Revamping, location shifting, rebooting — for the 2026 Vineyard summer restaurant scene, it’s not so much about brand new as it is about reinvention (with delicious surprises, of course).
Heading into Memorial Day, we’re checking into some of the restaurant activity ramping up in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, with a close-up look at two spots, Vineyard Grill and Highlands General, that are already in full gear. For more openings, current hours and other updates, keep an eye on social media posts. This time of year plans can change as quickly as the weather.
Vineyard Haven
In Vineyard Haven, The Wave Restaurant & Bar is planning to open in late May in the former Garde East space on Beach Road. Owner Milan Basnet, who also owns Easy Street Restaurant on Nantucket, describes The Wave as an upscale lunch and dinner spot with both a dining room and outdoor deck bar. It will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with a full bar (@thewave_marthasvineyard).
At Five Corners in Vineyard Haven, another restaurant space has been transformed with delicious results: the former MV Tap space is now Vineyard Grill, with a focus on Brazilian barbeque. After working at the Brazilian Grill in Hyannis, José Pedro (Pedrinho) dos Santos and Marcos Nascimento saw the opportunity to bring the Brazilian steak tradition to the Vineyard. They updated the interiors and hired chef José Manuel Amaya to create Brazilian steak dishes, and his wife, pastry chef Elma Amaya, to make the desserts and breads sold in the connecting Vineyard Bakery.
Fans of the famous (and elusive) Brazilian Alpino cake – layers of white and dark chocolate made from a secret recipe that is passed down from one pastry chef to another – will be glad to know you can find it at Vineyard Bakery.
Open all day every day (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), Vineyard Grill has breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Fresh pastries and coffee are available in the bakery starting at 6 a.m., and the lunch buffet is a huge draw. Served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the options include traditional Brazilian hot dishes such as tropeiro beans and Brazilian beef rib and cassava stew, rice and an assortment of fresh cold vegetable and fruit salads.
Steak lovers will swoon over the restaurant’s signature dish: One and a half pounds of top sirloin with yucca fries, served on a sizzling hot skillet. This is a dish to share — and reason enough to meet friends for dinner. The menu also includes hamburgers, fries, salads and sandwiches. But steak is the star here, and the owners want to keep it authentic. The restaurant sources Midwestern-raised beef that Marcos picks up in Boston. “The grass-fed beef from the Midwest is the closest thing to the beef we get in Brazil,” he said.
Enjoy the food in the large seating area filled with natural light or eat outside on the expansive brick patio that will open soon. Televised sports games and news stream on three TVs and the bar is a comfortable place to sit and try a craft cocktail, a draft beer or a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice (vineyardgrillmv.com, @vineyard_grill, @vineyard.bakery).
Oak Bluffs
In Oak Bluffs, Jetty Beach House is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend in the former (and newly renovated) Lobsterville Bar & Grille space at 8 Circuit avenue Extension. Jetty Beach House is a joint venture from Jordan Wallace, owner of Midnight Taco and Midnight Mediterranean, and Mike Tierney, a co-owner of Washashore Laundromat. They’ve planned a menu of craft cocktails and coastal classics that includes favorites such as Baja fish tacos and hot lobster rolls as well as entrées such as whole fried black bass and spicy mussels. (Burgers, too, of course!)
The restaurant will welcome folks starting at lunchtime and transform in the evening to a festive feel, thanks to live music, an impressive new marble bar and a raw bar (jettybeachhousemv.com; @jettybeachhousemv).
Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Co. reopens this month in a smaller but fully renovated space on 14 Kennebec Avenue with the same favorites on the menu, including their 2025 “Best of the Vineyard” clam chowder (chowdermv.com; @mvchowderco).
Already open and already popular, Highlands General is occupying the former Linda Jean’s space at 25 Circuit avenue. Doug Abdelnour (who also owns Nancy’s and Nomans) is behind the concept, which blends grab and go food, a coffee bar and a breakfast and lunch menu. (They are open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch starting at 11 a.m.) The large, renovated space has plenty of options, including stools to perch on by the windows facing Circuit avenue (great people-watching). In the morning, sip a house special maple cream latte and snack on a slice of grilled banana bread. Or enjoy heartier breakfast options such as cornflake-crusted French toast sticks or the egg sandwich made on a bulkie roll with Tillamook cheddar.
At lunchtime, sandwich lovers won’t be disappointed: the pimento cheese sandwich and crispy fish sandwich are not to be missed. Bowls, such as the rotisserie cauliflower bowl with chickpeas and green herb sauce, are enticing too.
Pick up the house-special rotisserie chicken to take home. Available in three portion sizes, with five sauces and six sides, the juicy chicken is easily customizable as a rice bowl. If you’re on the way to the boat or need a quick meal, peruse the refrigerated section for freshly made salads, soups and dips — including the irresistible pimento cheese dip (highlandsgeneral.com;@highlandsgeneralmv).
Laura Haddad writes the Vine & Dine column for The Vine.
This article appears in June 2026.