A Taste of Falmouth: The Quarterdeck

The Quarterdeck on Main Street in Falmouth

The first thing you’ll notice about the Quarterdeck is it’s unique atmosphere that feels like you’re almost stepping aboard a ship circa 1700… until you take a few steps past the entrance and see the high-def TVs above the bar. But the restaurant is about as close to a ship as you can get on land. Local artist, Joe Downs, designed the restaurant with the idea in mind that he wanted to create an authentic feel of being below the deck on a sailing vessel. In fact, part of the interior is constructed with wood from MacDougall’s Boatyard in Falmouth Harbor; some wood dating back as far as the late 1600s.

On to the important part; the food. I started with a cup of clam chowder for an appetizer. Now, anyone who knows seafood, knows that Legal Seafood’s clam chowder is out-of-this-world delicious, so I’ll use it as a scale

New England clam chowder

to measure how good any other chowder is to better inform you readers. The Quarterdeck’s chowder is good, but I wouldn’t expect the white house to be

A sign that adorns the wall right when you walk in. So if you want a kitten, you know what to do.

calling in for an order for the next presidential inauguration.  It had plenty of potatoes and clams, which is great, but the consistency is what I found to be it’s only flaw. The broth was nice and thick, but had a bit of a powdery texture to it that I wasn’t a fan of. Overall, an 8 out of 10 on the Legalmeter. Definitely worth ordering as an appetizer, but order a cup, not a bowl, and save room for the entrée I ordered.

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi with roasted tomatoes is the bees god damn knees.

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi. For the seafood enthusiast, those words alone should be enough to get your mouth watering, and I’ll come out and say it, words won’t really do this dish justice. Everything from the scallops that melt in your mouth like butter, down to the sauce on the linguine is every bit as good as you’d imagine. The roasted tomato adds the perfect amount of flavor in contrast to the seafood to make a pasta dish that’s worth the visit alone if you’re anywhere near Falmouth. 10 out of 10.