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Lefty’s Alley & Eats

/ Updated on January 20, 2018
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As of late 2017, Lefty's Alley & Eats changed the structure of their food service division. We feel that this warrants a new review and new visits. They are on the list. We have kept the review below up for reference ONLY, but the photos of the food may differ and the menu items may differ in appearance, quality or whatever. We'll get a new review up as soon as possible. Obviously the gaming/bowling images are still accurate.

About a week before Lefty's Alley & Eats opened, I disguised myself as a bowling ball repairman and was able to sneak into Lefty's Alley & Eats through the back door before they officially opened to the public on Friday 12/16/16. I skulked through the nooks, crannies and back hallways, taking photos with my trusty Kodak Brownie. See the sacrifices I make for my Loyal Foodies & Foodettes? Of course they are open now, and crowded every night. So use this article as a program guide to get around this huge entertainment complex.

Entrepreneurs Chad Moore, DJ Hill and Mitch Rosenfeld's Lefty's Alley & Eats is located next to Dartmouth Plaza (Home Goods, Kitchen & Co.), accessible from the turn at the WaWa in Lewes. A new access road and satellite parking will soon be installed between the WaWa and the electrical substation. This will help relieve traffic at the light.

The venue offers bowling, laser tag, big-screen TVs, and an arcade. The restaurant centers around family friendly fun food and seats 110. Tom Kramer (former Applebee's manager, alumnus of Rehoboth's old Ram's Head Tavern, Dover Downs, and former cook at The Pond), and former Nage manager Pete Good head up the food operations featuring appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches and a special bistro menu for dining while bowling.

During my sneak peek I was able to get into the laser tag area by disguising myself as a trout. The underwater-like playing field is amazing, and there are no words to adequately describe it, so just scroll through the gallery to see some of the highlights. The bowling area reminded me of Brooklyn Bowl, a huge bowling/dining venue in New York. Here at Lefty's Alley & Eats, guests have a number of options to either bowl, bowl and eat (lane-side service with servers is provided), or eat at hi-top bars and watch other people bowl. Either way, it's a fun and upbeat arrangement. There are curtains/dividers that can separate lanes, eating and bar areas for special events, private parties, etc. They've pretty much thought of everything, including GIGANTIC TV screens at the end of the alleys to keep you busy while your kids are throwing gutter balls.

The arcade offers some of the latest games with flashing lights and all the great noises that are part of the fun. They even have Skee Ball. Another great idea is that you don't have to raid your parking meter quarter stash to go to Lefty's. You simply load a special electronic card with a specified amount and the card is then used to activate any and all machines. When the card runs out, mom and/or dad will hear those immortal words: “Daddy, I need more money on my card!” Load the card, dad – the kids could be doing a lot worse, and you can drown your sorrows in a frosty draft, a Lefty Loopey, a Gummy Bear (Smirnoff raspberry, peach schnapps, lemon & lime) or butch it up with a New Belgium Fat Tire Amber. Either way, the family is together all in one place. See Chad? It worked! You don't have to bring them to your basement any more!

The food venue is much more upscale than I expected. Tables, banquettes and booths surround a huge bar area loaded with TVs glowing with sports and/or the words to the songs playing over the sound system. I was also surprised that the menu was so extensive. Yes, it's pub grub, but it's prepared and served in an upscale manner. You have a choice of 13 appetizers (don't miss the seared ahi ‘nachos,' Tom's signature crab dip, and the short rib sliders!). Six salads grace the menu. I had the Italian Chopped Salad and I can tell you that it's a main course in itself. You can add fried chicken, buffalo chicken, steak, tuna or crab cake to any salad.

Like so many Cape Region restaurants, Lefty’s changes its menu with the seasons. If some of these items are not on the menu when you go, I’m sure there will be something on there that you like (Tom’s turkey burger is one of the best at the beach!).

The main courses est divisa in partes tres: Burgers/sandwiches, Entrees/pasta, and Pizza. In the sandwich department, I HIGHLY recommend the Drunkin' Grilled Cheese. Two people can easily split this one, and the combination of ingredients makes for a spicy, savory, one-of-a-kind experience. Think Monte Cristo, but on steroids (trust me, this one's a hit). The Pastrami Burger is also a pick hit, with swiss, sauerkraut and thousand island. Think reuben, but as a burger. On my last visit, one of our party ordered the plain ‘ol Lefty burger and they liked it very much.

The Braised Short Rib is one of the stars of the entree menu. I also got to try the Fish & Chips. So far, so good. And even better news is that the prices for all these entrees and sandwiches hover around $13 – $15 or so, with the obvious exception of high-cost items like the New York Strip or crab cakes.

If, like Elaine Benis on Seinfeld, you crave a “big salad,” then you are in the right place. All the Lefty's salads are huge and easily qualify as a main course. Check your the apple gorgonzola and the Bistro Bacon salads in the gallery.

You get ten choices in the pizza list, or you can build your own from a list of seventeen (count 'em, 17) extras. Pizzas stay around $13 – $16. Chef Tom is obsessed with the pizzas, so get ready for a tasty pie.

I expected bowling alley food. Yes, the food is definitely bowling/bar-friendly, but these guys have come up with some clever twists and turns that will certainly make Lefty's Alley & Eats a food destination in itself. Take a look at the gallery, then grab your balls, your bowling shoes (or rent them) and check this place out.

Turn west onto Dartmouth at the WaWa next to Home Goods. Take the next left onto Plaza Blvd. Drive to the end (36450 Plaza Blvd.). Open for lunch/dinner until 11 pm weekdays and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. There's tons of free parking.

Reserve an alley by calling 302-864-6000.

Follow Lefty's on Facebook.

The Rehoboth Foodie

About the Author

"My goal is to promote Rehoboth Beach dining while remaining honest and impartial. I don’t gush unless a place deserves it, and I don’t pull punches, either. With so many good places to eat around here, it just doesn’t make sense to waste the calories — or the money — on anything less." View all articles written by The Rehoboth Foodie

Add Your Comment
  1. Avatar george wilson says:

    what a let down , 12/27 ate lunch spent over 100 , then went to bowl , added to wait list , 45 min later checked nothing open , looked over at alley wow 10 or more lanes open , asked young clerk why the wait . answered I am busy haven’t had a chance to call up people , lost my business, but food was great

  2. Avatar Robert Fellows says:

    We had a wonderful time at Lefty’y in Lewes on Saturday, 20 January 2018.
    Crystal was our host for the whole event.
    A great host with super positive attitude .
    We will be back.
    Thanks .
    Bob

  3. Avatar Darren says:

    After reading the review and seeing the photos of the food my wife and I decided to try this place. We went for happy hour and decided to try a few apps and the Lefty’s craft beer special. When we first arrived and sat at the bar area the bartender seemed a bit distracted even though there were maybe four couples seated at a bar that holds 40 or so patrons. After asking about the happy hour specials including the “Craft Beer” special advertised on the website and in the “Cheap Eats” here we were advised that that no longer carry the Lefty’s craft beer so there was no special. I looked over at a gentlemen seated next to us who had ordered a pizza and it looked nothing like the pizza in the picture here. It looked more like a take and bake from Food Lion, I even had to pull this website up on my phone and look at the pizza again. We ordered wings, the tuna nachos and two of the blackened fish tacos which was part of the “Tijuana Tuesday” special. We never saw the tuna nachos as the bartender rang up potato skins instead, the wings were brushed very lightly with bbq sauce and were just “ok”. The wings were also a “full” wing (with the tips included, which kinda creeped out my wife) and came with a severely watered down version of blue cheese, I’m guessing they were running out of the real stuff and added water to what they had left. Although the blackened fish tacos were presented in a very appealing way and “looked” delicious, my wife and I both agreed that they tasted like eating air. In hindsight we’re glad we got the wrong order of potato skins as they turned out to be the highlight. When my wife ordered a second beer the bartender grabbed her glass from in front of her (still with about an inch and a half of beer in it) and topped it off, I’ve never seen that before…It was one of the strangest experiences I’ve had in a restaurant/bar in a long time, sorry to say we gave it a try and it was not worth the price, time or experience.

    • The Rehoboth Foodie The Rehoboth Foodie says:

      Sorry you had a bad experience there. Lefty’s just recently changed the structure of their food/beverage division, though many of the original staff remain. A new review of the food/bar is pending.

  4. Jerry Pirrung Jerry Pirrung says:

    The photo [of the roast pork sandwich in the gallery] makes the sandwich look luscious! I had one last night and was disappointed. The pork inside was very dry, not succulent. The broccoli rabe looks great, but the stalk is so tough that you can’t just chew off a piece with your bite of sandwich but rather the whole stalk comes with your first mouthful of sandwich. I’ve never been to DINIC’s but from what I saw on Triple-D, this wouldn’t hold a candle to theirs. I’m from Philly, and to me there’s nothing like a South Philly Roast Pork sandwich where the pork is simmered in brine, and melts in your mouth when you take a bite of the sandwich. Yes, Lefty’s has an interesting menu, but it still is a bar in a bowling alley, and the food doesn’t escape that atmosphere. Sorry to post this negative review, but it is what it is.

    • Avatar Steve Dolnack says:

      Unfortunately I have to agree with you on the Porketta Sandwich. It was a dry, tasteless mess. Pizza was ok, but over cooked/partially burned. Sesame seared tuna nachos were fab as was the apple gorgonzola salad.

  5. Avatar Catherine says:

    We were there with friends on Saturday, and the place was packed! The food was excellent. The ambience upscale. The video arcade was crowded with teens. I loved how there was a staff member walking around with cleaner to wipe down all the games after each use. Best of all, the service was top notch. Rich G was there to greet all the customers, and one of our favorite Crooked Hammock staff, Karen, was also there. Such a nice family destination. Can’t wait to book the VIP lounge for a private party!

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