Dine outdoors at these restaurants in and around Delaware
Patricia TaloricoEating outside, or with a great view of the outside, is a summer rite of passage. You can enjoy your meal on a beautiful day or under the stars all around the state.
The backyard barbecue vibes are strong at the Crooked Hammock Brewery with locations in Lewes and Middletown. The Summer House in Rehoboth Beach has just opened a new "summer garden" adjoining the Rehoboth Avenue restaurant with chairs, tables with umbrellas, a large fountain and seats at a long counter that faces the town's main thoroughfare.
Downtown Newark offers plenty of al fresco dining at stalwarts like the Deer Park Tavern and Klondike Kate's, which has a new retractable awning, and up-and-comer Hamilton's on Main.
Wilmington has Columbus Inn's popular patio, and picnic table seating at Constitution Yards' seasonal beer garden and Makers Alley, the 5,000-square-foot beer garden, complete with a sleek silver Airstream food truck.
And don't be surprised if you catch a glimpse of the Kalmar Nickel tall ship floating down the Christina at Bank's Seafood Kitchen & Bar, Docklands Riverfront or Iron Hill Restaurant & Brewery.
Here are some more suggestions for dining outdoors:
Chancery Market
1313 N. Market St., Wilmington; thechancerymarket.com
The food hall and bar has a 10,000-square-foot garden plaza with seating for 150 people. It has an indoor/outdoor bar, a fireplace and a large-screen TV. The space, with green lawns and new landscaping, was designed by the Delaware Center for Horticulture.
Chancery Market is located on the bottom floor of what had been known as the Hercules Building. The 12,000-square-foot culinary collective in a 12-story building is in Wilmington's business district off North Market Street near the banks of the Brandywine. The patio opened for the season with a kickoff party that was held Saturday, April 26.
Bardea Garden
612 N. Market St., Wilmington; thegardenwilm.com
The owners of Bardea Food & Drink offer an open-air space that connects the 5-year-old restaurant with its sister operation Bardea Steak in downtown Wilmington.
The lush courtyard has potted plants, fountains and retractable awnings along with fire pits and heaters. It has a separate entrance on Market Street.
The space originally had been an outdoor extension of the two restaurants, but Scott Stein, a co-owner of the Bardea Restaurant Group, said the partners decided last year to open it as a separate spot with its own food and drinks menus. It has a blend of lounge and traditional seating. Bardea Garden is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Big Chill Beach Club
Big Chill Beach Club at Delaware Seashore State Park, 27099 Coastal Highway (Route 1) at Indian River Inlet, (302) 402-5300; www.bigchillbeachclub.com
This oceanfront hangout at the Indian River Inlet has a seafood-centric pub menu and a large roof deck with an umbrella bar. The 360-degree views of the ocean and the Rehoboth Bay are hard to beat anywhere in the state. Opening weekend was Friday, April 19. It's located in the Delaware Seashore State Park.
Patrons of the Big Chill Beach Club must pay the park entrance fee ($5 in-state, $10 out-of-state) or have an annual park pass which covers park admission for the entire year and is valid at all the state parks throughout Delaware. Seating is walk-up; there are no reservations.
Paradise Grill
Paradise Grill, 27344 Bay Road, Long Neck, (302) 945-4500; paradisegrillde.com
The sprawling complex, with its swaying palm trees (hauled from Florida) feels like the Caribbean has been transplanted into Sussex County. Paradise Grill, founded in 2013, is in the Pot Nets Bayside community and offers outdoor dining along the Indian River Bay in Long Neck.
It has a full-service dining area as well as a lagoon, tiki hut, raw bars and ice cream and funnel cake shacks. A new addition this year a tropical koi fish pond and waterfall in the main dining area of the restaurant.
Paradise Grill has plenty of parking for vehicles and it also offers free shuttle rides. There also are 100 golf cart parking spots and 82 boat slips
Above The Dunes
101 S. Boardwalk, 2nd floor, Rehoboth Beach; abovethedunes.com
Above the Dunes moved into the site of the former Greene Turtle in 2022 and has sweet ocean views above the Rehoboth boardwalk. It received a complete makeover with bright, beachy decor and a revamped menu.
The menu includes salads, bowls, seafood, tacos and flatbreads. Happy hour is every day from 1 to 5 p.m.
Chesapeake Inn Restaurant & Marina
605 Second St., Chesapeake City, Maryland; chesapeakeinn.com
The Martuscelli family (owners of Klondike Kate's and La Casa Pasta) has spent years on the transformation of the popular waterfront dining location in Chesapeake City, Maryland. In addition to a ballroom, the venue has several different dining spaces overlooking the water.
The lower level deck offers casual pub fare and daily, seasonal live entertainment. Fine dining also is available in a separate dining are featuring steaks, seafood, and pastas. The marina has 60 boat slips with shower and restroom facilities.
The family's Klondike Kate's and La Casa Pasta also have outdoor dining areas.
Bar Reverie
4017 Kennett Pike, Greenville; barreverie.com
The restaurant in the Greenville Shopping Center Bar Reverie is the latest project from Dave Dietz who, since 1994, has run the popular BBC Tavern and Grill. His new restaurant, which opened last summer, is next door to the BBC. In the morning, the restaurant is closer to a cafe and opens at 7 a.m. Pastry chef Gretchen Sianni, who co-owned and ran the former De La Coeur Café et Pâtisserie cafes in Wilmington and Fairfax, produces a wide array of sweet and savory pastries, scones, breads like apple cider-cranberry walnut and breakfast sandwiches on housemade croissants. It also serves lunch and dinner featuring menus created by chef Steve Taplin, a classically trained chef whose dishes feature modern and global influences The outdoor seating area has firepits and is decorated with seasonal flowers.
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The Quoin Hotel & Restaurant
519 N. Market St., Wilmington; thequoinhotel.com
You have to move pretty fast to score a seat on the Rooftop Bar & Lounge of The Quoin. The outside lounge is perched at the penthouse level and you can view the adjoining courtyard, the steeple of the Old Town Hall, and the sunset. There is a fireplace outside and one just inside the doors of the lounge. Visitors can order light bites and well-crafted cocktails, beer and wine.
It opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Torbert Street Social
305 Torbert St., Wilmington, torbertsocial.com/
It still seems somewhat like a secret. Torbert Street Social is nestled in the heart of downtown Wilmington’s financial district, but it's tucked away in the parking lot that separates Washington Street Ale House and Mikimotos. The cocktail lounge and patio was built on what was once one of Delaware’s historic stables that date back to 1887.
The bricked outdoor area has fire pits, high and low tables, lounge seating, Adirondack chairs and whiskey barrel tables.
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JP's Wharf
201 Hubbard Ave., Frederica; jpswharf.com
The Bowers Beach seafood restaurant in Kent County was founded in 1991. Visitors like the scenic fishing village environment on Delaware Bay. The town was known for its fishing industry hub, especially for oysters, fish, blue crabs and charter boats. Best bets are the rockfish, anything fresh caught that day and oysters (buck a shuck is every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m.) The menu includes red crab soup, crab dip, fish and chips, steamed clams, mussels, shrimp, king crab legs and lobster, crab cakes, burgers and salads.
It's open Tuesday through Sunday.
If you want to read more stories from Patricia Talorico, visit delawareonline.com/staff/2646617001/patricia-talorico. You can find her on Instagram, X and Facebook. Email ptalorico@delawareonline.com. Sign up for herDelaware Eats newsletter.