So, if you’ve been following this blog you will have read CJ’s reviews of eating on a budget on MV – she did well but I think I might have found the ultimate eat out on a budget spot – The take out van at the Artcliff Diner!!!!!
Anyone who loves breakfast food knows that the Artcliff does a stellar job on breakfast and an awesome lunch and now they have expanded into dinner fare. OK, it’s burgers and dogs but Artcliff style! With twinkle lights strung in the trees around the picnic benches and good tunes blaring out of the van it is a uniquely Vineyard experience – gourmet take out that’s affordable.
Hamburger, cheeseburger, pig sandwich, spicy pork taco and, my personal favorite, the lamb burger (with feta and caramelized vidalia onions) make up the burger menu. In this girl’s humble opinion a great burger is simple but rare – good bun? Check. Good meat? Check. Right amount of seasoning? Check!! My husband will assure you, I am not easy to please when it comes to burgers and there are very few places where I will eat one when we are out (I reason with him that it’s because the ones he makes at home are so good but it doesn’t help when we are out and I am cranky because of ANOTHER sub-par burger experience-grrr). The Artcliff has all my points covered, and all for under $8.
Then we get to the amazing Dog menu – 5 options – a Snappy Dog, a Bikini Weenie, a Green Monster, BLT & Cheese Whizz and a Hellish Relish Dog are all available and huge! A falafel offers a veggie spin and there’s something to please most right there.
Add some hand cut fries (if you are lucky the truffle fries with parmesan will be on the specials) and a soda and we successfully ate for $21 for 2 of us (we share the fries – 1 portion is enough for 2 people).
Desserts are another must do here! Nutella or Apple Cinnamon Donuts are fried up while you wait and served with a generous drizzle of either Chocolate syrup or caramel sauce. At just $5 it seems rude to leave them behind and again, one portion will feed two, unless you are really hungry!
Now only serving on weekends from 5-midnight through the end of October (weather and business permitting) it is a gem that you must discover, if not this year then definitely next summer.
Image courtesy of Joanne Sardini.
This post is the fourth and last in a series of posts that highlight some of the less expensive options for eating out on Martha’s Vineyard. We (meaning the Vineyard) have gotten a lot of national and even world wide press lately, thanks to the First Family’s visit last week. A lot of the press wrongly implies that this is a very “high end”, expensive place to vacation. I have to agree that it CAN be, but you can vacation here at any price point. If you missed the posts on eating out on a budget in 
A Martha’s Vineyard vacation doesn’t have to be the posh, high end, “take out a loan, we’re going on vacation” kind of vacation that you so frequently read about in connection with The Vineyard. A lot of down to earth (and really nice) people live and vacation here and have to make the fun work on a limited budget. In this post I am focusing on affordable dining-out options in Vineyard Haven; but if you missed the posts on 
Because there are so many great eating options from which to choose on Martha’s Vineyard, I have divided the choices geographically, and am focusing on Oak Bluffs in this post. If you missed 
I highly recommend solidifying your lunch plans before you take off for your day. If you are headed to the beach or off for a hike or long bike ride, you can get sandwiches, etc. to go and have a picnic at a scenic spot along the way. Two deli’s that offer great value are Humphreys Bakery (right behind The Colonial Inn on Winter St.) and Shiretown Meats (the butcher shop beside Stop & Shop). Both offer huge portions, so it’s possible to make 1 sandwich into lunch for 2. Another less expensive and popular option is fast food to go at the Quarterdeck on Dock St. You can grab a hotdog for the kids (or an inexpensive soft ice cream cone) and enjoy your feast on a bench along the harbor, while watching the boats and ducking the seagulls (I understand that the gulls really like those french fries… watch your fingers!).
