Several establishments to the south have been crying out for attention, and I've managed to get around to at least a few of them. I go three times before I write about places, so it takes me a while. One eatery about which I received several emails is the Penguin Diner in Bethany Beach.
Things don't get much beachier than the Penguin Diner. Situated in downtown Bethany on the north side of the Ocean Block of Garfield Parkway, it shows the natural wear and tear inflicted by the summer parade of families, children, teenagers and pretty much everybody else filing in and out for beach eats. But that's part of its personality, and the whole penguin theme is festive and cute. (The menu offers Pengwiches — served withPenguin Chips — and Penguin Cakes — with butter and syrup — among other penguin-themed items.) Interestingly, they do serve alcohol and encourage breakfasty mimosas and bloody marys. DFH, Corona, Corona Light, Miller Lite and PBRs are available, along with a selection of 3 wines. There is a table tent with “adult drinks” that includes, among other cocktails, an Orange Crush with Stoli, Jack & Coke (welcome to Bethany Beach), and, for the nostalgically inclined, a Cape Cod.
My first visit was solo during a mid-summer lunchtime. The place was busy, noisy and full of activity. (In the back there's a little penguin store that attracts children by the thousands — or at least it seemed that way.) I plopped at the counter and ordered the Beany's Bacon Cheddar Burger (touted as a “treat for any hungry penguin”). The 10-oz. burger was generous and cooked to my specifications (MW — the safe minimum for burgers). It was during this visit that I experienced the Penguin Chips. These are some of the best house-made potato chips I have had here at the beach. Totally non-greasy and crunchy, and they remain so throughout the meal. They are fried to a dark, golden crisp and do not stick together like some housemade chips. That is because somebody is constantly stirring them in the oil.
I strive for anonymity on my first couple of visits, so it took me a while to get a good photo of the burger. A value-added on that is the delicious roll. It's warm, sort of eggy, fresh and soft (as a regulation burger roll should be!) with a golden top. In fact it reminds me of the rolls at Big Fish Grill and Summer House here in Rehoboth Beach. And that is a good thing.
Another visit involved breakfast; namely french toast with scrambles and bacon. Scrambles are scrambles, and these were fine, and the french toast was quite good, with lots of custardy coating throughout. Grilled quickly over high heat, the outside was darkly savory while the inside remained creamy. Though I didn't try the omelets, the ones in my immediate vicinity were generous and not overcooked. The Penguin Diner offers 19 (count 'em — 19!) possible omelet fillings (including nova for a slight upcharge). I am now forced to return for one of these penguin-approved dishes.
The Chicken Cheesesteak Sub is also served on a fresh roll and involves souvlaki-style cubes of white-meat chicken bound together with provolone. Note that I added jalapeno peppers. (They are of course optional.) The chicken was nicely grilled, lean and portioned generously. I have to reiterate that the roll was quite good and really made the sandwich.
On our most recent visit the newly hired chef was in the process of changing things on the menu, and had just added a crab cake of which he was quite proud. He engaged me in conversation (though I retained my anonymity — at least I think I did). His version of the crab cake wasn't yet on the menu, but he mounted a great sales pitch and I succumbed. And I'm glad I did. Chunks of sweet crabmeat were bound together loosely with very little filler, and no overt spice tromped on the delicate taste of the meat. It was grilled to a golden crust on both sides and served with those magical house-made chips. The warm, moist and eggy roll made it all the better, along with a tasty tarragon tartar sauce that worked quite well with the delicate meat. I would order this one any time, and it rivals pretty much any crab cake north of there. There. I said it.
I hope that crab cake and the chicken cheesesteak is still on the menu. Recent additions to the menu include the Cubano, the Asian Salmon sandwich and the Veggie Bowl du jour. Giffords ice cream graces “adult milkshakes.”
The Penguin Diner is at 105 Garfield Parkway, ocean block, north side. The huge red sign is big enough to attract aircraft.
Check out their full menu by clicking here. If you suffer from celiac disease or have allergies, they also have fluten free options. In-season hours are 8a – 9p daily, off-season Fri. thru Sun. and holidays from 9a – 3p. Visit them on Facebook. (B, L, D. (in season), counter with alcohol — not really a bar). Price range: Moderate -.
The bathrooms are average, but received an extra half star because hot water was readily available after a very short wait. This is a rare thing, but commendable. Keep up the good work, Penguins!
Today we stopped at The Peguin for a quick lunch while we were at the beach. We had been here before the remodel and remarked that the transformation was more modern. What we didn’t expect was to pay for it with our meal.
We ordered two salads and two iced teas and we nearly fell off our chairs when we received the bill…..$44.00 not including tip (which they graciously listed on the bottom of receipt starting at 18 % to 25 %). We had been out to dinner and paid less and got so much more in the area. While we were satisfied with the food we just didn’t expect to have to mortgage our house to get it.
Very expensive for a restaurant trying to appeal to families….a place to entertain kids if you have enough money to do so.
In the summer, I would love to see this place act more like a “real” diner and stay open late (11P-Midnight). It would be nice to have a late night food spot in Bethany. A 9PM closing just doesn’t cut it. I would think selling milk shakes and ice cream alone would make them a lot of money. Every summer night, I see countless numbers of people walking by, looking into a closed restaurant. Doesn’t make good business sense.