A Swell Time at The Swell!
If you have to be stuck some place during a violent thunderstorm, with torrential rains and crashing thunder then it’s great being on Rehoboth Avenue Extended at The Swell Tiki Bar, drinking an ice-cold brew, munching chicken wings, and listening to John Flynn at the keyboard.
That being said, there’s plenty of reason to head to The Swell, even when a “shelter in place!” warning is not part of your evening.
This new women-owned bar and restaurant, taking up residence in the spot where Big Sissies once operated is right on track to become the same kind of welcoming, comfortable locals hangout it was before.
Owners Helen Fausnaught, Jamie Forshay, and Pam Roney, along with Manager Sheila Kells have come up with a creative menu, an Islands kind of vibe and a fun concept for the whole operation. There’s a diverse bar-food menu, offering good quality and good value. From their appetizers, like excellent zucchini sticks, lightly battered calamari and Frickles (fried pickles) to the juicy medium-rare burger and Cajun Shrimp over linguini, the menu has something for everyone. Woody Voelker is in charge of the kitchen and the menu and his skills are a great match.
There are a lot of offerings, including Killer Clam Strips ($8.95), Almost-famous Crab Dip, Long Boards (grilled flatbread topped with an array of items like spinach and onions, chicken and goat cheese and much more $10.75) and signature soups and salads.
If you remember Tuesday burger night at this spot before, it’s back again, with other dinner specials for every night of the week. From grilled pork chops with two sides for $13.75 to the Bawlmer Hon Crab cake ($14.75), there are lots and lots of choices. You want meatloaf? No problem. Fish and Chips, too.
As for sandwiches, The Swell offers Woody’s Grinders (“Who doesn’t want a super Hero?”) ranging from a Patty Melt to chicken or steak grilled with fried onions, peppers and a choice of toppings. Someday I’m going to do a whole article on the identical sandwich being named three or more different things, as in grinder, sub or hero, depending on your geography. For the record, I’m a grinder fan. (No, not the app).
It was well after my dinner, with the monsoon rains upon us, when a diner at our table was served a chicken salad sandwich. Now I have to say, in a town used to signature chicken salad from several hometown favorites, The Swell can compete. With white and dark meat, blue cheese and craisins, it’s goooood.
With the evil-looking storm clouds delivering high winds and sideways rain, keyboard man Flynn went into music from The Wizard of Oz. We wouldn’t have been surprised to see Dorothy and Toto fly by the window. But the electric keyboard never lost power and we kept drinking and singing show tunes.
One innovation at the Swell is that the entertainment has been moved from the bar area/front door, to the front corner of the restaurant. Everyone can see well and it makes the place feel roomier. Local favorites like Glenda and Mark, Cathy Gorman and, of course, Flynn, are already on the books. I’d like to see the place offer a show tune night with a keyboard player so we can all gather and sing along. Rehoboth needs a place like NYC’s Marie’s Crisis or Don’t Tell Mama. We can do it here!
And relative to the drinking part, The Swell has cool specialty drinks, wine and lotsa beer selections, local, imported and craft. You can stop in for early happy hour (3-8 p.m.) or a late night ride the tide hour (11 p.m.-1 a.m.).
With the great new energy at The Swell, and abundant food and drink, there’s one more thing that for me, was crazy good. They actually have a soft pretzel station, with perfectly formed hot pretzels twirling under the heat lamp, waiting for an unsuspecting New Yorker like me to throw caution to the wind. I held back on this first visit, but I don’t know how much longer I can last…the call of a sidewalk pretzel vendor at Rockefeller Center is just plain in my DNA, and at The Swell I can get my fix.
So catch the wave, listen to oldies on a Throwback Thursday, or check out the comfort food any day of the week. It’s a swell thing to welcome The Swell. And if you see me coming out with a soft pretzel, don’t rat me out to my wife.
The Swell is located in Henlopen Junction, 37385 Rehoboth Ave. Extended, with plenty of free parking.