To me, nothing beats warm weather. So when last week hit a glorious 80 degrees sunny, you could imagine how eager I was to break out of the office and feel the sun on my face. Two friends and I made our way to downtown Dover to the Rail Haus, of which we had heard good things—chief among them that the outdoor space the German-style beer garden afforded was positively sublime.
That wasn’t an exaggeration. As we toured around the grounds for the first time, picnic tables, sandboxes and corn hole boards decorated the spacious lawn and beach sand setup around the building itself. That’s where the action was: even at opening right at four o’clock, people were gathering and placing orders, both indoors and outdoors. Coworkers, friends, family and four-legged friends (on a leash) found their tables and settled in to relax.
Music drifted through the air, loud enough to enjoy but not so loud as to damper conversation. Hot on the heels of that was the sweet, tantalizing smell of bar food fare, elevated and inviting.
“It’s like… having a party at the best backyard you can imagine,” I told my wife later. Even down to the layout and decoration of Rail Haus’ grounds, the space was simply perfect. You felt like you were invited to wander anywhere, play around with anything, matching a summer BBQ vibe perfectly.
Rail Haus made it easy to do so. Wait staff moved from booths and tables back to the open window of the kitchen where orders were placed. You could read and order from menu, via a QR code on your phone (we asked for menus instead, some of us are a little technically challenged, LAURA), and the staff would deliver. It felt for all the world like this portal to a summer party was professionally catered.
And the food came fast. I was prepared for a wait, as there were already plenty of customers, but before I knew it, we had wings, fries and a giant pretzel in front of us. Not to mention drinks. Two of us settled into a tequila cocktail and a lemon martini, respectively, and were quite pleased. Our beer drinker ordered the Schofferhofer (hefeweizen grapefruit “bier”) and proclaimed it refreshingly light and tasty (and also fun to say).
Our bar fare was good as well: The beer-battered sidewinder fries and buffalo chicken wings were both crispy and tasty, some of the best in the area I’ve had. I don’t think any new and exciting ground was broken there, but a good drinking experience can be ruined with bad wings and fries. We certainly didn’t have that happen at Rail Haus. The pretzel was a highlight for us, though, with rich beer cheese for dipping. Warm, tasty, and not so dense that it put you to sleep after, it was a perfect “desert” as we finished our drinks.
It was a great hangout, the sort you can only hope a post-work outing will bring you. Warm sun on our faces, good drinks and food in our bellies and the promise of a round or two of cornhole left us all feeling both relaxed and energized. Kudos again to Rail Haus for cultivating such an immaculate vibe. It’s the kind of place that thrives if you’re hungry and the sun is shining in Dover.
You can find them at 92 N West Street, Dover, online at railhaus.com and by calling (302) 450-3525.
Bay to the Beach: Byways is a regular column in which we explore interesting places and projects on the Delmarva Peninsula. Videos and more photos at baytobaynews.com/bay-to-the-beach-byways
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