One of Provincetown’s standards, the Governor Bradford Restaurant offers lunch and dinner in a casual atmosphere. There are both open-air tables and interior seating and later in the evening, the restaurant’s bar really livens up for those who are looking more for a drink or a good time than a meal. Who wouldn’t want to pass up some drag karaoke? Well, you don’t have to be in drag to take part – it’s just hosted by a drag queen - this is Provincetown after all.

Where do I find the Governor Bradford Restaurant?

The restaurant is located at 312 Commercial Street in downtown Provincetown. Commercial Street could also be considered the Town’s main street – running just behind the first line of buildings that front on the bay and host to the majority of Provincetown’s shopping and dining opportunities.

Governor Bradford’s is located roughly in the middle of Commercial Street – near the ferry pier where public parking is also available.

This is Provincetown and everything is crunched for space so there is no dedicated parking for the restaurant. You can either park in the public parking lot on the pier or use another of the public lots elsewhere in Provincetown.

Experience

One of the best dining options in Provincetown during the nicer weather is being able to eat outside. That way you get a view of everything that is going on in Town. You never know what might happen or who you might see and that’s part of what makes Provincetown special. So whenever we eat there, we always try to end up at a restaurant where we can be outside, enjoy the weather and take in the sights. That’s one reason we ended up at the Governor Bradford Restaurant. That and the menu had enough of a selection that all of us would find something to enjoy.

For those who don’t want to brave the outdoors or who are dining in cooler (or wetter) weather, there is interior seating available too.

Even though it was a bit early in the season, we went with the outdoor dining and while it was a bit chilly at times (that sea breeze can really cool things down), the restaurant had patio heaters going and overall we enjoyed being outside a lot more than being inside.

As we arrived, we were greeted at the entrance and asked if we wanted to dine inside or out. As we were being taken to our seats, the host went over some of the dishes available, making some recommendations. Once we were seated, our waitress came over quite quickly and got our drinks for us.

We went with some appetizers and salads to start our meal and while they came out in a respectable amount of time, the wait time could have been a little smaller. I don’t think it takes too long to make nachos or a salad. Besides that though, we ate away and fully enjoyed the nachos and the garden salads we all had gotten. The nachos were more than enough for the three of us – covered in cheese, chili and salsa.

Next there were our entrees. I had gone with chicken fingers (I don’t know, I had a weird craving for basic fried food) while my partner went with shrimp scampi and our friend had a steak. All three of us were quite satisfied with the meals – the portion sizes were quite large and none of us were able to finish our meals, especially after the appetizer and salads. The chicken fingers came with fries while the scampi was over spaghetti and came with garlic bread and the steak came with a vegetable and potatoes.

We really didn’t encounter any major problem with our meal. It was a bit of wait between the appetizer and our meals - we had finished the salads and appetizers and were waiting for a bit before the food came out. The only thing I really wasn’t fond of were the fries that came with my chicken fingers – I’m not sure if it was the grease they were fried in or just the kind of fries – but I didn’t really like them and didn’t end up eating very many.

A nice feature of the Governor Bradford Restaurant is the reasonable prices you’ll find on the menu. There are a lot of restaurants in Provincetown and quite often they are at least mildly overpriced. Here the prices are ever so slightly higher than you’ll find on the mainland but not as high as you’ll find at other Provincetown restaurants. With drinks, the appetizer and our meals, the overall check came in at around $20 per person, which I consider very reasonable for dinner in Provincetown.

What else can I eat?

What, besides those chicken fingers, steak and shrimp scampi? Well, the menu offers a nice variety of seafood, steak and poultry along with some sandwich choices. You’ll find a lot of seafood (as this is Provincetown and you’re on the ocean) but there are also a couple of steaks, pasta dishes and chicken dishes. If you’re not in the mood for a full entrée, then there are also the baskets (like my chicken finger basket!) or sandwiches.

Prices really vary on what you end up getting. Most of the entrees are below $15 while the sandwiches and the like are below $10. If you’re party goes with sandwiches and keeps down on the drinks I’d expect a bill of around $10 to $15 per person and with the entrees $20 to $25 per person.

Later?

The Governor Bradford Restaurant hosts a full service bar and that bar on certain nights is home to Drag Karaoke where you can sing your heart out with your Drag Queen host. There are also chess sets available for play, along with a pool table and some video games.

Overall

For a decent meal at a decent price you really can’t go wrong at the Governor Bradford Restaurant in Provincetown. You won’t be stunned by the food or service, but you won’t be disappointed either. It’s a great place to kick back and watch the rest of Provincetown go by.

And who knows…you might just find yourself doing karaoke one night with a drag queen.


More information on Provincetown.

Recommended: Yes

Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations sit outside so you can watch the world go by on Commerical Street
Best Suited For: Friends