The Cape Codder

Unassuming, but Fabulous!

The Cape Codder restaurant from the outside is very unassuming and shows like a "Hole in the Wall" restaurant. The sign even looks like it says "The Cape Coooer". The outside is rustic and worn; the inside is open, clean, and simple. But hidden within this unassuming restaurant, is some amazingly GREAT New England style seafood. Forget Long John Silvers - this is THE place to go for delicious fish and chips, chowder, and what not. My husband first discovered this place on an outing with his mother. They didn't expect much, but what they got just floored them. It was so good that they didn't stop talking about their experience for the rest of the day. Several days later, hubby took us all out there so we can all experience the tasty food fare at Cape Codder. Our party consisted of three adults and one child.

The waitress was cheery and friendly. She handed us photocopied menus (another hole in the wall trait) and took our drink order. The menu had some variety but mostly focused on New England style seafood based on haddock, cod, scallops, clams, and more. You can choose from fried, broiled, or baked, depending on your order. There is some land-faring dishes (chicken, hamburgers, etc.) as well. To start us off, hubby and I each enjoyed a cup of chowder served with oyster crackers in packets on the side. The chowder was heavenly comfort food, rich and creamy without being salty or heavy. It felt good to eat it, even on a hot Florida day. For our main course, hubby and I both had the fried cod and scallops, truly delicious. The cod was battered and fried perfectly without being overdone or greasy. And it tasted great by itself or with the malt vinegar. The seasoned French fries - one couldn't ask for anything better. They were just PERFECT! The fried scallops had a darker brown appearance, but they too were perfectly done and tasted great by itself, with malt vinegar, or with their homemade cocktail or tartar sauce (which both are very good!).

Silly me, I ordered parsley potatoes with my fried fish - I should have ordered the fries. But nonetheless, the potatoes were done just right, tender, buttery, and yummy. Just need a sprinkling of salt to make them perfect for me.

Each of our meals came with coleslaw and onion rings. I'm not an avid fan of coleslaw so I cannot comment too much on it. But I can say the hubby enjoyed it. He not only ate his, but mine and the child's as well. He tells me it's the best tasting coleslaw he's had in a long time. The onion rings were huge! You only get like two or three because of their size, but it was enough! They were also fried and tasted great. My young son enjoyed fried haddock and fries with milk on the side. The picky eater that he can be had no problems with his meal. He found it tasty and ate most of it.

We really like our waitress. She had smiling eyes and was easy to talk to. She checked in on us and refilled our drinks as needed without problems. When she brought out our chowders and crackers, she gave an extra packet of oyster crackers to the child to enjoy, even though he hadn’t requested chowder (And enjoyed them he did!) And, when our dinner was over and we were loading into the car, she came running out to us to return a small toy my son had forgotten.

Despite the restaurants worn appearance the place is clean and well cared for. The one bathroom available to the public is also clean and well kept. There are TVs in the main area to watch along with old 70's era pop music in the background.

The Cape Codder restaurant is a great place to try. Don't let its unassuming looks fool you. The food they offer is fabulous fare and very reasonably priced. It's worth the trip to go there if you're in the Cocoa Beach area. This is the genuine place to go to get amazing fish and chips. Forget Long John Silvers or Corky Bells. GO TO CAPE CODDER INSTEAD!