Beach visitors and residents have grown accustomed to acclaimed restaurants in shopping centers. Take, for instance, Michy’s, 1776, One Coastal, and Northeast Seafood Kitchen. Meanwhile, freestanding Route 1 eateries – including Agave, Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar, and Thompson Island Brewing Co. – front the highway.
But in downtown Lewes, where space is at a premium, many restaurants occupy old buildings. These establishments have a built-in character that distinguishes them from newer structures. Not surprisingly, they also have history.
Heirloom is the first of three restaurants in Victorians on Savannah Road. Dentist J.B. Robinson built the circa-1899 house from a catalog design, but when current owner Meghan Lee first saw the home, it had dated wallpaper, 1970s-era carpet, and a tiny kitchen. She made significant renovations but kept the exquisite woodwork and corner fireplace. The award-winning restaurant features a seasonal menu, an extensive wine list, and fanciful cocktails.
Next door, Raas is an Indian restaurant in what was once a private home. One former owner was Lewes Mayor Otis Smith, who also owned the menhaden fish factories on Lewes Beach. Built in 1899, the Queen Anne-style home has housed Ocean Retreat Day Spa and Rick Bell’s Harvard Business Services.
India was once part of the British Empire, so the ambiance is not out of character for the cuisine. The opening chef, Gyanendra “GG” Gupta, is gone, and Raas is now under new management. Customers will appreciate the reduced prices, and hospitality veteran Jason Kline remains on site.
Bramble & Brine at The Buttery is located in the Trader Mansion, built in 1894 for a sea pilot. However, most people know the building as The Buttery, which moved there in 1999. The owners sold the restaurant in 2016, and it was renamed 2nd Street Tavern in 2019. Megan Kee took over in 2022. Each room has a distinct feel, and longtime residents are thrilled that the lounge is named the Pink Pony – after the old Rehoboth nightclub. (It is indeed very pink.)
Nearby, Striper Bites is in an 18th-century building once owned by the Maulls, one of the oldest Lewes families. The restaurant was started by Matt DiSabatino, who later sold it to Big Fish Restaurant Group. Big Fish eventually became part of the Atlas Restaurant Group. Whew! DiSabatino still owns Kindle and Half Full with Ian Crandell.
Around the corner, the Lewes Oyster House occupies the Walsh Building, built in the 1930s and named for Lewes Mayor William Walsh. Over the years, it’s been a firehouse, community center, insurance office, and general store. One – or all – of these businesses had a tiered first floor, which remains today. The oyster bar looks out onto Second Street, so you can see and be seen.
Many people remember the location as the original home of the Rose & Crown. The English-style 10-tap bar survived the next owner, Jerry’s Seafood, and fits nicely with the Oyster House’s tavern concept.
Meanwhile, Rose & Crown reopened in the Hotel Rodney, which originally housed The Buttery before it moved to the Trader Mansion. The hotel, built in 1926, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In Lewes, what’s old is clearly new again.
