Dover Restaurants

So on one of my last days in Dover, Joe and I grabbed Vietnamese food for lunch. Now I understand why people like noodle bowls so much! I had a beef brisket bowl and we split some rice-paper rolls. It was all really good. A nice little place to stop for lunch.

2 more images

This tavern on the water is open seasonally and serves great Maryland crabs and local seafood (scallops, shrimp, flounder, etc). A lot of the fish comes fried, but you can get it grilled if you'd prefer a healthier alternative. The staff is a lively group of women and the owner is pretty much always sitting by the bar chatting with customers. Feel free to get messy, the place is covered in newspapers.

Since it is a tavern, you need to be 21 to get in, so this is not a family spot. But grab a seat in the back room and you can look out onto the water at the crabboats coming in.

Sambo's is only open from April to November. But it is open seven days a week during those months. They only serve fresh crabs in season, so they might not have any until May each year. Prime crab season is in the fall.

Favorite Dish: Steamed crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning with shrimp and french fries.

4 more images

Sambo's is a great dockside seafood restaurant in Leipsic (pronounced lip-sick), Delaware about 5 miles northeast of Dover. It has been in this location for over 50 years, selling crabs and fish fresh off the boat. Their sandwiches include soft-shell crabs & crab cakes for about $10 & their dinners range from $10-25 for crabs, shellfish, and fish. The seafood platters are a good choice; one has fried fish, oysters, clam strips, scallops, shrimp and fries ($20), while the other adds a tasty crab cake ($23). But you can't beat the fresh crabs... a very nice meal for two with 6 crabs, 10 steamed shrimp, fries, and onion rings will run you about $43, depending on the price of crab.

Sambo's is a seasonal restaurant, only open from April to November. But it is open seven days a week during those months. They only serve fresh crabs in season, so they might not have any until May each year. Prime crab season is in the fall.

Note: Sambo's is a TAVERN, not a restaurant, so no one under 21 may enter. Don't bring your kids unless you want to leave them playing in the street while you enjoy your mouthwatering crab-cake sandwich (hey, that might be a good idea...)!

Take a look at the maps on the walls of where their customers are from. People from all over the world have enjoyed dinner at Sambo's. Looks like a few drunk locals have also stuck their name tags in unusual locations like Siberia....

I visited on a Monday night in April and they had live music... one guy with a synthesizer and guitar. It was casual and enjoyable as he played a great mix of oldies, country songs, and Jimmy Buffett.

Sambo's is also a favorite with the NASCAR crowd. Not only is the place packed over NASCAR weekend, but many famous drivers including Darrell Waltrip have enjoyed a meal here! I went to Sambo's on the Friday before the September 2005 NASCAR race and I saw drivier Jamie McMurray and millionaire car owner Richard Childress.

Dress is very, very casual... blue jeans and a T-shirt are adequate. They do not take credit cards; cash only!

Just outside of Dover Air Force Base's north gate are three of my favorite lunch spots: Pizza Delight by Giacomo, Capriottis, China. All three are located side by side by side in the Gateway South Plaza. Some days I don't decide where I'm eating until I pull into the parking lot and see the three storefronts.

As its name implies, Pizza Delight specializes in pizza, along with strombolis, sandwiches, and pasta. They have a take-out counter and a fairly large seating area. The pizza-by-the-slice is always good, along with their special Giaco-boli -- the large stromboli with Giacomo's special ingredients. Beer is available. (302-698-1500) They have another location in the Greentree Shopping Center on Route 8 in West Dover.

Capriottis has no seating area, just a take-out counter. Their menu is mainly hot and cold sandwiches, including their not-so-famous "Bobby" which is basically Thanksgiving dinner on a bun (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and gravy). They also offer the "Slaw-be-jo", "Cran Slam", and the "Cole Turkey." Sandwiches are $5.25 to $6.75 for smalls, on up to $11+ for larges. (302-698-3090). They too have a second location on Route 8, right beside the other Pizza Delight! Capriotti's has numerous other locations across the nation.

"China Chinesefood" is what the sign says. Great, authentic Chinese food is what they offer to their customers. Just a hole-in-the-wall restaurant hidden in the back corner of this shopping center, China is run by a husband and wife who immigrated from Shanghai years ago. They offer the standard fare of Chinese foods, but nothing beats their combo lunch of two main courses and fried or sticky rice for only $4.75. I can't get enough of their Schezuan chicken or beef along with General Tso's chicken. The restaurant only seats 10, so most people get their food to go. The restrooms involve an adventurous walk outside, through the back door, and across the kitchen.

Though they seem to have trouble spelling, the staff at Countrie Eatery has no problems cooking. This is my favorite spot in Dover for a good, hearty American breakfast, and it sits in a nice location on the edge of Silver Lake. The prices are very good -- three of us ate nice breakfasts for only $12.00.

Lunch and dinner are also available, but I haven't had the chance to give either a shot, yet.

Countrie Eatery and Atwoods (formerly the Blue Coat Inn) were once owned by the same family, but after an infamous murder-for-hire mystery, they are now separated by a wall of Jersey barriers.

I stopped in at Sorentinos for a quick breakfast on my way through Dover toward Rehoboth Beach. The waitress called me "hun" each time she came to my table and the service was quick. Inside it looks like a simple diner, although there is a bar in a separate area. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and the roadside location makes it a convenient place to stop for a quick bite.

Favorite Dish: I had eggs over easy and three pancakes. Neither was exceptional, but it certainly was decent. The total bill was $6.50.

WT Smithers is a restaurant during the day and evening hours, but after the sun goes down, it becomes one of Dover's better night spots. For dinner, I enjoyed a good pizza along with a fresh draft Dogfish Head beer. I did make the mistake of sitting at the bar where I was virtually ignored by the barkeep. I started passing my orders through the kitchen staff just to keep from dying of thirst.

My second visit there was much improved, possibly because I came with a group of girls so the bartender had more reason to stop by occasionally.

Subsequent visits have been hit-or-miss with the hired help. If you can find Wendy, she is great. The young guy at the bar is kind of a punk...

Smithers also offers some great dinners such as seafood and pasta and pork chops. I was very pleased the few times I had dinner here. Main courses run $15 to $20.

2 more images

JW's is the classic American sports bar. It has 2 pool tables, about 30 TVs with plenty of live sports via satellite, and approximately 10 beers on tap. The have a good menu specializing in "grinders" (or subs) and chicken wings. JW's also offers steaks and a few other large meals.

My last visit, I enjoyed 2 beers and a crab cake sandwich for under $10, so the price is right.

Wednesday is 25 cent hot wing night. Minimum order is 20 wings for $5, and the special price only applies to hot wings, not their other great flavors.

This is a great spot to catch a football game or NASCAR race on Sunday.