September is the best time to eat your way along the Culinary Coast. The crowds thin, parking spots are plentiful, and restaurants roll out “Second Season” specials.
Just ask Michael Moreland, the unofficial keeper of coastal dining deals. “I love to dine at the local restaurants, especially in the off-season when they need our support the most,” says Moreland, a real estate consultant with McWilliams Ballard Coastal.
What started as his personal spreadsheet of bargains has become a community resource. Last year, the Google Sheet garnered more than 2,000 views. Initially, he did all the research. Now, restaurants reach out to him.
Moreland updates the list because restaurants don’t follow the same playbook. For example, SoDel Concepts launches its specials Sept. 7, while The Pines and Bodhi Kitchen, both part of Second Block Hospitality, wait until Sept. 8. The Blue Hen doesn’t release deals until October. In short, call ahead.
SoDel, which owns 12 restaurants, keeps things moving with rotating offers. For instance, the $19 fish board will be available on Mondays at Fish On in Lewes and Northeast Seafood Kitchen in Ocean View. It will resurface on Thursdays at Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar in North Bethany.
Specials often play to a restaurant’s strengths. Papa Grande’s Coastal Taqueria, located near Fenwick, will promote Taco Tuesday. The Cultured Pearl is famous for its sushi special on Mondays. Even in the off-season, it can be hard to reserve a table.
Bodhi Kitchen in Rehoboth Beach, another Asian concept, has designated Wednesday as Dumpling Night and Thursday as Curry Night. Choose red, green, or yellow curry over white rice for $15. However, some specials buck the menu’s norm. For instance, The Blue Hen in Rehoboth will host pizza night on Thursdays.
Burger deals abound. The Summer House’s half-priced Monday burger special, which began in 1977, is such a coastal institution that it’s even offered in the summer. The restaurant’s sibling, Nalu Surf Bar & Grill in Rehoboth, will feature a 50 percent discount on the Snake River Farm wagyu burger on Mondays.
Grain on the Rocks in Lewes will sling $10 burgers on Sundays, and Ocean View Brewing Co. and sibling Thompson Island Brewing Company will offer a $16 cheeseburger with fries and a beer or spiked lemonade on Thursdays.
At the beach, a crab cake is a staple. On Fridays, the Lighthouse in Dewey Beach will offer half price crab cakes until 4 p.m. Crab cake night will be on Tuesdays at Grain on the Rocks and on Mondays at The Clubhouse at Baywood in Millsboro.
The Big Chill Beach Club spreads the love across several days with discounted drinks and eats Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Choices include a $12 cheeseburger, $11 Cobb salad, and $8 Buffalo chicken “bites.”
Deals go beyond bar food. On Sundays, The Summer House will serve steak frites, followed by a sundae, for $20. On Thursdays, The Pines will feature comfort-food classics such as chicken pot pie, meatloaf, and beef stroganoff for $19. On Sundays, The Cottage Café in Bethany Beach will serve an $18 turkey dinner.
The bargains aren’t limited to brick-and-mortar. BrandyLynn’s food truck teams up with The Brimming Horn Meadery to serve $1 ribs every Thursday alongside $5 pints and $20 pitchers from Bear Cult Brewing Co. “There are whispers of a smoked chicken wing night and a burger night,” teases co-owner Bert Lambert.
Bookmark Michael’s master list below. It’s updated regularly, so you’ll always have the latest specials in time for your next night out. Just remember, deals can change without notice – so call ahead before you go.
