Lunch at the beach is no longer limited to boardwalk fries, pizza or hotdogs. Many full-service restaurants along the coast have found an audience for the midday meal.
The increase in options gives residents and tourists something else to do on a rainy day. But no matter the weather, there are some perks to lunching in a more upscale restaurant. You’ll rarely need to wait in line, and you can often sample some of the culinary coast’s finest for less.
Here are a few suggestions.
Beet Salad from Kindle.//photo by Pam George |
Kindle
On weekends, Kindle’s patio is lovely spot for lunch, especially if you’ve been shopping in downtown Lewes. A recent meal included a flight of rosé, curried carrot soup and a beet salad with blue cheese and a perfectly prepared Champagne vinaigrette. If you want something heartier, the half-pound burger is made with short rib and chuck patty and served with applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, aged provolone, tomato and onion.
111 Bank St., Lewes • 645-7887
Fries at pig & publican.//photo by Pam George |
The Pig & Publican
You could go to Dairy Queen for a fast bite, or you could relax at this Lewes beach restaurant, which looks to Belgium for inspiration. There are Belgian-style beers and four different types of mussels. Sandwiches include lamb cheesesteak with goat cheese and house-brined pastrami. You can choose to sit inside or outside.
516 E. Savannah Road, Lewes • 313-4487
Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar
Located on Route 1 near the entrance to Rehoboth Beach, Bluecoast has the same menu for lunch and dinner, but the specials vary. If it’s too hot, sit inside at the bar, at the oyster bar or in the dining room. Find some outdoor shade on the covered porch or enjoy the sun on the patio.
30115 Veterans Way, Rehoboth Beach • 278-7395
Turkey burger at Back Porch Café.//photo by Pam George |
Back Porch Café
This veteran restaurant, which helped launch the culinary renaissance in Rehoboth, still serves some of the best food at the beach. Climb the stairs to dine on the upper deck, where a Catawba (also called a Catalpa) tree creates a leafy canopy. Even at lunch, you won’t find sandwiches. The menu has a spicy turkey burger, but it’s served on orzo salad. The roast chicken salad, made with a lemony mayo, comes with asparagus.
59 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach • 227-3674
Chicken tacos at papa grande’s.//photo by Pam George |
Papa Grande’s Coastal Taqueria
This restaurant just started offering lunch this weekend. Along with the famous street corn and tacos, you can savor a peaceful view of the marshes from the second-floor deck.
38929 Madison Ave., Fenwick Island • 436-7272