Post Office Cafe & Cabaret

Right on Commercial Street, in the heart of Provincetown, the Post Office Cafe & Cabaret has been doing exactly what its name promises for nearly fifty years: serving good food downstairs and better drama upstairs. This is a two-part institution, a lively all-day cafe with a people-watching patio right on Ptown's main drag, and a cabaret stage that has hosted everyone from Eartha Kitt to Trixie Mattel to Provincetown's own drag legend Varla Jean Merman.

Start with the food, because it's genuinely good, not an afterthought bolted onto a bar. Think classic New England seafood with a Jamaican kick, lobster benedict, a proper lobster roll, Portuguese kale soup, and a Bloody Mary that regulars will tell you to order without hesitation. The outdoor patio spills right onto Commercial Street, prime territory for the kind of people-watching that makes Provincetown Provincetown, and the vibe stays relaxed and unfussy whether you're grabbing breakfast solo or brunch with the whole crew.

Then, as the day turns to evening, the building's other personality takes over. The Cabaret has launched drag careers and hosted legends for half a century, and today the stage still runs hot with nightly live entertainment, from big-voiced tribute shows to solo comedy acts to the kind of camp spectacle that only Provincetown does properly. It's LGBTQ+ nightlife the way it should feel, warm, a little chaotic, unmistakably queer, and welcoming to absolutely everyone who walks through the door, gay, straight, families included.

That's really the magic of this place, it manages to be a genuine community fixture and a tourist must-see at the same time, without either side feeling like a compromise. Locals show up for the same reliable breakfast they've had for years, and first-time visitors leave saying the whole night felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket, queerness and all. Few venues pull that off without losing their edge.

Practical tip from your misterb&b crew: shows sell out fast in peak summer season, so book cabaret tickets ahead rather than hoping to walk in. If you're coming for both dinner and the show, plan your evening loosely, the two-bar setup means you can easily drift between a pre-show cocktail and a post-show nightcap without ever leaving the building.

Provincetown rewards travelers who actually stay in town rather than commuting in for the night. Booking with a local gay host through misterb&b puts you within walking distance of Commercial Street's entire scene, the Cabaret included, and gets you insider knowledge on which nights have the best lineups and where to go once the last show wraps. Because in Ptown, the night rarely ends when the curtain falls.