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Nomans took over the old Lola’s space, and its best table is outside: a drink under the lights on a warm island evening.
A summer evening at Nomans Restaurant in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. Live music, cozy outdoor seating, and relaxing island vibes in 4K video.
Nomans at 15 Island Inn Road in Oak Bluffs is the only biergarten-style outdoor gathering spot on Martha's Vineyard: part restaurant, part social hub, frequently compared to Cisco Brewery on Nantucket. Counter-service dining, house-branded rum, lawn games, live music, and a free shuttle from the ferry terminal.
Filmed August 2024The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked September 2026.
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The space was Lola's Southern Seafood for roughly 25 years, known for late-night dancing until 1 AM, gospel brunches, and cajun fare. In September 2018, it sold for $2.3 million. After extensive renovations, Nomans opened June 2019 under owner Doug Abdelnour Jr. (whose family has run Nancy's on the harbor since 1960). The name references Nomans Land, the uninhabited island off MV's south shore.
Counter-service only: find your table, walk inside to order, pick up at the window. Most items $9–$20:
Cocktails run about $15, featuring house Nomans Rum distilled at Triple 8 Distillery on Nantucket. Beers $6–$8.
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Large patio/lawn with cornhole, giant Jenga, Connect Four, firepits, outdoor TV, and reservable "Rum Huts" (cabanas seating 10, bookable 30 days in advance). Dog-friendly: they call dogs "VIDs" (Very Important Dogs). Live music and DJ Smooth B Friday nights.
Open for the 2026 season. Hours: Sun–Thu 11 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 11 AM–9:30 PM. No reservations; walk-in only. Two free shuttles: OB ferry terminal → Nomans (12 PM–close, every 30 min) and Little Bridge → Nomans (5 PM–close).
The lawn also works as a stage. The Martha’s Vineyard Songwriters Festival opens here with a free kickoff party on Thursday, September 17, 2026, 4 to 9 PM, before three ticketed nights at the Strand Theatre. Dates and set times for that and everything else on the island are on our events calendar.
Harthaven, the quiet neighborhood off Beach Road next to Nomans: split-rail fences, pitch pines and boats on the water at the end of the lane.
For more Oak Bluffs dining and nightlife, see our Complete Oak Bluffs Guide (2026) or plan your trip with our car-free travel guide.
Island tip of the day Ferry No. 5 of 86 New tip at midnight, island time
All three Woods Hole lots (Palmer Avenue, Thomas B. Landers, Cataumet) run $25/day in season with free shuttles to the terminal. Palmer is closest and fills first; when it does, follow the signs to Landers.
The Martha's Vineyard Songwriters Festival, September 17 to 20, 2026: a free kickoff at Nomans and three nights of Nashville writers at the Strand Theatre in Oak Bluffs, with our photographs from inside the Strand, the night-by-night lineups and practical notes for next year.
Where Martha's Vineyard's oysters, bay scallops and quahogs come from: the public solar hatchery on Lagoon Pond that turned fifty in 2026, the dozen oyster farms in Katama Bay, Menemsha Pond and Vineyard Sound, the wild beds in the great ponds, the autumn scallop season and its limits, visitor shellfish permits by town, why rain closes a pond, and where to eat them.
Lobster on Martha's Vineyard from trap to paper plate: how the small Menemsha fleet fishes, the Massachusetts rules on size, egg-bearing females and whale-safe gear, where to buy lobster off the boat (Larsen's, Menemsha Fish Market, The Net Result), how to eat it on the dock with your own bottle, and how a visitor can get a permit and catch a few.
The Feast of the Holy Ghost in Oak Bluffs, held every third full weekend of July since 1928: the Queen Isabel legend behind the free soup, the Sunday parade from the ferry up Circuit Avenue, the crown blessed at Our Lady Star of the Sea, the sopas at the Portuguese-American Club, the club the rest of the year, and how a visitor should behave at the island's Portuguese feast.
Every supermarket and market on Martha's Vineyard with posted hours: Stop and Shop, Cronig's, Reliable Market, Alley's, the meat and fish markets, the Falmouth Stop and Shop before the ferry, Instacart and pre-stocking delivery, and an honest word on island prices.
Is Martha's Vineyard a dry island? Town by town: Chilmark is fully dry and BYOB, West Tisbury and Aquinnah pour beer and wine with meals, Vineyard Haven serves full liquor but has no liquor store, and only Oak Bluffs and Edgartown have package stores. Corkage, beach rules, the ferry and the state laws, checked September 2026.
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