Brothers Anthony & Chris Jacona of Zogg's & the Sea Hogg Food Truck, along with Paradise Grill's Al Tortella, have opened their new WHEELHOUSE in the old Wharf location smack in the middle of Lewes on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal by the drawbridge. The festivities began on Friday, 4/13 at 5 p.m. Finally! New life in that long-neglected spot.
MEET THE BOSSES ON SIP & BITE WITH THE REHOBOTH FOODIE. CLICK HERE FOR A PODCAST OF THE 3/24 BROADCAST.
This sort of venue is right in these guys' wheelhouses, and head chef is none other than local guy Graham Reese. The guys offer a casual menu and a totally remodeled space (goodness knows it needed it!). There are few better spots in Lewes for amazing views – and of course that rare Lewes commodity, PARKING. Lots of it.
Things got off to a rough start – NOT unusual for a brand new restaurant (especially in a completely remodeled space). So take some of the attached comments with a grain of salt. Things are going to be rough both in the kitchen and in the front of house for the first few weeks of any new eatery. But these guys have done this before and I am confident that things have already improved.
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The menu is very casual, as you might expect there on the canal. Tacos, sliders, burgers, and a particularly good mac & cheese. We had the shrimp/chorizo po'boy off the lunch sandwich menu and liked it a lot. The sliders were well-stuffed with pulled chicken, and I like the seeded roll. Of course you would expect the tacos to be right, given the Zoggs connection, and we also enjoyed the wings (I asked for them extra crispy). See the lunch menu here. Check out the photos in the gallery, and I will post more info after a return visit or two. Click here to see the dinner menu.
Wheelhouse is on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal at the drawbridge in downtown Lewes at 7 Anglers Road. They are also accessible by boat, though you should call first to verify slip availability. Call to check their hours (and entertainment schedule) at (302) 645-7846. There's tons of free parking. Click to see the website.
Off-season Specials & Hours
Specials & Moods change quickly. Always call a restaurant first.7 Angler's Road at Savannah in Lewes
(302) 291-2163
After reading mixed reviews,decided to wait to try this place until after they had been open awhile and hopefully dialed in their service. Visited on a beautiful mid-May evening for dinner with my roomie.Got seated out on patio with a gorgeous view of the harbor and all the boats.Sadly, things went downhill fast from there.My companion ordered the fish tacos which she enjoyed,but I ordered soft shell crabs,only to have waitress return shortly stating they had none left.OK,I will take the crab cakes,again, waitress returns shortly saying they are sold out….ended up ordering a cheeseburger,at a seafood restaurant! Very disappointed that they were out of many dishes,and that the waitress did not know this in advance.Management has some room for improvement if they expect this place to make it.Not worth the $90 cost for the evening.
My first ever visit there for lunch was great. However went tonight and it was horrible. The pork barbecue was awful. Too well done or aged. The macaroni seemed old and a little discolored being dry. To add, so many bugs that I felt like being attacked. The person I brought was okay with the fish tacos.
Love the new look. Get a lot of food for the money. Only one downer….Ask about steamed shrimp. Paid $22 a lb. for farm raised easy peel shrimp. They have wild caught at the raw bar but you need to ask for them.
Fish taco’s were smothered in slaw, and couldn’t find or taste the fish. Short rib tacos were terrible under seasoned, very bland. Jambalaya was dry and lacking spice. Plus….everything came at once, apps ,entrees, etc. Sorry won’t be back.
Met friends here for drinks last Saturday night – sat on the deck. They had a two person band and they were quite good. We didn’t have any food, just drinks. Nice location and view. I was surprised at how low the music was when the doors were closed.
The only bad thing was this creepy older guy with his dog. He seemed to be pestering most of the people in the place. Our group told him to leave us alone and it appears that the table next to us told him the same thing. Keep this lunatic out of the place.
We ran into him in the parking lot and again we told him leave us alone.
Tried it twice within the past two weeks. First visit: Someone asked a question of the waiter, he disappeared, returned after some time to ask what the question was again, which was one example of the slow service despite an uncrowded room. I ordered the fish tacos, and even had a discussion with the waiter over the dubiously named “Chesapeake Bay Blue catfish,” but when the dish arrived, it was clearly not fish at all. Eventually, the replacement came, but was so drenched in blackening seasoning it was nearly too salty to eat. Also not a fan of waffle fries, which come with everything, even tacos. One other diner also complained of over-salted food (a pasta dish) and no one was particularly pleased. The bill arrived, and the charge for the tacos was wrong (higher than the menu). The waiter returned, saying they had taken the charge off the bill completely, which probably should have been done the first time. Second visit: A number of us tried the crab and avocado salad, which was rather dull and featured very bitter endive. Again, no one was particularly pleased. Lovely setting, but we’ll not be back.
We ate there three times and every meal we ordered was delicious. We love the waffle fries and the waitress / service was great. We really enjoy the improvements and the food like the lamb sandwich was excellent. There burger’s are great plus the pulled pork etc. We will be coming to Rehoboth in June were from Lancaster, Pa. Will be stopping there again for an evening bite. Were so happy the WHEELHOUSE is there. Remember ! Give places a chance. No place is perfect, Don’t be critical on every little thing. Life is short so enjoy yourself instead of looking for what is wrong or the negative side. Best to the WHEELHOUSE. Jim & Ellie
Friday in May, gorgeous early evening the parking lot was a wait for a space but not long. Hostess said 30 min wait for a table. We gave name and # for text and found a pair of raw bar seats. The stone crab fin front of me looked good, a big pile partially cracked (dry if they don’t sell…hmm?) I was told over a half doz for $16. That’s cheap.
We did get attended and ordered but found out we could sit out on deck at a very nice table without a hostess or a wait. We asked for deck seating initially. My creole style flat bread was loaded and tasty but the crust should have been cooked through way before getting all that penetrating sauce, my husband had a burger with a sub of sweet potato fries well done. No upcharge and they were crunchy, no easy feat. Waffle fries seem to come with sandwiches on the menu. We will visit again and likely bypass the hostess and go straight to the deck. Prices are lower, menu varied and atmosphere far improved from the Wharf. Music was playing, palm trees swaying and the overall vibe was resort dining the tourists will really enjoy, and everyone can enjoy.
Better than it’s ever been. Food is really good, drinks are good. Bartenders are friendly but painfully slow. Been there 3 the mes so far and it has been the same each time. Bartenders would be great at your neighborhood bar but not at a bar where there is a crowd.
We too were very excited to see renovations and new ownership and went the Tuesday after their soft opening. Our server was nice but a bit overly enthusiastic promising us a tour of the upstairs after we ate. We ordered a beverage which took forever to arrive, so we gave our order for medium rare burgers then. About 25 minutes later she breezed by saying they’d be out in a minute. Another 10-15 minutes went by and finally they were brought out from a totally different person. We were starving and immediately dug in. They were not medium rare, not even medium. They were beyond well done, dry and tasteless. We took a couple more bites and knew we couldn’t eat them. A guy from the kitchen came out in a messy apron and asked how our meal was. We showed him and told him they were supposed to be medium rare. He offered, in a voice that clearly didn’t sound sincere, to replace them but we declined; after already spending close to 90 minutes there we were not waiting any longer. Our bubbly server appeared again and asked how they were and we explained it to her as well. She said she’d tell the manager and they’d take care of us. We didn’t see her again, another server brought our check which was for what we ordered and we paid and left. We weren’t looking for a free meal but she should not have said they’d take care of us then not even return to say they weren’t going to do anything. It’s going to be a long time before we even think about going back. Ambiance is great but we are locals and can enjoy the views anytime without having a bad meal.
We tried twice since their opening to get in, but couldn’t because there was no parking. Finally made it there last Wednesday around 7 on a beautiful Spring evening. The food was ordinary and generic but can’t beat the ambience. Our server however left a lot to be desired. He walked past us at least 4 times after we were seated (20 minutes). We finally flagged down the manager who said our server would be with us shortly. 10 more minutes go by and we almost had to trip him to get his attention. He brought the wrong beer and messed up my order. The place was not crowded that night. Perhaps more training and initiative on the part of the server.
A bunch of co-workers and I decided to try the Wheelhouse after work on Friday. Everything was going good, it was a great atmosphere and the food was great; HOWEVER, when it came to paying the bill it was a DISASTER. Everyone gave the waitress their card to pay for their own bill and got it returned within 10 minutes. I NEVER received my card. I patiently waited for about 20-25 minutes for my card, meanwhile the waitress was serving other customers (thinking she forgot to give the card back to me). I waved down a different waiter that asked if everything was ok and ask him if he could get my card from our waitress. After I saw the other waiter ask our waitress about the card I saw her looking around, grab two other employees and start DIGGING THROUGH THE TRASH in front of customers. Another 20 minutes later (I am getting really heated and becoming inpatient.. and I am a patient, non-confrontational person), I see the waitress at the register so I went over to ask her if she still had my card. She replied saying that she gave it to a woman that she “THOUGHT” was paying for everyones bill…. After going on a search for my card through ALL the check books I eventually found it. The waitress then reached over the table a grabbed my card from my hand and said that she will now scan it before her boss figures out something was not paid for. I was in so much shock, getting heated, and exhausted from a busy work day that I didn’t say anything back (just in case I said something in the heat of the moment and make a scene in front of everyone). ANOTHER 10 minutes later the waitress comes back, hands me the check book with my card which she just charged (AFTER WAITING FOR 40+ minutes… watching her dig through the trash… then her say that she “thinks” she GAVE IT TO ANOTHER WOMAN she thought was in my group) and then tells me that my card gave her such a hard time and it was such a hassle, and walked off…
I am not one to complain or write a review but I figured this had to be said. Although the food was good, the way we were treated was AWEFUL!
We can now understand why this place is so crowded. The renovations are great. We eat out on the deck with booth seating. Million dollar feel. Over the many years we have eat a lot of meals under different management at this location. But what this group has done is outstanding. Anthony stopped by the table and did a great job in helping us select Steelhead trout and Grilled tuna. The shrimp, oysters and claims where an other highlight. Great food and great staff. Anthony makes the meal a welcoming evening along with a great wait staff. This restaurant hit a homerun on everything.
We’re looking forward to a nice local spot to add to our Lewes favorites. Heard the hard opening last Friday was fantastic and so we’ll wait a week or so. We already like Gilligan’s and Pub and Publican in the area.
I had the splended opportunity of a pre-opening tour with Anthony last week. The place looks phenominal and we can’t wait until Friday. Zogg’s is already our favorite haunt and we’re certain that any new endeaver by Anthony and Chris will be awesome!
Looking forward to the opening, the wharf was getting extremely pricey for a “Local Dive” feel. Nice to have a change, and I know this is a resort town but I hope they take care of the locals.
I understand, those 2 aircraft carriers docked out front helps pay the rent,
BUT……being able to look at the water would be nice.
Thanx
Cautiously optimistic– not thrilled with most of the restaurants in the area and always hopeful when we hear that a new one is opening. Good luck!!!
so looking forward to your opening!! i work at the rehoboth beach country club..so i am in the business..love new places to have a meal!!!..rose
So happy someone is taking over at the Wharf. Will be there as soon as it opens. We come to Lewes & Rehoboth a lot through Spring & fall. Looking forward to visiting the Wheelhouse. Were from Lancaster, Pa.
So excited for this venture. Love the location. Please, please, please, some gluten free options.
looking forward to opening..it is a great location!!!
Wonderful news.
Can’t wait!! What a nice addition to downtown Lewes!
Love this location and looking forward to what these folks bring to the table. I’m a fan of both Zogg’s and Paradise Grill!
Wow! What great news. We’ve had nothing but great experiences at Zogg’s and Paradise Grill. Hope their touch of gold works in Lewes too.
THRILLED to hear! Way to go Anthony & Chris and AL – super excited and welcome your new OASIS in the heart of Lewes!! Long awaited. Thank YOU!! 🙂
Great news! When we first moved here almost twenty years ago, this was one of our favorites. Gone down hill ever since. Glad to see some quality people who know what they’re doing take over!
Good music will bring us out!!
Your neighbors across Anglers Rd. at Hotel Blue welcome you!
Bring it on, fellows! Can’t wait for you to open! This is great news for Lewes!
Good luck on this major project. Can’t wait to see the new joint. Bring on those amazing tacos!
So happy to hear the good news!
I live here on Lewes Beach and I’m really looking forward to the opening of The Wheelhouse. I’m hoping it will be my new local favorite hot spot. ☺
welcome to the neighborhood, boys.
Great news! Love Zoggs!
Anything would be better than the operator who had it in 2017. Awful!
Been watching them work on the remodel for a few weeks now. Hard to miss the food truck on sight. Lets hope they brighten up the place a bit (a lot)
Hopefully, the food is as good as the recent wharf, which tended to be excellent.