Places to Eat in Kent County

Dover

When it comes to dining in the state capital, Michele’s Restaurant at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino (1131 N. DuPont Hwy., Dover, 674-4600) tops the list.

Not too far away, 33 West Ale House and Grill (33 W. Loockerman St., Dover, 735-9822) has remained a place for power lunches and good casual dinners. The newly redesigned dining room is sleek and contemporary. The latest menu offers old favorites such as a jacked-up chicken quesadilla as well as new items, not to mention the largest selection of beer in the area.

Cool Springs Fish Bar (2463 S. State St., Dover, 698-1955) isn’t merely the best seafood restaurant in town—it’s one of the best in the state. Chef Dennis Forbes offers everything from linguine Alfredo with blackened tuna to classic crab imperial and stuffed local rockfish. Landlubbers will find plenty of beef and chicken dishes.

Chef Joseph Garramone’s Roma Italian Ristorante (3 President Drive, Dover, 678-1041) has been the place to go for great Italian food for more than 40 years.

Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House (1131 N. Dupont Hwy., Dover, 857-3223) in Dover Downs is a throwback to when oyster houses were city standards. You’ll find a full menu of seafood and more.

McGlynns (800 N. State St., Dover, 674-0144) offers all the great food you expect from the McGlynns pubs, but with a beautiful view of Silver Lake.

Pizza and steaks on a Friday night? Pizzadili (2089 S. Dupont Hwy., Dover, 697-9555) is the place.

Harrington

Best known as home of the Delaware State Fair, Harrington is also home to one of the state’s three casinos. The payoff for local diners is Bonz Restaurant and Lounge (Harrington Raceway and Casino, U.S. 13, 398-5348), which offers steaks, seafood and pasta in a contemporary dining room.

Betsy Ross Pizza (4 E. Liberty St., 398-4337) has been a hometown favorite for 35 years. Not only does it serve pizza made from scratch, it offers classic pasta dishes and other Italian standards.

Leipsic

Sambo’s Tavern (283 Front St., 674-9724) may be the only restaurant in this tiny town, but it’s good enough to attract diners from across the state. The big draw is steamed blue crabs straight from Delaware Bay, bought off boats that tie up at the dock out front. But you’ll find plenty of traditional tavern fare, too. The view of the marsh through the big picture window in the dining room is the essence of bay-shore Delaware. It’s open April through most of November, and you have to be 21.

Milford

In Abbott’s Grill (249 NE Front St., 491-6736), local restaurant vet Kevin Reading, who has created some of the best places in the state, won friends right away with distinctive, yet approachable upscale food prepared with farm-fresh ingredients from local growers. (There’s also an Abbott’s on Broad Creek in Laurel.)

Milford Diner remains a local gathering place (1042 N. Walnut St., 422-6111), thanks to friendly service and good home cookin’.

It’s about more than coffee at Dolce Bakery and Coffee Shop (26 N. Walnut St., Milford, 422-5760). It’s about delicious Old World Breads, the Grape-Nuts-almond breakfast cookie, the award-winning chocolate cookie, the ice cream and the friendly vibes.

Smyrna

Though the old stainless-steel trailer has been gone several years, Smyrna Diner (99 S. Cory Lane, 653-9980) remains a landmark. It is both a way point for visitors headed to the beaches and a true everyday hometown eatery. That means a bright space with cheerful servers and a menu full of diner classics: meatloaf, baked chicken and breakfast all day.

Boondocks (825 Lighthouse Road, 653-6962), famous for a libation called Swampwater, also remains a favorite. Nautical decor creates the perfect mood for passing around a bucket of wings or a bushel of steamed crabs. The name says it all.

Helen’s Famous Sausage House (4866 S. DuPont Hwy., Smyrna, 653-4200) is the place for breakfast and fried bologna. It tastes better when you dine in the Elvis Room.

Sheridan’s Irish Pub (42 W. Commerce St., Smyrna, 659-5566) serves American and Irish food and beer. Owner Joe Sheridan was born near Dublin, so this is as authentic as it gets.