Cheap Eats

Orleans' Homeport is always a bargain bite

An old standby with great nightly specials

It's always been there, but you've probably forgotten all about it. So if you're getting fed up with $30 entrees, revisit The Homeport on Main Street, Orleans (across from the P.O. & abaft Friend's Market) for good home cookin' at old timey prices.

The menu is enormous with traditional breakfast specials and unique club sandwichs. The nightly specials which range from $7 to $10 are:

Comfort Food

• Monday - Pork Roast
• Tuesday - Meat Loaf
• Wednesday - Lamb Roast
• Thursday - Corned Beef & Cabbage
• Friday - All-you-can-eat Fish Fry
• Saturday - Italian Night
• Sunday - Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc.

I was there on a recent Thursday and had the "New England Boiled Dinner", a.k.a. Corned beef & Cabbage shown here. It included boiled potatos and fresh carrots and it was a "10" for $10.

A breakfast or brunch to remember

The daily brunch is pretty impressive, like the "Breakfast delight" of toasted English muffins topped with two eggs, melted cheese, sliced tomato, bacon strips and served with homefries and coffee for $6.75.

For the truly adventurous (or hungry), try the "Captain's Breakfast" of Prime Rib and eggs (or hash), homefries, toast, coffee and a Bloody Mary for $13.95. What a way to start your weekend.

Not that hungry? Have one egg, toast and homefries for $2.95.

Sandwiches served with dill pickle and french fries

The sandwich menu is extension, original and served anytime. A few examples are

• Reuban Grille, $8.95
• Reuban's Cousin (Turkey), $7.95
• French Dip, $7.95
• Nauset Club (ham,swiss & bacon), $7.95
• Brewster Buster (triple decker cheeseburger with bacon), $7.95

And that's not even a third of the choices. How many restaurants on Cape Cod can you and a date visit, each have an entree and get out for around $20 plus beverages?

If you go to The Homeport from Wednesday through Saturday, try to get waited on by Pat, the tall, rangey waitress with glasses and short curly hair. She is a professional Scottish bag piper (obviously a Wellflusian) who will not charge a penny extra to give you a humorous, hard time.

Just don't ask her to play.