From the outside this place looks like a hole in the wall; however several friends have recommended it so my husband and I finally tried it on a Tuesday night last month. When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised - it looks like a well kept Eastern Shore Seafood House. My husband arrived before me and was supposed to order the apps so they would be ready by the time I arrived, but he sat at the table for 10 minutes without anyone taking his oder (hence the reduction in stars). We order the calamari, it was clearly prepped in house, very nicely done and the shrimp dumplings...they were very good. I had the stuffed rockfish because it's one of my faves at Harpoon Hanna's; this was done differently but still enjoyable. The zucchini and corn succotash is an odd combo to me but clearly a local staple...it was fresh and delicious and the mashed potatoes were also nicely done. I would definitely return to this hidden gem. read more

This is a wonderful restaurant to visit if your traveling to Dover! It appares to be a local favorite since se sat at the end of the bar and ate our dinner.. two sets of couples sat next to us and knew the cooks and bar staff. The offer a wonderful menus mixed with a stong selection of seafood and classic beef/pork/chicken. We visited tonight, Friday, and a special is the bone in prime rib ($55).. the cut of prime rib had to weigh in at close to 36oz... it was huge! We hade the crab cakes and sward fish... the swatted fish was a very large portion and perfectly cooked! We lucked out and sat at the end of the bar that has a direct view of the three cooks preparing each meal... it was so enjoyable to watch! You have to give this place a try if in Dover! read more

Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant - Open kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Dover, Delaware

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My husband and I sat at the bar and had wonderful drinks and great service. I had the ceasar salad and added the tuna and my husband enjoyed his food! Great date night spot here in Dover. read more

I'd give it a 4.5. Simply put, they do it right. I'm headed there in a few hours for my next visit, and it occurred I had never reviewed on Yelp. Fresh fish, nice variety, good staff, and plenty of non fish choices for those who fish is not their thing. NOT A FRY JOINT. Great drinks, some very creative, all tasty. read more

Just came back from diner with friends. Food and service both outstanding. There was a reason we needed to wait for a table, they are doing everything right. We definitely be back soon. read more

The service and ambience were fantastic. The food had a good flavor. The only complaint I have is the scallops needed a little bit more sear in the Shellfish pan roast. read more

Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant - Shellfish pan roast - Seafood Near Me - Dover, Delaware

Every time I travel for work in the city of Dover this place is a must stop for dinner. This is a cute tucked away restaurant with local charm. Ask for Ms. Mary as your server and you will thank me later. Their seafood is always fresh and chef specials include some of their best selections. I would recommend the crab cakes and any salad with the house made dressings. read more

Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant - Stuffed shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Dover, Delaware

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A favorite of my family. I get to go sometimes when visiting from out of town, my parents live in Smyrna. Great great seafood and huge portions along with a salad and yummy bread roll with each entree. The seafood boil is fantastic. Great quality seafood and a delicious creamy sauce. All the seafood is good though. My husbands ribs were very spicy (it said spicy on the menu but I guess we didn't believe it lol) and a little thin in meat so stick to seafood if you eat it. Homemade desserts are great, although I didn't have one on my recent visit because the service got slow at the end and we had to get going. read more

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We were in town visiting family and they took us here for dinner. As it was a Friday, they recommended that we get there early because it fills us up quickly. We got there around 6 pm and we saw a very full parking lot, but we wound up claiming the last table! Our server stopped by and introduced himself as Chris, and he proved to be a stellar waiter! He gave us plenty of time to figure out what we wanted to have and answer our menu questions. Meanwhile, we watched the line continue to grow to get in for a table - a sign of a great restaurant. It isn't fancy, anything goes, but most people were decently dressed for dinner. We ordered two orders of steamed clams as an appetizer and their lemon butter broth is delicious. For entrees, we ordered Maryland crab cakes, Pan-seared cod, and Pan-seared rockfish (a local fish). We all truly enjoyed our meals - everything was perfectly cooked and spaced out nicely between our salad & bread offerings. Their homemade Dill salad dressing is a must to pick as a salad dressing if you like dill. Also, the crab cakes were the BEST I have ever had. Ever. So tender, and practically all crab came with a light breaded coating. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

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My wife and I went Friday around 6:30. It was crowded so we had to wait a bit. We were shown to a nice table and we had the Pei Mussels as an appetizer. It was so good, we requested to get the left over broth! We had lobster and flounder stuffed with crabmeat as the main course. The food was delicious and the service was very timely. For dessert we had a white chocolate cheesecake which was delicious and not too sweet. Overall an excellent experience- we plan to go back. read more

They were very kind, but if I recall correctly we didn't place the order because we contacted them too close to their kitchen's closing time. We'll try them in the future. read more

My extended family came to dine on Wednesday evening. The restaurant was busy, every table was occupied as well as the bar! That's always a good sign. The restaurant was clean, spacious and had nice décor. We were seated immediately and our server, Erica came by to take our drink orders. Our water glasses were never empty! What we all really loved was that we were not rushed. Erica took our appetizer orders first and we were able to enjoy those without being rushed by our entrees. We ordered the seafood bisque, which was delicious and came out steaming hot. The calms casino, the calamari and the evenings special, fried green tomatoes topped with crab and hollandaise sauce. All were well cooked, ample portions and tasty! For dinner we ordered the shrimp ravioli, 2 orders of the crab cakes, the sirloin steak, the rockfish and the Shrimp stuffed with crab imperial. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Each meal also came with a field green salad with homemade croutons and tomatoes, as well as a dinner roll. Each meal was also accompanied with mashed potatoes I HIGHLY recommend the creamy dill dressing, it was amazing! I wanted to bottle it and take it home. Our final course was dessert, all of them are made in house. Two ordered a slice of chocolate cake (don't remember the exact name), two ordered the snickers pie (not pictured, but so darn good!) and one ordered the bread pudding. Loved the food, Erica was a great server who was very knowledgeable about all of the dishes. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Great greeting at front and got seated on a Friday when we didn't even make reservations The ambiance in this hidden gem is lovely but not loud Our waitress Brooke was exceptional especially when I told her that my husband is allergic to Shellfish. I had a delicious pineapple martini for my drink . I chose the linguine Alfredo with chicken and that did not disappoint! For desert their homemade bread pudding was delicious to the point that I would just go there to get that alone ! I will definitely be back read more

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Another local favorite of our Delawarean friends was this seafood spot called @coolspringsfishbar. We went last night for dinner and I ordered the Shellfish Pan Roast with linguini. It's shrimp, clams, mussels, and half a lobster tail tossed with linguini in a lemon thyme cream sauce. The cream sauce was fantastic, the clams and mussels were nice. The shrimp and lobster was a touch overcooked. It feels like it was cooked perfect in the pan, but carryover cooking took it past its prime temp. But overall, it was a tasty dish. read more

Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant - a plate of seafood pasta - Seafood Near Me - Dover, Delaware

It's a HIT..... there's no miss...!!! Every time my meal is always worth the money spent. Delicious but I just wished they were open for lunch!!! read more

Cool Springs is my absolute favorite date night spot! My husband and I love to sit at the bar and enjoy cocktails while watching the chefs prepare fresh seafood in the open kitchen. We love it so much that we asked them to cater our rehearsal dinner and they also provided the main dessert for our wedding-bread pudding, which is to DIE for! Getting to share these incredible dishes with our friends and family made our wedding weekend extra special! The catering they provided was phenomenal as was their incredible hospitality-as usual! Our guests couldn't stop raving about the meal and we were so pleased. Thank you to Joe and the team! See you soon! read more

For starters - we ordered take out and my daughter fell asleep on the way there. I give full credit for the waitress willing to meet me at my car take my credit card and bring the reciept back. It's clearly not their standard workflow, and I really appreciated the extra effort. As far as the food - it was okay. We got a wide variety of items, but nothing really stood out or was bad. The fried calamari was probably the best thing on the menu. The crab cakes were mediocre at best (if you're from MD just skip these), the Baked Stuff shrimp was the best entre, and the Pene Pasta with shrimp - well the pasta was good, the shrimps lacked any punch. If the price was just a bit cheaper I would probably bump this to 4 stars. Would I go back? There isn't a ton of options in the area, so honestly I'd go back if I stayed in the area again. read more

The food was outstanding (delicious), the service was exceptional (staff friendly, professional and diligent), and the ambiance was great, family oriented. We has our 32nd Wedding Anniversary there recently and the management was so awesome! Our night was made perfect because of the services. Thank you again, we can wait to return soon! read more

This food makes you feel as if you're right on the beach eating what was well prepared by the fishermen that brought from the sea! It's a busy place but the wait isn't too long & more than worth it! Highly recommended! read more

I'll get the one issue out of the way. This restaurant was mobbed (for all of the right reasons) and the parking is chaotic. There. We were a party of six. Several food preferences and allergies that make us a stress on a server. Our server was Erica C. She was amazing. She was attentive, helpful, and amazingly efficient as the restaurant was hopping. Great personality as well. A mere mortal server would have been overwhelmed. One of the partners, Chris, was on the floor. Restaurant was run really well for as busy as they were. He was great. The food runners didn't stop. Bar had a nice selection, prices good, pours were generous. The food was terrific. Interesting and varied selection through all of the courses. Well prepared and everybody loved their meals. We came because our friends tried Cool Springs and took us there. We heard about the prime rib for a week before our visit. Five of the six of us ordered the prime rib. Lived up to the rave. Apps and deserts were just as good. We never felt rushed as we enjoyed a very nice evening. We would not hesitate to recommend Cool Springs and cannot wait to return soon. read more

Food was delicious and service was amazing. Our waitress, Mary, was very knowledgeable on all the different dishes that were available and even had some recommendations based on what we were in the mood for. The oysters were delicious. I ordered a seafood platter and heard from a friend that I should try it over linguini...and it was amazing! The soft shell crabs were also good. The ambiance is that of a nice restaurant but nothing too extravagant. You can show up dressed fancy or you could wear jeans and a hoodie and both would be appropriate. read more

Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant - Dozen Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Dover, Delaware

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Great food, great service. Was an unexpected surprise. Not much curb appeal, but definitely a great spot once inside...

Food is always good. Service sometimes slow but why hurry a good meal. Love cool springs

The Best Food , the nicest staff and the best drinks in town ! I finally tryed something different last night celebrating a friend's Birthday , The Shellfish Pan Roast served over Linguine!!! Just try it ! Between the Fish bites Appetizer and the Caesar Salad I was already happy, but the Seafood was perfect! Scallops, Shrimp, Lobster etc.... read more

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Food was fantastic. We sat at the bar and watched the food prep in the open kitchen. The kitchen crew was super impressive to watch. They seemed to pay attention to all the details. read more

Wonderful delicious best in county restaurant in the Dover region for people who deserve the best food and despite being in a good place want the best food experience atmosphere and service you can have read more

Came on on a weeknight without a reservation and was so happy to be accommodated. I have been to the restaurant 2x in the past and it seemed like it was getting a little dated and stuck in a rut -- uninspired specials, poorly seasoned main course and an "old school" dessert cart which was simply cumbersome and unnecessary. I understand from our waitress that new management has taken over in June 2023 and what a breath of fresh air it has been since my last visit. I enjoyed the fire roasted shrimp which was light, crisp, with an amazing sauce and a cup of seafood bisque which was well balanced (not too heavy) and flavorful. For my main, I had the pan roasted cod which was prepared perfectly -- light and flaky but still moist with an amazing finishing sauce. I even splurged on a piece of chocolate peanut butter pie which was rich and decedant but not too heavy (it was so good I even ordered one for Xmas dinner too!) Overall, I was blown away but the changes the new management/owner has made since my last visit. I would not hesitate to come back the next time in am in Dover. read more

The food here was amazing and the staff are extremely friendly. Everything was fresh and homemade. I enjoyed that the chief came out to talk and see how the meal was eventhough it was busy. read more

Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant - Shellfish Pan Roast - Seafood Near Me - Dover, Delaware

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We went in feb of 2020.. the seafood was very good and so was the service. Would definitely go again read more

The food and ambiance of the restaurant is on point. I just wish they took reservations because you gave to get there early and line up to get a seat. read more

Always have excellent food and a great time. Servers are top notch and very knowledgeable and eager to help.

I tried this restaurant. I was looking for seafood, voila! When we drove up to this restaurant it was a bit surreal. The restaurant is only open from 5p - 9p. So, we are in the parking lot and there are other business around, I have passed this place many times, never knew it. However, there was a line outside the restaurant! Past the other businesses, and well into the parking lot. Not being funny, but black, white, young, and old...just standing in line, waiting for the restaurant to open. So, we ask how the food was, and everyone was like it's FANTASTIC!!! Great! I am the food adventurer, between my sister and I. She has a set # of things she likes, and tries best not to stray too far, much like my dad. However, I look at the menu, and see Swordfish steak. Hmmm... So, I ask how they prepare and the waitress told me, and it is black peppercorn crushed and pushed into the meat, then cooked until it creates a thick crust around the meat. Is it spicy? OH YES!!!! Then, I say NO! So being sweet, she tells me that she can have the chef make the fish without the pepper and hopefully I will enjoy it that way. Sure thing! So get my meal and leave. When I get home to eat it, it was bland, thick and steak like/heavy, with no flavor whatsoever. If I were going to another restaurant, "Outback," "Red Lobster," something like that, I would have complained. However, they were trying to accommodate my needs, and that is not how they normally prepare the swordfish, ever! This is why they got 3 stars. We wound up going back to the restaurant and my sister ordered the Salmon, with the same prep as the swordfish, and she was over there eating her meal like it was the last food on Earth, and she had to eat it; and her life depended on it. She let me taste the salmon, of course, not including the pepper part, and it was GOOD! So, I conceded and said I would try the restaurant again, but maybe something different. So stay tuned, Ill update my review, when the time comes. read more

I'm giving 5 stars because to find a gem like this in Dover is truly a pleasant surprise. Transplanted here from some of the best restaurants in the NYC/Hudson Valley NY area I am used to high quality food & service. Tonight I got this. It was a Thursday night and the place was packed. It has an open kitchen concept adjacent to the bar area and the cooks were Preparing dishes like a well oiled machine. Food was coming out perfectly hot, fresh and fast! There are no reservations here so we had a drink at the bar for our 25 minute wait. (Each beverage was made well) Our waitress Katie really held it all together. (My male dinner companions like to joke a bit). Each appetizer, salad, soup, bread (served fresh baked & hot), entree & dessert were perfectly prepared & served. The clams casino were very minuscule. That was our only negative. (See photos) Everything else was ample, properly cooked & seasoned. We all had a different fish entree & was fresh not frozen. Entrees were served with a fresh cooked vegetable medley & a delicious homemade potato croquette along with a side mixed greens salad. Waitstaff was pleasant, & efficient. The decor is modern & uncluttered. Worth multiple visits for sure. read more

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First time in town, read good reviews for this place. We arrived without a reservation and were seated quickly. Busses poured us water, and that was it. No other acknowledgment, made eye contact with a few servers, nothing. Busser came to give us a refill, told him not to bother, we were leaving, after 30 minutes without even a drink order being taken, he offered to get a server for us, but we declined and went elsewhere. Prior to this, I watched at least 2 other tables come in, and servers did attend them. Not a great first experience. Likely not to return. read more

Drinks were great, service was friendly, and food was amazing. Everything was fresh from the seafood to the steaks. This is now one of my favorite places read more

(3.75 stars) Seafood restaurants (of the non-fried variety) have a thin margin for error, so the fact that Cool Springs has lasted nearly twenty years says something in and of itself. While no one will accuse this place of being trendy - or cheap - the food is plentiful and generally well-executed. A bland white building in a plaza, Cool Springs doesn't exactly command attention from the road. The inside is quite a bit nicer though: clean, well-lit, and with just enough personality to stave off boredom. The menu here is a bit of a throwback with crab imperial, flounder Meuniere, crab cakes, steaks, and chops among the offerings. There is something to be said for comfort in familiarity though, and the specials change often enough to ward off ennui. Our group of four split a fried calamari starter, two of us opted for the shellfish pan roast (shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and a lobster tail with lemon thyme cream sauce) over linguine, and the other two went with a stuffed salmon and a fried flounder (both on special), respectively. The food did not disappoint. The calamari were crisp and golden brown and lacked both greasiness and chewiness. They were a bit bland, but a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of the accompanying sauce took care of that. The entrees came with a nice assortment of mixed vegetables, and they did not lack in flavor. Neither, for that matter, did the pan roast's sauce, which the linguine soaked up well. The ratio of seafood-to-carb was favorable, and while the lobster and shrimp were enjoyable, the scallops were a clear standout. One of the clams was not cleaned properly (not cool, Cool Springs), but that was the only hitch in an otherwise quality meal. Should you save room for dessert, the bread pudding and its decadent sauce are winners as well. Though Cool Springs provides a good amount of food for the money, it is no bargain, even by seafood standards. The pan roast was $25, and most of the entrees are in the $20s. Cathy, our server for the evening, was experienced and personable, and wait times for food seemed about normal. Cool Springs occupies the unenviable position of being too costly for a regular haunt yet not quite refined enough for an occasion destination. Despite this, it offers tasty seafood and even better desserts for those who are willing to spend. read more

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3.5 stars, rounded down. Order a salad and dessert. You'll be happy and full enough. If you add an entree you'll have more to eat, and a larger bill, but I can't promise you'll be as happy. This restaurant has been recommended by a few people, all of whom told me that the food was good and that it was one of the fancy restaurants in town. I now know that by good they meant ok and by fancy they meant expensive. There was nothing wrong with the food, but for the price we paid i expected some seasoning. I was very pleased with the service, but the bland food and nondescript atmosphere are simply not enough to justify the cost. The good news is that the salad was fresh and that the house dressing (a creamy dill) was both interesting and tasty. I chose bread pudding for dessert and was presented with a massive wedge of custardy sweetness with just enough burnt edges peeking through the sauce. The other dessert options looked delicious as well, and are mentioned often in other reviews. I ordered "fish bait" as my meal. It is listed as samples of the day's fresh fish battered and fried. It is served with a slice of lemon and I asked for horseradish sauce instead of tartar sauce. It was ok, but the better option would be to order the excellent fish and chips from the sister restaurant, Restaurant 55, which is just two doors down. So there you have it. Eat your entree first at Restaurant 55, then walk to the other end of the building and have a salad and dessert. Now you'll be happy AND full. read more

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We went there for my husband's birthday. The food was very great. Made from scratch salad dressings, desserts The seafood was fresh and the portions were large. We will definitely be back. read more

Amazing food! Definitely sit at the bar and watch the chefs do their thing with the open kitchen!

I received a gift certificate for this restaurant and am I ever so glad I did. This place is a small gem among the eateries here in Dover. Not one part of my experience here was a disappointment. From the appetizer to the dessert was a tasteful delight. The staff was great and attentive and the ambiance was not hard to take either. Not super fancy or over the top just real great service and excellently prepared food. I would highly recommend this restaurant to someone who is looking to have a really great meal. read more