Newark, Delaware Restaurant Guide

            The folks at DGA travel a lot. As a result, we eat out a lot. Occasionally on the blog we offer restaurant reviews of places we’ve eaten at across the country—whether it be in California, New Orleans, Boston, or even the Atlanta airport (busiest airport in the world!). Today, we wanted to focus not on a major city or airport, but rather a place we’ve spent a lot of time over the years, Delaware. Yes, Delaware. If you know anything about corporations, taxes, or litigation, Delaware’s importance far outstrips its size. Today, we’ll focus on the Newark (New-ark, pronounced differently than the similarly named place in New Jersey) area: home of the University of Delaware, chemical companies, and an array of tasty restaurants. As a college town, Newark has a lot of restaurants that you’d expect: there’s a Chipotle, Panera, mediocre pizza (Grotto’s), and other fast casual staples. But we wanted to point out the places that are actually worth your time and money.

Two Stones Pub: Located just south of downtown Newark, Two Stones is tucked into a small strip mall near a Subway and a Sherwin-Williams paint store. It offers an impressive local and craft beer selection to go along with a tasty array of pub-fare. They brew beers in-house as well. Standout appetizers include the crispy Brussels sprouts with a sriracha mayo and warm braided pretzels accompanied by queso blanco and a honey-whole grain beer mustard. For entrees, Two Stones offers fish, pulled pork, and chorizo tacos. They also feature a Foie Gras burger with goat gouda cheese, bacon, and a fig jam. Two Stones is the kind of place to go after a long day when you want a tasty beer and some comfort food to go along with it.

Stone Balloon Winehouse: Located on Main Street, Stone Balloon Winehouse began its life as a music venue before transitioning into one of the nicer restaurants in downtown Newark. With a price point geared towards adults and not the ravenous hordes of college students, Stone Balloon has a quieter, more adult vibe. The menu now features American-fare like Calamari, Beef and Bacon Lollipops, and Oven-Roasted Meatballs. Entrees include ribeye steak, short ribs, chicken, salmon and a variety of pastas.

Iron Hill Brewery: With 12 locations including one on Main Street in Newark, Iron Hill brews its beer on-site. At any given time, they’ll have about fifteen different beers on-tap with something to please any kind of beer lover. They also have an extensive menu of American-pub food. There’s pizzas, burgers, pastas, sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, and a variety of entrees. Iron Hill is the place to go if you have a good size group and you want everyone to order something they’ll like.

Taverna: A relative newcomer to the downtown Newark restaurant scene, Taverna is a casual restaurant featuring homemade pastas, pizzas cooked in a coal fired oven, and a rotating selection of specials. Appetizers include veal meatballs, whipped ricotta cheese, and clams and mussels. Entrees include a range of pastas, short ribs, shrimp, and gnocchi. Like Stone Balloon, Taverna is better suited for smaller groups looking for something a bit more specific than the broader menu you’d find at Iron Hill.

HomeGrown Café: HomeGrown Café is the place to go if you’re looking for something with a lot of vegan or vegetarian options. This downtown Newark staple features small places and appetizers like cauliflower wings, hummus, stuffed avocado, and entrees like kale and quinoa. They also have a large number of vegan or vegetarian soups, salads, and rice bowls.

Interior of Brew Haha! 

Banh Mi Boy: While Banh Mi Boy is an order at the counter restaurant, it is worth your time if you need a quick and absurdly cheap bite to eat. Located at the end of Main Street, the menu is small with a soup, some dumplings, and then five different sandwich choices. You can’t go wrong with the original Banh Mi with ham, pork, homemade pate, and pickled vegetables topped with jalapeno and cilantro. 

Brew HaHa!: Popular with college students, grad students, professors, and basically anyone who likes coffee or tea, Brew Haha! is the spot for a wide range of locally brewed coffees and teas. They also have breakfast pastries, sandwiches, salads, soups, and a variety of other tasty beverages. Brew HaHa! is a nice alternative to Starbucks and has a fun and welcoming atmosphere where you can grab your coffee to go or sit and enjoy a leisurely breakfast.