Menemsha Cafe

Loved it!

Menemsha Café has a view of the shore from some of its tables, which is surprisingly hard to find, considering this is an island.
The food was decent and the service very friendly. What drew me here was the location (far side of the island, away from wintertime tourists which tend to stay in Vineyard Haven) and the possibility of a sought-​after view… which it has.

We drove all the way across the island to check out this adorable little restaurant in the quaint fishing village of Menemsha. It did not disappoint. My husband had the steel cut oatmeal and followed that with an amazing bacon, cheese and egg sandwich for breakfast. I had a delicious BLT (yes, they didn’t mind me ordering from the lunch menu for breakfast) and the best homemade hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. The service was great, the staff friendly and it was decorated with local artwork… love that! We will definitely try to go back for one of the few nights they serve dinner before we leave.

Since everything else was closed for lunch on a Monday in Sept. we found ourselves at the Menemsha Café. I ordered the lobster roll (my third in about as many days). My Italian husband got Italian sandwich.
The lobster roll was ehh. Did not need all those red onions and overpowering dressing. I’m a lobster-​roll purist. Lightly dressed pleased. And no huge-​handful-​of-​red-​onions. I hate to say it because it will sound all touristy and sell-​outish, but the Black Dog has an amazing lobster roll that kills the one at Menemsha (and for less $, plus fries).
The Italian sandwich was kinda blahish and was on one of those boring Chinese food rolls.
Not terrible, just definitely not worth the $$$. 2 stars for location, picnic tables on a nice day and friendly service.

It sure seems like you’ve landed in up-​island heaven when the light is still on at the Menemsha Deli on a cold wintery afternoon. No summer crowds, no parking issues, no headaches to distract you. Just a friendly smile and the best falafal sandwich ever.
But this cute spot really sparkles in the summer, when you take the trek up-​island and wander in here for some delicious food, served by professional, friendly people, including the owners, Josh and Angela. There are about six tables indoors and a couple of picnic benches outside. They will pack up a picnic for you, too, but this is a BYOB place, so don’t get forgetful when it comes to your champagne, beer or wine.
This is a breakfast sandwich, cheese steak sandwich, pulled pork sandwich kind of a place. The owners use local ingredients so if you find the prices a little high, please be aware that the veggies and meats are local, not foreign mass produced junk, carted in from off-​island. Fresh organic produce and local fish and meats will be more expensive no matter where you eat.
The baked goods, lobster rolls and salads are worth mentioning as stand outs.
If you are heading this way to watch the sun set, which is a Menemsha tradition, this is the place to pick up some solid Vineyard treats.
Open from 6:30−3 seven days a week plus an early dinner on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, starting at 5:30.

Food is pretty good here. Local ingredients are a plus, but $ 30 for lunch for 2 is not. We each had a BLT, side of housemade cole slaw, and a ginger beer. They are part of a ‘slow food’ movement that is going around — and they appeared to have the requisite snobby attitude to go with it. Other then the price and attitude, it is a cute place with good food. Around 5 or six tables inside and a few outside if you want to enjoy the nice day.

My husband and I went into Menemsha for lunch the other day. We ended up at the café without checking out the other places. Wish we had! Food was okay, but prices were outrageous $ 11.95 for a plain old BLT and $ 20 for a lobster roll. We could have had better for for less at Homeport just around the corner. Which also has much more outdoor sitting with water views. There are also other places in town with better food and better prices. I would not recommend eating here.

I had a fresh and delicious breakfast sandwich here. The woman behind the counter was courteous and friendly, the breakfast was hot and delicious. It is so peaceful out here in the mornings, before the crowds arrive to watch the sunset on Menemsha beach. I highly recommend it!

We stopped at Menemsha Café after a recommendation from a local farm in Chilmark. I was very impressed.
Yes, the space is small, but they do have a picnic area to eat outside in addition to the 5 or so tables inside. I love the fact that they use recyclable materials, as well as local ingredients.
I ordered a vegetable sandwich which included fresh and delicious North Tabor Farm greens, avocado, hummus, and onions. They offer a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps. Plenty of options for someone who is vegetarian.
I look forward to visiting again when I’m back on the vineyard.

Martha’s Vineyard has an ample supply of locally-​raised ingredients, but there are surprisingly few restaurants that offer fresh, local cooking in a casual setting. Your choice is usually local cooking in an expensive, stuffy setting, or wings and nachos in a casual setting. Menemsha Café is an exception. Everything my wife & I ordered was wonderful, and not expensive. (Why can’t they build one of these in downtown Oak Bluffs?) Really terrific.

My friend and I stopped by to pick up lunch on the way to the beach. We were pleasantly surprised by this little café. The interior is cute with a good number of little café tables. They have a nice lunch menu filled with sandwiches, wraps, soups, and salads. I opted for garden salad (as I had just picked up some fried clams from The Bite and needed some greens!) and a lemonade while my friend had their tuna sandwich. She declares it to be the best tuna sandwich on the island (and trust me – she tried a lot!). It was really perfect to take away and picnic on the beach. The prices are what I call «island prices», and are reasonable for the Vineyard. Salads and sandwiches run about $ 7.50-$ 9.50.

Jeff and I stopped here after several hour at the beach. We were running out of gas and he remembered the gas station down the street from Larsen’s. He got the gas, I was going to see about getting some fish from the fish market that was still open. That didn’t happen, so I walked to meet him at the gas station. He asked the attendant if he knew of a place that was open around here. The lady inside suggested the Menemsha Café. I heard her say, on our way out, «I should work for the Chamber of Commerce!» I agree. It was an excellent recommendation.
The place is small and has about five tables. They use reclyclable materials. The menu is mostly sandwiches, a few salads, soup of the day (and the obligatory clam chowder). There are a few dinner specials each night, on a board.
Jeff and I both ordered the clam chowder. It was thinner than I wanted, but it had lots of clams, potatoes and it had bacon. The bacon gave it such a good smoky flavor. I added a bit of Cholula and some pepper. It was even better that way. It still wasn’t the «flavor of the sea» that I wanted, but it was good nonetheless.
Jeff ordered the crab cake sandwich. It came on a soft roll. I tasted a piece and it was more crab than cake, which is atypical from so many places.
I had the cod cakes. They were served over perfectly wilted greens and had some scallop ceviche and pickled cucumber strips. These weren’t your typical cucumbers. They reminded me more of Persian pickles that have a stronger flavor, not dill. The ceviche was fresh and delicious. The citrus really cut the heaviness of the fish cakes. The fish cakes were more potato pancakes, but they had that fish flavor that was mild. All together, it was absolutely delicious. I didn’t think I was that hungry, but I devoured the plate in a few seconds. It was so good that I wanted more!
There were several beautiful paintings on the walls. There were different styles of chairs at each table. The silverware and condiments were along the window. There was a non-​functioning ATM in the corner, next to a cold beverage refrigerator. They had the typical Coke products in that case. Outside there were a few picnic tables with citronella candles burning. There were some clear Christmas lights along the windows. Small lights hung from the ceilings, giving a soft glow that made the wood on the walls look even richer.
I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food and the atmosphere. I know they are «just a sandwich place» but this place was a nice meal at the end of a busy day. I will recommend them to anyone who is looking for a meal in the evening in Menemsha.

The Menemsha Café is FANTASTIC. During a recent week-​long trip to the Vineyard, I had lunch there three times and dinner once. Yes, it’s small and it’s quite casual and the line is sometimes long, but it’s well worth it. Here’s why you should eat there too:
The food is outstanding. They use fresh, local ingredients when possible, and the dishes are flavorful and imaginative. Lunch options range from a vegetarian wrap or a wonderful beet salad to a barbecue sandwich or «Dangerous Dan’s» lobster roll. The dinner menu is short and changes nightly. (When I was there, they weren’t serving dinner every night — check in advance.) I had a fabulous filet of sole dinner, served on a bed of local greens with a «cake» made from sole and potatoes … one of the BEST fish dishes I’ve ever eaten! My dining companions tried the other two options that night (a chicken dish and a vegetarian stir fry) and all were excellent.
The prices are reasonable. Eating out on the Vineyard is expensive, but the prices here are reasonable, especially when you consider the quality of the food. For instance, that filet of sole dish mentioned above was $ 4 less (but MUCH better) than the filet of sole dinner I had at the Ocean View restaurant in Vineyard Haven.
They’re concerned about the environment. Beyond using local ingredients, they make a serious effort to reduce the environmental impact of the restaurant. They have recycling bins for anything that can be recycled, and the dinnerware they use is biodegradable. (The place is too small to wash dishes.)
The people are friendly. The owner (Josh) is a really nice guy, and the other folks who work there couldn’t be more helpful.