This place was ok but the staff was kind of rude. I was part of a party of 12 and I wouldn't recommend this place for large groups. As we were ordering appetizers they were telling us they needed us to hurry so they could sit their 7 o'clock reservation. I had a Jimmy Chianga Steak and Cheese appetizers that was great. I had a surf and turf for for dinner. The steak was amazing but the lobster tail looked like it came off a crawdad because it was so small. Two in my party had terrible meals and were taken off the bill. I had blueberry pie for dessert but I think it was microwaved to heat it up making it nasty. Would I come back? I'd say maybe if I was in a smaller group and wasn't so rushed. Prices were what I expected for Chatham. At least our server was friendly. read more

This used to be part of the reason we stayed in Chatham, because the impudent oyster was so good and different. This is still really good but will probably skip it next year, they no longer have the haddock hedecki, which was my favorite menu item. We got the calamari, but seemed to be mostly banana peppers, and the sauce didn't add much to the appetizer. My tenderloin tips were good, but the Gorgonzola overpowered everything else. The bread is still amazing, and the service has always been on the snooty side read more

The Impudent Oyster is in a word "yummy." We ordered a number of apps, Clams Casino, Mussels, Bang Bang Shrimp and a lobster roll. Everything was just delicious. We did takeout and were quoted 20 minutes for pick up and it was right on. Ready, perfectly cooked and still warm when arrived back to our resort 8 minutes later. read more

Looking for a good place to lunch while visiting the east coast. Happed upon this charming restaurant . The atmosphere felt warm and inviting. Some locals were dining there as well. Ordered the scallop sandwich. It was incredible. Scallops were cooked perfectly in a crispy bun with light tarter sauce and cole slaw. The warm homemade blueberry pie and ice cream completed the experience. Well done! Don't miss this place. read more

If you're looking for a good meal in Chatham, this is probably the place to go. The fish and shellfish are fresh, the starters and entrees are inventive and it's still a tough table to get on a weekend night. The trouble is that the standard is not very high when it comes to Chatham restaurants for some reason. Why is that? The trouble lies in several areas. A number of the fish dishes run the risk of over-engineering, particularly those with Asian flavors like the Halibut and Shrimp Hidecki and a recent swordfish special whose name escapes me. Some work, some don't. Another problem is in the execution--specifically overcooking the fish. Nothing wrong with a creative, appetizing $30+ seafood entree unless the swordfish comes out overdone. That really shouldn't happen. For Chatham, the Impudent Oyster does the job, but when you put it up against places in Wellfleet like the Wicked Oyster and Mac's Shack, the product doesn't quite measure up. read more

Loved this place! First of all when I walked in - it was not what I expected - the decor looks like it hasn't been updated in 40 years but upon further review it makes the place more authentic. During our stay in Chatham we went here twice, the first time we ate at a table by the window and the second at the bar. Both times the service was impeccable. The first meal we had the oysters (so fresh and cold), the kale salad with fried scallops (scallops couldn't be better - fried to perfection) and my husband had the fisherman's stew. We had a side of the garlic bread which has to be the best I've ever had - perfect for dipping in the stew and when we dinned the second time the chowder. The second time our eyes weren't quite as big so we started with the chowder and garlic role - YUM. Then we split the nantucket scallop sandwich - it wasn't my favorite maybe a little to creamy for my taste and not enough fry to the scallops but my husband LOVED it. All around I would say this is a must go. Make sure to make a reservation for Dinner and come early to put your name in for lunch. read more

The food was amazing!! Everything we ordered was great! The bouillabaisse and the lobster ravioli were my favorites! Our server, Leslie, was so wonderful! We brought our kids (2 and 6). Even though it's not normally a kid restaurant the hostess and our waitress did everything to make sure our kids were happy and it was an easy dinner for the adults! read more

Very good oyster rockafella, the service was excellent. It is a must if you are in downtown Chatham

This was one of my favorite meals on the cape. We didn't have one thing we didn't like. Obviously the oysters are fantastic. We had the pesca fra Diablo, tuna matsui, and the sole and crab franchise. I personally loved the sole the best but all of them were amazing. The sauce in the pesca fra Diablo was awesome and the tuna matsui had great flavor. Can't wait to come back. read more

The food here is generally pretty good overall but at my recent visit I found out they allow dogs into the restaurant which I think is a major health risk. I watched a woman sitting inside at a table holding some tiny 10 pound dog in her arms like a baby within inches of other tables and diners. I am a dog lover and all about a dog friendly outside patio but unless it's a true service dog (and no, this dog had nothing identifying it as a service dog, it was clearly a pet) I really dont think they belong in a restaurant especially a restaurant this small. Kind of makes me wonder what other health regulations the management here thinks are optional. read more

Smells horrible especially in the back. Food mediocre. Portions small. No refills offered on drinks. Service choppy. Better options for seafood read more

This place is very old school Cape Cod, which I think is a good thing. The food is good, but not spectacular. I ordered the mussels. They were quite delicious, but some of them were unopened, which is a no-no for sure. read more

Good food but very harsh service. Disappointing for such a nice city full of welcoming people.

I have been coming to this restaurant with my parents and now my children for over 20 years. Tonight, I ordered a salmon and shrimp special that seemed amazing. My first cut in the salmon, I noticed the plate arrived with a long hair wrapped along the inside. I immediately sent it back. The server, who was lovely, said they would make me a new plate. Five minutes later, my plate arrives, no hair, same piece of cut fish. ! I was DISGUSTED! Disappointed and lost a loyal customer of many years. Left hungry and ordered from Bluefins down the street read more

I had one of the best dining experiences I've ever had at the Impudent Oyster! The service was impeccable. The waiters and waitresses were gracious and completely on top of everything (taste, timing and service.) charming atmosphere, too. We will be back! read more

good food, but rude and unwelcoming service-- overlooked our name on wait list and gave our table to another party, ignored other dining requests, etc. Overall, a poor dining experience unfortunately. Did not feel welcomed here at all. read more

* this review is primarily for the service and snooty attitude of the staff, not the food. GF and I came in after a long day of touring Cape Cod. We were dressed casually: we were tourists, after all. Hostess told us that table seating would be an hour, but we could eat at the bar. We opted for that. We started with a House salad, which was nothing spectacular. The price for it was ridiculous- around $10 (OK, $9.99). That was $20 for two of the type of salad that usually comes with your dinner free elsewhere. We both got the clam chowder which was a small cup. Other places give you much more for your money. It was good, but not great. I desperately wanted an entree, but because GF only wanted an appetizer, I passed. The bar tender and woman with him (who appeared to be some type of manager) seemed annoyed with us and acted contempt fully towards us. Here's the kicker- we had around $8 change coming to us after we paid our bill, and the bartender (a middle-aged man with glasses) never brought us back our change. We both looked at each other in disbelief. Even if it's understood that he'll be getting the change, at least bring it back. As a matter of fact, neither him or the lady so much as acknowledged us again. They never looked at us, never said goodbye, nothing. That's a shame too, because the platters I saw there looked awesome. I would have come back for a full meal, but not after that treatment. * Just a final thing to my fellow yelp users. I'm not sure a negative review here has much impact anymore. Savvy business owners now pay services like Reputation Defender to "manage" their online reputation. Such services can "bury" a negative review by flooding the site with glowing reviews written by shills. We'll see how long before my slam is buried. read more

I believe we may have had a one off experience, however, it really soured our opinion and we probably won't be back. To be clear, we are very mindful of wait staff's time and energy and know they work for tips, but this was such a bizarre encounter, and the waitress's behavior is what led to the negative review. Aside from that, food is just sub par. We had reservations for 2 for a later, light dinner on a Monday night. Keep in mind it's not fully the summer season yet, so it's not like we were taking up a table during the busiest day/ time of year. The waitress just simply could not be bothered from the start. She seemed to have an attitude as soon as she heard only one of us wanted an alcoholic beverage. We got a few apps for dinner and she was downright unhelpful when we were asking for recommendations and literally said "I don't know" at one point. My drink showed up in a chipped glass, when I told her, she wouldn't even let me finish my sentence before rushing off with it. When I finally got her attention again I let her know I did not even want the drink anymore, and she acted extremely confused and asked if I wanted it off the bill... chipped glasses are a safety concern and the drink should've been taken off the bill regardless. She did not check on us once we got our food. She did not ask if we wanted dessert before bringing us the check. Very very poor attitude and standoffish. It was clear she didn't want to work for a table that wasn't spending a ton of money for a full dinner/ drinks. We were in and out in under an hour, so again, we weren't just sitting there taking up a table someone else would've needed (and it wasn't prime time for dinner). All in all, it was bad service mixed with only mediocre food. read more

This place is usually great in the off season but I just had a less than great experience there. I have been a few times for lunch and sat at the bar as well as ate at a table and during the day, the service and food was quite good. But tonight I went in on the early side to eat at the bar solo and had a less than great experience. Once again the food was terrific but the service was not. There were two bartenders serving the bar and I was stuck with the snarky one who decided from the get-go that he didn't care about serving me. My issue with his service was that it was just so dismissive and also horribly timed. I asked about the beers on tap and his answer was less than helpful... I had asked what kind of Sam Adams was on tap, he explained that it was a Lager... I said, "I don't know what that means.. is it just regular Sam Adams?" and his super unhelpful answer was that it was a "lahhhhhhger" as if that would enlighten me on what to expect it would taste like. Also, when asked whether he would recommend the Lobster Quesadilla, his answer was "Your choice. Everything on the menu is good." Note to servers, that is not a helpful answer. His attitude wasn't the only problem. I ordered my food soon after sitting and my salad came out quickly. The couple who sat down next to me still had not ordered food and were brought bread immediately... actually everyone at the bar was brought bread... except me. I did ask for bread but got none. And then, my mussels entree was delivered before I had even eaten one third of my salad.. as if rushing me out the door... and everyone knows that mussels need bread to sop up all the good broth. But I got no bread and a rushed delivery. Frustrating this all was how attentive the other bartender was to the people he was serving. So the lesson learned is that if you sit at the bar and get a snide comment from the bartender, move to a different section because it will ruin your meal. On the plus side, the oysters are always fresh and the Portuguese Mussels as well as the Mussels Isabella are both quite tasty. read more

The Impudent Oyster is outstanding. We have been coming here for lunch every year when we visit Cape Cod in the summer. Excellent service and I have loved every item on the menu I have ever tried. Stand outs for me include the salmon bahn mi, fish sandwich, shrimp po boy, and Kobe beef burger. And the truffle fries are amazing. This restaurant is outstanding by every measure. read more

Great service. Cozy atmosphere and an amazing menu. So good I wanted to go back the next day.

Pros: cute space Cons: horrible food, extremely overpriced. Even the oysters were old and bad. Noise level is so high it's impossible to hear. read more

We really enjoyed our (off season) lunch here. The food was really good, prepared well, properly seasoned. Delicious salads. I read other reviews commenting on the snobby service, but this was not the case for us. Our waiter was not one of those overly friendly dudes who tells you immediately that "my name is (pick some trendy one), my mother was an alcoholic and my father never threw a ball to me", so maybe people like that and expect that. We do not. read more

Unimpressed. Upon entry, the restaurant seems unpleasantly old and claustrophobic. I am okay with eating in cramped quarters, but then the food better be good. The Impudent Oyster's food was just okay. Too many ingredients, as if the chef didn't trust the fish/seafood alone. Portuguese mussel appetizer was good, not great. The "Uncle Tony" was a salty mess, with fresh dill thrown on to make it relevant (?); M's clams were cold and gritty; and the striped bass perched on top of a cold orzo salad, served with a grilled peach, roasted garlic bulb, and broccolini was all over the place with uncomplementary tastes. Generally, we agreed that there didn't seem to be anything fresh or creative going on in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the food was better than the service. Our waiter appeared to forget us after the entrees were presented, never even stopping back to fill our water glasses. He cleared M's half uneaten lobster without even asking if it was okay, or if we wanted it boxed to take home. Took a good 15-20 minutes to get our check. We won't go back or recommend. read more

Some background. I'm from Boston, grew up on the Cape in Falmouth but now I live in LA. It's been a while since I've been to a restaurant where there were no other people of another ethnicity. Anyway, we were seated right away and we ordered fish and sandwiches. The service was good for lunch, not the fastest or the best but we've had worse. The portions were pretty large and the food was fresh. The seafood is fresh and so are the fries, which were fried at the right temperature. I would definitely come back here as the quality of food was good. Nothing tasted bad and everything was on point. The only thing is, I probably wouldn't have ordered an asian/pan asian salad here. It wasn't very good and white people don't know good asian food. read more

Well this was a first,have read many reviews about bad service. This takes the cake,party of two are bill was $170.00. Just finished are meal,when the so called manager,said the next party is wait. A resident for 20 years,I will never go back,by the way pasta dish was awful . read more

I wish I took pictures of our food but I was too busy enjoying the experience. Easily the best restaurant I've dined at on the Cape. Casual atmosphere with 4-star food... exactly what you want in a beach vacation. The sauces that come out of that kitchen are unbelievable. Light yet rich at the same time. Seafood was as fresh and succulent as you'd expect. The service was great too! We were a bit of a rowdy bunch, out do dinner for my best friend's 30th, and the waitress obliged. I had the calamari for an app and the swordfish dish for my entree, nothing bad to say about any of it. A must visit when in Chatham. read more

Well, I wouldn't know if the food was any good in this reputable little spot because the highly Impudent Hostess never let us get past the front door for our Saturday night reservation, after having clearly handed away our table to some other lucky diners. Unbelievable... we get to the place at literally 8:37 for an 8:30 reservation and patiently waited for a group of people to get turned away (little did we suspect we would be following them up the street ourselves shortly!!!). Now, of course we should have been there at 8:30 or earlier, but it was a nice evening outside so we decided to walk instead of drive... our mistake. BUT... The snide hostess seemed to take pleasure in picking up her stupid little clock sitting next to the hostess stand and give it a knowing glance before she said her first words to us, which were (queue up your best snotty-better-than-though voice) "ummm, you are more than 10 minutes late so we gave away your table." Let's see here... standing right outside within 10 minutes, clearly no freshly seated diners in sight as we stood there in amazement at this proclamation by the Impudent One. Me thinks that someone decided to give away our table well before the "10 minute rule". I literally felt like a stranded traveler at the closed door of the jetway, staring at the airplane sitting right in front of me while listening to the Impudent Gate Agent tell me "I'm sorry sir, but that flight has left..." My recommendation - give this place a pass and go to the Squire. That's what we did. read more

Stopped here while passing through the area in mid-January. The ambiance had all the hallmarks of a restaurant that puts more effort into SEEMING like a a high end restaurant than it puts into producing great food. The lighting was very low, the tables were littered with all the standard silverware and glasses, and the prices ran up to 25-30 per plate. Despite the pretense (or perhaps because if it) the food was only adequate. It certainly wasn't bad, but it didn't live up to the $98.00 that we paid (including 20% tip) for a three person meal with no alcohol or dessert. If the prices were slightly lower or the food were slightly better I'd give it four stars. But as it stands I'd say the Impudent Oyster offers a solid but overpriced meal. read more

This place is very quaint. Cute decor and beautiful stained glass with a touch of fancy. The appetizer was a queso fundido, italian style. It had sundried tomatoes and vinaigrette to die for with home made bread. The fish n chips for kids were a good portion. My daughter also ordered the pickle which was perfectly dill. My husband had the tuna baguette which was also good. I had a yummy Caesar salad with chicken lightly seasoned dressing. The app was definitely the highlight of our meal. read more

Have been to chatham many times but could never get into the Impudent Oyster so we made a plan to have lunch here this past week and what a lunch it was! I had the Nantucket lightly fried scallops, cheese and bacon with their own tartar sauce it was awesome! My wife had the mussells in the diablo sauce which she loved the portion was HUGE! We also shared a bowl of clam chowda and it was very good with a thick base just wish there was more clams. Overall it was a very good experience and we would certainly go back but make sure you go early as the place gets full fast... read more

This review is based entirely on the fact that we were scarcely acknowledged upon entering. However, the bartender welcomed the next 2 couples who entered to sit at the bar. The hostess returned, stating she could not accommodate us (no offer to put us on a wait list or indicate length of wait) and said we could sit at the bar. Only we couldn't because the bartender had ignored us and gave the last seats away. Stuffy blue hair vibe to restaurant. read more

During this lunch, my dining companion and I decided that it was important to give star ratings based on what a restaurant is, not absolutely how good it is. And for an expensive place, this place is merely average. Good portion sizes, but everything came out pretty salty, a flavor to which I am very sensitive. I wish they had used less salt. I suppose this is the cost of dining near the sea. read more

I have traveled the world, and this used to be one of my all time favorites. I'm sad to say that it has gone downhill. The swordfish special I had the other night tasted burnt as did that of my companion, and the shellfish tasted like they had not been thoroughly cleaned as I crunched down on several pieces of sand while consuming them. I spoke with my mom about my experience, and she too told me she had had not one, but two disappointing meals at the Impudent Oyster. I hope they are able to regain the reputation they once had. read more

Our first taste of local food in a very cozy and bustling restaurant off the high street. Attentive and swift service. Lobster mac & cheese was a disappointing start, far more mac and cheese than the billed star. The cod tater tots, though, were a must. Crunchy and flavorful. Swordfish steak, breaded, sitting on a substantial green salad was a very good entree, the meat was moist and the breeding had crunch. The salad was a good, if large accompaniment. We had started with a dozen local oysters, that were like a schoolgirl's sparkling laughter. read more

Let me just say, I don't just easily hand out five stars. But the food here was absolutely amazing! It was so good that we went back a second time in a three day period. First things first. You really should make reservations, this place is very busy and hard to get a table with no reservations. We got lucky! What I tasted: They bring you a fresh loaf of herb bread and butter. It was so fresh and perfect ! Started off with the mussel appetizer. mussels cooked in a white wine, butter, garlic broth with parsley. We ate a lot during this trip and this dish is hands down my favorite dish of the trip. It was delicious ! If you order this, save some of that bread to dip in the broth! For dinner I ordered the lobster ravioli with scallops and shrimp. WOW, this was soooo good, and the portions are huge! The scallops were cooked perfectly, the ravioli were big, I couldn't even finish the dish because I ate so many mussels from the appetizer. My husband ordered the swordfish piccata with asparagus. The sauce was soooo good , the swordfish steak was huge and cooked perfectly. We went back another night and really should have tried more things on the menu but I was so in love with the mussel dish that I just had to have it again. This time I just ordered the mussels as a meal. The inside of the restaurant is outdated, it's small, crowded and old decor. Normally I would take a star away for atmosphere but the outdated look works here and can be overlooked because the food is just that good! If you are expecting trendy, then you may be disappointed. Although old , it didn't have that dirty old look. This place was very clean, the staff was friendly. We didn't have a reservation and they squeezed us in. I would highly recommend, this place is a must while in Chatham. read more

Do not leave the Cape without trying this place. It was absolutely delicious. We had the cobb and caprese salad and both had homemade dressing. The chicken and shrimp pasta was perfectly spiced and the halibut risotto was delicious. Definitely coming here again. read more

I visited the Impudent Oyster on my own one evening during a business trip to the Cape. I ordered a raw oyster platter and their lobster/crab bisque. For once, I was happy to have been alone - and was not required to share any of my meal! The food was amazing. I sat at the bar, and enjoyed bread and lovely wine while I waited for my order. It's a busy restaurant, but from my experience and what I saw - plenty of wonderful staff were present to keep the tables turning and let more people enjoy their menu. I'd go back in a HEARTBEAT! read more

Not an oyster bar. Only 1 oyster selection and wait staff could not identify it. Not served with mignonette. Bar dark and dingy.

I live in Chatham year-round, and this is my FAVORITE restaurant. Love the food, love the atmosphere (the bar side is more intimate in my opinion). Great selection of wines, food, and specials. Very crowded in the Summer, even in the off-Season there is often a wait. It's Chatham, and priced appropriate as a restaurant in the heart of Chatham with amazing food. I have never had a bad meal or service in over 20 visits, so pay no attention to a bad review from the tourist who stopped in once! read more