Rehoboth Beach Eats

As I've mentioned before, my husband's family has a house in Rehoboth Beach, DE. In the past, we've all gone together as a family and usually do dinners together. Robby's family is a family of traditions, so they have their list of usual places: Grotto Pizza, La Tonalteca, Nicola's. But since we've been married, Robby and I have gone down a couple times on our own and we've seen the diverse, ever-expanding list of great-looking restaurants in Rehoboth that sound delicious and that we haven't tried. So before our big vacation for our anniversary, we made a list of places we wanted to try, and then . . . we ate!

Below are the places we went, what we ate, and our overall thoughts. There is a price scale though (see below), and all pictures were taken on my cell phone so I apologize for the quality (I'm still working up the courage to take my camera into places - I know I'll be judged for it and I'm still working on overcoming caring about it). If you'd like more on what to do in Rehoboth, I've written about it a couple times - click the links to read more! :)

$0-$20 for two people: $

$20-$50 for two people: $$

$50-$75 for two people: $$$

$75-100 for two people: $$$$

Day One: Taco Reho, $$

This was a much anticipated stop. We see Taco Reho along Route 1 on the way to the beach house every year, and every year we've said how much we wanted to go there. We finally did, and it was completely worth it. Robby ordered the Buffalo Shrimp Tacos, salsa, Frank's Red Hot Buffalo sauce, burnt cheese, carrots, pickled onions, and celery in handmade corn tortillas, and he loved them. I ordered the Carne Fries, waffle cut potatoes, beef shortrib, queso, salsa, and lots of cilantro. The flavors were layered and complex, the ingredients were fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere was laid back and chill (it sits in front of a surf shop and across from Big Chill Surf Bar and Cantina, sooo go figure).

Robby's only regret was that he didn't get two different tacos. Mine was that I wished the guy who served us was less of an asshole. We did wait for our food to be prepared, which is a reason they encourage you to call in your order, but we were fine browsing the surf shop and relaxing on a picnic table. If you're there in the off season, you can also get some pretty good deals, like two tacos and a beer for $10, that they don't offer during the summer. We paid around $30 for what we got, which I felt was pretty pricey for two tacos, two drinks, and an order of fries. But the flavors were pretty phenomenal.

Day Two: Big Fish Grill, $$$

Another place we had talked about going to for a while. It's right up the road from the beach house, and it's always crowded. Always. When we went for dinner, it was no different. We sat outside under a fan that blew air pretty strongly, but the weather was perfect.

When you're first seated, they give you a smoked tuna dip with saltine crackers, which threw me off a little bit. I always pictured the restaurant being a little more on the fancy side, maybe because I associate seafood with expensive prices and expensive prices with fancy. But the presentation of the fish dip and saltines was in a wicker basket with pre-packaged crackers. I looked at Robby and said, "Really? I thought this was a fancy restaurant." He then informed me that no, Big Fish Grill is definitely a more casual dining experience. While Big Fish does boast affordable prices for seafood (and maybe it does, I'm new to this), it was still a little over $50 for the two of us.

We got there during happy hour, so we ordered two appetizers: the fish tacos ($6 - two fresh fried fish tacos with pico de gallo, baja sauce, and slaw in warm tortillas; 10/10 would recommend) and the baby seafood cakes ($7 - four fried cakes over a light lobster sauce, also 10/10 would recommend). Robby then ordered for dinner the Big Fish Jambalaya, traditional spicy sauce with chicken, shrimp, crawfish, and Andouille sausage over rice with a side of stewed tomatoes. He said he didn't really enjoy the stewed tomatoes, but he liked the dish overall. I ordered the Special Lobster Pasta: Pan-seared jumbo shrimp, scallops, and lobster meat in a creamy tomato sauce with asparagus over linguine. Aside from huge chunks of cooked tomatoes (which I dislike), and a little too crunchy asparagus, I really liked my meal. The shrimp really was huge and the scallops cooked to perfection. The flavors were homey and comforting because of the cream sauce and the pasta. It was also delicious reheated for breakfast the next day. We had a very pleasant experience, and I would definitely go back again for a casual special occasion.

Day Three: El Azteca, $$

This restaurant is new to Rehoboth and located in "The Lost Mile," the mile strip of stores and restaurants between what's considered Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. We love going to La Tonalteca, and we wanted to see A) if it was cheaper, and B) if it was better. It wasn't cheaper, but the food was about the same as far as taste, and they had margarita flights. My dream come true! Their margarita flights consisted of four 4 oz. tasters, and I ordered the regular lime, mango, watermelon, and sangria. I liked all of them but the mango margarita, which tasted like it was 96% tequila. And I got way more drunk because of it - I wasn't happy about it because I generally don't like the feeling of being drunk, and also I like my margaritas to taste like the flavors I order.

But, the overall atmosphere was more open than most other Hispanic/Mexican restaurants I've been to. The menu seemed more diverse. You still got chips and salsa before your meal, and I liked that the chips were more airy, like they had puffed up while baking or frying. I ordered the Enchiladas Verdes with flour tortillas - three chicken filled enchiladas topped with green tomatillo sauce and melted cheese, served with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and rice. I loved it. I don't think I've ever had green tomatillo sauce before and I loved the tart, crisp flavor mixed with the cheese and chicken. It worked really well. Robby ordered the Four Amigos, four corn tortillas filled with a different meat each and served with the same sides as mine. He filled his tacos with chicken, carnitas, chorizo, and fish, and said he most enjoyed the chorizo and chicken tacos. For dessert, we ordered the fried cheesecake (it had a specific name that I can't remember nor can find online). It was good, but had a strong banana flavor that we weren't expecting. We also didn't take a picture because by the time I realized we hadn't, it was almost completely eaten. Oops! :)

We liked it, but I think I'd rather go to La Tonalteca in the future.

Day Four: Bluecoast Raw Bar and Grill, $$$$

This is a new restaurant and one that Robby said he wished he would have worn a polo to. The atmosphere inside was laid back, the waiters and waitresses wore t-shirts and khaki or black shorts or pants. But mostly every customer came in dressed up. Some were more casual, but it was a Friday night and the menu was more "sophisticated" and limited than some of the other seafood restaurants we considered. We were sat with a big group of kids and their parents from what looked to be a little league, so the room was loud. But our waitress was amazing - her name is Erin and she was the best. She provided us with great suggestions, was laid back, and just having her say, "Sorry it's so loud in here" made the noise level more bearable.

We ordered the Seafood Waffle Fries for an appetizer: crab, shrimp, lobster, Old Bay white cheddar fondue, and chives over waffle fries. It was so good. If I could eat that all the time, I would. Robby ordered a dozen oysters, and got three varieties (four oysters each): Wild Ass. Ponies from Assateague/Chincoteague, VA; Olde Black Salts from Virginia; and Beau Soleil from Prince Edwards Island. He said he avoided ordering oysters from Maryland because they aren't in season, and ended up liking the smaller oysters from Prince Edwards Island the best. I did not partake because the thought of raw oysters seem too disgusting for me, but I do think it's interesting that they taste like the water they're in (it makes sense, just something I never really thought about before). I ordered a daily special, which was a Wahoo "steak," that was served on top of mashed potatoes, grilled peaches, corn, and alfalfa sprouts with a light sauce. It was so, so good. Robby had gotten Wahoo on our honeymoon, and it was divine, so I was pretty excited about that. Plus, our waitress said they don't get Wahoo in very often so if I had the opportunity, I should take that. She didn't steer me wrong.

We ended the night with a slice of authentic key lime pie served with fresh whipped cream and a mango puree. Authentic because it wasn't a bright lime green color and the flavor was mild. I liked it - it was a lovely palate cleanser. Also, another dish with no picture because we destroyed it way too quickly. Robby wished we had ordered the caramelized orange and honey creme brulee, but said he enjoyed the pie all the same. It was our most expensive meal on our vacation, but I feel like it was worth the price we paid. Great, fresh food with wonderful flavors and an upbeat, coastal town atmosphere.

Day Five: Grandpa Mac, $$

Another new restaurant to Route 1, Grandpa Mac is Noodles & Co.-esque in that you can make your own pasta, but they also have a great menu of options. However, it was pretty expensive for us. We were pretty hungry and we did order medium and large pastas, but I don't know that it's worth a semi-extravagant price tag. To give you an idea, it was at least $10 more than what we paid at Taco Reho. While I feel we did get more food, it still felt wrong to be paying that much for pasta...

Robby got the large of their daily special, The Beast, which had tomatoes, jalapenos, and sausage (as well as a lot of other things we can't remember). I ordered a medium of Summer on the Cape, which consisted of shells, cheese sauce, lobster, gouda, gruyere, olive oil, nutmeg, and bread crumbs. Because it was pasta and cheese and other things we loved, we really enjoyed what we ordered. The atmosphere is kind of like a Chipotle, and the employees are very nice, easy going, and will help you with suggestions at the drop of a hat. Not to mention, there is an old school arcade gaming system in the store that's free to play with a variety of games to choose from.

Because that day was pretty stressful for me, I felt incredibly sick after we ate there. I don't think it was the restaurant, but all the dairy could have contributed to my upset stomach. I would still love to go back and try their other pasta dishes, as well as just their original Mac & Cheese. It was worth the visit, 100%.

Still On Our List

Iguana Grill

Blackwall Hitch Pub

Louie's Pizza

Crust and Craft

Pickled Pig Pub

Big Chill Surf Cantina

Fuego

Indigo Indian Grill

Falafel Hut

Semra's Mediterranean Grill

If you've tried any of these places, or have others we should include, tell me all about them! We're so excited that there are so many great options in a place we love to be, and we can't wait to go back just to experience new, amazing food :) xoxo