Wandering along the main drag in P-Town with friends on a Saturday night, I'm just looking for a fun place to sit and drink. Â Lo and behold, we stumble upon this riotous party.
The scene outside was good times. Â It wasn't so crowded as to be spilling out onto the sidewalk but the party was definitely continuing outside. Â The good times got us through the door but the drag hosted karaoke got us a table.
It took some hunting to find an available table but we finally secured one and nestled in for a good show. Â The crowd defied labels - there were old people, hen parties, families, dudes - but all were positive and supportive and just there for a good time. Â Honestly, this bar was an honest depiction of our entire stay on the cape: good times, good people, and good fun.
I'm not sure how much the drinks were but it didn't take long to get them from the bar. Â There was also table service available (which we found out after our first round).
The 'traveling' raw bar is a wonderful and cheap way to sample the local seafood. Local oyster guys are often in the Governor Bradford on weekdays from 1pm until 5pm, shucking fresh Wellfleet oysters and clams for a buck a piece. Can't beat those prices, or that freshness.
Also, fun place for karaoke. The crowd definitely gets into it.
While the food was decent and it could have been a great location to hang out (kudos to the bar side) with our large group after the race, the waitstaff KILLED it for us. Â They were rude and were really inconvenienced by us just being there. Â Even the most simple request was met with distain. Â Heaven forbid a request to, up front, split checks sent them through the roof. Â Our server was seriously PISSED at the request. Â When she refused to refill our water pitcher because we had "had enough", we knew it was time to go. Â It was really unfortunate because it really put a damper on our evening. Â
There are so many great places to eat in Ptown - I will not be returning there! Â (Ragnar teams beware and take your business somewhere else!!)
My high review is for the bar, not the restaurant. Â Don't bother eating here. Â You can do better directly across the street. Â Not that anything is bad, its just not their primary business.
I have to be fair, the food is ok, the wait staff attentive, the outdoor seating is wonderful, but this place is not primarily for that purpose. Â After 9, it turns into THE party spot of P-Town. Â For straights, gays and in betweens.
I mainly come here for Drag Karoke with Dana Danzel, an olllllllllld aquaintance. Â Her MCing brings out the strangest traits in people, always a good time. Â Dana is a rather busy girl but on the occaions she can't make it, those that cover her are equal if not better at bringing out your inner Karoke diva!
Too many times I've come to this bar for a "nightcap" and not left till closing!
Coming to cape cod from nyc immediately means lobster overload. My first lobster of the weekend came in roll formation. The lobster salad was so good, the actual roll could have been better. All it needed was a simple toasting with butter slathered all over. I had kale soup, you know to keep it somewhat healthy, and was pleasantly surprised with the spiciness and the guest appearance by bacon (made the soup)
The hostess wasn't the nicest but our waitress was attentive
Made a stop in P-Town during our trip to the Cape, a friend had gone for karaoke another night and recommended it. With a gentleman outside almost pulling you in, I wasn't too keen.
The food isn't worth the price tag, and considering the price tag dressing shouldn't come out in plastic to go cups. Small portions that were visibly sitting under the heating lamp and a waitress that didn't know the menu made for a poor experience. I didn't like the food. I got scallops, they came with a baked potato and three baby asparagus. Ran me $25+
For sit down food, I would definitely recommend somewhere else, but for late night drinks and karaoke, it'd be fine. Outdoor seating is a nice.
The best time to go to the Governor Bradford is for happy hour. Sit at the bar.
Oysters are $1 ea. from 2-5. Fresh and delicious! It is the best deal in Provincetown. Embrace the dive appeal. Take in some local flavor.
Its the perfect place to brush up on your Boston accent. It is also a great place to sit back have a few pints. Front row seats to the bustling rainbow that is Commercial St!
I love this place!
This place seems more like an insult than a gift to the great people of Provincetown and I can't believe a business in such disrepair is tolerated by the townspeople as a showcase right in the middle of their main street in their town centre.
It's obviously in a very old and historical building, probably built in the early 1800s if not earlier, but there are plenty of other old and historical buildings in town (like the Watership Inn) which are maintained well and are respectable. Â This place is neither. Â I admit I was SHOCKED and DISTURBED to find out they serve food here and that people actually would eat it. Â The entire dining area reeks of dust and is in need of some major professional cleaning. Â The carpeting probably has not been replaced since 1988. Â I would never eat food cooked in a place that seemed so unsanitary everywhere. Â
The worst aspect of the place is their atrocious washroom! Â Their men's washroom looks like it has not been updated since 1954 or so. Â Seriously. Â The floor is sticky everywhere and they have old urinals that are like peeing into the opening of a sewer drain. Â I've been in McDonald's washrooms that are better.
I am not a high-maintenance person (I grew up on a farm and have shoveled plenty of manure and stacked plenty of firewood in my life), but I do think places that serve food should have sanitation standards to follow.
Also, the past 3 times I've visited they've run out of at least half of their draught beers. Â I understand that cannot always be prevented, but if it happens frequently, the owners are simply not keeping track of their inventory. Â In June 2012, they were out of all of them one night!
Despite all of these negatives, I still come back at least once on each visit because they have drag queen karaoke! Â That's the only reason why they get two stars. Â It's a blast and the queens who host it are so fun and non-judgemental. Â Many of the guests who participate are straight, and there are not many communities in America which are so open-minded.
It's quite clear to me the only reason why this place stays open is because the straight people who come to town are too afraid to go out and party with the gays who tend to let go a lot more at places like the Atlantic House.
While in P-Town on a craft beer tour of the town, we ended up at the Governor Bradford bar. Even though we came here just for the beverages, there were a few things to be said. First off, there's we're two doormen standing outside the bar as if they were managing a prison yard ... only it was 2pm. Â Furthermore, there was another guy walking up and down the sidewalk carrying and showing the menu. T passrbys. Really odd.
But anyway, we made it in to the bar and we waited. And waited for a drink. And then finally we were served. Although the bartender was nice, you could tell she was clearly overlooked and kept complaining how she hated working during the summer. Well, considering that's how I put myself through college (bar tending during the summers at a beach town), I couldn't justify what she was saying. Clearly she was miserable and not really much of a friendly bartender. Debbie Downer was in the house!! Â And the manager that stood behind the bar keeping an eye on patrons wasn't a nice touch either.
Can't say I will return either. The bar area and the dining room is so dark, it just looks so old and worn down.
Decent food, though a little haphazad. Â
A bunch of us sat down for dinner just before leaving Provincetown. Â It's a nice-looking restaurant, with the standard seafood options one would expect in P-Town. Â I ended up with a fried fish reuben, which turned out okay. Â
Service was a little slow and haphazard, and if you get the side Cape Cod chips, you should be warned that you'll get a small bag of Cape Cod chips rather than a decent helping. Â Overall okay.
Surprisingly this place feels less like a bar.. and more like a restaurant. Â It's pretty clean.. the main attraction really is the drag queen karaoke. Â There is a dance floor to induce you to twirl on the floor. Â Best part.. since it's PTown.. you don't have to worry about creepers trying to pick you up. Â It's really just you and your gfs...
The drinks are about $6-8... the reason why I don't give it 4 or 5 stars. Â Don't like how you have to tip the host in order to even get a chance to sing a karaoke song. Â
She does sing and help you out if you are struggling.. she sings the best Bad Romance I have ever heard.
Rating restaurant only
Ate with a group of five and overall satisfied.
Service was good. Special requests were kindly and promptly rendered.
Food was tasty. I ordered a pork roast with asparagus and potato which included a salad. Roast was delicious garnished and coated with an applesauce based sauce that tasted wonderful on the pork.
atmosphere was just as we expected not too loud.
Asking why so positive and only 3 stars? You're in Cape Cod so you've gotta really work harder for stars here. Wow me. Still I recommend.
I guess the best way to describe this place is average. It's exactly what you would expect from a seafood restaurant on the Cape. The waiter was friendly, but the service has always been on the slow side when I've gone there. The menu is pretty large, and everyone should be able to find something they like, and the drag karaoke was great in-meal entertainment. The outdoor seating was also nice and it allowed us to take advantage of the summer night.
Overall, this place is perfect for an average seafood meal and an enjoyable place to sit down and eat. Other than the slow service, my only complaint was that the price was a little high for the quality of the food. In short if you're looking for somewhere to get seafood in P-Town, you could probably get food that is just as good if not better at any of the many other places nearby.
I've breakfasted here a couple of times now, and I'd rate it as solid, for sure. Â The first great thing about it is the price. Â In a place like P-town, things can get a bit expensive for my tastes, but the Governor Bradford is pretty reasonable. Â
Service is quick, and the menu is decent: enough choices to find something you like, not so many choices that it takes forever to find something you want. Â The linguicia is SO tasty, and the pancakes are likewise good, though a bit dry. Â They serve the pancakes with these cute little individual-serving jars of maple syrup... which was disappointingly from California (I mean, we're in New England... Vermont's right down the road...)
All together a good place to grab some breakfast.
Just had one of the worst experiences I've ever had at a restaurant
I'll preface this with I used to really like Gov. Bradfords. It was a must stop for me when I'm in Ptown. And, I have to be honest even after this experience I probably will still stop in for drag queen karaoke, It's a blast!
So, stopped in on the 4th of July for dinner. Service was terrible but that's not unusual here so wasn't surprised by that. Ordered a mudslide to start off and not only did it come on the rocks, but it also came on a bar rag. I know that probably doesn't make sense yet, but read on...
I don't know how the heck this could have happened but there was a full rag in my drink. I saw a piece of it floating on top and pulled an entire rag out of my drink!!
I said to the waitress "Is this for real?!?" and she laughed and walked away with the drink, to get me another one.
We just walked out. If that's going on at the bar, I don't want to know what is going on in the kitchen....Yikes
The random drag queen and lesbians singing karaoke? Entertaining.
The food? Awful. Â Oysters came luke warm without any ice on a dried up nasty lettuce bed. My girlfriend got a pasta dish and the sauce looked like it had been sitting on a shelf for 10 years. The glass of wine she got was bad, literally it was sour/acidic and had to send it back.
The burger I got was ok but not for the price. Fries were the best part of the meal. Should've stuck with patio for good drinks/oysters, which we got the next day. But Governor Bradford's was one of the only places serving food and playing the Bruins game.
NOT A REPEAT PERFORMANCE.
Good clam chowder, good burgers (and I'm not even really a fan of burgers). Â I'm actually surprised to see such negative reviews, because this is a place my entire family loves. Â We make a trip to Provincetown every year and always MUST eat lunch at Governor Bradford. Â I would never come here expecting a fancy meal and out of this world service, I think it's important to know what kind of place you're getting into.
I like the staff because while they aren't downright rude to you, they also don't go out of their way to impress you. It's a casual, what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of vibe. Â I can respect that kind of naturalness.
Here's what's wrong with this place: THEY JUST DON'T CARE.
Wow...when I wrote my review of the bar I hadn't even realized I'd eaten dinner here, too. I came here for dinner a couple years ago and we sat on the patio...I guess I thought I had eaten at the place next door since the patio is so far from the bar. We'd had a really good meal.
What a difference a couple years make. I came with friends, and I can honestly say I'm embarrassed to have brought them here. Our waiter didn't have a clue. Halfway through every task, he would get confused. At one point he totally vanished for about twenty-five minutes and we couldn't get our drinks refilled. After we finished our appetizers (more on that later), we couldn't get the plates cleaned...for fifteen minutes we're sitting there, looking at our dirty appetizer plates with our waiter gone. Finally he returned...with our entrees. I had to ask him to please clear our plates before putting more food in front of us. Oh, by this point he still hadn't brought our water that we asked for twice. Then he vanished again, and again we sat with empty drinks that we couldn't get refilled. Another table that was seated twenty minutes after us got served before us.
The food was absolutely awful. The bread we got while waiting was a sign of things to come...it was stale, and clearly not very good when fresh. The salads that came with our entrees were mediocre...and our incompetent waiter mixed up our dressings. The "P-Town Pu-Pu" was hideous. It came with fried calamari that were rubbery and flavorless (and obviously frozen), disgusting ribs, and I'm pretty sure there were supposed to be chicken wings that weren't there. It had some kind of chicken nugget thing that was also obviously frozen. The entrees weren't much better. My friend had a lobster roll that came on a stale bun. It came with potato chips (in a bag), but the menu said fries. My girlfriend's steak was cold, as were her scallops.
After we finished our horrible meal, we found out why the service was so bad: 18% tip added for parties of five or more. FIVE! We complained and made it clear we wouldn't pay that much for such bad service. The manager came over, and offered no apologies whatsoever...in fact, she insisted it wasn't her fault her employees are terrible. She gave us a cold "thanks for coming" when we finally left.
You can tell when you're in an establishment that only survives because of its location. If they were near the end of Commercial St instead of just next to the pier, this place would be FINISHED. But they have a steady stream of suckers coming in here...you don't need repeat business when you're in that location. So they DON'T CARE. Stay away from this place. Far, far away.
Oh yeah...they still haven't cleaned out the beer taps, according to my friend who had a draft (I had bottled this time).
This is the first place we stopped to grab a late lunch after we arrived with the ferry. Â I feel sea sick, hungry, and in need of a PBR. Â Okay, so this place is mightily expensive, unless you go between 4-5:30pm... seafood are all half priced. Â So most of the seafood platters ranges from $14.99 to $20.99 Â Depends on what you get. Â I was craving fried clams so that's what I got. Â It was $14.99, comes with a huge platter of fried clams, spiced fries, and a side of cole slaw. Â $4 for a PBR... ARGH, so expensive!!!!!!!!! Â I was desperate so that's okay. Â Even though big bill, our host, he laughed at us ordering three pints of PBR... but I love PBR. Â
I'm glad I'm a cheap date, 'cause I can get buzzed with just one pint of beer. Â I wouldn't come back here again even if I'm desperately in need of PBR or fired clam. Â There are better deals at other restaurants just one block away.
A bit pricey, but the service is friendly, the employees seem fresh and happy to be there. The lobster roll sandwich is the best I've had anywhere, and I've visited the Gov. Bradford on many occasions.
Those complaining of the "immigrant staff" apparently have never been to Provincetown during the summer. And my guess is that those "immigrants" another reviewer spoke of are Americans, just with a different skin tone.. I really don't get some people here.
Have a cold beer on the patio, one of their great burgers or the aforementioned lobster roll. mmmmmm!
I am basing this review on my experience of sitting on the patio twice in one day-once to stop and get a frosty beer and the other to eat dinner. Â The first stop was very pleasant, and our waitress was really chatty and fun and brought out beers promptly, along with a water for Ruby and didn't mind filling my water bottle up for me.
The second time we came back was for dinner, because they were one of the few restaurants that were still serving food while the power was out (I am guessing they had gas stoves). Â We didn't want fried food, so it was what we wanted anyway. Â We ended up getting the entree caesar salads, and I got a side of corn and Dorian got a baked potato. Â Both were really good. Â My salad was nice and crisp, and dressed perfectly-not too much dressing and lots of good garlic flavor. Â The corn was sweet and fresh and perfect for my need of veggies.
This place is getting three stars instead of a higher rating because while I appreciate the kitch of an old restaurant, the dining room inside really needs updated along with the bathrooms. Â It wouldn't stop me from going in, but really, the patio is the place to me.
Drunk regatta straight couples singing bad karaoke coordinated by a hostess drag queen. Â (so drunk they couldn't remember the words to the chorus of Beat It)
that entertainment alone makes up for the half pints that they serve for normal pint prices.
extra respect to the professional drinkers who brought their own koozies.
this is literally the most Key West part of P*town - and I kinda like it
Unconscionable. I gave the extra star for the drag karaoke show, and out of respect for the poor souls who work there. The owner, or owners need a special visit from Gordon Ramsay.
 First off, Provincetown is very expensive, and there are working people there who need a comfortable, affordable place to eat and drink. I live in a touristy area of Providence, and I understand that. That is not to excuse certain things..
-Demoralized exhausted young immigrant staff, who speak 10 words of English.
-Dirty table tops, flatware, and filthy crusty menus.
-Old threadbare carpet with food ground into it.
-Dingy fake wood paneling on walls, and outdated decor.
-flies(big ones)
-stale beer and garbage odor.
-stall doors in bathroom will not close or lock, bathrooms have not been cleaned in weeks.
-4.50 for a bottle of Miller Lite!
Get ready for it..
-8.99 for "Lobster wontons" which are actually freezer burned crab rangoons(4), with a pink hue to the filling. A filling which was totally smooth and betrayed the very notion of lobster. A scary sauce came on the side.
Â
 I'd skip it.
My friends and I went in and sat at the bar for a beer. The tables in the area had chess, checkers and backgammon sets on them which created an inviting environment.
I was unimpressed with their beer list and sad I had to settle for a corona. The drag queen karaoke was just about to start but we left while she was setting up. The Drag Queen that hosts the show is part of the Painted Ladies show (which is AMAZING, btw).
I have a few friends who enjoy the company of men. They also enjoy P-town and Governor Bradfords. We end up here once or twice a year.
It's a bar/restaurant during the on-season and just a bar during the off season. I think we've only eaten here twice. The first time I don't even recall. The second time? Man, I wasn't even sure we were in the right place. We had some kind of sesame crusted salmon with a peanut sauce. Most restaurants can't produce food that good and I was surprised to find it in a place that's essentially 3/4's bar, 1/4 restaurant.
They have drag karaoke on occasion and there are pool and chess tables. Avoid the bathrooms like the plague, and for the same reason: because you don't want the plague.
WHAT THE HELL IS THE DEAL WITH THEIR KETCHUP!? It tasted like some oyster peed in it. Do oysters pee? I don't know, I don't eat seafood...but I know that the ketchup JUST AIN'T RIGHT HERE.
Okay, I'm better now that's off my chest.
I've been here a couple times and it was just fine. The food (sans ketchup) is fairly average and satisfying. The service is also fine but recently it took about 20 minutes before the greeter realized that a waitress hadn't even said 'hello' to us yet. He looked kind of annoyed and rolled his eyes, as if this was not the first time this has happened after asking, "Has anyone come to your table yet?"
The prices are fair...I ordered the Bradford Burger which tasted great and hit the spot. But like I said, the ketchup was weird so I asked for honey mustard, which was a WISE decision--delicious. They also have more pricey items like lobster, natch, it's the beach.
Each visit I've sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the people watching as a variety of gays, lesbians, and awk straight men clinging to their wives made their way down the street. Oh, and a random drag queen here and there is always a treat. This was also an opportunity to spot the new love of my life, James, who offered me a bj whether or not I went to see his lesbian boss perform stand-up.
At night, the inside becomes popular for drinking, dancing, and karaoke. This was A LOT of fun when I came here with some close friends and their mothers who like to pretend to be lesbians whilst in P-Town. Moms these days, god love 'em.
Governor Bradfords is one of the straightest gay bars in Gay Town and it is pretty gay. You'll find straight bikers, frat boys, tourist families. The bartenders are tough but the P-town men in skirts are tougher. There is a large patio but you really need to go inside and at least check out the choice karioke as drag queens mingle with the common folk to perform cover explosions. According to my Long Island homeslice this is "probably one of the best karioke places ever."
I saw my friend's entire family, including her Scottish grandfather, perform "Sweet Caroline" and some other overplayed commericals-of our-life nonsense with some Special Ladies and it was something.
I like to watch the frat boys grind up on the Drag Queens and your mother belt out 70s classics like who knew?
In the basement creepy straight people play pool and listen to the latest hip hop and pop in the dark.
Governor's Bradford's is a Plymouth Rock.
A longtime Provincetown mainstay, the Governor Bradford has one of those great, unfussy, all-old-wood feels to it and is said to mix the best drinks in P-Town. Â My Sapphire and tonics were excellent, as were Kirsten's vodka tonics. Â They have loads of chess sets here, as well as cards, a pool table and Pac-Man; I approve of bars with games, even if you have to use an upside-down rook instead of a queen. Â You would think, though, that a place that features drag queen karaoke wouldn't be short on queens. Â Ba doom crash! Â Wow, that was the lamest joke I've ever made. Â Sorry. Â Pretend that never happened.
Oh hey, did I say drag queen karaoke? Â Yes I did! Â And yes, we totally sang. Â The highlight of the night was my kickass version of "These Boots are Made for Walkin'," which prompted the lovely and talented drag queen hosting the night (pictured) to ask my wife if she was aware that I am gay. Â (I'm so sorry I forgot her name. Â The drag queen, not my wife.) Â It was a perfectly friendly, forgiving atmosphere - the crowd's completely mixed at Governor Bradford, with a few straight couples, some chubby tourists singing Van Morrison, middle-aged lesbians doing Tracy Chapman (of course), and two thirds of all the black people we saw in P-Town. Â We had a blast, closed the place out and have only dim memories of getting home afterward.
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