Visited on while on vacation on September 10, 2015 at about 8:00 pm. We walked in and there was nobody manning the reception station. Had to wait until someone saw us standing there. Staff was down the bottom of a ramp laughing and messing around. When they saw us they did come and seat us right away. We then had to wait and wait for a server. A blonde female server came over and looked at the ticket on the table and said our server was Eric. She said she would take our drink order and then find Eric. Eric finally came over after we watched him serve several tables first. When he got to our table he did apologize for the confusion and took our order. Since we were having the buffet it was an easy order. This part is rather subjective but we got the feeling that Eric did not want to wait on our table. He was not cheerful nor helpful. Eric did stop by and ask if we needed anything but it seemed to us that this was a real chore for him. The food was okay and the choices were limited for a buffet. There were plenty of crab legs though. I would not recommend the food as it was just okay and not really worth the $35.00 for the buffet. I must say the dessert buffet was good. As we were leaving I happened to notice a sign with the dress code on it. Laying on the floor under the sign was the American flag. Had I seen this on the way in I would have walked right out. Skip this one. read more

Rusty Rudder - Rusty Rudder Restaurant disrespect the American flag. - American Near Me - Dewey Beach, Delaware

Excellent fish & chips and great place to get obliterated drunk. Staple of the community.

Unfortunately the buffet is gone as of the busy Sunday afternoon we went in August 2018. Food was solid but not special, much like it was on the buffet... Which was a buffet, so that made up for the food. Service, however, was truly terrible. He screwed up numerous times (items not as ordered, etc), was not around very much to check on us, and generally want very friendly. There were also a ton of noisy large groups around; I'm glad they were having a great time, but the acoustics inside made it very difficult to have an enjoyable conversation. Based on the crowds they seem to be trying to actually the weekend party crowd, which just isn't what I expected or wanted. read more

The crab soup was good. I had the bacon cheeseburger which was juicy and charbroiled. My wife had the grouper tacos that were very salty and we would not reccomend them. The drinks were good. The patrons were a mix of regular resteraunt goers and some loud bar people. The majority was laid back. I would come here again. read more

I came here on a quick weekend trip to Delaware to visit some family. After being told this place has a heresy view to watch the sun set and they have live music my boyfriend and I were really excited to go, relax and have a good time. The view did not disappoint! We sat on the deck and had the perfect spot to watch the sun set, everyone was taking pictures. Music was alright, it seemed that they would only play 2-3 songs before taking a break which was a bit upsetting bc we were looking forward to listening to live music and not something you would just here on the radio On to the food. For appetizers we ordered the Thai mussels and the seafood skins. Both were okay, seriously nothing to rave about. The seafood skins came out on potato wedges rather than actual scooped out skins, and they use the cheapest quality seafood, probably something that comes in frozen in a bag. I've had better mussels before. I would pass if your thinking about getting them. For our entrees I had the short rib tacos and my boyfriend ordered the crab cake melt. The short ribs were missing some type of sauce. What would set them apart is if they took whatever braising liquid they took them in and reduced it down to a sauce and spiced it up it would allow the short to not taste as dry. He said his entree was okay but he's also had better. Both came with a bag of kettle chips. The place is okay if your looking for the view and maybe some drinks. read more

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If you're looking for a meet market filled with boys who've stepped out of the Abercrombie & Fitch web site, then this is the spot for you. Lots of RVCA T-shirts, camo cargo shorts & brown flip flops. Pros: live bands, outdoor & indoor bars, bayside Cons: expect to get the one drunk guy to follow you out of the bathroom & back to where your friends are read more

Where to start ..we went into the restaurant and no one greeted us. We sat there for 15 minutes. We called the head of the restaurant ahead of time to ask about a buffet and they ensured us there would be a buffet at 4:30 pm and when we arrived there was no buffet. The only good thing about the restaurant is the location. Huge waste of time, specifically on Mother's Day when the whole party was mothers and children. read more

A decent restaurant with a great view. We stopped here to eat becuase the Dewey beach parasailing is right in front of it and we were hungry after our ride. The food was pretty good my mom had a turkey club and I had some turkey cheeses take tacos. Everything was pretty good and the view was great. read more

We went for New Years and paid $100 per person. The event pages all said the place was open until 2 AM, and we were outside smoking at 1 AM and the security guard shut the door and started being rude and threatening people saying nobody else could come back in. We had to use the bathroom, the rest of our friends were inside, and our designated driver wasn't supposed to get there until 1:45. This was a horrible ending to a decent night. What way is that to treat your guests? One guy's wife was inside and scared and they wouldn't let her out or him in. They were forcing people to fight through a crowd of people being forced to leave an hour early. What a mess. Disgusting arrogantly rude staff. read more

We had a good time here on Thursday night. The music wasn't as sucky as it usually is. We were able to pay our bill in a timely manner, unlike previous visits. And the crushes are good here. read more

I got the buffet. First thing i tried was the crab legs, cooked alright but had a funny taste. Im used to crabs made with vinegar an water. Then they had something listed as butter but it was margerine and when I asked for real butter they brought solid butter. They said they didnt have it melted. Seriously? Then i tried their shrimp. Very over cooked and tough. My mom had shrimp from the kitchen an they were great. The desserts are good. They did have a wide selection of foods but i didnt care for the seafood from the buffet. Service was good. read more

I went to this place for my girlfriends 21st birthday me being 21 from New Jersey and they bent my card in half and when I told them to call the police they kicked me out of the restaurant in a forceful manner. And told me to leave. I would never recommend going to such an unprofessional restaurant with such horrible mannered employees. The server was very forceful to kick me out as well after I politely asked for the cops to arrive to discuss what to do about this miscommunication. Horrible service, horrible manners read more

Rachel was the best server ever! She gave the best service and always had a smile on her face. So friendly. when you come to the Rusty Rudder definitely ask for her! read more

They obviously care more about the night life and bar than preparing good food. There are way too many great restaurants with amazing food in Rehoboth and Dewey to spend $100.00 on a good meal. Very disappointing...the buffet had mushy crabs, the sushi was fishy and rolled terribly, the beef was tough. I could go on and on. It was just bad. read more

Ordered the fried seafood platter. That's s huge basket of ordinary fries plus a doughy crab cake and two fried pieces of fish smd 3 fried shrimp. I was not impressed. The margaritas are big and the burgers are ordinary. View is nice. Music on Saturday night is pleasant - calypso - but not going to change your life. read more

Rusty Rudder - View from porch - American Near Me - Dewey Beach, Delaware

Visit every year love the food, strawberry daiquiris & live music Beautiful views of the bay read more

One word to describe this place would be average. It is your typical beach restaurant where the quality is lacking since it is a seasonal place. The outside deck is nice because it is on the water providing a nice view. Also they had live music, which gives that summer feeling. The problem is when it comes to the food it's just not good. You can never really find a really good place to eat at the beach and this is not an exception. I probably wouldn't go back here again because the average food isn't worth it. read more

Horrible institution. Poor service. Mean and annoying workers. Dirty and gross. Overpriced too

For the number of fun bars and nightlife places in Dewey, do not waste your time coming here. You will wait in a very long line to be met by rude workers. When I went this past weekend all 3 workers checking IDs were yelling and screaming at customers as they approached. When people are rowdy and out of control I can understand, but no one around me was of that sort at all. Then you will have to pay a cover, $10 this time, for who knows what reason. When we got to the bar finally the bartender ignored us for a good 20 mins while taking countless orders of people arriving to the bar after us and other patrons. One customer asked why and the bartender rudely said she had her own system of placing drinks and wouldn't and couldn't get drinks any other way. No workers are there helping the flow of people move. The toilets were all clogged in the ladies restroom except for one. Just all over not a fun experience. Don't waste your time. Go to some place like Starboard or Bottle and Cork where the drinks are better, the staff is 100x nicer, and the overall atmosphere is better read more

Had the seafood buffet. Its not worth the price. Food was not fresh. Crabs had not meat. The sea food cake and crab balls were awesome. Nice decor and ambience. Giving 3 *'s for that read more

The owner needs to go to Myrtle Beach to see what a $40 per person buffet looks like. How can you have a restaurant in a beach town and not have one thing on the buffet that is local seafood? Everything I ate last night was horrible....very bland, very tasteless. Also, I had to pick through plates to find a clean one. The mashed potatoes looked gray, and were obviously instant ($40 for instant mashed potatoes!!!!) The Rusty Rudder is so very gross and horrible.... read more

My husband ordered the buffet. I ordered the crab and artichoke dip. He tried a little of everything on the buffet. Looked great, tasted awful. How can you ruin steamed crab legs?Artichoke and crab dip was served in a bread bowl. Bread bowl was soggy. Chips were tasteless. Didn't matter because only had 2 tablespoons of dip. All food couldn't have been prepared onsite. Have a feeling it was purchased in mass and only heated at the restaurant. Server not trained. No drink refills. No crab leg cracker. Had to hunt down waiter. Really wanted to love the food, followed with great review. But can't do in good conscience. Want to forewarn newbees to the area. Save your money! Mango crush was yummy. Orange crush was not good. Ambience (evening so we couldn't see the sound) looked cafeteria style. read more

Location, location, location. Food was good, not amazing but good. Service was a really good experience. Live music and view of the water was the highlight. Drinks were ice cold and very well made. Try the watermelon something...Very refreshing after a day on the beach. Place was recommended by friends. I would go back again and get the nachos and drinks overlooking the bay. Cheers read more

Not sure why all the bad reviews. Was a little skeptical about trying this place but we took a chance anyways. So glad we did. First we sat on the deck and had a drink and some clams ( which were excellent) Then we went inside to have a nice meal. I had the tempura crusted scallops and my boyfriend had the crab imperial stuffed rockfish. Both were delicious. Our waitress. Both inside and outside were very pleasant. I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Very disappointing! Went with a group and all of our food was horrible! The only good thing was the fries. My friends got a steamer pot they were very disappointed. They said the corn was sour and the seafood was not good. I got nachos and it's like they sprayed cheese whiz all over and then added lettuce and tomatoes. For what you pay you expect the food to be delicious! We were all starving and it was pouring rain and everything was packed so we stayed and ate but would never go back! read more

I was very disappointed when dining at rusty rudders. We had a vegetarian at the table who ordered an impossible burger and someone else who ordered a cheeseburger. When the food runner brought out our food, she handed the cheeseburger to the vegetarian and when we questioned if it was the cheeseburger or impossible burger, she looked at us when we were crazy and told us that it was the impossible burger. The vegetarian then proceeded to eat the cheeseburger as we were told it was the impossible burger and threw up. We told the food runner and she walked away, did not care about the situation at all, and genuinely did not care abt her mistake and that the vegetarian ate meat. She also proceeded to mix up the burgers again, AFTER WE TOLD HER WHICH BURGER WAS WHICH. Then the server came and we told him about the situation and he didn't seem to care at all and again wasn't taking us seriously. Then we asked for the manager and the server laughed at us and asked if we were serious. We talked to the manager and she was a little nicer. Then she took the impossible burger off the check. read more

Last nite was awful. Last meal delivered after everyone finished n dishes cleared. Had six meals , appetizers n six drinks. Took last meal home in a bag. Still gave a tip on entire meal. Server was apologetic but stlll horrible food. Had to wait 30 min for bill. Thought u need to know read more

Our Party of 4 had drinks and dinner on the deck tonight. Our drinks were long in coming, beer was not well chilled and pina colada lacking in flavor and spirits. The top shelf Margarita was good. One person ordered all you can eat crab legs and shrimp. The rest ordered 2 appetizers, potato skins and cheesy fries. It took nearly 45 minutes to get our food items....too long when the place was not packed. The person who ordered the 'all you can eat" practically had to beg for more crab legs and butter. The waitress wanted to argue that we didn't wait 45 minutes instead of apologizing. If you can't service the all you can eat items, then they shouldn't be offered. We had to get more melted butter from the hostess. We paid our bill and left immediately since there was no reason to linger and be more frustrated. read more

My experience at the Rusty Rudder was ok. The good first. I greatly enjoyed the food for one thing. The crab cake and the clams stood out the most, they both had great flavor. The prices were not too bad, even for a college student such as myself. The hostess was friendly and the room in which we sat was very nice, I enjoyed the pictures painted on the walls/ceiling. The server was friendly and helpful but this brings me to the bad. Our delicious appetizer came out a mere 3-5 minutes before our entree's rolled out of the kitchen. I could have sent them back but my entree enticed me to eat them both at the same time but I would have liked more time to enjoy my appetizer. I work in restaurants and that is an easily avoidable mistake. Also, the server did not bring out the complimentary biscuits without being asked. Overall the experience was pretty good, some flaws but when it comes down to it the food and atmosphere was excellent! read more

Over priced buffet ($35 per person)with a very very small selection. The only plus is that our server was awesome. The crab legs seems like they've been previously frozen no they are not as fresh. ....... read more

Pros: seafood buffet is all you can eat. I recommend the crab legs, clams, and salad bar. Cons: most of the food is poorly made and low quality. Muscles must have been sitting there for hours, since the outside part of the muscles were dried out! And half of the shells were totally closed. The mac and cheese was greasy and soggy. Potatoes were cold and soggy. See where I'm going with this? Food is mediocre at best, you're paying for the fact that you can stuff your face with as much as you want. Also, they have this dumb policy where they can only use 2 credit cards on the entire table's check. read more

Buffalo burger was good. Waiter acted like a total douche. Drinks were way overpriced. Over $8 for a bud light seltzer.

My family and I have been coming to the Rusty Rudder on and off for 30 years. We arrived during end of summer season 2020 with a large party of family members. No clams available on the menu. Staff was not friendly, server in particular, food was mediocre. Service has deteriorated over the years. Exceptions can be made for Covid in certain circumstances, poor attitude/behavior by staff members is not one of them. read more

We were in Dewey for the first time a few weeks ago, came across this place during our morning walk so we decided to give it a try for it's night life. It was a great time! Good drinks, service, a band and right on the bay!!!!! read more

I'm sorry but this place is not a good destination for food. I had a crab cake sandwich, expecting a good fresh crab cake... had to be previously frozen product, it was nasty. Wife had fish and chips... looked like it was from Long John Silvers, not fresh. Son had fried chicken, chicken piece had feathers still on it. Some of my table had the buffet. Was not impressed with the buffet offerings, especially at $40 a head. Good things at the rudder? They make a mean margarita. Our waitress was wonderful. I would not return. read more

Not good at all. Been around forever figured it's still good after all this time. I was wrong. Waitress forgot my food so I had to wait another 10 mins while my family ate. My seafood lovers meal arrived and was terrible. Was supposed to have a garlic butter sauce but was sitting it what appeared and tasted like some of the water at the bottom of the steamer. Everything was over steamed and squirted water when I attempted to cut it. The rockfish was bony and the crab cake was soggy. Not sure what happened but it was very disappointing. We will not return. read more

Great live music, incredible views! With the exception of the crab chowder (yum!) the food that we ordered was not very good. Edible, but not good. Would definitely go back for drinks and music, just would eat there. read more

Decent food and garbage service . Brought my son here for birthday , won't do again. Fish and chips took over 30 min, and came out as one big piece of fish, not cooked all the way. My fish tacos were cold . Not good time , nor food management. . Sad , because location is nice . And girlfriends prime rib sandwich came out dry and cut paper thin. Not worth the money . read more

Great dinner. Our apps came out fast!!!! We're soooo good! Walker (manager) came out and made sure we were ok! Would def come back

Another great restaurant ruined.. The buffet is gone. The food on the revamped menu is mediocre at best. Red Lobster actually has the Rudder beat at this point (and I hate Red Lobster). read more