November 16, 2021
by Jeff Shaw
Author’s Note: While walking along a browning salt marsh on a crisp autumn afternoon, I got hungry. And a little thirsty. Suddenly, I was craving a large, warm and steamy bowl of clam chowder from the Chatham Squire. Alas, the restaurant was many miles away. As my mind wandered for other hearty options, oddly, the signature oyster shooter at the Beachcomber came into focus. Perhaps the cracked shells along the shoreline inspired the thought. Sadly, the Comber has been long closed for the season. The disgusting sounding seafood shot would have to wait until 2022. What to do?
Unable to scratch that Squire-Comber itch, my mind remained fixated not on food, not on drink, but the long-standing question – which bar-restaurant was better? Squire or Beachcomber? I’m surely not the only one who has fallen into this rabbit hole of tasty wonder, but it was time to put pen to paper and settle the score.
Two Iconic Cape Cod Bar-Restaurants
Chatham Squire
Since 1968, the Chatham Squire is now without question, the town of Chatham’s most iconic restaurant. Located in the middle of downtown Main Street and known for its two distinctive sections—the family friendly restaurant on the west side and a rowdy tavern on the east – the Squire is a bustling operation and mixing pot of locals, tourists, college students and families.
The original owners, the late Richard Costello and George Payne, operated the business for 53 years. In 2019, Costello and Payne sold the business to Todd Hearle, whose parents owned and operated an art gallery that bared its name across the street. While much of the operation remains the same, a few notable changes (again, after 50 years!) are listed below. The Squire is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily (kitchen closes at 9), and sports a 100-person staff.
Awards: Boston Magazine: Best Bar (2007); Cape Cod Life: Best Chowder (Silver); Cape Cod Times Reader Poll: Best Karaoke Venue.
Wondering about the name? “A squire is someone who attends to or takes care of, and that’s what we’ve been doing for 50 years,” said General Manager Richard Sullivan, when interviewed by the Cape Cod Chronicle upon the 50th anniversary of the restaurant.
Wellfleet Beachcomber (also known as the Comber or ‘Comah)
Since 1953, The Beachcomber features panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean atop the bluff overlooking Cahoon Hollow Beach. But the building itself – an old life saving station – is much older. Built in 1897, the Wellfleet Beachcomber was one of the nine Life Saving Service stations built on the Outer Cape (Race Point, Highlands, Peaked Hill Bars, Pamet, Cahoon’s Hollow, Nauset, Orleans, Chatham, and Monomoy Point). Life Saving Stations originated in 1872 as part of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Life Saving Service, which pre-dated the U.S. Coast Guard.
As the story goes, in 1953 Russell Gallagher, who had summered at Cahoon Hollow Beach as a child, bought the old station and converted it into a small inn, and dubbed it the Beachcomber. One of the rooms inside was finished with driftwood and nautical bric a brac, that was “combed” off the beach.
About 10 years later (1961), President John F. Kennedy created the Cape Cod National Seashore which would preserve in perpetuity over 43,500 acres of ponds, woods and beachfront along the Atlantic–facing Eastern side of Cape Cod in the towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans, and Chatham. By virtue of a “Grandfather” clause, the Beachcomber was/is allowed to remain within the National Seashore as a privately held commercial property (one of only eleven at that time).
Awards: Boston Magazine: “Best Bar on the Cape & Islands”; Cape Cod Life Readers Poll: “Best Raw Bar, Best Outdoor Dining, Best Specialty Cocktail and Best Entertainment”; Esquire: “Best Bars in America”; Travel Channel’s #10 pick on the “Twenty-One Sexiest Beach Bars in the World” list; and Yankee Magazine: “One of the Best Seaside Dining Spots in New England.”
Wondering about the assertion of being “Cape Cod’s only oceanfront restaurant and club? Even though there are several restaurants, and other businesses on the water (either Nantucket Sound, or Cape Cod Bay), the Beachcomber is the only oceanfront (Atlantic side) restaurant on Cape Cod.
Honorable Mentions
There are many popular bar-restaurant-taverns not named Beachcomber or Squire on Cape Cod. I’ve been to many of them. But the Comber and Squire stand out. First, their followings are second to none. Second, their logos can be seen on t-shirts and bumper stickers across the country. Third, I’ve had some truly wild days and nights at both places. A few nights could probably qualify as episodes for a comedy mini series. Need more proof? Brace yourselves for the debate below.
Iconic Categories
Charm
Beachcomber: The outside bar is regularly packed three people deep. The floor is sandy. The vibe is hazy. Shoes may be optional.
Squire: The collection of roughly 500 license plates hanging from the rafters and walls pairs well with sawdust and sweat on the floor. There are even arcade games near the back bar.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 1-0.
Entertainment
Beachcomber: It’s hard to beat live music at a largely outdoor restaurant, but…
Squire: …offers oodles of entertainment. Take your pick; live music, trivia nights, karaoke, or watching in amusement as already tipsy wedding partygoers hang on for last call. Forget the television, there is always something happening “live” at the Squire. The tavern’s “upstairs” table tops are a great viewing perch for the mayhem.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 2-0.
Food & Drink
Beachcomber: Oyster Shooters. Need anything more be said? The raw bar, stationed outside, is “shucked to order,” which is both fun to watch and obviously a treat to eat.
Squire: We’ve covered the clam chowder. It is excellent. Last year, new chef, Christian Asencio’s, added menu items such as the Angry Lobster, a spicy crustacean pasta dish; pan-seared scallops with a summer succotash of house-roasted jalapenos, roasted corn, edamame, broccoli and tomatoes; truffle fries; an ahi tuna sandwich on brioche; and more. Upgrade?
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire leads 2-1.
“Funkness”
While often seen cruising along Ocean View Drive, The Funk Bus group transportation specifically notes stops at “the Wellfleet Beachcomber, the Chatham Squire,…” on its website. Indeed, we are in iconic territory.
Winner: Tie.
Squire still leads 2-1.
Hours
Beachcomber: Open seasonally, daily, from mid-May to Labor Day. Though, last year, the restaurant reopened through Oct. 3 — only the second post-season reopening.
Squire: The Squire is open year-around, like 364.5 days year-round. I recall they’ve opened Christmas Day afternoon more than occasionally.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 3-1.
History
Beachcomber: A former life saving station, the original building itself is over 100 years old (the service/building pre-dates the U.S. Coast Guard) and business is nearing its 70th anniversary serving customers.
Squire: The 50th Anniversary, celebrated in 2019, featured a special weekend exhibit at the Chatham Historical Society’s Atwood House and Museum.
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire leads 3-2.
Location
Beachcomber: (Truly) the only oceanfront – Atlantic side – restaurant on Cape Cod.
Squire: Located in the center of downtown Chatham and walking distance to popular attractions Chatham Lighthouse, Chatham Fish Pier, Chatham Bars Inn, and Veteran’s Field, home of the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Baseball League); stumbling distance to the Chatham Bandstand in Kate Gould Park.
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire-Beachcomber tied 3-3.
Price
Beachcomber: If you park in their parking lot to access Cahoon Hollow Beach, the $30 parking ticket also acts as a restaurant voucher (food, raw bar, merchandise). Of course, you are going to use it! The “Ultimate Season Pass” is also available for frequent patrons including seasonal parking, discounts at the Shop and other perks.
Squire: Before the ownership switch/COVID, a winter dining club/card was offered. Dine five times, the sixth meal was free.
Winner: Beachcomber
Beachcomber leads 4-3.
Pop Culture
Beachcomber: No pop culture references known.
The Squire: In the movie “Summer Catch,” the players hang out at a bar called “The Oasis,” an obvious play of the Chatham Squire.
Winner: Squire
Beachcomber-Squire tied 4-4.
Stores
Beachcomber: The Beachcomber Store is located in the South Wellfleet Plaza off Route 6, between LeCount Hollow Road and the Cape Cod Rail Trail.
Squire: The Squire Shop is located in downtown Chatham, directly across the street from the restaurant.
Winner: Tie. Can we pause for a moment to consider both restaurants have their own stand-alone storefronts to sell logo merchandise. That’s iconic.
Beachcomber-Squire tied 4-4.
Supports the Community
Beachcomber: known for supporting two major fundraising events each year on premises:
- Clam Jam, a fundraiser for the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) that benefits Dan-Farber Cancer Institute.
- Live for Lou (Oct 2, 2021), a fundraiser that supports an advised fund of the Cape Cod Foundation established in memory of the LeBarts’ son Louie who from died an opioid overdose in 2014.
Squire:
- Donates $50 gift certificates as raffle prizes during each Chatham A’s home game (22 games each season)
- Sponsors community events such as First Night, Spring and Fall Harbor Runs; enters a float in the Fourth of July Parade
- Founded the Pals For Life Foundation, to help Lower Cape residents from the restaurant and hospitality industries who may need assistance due to injuries that keep them out of work.
- No food waste here. As the story goes, Costello didn’t like seeing uneaten food go to waste, so he arranged to have all food waste donated to an area farmer with pigs. ‘Pig buckets’ were located at the dishwasher station and employees were asked to scrap the plates into these buckets to be served to the pigs the next day.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 5-4.
Special Note/Fun Fact
Beachcomber:
Cottages. On site are two cottages (Sandbar and ComahCabana) for rent. The identical 20’x 25′ cottages both offer about 1,000 sq. ft. of living space; have layouts offering 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a 2nd floor kitchen/living/dining area and, best of all, large decks facing the Comber and the Atlantic Ocean.
Webcams and Superforecasts. The website homepage features a detailed Wellfleet weather dashboard, including wave direction, height and period for the surfer and SUPer alike.
Squire: Started a Mobile Raw Bar (food truck) available for private events. The 1960s FAN (Franklin A. Newcomer) camper was retrofitted with cedar-shake siding and license plates to take the charm of downtown Chatham to a party near you.
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire-Beachcomber tied 5-5.
Final Score
A tie! Come on, man! Look, both the Beachcomber and Squire have strong cases for Most Iconic Bar-Restaurant on Cape Cod.
But to force separation in the top rankings, one indisputable fact cannot be overstated. Remember the whole view? The ocean. The sun. The sand. The remoteness. The outdoors. The Beachcomber experience illustrates why the population on Cape Cod quadruples over the summer. Outside!
That said…my tummy is still craving that large, steamy bowl of clam chowder from the Squire. Sorry folks, but you can’t eat the Beachcomber’s view!
Which do you think is most iconic, and why, the Beachcomber or Squire?