This is such a gem right by the Boardwalk at Bethany Beach. We were hungry for some brunch, and we stopped by The Penguin since they had an array of options. The servers were very kind and even accommodated us to a preferred seat when they were able to. I had the tenders and toast with their Vermont maple syrup (which they sell on the side) and it was honestly delicious! The maple syrup was really good, and between the tenders and French toast, I pretty much finished it and did not feel bloated. The gluten-free tenders were really good! I am not allergic to gluten, but being that we're at the beach and eating a heavy meal, it felt nice to not feel bloated after eating a meal on the heavier side. My boyfriend got the shrimp tacos, and he said they were OK. They were not "outstanding" but he did enjoy it. He did rave about the espresso martini, he really enjoyed that. Overall, I would absolutely come back to the penguin when I visit again. Great place for a good meal! read more

The Penguin - Blackened shrimp tacos with chips, expresso martini - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

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An amazing breakfast/brunch/lunch spot in Bethany. The waitstaff is always friendly and attentive and are able to answer any questions you have. The themed beach decor really adds to the experience. The menu has plenty of variety and the portions are generous. The pop tarts are a must try (perfect for sharing). I had Jen's veggie scramble which was the perfect way to start the day. read more

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Food was good, average portions, but definitely overpriced. Custom omelette two slices of French toast and kids chicken tenders meal was $60

Loved this restaurant in Bethany beach. Great brunch, the service was terrific and the entire restaurant was decorated with a penguin theme. Really enjoyed the experience and will definitely visit again. read more

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We had breakfast this morning at The Penguin in Bethany Beach and it was a very good experience. The food was healthy, portion sizes were large, service was great, and the atmosphere was family friendly. I highly recommend this place! read more

Try the pop tart! The special was raspberry and was so good -- even my wife enjoyed it who doesn't care for warm fruit filling. Fresh-squeezed juice for the mimosas and yummy vodka lemonades made our quick stop delightful. The bar might seem small but the bartender was great. read more

The Penguin - Drink coaster says the penguin - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

Just steps from the Atlantic Ocean, The Penguin served us a fantastic breakfast! We started off with Bloody Mary's and Mimosas of course! Our breakfasts ranged from Blueberry pancakes to French toast to eggs. All were very good, I really enjoyed the blueberry pancakes. The owners here are from Vermont and bring in their own maple syrup which was outstanding! Since we were here in April, the place was pretty quiet. In season, I'm told there's always a line outside the door. It's worth the wait! read more

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Back again - third year in a row - taking my grandkids to breakfast here. My grand daughter had the French toast with assorted fruit, and my grandson stepped up from his usual choc chip pancakes to the Nutella pancakes. Sides of bacon and OJ, and I had the Jen's omelette, I believe it was called, with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and (?) maybe bacon in it. I could only eat half of it, so it was lunch another day. Service is always polite and prompt and it's a fun family morning. read more

We recently had breakfast here and the food is so delicious! Great staff, very friendly. Food is way above typical diner or breakfast places. Highly recommend!! read more

The Penguin - Breakfast wrap, hubby said it was amazing. - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

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A great place for breakfast, but make sure to get on the waiting list especially if you are visiting when they first open since they are usually packed. It has a great location of being just off the boardwalk and amongst the shops in bethany. The menu has a wide selection of breakfast items compared to other restaurants. read more

Pretty good food for a quick and convenient breakfast in town. Eggs scrambled perfectly but would rather that they don't put so much pepper in them. Coffee has a mild aftertaste. They give you fruit too which is a nice touch. Service is quick and efficient. They get you in and out and meet all your needs. read more

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The Penguin is our favorite breakfast place in all of Bethany hands down! The food is always hot and delicious and the service is top notch. We have been regulars since 2017. The restaurant atmosphere is excellent and provides a bright and colorful beach feel! If you are looking for cheap diner food this is not the place for you! If you are looking for great food and great service in a bright and friendly atmosphere, the Penguin is a must visit. If you love olives and feta cheese, the Greek omelette is epic. I also love their ham and cheese omelette. Don't forget a side of scrapple! read more

Found in the downtown of Bethany. They were able quickly seat us. Our waitress, Erika S, was pleasant and attentive. This is a beach diner and so the noise level matches. The food overall was good. The pancakes were solid - sweet on their own. The French toast was good. The smoothies taste "healthy" - no sugar added. The parfait was perfect- the yogurt is sweet and the granola crunchy. The coffee isn't fabulous- has a rough aftertaste. The only real downside is that they served a rotten avocado on their own vegetable omelette. read more

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Amazing for breakfast. Staff is very attentive and the food was great. We'll definitely be back! read more

Came here for breakfast before heading out of town. Since it was a Sunday morning during Summer, we joined the waitlist that really picked up around 9:30-10am. Our waiter was incredibly friendly, and the service was smooth and quick. It was absolutely FREEZING in the diner, though. 5/6 of us went to go get or buy a cheap hoodie to wear from a nearby shop. Everything tasted fantastic. We started with the Nutella French toast which was so good. It was a shareable but I definitely did not want to share it! Then, my boyfriend and I split Andy's Breakfast Wrap with sausage. The wrap could maybe use some spice or a sauce of sorts, but the base was great with just some hot sauce. The potato's were flavorful and crispy. My boyfriend and I also split the shakshuka with lobster, which was sensational. It was so flavorful, with a generous amount of lobster. The eggs aren't cooked/poached into the sauce as it typically would be, but still very good. I would get that every time I come in the future! It's a little pricy for diner food but it's also not your typical diner. They have unique decor with some Vermont emphasis (and an emphasis on penguins). And they have some unique alcoholic breakfast drinks you won't find anywhere else. Loved the Penguin and will definitely be back! read more

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Pleasant atmosphere. Pleasant and efficient servers. Delicious casual fare. Highly recommended.

During the week, we stopped in Bethany and enjoyed breakfast at this local favorites. The ambiance was coastal and laid back. Our server was helpful on dishes and to go containers. We all got different items on the menu. I got with brisket was eggs which was ok. I enjoyed the lemonade I had. I want to try the pop tarts next time. read more

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We have been enjoying The Penguin for years. This summer we were surprised to see multiple moldy towels all around the ceiling presumably to hold back excess moisture. The ownership should address the moisture issues ASAP. read more

If you're looking for a place to have an affordable, delicious, fresh breakfast go no further. Comfortable seating, prompt, and courteous service and a nice atmosphere top it off. read more

The Penguin - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

Let's go point by point. Food: I ordered the traditional breakfast. Eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast. I passed on the toast which was a mistake as the rest was mostly inedible. The eggs were fine. I ordered them scrambled and what scraps I could retrieve from the potato mess was fine. The potatoes were Restaurant Depot frozen type. If they were made on site, then they were at least 8 years old if not older. Long story short it was literally just previously frozen, put in a huge pan, sat all day yesterday, put in the walk-in overnight, taken out and thrown on the griddle for 2 minutes variety. They were hard as rocks, gross and inedible. Nothing in them but dried up crusty potatoes. Here is the thing, potatoes are cheap and easy to cut up. Why would you serve frozen crap? I could make a weeks' worth of home fries in about an hour and they would be epic. To top off the mess they mixed the scrambled eggs into the potatoes. Wait, what? I didn't order a scrambler. That was just weird. The bacon was.........well see above. Surprisingly the bacon looked like a step over free breakfast at Holiday Inn Express type. Of course, they had it in the fridge and it got dried out and crusty. It appeared to be much like Potassium which can be a solid and a liquid at the same time. The Potassium Bacon was under cooked and over cooked at the same time. Anyways it was gross and inedible. The garnish(?) was a mealy slice of watermelon and 3 sliced tomatoes. Why? I mean you can't be bothered to cut up a few potatoes but can cut up a watermelon from the scratch and dent aisle. The tomato slices seemed fresh which was even more shocking. I didn't eat them because.......well see above. No trust that anything should be consumed by humans. The bartender/waitress was super nice. When she asked if I wanted more coffee and I said "no I'm all set" she looked at the uneaten food and asked if everything was OK. I told her to look at what was there, and it was obviously leftovers, she started to talk. She lost steam after about 3 words when she realized there was no justifying what they served as a $13 breakfast. She did adjust off 20% which she more than got back in the tip. I never punish a pleasant server for the owner's BS. To sum it all up. Stop with the stupid garnishes nobody wants them anyway. Use the effort slicing all that random fruits and vegetables to slice fresh Yukon gold potatoes and make fresh home fries. You can find a recipe in any child's cookbook. Cook the bacon when the order is placed or stop charging an extra $5 for something better served going straight into the trash bin. Oh yes, the coffee. Well, it was cheap restaurant variety and burnt tasting. 3 bucks for a mug (bigger than most places). I give them 3 stars for the coffee as it was just sort of the expectaion. Overall vibe is a 9 to 5er got bored at their job. They cashed in their 401k and opened their idea of a restaurant. They seem to have thrown a few things they saw on Pinterest on the menu, and they think they are quaint and cutting edge. The reality is they screwed up a simple breakfast. The Yelp app asked if I wanted to claim the business, so they don't seem to even care about their reviews. I have a few pics on my phone, but I am way too lazy to upload them here. If they debate my characterization of the breakfast, I will post them. read more

Cute little place. Very understaffed right now so although most of the tables were empty we had a 15-20 min wait. We weren't permitted to sit at an empty table, and since it was raining we had to wait in the car. We got a text when they were ready for us. Service was quick and friendly. We had shakshuka, French toast, blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, omelette, and eggs. They were all very good. The shakshuka was a bit different than I was used to but good. The French toast was amazing! read more

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July, 2024: The food, service, and setting were all very good! So much so, I went 3 mornings in a row and loved their breakfasts. The waiter Bosco, is excellent - thorough, friendly, not pushy. The menu is unique, offering several breakfast options. I'll be back and I highly recommend The Penguin! read more

Good food, prompt service on a busy Saturday during the craft fair. The portions were very generous and the food was fresh but it did not WOW us so we give 4 stars. That said, it was a good menu and just right for breakfast. Our hosts are regulars; we will go back too. read more

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The Penguin is a must for breakfast lovers! The food is delicious and fresh! The juices are freshly squeezed and if you want to start your day off with "adult juice" the orange crushes and Bloody Mary's are delicious. The servers are incredibly nice. The last time we went there were no tables so we sat at the bar. Mark was our server and the bartender, and he had to have been one of the best bartenders we've seen working! He must have checked on us several times, always with a smile and never made us feel like a nuisance. Very cute - awesome spot. I'm not one to typically get stickers, but we're coming home with two Penguin stickers this trip! read more

My first time visit. I'm so impressed! The servers were friendly and knew the menu without running to someone to get answers to our questions. They accommodated our GF diet effortlessly. The food is superb! I had the brie & apple omelet. OMG! Heavenly!!! Their home fries were crispy on the outside and potato-ey inside, not greasy. Great breakfast! read more

Good breakfast in the heart of Bethany Beach, enhanced this summer by really Excellent service from Taylor (go CNU!). Key: Get there at 8am, the place fills quickly and if you want a table and a parking space out front, make the effort to be there at 8am Cholesterol free egg beater option is available, just ask. (See Jen's veggie omelet pic below) Chocolate chip pancakes are amazing! (See pic). read more

The Penguin - Cholesterol free egg beater omelette version of Jen's Veggie - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

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Had to make a Yelp account to make this review! Great stuff here. The grapefruit juice was the perfect kick I needed in the morning. Friendly staff and beautiful interior. Bethany's hidden gem! - Marvin K read more

The Penguin - PANCAKE - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

So the food was amazing! Loved the veggie omelette and classic. Option with fruit was great. We just wished the server, Ally, was offering the same type of service as she was with other customers. But she was treating us differently. She kept checking other tables, asking how everything was doing, attending to others without being asked... but she never came to us unless we called for us. She didn't come to us to give the check until the we asked when we were all clearly done (had our mask on, we had the plates away from us, tried to signal to waitress without avail.), she wasn't busy but stood near other tables that definitely didn't need her help and I had to personally come to her... she also gave flowers to every table for Mother's Day except for us. It was weird. She also didn't say congrats when we were talking about my pregnancy to her, where her response was "oh ok" lol what???? Come on. We definitely felt neglected... won't come back. read more

The Penguin - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

Very good food! As seen in the photos, started eating before taking a photo. Food was quick and tasteful! Was a little disappointed in the pop-tarts, didn't look like the picture advertised. Everything else was delicious! read more

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The first thing I noticed when I walked in were all the pictures of penguins done by kids that were absolutely adorable. The staff was super friendly and I could tell from staring at people's tables that the food was going to be great. I had their Mac n cheese and it was absolutely delicious. It was definitely many steps up from the boxed Mac n cheese that I am used to. My grandma had a breakfast platter and couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was. I ended up absolutely destroying the Mac n cheese. If you haven't noticed, I recommend the Mac n cheese. The waitress was fantastic and was very attentive. The prices were a little expensive, but you are right next to the boardwalk at Bethany beach so it's not surprising. I will definitely be eating here again. read more

It was good, just not great. The Brie and apple omelette had no Brie. The brisket wasn't cut across the grain, so it was VERY long strings of brisket that were difficult to cut with the butter knives provided and it was very hard to eat the sandwich. Tuna melt was great, and the house-made potato chips were very good. Service was attentive. read more

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Such a fun place! We came here on a rainy winter's morning and our waitress was so welcoming and friendly...I had the seafood scramble with coffee and orange juice and it was all very delicious (and quickly prepared)...this place made me so happy! :) read more

The Penguin - Seafood scramble - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

We visited Bethany Beach for a long weekend and we enjoyed The Penguin so much the first time we dined that we came back two days later. Nina's Nutella is a perfect starter. My go to was Andy's Breakfast Wrap with lobster and another fan favorite is the seafood scrambler. The orange juice is freshly squeezed, it's a must. Already looking forward to returning to Bethany and eating at The Penguin again!! read more

The Penguin - Andy's Breakfast Wrap - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

The BEST breakfast/brunch in Bethany! Pancakes, french toast, Vermont maple syrup, fruit, gluten free & vegan options, eggs, fresh juices, homemade pop tarts...so good! Plus hot coffee! They also have great options for lunch. Service is kind and attentive, food is delicious, and the environment is great too. A must on vacation or for locals. They do get busy which might cause a longer wait time or slower meal to table time but it's worth it! read more

I was craving a big salad with really good homemade dressing and took a chance on The Penguin. This farm to table diner rocks. The" chef salad" was enough for three meals and I added the Salmon bringing the salad to $22.00. I loved that with each bite of salad you tasted something different. The avocado, cranberries, cashews, sunflower seeds, carrots, eggs, cucumber and Vermont cheddar white cheese all tasted so fresh. The diner was bright, sunny, and clean! My friends strawberry smoothie was awesome. Delicious food! read more

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Pretty much the only weekday table service breakfast east of Coastal Highway. Think of it as an impaired First Watch -- farm-to-table-ish, vaguely artisanal, but subpar service and uncomfortable tables. The restaurant has staffing issues - we had a 30 minute wait midweek at 10 am even though there empty tables. Oddly, the restaurant ultimately chose to seat us in fairly cramped quarters immediately next to another family, even though there were several empty tables. The food was lukewarm when it arrived but we didn't have any more time and didn't raise the issue. There were good points - the bacon was crispy, the syrup was better than other restaurants' - but on the whole the experience was lacking. read more

Have always walked by but never gone in until today!! The service was great, even though it was packed on a Friday morning. Our server was attentive and quick, which was awesome because of how crazy it was in here. (We did have to wait about 15 minutes). I ordered a veggie scrambler and a side of bacon, and the other person in my party ordered the Baltimore omelette. Both were so tasty! (Not sure why this place has 3 stars when the food was delicious and service attentive) Definitely recommend this place if you want a sit down breakfast and don't mind a 15 minute wait. Or just get here early. read more

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Takeout chocolate chip pancakes with sausage patties. Great choice for a beach day ahead of you! read more

The Penguin - Takeout chocolate chip pancakes with sausage patties. Great choice for a beach day ahead of you! - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware

Best meal I've had in Bethany beach ! They took our party of 8 right in and the food and service was fantastic .

Friendly staff, amazing food, relaxed atmosphere of penguins, and good music! Very cool menus with unique hand drawn penguins. We were a group of 6, they were patient, and the service was quick. Food was great, and reasonably priced. We loved the size of their coffee mugs too. Also, most importantly, try the cream of crab soup! read more

The Penguin - Store front - Burgers Near Me - Bethany Beach, Delaware