The Blue Hen in Sussex County

Ate here after hearing good things from a variety of people. We used to, and still do, stay at the Avenue Inn, but hadnt since the restaurant opened. So glad we ate here.Service was good, server friendly without being overly familiar and was knowledgeable about the menu and wines.Cocktail was well mixed and tasted great. The fried oysters with basil pesto were delicious (pictured). My wife had the acorn squash soup, also amazing.The flank steak (picturedwas cooked perfectly medium rare and paired with the red shishito peppers was a surprisingly good combination.We enjoyed a passion fruit cheesecake where the fruit flavor balanced the richness of the base cheesecake.Overall a good experience and when we return to Rehoboth next year, well definitely eat here again.

I would have gave Blue Hen five stars, but the light at our high top in the bar had this flicker about it, or something about the frequency of it. It was impacting me, and a couple others of us at the table. Anything light colored such as the menu exacerbated it. Maybe just the type of LED bulb?Otherwise the food, drinks, and service were great! Will be back, I just hope they have different light bulbs wherever we sit.

Great restaurant. The fried chicken is very good, the pastas Ive tried have all been fantastic, and the burger is one of the best Ive had. Very high quality food and nice atmosphere without being pretentious and annoying like some of the places around here.

Food and service were great. Wish the noise level was lower.

Absolute perfection. 1st time, and happily not our last. We had delicious fried oysters, delicate & fluffy biscuits, crab pasta & soft shell crab. Everything arrived at the table hot, fresh & pretty! Our server was Dani, she took great care of us. Definitely get a Frose.. it was fabulous !

100% recommend. Everything we had was fantastic, so I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. We had the oysters and lobster toast to start, the biscuit, the scallops and the striped bass… all phenomenal. And their espresso martini really might be one of the best.We got there at 5pm on a Weds, and there was plenty of availability. It definitely filled up around 6/6:30 tho!

If Brian (Bryanis available at the bar/restaurant ask for him. Amazing service. Food was awesome My husband and I needed this date night! Cheers to Great service

The food was so so good! A great summer meal that was bright and fresh, good vibes for sure.

Had a little happy hour drink and appetizers. The beef carpaccio and a crabcake over fried tomato were both very good.

Wasnt bad, but wasnt anything to rave about. Our waiter was good, she was very attentive and friendly, but our food was... Meh.

The Blue Hen is a favorite in Rehobeth. The food is good a d interesting, and the staff is always pleasant and efficient. This I one of the places that is on our list every year on our Beach Vacation.

Out first visit to this restaurant based on good reviews here. We were not disappointed. We were prompted seats outdoor around 7:30 pm on a Friday evening. My partner had gazpacho soup and I had caramelized cauliflower as appetizers. Both were excellent. For entrees, he had striped sea bass and I had fried chicken. Again, they were superbly cooked and delicious. My partner finished off with a flourless chocolate cake as dessert.Compared to a couple other restaurants nearby such as The Salt Air or Unwind at the Beach, The Blue Hens menu is more limited. There are only about six choices for entrees, one of which was actually a burger. I wish it had more choices.

Outstanding! Seafood and cocktails - both maybe best Ive had in Rehoboth. This place wont disappoint. Im sorry I havent been here before.

Started with waiting 45 minutes for a table. No big deal, we expected a wait. It’s a popular place. Appetizers came out quickly and were ok. Lobster toast was good, crab cake was just ok, as were the biscuits ($7 for 3 biscuits). We waited an excessive amount of time for our food, which took an hour after the appetizers, and our waitress let it sit under the hot lamp for nearly 20 minutes. That part was infuriating. She had three tables: 2 larger tables and then us, a family of four. She basically hung us out to dry. I get it, the big tables are big tips, but really? You can’t take the 3 minutes to get our food before you spend a half hour taking their order, flirting with the old guys, and getting them drinks? The food was probably good when it came out, but cold entrees are never good, especially when you’re paying $30 for fried chicken. All in all, we spent 3 hours here 2.5 of which was waiting around: waiting for a table, waiting to order, waiting for food, waiting for service. The place wasn’t busy anymore by the time we were seated. Like I said, she only had three tables. We would have liked to have tried the desserts but after waiting another 15 minutes just to get the menu, we opted to skip it. Maybe you’ll have better luck, but why risk it? You could end up with the same experience. I expected a lot more from this place given the reviews and the prices. We won’t be coming back.

Food was great, service was even better! Great option for a nice family dinner out (which is what we did), but would also come back for a date night. Highly recommend!

Not terribly interesting food, but service was good, restaurant was clean and attention to detail was definitely there.

the bass is an AMAZING dish. the bass is tender and well cooked and sits over a delicious curry. HIGHLY recommend this!

We are frequent diners here and have always loved it. The food and service are consistently amazing, which is why we chose this venue for our sons wedding. Our expectations were surpassed! Heather and her staff made the planning process smooth and stress free, and handled everything on the actual day. Our guests loved all of the food and beverage offerings and the staff could not have been nicer or more accommodating. Thank you for a memorable event!! Looking forward to our next dinner!

We enjoyed our dinner here. We got a side a macaroni, the seafood platter, asparagus soup, and the lobster toast to share for dinner.The seafood platter was good, but a bit steep at $38 considering that they are only giving crab claws instead of lobster now. The crab was a bit overcooked, but everything else was good.Asparagus soup was excellent and light. Lobster toast was delicious and very rich. The macaroni was also quite good.Ambience was fun. Service was also pretty good--their little touch of separating the soup into two bowls when we specified we wanted to share showed care. Our server did seem a little inexperienced, but overall did a very good job. Wed be happy to come back.

My favorite restaurant I Rehoboth. Menu is always interesting and food is cooked perfectly. Servers are personable and efficient.

Eaten at this place before while staying in Rehoboth and it’s always been good, but our most recent dinner was just exceptionally delicious. Asked to be seated outside as inside was way too covidrelaxed during omicron for comfort, and that was a good call for us. Loved the fire ambiance and heaters. Waitress was really helpful in suggesting options.

Wow! Surpassed expectations! We had previously dined at Henlopen Oyster House and knew that was very high quality, so we had high expectations for this sister establishment. The food, service, and decor were all of the highest quality. And when the bill came, while not inexpensive, we considered it to be an excellent value. Delighted that not only were they open during the off season but that they also offered outdoor seating with heating. Highly recommend.

Charming, unique, delicious and amazing food/atmosphere. We ate here last night. The oysters were amazing, clean, plummy and fresh. The chef came from chicago. She went there for art school and came back to Delaware to take this restaurant to the next level and I can tell she accomplished just that. We like the fact that you can just turn and see her working on the kitchen. Oh oh oh , let’s not forget the olive oil cake. The combination of flavors were an explosion of sweetness and balanced flavors . Highly recommend it

Delicious! Great drinks. Great meal! Oysters were excellent!

We recently vacationed with friends in Rehoboth and stayed at The Avenue Inn. The Blue Hen offered a large good and drink menu.We had a few dinners and nightly cocktails out on the patio. The food was amazing! We are never disappointed! Everything was fresh, beautifully presented and delicious!Although everyone was extremely friendly, Nicole and Katie went above and beyond to welcome us and to make sure that we were very well taken care of. They made the best recommendations! Nicole and Katie were warm, welcoming and just genuine. It was easy to see that these two ladies enjoyed their job! They really went out of their way to show us a fantastic time! We thank you both and everyone at the Blue Hen for making our time at the beach memorable! Until next year…

Our server Ben, was delightful and attentive.The food did not live up to this restaurants billing. Two guests had crab cakes that were disappointingly dry and flavorless. The bass dish was good but the filet portion was small. The seafood boil, with its Vietnamese flavor infusion, was the only hit for the six of us.

One of my family’s favorites, we’ve been here dozens of times over the years. The frequently updated menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, is excellent. Servers are consistently superb as well. Spacious indoor & outdoor dining, with a beautiful firepit. Blue Hen does NOT take reservations, so Opentable should be removed from Google listing.

4++Service: waitress is excellent. And I am picky. She described the dishes without me asking and a great attitude.Seated immediately at 8:20pm on a Monday night. Outdoors. Very chill, adult loungey music. Id recommend more comfortable seating. Very cool vibe.Settled on my initial reaction to seeing a mezcal cocktail (Peach and Chong $10and fried chicken ($27).3 HUGE pieces of interestingly+tastily fried, meaty, juicy chicken. Nice on its own, hot sauce an added plus. Pickle brined? Twice floured? One piece, finished the slaw and half the Mac+cheese and I was FULL.Ordering the $9 chocolate cake. Its a treat yourself kind of night. The dulce de leche ice cream yummy, but overall pricey. This dessert is for chocolate lovers only. Or a table of 4 sharing.Total check, $46. And no tip calculation!! Thats an extra +

AWESOME! Jack, our server, great customer service. Food was great too.

Wow I loved the menu, the decor, and the food which is creative and provides for a fantastic dining experience! The lobster toast as an appetizer is a must-try (2 can split it), the crab cakes and the crab spaghetti were excellent. The fried chicken is not to be confused with KFC, it will delight you! The wait staff were friendly and service was timely. Great experience, give it a try!

Wow! What an amazing restaurant. The Blue Hen is ultimately a dining experience, not just a nice dinner. My party of 3 ordered plenty of food to share with each other. Not a single dish was dissapointing!! The Stracciatella appetizer was ridiculously tasty! For entrees we had the snapper, shrimp and grits, and the hanger steak. All 3 entrees had excellent protein and meaningful vegetable sides to create a cohesive, smart, refined, and downright delicious dish. The service was great as well! Our waiter came to check on us often, and other staff members made sure our water glasses were never empty!!! The cocktail menu is also worth looking at. My personal favorite was the Controlled Burn. This restaurant is a MUST if you are visiting Rehoboth. I will be thinking about that meal for days to come!

We had a wonderful experience here. The food was absolutely delicious (potato rhubarb soup, calamari, charcuterie tray, trout, and some lovely drinks). On top of all of that it was some of the best service I have received in years. I’m not sure why this place doesn’t have a higher rating, but I highly recommend it!

We loved your establishment. The food was delicious and just the right amount of food. We enjoyed our waitress Nicole helping us decide what to drink and eat. You can tell she enjoys her job and talking to people. Gave us some other great places to eat.

My Wife and I frequent the Blue hen. Its always excellent, the cocktails, service, entrees, and dessert, all of it. Even the ambiance is great and inclusive.That said our dinner last night was perfect. Im sad the menu rotates, because the duck breast with squash puree was perfect. The skin was rendered beautifully, and the temperature was perfect.Truly an excellent experience. Thanks for all of your hard work, even during covid.

Place is a little pricey but delicious. They offer creative drinks and entrees, and the flavor is fantastic. They also give you large portion of food. Totally stuffed myself with that duck breast.

Lobster 🦞 toast and cocktails!!!! Biscuits and jam!!!! (skip the tempura battered fried chicken...not what a proper fried chicken lover eats.)

Great experience in all areas. The burgers were delicious and cooked to perfection. My girlfriend ordered hers without the bun and they plated it very nicely over lettuce and toppings on the side. The service was amazing and our waters were constantly getting refilled.

You could tell that our server, Mallory, loved her job and gave us great descriptions of items on the menu. The food was amazing. Best trout ever had. Chicken was super crispy and so delicious. Loved the crab cake and slaw. This was our first visit but not our last.

Excellent atmosphere - loved the Christmas decorations. The beer selection was really great - my wife opting for German sour, and I getting a Belgian. The staff was accommodating for our food order as my wife wanted a steak, but didnt like the vegetable/side option. They allowed her to get the vegetables/sides from a different dish, and add it to the steak. I had the scallops which were very sweet and delicious. I usually would eat a scallop in two bites, but I purposely cut off only small pieces so the experience would last longer. Highly recommend.

As a chef and a former restaurant critic (out of state), people always ask me whats my favorite restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. With the standards of quality of food and service having improved exponentially in this town over the last few years... that question has become harder and harder to answer. But I have to say, The Blue Hen is consistently in my top three favorites.They had a bit of a rough start with not-so-amiable management in the beginning, but things have evened out. But, the food has never wavered in its excellence. Whether you are looking for a great happy hour, a special occasion or place to bring out-of-town guests, or just a guaranteed delicious dinner, you can be assured of a great experience at the Blue Hen. It has become my go-to place for all of those needs. I try to find excuses to come here!Service is casual, friendly, unobtrusive, and always anticipating the guests needs. Servers and bartenders alike have made the difference between a good and a great experience.And oh the food...! Tasty and inventive small plates include lobster toast, delectable octopus, and soft shell crab sliders. A nice selection of charcuterie and cheese is also available to create your own board. Cant miss entrees include a perfectly cooked veal chop, moist and flavorful fish (any), more terrific soft-shells, awesome fried chicken, and the best scallop entree in town! Dont get too attached to anything though, because the menu frequently changes . Plenty of well executed options for vegetarians and gluten-free diners too. Small but excellent wine list offered with helpful and knowledgeable direction. And please dont miss the cocktails... Blue Hen has one of the best mixology offerings in town. Its not summer at the beach unless you are drinking a Frozé from Blue Hen.(Edited to add: As a pastry chef, I am super critical about desserts, and am inevitably disappointed at 95% of the places I go. For two years I havent bothered to order dessert because of that fact, but Blue Hen has broken that streak. Why did I doubt that they would have anything but well-crafted delicious desserts? So now I have to plan accordingly to make sure I have room to order dessert!)Reservations are highly recommended... but if the main dining room is booked, dont hesitate to take dinner at a high top or up at the bar. The bartenders take good care of their people as well. The bar can get a bit noisy, be forewarned , but honestly the dining room acoustics arent perfect either. But you can also eat outside in warm-weather! And lets not forget the awesome fire pit outside in the front courtyard. Ive spent many pleasant evenings out there with old friends, or making new friends. One of my favorite ways to spend an evening in Rehoboth Beach for sure.If this review doesnt convince you to run directly to Blue Hen, then its truly your loss, you dont know what you are missing!

Everything was prepared to perfection. Chef Julias sense of flavor pairing and attention to detail is spot on! Cocktails were spectacular and the wine list is great. Front of house staff is very attentive, friendly, and professional. You must try the lobster toast!!

Absolutely fabulous! Great tasting food. 5 of us ordered most of the the starters plus one entree to share as tapas. Wonderful waiters/waitresses, they "get it". Food comes out real quick. Cant ask for a better casual dining experience.

Very impressed with atmosphere ambiance, and service. Excellent menu choice and food was superb and artfully presented. 8 of us were there for a birthday celebration - wonderful evening!

The food here was spectacular. Everything we ate was creative and well-executed. Decor was clean and modern.

The service could be a little more refined, but our waitress was f’in awesome regardless. She tried her hardest, and it was shown through her dedication.The food was SPECTACULAR. This food definitely deserved more than its “semi-finalist” James Beard, but the ambiance and service once again could be a little more polished. Highly recommend the biscuits and kid’s chicken tenders. The chicken tenders were delicious. (Or fried chicken if you don’t have any kids.Scallops had excellent presentation & were melting-in-your-mouth!

Everything was deliciousCalamari small dish, the sea bass special, & the halibut entree! My son had the kids pasta with green beans and he was happy as well.We did not have a resevation, so we showed up around 5 and we were seated almost immediately. We were a party of 3 so I guess thats easier to seat than bigger parties.The inside has a spacious feel with large windows, block tables and well placed art work.I definitely recommend going for a wonderful dinner experience!

Fantastic restaurant. Interesting and unique vegetables paired with main dishes. Great staff and kid friendly too.

My wife and I shared some apps, the lamb tartare and the shisito peppers, both were a 5 out of 5. The fries were a 6 out of 5 and possibly the best fries I have ever had. Crispy on the outside soft in the middle. The chicken was great as was the mac and cheese. Didnt love the cold green bean salad, so that is why I didnt give The Blue Hen a perfect score. Our server, Jack was knowledgeable and attentive, something rare at the beach where you get mediocre service and the servers expect at least 20% tip. Way to go Jack! I cant wait to go back and try some more apps. The list is long and varied.

A foodies dream. Creative and unique takes on normal food. I would recommend ordering a lot of small plates and sharing with the table. There are so many good items on the menu that you want to be able to taste as much as you can. Their wine and craft beer selection is top notch. The bottom line is that the Blue Hen may be the best restaurant in the Lewes/Rehoboth/Dewey area! I could see a Michelin 🌟 in their future.

Thank you for awesome time and delicious rabbit dish! Thank you for the service, and i can not wait when I am going to be there again!Ah, almost forgot the service was awesome, especially Phil at the bar was very professional!!! I wish every bartender in town whould be like him!!!