Henlopen City Oyster House

Bar, Eatery

50 Wilmington Ave
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, 19971-2217
United States

(302) 260-9193 | map
hcoysterhouse.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.56
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
31
pDev:
6.58%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by dlj:
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Reviewed by dlj from Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Stopped in over the Fourth of July weekend twice and I wish I didn't have to go home. The happy hour food specials were delicious. For a small place, the tap list is first class and their bottle list is top notch. The cask list varies on a regular basis. While there, 2 of the taps changed. They had YARDS ESA on cask.

As good as the beer list and food was, the service and atmosphere were even better. By the second night I felt I was one of the regulars. The staff was attentive and professional and the owner was engaged and very easy to talk to. I only wish the place wasn't so far away from my home
Jul 04, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by alexsergio from New York

Feb 25, 2018
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Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland

4.44/5  rDev -2.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Been wanting to check out HCOH for some time and finally had chance. Had heard great things, and happy to say all we’ll deserved. Great place and people. Oysters re: high quality selection, variety of taste, quality, prep and serving were all excellent.
Beer draft list was short... @ 8 with a cask. But excellent choices/variety...Belgian De le Senne; Hopslam; Praire Christmas Bomb; Monks Cafe sour, local Revelation IPA on cask. Bottle special if the day was an Amager Collab. Bottle menu had an exceptional span ... 100+ choices with many Bombers; some special treats.
Great food but clearly a Beer geek oasis.
Feb 17, 2018
Photo of dbl_delta
Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.75
I like beer and I like oysters. If you're like me, this is the place to visit. An excellent selection of oysters (my favorites thus far are Katama Bay, Fiddlers Cove and Salt Pond. Oh, yeah - they have a great selection of beers, too: I had a Green Flash West Coast IPA, but there were some intriguing selections from Weyerbacher, Dewey, North Coast, Sierra Nevada, Left Hand....so just go there, eat the food, and have faith that there wil be something beer-wise that you'll be interested in.
Sep 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.89 by brentblack1 from New York

Sep 24, 2017
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Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4/5  rDev -12.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
A decent place near the main drag. We visited in the middle of the week during the day, probably not the best time, so the experience and atmosphere was just okay.
Aug 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4.38 by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania

Jul 20, 2016
 
Rated: 4.15 by ChipChaight from New York

Apr 28, 2016
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Reviewed by Sad_Larry from New Jersey

5/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Nothing bad I can say about this place. The food was outstanding, and the beer selection was the best I'd seen during my trip to Rehoboth. Raw bar was great, and the seafood was super fresh. Service was very good, as well. Definitely will be going there again in the future!
May 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.23 by cmpqse from Pennsylvania

Mar 29, 2015
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Reviewed by JonathannRobert from Delaware

4.95/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Best beer offerings in downtown Rehoboth, and excellent food as well.

Bottle prices are relatively reasonable - had a 3f oude kriek and allagash nancy at nearly $20 a bottle. Food was incredible, but the standout for the area was definitely the beer assortment.
Feb 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.83 by dsshuck from Delaware

Jan 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Gajo74 from New York

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by pwoody11 from Delaware

Sep 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by seanchai from Virginia

Jul 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by tommyguz from Pennsylvania

Jul 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by kpteabo from Maryland

Feb 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Jason from Massachusetts

Jan 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by JMFP from Delaware

Jan 06, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by IPAchris from Pennsylvania

Dec 02, 2013
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Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.38/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I am going to focus this review not on the restaurant or the food (I could but it would be lengthy) but instead on the beer. I will say hands down in the numerous years I've been coming to Rehoboth, this is without question the best served food in the area (way better than Blue Moon).

The beer menu here is very extensive for dining. There are about 8-12 taps, and they vary in variety tremendously. Finding Allagash Curieux on tap here was a big surprise. Also they offer bottles of numerous Belgians and craft, in both 12 and 22oz sizes, and it practically dwarfs the wine list.

Then to top it all off, they serve the beer in Teku glasses.

I go into Dogfish Head's pub all the time when I visit, but this place is very new, less than 2 years old. There were even 2 restaurants that I went to before in this space before they showed up. This place is now... the beer king of Rehoboth and absolute must stop if you want to have some interesting beer.

Also to make it even better the food is the best I've had in the area, so it's a huge plus. Just go.
Sep 08, 2013
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Reviewed by Hophead101 from Pennsylvania

4.66/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
What an awesome find. This place is well worth the stop. Great atmosphere, great people and great beer (and great oysters from what I hear, over 100 varieties). Besides Dogfish Head, this provides me another strong incentive to visit Rehoboth.

8 beers on tap, 1 beer on cask always which is great. Small selection of draft but carefully thought out and always rotating (which is the way I like it). They have a bottle list of about 60 or so beers (again, carefully thought out) as well as a separate 'cellar list' of about 30 bottles. They also serve in proper glassware which is nice The only small gripe is a very small bar area (seats maybe 10 at the bar packed in). But you make it work.

Can't speak highly enough about this place. A short walk from the boardwalk and worth seeking out.
Jun 16, 2012
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Reviewed by RocketFrogDavid from Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I've been here a few time and would go back any chance I get. This is a great use of a spot that has seen some failed restaurants, but based on the crowd on a Saturday night in February, this place is not going anywhere. The draft selection is small but well thought out and excellent. Love they have a rotating cask. The service is spot on and friendly. My one knock is that the dining room is small so the waits can be long, and it can be a bit loud, which I don't have a problem with, by my mtoher complains about. The food is outstanding, amazing oyster selection, (try all three oyster shooters). Fresh seafood and top quality all the way around.
Mar 06, 2012
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Reviewed by rhartogsq from Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Finally a winner in this location. The owner really pays attention to beer. The other night I had a 2009 Double Bastard on tap that was aged by the owner. Also available was Hop Rod Rye on cask.
There are about 10 carefully selected taps, and an extensive bottle list.
The food is real good to. The oyster selection is awesome, and most are epic. Other food is good there too.
The bartenders are great and friendly.
I highly recommend this place for beer and food. Minor drawback is that it can get a bit loud in there.
Feb 20, 2012
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Reviewed by thain709 from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -7.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
This review is based on a Saturday night visit with FooFaa and his wife.

The place was packed and happening for 8:00 on Saturday. There are a few tables and a few seats at the bar. The hostess greeted us as we walked in and we went to the bar. Lining the wall right ahead of the front door were bottles upon bottles of beer and wine. We were able to grab three seats at the bar. It took about eight minutes for one of the bartenders to get to us.

Their draft selection is written on a chalk board and it's also visible from the big, front windows. They have eight taps and one hand pull. There was a porter on cask and the draft line up consisted of Evolution Lot 3 IPA, Saison DuPont, Peche Mortel, Troegs Sunshine Pils...wow that's all I can remember (my bad!). The bottle selection is also top notch. Cantillon, Jolly Pumpkin, and Laughing Dog were three bottles that stood out as soon as we walked in.

We were just meeting up and grabbing a quick pint. I'm rating the value as reasonable because we were at the beach. Most drafts are around $6 and that's normal for me. We didn't have any food this time, but FooFaa and his wife hit it up for dinner later in the week and they said it was delicious.

I never would have expected to find this on the first floor of a condo building, but it lives up to it's ratings. Small on the inside, so it does get busy quick. But their tap list and bottle list sure make up for the size. A great stop that is a deadly combination with DogFish just up the street.
Aug 08, 2011
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Reviewed by mdaschaf from Indiana

4.53/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Went here for dinner with my girlfriend and a few friends of ours. It is a nice place for more of an upscale dinner or a place to grab drinks or appetizers at the bar. We went for dinner on a Saturday night, and amazingly had no problem getting seated right away. They have a relatively small tap list, but always have some fun brews on tap. On this trip I had Schlaflys Beire de Garde and then Jolly Pumpkins Madascura Stout, both at a pretty good price. A lot of the time they will have something on tap that won't be on at any other place in Southern Delaware.

The food was also quite good. We had the calamari to start and then I had the Mahi while my girlfriend had the lobster mac and cheese, all of which were tasty.

They post their tap and bottle list on their website and keep up with updating it. Right now they have Troegs Sunshine Pils, Nogne O Double IPA, Smuttynose IPA, DFH Festina Peche, Unibroue Terrible, Allagash White, and Harpoon Oyster Stout. There is always a beer on cask as well. Often it is DFH 75 minute, but right now it is Brooklyn Pale Ale.
Jun 22, 2011
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Reviewed by FattyJLE from Oregon

4.44/5  rDev -2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Visited this bar/restaurant on a recent trip to Rehoboth Beach. Was happy to find a bar with a good selection as it seems Rehoboth is lacking in this area. The atmosphere was modern and stylish. Although the bar was small and loud, it was still possible to have a conversation and get a drink when needed. The selection was good with 6 taps of quality brew and one cask pull. The bottle selection was even better. However, the true sticking point for this place was the service. Our bartender, although working alone behind the bar, was extremely attentive, friendly and helpful. This place is not exclusively a beer bar, in fact, most of the clientele I saw were drinking wine or mixed drinks, yet the bartender made it a point to suggest beers we may enjoy based on our ordering history. He even suggested items that had just arrive but were not yet on the menu. The staff was knowledgeable about the proper serving techniques and glassware for different styles of beer which was a welcomed site. Would definitely hit this place again. A must if you're in the Rehoboth area.
May 18, 2011
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Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

4.58/5  rDev +0.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
One of the newer places in Rehoboth that required a visit as it is only a few blocks from the shore. This is definitely a more of a trendy and upscale restaurant versus the others along Rehoboth Ave. The dining area is smallish as there were a handful of tables but nice and bright looking. The bar area was off to the left in a separate room. The bar is also not very large to accomdate the large crew of folks that were here during my visit. We got stuck sitting along the wall in the foyer area as these were the only seats open.

There is a big chalkboard to the left of the bar with the draft beer listing - on this visit there were 6 on tap including Gnomegang, Troegs Hopback Amber, and Evolution Lot 3. They also had DFH 75 on cask. The beers were very fresh and delicious. There are about 50 bottles available which include breweries like Russian River, Lost Abbey, Mikkeller, Caldera, and Green Flash along with some of the local Deleware breweries.

We only had some oysters but they were fresh and were delivered quickly despite the crowd. They had about 8 different varieties to choose from and nicely displayed in the bar area. Service was very friendly and prompt. The waitress also showed some beer knowledge which was nice. Happy Hour helps keep the drink prices down too.

This is my new must stop in Rehoboth along with DFH brewpub. Great atmosphere with a nice beer selection and seafood.
May 09, 2011
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Reviewed by droobacca from Delaware

4.4/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Cool little spot in downtown RB De. Seems like a trendy NY bar transplanted to slower lower Delaware. The place was so packed in the bar area it was extremely difficult to move or order a drink. This could be viewed as a negative, however it is a good sign that this place has longevity. Was very excited by selection of beer on tap, in bottles, and in reserve bottles. Selections ranged from natty boh to north coast to wurzburger, so very unique. Highlight was finding Jolly Pumpkin on tap and three varieties in reserve, also thrilled by presence of local faves like EVO migration in bottle and secret spot on cask. Also they had 8 beers on tap and have a great sampling deal of four for $6.

Overall i thought the place had a great selection of difficult to find brews in Delaware and the prices were reasonable. On return trip i will probably get a table instead of fighting for standing room near bar. Food looked delicious and if you are into oysters/clams then you are home!
Feb 21, 2011
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Reviewed by jackshack from Maryland

5/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Unique, Varied, & Great Draft & Bottle selection. You just can't get these beers anywhere around here. Evolution Cask Summer Session Ale quite tasty & refreshing for hot, summer days & nights. Very knowlegable staff. Helpful in suggestions & explanations, without being too beer "snobbish". Cool atmosphere, awesome, tasty, fresh oysters from all over!! Excellent Happy Hour specials. It got crowded at Bar & Raw Bar quickly.

I suggest it to everyone!! I drive up from Ocean City s[ecifically tp visit!!
Aug 08, 2010
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Reviewed by DIPAbrewer from Delaware

4.55/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Henlopen City Oyster House is the newest beer-centric restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. Opened May 2010, it features six rotating draft lines with "no crap on tap," as well as a cask line and a very nice bottle list.

The beer selection is not expansive like the huge multitaps, but it's well thought out and has lots of treats for beer geeks such as myself. A few gems from my last visit- On tap: Saison Dupont, Mikkeller Stateside IPA, Wild Devil, Malheuer 10, Midas Touch, Prima Pils. Evolution IPA on cask and lots of great bottles.

The Oyster House has a friendly, modern atmosphere and the bar is a bright and inviting space crafted from recycled building materials. The service is attentive and well educated, illustrating the owners as true beer lovers and advocates.

The seafood is fresh and the produce is local. They are just as passionate about their food as they are about serving craft beer. HCOH is doing a great job of bringing good beer to the masses and if you visit you are likely to see me at the bar.

Cheers!
Jun 28, 2010
Henlopen City Oyster House in Rehoboth Beach, DE
Place rating: 4.56 out of 5 with 31 ratings