The partner has decided that we will eat our way around Delaware since I'm not from here. I thought the bistro was beautiful. Nicely lit and decorated tastefully. The bar was large and had a great amount of variety in the liquors they had. There weren't many people there, but for whatever reason we had to wait to be seated. The bartender saw us, and he couldn't slide to the side where the waiters were hiding and let them know customers were there? I ordered a Crispin cider, and because it tapped and didn't poor a full glass they didn't charge me for if. The grilled cheese was lovely and perfect with the spinach side salad. My guy had the steak and said it was cooked to perfection. I would return. read more

We had reservations for lunch for a group of twelve. The place was not very busy through the lunch hour. Parking in the downtown Delaware area was a challenge. They have an outdoor patio in front of the restaurant that looks like it would be a great place to enjoy dinner or lunch on a warm day. Today, we ate inside. The interior ambiance is finely decorated ... large mirrors, natural brick walls, wood flooring. The lunch menu was on one page. It offered a good selection of different salads, sandwiches and Panini's, along with a couple specials of the day. I ordered their Grilled Chicken Gouda sandwich which came with chips. I do have to say at this point that even with advance reservation and only a few other tables seated, the kitchen was very slow. The waitress did her best to keep things moving and being attentive. I have mixed feelings about the sandwich. I likely will try something else next time, if I return to the 1808. The chicken breast on the sandwich maybe filled half the sandwich. The gouda cheese seemed to be on one side of the sandwich. The garlic aioli and toasted brioche were nicely done and tasty. In all, it literally seemed that the sandwich was thrown together and was more bread than anything. I left the restaurant not feeling satisfied. read more

Had the scallops and risotto. Probably the best I ever had. They were cooked to perfection. Service was fantastic. Highly recommend.

As of late my dining experience has been less than sub par. That all changed a few nights ago when my friends decided we'd go to 1808 for dinner. I was hesitant to say the least but went hoping for the best and expecting the worst. We walked in to a pseudo-modern bar area, dimly lit with a chalkboard annoucing the nights specials. A hostess greeted us (genuinely, I might add) and seated us promptly. The decor in the dining area was cute. An eclectic mix of cracker barrel meets ikea meets restoration hardware. By now you might know I enjoy craft beers. Soooo, I was super excited to see their beer list!! Bells, left hand, dogfish head (yes, yes, the 90 min.) all on draft. There were even a few I had heard of but hadnt been able to find (old 21 ESB, for example) The food menu was short--only about a page but I like that. I ordered the grilled mahi mahi with black beans and rice served on a tostada with pico and a chipotle finish. I also ordered the black pepper bacon potato soup. I expected the soup to be more of a chowder but it was more of a puree. It wasnt lacking in flavor and heather said it perfectly. "it's like they infused it with bacon fat." It was tasty, though!! My mahi mahi was delicious--not under cooked and everything went well. The prices were a little steep but not so considering the options. My entree was 16 bones and the soup was 4. Heather ordered shrimp and grits (also delicious and they didn't skimp her on the shrimp) beer was 6 bucks--pretty average. I know it might not be very easy for those of you living in columbus but its worth the trip. I live in Marengo so its a short drive to downtown delaware but I encourage everyone to go. The staff is friendly and inviting. I wore jeans and a shirt, some were wearing dressier clothes but I dont think it matters. 1808--thank you for an excellent service! (tip of the hat) read more

I come about once a year hoping it will get better. Doesn't happen. Food is cold every time. (Steak Oscar cold? Really?) The last time, a few weeks ago, I ordered the almond crusted chicken over salad. Not only was it cold, but the chicken was so over done I could not cut it. My advice? Go down 23 and hit some places by the mall, or for a great steak, J Gilberts. And like the other reviewers mentioned, service is slow, but I found the servers to be pleasant. read more

Awesome risotto and a great Moscow Mule to accompany it. My risotto was perfectly cooked with well seasoned vegetables. Service is timely and staff is very welcoming even during the busy Saturday night we were there. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food as well. read more

Lunch menu is extremely limited, I don't even bother going there anymore with such a poor selection. I give the lunch review 1 star. Dinner menu and atmosphere is a 5-star rating...so that averages out to 3 stars. Better food selection, although the prices are high for the quality of food you get. Good alcohol/beer selection, my wife loves going there so we do. read more

This restaurant does a good job with all facets of the business. The old building in which it sits is quaint but also presents a problem with comfort as the HVAC system blows unevenly in the dining room. When I asked to move my table because of the drafty air, the waiter handled it perfectly and allowed me to pick any seat in the room. Well done. This is a place you can take anyone and they will enjoy something about it. read more

We have been here many times and this past weekend, the buffet was nothing short of a disappointment. The food selection was good from afar, but the kids were open which meant the food was cold and they ran out of bacon?!?! The three times we have been there prior, the service is subpar and food is decent enough to take a break from Polaris. What great potential, but guessing this is a first time restaurant owner. read more

My husband and I have been here twice so far, and it's a great little spot! The food, drinks, and service are amazing! I highly recommend checking this place out the next time you're in Delaware. We will keep coming back for sure :) read more

Wife and I are from NW Ohio and we love breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches. Trying to find a place that sells them around Columbus is like looking for the lost ark of the Covenants. Culver's sells them but they're nothing special. Anyway we wanted a tenderloin sandwich do we went to Culvers and waited in drive thru line for 10 min only to find they were sold out. Desperate, I asked Seri about restaurants tenderloin sandwiched in Delaware and 1808 came up. I called and asked if the sold them and the gal said yes. I asked if they had a drive through and she said no, but she could bring them out to our car. EUREKA. We pulled up out front if the building, i called them and the young lady brought the food and drinks out to the car. Talk about a can do attitude and excellent service. We found a parking spot on the Main st, ate out sandwiches and people watched. And by the way they weren't the hubcap size paper thin kind you get at fairs. For 19 years we've been on a quest to find a good tenderloin sandwich and now we know where to find it. Worth the trip from Polaris area to Delaware? Oh yeah. read more

Incredible food clearly made from skilled chefs and wonderful date night atmosphere. Very good drink specials, too!

I enjoy food, and I give out 5 stars pretty easily. But this place really impressed. I started with one of their cocktails, "The Saint." I ordered the 4 beet salad and the filet medallions. For dessert I chose bread pudding. From the first sip to the last sticky, caramel-laced bite I was pleased. Their menu are simply printed which leads me to believe they change frequently. So the next time I am there I may not be able to order any of these exactly as I got them tonight. But at our table of 4, not one of us had a bad bite. Highly recommend! I'm only sorry that I neglected to take any pictures. read more

Great selection of craft beer on tap. Decent food choices. Good service and friendly staff.

Delicious food. Very clean, nicely decorated. Great weekly specials. Good vibes and amazing service. Chef cooked our entrées to perfection

This is a nice place in Delaware to eat. My son had a Spanish assignment to order dinner in Spanish and he wanted to be left alone with his classmates (girls) so we dropped him off next door. My wife and I ate at 1808. I had the pork rib eye on mashed potatoes with fried cabbage. I wasn't sure about the cabbage but it was very good. It was sweet and prepared in balsamic vinaigrette. A couple of Haufbrau Haus beers and I left very satisfied. The service is fantastic. We tried to get in once before and the place was slammed. Parking is very limited but additional parking in available a block away. I recommend it. read more

My husband and I wanted to celebrate our anniversary with a bourbon tasting. Because of COVID, bourbon tastings aren't really happening. We contacted the restaurant ahead of time and told them what we were looking for and when and they made it happen! Kelsey set up our reservations and Desmond, The bartender handled our tastings. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and seemed to enjoy our experience as much as we did. They have an extensive list of bourbons and we hope to go back to try more soon. Just make sure to order your Uber! We've eaten dinner there several times before and the short ribs and salmon were excellent as usual. We had never tried the whiskey bread pudding before but let me tell you - deliciously divine! Big enough to share and a necessary indulgent when you visit. Not only did this restaurant serve us a great meal they really went out of their way for a great anniversary experience for us. read more

1808 American Bistro - This was our favorite bourbon of the evening. - New American Near Me - Delaware, Ohio

See all

Oooohhh how we love this place! Always great find, great choices, great service. What else needs to be said??

I love this place, the food and ambiance, but I took my daughter in law for her birthday and the gals in my family for brunch yesterday and the service was awful. Our waitress was sweet and tried to take our order twice in the first 2-3 minutes of sitting down and then we didn't see her for FORTY mins!! We ordered everything because we were afraid we wouldn't see her again and got our drinks right away but 45mins to an hour later we asked about our food and she said the kitchen lost our ticket! We had the family waiting at the house for a birthday gathering so we had to eat and scoot because after the ticket was "found" it was almost another 30 mins before we got our food. Seriously? Almost 2 and 1/4 hours for bfast/egg dishes? read more

Wanted to try something new for our anniversary dinner and heard great things about the beef carpaccio, so we drove up from Dublin. We were so impressed with the ambiance and the menu, but the food was out of this world good. Something as simple as the deviled eggs at the bar were top notch. But my wife got the filet medallions and that dish was so good I was struck with envy at one bite. But my dish (salad and calamari) was too good to share. The service was wonderful. Noah our server made sure to come by and check in, but not be intrusive. Any request was followed up on promptly. This is service you'd experience at a 5 star restaurant. Thank you for making our anniversary special and I will send as many friends up there as possible. Excellent job! read more

Came here with my family for dinner on Wednesday evening. It opens at 4:00. We arrived shortly before, and were thrilled that they had their doors unlocked and were willing to seat us anyway. Once seated, our server introduced herself right away. She provided history on the restaurant and bar items, as well as the chefs, since this was our first visit. The menu isn't extensive. but the choices are more than enough. We decided on having the roasted cauliflower with goat cheese for our appetizer, which was wonderful. I've never seen that on any menu. Very pleased. I chose the 1808 burger for my meal, which was delicious. The server informed me it would be steamed medium, and it came out perfectly. The bun wasn't soaked; it was lightly toasted, and had all of the condiments that it advertised. Fries are always "meh," but I still enjoyed them. I hear the shrimp and grits is fantastic; I would love to go back and try another meal, especially dessert. It sounded wonderful. read more

My family and I (11ppl) came here the day after Christmas for dinner. We were really impressed with their menu, and even more impressed with their execution of it. Everything on the menu was good (and we pretty much ordered everything). But what sticks out, was the beet and goat cheese salad. I've had variations of this dish all over the country, but this little place in Ohio, made the best I have ever tasted. Really a great experience all around. Must try. read more

Had the specials for brunch - truffle egg & thick sliced bacon. The bacon was very salty so it was good the egg wasn't too overpowering. Perhaps that's y I couldn't taste the truffle in it? Service was good & prompt. Environment nice - Not too busy yet at the time we went for brunch. read more

Stopped in for a steak and stogie cigar event where the menu was set so did not have an opportunity to explore the entire menu. But if the set menu was any indication of how good the food is, I will be back. The the steak was great, cooked just as I ordered no steak sauce needed, the smoked green beans were slap yo momma good and served on mashed potatoes. I split the chocolate cheesecake and believe me, that big chain restaurant doesn't have anything on them. Side note, they also have beignets. I will be back to order from the full menu. I had a photo not sure what happened but trust me it was great!!! This place is an easy 4.5 service was great!!!! I only take the .5 off because it is a 40 minute drive from Columbus however a great go to spot after shopping at the Outlet mall. read more

Beer selection is killer! They have a real cool section on drink menu where it is old school mixed drinks. The reason for the creole flair is the owner chef formally trained in New Orleans. Honestly the freshest food and ingredients in town. The wife and I go on our dates here as opposed to any of the big name Columbus restaurants. Shrimp and grits and baseball steak are outstanding. You have to end your meal with the beignets. read more

The food is amazing. Full flavor, perfect portions and love the rotation of dishes. Delicious seasonal variation and unique twists on the menu. Atmosphere is perfect. My only complaint is the less than welcoming feeling from the hostess. She seemed annoyed to be there. Not just with us but watching her seat people we noticed she was just mad at the world. Also I don't think that the caliber of food coming out of the kitchen equals someone seating you in ripped, very short jeans shorts, tennis shoes and a t-shirt. Maybe she just came from her shift at Rooster's? We did not feel welcome at first however our awesome waiter Noah (I'm pretty sure on the name) is the best! I think he sets a standard that everyone should follow. Highly recommend 1808, after being seated of course. read more

Wonderful. Service is great. Atmosphere is great. Food is unique and so so good. Love it here. Beer selection amazing.

A carry out order... 2 burgers ordered.. besides being way over priced the burger was salty.. only would cook one way- no special orders here.. and for the money ... now the BS at check out ... carry out.. no drinks .. nothing taxable .. charge me tax... when I asked about this they said orders placed online were not taxable , but call in orders were taxed.. I said it would not let me order online.. then she said if I had called the order in after 4pm it would have her tax free.. showed her my phone where the order was placed at 425pm.. they did nothing to refund.. maybe the don't need the business... and we will accommodate that ... read more

Shrimp and grits is to die for!!! and i LOVE LOVE LOVE the beet salad! Excited for new things!!

Mmmm, the shrimp and grits. SO GOOD. The drinks were okay, not all that amazing, but I think I'm a bit spoiled (home is SF and NY). read more

Had an grilled cauliflower appetizer which was good. Wedge salad was acceptable though when it came to the entree is where things went downhill. Ordered the 30 oz ribeye which seemed to take a long time after the salad arrived. Tables who ordered after were receiving their entrees as mine came. The ribeye was a special on the menu and was told by the waitress it is standard to come medium rare though I asked for medium. The steak was cooked medium well, was somewhat tough, lacked seasoning and the bone it came with was burned, not charred mind you, burned. The burned left a char taste that permeated most of the meat. Made the server aware of the meat being over cooked and said it lacked seasoning and asked for salt. All I received was I am sorry. Not asked if I wanted it redone, discount off the bill, comp dessert, nothing. Paying $41 for a piece of meat that was over cooked and under seasoned is a bit aggressive. Just my 2 cents. read more

My boyfriend and I had our first experience at 1808 and will definitely be back. The food was delicious. We ordered the Brussels sprouts, scallop pasta and burger. Noah, our server was friendly, timely and made our overall experience great! read more

Excellent food and cocktails. Never hesitate to try a chef's special. Had the trout and sticky rice special last time and loved it. Very good shrimp and grits, as well. read more

One night my plans fell apart I decide to go out for a treat I was thinking of a movie but nothing that interested me was playing then I saw 1808 went in and order staek and a beer wow it was the best I have had in a long while I highly recommend you to go read more

My second visit and was really looking forward to it. The atmosphere is so nice. But, when I realized that the 'little' glass of chardonnay was $13 I was so disappointed. I'm so tired of paying more for a glass of wine than a good bottle of wine, and it wasn't even a decent pour. It ruins the experience. The Salmon was very good.. overall plate a little under whelming with the potato hash but ok. read more

We took my father here for his birthday dinner. It was a Friday early evening. Parking was challenging to say the least, so give yourself time to find somewhere & walk to the restaurant. We were seated in the side room next to the window which was unusually cold, half the party left their coats on throughout dinner. The service left a lot to be desired and although some dishes, such as the calamari & swordfish were fantastic, the pecan chicken salad was underwhelming. Our server had told us dessert was on them as birthday gift, but when the bill came, we were charged for it. All in all, a less than stellar dining experience. read more

Best brunch in town. They truly know how to deliver. Food, service, atmosphere. Love!

This is my favorite restaurant in town. If you feel the need to splurge a little, this is the place to go. The food is delicious and the chef takes his artistic skills seriously. read more

Service was great. Food was absolutely delicious. It was busy, so a little on the louder side, but that's to be expected on a Saturday night at a popular spot. I will definitely be back for dinner or even just some drinks. Great vibe & really enjoyed the staff! read more

Great dinner and our server was super helpful! The meals are more expensive than the average Delaware restaurant but definitely worth it!