Dogfish Head is no stranger to the off-centered. Our brewers have been bending style guidelines and changing the way people think about beer since day one.

But new Executive Chef Kevin Downing may have come up with the most outrageous idea yet. 

“I want people to come to Dogfish Head for the food,” Chef Kevin says.

Over the past couple of months, Kevin and his team in Rehoboth Beach have been testing new ingredients, coming up with new appetizers, entrees and desserts, and – hopefully – changing the way people think about food.

“The pub is always really, really busy," says Kevin, "and I think we’ve used that as an excuse to maintain the status quo when it comes to food. We were overdue for a menu update.” 

Check out the fruits of our team's labor — and read Chef Kevin’s inspiration — below.  

Crab Cake: Pan-seared, for a nice crust

Crab Cake Entree
Two Maryland-style crab cakes with choice of two sides, Hop-Pickle tartar and grilled lemon.
“We’ve always had a crab cake sandwich, but sometimes when you go out to dinner you want something a little more substantial. We use only local Maryland crab from J.M. Clayton Company in Cambridge. They’ve been family-owned for five generations. We pan sear them now, too, to get a nice crust.” 

Meatloaf: "Fork-and-knife-type sandwich"

Woodgrilled Open-Faced Meatloaf Sandwich
Pork, veal, beef and mushroom meatloaf with Vermont white cheddar served atop garlic-smashed red-skinned potatoes and grilled ciabatta with Chicory Stout gravy and crispy fried onion straws.
“When I think of a meatloaf sandwich, I think of a big fork-and-knife-type sandwich, so that’s what we went for!”

Poutine: "An appetizer for the whole table"

Duck Poutine
Crispy hand-cut fries, duck confit, Chicory Stout gravy, cheese curds and green onions.
“We make a lot of fries, and we wanted to kick up the volume on our old cheese fries. This is a big appetizer, one for the whole table.” 

Board: "Mix and match"

Brewer’s Board
Chef’s selection of meats and artisanal cheese, 60 Minute IPA-marinated olives, Brooklyn Brine Hop-Pickles, lavosh. 
“We got a lot of feedback from our servers saying that people were surprised our old cheese plate didn’t have a bread component. We wanted to make it more of a brewer’s board, so we went with three cheeses, added a meat component and included some bread to dip, mix and match.” (Down the road, keep an eye out for Dogfish-inspired in-house charcuterie!) 

Fish tacos: "A little off-centered"

Dogfish Fish Tacos
Blackened and wood-grilled mahi-mahi, housemade pico de gallo, queso fresco, margarita cream and micro cilantro in crispy corn tortillas. Served with grilled lime.
“Sam really wanted fish tacos. We’re at the beach, so if you walk around town, there’s no shortage of fish tacos. But to put our own twist on them, we’re using crispy corn tortillas. We wanted to do something a little different, off-centered. And when it’s in season, now through mid-September, we will use fresh local Dogfish!  

Wedge: "It's sleeker"

Baby Iceberg Wedge
Baby iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, avocado, applewood-smoked bacon, blue cheese crumbles, green onion and goat-cheese ranch. 
“I wasn’t crazy about the old one, and again, we got some feedback from the servers about the presentation. This one looks much nicer, it’s sleeker.” 

Steak: Seasonal sides

Woodgrilled Pub Steak
8-oz. flatiron steak woodgrilled to order with garlic-smashed red-skinned potatoes, seasonal vegetable and Raison D'Etre steak sauce.
“We didn’t want to take away the pub steak, especially because the Raison D’Etre sauce is such a fan favorite. But we did change up the sides. When it comes to entrees, we wanted to offer something other than fries, and we’ll be changing the sides with the seasons.” 

Shrimp and grits: "I'm a Southern boy"

Woodgrilled Shrimp & Grits
Anson Mills sweet corn and chorizo grits, sauteed kale, sunny egg.
“I'm a Southern boy, so I'm a big fan of shrimp and grits. The fat from the chorizo renders into the grits and gives it a nice orange color and imparts a nice bit of spice to the grits. The sunny egg on top makes it really rich."  

Falafel: Yes, please

And that’s not all. We have a Greek Falafel Hero, Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich and more. So stop by the pub and get reacquainted with our food.

And listen to this: Last week on Instagram, after we posted a photo of a new menu item, a commenter said, “I legit want to go there just for their food.” 

Who knows? Kevin’s idea might not be so outrageous after all!