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Big Chill Surf Cantina

4.2 (63 reviews)
ModerateBars
Closed • 12:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)
Updated 1 month ago

Big Chill Surf Cantina Photos

BIG CHILL SURF CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Live music
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups

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people sitting at tables
Elizabeth C.

My family and I traveled to the Deleware shore with our dog. We were very happy to see so many planes being dog friendly. Big Chill Surf Cantina went the extra mile to make our dog feel welcome and just as important as us! So many stafff members approached and asked to pet our dog. You can tell everyone is super chill there and welcoming. The food truck, Reho Taco was excellent quality and presentation. Get the loaded fries! We will def be back next summer with our dog, Koby!

Great bar
TJ B.

This is an awesome bar! It is warm, well decorated, a great space to hangout inside and out, and they make a pretty earnest attempt to provide good food considering the limited resources at their disposal. First, the bar is awesome. The kind of place you want to hang out. Plenty of stools, some tables, a comfortable sitting area and games to enjoy. Decorated with signs, boards, bumpers and surf memorabilia. Then, if you go outside, you find two gorgeous sitting areas that also have plenty of greenery, space to sit, and comfortable seating. You can easily forget that the bar is right next to route 1. The bar is 5 stars (they also have a solid list of good local music entertainment) and the food is 3 stars, although they are making a really good attempt, considering everything is prepared by the bartender in a small space. I had 4 small things, I'll go over them briefly... The tacos are about $4 each and served on a small flour tortilla. They are kind of small for the price and don't come with anything but a small amount of toppings. They could even top these out with more cabbage, salsa, a lime, some chips, etc. that would make them seem more filling and worth $4. The pulled pork taco was awesome. Up there with the best smoked pulled pork BBQ that I have had. Really good flavor. The fish taco was a solid attempt, but was a bit bland. I guess that is good for fish (it was NOT fishy! nor fried) but didn't have a lot of flavor. More spices or condiments would kick this up. All that said, the fact that you can get some fresh made unique tacos after a day at the beach and enjoy them with an ice cold Pacifico? That's solid. Nicely done. I also got a small plate of chips and guacamole. The guac sucked. No way to sugar coat that. It was smooth instead of chunky and didn't have a lot of flavor. It tasted like mass produced quac you'd get from a jar, but I suspect it was just made in a food processor or blender. More salt and lime would do wonders...and some avocado chunks, but maybe that's just my preference. Not worth the price, try the salsa out. The chips were unique. Crisp but not crunchy. A change from what you usually get so that made it nice. A little more oily than your average chip, though. Anyway, it is the kind of place you want to hang out and wish you had closer to home. I will most definitely be back. Give it a try!

2 drinks.  Cheap!
Nisha B.

A Chill ass spot. For adults. Dogs allowed. There were some large games to play (Jenga, Connect 4 etc.) No food here, but there was a popular food truck right on the lot (which was sooo good!!) . Drinks were reasonably priced. Good 90s music. Great time! Come here!

Pete V.

Super chill outside patio with a beer pong table? Yes please! We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon to grab a beer and relax on their huge outside patio. I must say the big selling point is the fire pit with comfy rattan chairs. They have a number of beers on tap, and a few by the bottle too. The bartender was very friendly and laid back. The only drawback going here is the lack of food as we really wanted a burrito or taco, and it seemed like they served food from the outside...I guess a taco truck is usually parked outside, but it wasn't around when we were there on Saturday afternoon. Oh, and before I forget, there are a couple of large flat screen TVs making Big Chill a good football watching destination.

Beer pong night

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5 months ago

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6 months ago

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Christian C.

Thank you for the 5-star review!

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1 year ago

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11 months ago

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2 months ago

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10 months ago

Always fun here! Like the vibe it's very chill good for a couple of drinks. We've been to listen to bands and to play trivia.

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Christian C.

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5 months ago

We love this place. Great service, fun atmosphere. Great place to hang out, have a meal, listen to live music.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

Bloody Mary is awesome with some Old Bay Mix!!always great service and you can bring your dog and hangout in a cool calm atmosphere

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

I always have a ball when I go to cantina. Drinks are good. Staff are cool. Great spot for the locals. Highly recommend

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6 years ago

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5 years ago

First time there this week. Friendly place. Fantastic service. Band was Lower Case Blues and they were great. We'll be back.

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5 years ago

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7 years ago

Love this place but they really need to replace the outdoor couch cushions. Then it would be five stars.

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7 years ago

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Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Big Chill Surf Cantina

Review Highlights - Big Chill Surf Cantina

“Definitely stays true to their name Big Chill!!”

Mentioned in 3 reviews

Read more highlights

The Local Bootlegging - The Pablo!

The Local Bootlegging

4.4(104 reviews)
0.8 mi
•$$

What a fantastic evening at The Local Bootlegging Company Speakeasy in Rehoboth Beach! The food was…read moreoutstanding, the drinks were incredible, and the service was second to none. A special thank you to Peter "Pan" for making our night so memorable. Not only were the cocktails delicious, but watching him craft those amazing bourbon creations was an experience in itself. We will definitely be taking an Uber next time so we can fully indulge in even more of those exceptional bourbon cocktails! Thank you for a wonderful evening. We can't wait to come back!

**in response to the owners comment, we never met you. We didn't send food back nor did we request…read morenew food, and you, nor anyone else EVER brought me any additional drink on the house. I only had the one I paid for. There's no need to lie, bad days happen. This is not a speakeasy, this is a restaurant cosplaying as a speakeasy. That may be a bit harsh, it's a speakeasy in training. Sure, it's got all of the speakeasy decor, blackout curtains over the windows and doors, and a big selection of pedestrian liquor but it's not quite there. We went in on an early evening on Wed and there were maybe 5 other patrons in there. Our waitress was nice and brought us water to the high top. She brought us two food menus, and a specials menu. I asked for a bourbon list and she brought it; no prices on the list. Annoying. On the specials menu there was a small section of manager recommended drinks and one was a Willet. The way it was written was confusing because it said it was both a 4 year and 14 year for $52, so I asked for clarification on the age statement. She took the menu to the barkeep, who confirmed it was a 14 year so I said yes I'll have that. A drink was brought to me, but I could tell from the taste that it was not what I ordered. I asked the waitress for the bottle, she asked the guy behind the bar for the bottle and he pulled down a willet pot still bottle (pot still is the entry level Willet and at best a 5 dollar pour, no where near what I asked for). I told her that I was given the wrong drink, then she approached the bar and between her, and the male and female bartenders they had a weird back and forth conversation. Then, finally they pulled down the bottle that I asked for, that was advertised, and gave me a pour of it. I asked to see the bottle and the waitress brought it over but held it instead of putting it on the table (it was a 13 year Willet, Paper Trail). As we were about to order we were told that they reset the menu the very day before, with the focus of putting more love and care into the food. Feeling good about that, we ordered the French quarter catfish and the bourbon braised short ribs. The corn that came with the short ribs tasted straight out of a store bought steamable pouch, and the "ribs" weren't ribs at all, just sliced meat. The only redeemable thing about the catfish dish was the aioli; the rice had no flavor, the corn was cold and hard, and the catfish was mostly breading. We both took a few bites and resigned. I have been to many speakeasies around the US, and there are common themes: a much better selection of liquor; 95% of the bourbon were low tier bottles you can find in any liquor store for around $50. Also, when customers ask for the bottle, it isn't because we plan to steal it or drink from it, its because we're genuinely interested in the information on the labels. The quickest way to get people to stop spending money is to make them feel as if they can't be trusted touching a bottle. Perhaps it was an off day for the staff and this wasn't a typical experience, but I won't go back.

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The Local Bootlegging
The Local Bootlegging
The Local Bootlegging - The Local Bootlegging Company

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The Local Bootlegging Company

Whiskey Jack's - When you get there at 11 am, you get  Whiskey Jack's to yourself, for about 5 minutes!

Whiskey Jack's

3.8(17 reviews)
2.4 mi
•$

This place is neatly tucked in between a grottos and something else on the Rehoboth Beach…read moreboardwalk. One of the many establishments that grace us with their presence, providing a convenient location for consumption of food and beverages while relaxing at the beach. We had just arrived early Saturday afternoon during June's youth. We were starving after the drive to the beach and wanted food AND drink simultaneously. The bar is of nice size however the overall volume of the place is small. A few tables are squeezed up against the wall, if you're unfortunate enough to miss out on bar seating. The service was fair. Our waitress was nice enough but busy given how many people were coming in. She checked in on us slightly less often that I would have preferred but was pretty quick in getting us our orders once we did actually order. We both ordered a crush, which was my first. Due to its overwhelming sweetness, I decided to switch to dogfish head which they do not have on draught. They also didn't have 120 min which is probably a good idea, so I settled on 60 min. For food we both ordered just single pizza slices. Thrashers and Kohr's brothers are both around the corner, don't forget. The pizza slices took FOREVER. Like an unjustifiable amount of time. Our drinks came out promptly, which was this place's saving grace. This place is fine in terms of boardwalk beach standards, and it's location and proximity to the beach make it a good place to get a drank and some grub at the beach.

The food was great, the service was awesome (Patrick), the ambiance good but the music!!!! Tragic,…read morehorrible!

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Whiskey Jack's - Entrance

Entrance

Whiskey Jack's - Switching to beer

Switching to beer

Whiskey Jack's - What's summer at Rehoboth without a Grotto's slice (or two)?

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What's summer at Rehoboth without a Grotto's slice (or two)?

Purple Parrot Grill - French fries were good (they are potatoey). I think I'd like a little more crisp to them, but personal preference.

Purple Parrot Grill

3.3(630 reviews)
2.3 mi
•$$

Two things I have to plug at this vibrant dive bar: - They…read morehave fresh squeezed citrus! Grapefruit, lime, orange Couldn't be better with some Casamigos! - Their crab soup comes as a cream based option. Most places around here only have Maryland crab soup, which is red/broth based. Here the Creamy Crab Soup is rich and creamy with nice lumps of crab. So good!!

We popped into this restaurant for a Sunday evening meal and happened to arrive about an hour and a…read morehalf before a drag show was scheduled to start. We were seated in a split booth setup in the corner of the restaurant. It felt a little tight walking between the tables, and the seating itself wasn't particularly cushioned/super comfortable. We thought the decor with personalized dollar bills covering the walls was definitely creative, and the low lighting added to the overall dive-bar atmosphere. The bathrooms were gross. The trash was overflowing, and there was an unpleasant smell. Those could definitely use some more cleaning. I only used one of them the single stall rooms but I felt bad because it looked like some of the performers were using the bathrooms to get changed before the show. If the other bathrooms were similar, I wouldn't particularly enjoy having to get ready in there. There were lots of unique mixed drink options that matched theme of the bar. I ordered the "Blueberry Lemonade," which I enjoyed. Some people at our table ordered the "Mudslide" and felt it could have been more chocolate rather than tasting primarily like cookies and cream. The food was actually pretty good. I ordered the "Parrot Burger," while my partner got a Cheesteak. The presentation was nice when everything was brought to the table, and the plates and utensils appeared clean. The only minor note was that someone at our table noticed a gnat taking a swim in her drink at one point, although that could have come from anywhere. The standout item for us was definitely the chicken tenders we ordered as an appetizer. When we recapped the meal the next morning for the people who hadn't gone, those were the item we all agreed were the best! We also listed it as one of the best food items we ordered the whole trip. Everything came out in a timely manner, and the appetizer was served appropriately before our entrées. Service was generally helpful. Despite the restaurant being loud, the servers spoke loudly and clearly enough that we could understand them. However, after finishing the meal, we ended up waiting a while to flag down our server for boxes and to pay the bill. Overall, this is a fun dive-bar experience, especially if you're interested in a late- night spot or the local entertainment, but I wouldn't come here expecting a polished sit-down dining experience. The food was solid and the drinks were vibey.

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Purple Parrot Grill - Inside area

Inside area

Purple Parrot Grill - Old Bay Wings

Old Bay Wings

Purple Parrot Grill - The inside-- the walls are dripping with money

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The inside-- the walls are dripping with money

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats - Bratwurst

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats

3.9(1.5k reviews)
1.9 mi
•$$

It was great to see that Dogfish is still alive here. I used to enjoy back in Virginia and this one…read moredid not disappointment. The atmosphere is u like anything I have seen before. The space was open and lively. Although they had no live music that day, a projector TV was placed with sports. Olivia was very nice and attentive. The fried chicken sandwich was crispy and tasted great. The coleslaw lacked a bit of flavor but it was still a nice counterbalance to the sandwich. The pizza was excellent! It made me want to eat the whole thing at the moment. Overall, it is a worthwhile experience. Especially if you used to have a Dogfish location where you lived.

Oysters! Came here mostly for the oysters, although I did have a bite of the burger and that was…read moreactually pretty good too. The hush puppies were a little dry and cake-y. I usually like them to have a little bit more sweetness to them, but these also tasted like they stood in the fryer, a little bit too long. I ordered one of every oyster and made one an oyster shooter. The briney babe, came with a seaquench beer which was great and crisp, not too sour of a sour, had good flavor. I would order it again. The oysters I wish I had more of. They did come out, but they are a little bit smaller and for their price point without a happy hour they can be a little bit on the expensive side. Though getting an oyster shooter, you can definitely get more alcohol, but you'll have to sustain it some other food. I do love this location because it has a slightly more menu compared to the actual dog fish head brewery which has more options for cocktails, etc. Service did take a little bit, so it's better to order everything at once once you have your server.

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Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats - Great open area

Great open area

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats - Loved these pickle chips

Loved these pickle chips

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats - Lovely flight

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Lovely flight

Big Chill Surf Cantina - bars - Updated November 2026

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