Owned by Molly, Brigid, and Maria Price, Three Sisters (Old Town Rd., 401/466-9661, 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. daily, $7–23) offers oversized sandwiches with funky names and hearty soups like sweet-potato apple. Out back, tanned college kids lounge on picnic tables and Adirondack chairs, or swing in the hammock for a little after-dinner digestion. For dinner, islanders congregate for BBQ ribs cooked on a smoker in the backyard and served with sweet potato, corn on the cob, and live music under the stars.

It’s not easy being all things to all people, but Mohegan Cafe and Brewery (Water St., 401/466-5911, 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Sat., 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun. May–Oct.; hours vary in winter, $17.95–23.95) does a pretty good job at convening the whole island under one roof. Centrally located in the middle of Old Harbor, the restaurant serves everything from burgers to filet mignon, as well as reliable Asian and Southwestern fare, a range of hand-crafted beers, and an excellent wine list to boot. The setting is casual, with dark wood tables and picture windows perfect for watching people get off the ferry on the street below.

The place to go for your classic boiled pound-and-a-half, Finn’s Seafood Restaurant (Water St., 401/466-2473, 5 p.m.–9:30 p.m. daily June–Oct.; closed in winter, $2.50–34) is a no-frills seafood shack with both takeout and a table service on a deck overlooking the harbor. To see how fresh its ingredients are, peruse the offerings at the seafood market next door.

Fine dining gets funky at Eli’s (456 Chapel St., 401/466-5230, http://elisblockisland.com, 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m. Tues.–Sun.; closed Mon., June; hours vary in winter, $19–28)—starting with the name, an homage to the chef-owner’s late black Labrador. Pictures of said canine are preserved beneath the glass of several of the tables, which are capped in summer with wildflowers in Mason jars. The eclectic American menu features several imaginative pastas in huge portions (there’s an extra charge for splitting on two plates), as well as overachieving seafood dishes such as grilled mahimahi with roasted fennel and radicchio, white and wild rice and a honeydew macadamia sauce.