20 (and more) classic Delaware eateries you shouldn't miss
Patricia TaloricoThe loss of such landmark Delaware eateries as Leo & Jimmy's in Wilmington, Dover's Kirby & Holloway, and more recently Arner's Restaurant in New Castle had us thinking about longtime First State eating establishments still operating.
We've come up with a list of 20 (and really more) classic Delaware places that are cherished, hometown favorites.
To be clear, classic eateries don't necessarily mean the state's best restaurants. That's another list.
These cultural icons have endured for decades for several, sentimental reasons. Mainly, loyal standbys don't change much or worry about being trendy or hip. They emphasize the customer experience, appease regulars but still grow their base, and continue to create fond memories.
Degnars Greenhill Deli & Pizzeria
2501 W. Fourth St., Wilmington; (302) 656-3663
This city sub shop has been in operation since 1949. First located at Greenhill Avenue and Fourth Street, it moved to its present location more than 40 years ago. The Degnar family added their name to the business within the past five years or so.
Family photos clutter one wall of the tiny space, and the counter is shoulder level. There's no seating except for three umbrella-covered picnic tables on the sidewalk.
The slap-slap, clang-clang of spatulas hitting the flat top when someone makes a cheesesteak is the shop's soundtrack. You can get pasta as well as pizza and stromboli. "A corner piece, please, dear," says a customer pointing to the tomato pie.
Regulars don't even look at the posted menu for the hot and cold sandwiches packed into white paper bags, though they might glance at the daily, handwritten specials. The shop's hours are scribbled on a paper plate hanging at the counter.
What to order? Homemade iced tea and lemonade, breakfast pizza, chicken salad, one of the daily BLT specials, cheesesteaks, Italian subs.
What's similar to it? Takeout with outdoor seating also is the norm at Walt's Flavor Crisp Chicken Express, 103 N. Lincoln St. in Wilmington. It makes the same fried chicken created in 1973 by the late Harry W. Sheppard at his old Vandever Avenue shop.
520 N. Union St., Wilmington; (302) 652-9223
Diners have been twirling forks through plates of pasta and using bread to sop up the sauce at this vintage Italian-American "red gravy" restaurant since 1940.
The Grand Dame in the city's Little Italy neighborhood was founded by Tresilla Robino, who started the business in the basement of her Howland Street home. She later moved to Union Street.
Still family-owned, Mrs. Robino's honors its longtime patrons, a group fiercely protective of their favorite establishment, by posting their photos near the front door.
What to order? Wedding soup, chopped antipasto salad and a combination of homemade spaghetti and ravioli. Check out crab nights on Thursdays.
What's similar to it? Ristorante Attilio, a family-owned Italian-American eatery at 1900 Lancaster Ave. in Wilmington since 1985. Get the crunchy hot peppers, spaghetti with white clam sauce, homemade lasagna and Tartufo dessert.
Charcoal Pit
2600 Concord Pike, Brandywine Hundred; (302) 478-2165
Generations of patrons have making pit stops at “The Pit” for more than 60 years. This archetypal hamburger and shake joint, founded in September 1956, was modeled after The Dog House in New Castle. Initially, it had a long counter with a view of Concord Pike and about four tables. It's grown over the years but hasn't changed much since saddle shoes were in style.
President Obama came for a visit in July 2014 on the advice from Vice President Joe Biden and his late son Beau, who were frequent visitors. The only-in-Delaware touches include naming sundaes after area high schools.
What to order? Onion rings; The Pit Deluxe charbroiled cheeseburger; a black-and-white milkshake; and the Kitchen Sink, a monster sundae with 20 scoops of ice cream.
What's similar to it? Burgers are king at "the Pit," and steak sandwiches are the stars of the Claymont Steak Shop. The flagship Claymont shop at 3526 Philadelphia Pike was founded by Greek cousins Bob Hionis and Sam Demetratos in 1966.
Capriotti's
510 N. Union St., Wilmington; (302) 571-8929
Every state has foods that it's known for: Maryland has crabs, Pennsylvania has the cheesesteak and Delaware has the Bobbie.
The iconic "Thanksgiving on a roll" was invented by the late Wilmington native Lois Margolet. She launched the Capriotti's Sandwich Shop chain in 1976 in the Little Italy neighborhood where she grew up. Margolet named the mom-and-pop sub shop after her grandfather Philip Capriotti.
The specialty sandwich that established Capriotti's is the famed Bobbie. It's made with pulled turkey, cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing and mayonnaise. The dish was a recreation of a sandwich served to the Margolets by their Aunt Bobbie. The national restaurant chain now has 106 locations in 17 states.
What to order? The Bobbie, of course. We also recommend the turkey sub and the Capastrami, hot pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and coleslaw on a roll.
What's similar to it? Casapulla's shop at 514 Casapulla Ave. in Elsmere, has been making meaty Italian subs since 1956. It had been considered Capriotti's longtime rival, although the families were good friends.
"The only problem between us was that Capriotti's and Casapulla's almost sound the same," Lou Casapulla told The News Journal in 2017. "What are you going to do?"
Grotto Pizza
36 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach; (302) 227-3278
So much nostalgia, and debate, surrounds Grotto Pizza. We're convinced the best slice is served with a side of salty sea air. Go to the original Rehoboth Avenue home, a few steps from the ocean, to enjoy pies that feature a blend of cheeses (they won't say what kind) and tomato sauce applied in a signature swirl.
Oh, and in case you're wondering what those regulars are doing with the napkins, dabbing the top of a slice to soak up "pizza juice" is a Grotto's tradition.
Grotto Pizza was founded in 1960 by Dominick Pulieri, along with his brother-in-law, Joe, and sister Mary Jean Paglianite. At the first take-out stand, pizza slices sold for 20 cents a piece. A second Grotto Pizza on the Rehoboth boardwalk opened in 1963. The chain now has more than 20 locations.
What to order? A traditional oven pizza. Sizes include a 12-inch regular or a 16-inch large. For toppings, we'd go with pepperoni or Pennsylvania mushrooms.
What's similar to it?Nicola Pizza at 8 N. First St. in Rehoboth has been around since 1971. Owner Nicholas Caggiano gave Delaware's pizza culture the Nic-o-Boli, the First State's version of the stromboli.
Harry's Savoy Grill
2020 Naamans Road, Brandywine Hundred; (302) 475-3000
Owner Xavier Teixido's classy, convivial restaurant is modern and innovative, but it also focuses on old-school classics. It offers the state's best prime rib, along with seafood, steaks and a wine list deeper than Barry White's dulcet tones.
Built on the bones of old Admiral Inn, it has roots tracing back to 1939 when it was the Log Cabin. Harry's has been operating since 1988 with Teixido purchasing it after a split with a former partner in 1993. It's not named after a particular person. Teixido once joked, "Who doesn't love a Harry?"
What to order? Oysters, hot crab and artichoke dip, aged steaks, prime rib au jus medium rare, soft shell crabs (seasonal), and lobster mashed potatoes.
What's similar to it? Walter's Steakhouse at 802 N. Union St. Since the early 1990s, owner John Walter Constantinou has continued the legacy of his father George's long-gone Constantinou's House of Beef.
Angelo's Luncheonette
1722 N. Scott St., Wilmington; (302) 658-8625
Owner August Muzzi has been standing in front of the grill at this old-school lunch counter tucked into the city's Forty Acres neighborhood since 1967.
It's a cash-only establishment, though there is an ATM machine where the old candy counter used to be. Almost nothing changes at Angelo's and that's the way Muzzi and his longtime patrons like it. The last renovation was in the early 1990s when booths replaced tables. It's open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. It can be tough beating the regulars to one of the 12 counter stools.
What to order? A fried egg and meat breakfast sandwich, grilled cheese and Campbell's tomato soup, Italian sausage sandwich, root beer float, Angie's burger.
What's similar to it?Libby's Restaurant at 227 W. Eighth St. in downtown Wilmington is sometimes called "the 'Cheers' of food." Breakfast is served all day at this cash-only establishment that's been in operation since 1982.
The Dog House
1200 N. Dupont Highway, New Castle; (302) 328-5380
Lou Sloan and his three brothers opened The Dog House in 1952. At that time, the four-lane highway where the Wilmington Manor eatery sits at Stahl Avenue was only two lanes with trees growing in the median.
The Sloans are no longer the owners, but split, foot-long hot dogs, cooked on a flat-top grill remain The Dog House's signature dish.
Customers still find refuge at the cash-only roadside eatery that features the same long, throwback counter with 17 stools that has been in place for 56 years.
What to order? A foot-long dog, a cheese dog with chili, a hot dog with sauerkraut or maybe even a cheesesteak.
What's similar to it? Deerhead Hot Dogs has been a part of Delaware's eating landscape since 1935. We sometimes hit the 620 S. Maryland Ave. site in Wilmington for a double dog with "secret" sauce. There's also a Deerhead Hot Dogs food truck.
Helen's Famous Sausage House
4866 N. Dupont Highway, Smyrna; (302) 653-4200
If you see a line at Helen's, and you will because it's such a popular place, be patient and don't leave. It moves fast.
Helen's home since 1983 has been a squat, white building with bars on the outside windows. Keep an open mind if this is your first visit. Some of the best eateries don't always impress at first glance.
It's home to the quintessential Delaware breakfast. While most people assume that's scrapple, and Helen's has it, but, as the name suggests, order the sausage. It's deep-fried and it's terrific.
You can take your meal to-go or sit in the small seating area decorated with Elvis Presley memorabilia. Helen's is an early morning establishment. Really early. It opens at 4 a.m. and the staff calls it a day at noon, Mondays through Saturdays.
What to order? Double sausage sandwich with fried peppers and onions; scrapple and egg sandwich; bone-in jumbo pork chop sandwich; home fries.
What's similar to it?Royal Treat in Rehoboth Beach is a family-run, cash-only, seasonal breakfast and ice cream parlor that's been at 4 Wilmington Ave., near the boardwalk, for almost 30 years.
Columbus Inn
2216 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington, 302-575-9651
Clubby, warm and definitely old-school Wilmington, the Columbus Inn got its current name in 1953, but its roots go back to the 18th century.
Once considered "a men's club for the clubless," a longtime joke has been that more business deals were made at the Columbus Inn bar than in offices
Renovations in 2010 by the Capano family, after the restaurant was closed for three years, made it much more inviting and modern.
In a nod to the past, brass nameplates on walls honor longtime customers who have died. The tavern area still has the walnut, horseshoe-shaped bar where for 65 years a congregation of regulars has rested elbows, swapped gossip and sipped cocktails and brews.
What to order? Corn and crab chowder, the tavern burger, house-cut fries, crab cakes, the 8-ounce filet.
What's similar to it? Jessop's Tavern in Old New Castle is housed in a structure originally built in 1674. In the 1950s, it was known as Captain’s Log Restaurant and it became The Green Frog Tavern in the 1970s. It's been Jessop's since 1996.
India Palace
101 N. Maryland Ave., Richardson Park, Wilmington; (302) 655-8772
India Palace was one of the first Indian restaurants in the state when the Kumar family-run business opened in 1991 not far from the Five Points Volunteer Fire Co.
It quickly developed a loyal following due to the graciousness of Pinky Kumar, who runs the front of the house, and her husband, Sushil Kumar, who makes the delectable homemade naan in a clay tandoor oven.
There’s a small lot out front of the brick building, but parking isn’t all that easy. The decor, old-fashioned pine paneling, and a mix of tables and booths for about 50 people looks as though it hasn’t been updated since the restaurant opened.
What to order? The buffet lunch; roti (homemade bread), bayngan bhurta (roasted eggplant), marinated sliced lamb, and tandoori mixed grill.
What's similar to it? India Palace helped change Delaware's dining scene in 1991 and so did Toscana, Dan Butler's Trolley Square eatery which opened the same year. Butler is credited with setting a new standard for high-quality Italian restaurants.
The Green Room at the Hotel du Pont
42 W. 11th St., Wilmington; (302) 594-3154
No contest: The Green Room inside of the 1913 Italian Renaissance hotel in downtown Wilmington is the most majestic dining room in the state.
While the historic Hotel du Pont is no longer owned by the DuPont Co., it is still considered one of the most lavish hotels of America's Gilded Age.
Somehow, you sit up straighter when dining at the Green Room (which, incidentally, has a crimson decor). Sunday brunch is pretty awesome and afternoon tea isn't bad.
The Green name refers to a family, not the color of the dining room. The hotel has already undergone some changes since The Buccini/Pollin Group acquired the building in 2017, and The Green Room is expected to do the same.
What to order? Foie gras, crab cakes, any dessert and definitely the macaroons, the restaurant's signature baked treat. Go for Sunday brunch.
What's similar to it? Dan and Missy Lickle brought fancy, but not posh, dining to Hockessin in 1980 with the opening of the Back Burner Restaurant. For a more lavish experience, go to Lickles' Krazy Kat's at The Inn at Montchanin Village.
The Deer Park Tavern
108 W. Main St., Newark; (302) 369-9414
Despite the legend, Edgar Allen Poe never raised a glass here. But he did lecture at the nearby Newark Academy and, as the story goes, cursed the Deer Park after he fell in the mud outside of it. Poe's "Raven" is the DP's mascot.
An inn, built in 1747, once stood on the ground. The Deer Park was built in 1851 and was once a hotel, and later became a restaurant and popular watering hole for University of Delaware students and local residents.
The Ashby family acquired the Deer Park in 2001 and made major renovations. The scruffiness is gone, but the Ashbys kept "the townie bar" and other traditions such as the Sunday Bloody Mary bar and half-price nachos on Wednesdays.
What to order? Nachos grande, burgers, New England clam chowder, fish and chips, eggs Benedict, Bloody Marys.
What's similar to it?Klondike Kate's, another popular UD haunt at 158 E. Main St. in Newark, offers American fare and a colorful history tracing back 281 years.
Back Porch Cafe
59 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach; (302) 227-3674
Beach eats come and go like the tide, but the Back Pork Cafe has endured for 45 seasons. This funky place, with a Key West vibe, started out as the Hotel Marvel and expanded over the years.
Regulars like its laid-back elegance, three decks, regular live music and terrific cocktails. The food is upscale and the service attentive. Locals and tourists both are catered to, and it's not unusual to see a well-behaved dog by its owner's feet on one of the decks. The seasonal eatery closes in October and usually reopens by April.
What to order? Dark and stormy cocktails, anything with wild mushrooms, grilled octopus, rabbit bolognese, coffee drinks flamed tableside.
What's similar to it? It's probably not surprising to hear some of the Back Porch's original owners in 1981 opened the Blue Moon. The stylish, theatrical 35 Baltimore Ave. eatery is located in a 1907 Sears Craftsman house.
Dairy Palace
2 Jay Drive, off Basin Road, New Castle; (302) 328-9740
Few places look like the Dairy Palace anymore. It is truly like stepping back in time at this very popular, old-fashioned New Castle ice cream shack. Leave your cellphone in your pocket and soak in the "American Graffiti" vibe.
The seasonal business has been in operation since it was founded in 1956 by Vince and Joyce Parker.
The couple's daughter and her family are continuing the cash-only, walk-up stand that offers soft serve ice cream with curls that Beyonce would envy. Don't want ice cream (and, uh, why not?) you can also order sloppy Joes, hot dogs and chili dogs.
On a warm summer night, when the neon lights blink on spelling out "Dairy Palace," it almost feels like you could run into Sandy, Danny, Kenickie and the rest of the "Grease" gang.
What to order? Pretty much anything, but our preference is a chocolate, vanilla or twist soft serve cone with sprinkles.
What's similar to it? Since 1972, three generations of the King family have run King’s Homemade Ice Cream Shops. The flagship Milton is in the oldest commercial building, circa 1830, in Sussex County. The Lewes location has served scoops since 1981.
La Casa Pasta
120 Four Seasons Parkway (off Del. 896), Glasgow; (302) 738-9935
Family photos decorate the walls of the restaurant that has an atmosphere as Italian as the Trevi Fountain.
Frank Sinatra croons from the speakers and the aromatic smell of tomato sauce and freshly made pasta drifting through the four dining rooms can make the stomach rumble.
La Casa Pasta was founded in 1978 by Giuseppe Martuscelli who emigrated from Santa Maria di Castellabate, near Salerno, Italy. The family also owns Klondike Kate's in Newark and the Chesapeake Inn in Chesapeake City, Maryland.
What to order? Arancini, mussels in spicy marinara sauce, vitello Giuseppe, lobster fra diavolo, bronzino, tiramisu, ricotta cheesecake.
What's similar to it?Vincente's Restaurant has moved a few times during its 47 year history. At its 5914 Kirkwood Highway home, chef/co-owner Dan Mancari presents showstopping, tableside Caesar salads and Bananas Foster.
Stanley's Tavern
2038 Foulk Road, Brandywine Hundred; (302) 475-1887
It's hard to believe the building, dating back to the 1920s, has been known as anything but Stanley's Tavern. Still, when the state's best-known sports bar first opened in 1935, it was called Bill's Place.
Former Browntown resident Stanley Minakowski took over in 1947 and Stanley's Tavern was born. And 71 years later, it's still going strong.
Managing partner Steve Torpey has been in the house since 1982. Stanley's has long been a favored spot to watch football (Philadelphia Eagles are the house team) or pretty much any televised athletic event. Walls are lined with sports-celebrity photos. Bartenders are friendly and chatty, and the beer is ice cold.
The restaurant has wide-ranging offerings and a popular salad bar.
What to order? Chicken wings, burgers, sandwiches, meatloaf, baby back ribs, cheese fries.
What's similar to it? Wilmington's Kid Shelleen's Charcoal House & Saloon has been going strong since 1983. The 1801 W. 14th St. site, owned by Xavier Teixido, has continuously operated as a Wilmington restaurant since 1940.
Sambo's Tavern
283 Front St., Leipsic; (302) 674-9724
Sambo's Tavern, founded by Samuel “Sambo” Burrows in 1953, sits alongside the 17-mile (or so) Leipsic River in Kent County where farms, marshlands and tidal streams converge.
You have to be at least 21 years old to enter. The establishment, run by Isaac and Elva Burrows, has a tavern license, not a restaurant license. It's also cash only, though there's an ATM machine on site.
You can call ahead and reserve a table. Try to get a window seat so you can watch watermen pull up and unload crab catches.
On summer weekends, the bar is full, pitchers of cold beer are flowing and crowds at newspaper-covered tables pick their way through batches of hot, steaming blue crabs. Visitors can go to a giant map that hangs on a wall and stick a pin on their hometown.
What to order? Crabs, crabs, crabs. Oh, and the crab cake sandwich, French fries and potato salad.
What's similar to it? Blue crab lovers also have been coming to Lestardo's, a relaxed crab house at Del. 273 and Prangs Lane in New Castle's Rambleton Acres Shopping Center since 1969.
Warren's Station
1406 Coastal Highway (Del. 1), Fenwick Island; (302) 539-7156
Breakfast has been a tradition at Warren's Station since 1960, but if you want a Bloody Mary or mimosa, head somewhere else. The beach eatery doesn't serve alcohol. It's been that way since it was founded by turkey farmer Warren D. Johnson who then called the business Warren's Family Restaurant.
Jeff and Paula Mumford bought the restaurant in 1971 and have since slightly changed the name. They also remodeled and enlarged the site to resemble a replica of a United States Lifesaving Station. Other Mumford family members now work in the business that's still affable and affordable.
What to order? Chocolate chip pancakes, Fenwick Island Beach Patrol Sandwich, roast turkey, crab imperial, Delmarvelous rotisserie chicken, any housemade pie.
What's similar to it?The equally family-friendly Robin Hood Restaurant at 54 Rehoboth Ave. in Rehoboth has been operating in the beach town since 1968.
Buckley's Tavern
5812 Kennett Pike, Centreville; (302) 656-9776
Buckley’s Tavern is to Centreville what the Deer Park Tavern is to Newark.
While its home is an upper-crust, affluent area, the egalitarian eatery holds a place in the hearts of Delawareans partly because its crowd has ranged from construction workers in jeans to bankers in suits. It’s been a place of character for characters.
The building, dating back to 1817, started as a private residence and became a taproom and ice store in the 1930s. Dennis Buckley ran it from 1951 until 1970. It closed for 10 months in 2012 while the restaurant's longtime owners Bob Bolling and Bob Applegate brought in new operators and renovated the historic building.
The new look keeps the spirit of the original Buckley's while maintaining the integrity of the space.
What to order? Roasted garlic hummus, Thai noodle soup, crab Cobb salad, Buckley's burger, French dip, macaroni and cheese. Go for the Sunday pajama brunch where half-price discounts are offered to those wearing PJs.
What's similar to it? Feby's Fishery, operating since 1974, moved from Elsmere to its Lancaster Pike location in 1984. Snapper soup is a signature offering and devoted followers like that owners Philip and MarySue DiFebo remain wedded to tradition.
By limiting the list to 20 we're sure we've neglected some eateries. Here are a few more honorable mentions: Doyle's Restaurant in Selbyville; Mr. Pasta in Holly Oak; Cosmos Diner in Wilmington; The Hearth in Odessa; and Knotty Pine in Wilmington.
Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.comand on Twitter @pattytalorico