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    The Cafe on 26

    4.0 (141 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    The Cafe on 26 Photos

    Business Info

    THE CAFE ON 26 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Cafe on 26

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    Reviews With Photos - The Cafe on 26

    Menu
    Tony J.

    As you can see from my past two reviews I have been here several times in the past on special occasions such as my birthday. As you can see the last time I reviewed this place was twice in 2022. Service and food quality is consistently very good here, but pricey. I was here on my birthday with 5 family and friends for our 5 pm dinner reservation. You have to call in to make a dinner reservation. My birthday was on Friday. When we arrived we were seated upstairs in the middle of the room. We always end up upstairs. I started with and enjoyed my two Makers Mark Manhattans. I also enjoyed my eight clams casino with Little Neck clams, cheese blend, fresh herbs, bell peppers, bacon and spices. The prime rib was left over from Thursday's prime rib night. They baked the prime rib slice so it was not medium rare on the outside. I prefer when they cook the prime rib whole and then slice my medium rare cut from the center of the whole prime rib. The meat itself was tender and tasty, but brown on the outside. All entrees come with a choice of two homemade sides. I opted for the grilled asparagus and the sauteed zucchini and squash. I ended my dinner with a glass of Raymond cabernet sauvignon for $16. Our experienced server served us very well.

    Duck Breast with asparagus & mashed potatoes

    We went to The Cafe on 26 for the 1st time to celebrate my birthday. Reservations are needed, I called & left a message to receive a call from the owner Maria. We asked for inside seating ( although the garden seating looked lovely with cafe & lighted trees - next time) & reservations @ 8:00. Our server was friendly & knowledgeable about the menu & wine pairing. She was attentive but not overly so. We had the cream of crab soup which was delicious & mussels to begin with. Our server timed the arrival of each dish perfectly. I had the salmon encrusted potato dish, their signature dish & spouse had the Duck breast prepared med/rare, both with two sides. For dessert we shared the peach ( local Bennett peaches) cake which was amazing. We had a lovely dinner & will definitely return to celebrate special occasions.

    Amazing inside and out! A MUST place to dine while in Bethany Beach, DE
    Lachrisha P.

    Excellent dinner from the entrance to the dessert. Extremely hospitable and the food was amazing. I highly recommend you make reservation ahead of time. Trust me you will not be disappointed. The food was so good we ask to see the chef and the owner. We were told she was very busy and unbeknownst to us she came out to our table to welcome us and thanked us for coming out. That's says a lot about the amazing person she is!

    Entrance
    Stephanie R.

    Absolute gem Dinner at The Cafe on 26 was divine. This place tends to be booked so reservations in advance is highly recommended. The place is small but cozy, our waitress was very friendly, attentive and gave the group great recommendations. I went with the Signature Salmon Dish 10/10, the crispy potatoes on top were absolutely mouthwatering just thinking about it right now. They have a nice wine selection and I enjoyed my house Pinot Grigio 8/10. I cannot wait to be back!

    Crab dip with pretzels
    Sarah H.

    To make reservations is an odd process. You have to call, leave a voicemail, and someone will call back to confirm your reservation. Or if you get someone on the phone right away, they will still tell you that they will have to call you back to confirm (they will not confirm the reservation right away). When choosing to reserve an outside table, they told me that if there is inclement weather the table will automatically be cancelled, NOT transferred to an inside table--so you will be out of a reservation. The outside seating area looked cute, though my reservation was for an inside table because of the risk of losing the reservation from inclement weather. I was not very impressed with the inside table environment. The table cloths looked like it was slapped on the table straight from the package and all disheveled. There was a cozy-type feel, but it was more like visiting grandma's house, not a romantic date night. The service was mildly friendly, though it took 15+ minutes to get our waters and over 40 minutes to get the appetizer. This could be a problem since there's a sign at the hostess stand that says "there is a 1.5 hour time limit for tables of two". It also says "phones are not allowed at the table" so we felt like we had to sneak pictures of our food. The waitress didn't seem rude, but was not attentive to the table at all. Multiple people had to bring us more water/to go boxes/the check because our waitress kept forgetting about our table. I was very disappointed with the service overall. Now the food was delicious enough to raise my 1.5 star review a 3-star review. The crab dip with pretzels were YUM, I don't think you could find many that could top it. The scallops were fresh and cooked perfectly. The filet mignon was ordered medium rare but was medium, though had super tasty seasoning. The asparagus, baked potato, mashed potatoes, and squash sides were all okay. They weren't FULL of flavor, but moderately enjoyable. The chocolate mousse with strawberries dessert was delectable. Overall, the side dishes were not up to standard but the crab dip, scallops, filet mignon and chocolate mousse was delightful. I have heard locals talk about how delicious the food was here, so I was excited for this choice as a special date night. However, I absolutely do not think the prices Cafe on 26 set reflects the service, environment/vibe, and food quality they provide.

    Cream of crab ,  couldn't wait ate half!
    Ralph J.

    Took another couple ( first timers) here the four of us had a very good time . The food was delicious. Everything we ordered was great including the salad and cream of crab soup. Good selections of wine which we also had. Service was very good . Only two suggestions the service was good but , she could of checked in a little more as our mains were an hour later than the apps , we didn't mind as we were in good company, but a check in from our waitress with an explanation or letting us know all was still being prepared would of been nice . At the point of meal delivery we were the only table left upstairs then felt a little rushed . It was also my wife's birthday and I ordered 2 deserts for her to share with me and both were excellent ( key lime and peach pie ) they wrote happy birthday on the plate but no discount or any cordial, candles or other birthday comps/ deserts were provided. It wasn't expected but for a 500 meal for 4 a little treat could of really gone a long way . The place was very clean inside and outside . The old fashioned drinks were very good . Would rate 4.5

    Our view for dinner

    We went here tonight for dinner for my wife's birthday. We probably won't be back. Despite making reservations a week and a half in advance, we were seated on the porch, with a lovely view of the Verizon building, traffic on Garfield Avenue, and the front door. If you decide to go here, this is not where you want to sit. I asked to be moved to a different table, but they were fully booked and there was nothing else available. When we were taken to our table, both chairs had food on them. While they did clean them off, this pretty much set the tone for the rest of the evening. I had the soft shell crab entree, and my wife had the crab cake. The food was good, but not great. There are a lot of excellent restaurants in the area; this really didn't make an impression. On the plus side, portions were good, presentation was OK, and our waiter was very attentive. On their website they show the owner, and they say she circulates throughout the restaurant to make sure everything is up to par. Well, that doesn't happen. And it's a shame, because if the experience was different, we would have ordered appetizers and dessert. As it was, we drove down to DiFebo's market, bought dessert there and brought it home. Friends of ours asked us to let them know how our dinner was. We will.

    Lobster Imperial w twice baked potato & French green beans
    Meg P.

    Yelpers are right - this is a great boutique restaurant w locally sourced ingredients. We've been wanting to try this place out for ages & it did not disappoint. Food & service are great. I had the lobster imperial- a special for Valentine's. It was really good but I wouldn't say great. I loved that the portions were reasonable & not gigantic. Hubby got the steak & he loved it! Have a something to celebrate? I suggest coming here.

    Ribeye

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    6 years ago

    Delicious food, pleasant server, very comfortable (clean considerate and spacious) atmosphere. Can't wait to go back!

    Business owner information

    Photo of Maria F.

    Maria F.

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    Maria F.

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    12 years ago

    Would not return...everything lacked flavor and there is no excuse for a flavorless tomato in august. Poor value, food, and service.

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    Page 3 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Cafe on 26

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    Best crab soup in the area. The service is great , you feel…read morewelcomed and the server is on top of things. Great ambiance! I would go again!

    As you can see from my past reviews, this is one of my top 5 restaurants for either on or off…read moreseason happy hour or dinner. I will summarize my three most recent visits in March during the off season on Friday's at 4 PM. We arrived at 3:50 PM prior to their open at 4 PM. Already two people were online. We waited in my Audi waiting for other customers to arrive. Other vehicles arrived around 3:55 PM so we exited my Audi to get in line behind the other two customers. When they opened at 4 PM we secured our favorite table for 4 to the left of the entrance. We were happy that Mike from his former Catch 54 served our table. We first met Mike here at Bluecoast back in 2021. Also Kelly from her former Off The Hook also stopped by to say hello. We enjoyed our dozen Chunu Virginia oysters. I also enjoyed my usual tuna poke for $15 with white rice, carrots, pineapple and jalapeno peppers. I ended my meal with a pineapple martini for $8. We returned here for our second visit with our friends. Since there were five of us we sat in their second booth on the right. Again Mike stopped by to say hello. I started with my margarita with salted rim for $9. Kelly delivered our dozen of the Chunu Virginia oysters for $12 to also say hello. I also enjoyed my two pineapple martinis for $8 each. I also enjoyed my tuna and salmon poke for $16. We also shared a bottle of Trefethen chardonnay for $58 with the Friday 1/2 price wine reduced down to $29. My total bill was reduced down from $143 to $114. Lindsay S. served us very well as usual. We returned for our third visit on Friday. We sat at the table to the left of the entrance. Kelly and Mike stopped by to say hello. I started with my margarita for $8 and ended with my pineapple martini also for $8. Again, I enjoyed my dozen Chunu Virginia oysters and my poke. Alexis D. served us very well. Customer service and friendship are most important. We will continue to return here for the off season happy hour.

    Photos
    Happy Hour
    Happy Hour
    My Sewansecott, VA oysters
    My Sewansecott, VA oysters
    Entrance and my table of choice

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    Entrance and my table of choice
    Big Fish Grill Ocean View

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    I decided to take myself out to dinner. I have been to Big Fish many times and love the food and…read morethe atmosphere. Being alone I sat at the bar. Tracy was the bartender. She was friendly and attentive. My food was brought out promptly and she checked to make sure my wine glass was full when I was ready. Tracy was enjoyable to chat with when all her other customers were served. Oh, and the food is delicious. John

    As you can see from my more than 10 past reviews this is one of my top ten restaurants for happy…read morehour at the bar. The last time we visited here was back in 2025. The restaurant was closed during the winter season. They reopened in mid April. We were here in April on a Friday around 3:50 PM, before a line of customers were lined up ready to enter at 4 PM. We scored our favorite 5 bar stools. I started with my two orange crushes for $9 each and ended with my draft Yuengling lager, since my favorite draft Guinness was no longer being offered. We also noticed some changes to their happy hour menu. The two chicken sliders are now available with one of two preparations including the original Old Bay honey or the newer Nashville hot. I enjoyed my two Nashville hot chicken sliders for $7, which were very moist and tender. They were great. I also enjoyed their happy hour homemade cream of crab soup for $8. We also ordered the Nevas potatoes to go for $5. My total bill was $61 excluding gratuity. We agreed we will continue to return here for happy hour.

    Photos
    Our Award Winning Chesapeake Tortellini!
    Our Award Winning Chesapeake Tortellini!
    Lobster Roll served on a house baked split top bun
    Lobster Roll served on a house baked split top bun
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    Mussel Pot, anyone?
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    DB's Seafood

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    There's a review here that says that this place in on the corner. The one on the corner is…read moretechnically DB's Fries. You know they are both the same owner or at least the same franchise even though slightly different names and a slight different array of offerings. This location at the inside area of the same plaza has seating and more seafood. They use quality bread for their oyster po-boy and and use slightly different ingredients compared to the po-boy at DB-Fries. I forget what the ingredients were at both places- you can investigate yourself, lol. I just wanted good food and to stay out of the slight rain on this particular day. The fries are fresh and well done. Better than Thrashers imo and not a line. Looking back, I probably should've gotten the lobster roll here and the po-boy at Henlopen instead because at Henlopen, it's a combination of seafood instead. Nonetheless, the seafood here was fresh and if it's not a bad day and love seafood, you probably can't really make a wrong choice Staff here is friendly.

    This was a mind blowing experience no extra sauces needed! Butter and lobster simple but extremely…read moreflavorful. I could go back for every meal if the lobster roll tasted like that every time. The coleslaw had what I believe to be horseradish or something in it that set it aside from all the other local ones. It was super tasty. The fries were decent but nothing special just all around good fries (maybe the need a special sauce for those to set them off). Service was short and to the point and not much of a vibe or ambiance for a snack shack style.

    Photos
    Cold Lobster Roll!
    Cold Lobster Roll!
    Sautéed Soft Crab Sandwich
    Sautéed Soft Crab Sandwich
    DB's Seafood

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    Ocean 99

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    Having frequented this location under its previous name, 99 Sea Level, I wanted to summarize our…read moreinitial two experiences under the restaurant's new management and rebranding. Our first visit took place on Mother's Day around 4:00 PM. Because brunch was still being served and dinner didn't begin until 4:15 PM, I booked a table for two, and we passed the time at the bar. We caught some live music while I enjoyed a $16 Maker's Mark Manhattan before settling the bar tab. Once dinner service opened at 4:15 PM, we were seated inside at table 45 to escape a breezy outdoor deck. It turned out to be the debut day for their new menu. I ordered another $16 Maker's Mark Manhattan and the $36 seafood stew--a rich combination of fish, clams, shrimp, fennel, pepper, onion, Spanish chorizo, and tomato seafood broth accompanied by grilled bread. It was a generous portion, so I brought the remaining stew home to enjoy later that evening. To conclude the meal, I tried the Lucky 7 porter from Evolution Craft Brewing Company ($7), which featured dark dried fruit and sweet toffee tones balanced by notes of chocolate, coffee, and smoke. Our server, Brendan V., did an excellent job caring for us and demonstrated great knowledge of the new menu, even while managing a large outdoor table with five children. Our total bill for that evening came to $114, excluding gratuity. We returned on Memorial Day for a second dinner, this time in a group of five that included family and a friend visiting from Scottsdale, AZ. Since the outdoor fire tables were completely full, we secured a table on the left side of the restaurant. I began with a spicy mango margarita for $14, which featured tequila, mango, lime, agave, jalapeno, and a tajin rim, and opted for the $36 seafood stew once again. Unfortunately, the cocktails were inconsistent this time; I ordered a Maker's Mark Manhattan up, but it tasted like watered-down bourbon. When a second Manhattan tasted exactly the same, I decided to cancel the order. Nevertheless, our server Nadine K. provided excellent service throughout the evening, and our bill came out to $92 before gratuity. Ultimately, we all agreed that we would gladly visit again.

    We went for valentines for their pre fixed menu. I assumed it was going to be just alright but…read morehonestly pretty blown away. All food had outstanding flavor and all things were cooked perfectly. The short rib rub was thoughtfully done and you didn't even need a knife to cut though it. We also loved the creativity of the fruity pebbles in the dessert. Wait staff was a bit slow, sea bass was a bit dry but amazing skin on it, and the price was a bit high ($80) and that's coming from someone who lives in DC. Overall great place for a special night.

    Photos
    View of Bar
    View of Bar
    Whole Red Snapper
    Whole Red Snapper
    View from table

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    View from table

    The Cafe on 26 - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

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