Best Beer Bars

The Quest for the Holy Grain - Best Beer Bars

Delaware

Timothy's of Newark
100 Creek View Rd
Newark, DE 19711
phone: (302) 738-9915

Timothy's of Newark is located in a big brick fortress of a building overlooking White Clay Creek, a few minutes North of downtown Newark.
The rooms are spacious with much wood, brick, and dark green trim.
Timothy's proffers 33 draft beers, and while some are spent on macros, 14 of them rotate.
The large rectangular bar seats about 30.
There are several tables in the bar, plus many more in a dining area, which is separated from the bar room by a 350-gallon saltwater fish tank.
Out back is a deck overlooking the creek for pleasant-weather use.
Happy Hour Monday thru Friday, 4-7 PM.
Timothy's is a worthwhile stop on a Questor's Newark beer tour.

The Deer Park Tavern
108 W Main St
Newark, DE 19711
phone: (302) 369-9414

The Deer Park Tavern is lodged in a very old structure that used to be known as the Deer Park Hotel, established 1851.
The large wooden bar seats 25. There is a separate room primarily for dining.
With lots of dark paneling and brick, the tavern feels well-worn and comfortable.
Deer Park Tavern offers 23 taps, half of which rotate. Although there are three
bars on two floors, the rotating craft taps are in the main bar.
The craft list includes quite a few local brews.
There is also a Mug Club.
Deer Park was crowded on a Thursday night. The crowd was on the youngish side.
Although we don't often emphasize food, our tuna sashimi, fried oyster plate, and beef stew were among the best we have had.
The Deer Park Tavern is an important stop in Newark's craft beer scene.

Two Stones Pub
2 Chesmar Plz
Newark, DE 19713
phone: (302) 294-1890

Two Stones Pub is located in a small strip-center a few miles outside of downtown Newark.
The large, sinuous bar seats about 20, and there are maybe 10 tables near the bar.
Another smaller dining area can be found in the back.
Two Stones offers 25 well-selected drafts, and 50-60 bottled beers. A beer menu informs the patron as to ABV and price for each draft, and the beers are also listed on a large chalk board.
Sizable glass-fronted cabinets behind the bar display many styles of beer glass, allowing each draft to be poured in the correct vessel.
Two Stones is decorated with beer cans, brewery signs, and, at least for the season, a tap handle Christmas tree.
The place was packed on a Thursday night, with a crowd of all ages who seemed to have one thing in common...beer.
Two Stones also has 4 other locations.

	Zogg's Raw Bar & Grill 1 Wilmington Avenue Rehoboth Beach, DE 302-227-7660 We were drawn in by the sign that advertised $1 raw oysters during happy hour. In a town where a dozen of these marvelous mollusks can go for $25-$30, this sounded hard to resist. Not to mention the fact that the craft beer draft list offered 2 brews which this Questor had not documented. We hit a few other bars, and returned to Zogg's for dinner just before the 7:00 PM happy hour deadline. Zogg's can be described as a beach bar or island bar where transparent lo-cal macros rule...yet they offered a nice, eclectic craft beer list of 15 taps, the majority of which rotate. About 45 bottled beers were also offered. We planted ourselves at the bar, and ordered a $3 bowl of edamame which lasted us well into the next day. The menu was big on seafood, and not-quite seafood like alligator and frog legs. Zogg's offers a variety of seating; bar, table, indoor, outdoor, leaning, standing. We were lucky enough to be in Rehoboth for Greyhound Weekend. These big dogs, with their owners in tow, seemed to be everywhere, especially in Zogg's. I counted 14 of these large beasts who were better behaved than your average bar reveler. The young lady who served as our barkeep was friendly and knowledgeable about the brews, and we will be sure to return on our next trip. Zogg's has a lot to recommend it...but they had us at the $1 oysters!

Fin's Ale House & Raw Bar
19269 Hwy One
Rehoboth Beach , DE 19971
Phone (302) 227-3467

Fin's Ale House & Raw Bar is the sister location to Fin's Fish House on Rehoboth Avenue about 10 minutes away.
The sinuous bar seats about 15, and there is seating for plenty more in the barroom.
Several more rooms are also available for dining.
Fin's offers 24 taps, all of which rotate but one.
If the Questor can't find a suitable draft beer, Fin's bottle list numbers about 100.
Fin's has big plans!
This location has enough space to install a brewery, and Fin's plans to be making their own beer by early in 2015.
My visit was all to short this time around, and I plan to return for some of the aforementioned house brew.

Arena's Deli & Bar
149 Rehoboth Ave
Rehoboth Beach, DE
302-227-1272

Although the address reads "Rehoboth Avenue", Arena's Deli & Bar is tucked back into a stone-paved alleyway just off of the Avenue. It's worth finding, though, as Arena's offers 9 well-chosen drafts, and about 80 bottles of crafts and imports.
The L-shaped bar seats about a dozen thirsty patrons, and there are ample tables and booths...there's more space back there than first appears.
Arena's seems to be popular with locals and tourists alike. The food is good, and ours has always gotten there fast.
Arena's is a comfortable little nook in which to sequester yourself while other members of your entourage are shopping or beaching.
They have two other locations in the area.

Gary's Dewey Beach Grill
2000 Highway One
Dewey Beach, DE 19971
(302) 226-4899

Gary's appears to be just another one of the hundreds of Lite Beer Ocean Bars along the shore, until you see their beer list. Then you'll find out that they have 19 taps, most of which rotate, and a list of about 100 bottles.
The selection may be a tad smaller during the off-season.
One touch that jumped right out at me was the sign that proclaimed the favorite beers of each of the staffers.
My bartender was glad to explain the beers and Gary's beer philosophy.
If you're on your way to visit the great beach beer destination of Rehoboth, don't forget Gary's, just a mile south and right on Ocean Highway.

Henlopen City Oyster House
50 Wilmington Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
302-260-9193

Centrally located in downtown Rehoboth Beach is the Henlopen City Oyster House, a one-stop destination for this Questor's two favorite items...raw oysters and great beer. The Oyster House offers 8 well-chosen taps, which ranged on our visit from Allagash Curieux to PBR. If one of these doesn't please you, at least 30 bottles are available. There is also one cask ale. The staff... bartenders, waitresses, and shuckers were friendly and helpful. The mollusk- lover can choose from six different varieties of oyster. It was a mature crowd that filled the bar during our two visits. The bar seats about 10, with room for about 15 more at wall tables. Get there early, as the bar was filled on a Monday and a Tuesday evening. Whether you make this your one stop for the night, or amble on to any of the other beer and oyster venues in town, Henlopen City Oyster House should definitely be on your must-visit list.

Fins Fish House & Raw Bar
243 Rehoboth Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, DE
302-266-FINS

Fins is an outstanding seafood place that happens to have a great beer selection...something that is becoming more prevalent on the Eastern Shore.
If raw oysters are your thing, Fins has 6 varieties...yes, you can get a sampler.
Our bartender Jamie was eager to explain all about Fins' philosophy, as well as about the seafood and the beer.
They have 8 drafts, 3 of which rotate, and upon our visit that included Paulaner Hefeweizen and Unibrou Ephemere.
They also had about 70 bottles. Fins is another jewel in the crown of Rehoboth...one of Delaware's prime beer-drinking towns.