Minding Your Business -Elwood's Raw Bars

“We’ve been catering with our raw bars for over 13 years,” said Dave Eldredge. “So this year we decided to bring the raw bar to a different level. We decided to create a raw bar experience!” And indeed they have. Elwood’s is owned by David Eldredge and his sister Tanya Khalil. “We complement each other perfectly. Tanya prefers the behind-the-scenes and I love the front of the house.” 

“People say the restaurant has a ‘great vibe,’” he said proudly.  The walls are covered with memorabilia, lovely photos by local photographer Timothy O’Brien, and interesting facts. (The “R” Rule, only eating oysters in “R” months, no longer applies because so many oysters are farmed now. That rule was in place because those months are the colder months.) There are photos of his relatives and oyster shanties, an oyster shell that New England Patriot Julian Edelman signed after he ate its contents, and a picture of Eldredge with the Blues Brothers — or is it? Wink, wink. Eldredge plays a unique playlist of music, too. 

The atmosphere and the ambiance may draw you in, but it’s the food that will bring you back again and again. They’ve installed a shucking station similar to what you see at sushi restaurants, where you can sit and watch the shellfish being shucked. “Kids love this!”  

“The menu is limited on purpose,” said Eldredge. “We are what we are!” They offer exactly what you would expect: clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, lump crab meat cocktail, lobster rolls (chilled and warm) plus raw bar clams and oysters (Chatham, Wellfleet, and Barnstable). But they also tempt you to dive into shellfish even more with grilled oysters (bourbon chipotle, lemon garlic parmesan, sriracha lime and crabby horseradish), sizzling clams (lemon, garlic, parmigiana, white wine and bacon), smoked bluefish dip (from the Chatham Harvesters), a cheese board (from the Chatham Cheese Co.) lobster sliders and hummus. Hotdogs for the “lil’ shucker,” too!  They have an assemble-your-own lobster roll kit; they provide all you need to make your own lobster rolls at home or on the go, includes one pound of lobster salad, five hot dog rolls, five bags of chips and lemons for $95. 

Adding to the “great vibe” is an eclectic list of beers, including Genesee Cream Ale and Schlitz (“We are the biggest on-sale premises on Cape Cod of Schlitz!” he said), a fantastic wine list that includes not only rose, white, and red wines but also sake and champagne. 

Elwood’s is only open until the end of November, but their catering business is available through the holidays. Come enjoy a taste of Cape Cod at Elwood’s today. See you tonight!