Peddler’s Cafe & Grill

Occasionally, I see a review of this restaurant that rates it as sub-​par. This shocks me until I remember that some reviewers probably treasure velveteen portraits of girls with sad eyes in their rec rooms. I assume these folks give raves to McDonald’s.
So let me set this matter straight. This restaurant is one of the best I have ever been in over the last 70 years, and I have had the good – and I am very grateful for it– to eat in four and five stars in Paris and Lyons, and equally fine restaurants in Rome and New York.
The chef is an expert; he is careful and imaginative. The staff, mostly family, is sincerely friendly and charming. The atmosphere is just right for a country bistro. We have never had to wait more than 30 minutes, although I hope this review might change that.
My favorite is the Chef’s Paté and the Duck, but everything is good. The Martinis tend to be watery if you order them straight-​up, so Beware!

I’ve never seen so many divergent reviews of a restaurant. We decided we had to try it for ourselves and I’m glad we did. I was half expecting to be waited on by nurse rachet or the soup nazi. The mother and daughter wait tables and do a great job. Service was efficient and friendly and the food was superb. It’s not pretentious and not cheap, be prepared to drop $ 120 plus tip. We started with warm goat cheese over mixed greens, and had seared scallops and grilled salmon entrees capped with an amazing banana foster flambé. Dinner is relaxed and leisurely, no one is pushing you out the door. We had a great experience and plan to go as often as financially possible. Also, bring cash or an AMEX card.

Cute cozy restaurant. Have eaten there for 3 years, the food is good, the service is horrific. The owner (woman) peruses the restaurant as the only server and in busy season her daughter is there to help. The service is exceptionally slow but the food is good. Having been loyal customers to this essentially cash only restaurant, we were there one night with a bit of a wait. We waited, and then another group showed up behind us, and the owner proceeded to take the other group first. She was clearly flustered as she is unable to handle more than 5 tables at once, and we have seen it before where she becomes flustered and irritated at patrons due to her inability to keep up to speed. Although we thought this was extremely rude as we are regulars, and always order far more than just a standard dinner (as you can see by previous posts they get upset if you try to spend less than 20 per person), we gave it another shot. We showed up to a less than crowded restaurant and advised the daughter that we had a couple meeting us but said we were fine waiting to be seated until they showed. We just thought we would have some drinks on the deck or bar while waiting. She suggested we sit at the bar and order drinks. We sat at the bar while the woman owner piled heaps of dirty dishes in front of us, making drinks in front of us, while never taking our order. After 20 minutes the daughter came over and told us she would seat us and we could order at the table. We did as she asked and ordered drinks right away. No more than 5 minutes after receiving our drinks, the owner came over and asked when the other guests were arriving in a rude and demanding manner, then rolled her eyes at us when we said ten minutes. She then proceeded to stare at us as she was clearly upset because she had 4 patrons waiting to be seated. The daughter then came over 2 minutes later and asked the same thing, and we asked for the check. She told us we could pay all together when we did eat dinner, and we informed her that we would not be eating there and left. As we were leaving the restaurant 8 patrons who had finished their meal left as well, so if she had just cleaned the tables she would have been able to accommodate everyone.
Mind you our two drinks were $ 27
This is typical service at this establishment and we have let it slide for too long. The food is good, but not great, and very over priced. We ended up at Brewster Fish house which is far more delicious, healthier, and about the same price. Oh yeah, and they take credit card!

We were recommended to go to the Peddler’s Café by our hosts at the Captain Freeman Inn in Brewster. It is definitely off the beaten path, but worth seeking out. Such a small place and you can tell that the chefs take a lot of care in preparing the menu and food. The menu changes from night to night I believe, but they do have some constants. My wife had the bolognese which she raved about and I had the Bistro Chicken which I didn’t want to end. Both served in the skillets they were cooked in: awesome.
Our waitress, who was the daughter of one of the owners, was also extremely nice.
The atmosphere is very cozy, feels like a big dining room in an old cottage, which, it basically is.
The one thing that wasn’t up to par was my drink. I ordered an old fashioned and it came a bit watered down and not that great.

Peddler’s is hidden gem in Brewster serving incredible food. The restaurant is a cozy place where the entrees are served fresh from the kitchen on skillets. All the food is excellent and fresh. Oh and the desserts are great too!

This place is a hidden gem, very lovely ambience, nice service. It is a bit pricey, whether in comparison to other nearby restaurants or not. I will definitely come back on my next trip to the cape.

Amex only, $ 20 minimum food per person, 20% gratuity for 5 or more people. That is some of the snootiest stuff I’ve seen on a menu before. I wouldn’t even let my butler go there!

After visiting this bistro 4 times in the last 2 years I felt it was time to give it it’s creds — truly a hidden gem! Every time we have been here the service has been terrific and the food — ooo la la! Starting with the bread and oil– yummo (apologies to Rachel– and also to those of you who are offended by the term) — but hold off, dear reader, the best is yet to come. The sole meuniere is often sold out so if you are considering, speak up at the git go! it is delicate and simply prepared — just like it should be. Reminiscent of Julia herself! (Must stop here and wipe the drool). Once the BF had the bolognese and has been reminiscing ever since (I think it was off the menu last time we went). Not what you would expect in a french restaurant but full bodied and rich. Love the individual skillets and the vegetables are a nice addition if you want a little variety (they allow for a little relief from all the protein — not exceptional but are prepared in the french way). The menu is small — 8 entries (+/​-​) and on a blackboard– (warning — you will need glasses if you came preparing to be vain…). The owner cooks and his wife is the waitress. Can I just say — I miss the jelly jar wine glasses …
tres bien!!!

Having read the wonderful reviews for Peddler’s Café and Grill we couldn’t wait to eat there. The atmosphere was pleasant; dimly lit with low lights and candles. The tables are packed in pretty tightly but when we were there there were only three other tables with diners at them so it did not seem crowded or noisy. We were off to a good start with the complimentary basic French bread and wonderfully flavored pepper and herb oil. Next course included a joyless presentation of a stark slab of country pork pâté with mustard and cornichons. The flavor of the pâté was simply put; blah. The most distracting feature of the pâté were grizzle lumps that were quite unpleasant, the side of mustard and cornichons did help. My husband enjoyed his steak which was cooked med rare as he requested… It is hard to mess up a steak. I ordered Duck, inquiring first if it was done CRISPLY and was assured it would be. Both our dinners arrived in large sauté pans with a small assembly of overcooked and under-​seasoned vegetables. The Duck was positively soggy which I pointed out immediately to our waitress. The skin was cooked but flubbery, clearly not crisped before being covered in a pool of gelatinous orange sauce. The waitress took the dish away to «crisp it up». When she returned with the Duck, I tested it with my fork and had my suspicions confirmed that there was no «crisping it up» now that it was in the sauce. The waitress said SHE tried to crisp it up but was told by the CHEF that she was going to burn it. I can’t tell you how the deserts were because we lost our appetites for experimenting with any more dishes at Peddler’s. No further attempt was made to correct the Duck debacle by our waitress or the chef. We were presented with our bill adding the last bit of unpleasantness to our evening at Peddler’s. No adjustment of any sort was made to the bill for the improperly cooked Duck. I can appreciate that mistakes can happen anywhere, how they are dealt with is telling. There are many fine places to eat on Cape Cod unfortunately in our experience Peddler’s is not one of them.

This place is the hidden gem of Brewster. My girlfriend and I wanted to try a place that locals knew about but is «off the beaten path.» When you arrive you’re not sure if you’re actually at a restaurant or an overgrown shanty. The overgrown look gives it a mysterious feel, but when you walk in it’s a quaint and charming dining room with a relatively large bar in the middle. The lighting was dim, and the candles were bright. Definitely a good mood setting place.
After eating excellent bread and oil, we had the steak au poivre and the chicken marsala. Both were excellent dishes that come out in the skillets they were cooked in. The waitress was very friendly and the food came out in a timely manner. After dinner we had the homemade pistachio ice cream which also was excellent. You can tell they put care into their food, as it’s fresh and cooked just right.
You have to be mindful of the fact that they only accept AmEx… Which is odd. But it probably cuts down on debit card costs. So bring plenty of cash. We dropped about $ 70 including tip for the meal without drinks. I would say that the food and the atmosphere is worth the hefty price tag.
Some of the dishes could be cheaper (a $ 27 chicken parm was on the menu) as some of the dishes really weren’t worth that much. But you’re not just paying for the food in this establishment.

Yummmm! You almost forget that you’re in Brewster. Could be in any little town in France. Top-​notch bistro fare, friendly service and a changing seasonal menu.

Our visit to Peddler’s Café and Grille (or Peddler’s Bistro) began very positively and went way down hill by the end. It’s seating space is limited, which adds to the delightful atmosphere as does the décor and wafting tones of Edith Piaf.
The meal was OK: the steak au poivre is clearly a lesser less cut of beef, making it a bit chewy; the pasta bolonaise is average (made with hamburg); and the homemade pistashio ice cream is delicious.
The waitress was lovely — until we received the bill ($ 90-​plus without tip). We put out a VISA card, figuring we’d leave a generous tip. But the waitress informed us that they only accepted the American Express card, which we did not have. No where is there notice of this policy.
We had enough cash to cover the meal with $ 4.00 left over. When the waitress came again we told her of our plight and asked if checks were accepted. She said «No». She stated pleasantly that there was an ATM «down the street».
It seems strange way to do business to expect clientele to walk out of the restaurant to obtain money and to return to pay the bill. Obviously people have done it; we didn’t. As badly as we felt for the waitress, we didn’t believe that this expectation of the management was reasonable. So the waitress followed us out the door, clearly upset, asking us why we hadn’t left her a bigger tip.
NOTE: As we were getting up from our table to leave, we noticed that the people at the table next to us were sharing our credit card experience.
BRING YOUR CASH or AM EX card!!!

Peddlers is a hidden gem!
This is my absolute favorite place on Cape to have a special dinner. It’s definitely pricey, but worth it. It’s not a place to go if you’re tight for time, as there is often just the chef and his wife, who waits on all the tables.
The menu is written on a chalkboard wall, and the tables have roses and wine bottles with a candle. My favorite appetizer here is the escargot — it’s incredible! Their wine selection is excellent, and we always get a bottle.
Everything I’ve tried on the menu is excellent. The food is made to order, and when it’s ready, comes out sizzling in a cast iron pan. We always take our time and have a long dinner, enjoying each course and enjoying the wine and ambiance.
As I said before, this isn’t a restaurant where the customer is always right, and people are falling over themselves to make you happy. No reservations, so go early! The food takes a while, but if you come prepared to wait patiently and nibble on the fresh bread with olive oil and a glass of wine, it’s not an issue.
I think that all of these things make Peddler’s a unique and wonderful experience, and I will look forward to every special dinner there!

Peddler’s is nominally just a small family-​owned French restaurant on a side street in a small town, but it has a dedicated following. So dedicated that it’s difficult to get in during the summer.
It’s a little on the expensive side, but well worth it. The service has always been friendly, and the food has always been excellent (over the years, I have never had a meal there that wasn’t utterly delicious).
A little part of me hates to «out» this place on Unilocal,but it deserves a place and a review here.