Downtown packed? 10 places to eat on Coastal Highway in Delaware

The Daily Times

Taco Reho chef and owner Billy Lucas prepares for a night of service in his food truck.

To get to Rehoboth and Lewes — and anywhere else along the Delaware coastline — one travels along Route 1, otherwise known as Coastal Highway.

This time of year it's one of the busiest and most frequently traveled on roads in all of Delaware.

But in recent years, Coastal Highway has become more than just a road that takes you to your summer getaway. And with towns like Lewes and Rehoboth flooded with car traffic and formidable parking prospects, vacationers are learning to escape to the comfortable parking lots along Route 1, where you'll find plenty of dining options as good as the eateries in downtown Lewes and Rehoboth.

Here is a list of 10 places to eat on Coastal Highway in Lewes and Rehoboth, in alphabetical order, and what to get:

Scott Kammerer, President of SoDel Concepts stands in the new Bluecoast Seafood Grill and Raw Bar in Rehoboth, on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar

The latest from SoDel Concepts is spacious, well-decorated and has a beautiful outdoor space that will make guests forget they're in a parking lot next to a Wawa.

SoDel President Scott Kammerer dedicated a lot of resources to the opening of the new Bluecoast, which boasts a talented house staff featuring some of the company's best and brightest, meaning the menu is loaded with creativity.

Where: 30115 Veteran's Way, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily
Call: 302-278-7395
Website: bluecoastrehoboth.com
What to eat: Sure, Bluecoast, with its original location in Bethany, has always been known for its seafood, but the rib eye with chimichurri butter and a sunny egg is mouth watering to think about. To start, try the seafood waffle fries. Waffle fries are covered with crab, shrimp and lobster, which all act as a vehicle to get the Old Bay white cheddar fondue into your mouth.

Crust & Craft

Brenton Wallace brought some pizza knowledge to the Delaware beaches and it shows. A veteran of the popular Zavino in Center City Philadelphia, Wallace makes quality pies in a 750-degree oven on Coastal Highway. The menu is big. There are plenty of options and pizzas to choose from, including house-made pasta. And the cocktail and beer menus are no joke, with a plethora of local brews and innovative cocktails you won't find other places.

Where: 18701 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: 3-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sundays
Call: 302-313-5029
Website: crustandcraftde.com
What to eat: In true Philadelphia fashion, Wallace's pizza selections include the "SP Jawn," a tribute to south Philly that includes pork, broccoli rabe pesto, mozzarella and sharp provolone cheeses. Pasta fans can lust over duck egg fettuccine, which is served with roasted mushrooms, spicy sausage and a parmesan cream.

El Azteca

On the "forgotten mile" between Rehoboth Beach and Dewey lies a not-so-forgettable Mexican restaurant that opened its doors within the past year. With daily drink specials that feature $5 frozen margaritas and an authentic food menu, the Dover transplant is already offering some of the best Mexican cuisine on Delmarva.

Where: 20672 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: 11 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. daily
Call: 302-278-7507
Website: aztecadelaware.com
What to eat: For a reasonable price of $11.50, the Burrito Azteca is great value. The burrito is stuffed with your choice of steak or chicken, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. The burrito is then served smothered with melted cheese and green tomatillo sauce, topped with pico de gallo and served with a side of rice and beans. Wrap the remnants up for lunch the next day.

Freshly shucked oysters from Fins Ale House and Raw Bar.

Fins Ale House & Raw Bar

As the Fins Hospitality Group empire continues to grow, the Ale House & Raw Bar keeps cranking out good food and drink and serving hundreds daily on Coastal Highway. The Route 1 location is connected to the Big Oyster Brewery, so good beer is brewed on-site.

Where: 19269 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 a.m Sundays (Brunch buffet 10 a.m.-3 p.m.)
Call: 302-227-3467
Website: finsrawbar.com
What to eat: The massive dinner menu is obviously seafood heavy, so start off with a dozen oysters or steamed clams before diving into the entree selections. With plenty of fish to choose from, keep it simple and Southern with the shrimp & grits, a hearty dish served with andouille sausage, bacon, crawfish and a lovely tasso creole cream sauce. You can also choose for yourself with the fresh fish board. Select from a daily rotation of fish, get it broiled, grilled, blackened or stuffed, top it with you favorite sauce and pair it with a choice of two sides.

Forgotten Mile Ale House

The aptly-named ale house is a perfect stopping point to escape traffic into Dewey or to break up the drive to Ocean City. The draft list is filled with craft favorites and happy hour is available 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and on Sundays.

Where: 20859 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: Closed Mondays. Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays for dinner only (4 p.m.), Thursdays-Sundays at 11 a.m.
Call: 302-212-2151
Website: fmahde.com
What to eat: Who doesn't like chicken and waffles? Forgotten Mile has it. Well, sort of. Seasoned chicken breast is coated with a sweet waffle batter and flash fried before being served on top of whipped potatoes and topped with maple gravy. Close enough.

Lefty's Alley and Eats

Lefty's, obviously, is more than just a restaurant. It's a full night of entertainment with a bowling alley, arcade and laser tag at guests' disposal. But the food at Lefty's is better than you'd find at your typical bowling alley. And for the $9.5 million it took to build, that better be the case. Lefty's has the "hardware" to prove it now, too. The restaurant was recently named Best New Restaurant Downstate by Delaware Today.

Where: 36450 Plaza Drive, Lewes
Hours: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, Open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Call: 302-864-6000
Website: iloveleftys.com
What to eat: An upscale take on alley food, Lefty's features a great selection of sandwiches, apps and pizzas. Start with the crab pretzel and get your hands on the Drunked Grilled Cheese. Served with fries and a pickle, the sandwich, served on challah bread, contains pepper jack, cheddar, gruyere and Swiss cheeses, bacon, tomato, sweet whiskey barbecue sauce, fried onion straws and fried jalapeños. Yes, it's a mouthful to say, type and eat.

Michy's Relaxed Dining

Located in a shopping center that houses a Weis food market, a pet store and a hardware shop, it'd be hard to expect Michy's would be home to some of the best food in the area. But as the name suggests, Michy's is a welcoming home to upscale but reasonably-priced dining that focuses on hospitality. There's also a pretty good happy hour from 4-6 p.m., featuring $3 bottled beer, $2 off drafts, $5 wines and $6 vodka martinis. Pair those with anything on the menu, because it's all pretty good.

Where: 19287 Miller Road, #17, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: Tuesdays-Thursdays 4-9 p.m., 4-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Sundays and Mondays
Call: 302-227-0999
Website: michysrelaxeddining.com
What to eat: Refreshing and relatively healthy, start off with the roasted golden and red beets appetizer that features baby spinach, pistachios, goat cheese, mint and lemon. For dinner, the "for-ever" braised short ribs melt in your mouth and are served with roasted fingerlings, carrots, caramelized fennel, red onion and a natural reduction. In the mood for seafood? Go for the pan-eared Barramundi bass.

Pickled Pig Pub

Gastropubs in the middle of a shopping center. What could be better? Well, it's been working since 2009. Owners Doug and Lisa Frampton have been offering up darn good food and drink on Coastal Highway long enough to know what sticks. Weekly specials feature burger nights on Monday (grab a $3 craft can) and bottle specials on Wednesday. On your way north after a long vacation? Take a break from traffic with an all-day happy hour on Sundays.

Where: 18756 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: Open daily at 11 a.m.
Call: 302-645-5444
Website: pickledpigpub.com
What to eat: There aren't too many places to find good poutine on Delmarva, so get some here. And then, keeping with the pig theme, if you're feeling up to it, the pork flatliner is appropriately-named. Smoked pit ham, shredded pork, pork belly, bacon, smoked cheddar, BBQ sauce and pickles are piled onto toasted panini bread. Keep 911 handy.

The traditional grilled Reuben ($14) is a hefty 8-ounce sandwich featuring corned beef, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on marble rye bread.

Rosenfeld's Jewish Delicatessen

Warren Rosenfeld finally set up shop a littler further north, and the deli favorite has been busy ever since. The recently-opened Rosenfeld's, an Ocean City staple, is serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. The food is authentic and, in typical Jewish deli fashion, the sandwiches are piled with meat and pickles come to the table as soon as you sit down.

Where: 18949 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily
Call: 302-645-1700
Website: rosenfeldsjewishdeli.com
What to eat: For the real Jewish experience get some potato latkes for the table. The crispy fried delights are served with sour cream and apple sauce for dipping. And you can't go to a Jewish deli without getting a sandwich, so have fun picking from the Rosenfeld's Famous Sandwiches section of the menu, where "legendary grilled Reubens" feature 8 ounces of meat, though you can add more. Though not a typical reuben, the grilled brisket reuben was a perfect match of flavors, served with melted Swiss cheese, sweet onion jam, cole slaw and a horseradish cream.

Taco Reho

Billy Lucas grew up coming to the Delaware beaches, so he knew what he was doing when he opened up shop outside the Big Chill Cantina on Coastal Highway in 2014. Lucas, a well-traveled chef knows his way around the kitchen, or in this case the truck, and knows how to make beautiful, authentic tacos, too.

Where: 19406 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
Hours: 12 p.m. - 1 a.m. daily, though sometimes away for events.
Call: 302-226-TACO
Website: tacoreho.com
What to eat: Uhh, everything? Lucas doesn't mess around and has some rotating choices and specials. For classics, the chicken tinga and fish tacos are excellent. And for a little off-centered, the carne fries are massive and feature waffle fries, beef short rib, queso and salsa. Sure, it's a taco truck, but the burrito is as good as it gets and is enough for two meals.