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    The Cafe on 26

    4.0 (141 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    The Cafe on 26 Photos

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    THE CAFE ON 26 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Cafe on 26

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    Menu
    Tony J.

    As you can see from my past two reviews I have been here several times in the past on special occasions such as my birthday. As you can see the last time I reviewed this place was twice in 2022. Service and food quality is consistently very good here, but pricey. I was here on my birthday with 5 family and friends for our 5 pm dinner reservation. You have to call in to make a dinner reservation. My birthday was on Friday. When we arrived we were seated upstairs in the middle of the room. We always end up upstairs. I started with and enjoyed my two Makers Mark Manhattans. I also enjoyed my eight clams casino with Little Neck clams, cheese blend, fresh herbs, bell peppers, bacon and spices. The prime rib was left over from Thursday's prime rib night. They baked the prime rib slice so it was not medium rare on the outside. I prefer when they cook the prime rib whole and then slice my medium rare cut from the center of the whole prime rib. The meat itself was tender and tasty, but brown on the outside. All entrees come with a choice of two homemade sides. I opted for the grilled asparagus and the sauteed zucchini and squash. I ended my dinner with a glass of Raymond cabernet sauvignon for $16. Our experienced server served us very well.

    Duck Breast with asparagus & mashed potatoes

    We went to The Cafe on 26 for the 1st time to celebrate my birthday. Reservations are needed, I called & left a message to receive a call from the owner Maria. We asked for inside seating ( although the garden seating looked lovely with cafe & lighted trees - next time) & reservations @ 8:00. Our server was friendly & knowledgeable about the menu & wine pairing. She was attentive but not overly so. We had the cream of crab soup which was delicious & mussels to begin with. Our server timed the arrival of each dish perfectly. I had the salmon encrusted potato dish, their signature dish & spouse had the Duck breast prepared med/rare, both with two sides. For dessert we shared the peach ( local Bennett peaches) cake which was amazing. We had a lovely dinner & will definitely return to celebrate special occasions.

    Amazing inside and out! A MUST place to dine while in Bethany Beach, DE
    Lachrisha P.

    Excellent dinner from the entrance to the dessert. Extremely hospitable and the food was amazing. I highly recommend you make reservation ahead of time. Trust me you will not be disappointed. The food was so good we ask to see the chef and the owner. We were told she was very busy and unbeknownst to us she came out to our table to welcome us and thanked us for coming out. That's says a lot about the amazing person she is!

    Entrance
    Stephanie R.

    Absolute gem Dinner at The Cafe on 26 was divine. This place tends to be booked so reservations in advance is highly recommended. The place is small but cozy, our waitress was very friendly, attentive and gave the group great recommendations. I went with the Signature Salmon Dish 10/10, the crispy potatoes on top were absolutely mouthwatering just thinking about it right now. They have a nice wine selection and I enjoyed my house Pinot Grigio 8/10. I cannot wait to be back!

    Crab dip with pretzels
    Sarah H.

    To make reservations is an odd process. You have to call, leave a voicemail, and someone will call back to confirm your reservation. Or if you get someone on the phone right away, they will still tell you that they will have to call you back to confirm (they will not confirm the reservation right away). When choosing to reserve an outside table, they told me that if there is inclement weather the table will automatically be cancelled, NOT transferred to an inside table--so you will be out of a reservation. The outside seating area looked cute, though my reservation was for an inside table because of the risk of losing the reservation from inclement weather. I was not very impressed with the inside table environment. The table cloths looked like it was slapped on the table straight from the package and all disheveled. There was a cozy-type feel, but it was more like visiting grandma's house, not a romantic date night. The service was mildly friendly, though it took 15+ minutes to get our waters and over 40 minutes to get the appetizer. This could be a problem since there's a sign at the hostess stand that says "there is a 1.5 hour time limit for tables of two". It also says "phones are not allowed at the table" so we felt like we had to sneak pictures of our food. The waitress didn't seem rude, but was not attentive to the table at all. Multiple people had to bring us more water/to go boxes/the check because our waitress kept forgetting about our table. I was very disappointed with the service overall. Now the food was delicious enough to raise my 1.5 star review a 3-star review. The crab dip with pretzels were YUM, I don't think you could find many that could top it. The scallops were fresh and cooked perfectly. The filet mignon was ordered medium rare but was medium, though had super tasty seasoning. The asparagus, baked potato, mashed potatoes, and squash sides were all okay. They weren't FULL of flavor, but moderately enjoyable. The chocolate mousse with strawberries dessert was delectable. Overall, the side dishes were not up to standard but the crab dip, scallops, filet mignon and chocolate mousse was delightful. I have heard locals talk about how delicious the food was here, so I was excited for this choice as a special date night. However, I absolutely do not think the prices Cafe on 26 set reflects the service, environment/vibe, and food quality they provide.

    Cream of crab ,  couldn't wait ate half!
    Ralph J.

    Took another couple ( first timers) here the four of us had a very good time . The food was delicious. Everything we ordered was great including the salad and cream of crab soup. Good selections of wine which we also had. Service was very good . Only two suggestions the service was good but , she could of checked in a little more as our mains were an hour later than the apps , we didn't mind as we were in good company, but a check in from our waitress with an explanation or letting us know all was still being prepared would of been nice . At the point of meal delivery we were the only table left upstairs then felt a little rushed . It was also my wife's birthday and I ordered 2 deserts for her to share with me and both were excellent ( key lime and peach pie ) they wrote happy birthday on the plate but no discount or any cordial, candles or other birthday comps/ deserts were provided. It wasn't expected but for a 500 meal for 4 a little treat could of really gone a long way . The place was very clean inside and outside . The old fashioned drinks were very good . Would rate 4.5

    Our view for dinner

    We went here tonight for dinner for my wife's birthday. We probably won't be back. Despite making reservations a week and a half in advance, we were seated on the porch, with a lovely view of the Verizon building, traffic on Garfield Avenue, and the front door. If you decide to go here, this is not where you want to sit. I asked to be moved to a different table, but they were fully booked and there was nothing else available. When we were taken to our table, both chairs had food on them. While they did clean them off, this pretty much set the tone for the rest of the evening. I had the soft shell crab entree, and my wife had the crab cake. The food was good, but not great. There are a lot of excellent restaurants in the area; this really didn't make an impression. On the plus side, portions were good, presentation was OK, and our waiter was very attentive. On their website they show the owner, and they say she circulates throughout the restaurant to make sure everything is up to par. Well, that doesn't happen. And it's a shame, because if the experience was different, we would have ordered appetizers and dessert. As it was, we drove down to DiFebo's market, bought dessert there and brought it home. Friends of ours asked us to let them know how our dinner was. We will.

    Lobster Imperial w twice baked potato & French green beans
    Meg P.

    Yelpers are right - this is a great boutique restaurant w locally sourced ingredients. We've been wanting to try this place out for ages & it did not disappoint. Food & service are great. I had the lobster imperial- a special for Valentine's. It was really good but I wouldn't say great. I loved that the portions were reasonable & not gigantic. Hubby got the steak & he loved it! Have a something to celebrate? I suggest coming here.

    Ribeye

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    12 days ago

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    3 years ago

    Everything was delicious at this hidden gem. It's nice to know there is another restaurant in the area that's good for special occasions.

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    Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Not too loud. You could even hear your dinner companion talk!

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    3 years ago

    Top notch food, top notch service, and top notch atmosphere! Cafe On 26 services the best of the best!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Cafe on 26

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    Lobster Roll served on a house baked split top bun
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    Inside seating
    Lobster roll and fries
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    Restaurant

    The Cafe on 26 - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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