19 Best Restaurants in Delaware, USA

Popular with locals, this casual roadside tavern in a building dating back to 1817 serves your typical burgers, classic comfort food, and salads, but the menu has a few surprises such as shrimp and grits and crab Cobb salad. Pick from the wine list and dine on the sunny porch, by the bar with its TV, or in a dining room with a fireplace. If you wear your pajamas to the Sunday brunch, your entrée will be half off, and you won't be alone, either.

Delaware's first brewpub and now nationally famous, Dogfish Head is owned by two young entrepreneurs who keep everyone happy with a changing menu of in-house brews, pizzas, and musical performers. Sample "off-beat" brews such as Namaste, a "witbier bursting with good karma," which also goes into the chili glaze served with fried calamari. Many of the comfort-food pub dishes feature Dogfish beers, such as the IPA-brined wood-grilled chicken. A small experimental brewery and distillery is upstairs, providing always-interesting sips.

Fresh ingredients, modern American dishes, and a well-rounded wine list are served in a neat dining room warmed by red wood tones and potted plants. Take it easy with a simple bacon cheeseburger with balsamic onions and buttermilk–blue cheese dressing, or step it up with ricotta cavatelli with duck confit, English peas, mushroom ragu, and ricotta salata cheese.

This family-owned Italian gem tucked in a shopping center is the place for easy pizza or specialty dishes such as seafood-loaded zuppa de pesce (fish soup) or shrimp fra diavolo. Classic lasagna, stuffed shells, and spaghetti and meatballs are also served in the spacious gold-and-red dining room.

Regional seafood markets supply this upscale casual restaurant known for its raw and steamed oysters but serving all manner of seafood and landlubber fare. The seafood selection is astounding: grilled octopus, lobster mac and cheese, bouillabaisse, tuna tartare. The menu also includes assorted meat dishes, ranging from foie gras to wild boar tenderloin and coffee–encrusted duck breast. The dining room features black-and-white photographs of fishing scenes.

Do dessert first at this creamery where dozens of flavors are made right on the farm that's been in the Hopkins family since 1942. Five hundred of the 1,000 cows are milkers, and ice cream is always fresh. Vanilla and chocolate are joined by exciting flavors like apple pie, cappuccino delight, and peanut butter ripple. Milk shakes, sundaes, and ice-cream pies and cakes are sold, too.

Italian owner Michael Ioannoni's relatives operated a community center–grocery store for years, inspiring him to translate family recipes into casual fare. Roast beef and pork sandwiches hold top spots, especially those dressed with broccoli rabe and provolone cheese. Meatballs, eggplant Parmesan, and peppers and eggs stuff other Italian sandwiches, and the menu also lists American cheese steaks, turkey and ham sandwiches, and salads.

Delicious history is the bill of fare at this tavern designed to look and feel like a place from colonial times. Costumed servers deliver chowder, shepherd's pie, fish-and-chips, and other dishes influenced by English, Dutch, and Swedish settlers who shaped the city's cuisine. Fireplaces and open hearths display Early American memorabilia. The Belgian beer list offers more than 200 selections.

Oil paintings of regal felines watch over diners at this plushly but wittily furnished restaurant, complete with animal-print chairs, in a former blacksmith shop at the Inn at Montchanin Village. The unique setting and creative modern American menu draw regulars from Wilmington, Philadelphia, and beyond, who come for a frequently changing seasonal menu that includes ample seafood and mushroom options as well as beef choices. Try breakfast here before you start your day of sightseeing.

This three-in-one food boutique produces sweets and artisanal breads in the bakery, gourmet take-away in the market, and farm-to-table refinement in the dining room. Stock up on doughnuts and sticky buns for breakfast or pack out paté, imported cheese, and a rustic olive loaf for a picnic. Linger in golden evening light with pork osso buco with French lentils, wild mushroom lasagna, or pan-seared fillet alongside gnocchi with sweet-green-chili pesto.

For the fattest, sweetest, steamed blue-shell crabs, this simple roadside eatery is the place. If it's stifling inside and you don't relish the outside deck overlooking the highway, you can opt for the takeout service. Call ahead to be sure the crabs are available—if not, steamed shrimp, clams, and oysters are fine alternatives. Fried seafood is available, too, as are soups, salads, and sandwiches.

A 20-minute drive south of Dover will bring you to this family-friendly spot with a huge seafood menu—look for the giant boat propeller on the front lawn. Fresh seafood rules the list ranging from fried and steamed combinations to stuffed flounder, crab cakes, and homemade seafood soups, including both Manhattan and New England clam chowders. Seaside memorabilia and nautical touches decorate the grand dining areas. There's also a fresh-seafood market.

Robino family members still run this local favorite that Mrs. Tresilla opened in her basement in 1939. A year later, growing demand convinced her to move into larger digs, now the entrance, first room, and kitchen of today's large restaurant. Many meals begin with the chopped antipasto salad full of salami, provolone, and vegetables. Pasta is house-made and is especially tasty with spizzato, a veal-and-fresh-tomato sauce made with red wine.

Home of the original Nic-O-Boli, this family-run pizzeria ships its trademarked huge stromboli all over the world to demanding fans. The roll is stuffed with ground beef, tomato sauce, cheese, and other by-design fillings. Pizza, pasta, and sandwiches are also served. The bustling shop is packed until the wee hours of the morning, hence a second location at 71 Rehoboth Avenue.

An unexpected Cajun experience in historic downtown New Castle, the restaurant serves up live music, New Orleans color, and even a King Cake-tini at the bar. There's plenty of gumbo, jambalaya, blackened seafood, and po'boy sandwiches, but also hazelnut-crusted crab cakes and sautéed pierogies.

Local farmers who provide the food are recognized on the menu of New American dishes that are creative but familiar. Entrées described as "Humble Offerings" sound anything but—lobster and fingerling potato hash accompanies tender short ribs; porcini-encrusted tuna comes with sage-roasted Brussels sprouts and madeira broth. The dining room is simple and orderly, with an often lively bar serving craft cocktails.

Creative American dishes feature local produce and fresh seafood in beautiful presentations at this longtime favorite that opened in 1993. Choices include tapas such as seared scallops with apple-and-sweet-potato hash, or red-wine-and-herb short ribs with sweet-pea risotto. Entrées include a catch of the day, and gluten-free and vegetarian selections are available. Desserts are homemade, too. Tan walls and low light soften the casual interior.

Upscale but comfortable, with fine dining that's not fussy, describes this charming restaurant in the historic district. A fireplace warms the homey setting in winter, and outdoor seating in the garden is an added enticement in warmer months. Elegant dinner options may include duck-bacon-wrapped seared scallops or Cognac-braised short ribs with smoked mushroom risotto. The less expensive pub list is equally creative, with dishes such as lamb sliders and duck confit spring rolls.

With family-style food that's a notch above most, this is a kid-friendly place that's easy on the wallet. Try baby back ribs or "pulled pig," slow-cooked, hickory-smoked pork pulled from the bone. Brisket and barbecued chicken are served, too, all with house-made sauce. Baked beans, broccoli salad, and macaroni and cheese are among side dishes. Dine by the fireplace in winter or on the porch when the weather warms.