The Martin House - Provincetown (long post)

[aunteejoy]

Had a terrible experience last week here and left without eating (although is cost almost $20). Had a reservation for 7 people on Friday night at 8:30. Since we were running late, we called the restaurant and told them so. They were very accommodating and told us the chef would appreciate it - apparently he was a little overwhelmed. When we arrived (in 2 groups because the pariking was tough), the restaurant was not full and we were taken upstairs to a group of tables that were configured and set in an odd way that put some guests in table "Siberia". When we asked that the table be reset so we were all seated within earshot, we were told that it couldn't be done to accommodate the waitstaff. We were then moved to another large table (acceptable).

When the rest of the party arrived, the waiter asked for drink orders and began with the list of specials. Here's where it gets interesting. First of all, there is almost no seafood on the menu (unbelievable to us). And, except for the mussels, none of it is local.

Ok, let's start with the specials. The waiter begins his recitation with "These are our specials, and no I'm not kidding" (we know we're in trouble now) and proceeds to tell us about ostrich, frogs legs, rattlesnake and something else - again, NO SEAFOOD! This is Cape Cod for crying out loud!

Now, on to drinks. We all want water. The waiter tells us there is a water alert and that we have to buy our water - in individual bottles - no large bottles for the table to share. Why? Because some people like fizzy and other people like flat. He leaves the table with orders for 2 beers and one water. We decide we're leaving. When we try to get them to hold the drinks, we're told the bottles are already open and they must be paid for. The group moves on to another restaurant while 2 stay behind to drink the beer. They even charged for the open water bottle (flat) that easily could have been served elsewhere.

Needless to say, at the next stop there was no mention of a water problem and we were all served water as requested at no charge.

Overall, a terrible experience in a restaurant that came highly recommended.

[MatthewBoston]

Went to the Martin House this past Saturday, February 17, 2007. We had a similar experience and walked out after an hour and a half, lousy service, one drink, no food. We practically got run over on our way out with everyone walking out, complaining, and people coming in turning around to leave. Unfortunately, a place that was once a good meal is a place that can ruin your whole night...espcially when you are looking for a romantic dinner and end up on the street at 9:30 at night hungry!

[aunteejoy]

We were staying in Wellfleet and only went that one night to P-town. We finally ended up eating that night at Sal's. Very good Italian.

In Wellfleet, we heard raves for the Wicked Oyster - though we didn't eat there.

[PennyC]

Thanks for the warning. We find that every year we have to carefully check the current status of our favorite places. Anytime you read a review for Provincetown, you need to check the year it was done.

There was a rumor last year that the Martin House was up for sale. I just did a search and found mention of new owners in a two places.

Now, please tell us about the other places you tried and how they fared in your opinion. There are so few P-town posts!

[Karl S]

Very true.

This is so sad, because Martin House was for several years running one of the more reliable spots going, but you can *never* rely on things being consistent each year in that town.

[ClevelandRandy]

Thanks for the heads up. We'll definitely cross that off our list of possibilities!