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Wilmington, DE


Joe H

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Not to be too divergent but there is a GREAT hamburger in Wilmington, DE at the original Charcoal Pit on the Concord Pike, route 202. This is a 1/2 pound hamburger where they grind their own chuck in the back room and grill it on a charcoal pit that has been there since the early 1950's. The place is a local institution, actually almost a local legend. But I am ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE original location on 202-not one of their several outposts which are NOT as good.
The Charcoal Pit's 1/2 lb burger is similar to some of the bar burgers here in that you do not really want anything on it. Maybe just a slice of cheese, maybe onion and pickle, even bacon. But no lettuce, no tomato, no "spread" or mayonnaise-none of that which makes In 'n Out and others so good. This is an "honest" hamburger that just tastes really damned good.

D. C. has had a lot of Charcoal Inns/Rooms/Grilles/House, etc. over the years. I think I've been to all of them from Silver Spring to Alexandria to Leesburg. None were as good as the Wilmington Charcoal Pit. Actually not nearly as good. The Charcoal Pit also has a 1/4 lb burger but it's the 1/2 burger that is awesome: when you take your first bite the juice just explodes in your mouth!!

They also make a hot fudge ice cream cake IDENTICAL to Hot Shoppes. And an orange freeze, too.

Somebody needs to open a Charcoal Pit here.

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Not to be too divergent but there is a GREAT hamburger in Wilmington, DE at the original Charcoal Pit on the Concord Pike, route 202.  This is a 1/2 pound hamburger where they grind their own chuck in the back room and grill it on a charcoal pit that has been there since the early 1950's.  The place is a local institution, actually almost a local legend.  But I am ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE original location on 202-not one of their several outposts which are NOT as good.

The Charcoal Pit's 1/2 lb burger is similar to some of the bar burgers here in that you do not really want anything on it.  Maybe just a slice of cheese, maybe onion and pickle, even bacon.  But no lettuce, no tomato, no "spread" or mayonnaise-none of that which makes In 'n Out and others so good.  This is an "honest" hamburger that just tastes really damned good.

D. C. has had a lot of Charcoal Inns/Rooms/Grilles/House, etc. over the years.  I think I've been to all of them from Silver Spring to Alexandria to Leesburg.  None were as good as the Wilmington Charcoal Pit.  Actually not nearly as good.  The Charcoal Pit also has a 1/4 lb burger but it's the 1/2 burger that is awesome:  when you take your first bite the juice just explodes in your mouth!!

They also make a hot fudge ice cream cake IDENTICAL to Hot Shoppes.  And an orange freeze, too.

Somebody needs to open a Charcoal Pit here.

I spent my graduate years at UD in Newark and they had one of the original expansion Charcoal Pits on Main St. It was torn down for redevelopment shortly after I arrived, but I remember a really great burger that was at least the equal of the original 202 location. I think they are building (or have built) a replacement near the same location, but I wouldn't imagine it will be able to hold a candle to its predecessor. All of the other Charcoal Pits I've visited have been disappointments.

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Not to be too divergent but there is a GREAT hamburger in Wilmington, DE at the original Charcoal Pit on the Concord Pike, route 202. This is a 1/2 pound hamburger where they grind their own chuck in the back room and grill it on a charcoal pit that has been there since the early 1950's. The place is a local institution, actually almost a local legend. But I am ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE original location on 202-not one of their several outposts which are NOT as good.

The Charcoal Pit's 1/2 lb burger is similar to some of the bar burgers here in that you do not really want anything on it. Maybe just a slice of cheese, maybe onion and pickle, even bacon. But no lettuce, no tomato, no "spread" or mayonnaise-none of that which makes In 'n Out and others so good. This is an "honest" hamburger that just tastes really damned good.

D. C. has had a lot of Charcoal Inns/Rooms/Grilles/House, etc. over the years. I think I've been to all of them from Silver Spring to Alexandria to Leesburg. None were as good as the Wilmington Charcoal Pit. Actually not nearly as good. The Charcoal Pit also has a 1/4 lb burger but it's the 1/2 burger that is awesome: when you take your first bite the juice just explodes in your mouth!!

They also make a hot fudge ice cream cake IDENTICAL to Hot Shoppes. And an orange freeze, too.

Somebody needs to open a Charcoal Pit here.

he original Charcoal Pit is great. Been there twice, once on purpose and once by accident and dumb luck. The place reminds me of the Flintstones Brontosaurus burger place.

Great shakes there too.

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On our way to visit friends who live north of Philly, cjsadler and I stopped by the Charcoal Pit for lunch on Saturday. The burgers were good, not great. Not as beefy as I would have liked, but the milkshakes (we shared a vanilla milkshake) were great. Rich, creamy, and very vanilla-y.

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Not to be too divergent but there is a GREAT hamburger in Wilmington, DE at the original Charcoal Pit on the Concord Pike, route 202. This is a 1/2 pound hamburger where they grind their own chuck in the back room and grill it on a charcoal pit that has been there since the early 1950's. The place is a local institution, actually almost a local legend. But I am ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE original location on 202-not one of their several outposts which are NOT as good.
Something must have happened with the Charcoal Pit. We were at the originial location on 202 and had the burgers. If these burgers didn't come off the Sysco truck, I would be shocked, 'cause they looked and tasted exactly like a 'food service' burger. Very disappointing. Milkshakes were good, though.
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Not quite Wilmington, DE, but close enough.

I wanted to recommend a Chinese restaurant in Newark, DE, the Bamboo House Restaurant.

It's worth pulling off 95 to try lunch or dinner. My aunt and uncle who live in Newark swear by this place. You definitely need to order off the "Authentic Chef's Specials" part of the menu.

I would recommend the following: Chicken with Basil (3 cup chicken)- it's the best I've had in the area- (Bmore, DC, Philly);

the Smoked Pork (w/fat) with Bok Choy- it's like the Chinese version of greens but the veggies stay crispy, the pork is smoked there; the Lamb in Black Pepper sauce; the Vegetable Ham with Homemade Tofu- a vegetarian dish that is really great; Mala Fish Filet- spicy dish with veggies.

So if you have any reason to come to Newark (UDelaware), this is worth checking out.

some pics

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I attended high school in Greenville, so I have many fond memories of places in Newark, Wilmington, Hockessin, and the surrounding areas. Delaware has great simple food; subs, pizza, and southern Italian food. My go-tos have always been:

Cafe Napoli (Kirkwood Highway) - Best Southern Italian I have had in the US outside of NYC Little Italy and Scranton. The gnocchi with meatballs, the penne alla vodka (with minced onions and delicious lardons), the tortellina alla boscaiola (vodka sauce with slices of ham and mushrooms), the BBQ chicken pizza (I know, trust me, get a slice), and the chicken parmesan are all outstanding and served in massive portions. Think of Bucca di Beppo only really, really good. No one in the kitchen outside of the hostess speaks a word of English, but my family has been so many times that my father is always greeted with an "Eyyy Boss" from the Italian cooks in the exposed kitchen when we walk in. If this place was in DC, we would have a thread on it with 500 responses from people raving about the cooking and the incredibly low prices (nothing above $13 on the menu last time I went).

Deerhead (Maryland Ave) - As Sthitch mentioned above, these hot dogs are great and come with a unique sauce that I have not seen anywhere else. It's almost like a creamier version of a chili that is a better compliment than mustard, relish, or onions could ever be to this particular dog. Dirt cheap ($2 apiece with the sauce last time I went) and always hot and delicious.

Capriottis (Lantana Square, Hockessin) - Some of you have probably been to one of the outposts of this place, as they have branched out across the state and to Vegas, where they opened up a few shops. The original location, in a shopping center in suburban Hockessin, is quite simply the best old fashioned sub shop that I have ever been to. The turkey, Italian, cheesesteak, and Prosciutini subs are awesome, and I rarely make a visit home to see my parents without picking up one or two of these over the course of my visit. I think what really makes the difference here is the bread, which is always fresh and soft, which I know some people do not like, but it couldn't be the better vehicle for these sandwiches. Nicely chewy without being tough and no odd aftertastes or dried out spots lurking around the edges. If you haven't been, I highly recommend, although only at the original location, the one I tried in Vegas was a mere shadow of the one in Hockessin.

I respect JoeH's opinion on food/wine related items, but I do not remember the food at the 202 Charcoal Pit nearly as fondly as him. I remember it being a great place to hang out in high school (especially with the bowling alley next door) and they do have great thick milkshakes, but nothing about anything I ate sticks out for me. Might be worth trying again now to see how it measures up to some of the great burgers I have had over the past year.

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Something must have happened with the Charcoal Pit. We were at the originial location on 202 and had the burgers. If these burgers didn't come off the Sysco truck, I would be shocked, 'cause they looked and tasted exactly like a 'food service' burger. Very disappointing. Milkshakes were good, though.

Man that is just sad. Their burgers used to be quite good.

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While not quite in Wilmington, I'd like to put in a good word for a little joint called Cajun Kate's. It's in the Booth's Corner Farmers' Market in Boothwyn, PA, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Wilmington. It's only open on weekends, and it's worth the drive. At least, I think so.

Back in 2000, my then-fiance and I went to New Orleans with an Emeril fan group. Go ahead, laugh at me, I'll wait. The group planned a visit to the flagship restaurant, but Neal and I decided we would visit NOLA as well, despite warnings. Well, we had the best meal of the trip there, highlighted by a stellar bowl of gumbo.

Flash forward nearly a decade. My friend Kate had recently moved to Wilmington and in exploring the area discovered this little Cajun stand. The chef, Don Applebaum, worked for Emeril in the past. At NOLA. In 2000. And he made the gumbo that Neal and I had loved so much.

While his seafood gumbo is great, my favorite is the smoked duck and wild mushroom. So. Good. The pork gumbo is great too. And so is the deep fried mac and cheese, the oyster po' boys. And spicy Creole tomato glaze dribbled on just about everything.

I don't have the excuse to get to Wilmington since my friend moved to the Eastern Shore of MD, which makes me sad. But I try to keep a stash of Don's gumbo in the freezer.

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Capriottis (Lantana Square, Hockessin) - Some of you have probably been to one of the outposts of this place, as they have branched out across the state and to Vegas, where they opened up a few shops. The original location, in a shopping center in suburban Hockessin, is quite simply the best old fashioned sub shop that I have ever been to. ... If you haven't been, I highly recommend, although only at the original location, the one I tried in Vegas was a mere shadow of the one in Hockessin.

FWIW, their website indicates that the original location is the one at 510 North Union St. A friend of mine in Illinois was just raving about the Bobbie (almost Thanksgiving dinner in a sandwich: turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mayo). I feel the need to hunt one down now. They list two locations in Maryland: in Elkton, plus a new one on Kent Island.

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FWIW, their website indicates that the original location is the one at 510 North Union St. A friend of mine in Illinois was just raving about the Bobbie (almost Thanksgiving dinner in a sandwich: turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mayo). I feel the need to hunt one down now. They list two locations in Maryland: in Elkton, plus a new one on Kent Island.

The Bobbie is pretty great. I also like the Capastrami. I sometimes stop at the branch in Newark when I'm near my aunt & uncle's. When I lived in Vegas, there was a definite difference between branches around town. Luckily, I lived near one whose manager was in the Capriotti family. I found out, they ship their bread from the DE/PA area to Vegas.

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Husband and I found ourselves in Wilmington DE for 4 days looking for decent food and drink.  My impression is that this is a commuter city, most people that work there leave for the 'burbs after work.  Restaurants focus on happy hour specials to get the after work crowd.  In the summer, we were told that many restaurants either close for weeks at a time or close on Sundays due to lack of interest.  This led to finding a good Sunday brunch pretty challenging.  Also, we stayed in the business area of town and decided to walk everywhere; so all these businesses were within walking range.

*Washington Street Ale House http://www.wsalehouse.com/ , has good selection of beers and a couple of decent wine selections.  Good destination for beer geeks. Wings were better than average also.

*Piccolina Toscana, http://www.piccolinatoscana.com/, was referred to us by some locals in the Trolley Square area.  Very much worth going to.  Would definitely go again; particularly a fan of the gelato.  Very nice wine selection.

*Cafe Mezzanotte Martini Bar, http://cafemezzanotte.net/, ended one evening here, had a delightful glass of wine and a steak.  Not a specifically creative menu, however we enjoyed our meal. Met some business folks that shared a unadvertised restaurant and music bar that we would have not known about had we not chatted with him:  Pochi restaurant and Nomads.

*Pochi restaurant, http://www.pochiwinebarde.com/, was the most fun food and drink place we found.  Craft made cocktails, nice wine selection and wine flights.  Food was excellent.  I do a gluten free diet and 90% of their menu is flour free.  Plus it was really, really good.

*Nomads is a local bar that serves classic cocktails, beer and wine. I do not know if they serve food.  The music there changes each night, jazzy blues one night, country blues the next.  No cover.  Staff really professional.

*Deep Blue http://www.deepbluebarandgrill.com/, has an upscale feel.  Definitely caters to business crowd.  Good raw bar.  An OK place to visit for happy hour.  did not eat a meal there.

Then there is the River Front area of Wilmington, http://www.riverfrontwilm.com/. Very commercialized restaurants and food.  Spent some time at Iron Hill Brewery, not for the food mind you.  Had some wings, not so good.  Husband seemed very happy with the beer selection.  Worth visiting if you are a beer geek.

Had drinks at Timothy's Wilmington Bar.  It was OK.'

Dinner at Harry's seafood grill.  Was good for a large volume restaurant, good marks for creativity.  If forced to eat at River Front, it would be a good choice.

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Stopped by the Dog House on the road up to Connecticut a few weekends ago. This is a roadfood kind of place with a long counter to sit at. There are a few seats in the other area where they make cheesesteaks and other stuff (pizza?), which is where we ate a to go order, but stayed on site to do so.

The dogs are split and grilled. Still a nice snap to the dog, even though it was split. I got a chili cheese version. Chili was good, cheese was a little overwhelming. Fries were decent. The staff is full of colorful characters. Pretty darn reasonable prices. Nice cheap eats and worth a drive by. But honestly, there are better hot dog places for sure. I really like Super Duper Weenie in Connecticut, for example.

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On 8/8/2014 at 9:46 AM, Atenna said:

*Pochi restaurant, http://www.pochiwinebarde.com/, was the most fun food and drink place we found.  Craft made cocktails, nice wine selection and wine flights.  Food was excellent.  I do a gluten free diet and 90% of their menu is flour free.  Plus it was really, really good.

Closed.  Pochi closing its doors in downtown Wilmington, by Patricia Talorico, June 28, 2016, delawareonline.com.

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Has our family Labor Day get together in Wilmington.  Spent Saturday morning checking out the flea/farmers market at New Castle.  It’s not hip - kind of glum actually - a mixture of fast food and cheap imported goods, with a few grocers, butchers and one seafood stall.

Had lunch at Jessop’s Tavern in historic New Castle.  The servers were dressed like wenches, and the food was English slanted but there was plenty to choose from.  I had a couple of dirty hos, which was Hoegaarden with something sour added.  The mussels were particularly good, smallish but tasty.

Dinner was had at La Fia, a hip bistro in downtown Wilmington.  A more interesting and diverse menu.  Not great food but a fun atmosphere.

Visited the Hagley and Nemours Estate.  The duponts initially made their money by making gun powder.  I think they blew up quite a few workers in the process.

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Took the kids to Winterthur.  It's a huge mansion, with 170+ rooms.  The key part is that the interiors are collected from other buildings.  The 1 hr tour is not enough.  I need to see all the rooms!  The kids loved the enchanted woods.

Dinner was at Mikimotos.  In a word, it's awful.  Yakitori, ribs, and pad thai are all weird fusion food.  The only thing half decent were the shrimp tempura.  

Stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott in Wilmington - nice furnishing but paper thin walls.

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