This Bethany Restaurant Is a Must-Try for Breakfast and Lunch at the Beach

A Long Sunrise Over Bethany breakfast at The Penguin in Bethany Beach./Photo by Danielle Bouchat-Friedman

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Birds of a feather flock together. So for Baltimore native Mark Neumann, opening a restaurant in his family’s vacation spot of Bethany Beach was a no-brainer.

Located in the heart of downtown Bethany Beach, The Penguin is open seven days a week from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and serves breakfast and lunch. My fiancé and I arrived at 10 a.m. on Saturday to find the restaurant already packed with hungry families, and a handful of people waiting to be seated. There is a small bar for counter service but we opted to wait for a table, which only took about 15 minutes.

(From Left): Andy’s Breakfast Wrap at The Penguin.;The restaurant’s exterior./Photos by Andrew Hoffecker

The menu is not your typical greasy breakfast joint—sure there are omelets and French toast on the menu, but there are other items you don’t typically find, like shakshuka (sunny-side up eggs served over a bed of seasoned tomato sauce, spinach and feta cheese served with crunchy ciabatta toast). 

I opted for A Long Sunrise Over Bethany, two sunny-side up eggs over avocado and salsa on toasted wheat bread. The dish also comes with a side of very fresh fruit (think sliced watermelon and plump blueberries). My partner ordered Andy’s Breakfast Wrap, which comes stuffed with home fries, scrambled eggs and Vermont white cheddar cheese and opted to add scrapple for an extra $4.

There are also plenty of tasty lunch items on the menu including fresh salads, macaroni and cheese and tacos.

The Bethany Bomb cocktail./Photo by Andrew Hoffecker - Partner Content - DuPont Country Club Completes Its Transformation With Renovation of the Historical Club House and Upgrades to Brantwyn Estate Weight Loss Surgery That Saves and Improves Lives

The restaurant may be geared toward young kids (the hand-drawn penguin menus are a sweet touch), but it does have a full bar and makes traditional breakfast cocktails, with a few innovative ones as well. My partner ordered the Bethany Bomb, made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, fresh-squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. (They are $12 apiece, so consume slowly.)

The restaurant is also sensitive to food allergies and showcases neighboring purveyors and locally sourced fruits and vegetables.

More information:
The Penguin
105 Garfield Pkwy., Bethany Beach • 541-8017