Karoo Restaurant

We were staying in Provincetown, and I’m really happy we came here for something different. Great service and great food, topped off with the chef’s visit at our table. Our baby was enamored with her! Would definitely recommend if you want a change from the usual fare on Commercial St.

First visit and the place was quite empty, but our timing was out of whack that day. Food was hot and tasted good, but not entirely to my taste buds.
Friendly staff and plenty of parking.

Gorgeous décor? Check. Incredibly tasty food? Check. Gluten free and vegetarian/​vegan options? Check. Friendly owner with adorable dog who comes to your table to say hello and ends up talking to your friend about South African vineyards for 10 minutes? Super check!
Only downside was a waitress who took very long breaks between visiting our table but this was just before closing during the off season. I will go back here again and again.

It’s a nice change of pace for the outer cape amidst a sea of clam-​shacks. Décor was nice and service was good, the food was just ok, nothing amazing, nothing terrible, just average.

I only have 3 words for my review — Shrimp Malay Stew!
But seriously, I came to this restaurant last time I was on the Cape, two years ago, and I couldn’t wait to return so I made sure to eat here when I was back in the area this past weekend. There was a line to get a table, as they don’t take reservations, but we got lucky with seats at the bar.
I’ve never had South African food anywhere else, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but Malay Stew at Karoo is amazing. Can’t wait to return (hopefully next year).

Delicious food, friendly service, welcoming atmosphere. My husband and I found Karoo Restaurant 3 years ago when we visited his parents at the Cape. Since our first visit we have spent the whole next years thinking about the delicious food and counting down the days to our next visit. It’s that good! (Plus, the food is unlike anything we can find back home in Cincinnati). You cannot go wrong with anything you order; I promise! They also have vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and traditional menu options for people of every level of adventurous eater in the family. We will be back!

Great international restaurant with a casual atmosphere. VERY vegetarian friendly menu. This is on our heavy rotation list when we visit the cape.

I don’t know what I was thinking. I trusted you, Cape Cod Unilocal Community (CCYC). A 4 star aggregate of over 90 reviews should not be thrown around so lightly, especially for a place so unworthy. Anyways, I convinced the family to come here to try something different than the typical Cape seafood (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but a little diversity never hurt anyone). Alas, I know now to never veer from the staples of the Cape, for to do so is madness and despair. We arrived on a fairly busy Wednesday night crowd, but were seated with little wait after a few minutes at the bar. Unfortunately, that was the last positive of the evening. We ordered a multitude of appetizers, including the Peri-​Peri wings, snail rangoons, monkey ribs, beef samosas and falafels. The snail rangoons were good, if not memorable. The Peri-​Peri wings were something I was really looking forward to trying, so their mediocrity was really upsetting. The remaining dishes were at best average (samosas) to terrible (falafel). As for main courses, I can’t speak to my other parties’ dishes but I had the Karoo Bunny Chow. While it was not bad, it certainly wasn’t anything to write home about. Nobody at my table particularly enjoyed their dishes either. My star rating would seem a little harsh, if not for two other facts: 1) the service was abysmal; our waitress took forever in between our orders. 2) My family no longer trusts my opinion or loves me, which is definitely a one star reduction at least. The CCYC has let me down twice now (both here and at Moby Dick’s in Wellfleet). CCYC if you wrong me one more time, I will be forced to condemn you and deem your aggregate opinion… JUSTIFIABLY UNRELIABLE.

Great meal at Karoo last night! We had a party of seven, and the service was excellent. The entire place was full, but our food was delivered in a timely manner and the wait staff was attentive. I ordered the vegetarian plate, which consisted of tabouli salad, a power salad, falafel, hummus, and stuffed grape leaves. Others ordered falafel, a double burger (a special) and sweet potato fries, all of which were excellent. There are so many great vegetarian and vegan foods here, all of which are labeled to make convenient for the consumer.
I loved the food, the atmosphere, and everything else about Karoo. Next time I’m in the cape, I will definitely make sure to stop.

Looking for something for every picky and allergic eater? This is the spot.
Atmosphere– large, open, airy with indoor, bar, and outdoor (covered and uncovered) seating. Friendly but busy staff who pay just enough attention with being overbearing.
Food– clearly labeled gluten-​free, peanut-​free, vegetarian, and vegan options with a South African flair. This means curry, spice, meats, and rice. The Pap (polenta) and Chakolaka (lightly curried veggie stew) was good. Peri peri wings were cooked perfectly and very flavorful but more sweet than spicy in my option. The special was a double buffalo bacon burger– cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor. The cheesecake and Malva cake are the only in-​houses de desserts. I took the cheesecake to go and was glad I did. Creamy and perfectly satisfying. Also, there is a large selection of draft beers, cocktails, and creative mocktails.

Enjoyed a great dinner at Kuroo last night. We had a party of six, and everyone loved the place. From the extremely helpful (and very friendly) staff, to the quality of the food, this place is very, very good. The chef/​owner came out to our table after our meal. It is clear that she takes real pride in her craft, and in the restaurant.
I’m a frequent business traveler, so I eat at many good restaurants. I dined here while on vacation w some friends, and I have no problems giving Kuroo five stars. This is NOT a tourist «trap». The owner/​chef is from South Africa, and this is her cuisine. The menu is fairly short (usually a good thing, in my experience) and the food is very fairly priced, and as I said, the quality was first rate. The atmosphere was vacation friendly, w/​o pretense. Also, they have live local music three nights a week!
So, if you find yourself on Cape Cod looking for a place to eat, this place should be on your list.

I have considered moving to Eastham, just so we can eat here more often. Whenever we’re down the Cape, we always come to Karoo, frequently multiple nights in a row. My wife gets the vegan bunny every time, and loves it more each time. I’ve had multiple things from the menu and never been disappointed. On top of the amazing food, the staff is always great, even when they are swamped and someone has called out for the night. You might have to wait a little while if you come later, but grab a drink, sit in the gazebo, and you will be glad you waited. If you’re new to the Cape, go get seafood the first night, then come to Karoo every other night. Best restaurant in town!

So friggin awesome! Everything about this place! The interior, the exterior (stellar outside seating options, beautiful and just plain fun), the service and the FOOD! The dishes are perfect and unique. The drinks can be strong if you don’t tell them to tone it down a bit… but this is not necessarily a problem if you want the drinks to do their job :).This is a nice change from the normal restaurants in the Cape. I would recommend this place to anyone, you will not be disappointed and you will leave feeling satisfied on all levels! Good job Karoo!!!

Never disappoints. Stopped for dinner before the drive in movie. Had the vegan bunny dish… outstanding. Service was eh. Cost a star. Our waitress didn’t know any of the specials (drink or meal) yet the waiter for the neighbor table literally spoke for 3 minutes describing all the specials. We piggy backed off his info. Food is excellent.

Can’t say enough positive things about Karoo. The food is a delight to all your senses. I guess the hearing sense would be all the yummy sounds you and everyone at your table make! The décor is beautiful and inviting. The staff are the most friendly people you could want to meet. You can tell they take pride in their work and the service. You can even shop for the spices and sauces that go into these time honored recipes. I stocked up! Try Karoo and it will be come one of your favorite I guarantee!

Great meal, great experience.
The vibe is probably more Cambridge than Cape Cod — the interior is very warm and welcoming, and the staff are too. We tried three dishes:
Chakalaka and pap: Simple, a little bit spicy, and very addictive. Basically a vegetable stew served over something resembling polenta. If you’re into Ethiopian or Indian flavors, you will probably love it too.
Falafel and black bean burger: This was a daily special. I wouldn’t have ordered it based on the name, but I ended up being very glad someone at my table did. It came on a Portuguese English muffin, I think, and was served with some sort of yogurt sauce. My description is totally not doing it justice — it was delicious.
Combo platter of Middle Eastern salads: This is my usual order in a Middle Eastern restaurant, but the flavors in this version were not for me. A little bit unusual and just not my style. But everything else really hit the spot.

Clean, friendly and had a warm fun Décor.
My friend had a hamburger and fries and stated best in the area! I had the vegetarian Karoo stew and loved it so much we came back the next night.
Since then we have recommended it to the rest of our family who have been there and have loved it as much as we have… An absolute must at the Cape!

Nice atmosphere — décor/​vibe enjoyable African. Transform from Cape Cod to Cape Town in a blink!
We enjoyed
1.Karoo Bunny Chow /​Vegan Bunny (no bunnies were harmed) curried ground beef covering french fries on a sweet bread roll– a must –DELISHOUS mild curried flavor

This place really hit the spot. I wanted something a little different, but still wanted some spice and a good amount of vegetables. I’m mostly weary of asian restaurants in remote parts of the US, so that was definitely going to be out, but Karoo filled the need!
My husband and I ordered two plates and shared. Everything we had was really tasty and full of flavor. I wish I could find something like this in LA!

Décor/​Vibe: The place is styled with a heavy african theme. Dark wooden masks on the wall, burlap sacks on the ceiling, dark wood, and earth tone colors. The background music was very chillaxin & the atmosphere was very laid back. It was a relaxing experience after a long day.
Meal: I started with the west african peanut soup which is a combo of pumpkin, carrot, and peanut. The soup was fantastic. All of the flavors were present & none of them overpowered the other. It was light and I paired it with an extra pale ale. My main entrée was the curried lamb stew. My expectations were a little different that the actual delivery of the food. The lamb was not as tender as Ive experienced in the past & the veggies felt like they were frozen. However, the sauce did have a nice heat to it.