "good" food, save your time and money and go elsewhere. read more

Unfortunate experience...served tepid clam chowder albeit the taste was good but it was not hot. And our waitress forgot to put in my order even after she asked me if I wanted fries or potato chips with my tacos. The other people I was with received their meais and our waitress went to another table to take their order (which I hope she actually placed) by the time I was able to ask her where my meal was my party was almost done with their lunch. The waitress didn't seem too phased that she completely forgot to place my order. Sign of the times I guess... read more

Basic good cape cod food. Nothing crazy good but it'll serve. I got the lobster roll and it was fresh not frozen (a bonus these days). The crab cake sandwich with spicy mayo was solid too -- just don't expect to have your mind blown. read more

Up on the Cape for a Labor Day weekend getaway I did a quick Yelp search to get my honey her requested lobster roll take out lunch and happened upon the Black Cat Harbor Shack. Although a bit pricey, but after all what lobster roll isn't, I was more than pleasantly surprised to see large chunks, and I do mean chunks, of lobster, with just enough mayonnaise to provide a whispery tang. The roll was slightly warm and slightly crunchy... Just the way I like it. All in all it's right up there with the top 10 lobster rolls I've ever had. It's worth the wait, and the money. Be wary that the parking is a little sparse as it's right across the street from the island ferry. And of course there is dine-in available both on the front porch and in a rather spacious backyard. read more

Love this place - even in socially distanced Covid times - try the lobster roll, fried clam strips, crab cake and bbq oyster tacos! AND must have Coconut Haze or Pain Killer cocktails are amazing - as is the 80s music! read more

Not overly complicated here... if you like sitting outside in a casual location with a nice view of the harbor, then this is a great spot. Lobster rolls, chowder, onion rings, beer and wine, that sort of thing. Nothing crazy. Just peaceful and relaxing. A couple recommendations. 1) save this place for a nice-weather day when you can sit outside without being in the blazing sun (you don't want the beers to get warm so fast) and 2) be prepared for an expensive visit. The food is good but there is no value in the price. I know it's prime real estate and they have to pay their own high taxes and bills through higher prices so I can't totally knock them for it. But just know a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids with modest meals and kids meals) is going to be $150 with tip. read more

I had fried oysters for lunch. Food, service and atmosphere were all great! Free valet parking for the restaurant as well.

Perfect iteration of your coastal town raw bar restaurant. Great seafood platter and drinks. Try the lemonade stand! read more

Black Cat Harbor Shack - Seafood Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

This review is based off of the sample of their clam chowder that we received on our Hungry in Hyannis food tour. It was simply delicious and had hubby wanting more. It was very rich and creamy and full of clams. It is definitely a place we would like to return to in the future! read more

Black Cat Harbor Shack - Seafood Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

Great food! Great service! Will recommend and return. I had the baked stuffed shrimp and my husband had the whole belly clams- delicious and great sides! read more

They said it would be a 30 minute wait but it was a 2 hour wait. I normally would just leave, but my friends said well we've waited this long might s well w as it it out. Then they took forever to take our order. Then they brought out 2 of the 6 meals, and made the rest of us wait. Our friends tried to wait for the rest of us of get our food but after a while they had to eat their food because it was getting cold. Our waitress clearly didn't care much about our table, she was inattentive. She didn't check in to see how our food was, we needed napkins and I really wanted another drink. I ordered the fried oysters and they tasted like sour pool water, and made my stomach churn. This place basically took an entire vacation night from me. read more

We went to the Black Cat because their sign says they were winners of the clam chowder challenge. Was disappointed to see disposable plastic cups and cutlery. For a restaurant like this, No reason why it shouldn't be glasses and steel. One planet Earth - Environment people! Lazy. Chowder very mediocre, mainly liquid and potato - very little meat. Prawns skewers over rice was 5 dry prawns next to a pile of plain white rice. Very average. These people do not care about their customers. A legitimate cook would not serve that up! And very pricey. Chowder cup (despite ordering a bowl) was 9.95 and the 5 prawns with dry white rice was $13.95. Give it a miss. read more

Had a great time - beautiful night. Great music - performer was very brave in wearing a Giant hat in Patriot territory. Would come back.

Great atmosphere. Give it a 5 star on atmosphere, 3.5 on service (Waitress was seemingly put off that we weren't buying more), and 4 star on food. A duo was playing acoustic music, which was great addition! Waited a while, but to be expected in July on Cape. Great bar action. read more

I dine out. A lot. So, I've got my fave dishes at various local establishments. The Black Cat has THE BEST fried clams in the Midcape. They are sweet, never any sand, perfectly fried with just-right batter that's not too thick. They are delightfully free of grease. There's lots of other good dishes too so during the early and post summer time my husband and I eat there about 3 x a month. Oh yes, good cocktails too. read more

The best clam chowder in Hyannis! Excellent raw bar! Mussels were great! The bacon wrapped scallops were the best.Always the freshest seafood! My older son didn't want seafood so got the salad with steak tips and loved it. My youngest had pasta from the children's menu and was very happy when the waitress grated fresh Parmesan on his pasta. There drinks were also excellent. Waitresses were excellent. Always there when you needed them but not bothering you. Other places you can't find the waitress until they want to get paid. I have a picky and demanding eight year old and the waitress did a great job keeping him happy. Very relaxed atmosphere. Not so loud that you can't hear the people you are with.This was our third time there on our third visit to Hyannis. We will go every time we are in Hyannis. read more

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Before coming to cape cod I was advised: go eat a lobster roll. I loved tasting that delicacy. Fair price and excellent service. read more

Black Cat Harbor Shack - Before coming to cape cod I was advised: go eat a lobster roll. I loved tasting that delicacy. Fair price and excellent service. - Seafood Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

I truly loved this place! Good food, great service , nice atmosphere good drinks . I had the lobster roll and it was amazing! read more

Black Cat Harbor Shack - Seafood Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

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We just went there, Michelle was our server, it was her 2nd shift working there, she was absolutely fabulous and made the whole experience so much better. Food was great as usual, but Michelle made it perfect! Definitely a keeper! We got the Barnstable oysters to start and they were delicious, the ahi tuna tacos were amazing as well as the stuffed quahog! Then we got the Lobster Salad Roll and it was just amazing, the garlic Parmesan wings are a must! Definitely check this place out and ask for Michelle! read more

What a Great Lunch Spot right on Ocean St overlooking the harbor. They have outdoor seating and a beachy vibe. They have a large selection of frozen drinks and margaritas. All the food is served with plastic utensils and in baskets, but the food is excellent. I was very impressed with everything we had ordered. First of all, they served me the best clam chowder I tasted while I was vacationing in the Cape! Their Oysters and Clams were all local and very fresh and tasty. Check this place out, you won't regret it!! read more

Black Cat Harbor Shack - Delicious Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

Giving a one star for location.. there is nothing else to say that's good. Waitstaff is not trained, waited for our food for 30 minutes, never got our drinks, when we talked to the manager she said we haven't waited for 30, it's only been 20! Our food came out right after and it was cold.. as we were leaving the manager told us to go to Spankys, it was our kind of crowd... never going back, don't recommend. read more

I was at the Black cat Harbor shack this afternoon with my wife. This wasn't my first time probably have been here half a dozen times over the past few years. This is a great place for drinks and the atmosphere is fun... but the food is really mediocre and the prices are high for what you get. read more

This place was fantastic. We are visiting this quaint town and stopped in for some fresh seafood. We had some very tasty and fresh seafood here. The lobster roll was delicious and was exactly what we were looking for. Great service too! read more

Black Cat Harbor Shack - Fried seafood platter! Scallops and clams were amazing! - Seafood Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

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Great atmosphere but the servers are RUDE. I'm not sure why you would ignore someone at a restaurant than hand my food without any form of utensils. I took my business over to Spanky's. read more

Convenient but bland and over priced. Came in alone today. And was fine with being asked to sit at the counter. I'm sure they would have provided a table if I had asked. But I liked the view from the counter so was happy. Had a mai Tai and the fish tacos. The Mai tai was fine. The fish tacos were underwhelming. The smaller sized corn taco wraps were not a favorite. Not a fan of the bland corn taco wrap. Also very small portions. That while it was sufficient for lunch it was priced at a dinner cost. I understand that the location next to Bismore Park is going to result in pricey. But pricey for the size they served is just not a good value. Add onto that that the tacos were under seasoned and well... at least the Mai tai was good. read more

During a site seeing trip in Hyannis, we saw a banner touting that the Black Cat Harbor Shack were the Cape Cod Chowder Festival Champions so it was a challenge that we needed to partake in. The service was great, the establishment clean and could not be faulted in anyway. My wife and I have had clam chowder from Seattle through to Key West and this was undeniably the best that we have ever had. It was flavourful, rich and definitely worthy of the title of Cape Cod Champions, if not USA champions. We will return to the area and visit Black Cat again. Highly recommended. PS the only fault was that it was served in a polystyrene cup. Hate that. read more

If you really want to have an A+ TOURIST TRAP restaurant experience -the front porch has the smallest tables on the planet right next to the takeout window where sweaty people are coming off the steamship and ordering to go food while you're trying to eat off your plastic plate with plastic utensils and over priced dixie cup of Chardonnay. Food is blah at best. read more

My wife and I went here for dinner and we were totally blown away I had the lobster cake sandwich, which was absolutely amazing( I definitely will be ordering it again) and my wife had the baked sea scallops which was delicious too, in addition our server Abby was great too, we will definitely be coming back ASAP! read more

Sit outside. Everything was good. The 28 oz lobster roll is great. Clam belly is good and pasta dishes are also good

Live music, great food, and good friends... What more can you ask for? Stopped here after spending the day exploring Cape Cod we end up stopping here for the raw bar. The food was great, we tried the oyster shooters, clams casino, clam chowder, and clam cake and they were all so delicious. The shack is on the side of the Black Cat restaurant and was actually really nice, enjoyed sitting outside on a beautiful summer day. There was also live music was was great. Definitely someplace worth checking out! read more

We came here in beach attire (coverups) dying for lobster rolls but too casual to go next door to the actual restaurant. It was quite perfect - in and out. Plenty of seating outdoors on a sunday summer afternoon. It was around 2 so maybe we beat the lunch crowd. $20 for a roll is standard and you do get a lot of meat. Flavor: 5 stars. Perfectly done with just the right amount of mayo - bravo! Bread: 1 star. Tasted like the wonder bread you fed ducks with as a kid. VERY stale and not toasted or buttered Side: 3 stars. Cape cod chips - but a tiny bag like airplane size. The best part was the homemade ice cream RIGHT there - which I find is not always that easy to come across. We got chocolate peanut butter cup - Extremely rich and creamy. Very fresh! And the coffee which was more like Espresso! I would not recommend the coffee. But great quality ice cream overall! read more

Perfect spot for after the beach. Was recommended by my boss and he was SPOT ON!!!!. Had spicy tuna wontons a crisp tasty glass of local wine. Daughter said it was the best clam chowder she has ever had!!! read more

Below average service and bland food. I had the clam chowder that was not even warm. The steamed clams were tasteless and rubbery. I have no idea what the butter concoction was they served for the steamers - cooking oil? It wasn't butter. The scallops were very good - tender and not over cooked. But other than that not much to write home about. I got the feeling that everyone was just mailing it in for the night. It wasn't worth the money. read more

So many places to choose from and but we landed here. So glad we did. Wait wasn't too long (memorial weekend) and the food and service was amazing. The clam chowder was to die for. Definitely should have gotten a bigger bowl. Shrimp sandwich . I did not expect the shrimp to be so big nor get so many BUT I'm not complaining. This was my first time to the cape and this place added to the great experience that I had. read more

FANTASTIC Chowder, and the appetizer baskets are HUGE!! Great fried clams, great fried shrimp - they know how to fry right! I had scallops that were perfectly seared, and I tasted fish taco's from one of the other diners on our table. The fact that they put us where we could see the Soccer Game A BONUS. read more

Pleasant outdoor seating. Waiter was good. Food was decent but not great. Kale salad with salmon wasn't great and didn't seem super fresh. Decent relaxed atmosphere if you're wanting to grab food before a boat cruise. read more

Black Cat Harbor Shack - Seafood Near Me - Hyannis, Massachusetts

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Haven't tried the actual food but we got their soft serve ice cream and it was not very good at all. it felt grainy and left a waxy residue on my teeth. it seems like they turned off the machine at night and just re-froze the same ice cream. would not recommend, not good ice cream for five dollars. i've had much better. read more

Stopped in to have dinner with clients and found that for an almost waterfront restaurant the food quality was poor. Fish tacos were seriously lacking fresh fish. Shrimp scores were dry and served on a bed of dry white rice. No sauce etc. It was very poor for the price paid. read more

Stopped in at the Black Cat for dinner. Very good food and a fun, jazzy atmosphere. We were able to sit outside and look out at the harbor. Service was slightly slow but not too bad and the food was definitely worth the visit. read more