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. read more

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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. read more

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Absolutely fantastic meal at the Cafe on 26. The service was great and the ambiance was very nice - it's a small place, so it's not too loud, very intimate setting for a date night. The filet mignon may be the best I've ever had - the dry rub was incredible and the meat was cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes were so yummy and savory and the zucchini and squash were also wonderful. It was easy to see why the Parmesan crusted salmon is their signature dish, it was fantastic. We really enjoyed the little mushroom tartlets but were sad that there were only four, because we could have eaten at least ten of them. The cocktails were well balanced and the blueberry cobbler was also very yummy. read more

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! read more

The Cafe on 26 - Amazing inside and out! A MUST place to dine while in Bethany Beach, DE - American Near Me - Ocean View, Delaware

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! read more

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Food, service and atmosphere! The service is excellent, and the food is always fresh and very flavorful! read more

The Cafe on 26 is without a doubt the best upscale restaurant in the Bethany Beach area, guaranteed!! The fact that reservations are required says a lot!! From the moment you walk in the door from their private parking lot and are met with a smile and a happy hello you will enjoy the service and food The pecan encrusted Farrow Island Salmon is one of our all time favorites! Twice baked potato and home made apple sauce are 2 great sides included in the entree price Steak Diane or a Filet Steak ate some of the best steaks you will ever eat in the area! French Onion soup is incredible and a meal in itself! Caesar Salad is a great appetizer too Deserts are amazing and all home made The table service is beyond compare, and Maria, the Chief Executive Chief and Owner always cones out to the floor to say hello to everyone! A personal touch you don't see anymore Make your reservation soon and enjoy dinner at the best upscale restaurant in the Bethany Beach area! read more

Went tonight for anniversary dinner. Absolutely the worst restaurant experience we've ever had since living here in Ocean View. As it turned out, we would have been better off going to the Ocean View Brew Pub across the street. I ordered the Potato encrusted salmon and my wife ordered the stuffed flounder. Waitress shows up with Peach Salmon. Says don't worry, we'll deduct it from the check. I said, I would like the dish I ordered. Fast forward less than 10 minutes and out comes my Potato salmon. Raw salmon...gee I guess that's what happens when you rush out a dinner because you screwed up the first one. Terrible is being too kind. Completely ruined what should have been a very special dinner for us. If you want to be overcharged for extremely sub-par food please go and visit this establishment, but don't do it on a special occasion. We will never eat at this place again, and will insure anyone we talk to stays far away from this horrendous restaurant. read more

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. read more

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Excellent, attentive service, upstairs wine room beautiful dining atmosphere, outstanding food, from salads to Halibut, Parmesan Crusted Salmon, to the BEST Ribeye Steak anywhere around! Twice Baked Potato, any of the vegetables all delicious. Had no room for dessert, but the choices offered sounded scrumptious. read more

This is a place that is very good but sometimes not as good as it should be when you consider the prices. They still have that very annoying reservation policy where you don't get a confirmation that could take several days. On more than one occasion I've been forced to make reservations elsewhere because I hadn't received a confirmation from them that left time for me to make plans. And still no bread service. What's that all about? In any event, a recent trip left us feeling underwhelmed. Without going into too many details, one of us had to send our filet back 2X.. Once because it was raw and cold the 1st time and not cooked to the requested medium. So it had to go back again. Also, the side of onions that was special ordered was not included. So the waiter said he would take them off the bill (sides are extra). Wouldn't it had been better to add them during the second time the dish had to go back? So this may not seem like a total bust but the result was that only 3 of us were able to enjoy our meal together and the 4th had to straggle along with interruptions of returning his food. With a bill near $350 that kind of nonsense is not good. So the bottom line is that it is a very nice place with food that can be rather good. But they need to step it up to justify the prices. read more

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 read more

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Do not go. This is second time we ate here. The first time it was very good. The second time on the recent Mother's Day it was terrible and expensive. First, the crab soup was not available for dinner. Then the twice baked potatoes were cold. Then the stuffed flounder was a small portion for a cost of $40. Then the string beans to replace the twice baked potato were overcooked. This restaurant touts themselves as a "boutique restaurant" but it did not meet that moniker on this day. I will not go to this restaurant again. read more

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. read more

The Cafe on 26 - Our view for dinner - American Near Me - Ocean View, Delaware

The food is very good but the wait for entree is ridiculous. We sat down at 8:10 pm. We ordered at 8:15. Our appetizers arrived within 10 minutes. We ordered our entrees at 8:25. Our food arrived at 9:40 pm. The waitress warned us of a delay on the food but then disappeared for 20 minutes. The irony is that they say there is a 2 hour time limit. We'll We waited over an hour for our entrees. Worst of all there was no offer for a free appetizer. This place has great food but expect to wait over an hour to begin eating your entrees. Very disappointed with the service. read more

A lovely birthday dinner in Café in 26's 'library room' on second floor (note: no elevator). After learning there was a snafu on a Saturday night dinner reservation for 7 in the middle of summer season, reservations were adjusted to make it work with only a fifteen minute change in time. We were seated right away. The server was attentive and gracious. Drinks were perfect. The food was excellent, generous, and priced very well. Definitely a place to return to. As full time residents in a beach town, we appreciate quality restaurants that are extra special. A big thank you to Maria, the owner. read more

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. read more

The Cafe on 26 - Lobster Imperial w twice baked potato & French green beans - American Near Me - Ocean View, Delaware

The venue is so quaint and beautiful. Wendy, our server, was professional, attentive and gave great recommendations. We would definitely highly recommend this restaurant to others. read more

We had a wonderful dinner at Cafe 26. First of all, Wendy was our server and she was simply amazing... Attentive to all our needs. We started with a Cesar salad and clams casino. Both were great. I really really loved the clams. For mains my wife had the pork chop and had the ribeye. Both were excellent. Seasoned and cooked perfectly. We Will definitely be back read more

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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.

Went there with my mom and my adult son for Mother's Day, and we were not disappointed. Delicious food, welcoming and attentive staff. I highly recommend this restaurant. Looking forward to going back when it's warm enough to dine on the outside patio! read more

Overpriced , undercooked scallops, slow service. When I addressed this with owner she was RUDE read more

We just finished our first visit to The Cafe on 26! Service was terrific from our seating to our departure. Marion is special and she wants to make sure you are happy. We sat outside- very nice but the road noise was a bit loud. The patio setting was beautiful, with amazing gardens surrounding you. Now for the food! I had the grilled salmon with mashed potatoes and green beans with carrots and almonds. My husband had the ribeye steak with mashed potatoes and house made apple sauce! Every bite was delicious. Generous portions and more than we could eat. But we did order a slice of the chocolate crusted keylime pie. We just had to taste! It was better than we imagined. If you are visiting our area- This is a Must! read more

The ambiance, in an old house, is beyond charming! There are a couple of cozy rooms for larger groups, one downstairs and upstairs! The food has always been very good and portions more than adequate. Cocktails and wine list are very good! The service has been quite attentive and pleasant!! This is a perfect place for a romantic evening and other special occasions. It's a bit pricey, but definitely worth it! read more

Best fine dining at the beach! We eat here regularly and the food is always fresh and delicious!! This restaurant is the only restaurant in the area that truly understand gluten allergies and most menu items are gluten-free! Try the stuffed flounder!! I usually get the Cafe Fliet - so delicious. read more

Had my birthday dinner at Cafe on 26, last night; just a party of 2. I wish I had gotten the name of the waitress who greeted us, and conversed with us after our meal- as she was delightful and a pleasure to chat with. Wendy was attentive and took care of us with grace, humor and patience. She took extra care and time to answer our many questions. Our meals were DIVINE!!!! We have NEVER had cream of crab soup that contained so much, melt in your mouth, chunks of crab. Had I not been in public, I would have licked the plate of my mushroom tarlets. We both ordered jumbo lump crab cakes, and they are just what the menu states: "no filler". Our sides were also delicious. We have heard about the decadent desserts, but could not have taken one more bite. Some evening, when it doesn't look too crowded, we'd like to walk down for coffee and dessert. I know we could get desserts to go, but the atmosphere is just so warm and inviting. Thank you, Maria, for your WONDERFUL restaurant. read more

By far, the best restaurant and my favorite place to go. Maria is an absolute gem! The food is always of the highest quality and each meal is prepared to perfection! Their servers are the best! Very attentive to their customers The ambiance is amazing. I am always impressed with how pristine their windows are! I don't care there is a 3% up charge if you use a credit card; I always take cash. read more

The food at the Cafe is good. I ordered the Dry Scallops with mashed sweet potatoes and squash. The stuffed flounder was also enjoyed by the other guests. Cafe on 26 comes with some catches. There's a 3% up charge if you use a credit card. We dined with another couple and they would not give separate checks. Despite those drawbacks the restaurant is nicely decorated and provides a conducive atmosphere for dining. The service was good and worthy of going again. read more

The Cafe on 26 - Dry boat scallops - American Near Me - Ocean View, Delaware

There is no way to describe how wonderful this restaurant is, for I wouldn't be doing it enough justice! It can be described as an "experience". I highly recommend this for a special occasion. You can't go wrong! It is my favorite restaurant in all of eastern shore. Just trust my word. read more

This was my wife and my second time at this restaurant. The first time we were with friends and the meal was pretty decent. The second time we went my meal was rated 2 out of 10. I had ordered the rib eye steak, double baked potatoes and grilled asparagus. The meal was delivered with the steak being dried out as if it sat under heat lamps... there were no juices coming from it and it wasn't cooked as I requested. The baked potatoes was dry and no butter or sour cream was provided with it. Lastly, the asparagus were limp and cool to the touch. This was a very overpriced meal for what I received. They took the plate back and provided me with another steak cooked as requested, but the plate should never have been delivered to me in the first place. I do not see us returning to this restaurant. We are locals to the Bethany Beach area and eat out frequently.. This was a huge disappointment for us. read more

First rate in every way: ambiance, food, service...it was our first time and it truly lived up the the "hype." There is no need to cover specifics as others on here have given great descriptions. I will only say that we highly recommend it and we will be back as often as we can manage. It is a bit far flung for us but SO worth the drive! read more

We celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary at Cafe on 26 and enjoyed our experience from the moment we walked in the door. We were greeted by Ruby with a smile, and she immediately walked us to our favorite table reserved for us by Maria the owner and executive chef! We started our evening dinning with a Ceaser Salad and a cup of their amazing French Onion Soup. One entree was a Stuffed Flounder with large pieces of crab. Sides were their homemade applesauce and a twice baked potato. The other entree was a Filet Mignon and a twice baked potato and applesauce. Everything is made to order perfectly and outstanding!!! Our shared dessert was beyond belief and tremendous. A Strawberry Short Cake like you never had before, fresh strawberries and an amazing cake with incredible homemade whipped cream. We ate the whole dessert it was so good! We always take home a third entree for the next night; this time it was a 1/2 Rack of Australian Lamb with mashed sweet potatoes and applesauce. Also, for an appetizer to go we ordered the cheesy crab dip with soft pretzels. The food is always the best as is the service by Susan and ambiance of a private home converted to an amazing restaurant! Reservations are a must, but without a doubt worth the effort as it doesn't get any better than Cafe on 26 in Ocean View/Bethany Beach on Rt. 26, 2 miles from the beach!! read more

We really enjoyed the atmosphere on the outside patio dining...the food was well prepared and flavorful...the pork chop and stuffed flounder are recommended...crab dip with pretzels and the clams for appetizers... read more

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

Foos is always very good but especially at the higher end restaurant prices I don't like being told when to leave because my time is up. Other restaurants have figured this out without handling this so rudely. I won't be back. read more

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

The customer service was simply outstanding! We were fortunate to be seated in the upstairs wine room and were able to enjoy a quiet dinner with our good friends. The food was incredible and perfectly timed! Would highly recommend for a special dinner occasion! Can't wait to go back again soon! read more

So glad we finally made our reservation to dine here. Terrific menu, sweet staff, delightful atmosphere & mouth watering food. We'll be back. read more

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It pains me to share this honest review. We wanted to love this place! We were so excited to try it. We called as soon as we found them on yelp and their machine noted they are available to reserve up to 30 days in advance! Great we thought people love this place! They called us back the same day and said they did have a table available outside if we didn't mind it being a bit big for 2. We were thrilled! The parking lot is tiny but there is additional parking around the corner. When you walk up to the restaurant it's absolutely lovely. A lush little garden with great tables and seating. The waitress said the chef was French trained and the French onion soup was the real deal. This is one of my husband's favorite soup. He was disappointed with the amount of salt it had. It took away from the flavor of the soup. I ordered the baked clams and they were cheesy and good which in my book is hard to do! My husband ordered a combo shrimp, rockfish and scollops with mash and string beans and I ordered the no filler lump crab cake with the same sides. I was surprised by the amount of salt added to the mash potatoes but they were still good and the string beans were perfect. The crab cake however was sent back. It was slick, grayish and smelled fishy. I thought ok just a bad piece. The waitress came out and stoped at every table but ours we tried to wave her down twice and missed her. So here I'm watching my husband eat dinner and I'm starting to get annoyed. The waitress comes back out, goes to a few other tables and finally notices us trying to get her attention. She comes over and asks me if she can get me something else and I ask for the menu. It takes a few minutes to get it and now my husband is well past half way through this dinner so I ordered a salad something quick and the waitress takes this opportunity to tell us that that was the first crab cake they ever had sent back! Now I make no apologies, I eat it all the time and what they severed me was not fit for consumption and all they had to do was smell it and they would have agreed-but she seemed just a bit miffed that I broke there long streak. The salad was tiny but tasteful. The dressing was a bit too acidic but sweet at the same time. My husband was done eating so he then had to sit around and watch me eat. He liked his dish, the fish was fresh. Towards the bottom of his mash he got a bit le of super salty potatoes - much like my first and only bite. We don't understand restaurants who use too much salt because they could easily leave it unsalted and out slat and pepper on the table. ;) the blue moon beer was devine with a a lush piece of orange in the rim. I would try them again for drinks and appetizers but unless they have something I really want, I don't think we'll be running back for dinner. We would rate them a 3 1/2 but having to pick between 3 or 4 I can't with good conscious give a 4 for this visit. read more

My favorite restaurant at the beach! Food is spectacular and they make a heck of a cocktail. Always a fave - great for couples and adults, not kids. read more