The soft pretzel was a European treat long before it became a Philly ballpark staple. Pretzels have been associated with European monasteries and Lenten fasting for centuries, although their precise origin is uncertain. It’s thought that the shape resembles arms in prayer.
By the late 12th century, the pretzel became synonymous with German culture, perhaps because it goes so well with beer. German and Swiss immigrants who moved to Pennsylvania boosted the pretzel’s profile. In 1861, Julius Sturgis opened what’s credited as the nation’s first commercial pretzel bakery in Lititz, Pa. Soon, vendors were selling them on Philly street corners.
While crunchy pretzels, initially the result of overcooking, are popular in grocery store aisles, the soft pretzel has gained ground in restaurants. In 2025, soft pretzel menu penetration grew 3 percent over 2024 and 4 percent over four years, with 14 percent additional growth projected over the next four, according to Datassential, a food-and-beverage market research company.
More than 75 percent of the time, the pretzel appears as a bread appetizer. They’re a natural fit for a beer-focused restaurant, and there are plenty in coastal Delaware.
Consider the Pretzel Bites served at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach. They’re currently served with 90 Minute IPA cheddar sauce and honey mustard. Instead of bites, Dewey Beer Co. in Dewey Beach serves pretzel braids with beer cheese and mustard.
Most would agree that a colossal pretzel garners attention. First State Brewing Company’s Brewhouse Pretzel is seasoned with brown butter and hop salt. It’s served with beer mustard, beer cheese and IPA pickles.
A Bavarian pretzel is known for its dark brown, glossy crust, chewy texture and distinctive knot shape. Rehoboth Ale House on the Forgotten Mile serves them with whole grain mustard and house beer cheese. Similarly, Thompson Island Brewing Company on Coastal Highway pairs its buttered-and-spiced version with beer cheese and beer mustard. At Crooked Hammock Brewery in Lewes, the accompaniments are whole grain honey mustard and jalapeño cheese sauce.
Tiki Jac’s Street Eats & Brews serves a late-night beer-and-butter brushed Bavarian soft pretzel with Cooper Sharp cheese, and Purple Parrot’s Biergarten offers the giant Big Helga with horseradish cheese sauce. Both are in Rehoboth. Of course, barbecue mustard is the dipping difference for the jumbo pub pretzel at Bethany Blues.
Not surprisingly, many coastal restaurants pair pretzels with crab. At Abbott’s Grill at Paynter’s Mill in Milton, crab-and-artichoke dip comes with pretzel bread. In Bethany Beach, Cottage Café’s baked crab dip, with cheddar cheese and green onions, is accompanied by soft pretzels.
Pretzels are also the platform for Delaware’s favorite crustacean. Woody’s Dewey Beach loads crab dip on the dough and adds melted shredded cheese. There is a similar dish at Starboard Raw, also in Dewey, and at Harpoon Hanna’s in Fenwick Island.
Pretzels need not stay in appetizer territory. The pretzel bun is becoming an alternative to the ubiquitous brioche bun. What makes the bun a pretzel? The dough is dipped in an alkaline solution that promotes browning, the telltale pretzel flavor and a shiny, slightly chewy crust.
Dewey Beer Co. uses pretzel buns for several handhelds, including the Dewey Burger with stout onions and beer cheese. Crooked Hammock’s sliders feature griddled beef-and-pork patties with grilled onions, American cheese and pickles on mini pretzel rolls.
Pretzels are even served with dessert. Coastal Delaware is famous for strawberry pretzel salad, and First State Brewing’s version includes the requisite whipped cream cheese base, pretzel crumble and strawberry Jell-O.
Or you can sip your salad with the Strawberry Pretzel Salad Sour from Dewey Beer Co., which has been served at the Harbeson brewery.
At the beach, where beer, seafood and casual dining already share the table, the centuries-old pretzel seems right at home. The only question is what chefs will twist into it next.
