Crooked Hammock (Vegetarian Review)

/ Updated on March 28, 2016

The first time I went to Crooked Hammock I fell in love. The decor is playful with lots of color, and you immediately get this feeling you’re going to have a good time. Kyle was our server and he was terrific! Fast, friendly and super-knowledgeable about the menu. I’ve been several times since and the service has always been great even when my carnivorous friends took me there for a wing contest (I drank – they ate). The place was packed with 300 wingnuts and we still had prompt and fabulous attention. Co-owner Rich Garrahan is frequently in the house and has stopped by our table on numerous occasions.

The Hammock has several vegetarian options and one of the best is the Veggie MOO Burger, mushroom + oat + onion burger with mozzarella. (Make sure you add the optional avocado – YUM!) Served on a brioche bun, the MOO Burger is homemade and very tasty with a nice smoked flavor. The texture is softer than a traditional veggie burger but I didn’t mind as it was quite delish! The house-made potato chips are excellent – ask for a serving of French onion dip to dunk them in. (One of Kyle’s many culinary-licious suggestions.)

I love, love, LOVE that you can Crowd Your Plate with 3 Sides for just $5.95. For that option, I chose the Corn and Black Bean Salad, the Mac n’ Cheese, and Matt’s Famous Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. Let me say I would go back just for the cornbread – it was outstanding; moist with lots of flavor and actual pieces of cheddar inside. They serve it with this homemade honey butter that is so good it should be illegal. The Corn and Black Bean Salad was delightful, dressed nicely and the beans weren’t mushy or overcooked; they got it just right.

My beverage of choice is often the Big Frosty Mug of Root Beer which is deliciousness in a glass. Everything that A&W used to offer, but better. They also have a rotating selection of their own craft brews as well.

The Veggie Kabob features seitan, squash, red pepper and onion. I love seitan so I gave it a try. For those of you not familiar – it’s a food product made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. Chefs use it as a meat substitute and it’s like tofu in that if you don’t work with it frequently, it’s not going to taste that interesting. My kabob was ok, but not the best veggie choice on the menu. Best place for seitan in the state? Home Grown Cafe in Newark, Delaware. I don’t know what they do to it, but it is outstanding. When Rich asked for feedback I said the kabob was my only regret. He said that it was an item the kitchen was continuing to tweak which was good to hear.

Other veggie selections include the Nacho Muchachos, Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, the Chopped Salad with corn, black beans, homemade corn bread croutons, and the Grilled Vegetable Salad with lemon ricotta cheese which sounds amazing.

Crooked Hammock will be open every day, year-round, from 11a 'til 1a. Crooked Hammock Brewpub is located at 16989 Kings Highway, Lewes, just past Parsell's Funeral Home as you enter Kings Highway from Coastal Highway in Lewes. They can be reached at 302-644-7837.

I’m looking forward to my next visit. If it’s warm enough you may find me out back in a hammock, frosty root beer in hand. See you there!

Deb Griffin

About the Author

has been a vegetarian for 45 years. "I have been very pleased to see restaurants offering more and more options for meatless dining. We've gone from one vegetarian item on most menus (the faithful grilled cheese) to restaurants whose entire menu is vegetarian. Together we'll explore all that the beaches have to offer." View all articles written by Deb Griffin

Add Your Comment
  1. Avatar Hutch says:

    Been going to the Hammock since it opened and I have had mixed feelings about the place. The young ladies who are supposed to be hostesses haven’t a clue. I know they are probably in high school but they are pretty bad seating customers and getting a handle on what should be an easy task.

    Food is ok but I have to disagree with the author concerning the corn and bean dish. I ordered it during my last visit and it was so salty I sent it back.

    The veggie burger is good but a little mushy for my taste. The fries tasted fresh cut the first few times we ate there but recently they appear to be frozen from Cisco and not hand cut. Not really sure what happened there.

    Also the first few weeks the bartender would not give samples of their brew but insisted we purchase the small pour instead. For a brew pub this is unacceptable. Since then I have been told you can get a taster for free before ordering.

  2. Avatar pat says:

    Loved the decor but $9.95 for a skinny “sabrette’s” hot dog finished in about 3 bites (I’m a small eater) found the menu to be a little limited.

  3. Avatar Deborah Brown says:

    Was hearing that because it was new, to give it some time to get the kinks out. Went there a few weeks ago. Service not great, deviled eggs tasted like bacon bits on top instead of real bacon, salad was fresh, will give it one more try outside. I’m sure it will still do well.

  4. Avatar Becky says:

    I love that there is a vegetarian review section! It sounds like you had a better experience then me at Crooked Hammock. I was there about a month ago and told the waitress I was a vegetarian. My husband and I ordered the machos nachos and I ordered the seitan kabobs. When the “nachos” came out they were the cheese fries loaded with BACON! I obviously sent them back and they brought out the correct ones. Then when my main meal came out, I cut into what was supposed to be the seitan only to find out it was BEEF!

    Needless to say, I wasn’t very happy and at that point I had lost my appetite. The manager did come over and was very apologetic. He did comp some of our check and then gave a small growler of beer to my husband.

    In a previous visit, I had the vegetarian burger and didn’t like it. It was too “wet” for me. I have had a lot better vegetarian burgers. I would go back to this place for a drink and to spend time outside but not sure I’ll be eating dinner or lunch here anytime soon.

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