Come Labor Day, old timers on Nantucket used to say “it’s all over but the shoutin’,” but anyone who wants summer to linger on need only come to The Jetties at Jetties Beach to enjoy the warm, sunny days and balmy island evenings of September.
The Jetties starts serving at 8 am: croissants, pastries, muffins, bagels, fruit, granola, yogurt, and freshly brewed Carrabassett coffee. Grab a treat to take on a morning beach walk or order a more substantial egg sandwich and stake an early claim to a spot in the soft sand of Jetties Beach.
At 11 am, peak beach time, The Jetties menu expands to include sandwiches, salads, wraps, a classic lobster roll, hummus, clam chowder, and about a dozen grill selections including burgers, cheeseburgers, chili dogs, cheesey fries, veggie burger, popcorn chicken, clam roll, and more. Beach treats are also available — ice cream bars, candy, chips, cold and frozen drinks.
At 5 p.m. The Jetties’ blue picnic tables are set for dinner, and the after-work crowd begins to trickle in. There’s nothing more relaxing than settling into a beach chair, sipping a Madaket Mystery and digging your toes in the warm sand as you watch the sun set over Nantucket Sound.
All dining at The Jetties is alfresco on three levels of wide wooden decks, so bring your sunglasses to this restaurant, as well as a light sweater for after the sun goes down. On the uppermost deck of The Jetties, round the corner from the cocktail bar, is their Raw Bar where ocean-fresh local clams and oysters are opened to order. Come early, between 5 and 6 pm, and these raw bar beauties are just $1 apiece during “Buck-a-Shuck.” After 6 pm, you can order a variety of selections from the Raw Bar Menu, including “West Jetty,” “East Jetty,” Half Dozen with clams and oysters and shrimp, or a chilled Lobster Tail with lemon herb aioli. You can also order “The Whole Shucking Thing.”
Celebrating a special occasion at Jetties? Pair sparkling fresh seafood from the Raw Bar with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
The recent evening we spent at The Jetties, there were couples clearly enjoying their time at the beach together, singles in the bar area, and a number of families—several multi-generational. The Jetties is ideal for families with young children: it’s the only restaurant on Nantucket where you can order dinner, go play in the sand with your little ones, then return to your table for lobster and champagne while the kids munch happily on burgers and hot dogs.
Dinner is when The Jetties proves it’s so much more than just a fun beach bar. From their Hand-Crafted Italian Burger (Angus beef, garlic, fresh herbs, provolone, lettuce, and tomato on a bulky roll) to their Lobster Carbonara or Seafood Fra Diavolo, their food is freshly prepared and delicious. We spent half the evening wondering which entree was filling our end of the deck with a tantalizing warm aroma of garlic (it was the Veggie Provencal).
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Soups served at The Jetties are full-flavored and a great way to start your dinner. Their Nantucket Clam Chowder is creamy and swimming with clams and potato ... |
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... and the summery Tomato Basil Soup is full of sweet, ripe tomato. |
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What better food to enjoy during an evening at the beach than fruit de mer? The Jetties has many tasty seafood dishes to choose from. We highly recommend their Steamed Mussels. The plump PEI morsels are sweet and tender and served in a pool of pesto cream sauce that is heavy on the flavor and light on the cream. We like to eat this by popping all mussels out of their shells and then spooning them up with the sauce. Served in generous portion, this appetizer could be paired with a salad for a very tasty light meal. You can use the hearty multigrain rolls served by the basketful to mop up every bit of the pesto sauce. |
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If you want something to share, then order the Fried Calamari. The pile of tender rings and tentacles comes with a sweet-tangy citrus and chili sauce for dipping. Each piece very pleasantly surprised us with its tenderness and the lightly crisp tempura-style coating. Once you start, you won’t want to stop eating these tempting tidbits. |
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Even better for sharing (they’re too big to finish solo) are The Jetties’ thin crust pizzas. Choose one of their eight special varieties or build your own from a choice of fourteen toppings that include lobster, roasted tomato, and proscuitto. The thin and crisp-edged crust firm enough to hold the toppings yet soft enough to fold. We recommend the Greek Veggie Pizza, which has a robust mix of sweet roasted tomato, briny black olives, earthy mushrooms, and both feta and mozzarella cheeses over a base of alfredo sauce. The pizza is finished with a handful of fresh arugula. |
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The Jetties has several hearty salads listed on the appetizer side of the menu that are substantial enough to be the main event. We love the Grilled Steak Caesar. The romaine lettuce is crisp and fresh and lightly dressed, tossed with crunchy croutons and plenty of grated parmesan cheese. The two tenderloin medallions set on top are cooked perfectly to temperature and deliciously seasoned. Another excellent choice is the Lobster Salad Caesar, topped with the same fresh lobster salad that is served in The Jetties classic Lobster Roll. |
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Speaking of lobster...The Jetties offers a Lobster Dinner that features a steamed 1-1/4 pound lobster, sweet corn, and potato. Served with drawn butter and lemon, the dinners are tucked into biodegradeable boxes whose lids, when open, serve as trays for the shells and the cob. You can dig in on the deck at The Jetties or order a couple to go and savor them with family and friends on your beach blanket.
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The Jetties has a nightly special entree that features something freshly caught. The evening we were there it was Oven Roasted Codfish topped with a cool, crisp relish of cucumber, corn, and tomato—all freshly harvested from Nantucket’s Bartlett’s Farm. The summery mix of chopped fresh vegetables was a delicious compliment to the moist and flaky codfish. Tucked underneath were fingerling potatoes, sliced in half and roasted till the edges were crunchy and the insides hot and fluffy. This entree is exactly what you imagine when you think of dinner at the beach!
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Another very good choice at The Jetties is their Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon. The salmon is cooked through yet remains moist, and the flavor stands up well to the bold sundried tomato and basil cream sauce that is poured over the fish and linguini it’s served on. |
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Many of the dishes served at The Jetties have an Italian flair, and one of our favorites is the Chicken Mushroom Alfredo, which we like to order over the whole wheat linguini. The grilled chicken breast is served over the pasta in large, succulent chunks with sweet roasted onion and crimini mushrooms that have been sliced and sauteed to deepen their earthy flavors. The alfredo sauce is richly flavored but not too heavy for a summer entree, and after you devour the chicken, there’s plenty of pasta to twirl into the luscious sauce. |
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Desserts at The Jetties are sweet delights. Lemon Berry Cake is a moist and white cake studded with blueberries and topped with a layer of tart lemon cream. Wide shavings of white chocolate and a berry drizzle complete the dessert. |
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The chocolate lovers in our party adored the Chocolate Mousse Cake. Individually sized (just try and keep your companions’ forks at bay!), the chocolate cake has a layer of rich mousse and is topped with chocolate icicing, and chocolate shavings. |
Or you can let your inner child rule and order an ice cream treat to eat while you walk along the shoreline. After all, you are at the beach!
A September evening spent at The Jetties is a sensational way to celebrate the waning days of summer.
The Jetties
Bathing Beach Road at Jetties Beach
www.thejetties.com • 508-228-2279
Breakfast 8 to 11 am; Lunch 11 am to 5 pm (till 3 pm for the grill)
Dinner 5 to 10 pm; Bar open 5 to 10 pm
Most dinner entree prices range from $12.50 to $32
Kid’s menu available • Sheltered and open air outdoor seating
Live Music • Full liquor license • major credit cards accepted
plenty of parking and next to an NRTA shuttle stop
