Grana BYOB

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147 reviews

#1 of 93 Restaurants in Cape May$$$$, American, Contemporary, Vegetarian friendly

+1 609-849-9255+ Add website

Hours

Sun

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Mon

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Tue

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Wed

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thu

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Fri

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Sat

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

5.0

147 reviews

#1 of 93 Restaurants in Cape May

Travelers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

American, Contemporary, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

“My steak was sooo excellent and the wife did Venison that she loved.”

“Extraordinary food, (highly recommend the scallops, cooked perfectly!)”

“... Mushroom Bisque, PEI Mussels, Braised Beef Short Ribs, and House Rigatoni.”

“We also feasted on halibut, scallops, Ny strip and duck for our mains.”

Location and contact

413 S Broadway, Cape May, NJ 08204-5344

+1 609-849-9255

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Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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About

Grana BYOB is a sixty eight seat intimate fine dining restaurant located in historic Cape May, NJ. Life long dream of Executive Chef Carl Messick, we are excited to bring you our take on modern American cuisine. Our menus will change often through out the season.

CUISINES

American, Contemporary

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Street Parking, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, BYOB, Gift Cards Available

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5.0

147 reviews

Excellent

136

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Kevin S

Cape May225 contributions

Stellar Restaurant

Oct 2022 • none

Grana BYOB is a stellar restaurant benefiting with a Chef and front of house that have years of experience in providing fine dining in Cape May. The Chef uses high quality ingredients and has the maturity to cook in a manner that lets those ingredients shine and be front and center. Foams and other culinary twists may be added from time-to-time, but they complement the main ingredients, not overwhelm them. We have dined with this Chef since 2014 and are delighted that he opened his own restaurant early spring of this year. The squash soup on the current menu is decadent and highly recommended. We also shared the crab salad which is always made with fresh crab and delightful. We were happy to see it on the menu this late in the season. We both had the tenderloin which was cooked to perfection with some ends having wonderful char. Desserts are reliable and tasty. As the name indicates, this is a bring your own bottle establishment which saves us a lot of money. Yet, this restaurant continues to provide great dining options in the $30 entree price range. The decor and environment is very nice with ample space between tables and lovely piped in piano music. The staff is attentive and professional, yet very approachable and friendly. We highly recommend Grana.

Written October 21, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TomCFoodDude

Edison29 contributions

A rising star on the Cape May dining scene

Dec 2022 • none

I'm almost hesitant to review this establishment because it will eventually lead to the inevitable impossibility of getting a reservation to what will certainly be the premier dining location in Cape may. However, the meal we enjoyed and the responsibility I feel to thank this culinary sorcerer demands I do so. My wife and I visited recently and enjoyed an expertly prepared, intelligently composed meal rivaling the best we've experienced in lives filled with dining experiences across the United states and Rome, Barcelona and Madeira to name a few. It was our first visit but the selections we tried were outstanding, we started with the Butternut squash Bisque, serve with Smoked Trout, slivered apple and micro greens. It was magnificent. I sampled the Hudson valley Foie Gras served with a warm barley salad, golden raisins, a pine nut streusel and cherry compote. The flavor profile of this dish matched any starter dish I have experienced in the last 50 years, it was culinary alchemy at its very best, I'm smiling just remembering it. The second course selections are 4 pasta dishes, served in the international style of 2-3 ounces, I would strongly suggest to everyone that you go there at least once and just order all 4 choices along with several starters but I regress. We tried the Fusilli with house sausage, wild mushrooms, goat cheese and mushroom cream and an order of the Garganelli served with rock shrimp, Haricot Verts, Andouille, smoked olive oil and (wait for it ) Pancetta bread crumbs. This Garganelli was one of the singularly best pasta meals I've eaten. Unfortunately, we couldn't fit in anything from the Third course selections but take a look at the menu online, they look spectacular. There is also a chefs tasting menu that looks great. As if all of this wasn't enough, as it states in its name, its a BYOB so bringing your own wines frees up money to sample more of this wonderful food. ok, I'm done, just get up and go there right now and tell Kit we said hello

Written December 9, 2022

Ellen F

Baltimore4 contributions

Amazing Meal and Service!

Mar 2023 • couples

My husband and I went to Grana for our anniversary. The food, ambience, and service were perfect for the occasion. It was a little pricey, but it was a special occasion and we were treated like royalty. The staff made sure any food allergies were addressed. My pork tenderloin was cooked to perfection; my husband raved about his salmon and I did manage to sneak a taste of his risotto, which was wonderful. If you want a fresh, perfectly cooked meal, I highly recommend Grana BYOB!

Written March 26, 2023

Paul T

United States77 contributions

The restaurant rocked my world; not the food

Sep 2022 • none

If you go, insist on a table in the nook by the window. If they say it's not available, then just leave. The food isn't worth the constant disturbances. My wife and I had a reservation at 5pm, and we were the first ones in line when they opened the doors, but they still sat us at a table along the main walkway to the kitchen. We asked to be seated in the nook next to the window, but they said it was reserved. It took me just a minute to realize that the remodelers didn't bother to reinforce the floor. Every time a waiter walked by I could feel my chair bounce up and down. My wife was seated against the wall, so she wasn't disturbed, but it became a joke that I could describe the waiter walking behind me based on how much the floor shook. I brought a bottle of white wine. The waitress offered to bring a bucket, but when they did, they brought one without any ice. For food, my wife ordered the Mahi Mahi Bowl, and I ordered the Alaskan Halibut. My wife enjoyed her Mahi Mahi. She said it had an interesting sauce, which added a lot of flavor. On the other hand, my halibut didn't come with anything that enhanced the flavors. My halibut was as bland as halibut can be. The presentation was nice, but that wasn't enough to justify charging $42. I don't think we'll be going back. Even if we could get a table in the nook by the window, the food was nothing to long for.

Written September 11, 2022

Rich M

Bergenfield39 contributions

Outstanding experience

Jul 2022 • family

We were aware of the talent the chef/ owner Carl Messick possessed when he was at another cape may restaurant in the past and were waiting and hoping to experience his food again. We were so excited to hear he opened his own restaurant and were certainly not disappointed! The food, service and ambiance are outstanding to say the least. Every crew member we came in contact with was friendly, professional and helpful. Extra special thanks to our lovely server Kit who informative, knowledgeable and sweet . Do yourself a favor and experience this tremendous restaurant and you will not regret it nor forget it. Thank you Chef Messick and the Grana crew. Rich and MaryAnn Maricic

Written August 7, 2022

Danilo M

Kennett Square31 contributions

Excellent in all phases. Our second time here this year and won't be our last.

Nov 2022 • couples

This was our second visit this year and both experiences were exceptional! Making reservations was easy with the Resy app. The decor is sleek and seating is in either the large front room or a small side room. Our server, Kit, was very friendly, knowledgeable and paced our meal perfectly. We started with the cheese and charcuterie board which was large enough for four to share with four different cheeses, two sausages, a terrine, candied nuts, apples and crostini. Next was a pasta course which comes as a small two ounce portion or you may order a larger size as a main course. The orecchiette and fusili were both excellent. Main courses were the pan roasted venison for my wife and "the Grana steak"of which you have several choices and I went for the 14 ounce ribeye. Both were expertly prepared. Finished with coffee, cappuccino and the chocolate Panna Cotta with house made pistachio ice cream. Everything about this establishment is first class with a cool beach vibe and has become one of our all time favorites.

Written November 28, 2022

dougy115

Charlotte13 contributions

Cape May Gem

Nov 2022 • none

Just before Thanksgiving we had an opportunity to have dinner at Grana BYOB. We were seated near a window looking out toward a small park. The table was covered in crisp white linen and soft music filled the room. For starters we shared a salad of mixed greens, roasted beets, goat cheese and spiced walnuts that was delicious. After that we shared fusili pasta with sausage and mushrooms, and for entrees my wife had scallops and I had pan roasted branzino. Everything was done perfectly. We spend a good deal of time in Cape May and dine out frequently. There are a lot of restaurants in town, but only a handful that we would classify as fine dining establishments. This was our second trip to Grana BYOB and we are excited to be able to add them to that very short list. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

Written November 25, 2022

Terry McCormick

10 contributions

Wonderfu Experience

Oct 2022 • none

Visited Grana for a special dinner and it was very special! Grana's menu is varied and interesting and the service is impeccable. The wait staff knows their chef , they've tasted his food and speak of it with enthusiasm and deservedly so. We enjoyed the octopus and the tuna for appetizers and then the Pasta as an entree- Pasta Ragu and the Monk Fish. The Garganella Pasta was perfect and the Monk Fish was perfectly prepared. Desserts completed a flawless experience!

Written October 30, 2022

Lisa C

1 contribution

Amazing Menu - Accommodating Staff - BYOB Bonus!

May 2022 • none

Walk into this bright, happy restaurant and wonderful smells fill your nose - yup this is going to be good!! Dishes are thoughtfully planned and perfectly executed. You eat with your eyes first as the plates are laid in front of you your mouth starts watering. We were a party of six and each tried and shared as much as we could. As the menu showcases local farm and produce selections there is always something new to try as the season progresses. We cant wait to get back to enjoy an evening with Chef Carl, Meg, and the entire Grana Family. Try the pork, the tuna, the bisque, Hailbut, any of the homemade pastas offered, and the creme Brulee!

Written June 10, 2022

charm_of_finches

Boston66 contributions

Fresh, Creative Food & Cozy Atmosphere

Jun 2022 • none

My husband and I came here for dinner and had a lovely experience. It is BYOB, and the market across the street has a great selection of wines to choose from. We ordered the foie gras and the fusilli to share, and we both ordered the mahi-mahi bowl for our main dishes. The cherry compote on the foie gras really made the dish by adding a touch of sweetness. The fusilli was nicely seasoned and flavorful. The mahi mahi bowl was the perfect follow-up to both of those dishes, as it had a very fresh and bright taste. Portion sizes for all dishes were perfect—we left feeling satisfied but not uncomfortably full. We had a wonderful server, as well. We would gladly eat here again!

Written June 29, 2022

CurlyCueGirl

Wayne186 contributions

Worth a Return Visit?

Jun 2022 • none

Love what they did to the former Godmother's Restaurant. The remodel is attractive, and the menu is quite good. We shared the roasted beet and goat cheese salad. The lemon oil added a unique flavor to this salad. I had the cod special which was good but didn't have the spiciness/heat I was looking for despite the curry. My husband had the pan roasted duck breast. Although everything was delicious, he left hungry as the portion sizes were on the smaller side. Prices are somewhat comparable to other Cape May restaurants although I find it hard to believe that anyone is ordering the $140 8 oz Wagyu strip steak at the bottom of the menu. Also, the tables are close together which didn't make for a relaxing ambiance.

Written July 14, 2022

Steve F

1 contribution

Just Perfect

Jun 2022 • family

Had an incredible evening at Grana. Everything was terrific. My wife’s Halibut was great and my steak was cooked perfectly - I just asked our waiter to have the chef cook it how he would for himself. The chef also tailored a couple things to accommodate my wife’s food allergies - just awesome. The whole evening was really enjoyable. The staff was helpful and timed every course nicely. I wouldn’t change a thing. We’ll be back! The table next to us said the veal was very good - I think I’ll try that next visit.

Written July 9, 2022

Elizabeth C

5 contributions

Definitely try this new restaurant

Aug 2022 • couples

Excellent from start through desserts. Cass was aware of food allergy and checked each item ordered to avoid problem. The chef prepared the crab appetizer with a different sauce rather than having us order another item. The service, food presentation and flavors were all exceptional. Menu has many choices and everything made on premise. We will definitely return and have already recommended to friends! Thanks for wonderful dining experience

Written August 9, 2022

RebeccaJohn3322

Philadelphia86 contributions

Absolutely delicious Cape May dining

Jan 2023 • couples

Everything about our dinner at Grana was impressive and absolutely delightful. The people who work there are the best…the greeter, the waiter RJ, and even the guy who presented our food with a smile…so pleasant and the woman who took the plates away. Impressive. The food was Out of this World! I had the tuna tartare and the duck. The duck was truly The Best my husband or I have Ever tasted. The tartare was absolutely delish…My husband had the soup app which he “mmmm’d” after each bite and the shrimp/scallop entree he said was also absolutely delicious. The ambiance is also great. The lighting, the music (not too loud)…the overall vibe we felt was a welcoming, comfortable upscale experience. It is on the pricey side and worth it to us. Thank you for opening in Cape May🎉

Written January 18, 2023

ALittleTripC

Collegeville116 contributions

Always an excellent experience!

Oct 2022 • couples

This was our latest dinner at Grana BYOB and as always everything was excellent! It happened to be Cape May’s restaurant weekend so we decided to try the prix fixe menu. My husband and I loved all three courses but this is no surprise because we have had such exceptional meals every time we visited! We loved Chef Messick at PSI and followed him to Grana. Everything he makes is as beautiful and imaginative as it is delicious. The service is professional and friendly and the fact that it’s BYOB is the icing on the cake !! I highly recommend you visit Grana! It never disappoints!

Written October 22, 2022

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